Katherine - the end.

Continuing on to Katherine was uneventful - Katherine marked the termination of The Big Lap, as I'd covered from Katherine on last year.  I stopped at a freecamp along the way for a night and was immediately questioned by a neighbor re what I knew about  solar panels.  His regulator had three flashing LED lights, which he didn't think was normal.  With my multimeter we soon determined his panels were working properly but his regulator was cactus.  Meanwhile another nearby camper came over and was quizzing me about how to determine the charge level of your battery.    I thought "This pretty well sums up the camaraderie of the road".  You can pretty well approach anyone and be welcomed.  If you have a problem, people offer to help, the same as you offer to help anyone else with a problem.  So who are these people?  They come from all parts of the country,  a range of occupations and their rigs vary widely.  One chap I met had a ute and an old caravan as his only assets in this world, others with quite expensive modern units but all are greeted on equal terms in their travels.  Some actually live on the road, others have a home base and travel a fair bit of the time.  While the term "Grey Nomad" is often used to sum up all the campervans and caravans on the road, there are a significant number of younger people also (we'll exclude those in the Wicked Vans from this discussion), from those undertaking a major trip before the children start school, to those with long service leave and - if travelling other than in the long holidays - prepared to take their children out of school for a term, to those with families taking extensive travels and home educating their children.  When asked what they consider they like most, they most often state "the freedom". 

We often hear the glib statement "..in another life.." - how many lives do we have?  What constitutes "another life"?  Tonight I am sitting around the campfire, looking into the flames and reminiscing;  since the loss of my beloved wife, I haven't been home long enough to establish a 'new life' without her - I wonder how that will go?  I have now completed The Big lap, and to me it constitutes "another life"!  I will continue traveling but not so extensively.  Thus I consider this the final chapter of this life - it has been an incredible journey!

Kununurra

Passing through Hall's Creek, I stopped at the Visitors Centre and managed to book a flight over the Kimberley's from Kununurra a couple of days hence.   I arrived in Kununarra and booked into a caravan park  - spot with a water view - and awaited my Kimberley Experience Flight. 

The Gibb River Road goes thru the Kimberley's from Kununurra to Derby, and while very scenic and interesting (I am told), it is also rough, requiring a sturdy, high clearance four wheel drive vehicle, which my HiAce is not!  Successful businesses at either end do a roaring trade in repairing damaged vehicles, vans & trailers that are supposedly sturdy enough to handle the road.  For the most part, the Kimberley's  are remote, rugged and not very productive.  So an extensive flight to view the area was my choice and this was a six hour tour including a couple of stops.  The Kimberley's cover an area about the size of Germany, our pilot/guide informed us on takeoff, as we left Kununura heading NW toward Wyndham, following the Ord River and over much of the irrigated area.  On reaching the coast we flew west along it and over a couple of wilderness resorts, where the only access was by plane or boat, and the prices ranged from $1,700 - $3,000/nite.  The area is certainly wilderness!  We continued working our way west along the coast over lovely beaches and bays, including an oyster farm, where oysters are seeded and then grown in cages to produce the cultured pearls for which the area is famous.  So far much of the country looked reasonably flat and very sparsely vegetated. 

Turning inland from the coast, the terrain below was more rugged.  Some rivers had cut steep gorges and we flew over the waterfalls which were, well, gorgeous!  As they had some water flowing it made it more interesting.   Passing over King George Falls we continued to our first stop on The Mitchell Plateau, where the air terminal and facilities were very welcome after three hours travel in a small plane:  Being in a wilderness, these facilities were in character. 

We then continued to Mitchell Falls on our way to the next stop, Drysdale River Station, for lunch.  While 'only' a hamburger and drink, a superb meal it was!  As stated earlier, this country is not very productive and stations find it hard to survive:  The fact is some don't, but those like Drysdale who have, did so by expanded into the  tourist trade.  It is perhaps 50 Km off the Gibb River Road, but well patronised as it offers food, fuel, accommodation and a real outback station experience.  While a bit basic compared to the wilderness camps on the coast, it is more in keeping with its pioneering spirit, as exemplified by the blue phone in an old fridge. 

From here we flew back to Kununurra over a more interesting terrain, with hills, bluffs and broken country below.  The pilot/guide pointed out El Questro Station, which today is a wilderness retreat, and very popular, so much so that you have to book about a year in advance.  Apparently Nicole Kidman, when filming the movie "Australia" wanted to stay there but didn't book far enough in advance and was disappointed.  We continued on over Emma Falls (which at this time of day was in shadow) and back to Kununarra, completing our unique aerial Kimberley experience.

I then spent two nites at the Lake Argyle Resort and Caravan Park.  Lake Argyle is Australia's largest body of fresh water, some 7-9 times larger than Sydney Harbour.  Its main purpose is to provide a storage reservoir to supply water in the dry season, the dry season being virtually an annual drought, prohibiting crop production.  Large tracts of flat land (around 7,500 Ha.) around Kununurra are thus able to be farmed with the resulting irrigation.  Initially cotton (devastated by insects) and rice (eaten by magpies & other birds) were tried but not feasible.  Other crops were tried and today melons, fruit, seedcrops, sugar cane and sandalwood are successfully grown.  The Ord River Dam, which created Lake  Argyle, cost around $20 million to build in 1971, and the crop of sandalwood is estimated to be worth some $5 billion dollars. 

But I digress.  Lake Argyle has a large number of freshwater crocodiles and a large number of fish on which they feed:  No saltwater crocs (the dangerous ones) can live in fresh water so the waters are safe to swim in.  They are also pure enough to drink from.  So, as we set off on the tour, a freshwater croc was soon spotted and became the star of thousands of photos!  Soon after we spotted a rare rock wallaby, who enjoyed similar instant stardom.  We continued our tour, with our skipper also being an excellent guide and giving us facts and figures along the way - for example, enough water flows out of the Lake each day to supply all of Australia's drinking water, and even yet, five times that amount is lost to evaporation (at least I think that's what he said).  Some of the larger islands contain trapped native animals that are now being used as a control group to study changes in evolution.  We saw only a small - but representative - portion of the lake and this included some of the fish, which also became instant stars, though they were cunning enough to only show up if they were fed. 

After the cruise we were driven to the nearby Durack Homestead, the Durack's being the original settlers of the station and who were the visionaries behind the Ord River Dam.  The homestead was in the area to be flooded and thus dismantled, every stone numbered and re-assembled at its current location above the flood waters.  Unfortunately, the waters rose more quickly than anticipated and most of the other items meant to be relocated were lost. 

 

Kununarra is the centre of much to see and do and quite a modern town.  The base population of around 7,000 more than doubles in the tourist season.  The young lass who filled my gas bottle had moved from Perth seven years ago and loves the place with a passion.  The pilot/guide is a seasonal worker who follows work south during the off season but can't wait to get back in the tourist season.  Yet I only stayed three days, being a bit travel weary and not motivated enough to see the Bungle Bungles, which everyone states is a 'must see'.  I did, however, visit the Sandalwood Factory! 

Sandalwood oil is valuable and used in perfumes, beauty and skin care products.  Sandalwood grows naturally in Australia, and while once threatened with over exploitation is now managed on a sustainable basis.  Indian sandalwood is used in the plantations as it is more productive, as well as having an increased demand with shrinking resource in its natural habitat.  Some 7,500 Ha have been planted in Western Australia, Northern Territories and Queensland, with potential for another 15,000 Ha in the NT if/when the Ord River Scheme is expanded to supply irrigation to the Keep River Plains.

Derby

Derby is the oldest town on this stretch of coastline, but doesn't have the great beaches that Broome has, rather some vast expanses of mudflats instead.  It is popular none-the-less and while I did get a spot in a central caravan park, it was my good luck, as it soon was filled.  John & Choi-Chu, who I'd met in the Northern Territory last year informed me they were now working in Derby and we soon got together, having fish & chips at the Dinner Tree at sunset.  The Dinner Tree is a large boab tree at the edge of the mudflats and apparently was a popular lunch spot in the early days, when cattle driven to Derby were grazed in the area until they could be loaded on ships.  Boab trees abound in the Derby area and are strange trees indeed!  Their age is difficult (impossible?) to determine, as they don't have normal growth rings and some guesses put the larger ones at up to 1,500 years old.  One such venerable tree has a hollow centre with a narrow opening in the trunk, and is called "The Prison Tree" as it was used to store prisoners being transported on overnight stopovers.  Boab trees are protected in Derby, thus any development must preserve existing trees, giving the streets some interesting twists & turns! 

Derby has boab trees along the centre of its main street, has an interesting Museum and also the wharf is an interesting visit:  It is often lined with people with crab nets, hoping for a feed of mud crabs (and not often disappointed, from those I talked to).  A few kilometres out of town is the Mowanjum Art Studio, with an excellent video on Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal paintings and boab seeds with Aboriginal scenes carved on them.  As regards the latter, boab seeds are around 25 cm long and have a hard outer shell:  Male Aboriginals carve art on them while Aboriginal women paint scenes.

Once again I was in luck to be in Derby for The Mud Crab Races, the last of three races held each year - one would be remiss in not attending, and we weren't!  You are "given" a mud crab, which you then name (which is written in white on the shell), and in return, "donate" a minimum of $10.00.  There are ten races of ten crabs each, the two winners of each race set aside to run in the Grand Final, which then determines the first, second & third  place prizes.  The "caller" is an entertainer extraordinaire, one to whom 'political correctness' has yet to arrive.  The crabs are placed in the centre of a ~3 metre ring and the first two to reach the edge are set aside:  The losers go into the cooking pot!  None of us had a win or place, but we all had lots of fun!  The races were followed by a BBQ, which included a half mud crab.  A great local, fun-filled event!  Following this, we then went to a birthday party for friends of John & Choi, so it really was a party nite!

A trip out to photograph boab trees the following day was organised by a photographer friend, commencing with lunch (what a civilised group they are!) at the Prison Tree.   We then traveled over the mudflats (they are normally quite dry, only getting covered in the extremely high tides)  to some rather amazing and different places.   Our final stop was at the site of an old mission (near a trinity of boab trees) and the area was littered with old cars & other bits of machinery.  The old cars made an interesting inclusion in some of the photos of boab trees.  Driving back to Derby over miles of mud flats ended our very interesting day.   John & Choi insisted on tea (she is a great cook!), so my last evening  was spent with them - they certainly made my stop in Derby a special part of my journey with their hospitality.  As I was rather sadly driving out the following morning, a vehicle waiting to turn out onto the main street had  John's smiling face behind the wheel - reminding me of special treasures of Derby they'd introduced to me and then I wasn't so sad! 

Broome

Next destination-Port Hedland, to do some shopping & connect to internet.  I'd planned to continue to Cape Keraudren, but at the turnoff was a large sign stating "Offroad Vehicles Only!!", so I freecamped and continued to Broome the following day.  Ever popular, Broome was essentially booked out so I managed to get a spot at the Roebuck Roadhouse Caravan Park, some 35 Km out of Broome, and took it. 

Broome has grown to be a modern city, with some of the older areas still maintaining the character of earlier times.  Initially, the main industry was diving for the oyster shells for the Mother-of-Pearl, of which Broome supplied to the world, as much as 80% before 1915.  Cultured pearls began to be farmed in the 1950's and today it is a major industry in Broome.  With its tropical climate and lovely beaches, in the 1980's Broome developed a tourist industry, huge today!

So, a visit to the famed Cable Beach was in order;  Cable Beach got its name after the international telegraph cable between Java and the rest of the world, which came ashore at Cable Beach in 1889. Not surprisingly many of the 100,000 annual visitors were sunbaking, bathing and generally enjoying the fantastic beach weather.  Here and there you could spot a beach bum, but what surprised me was how old some of them were!  Or maybe they just looked old, as their vacant stare indicated they undoubtedly were traveling in the speedway.     

A visit to the Historical Society Museum gave an interesting account of Broome's development and life in a remote town.  Of special interest were interviews screened of former telephone exchange operators:  While they didn't mention names they certainly covered some 'facts' of early life you don't find in the history books! 

I was lucky enough to be in Broome when the Staircase to the Moon occurred, a phenomena that only happens three nites a month and only from March-October:  When the full moon rises over exposed mudflats at an extreme low tide, the reflections on the rippled sand create a staircase effect.  So I spent the late afternoon at Town Beach with a book, waiting for sunset.  It was scheduled to rise not long after sunset, thus it wouldn't be quite dark at first.  As sunset approached, it soon became evident most of the 100,000 tourists had left Cable Beach and were now at Town Beach!  Like a watched pot, it seemed to take forever for the sun to finally set and then the moon rise, but rise it did!   With cameras clicking everywhere I felt a bit puny with a compact digital camera, especially as there were some super-fancy long lensed SLR's on tripods for the event, but given the limitations I managed to get some decent photos.  It is certainly unique, and fascinating to watch - a wonderful experience!  Then a 35 Km drive back to my van and preparations for early departure, Derby being my next stop.

Indee Station

On the way to Port Headland, I saw a car alongside the road and an Aboriginal waving, so I stopped.  He'd run out of petrol, then flattened his battery: While he had a jerrrycan of petrol, he needed to be jump started.  He said he and his wife were from Coober Pedy, traveling around visiting friends & relatives, and had been there for two days broken down.  I asked about food and they said they were OK, but I opened a pack of biscuits and shared them around:  They were quick to grab as biscuit so I left the pack with them.  We connected up leads, and shortly a couple of stockmenn also rolled up.  In summary, it turned out his immobilser had been engaged and needed resetting, requiring bringing the car to a mechanical garage:  As it was an automatic transmission, it couldn't be towed and needed to be loaded onto a truck/trailer, such as most towing companies now use.  One of the stockmen said Indee Station may have one so as there was nothing more I could do, I agreed to drive on to Indee Station ("...only about 30-40 km up the road" and then another 9km off the highway on a gravel road into the station) and ask them to help.  On arrival, they said they had no vehicle capable of loading the car so in the finish we passed the information on to the Police.  Meanwhile, I discovered they had a caravan park on the station so I booked in for a couple of nites.

NB:  I have subsequently been warned that it is very dangerous to stop for anyone in remote areasI am doubly happy in this case that I didn't come to grief and that I was able to help.

Every evening at 5:30 PM they have Happy Hour - they have an open section (roofed over) in the middle of their homestead, with living quarters on either side.  It has a table that seats about 30 people and it was full both of the nites I was there!  A retired quarry owner was there and volunteered to take a group on a tour of the station & quarry for a donation to the RFDS, an opportunity quickly seized by half a dozen people.  It was quite amazing, he showed us two railways running thru the station, they are about 500m apart and one belongs to BHP & the other FMG; they run parallel virtually all the way to Port Headland, but they cannot agree to share so each have their own rail.  Gina Rhineheart is in the process of building a third parallel line as no share arrangement can be negotiated.  He also gave us a good background into the quarry, which was set up to provide basecourse for the railways (he was happy they built two!).

The large bridge was nearly underwater not many months ago, as the area was virtually an inland sea after heavy rains.  Hard to imagine, when at the moment it looked pretty dry and thirsty country.  The station is 250,000 Ha and runs about 1,000 head of cattle - understocked at the moment due to previous drought.  They were hit hard financially by the sudden halt in exports to Indonesia and relatively recent drought.  The station was wiped out by a cyclone a number of years ago and the owner spent three years with a brickmold making the concrete blocks to build a new, cyclone safe homestead.  It was hit again in 2007, and while much damage occurred, the homestead survived.  They were mustering at the time so while we didn't see the boss cocky, his wife was supervising meals for the stockmen & Happy Hour at the station:  Apparently the owner came in the second evening with a bad gash in his thigh but said he wasn't going to hospital:  A fellow who knows him and saw the wound reckoned he should go to hospital, and also reckoned his wife would order him to go!

A pleasant stay, the tour was fascinating and a small glimpse into an operating station.

Karijini

We set off at 0730 and covered 630 Km to a freecamp near Karijini:  We stopped at Nanutarra Roadhouse for lunch and met up with Vida, another solo Grey Nomad traveling around the country counter clockwise and now on the way to Perth.  The Pilbara is an ancient land, some 3,500 million years old.  It is a wildly beautiful place, with large open flat areas out of which arise hills & mountains, showing red bands of the iron rich rock that abounds in the area.  There are flat areas with (relatively) small heaps of rock, looking to all intents as if they were dumped there, but on closer inspection, the size of the rocks themselves are much larger than the largest trucks about today:  Perhaps like everything else in the days of yore things were bigger.  Within some of the ranges are deeply cut gorges and some of the best in the region are in Karijini.

We arrived at Dales Camp Ground in Karijini, booked a site for three nites and went to the well set up Visitors Centre.  Then off to explore Dales Gorge;  we walked along the top, then descended into the Gorge to Circular Pool at one end.  This is a pool at the bottom of a sheer circular cliff and is quite spectacular.  It also is a popular swimming pool, as evidenced by those doing just that (Heidi joined them).  From here we walked along the bottom of the gorge about two Km to Fortescue Falls, at the other end of the gorge.  This gorge is narrow, steep and beautiful, being cut through layers of rock, mainly rust red but with some yellow as well.  The bottom has a creek flowing thru it supporting a range of vegetation.  Surprisingly, there are fig trees growing here, remnants from the rainforest era, we were told.  There are large melaleuca trees, as well as the white snappy gums.  This is pretty well the pattern for all of the gorges we visited.  A short walk upstream from Fortescue Falls is Fern Pool, a lovely swimming pool with twin waterfalls off a ledge on the far side. 

The following day we drove to Weano Gorge over a diabolically corrugated road, avoided after this day.  There is a lookout here where four gorges come together:  You look straight down into the steeply cut gorges, which is awesome.  We then set off for Handrail Pool, which involves a bit of wading, a walk through a very narrow section and steps with a handrail down into the aptly named pool.  Early on, the water was a bit higher than normal, so a swim or spiderwalk along a sheer section of gorge was involved:  I waded over to the spiderwalk area but didn't feel confident to traverse it so turned back (at worst I would have fallen into the water but didn't have waterproofing for my camera, thus negating swimming across the pool also, which I could have done easily).  Heidi continued to the end, which she described as phenomenal!  

The next day we drove to Kalamina Gorge.  On descent into this gorge, you arrive at a picturesque waterfall and pool.  We met a couple here who were taking photos for the NP Service on a volunteer basis.  He seemed totally involved in the business, ignoring his wife who followed along as best she could.  We then followed the valley downstream to Arch Pool, the end of the trail.  While some were swimming in this pool, it was well shaded and cool.  We met some trekkers returning from further on but they said it was rough and unspectacular so we returned along the same track, heading for a more pleasant pool we passed earlier.  Here we had a pleasant rest which involved lunch and a swim for Heidi.  While here, we saw aforementioned  photographer single mindedly striding back  - but we never saw his wife.  We arrived back at camp with enough time to visit Fern Pool again and a very pleasant swim.

 Our last day, we packed up and left the Dales Camp Site and drove into Tom Price as we needed petrol.  We checked at the Visitors Centre, as one option I had was going north along a gravel road to Millstream Chichester NP and I wanted to check the road condition - it was badly corrugated & rough so I canned that option.  We then went to Hammersley Gorge, which was a fitting finale as it was superb!   The rock layers are much thinner, more varied in colour and bent & twisted into fascinating forms.  There are two pools for swimming, the top one finishing in a grotto where the water has cut a short tunnel through the rock.  Again Heidi swam, I ate lunch & took photos. 

And then it was time to leave.  We stayed at the Tom Price Caravan Park and the next morning drove to Parabardoo, where Heidi caught her flight to Perth.  In the ten days we covered some 3,100 Km and had some unique and wonderful experiences.  I returned to Karijini for three nites, then intend heading towards Port Headland & then turn east. 

So far this year my travels have covered 13,873 Km (8,648 miles) and have a minimum of 5,631 Km (3,513 miles) to Brisbane.

Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef

A 1,214 Km run from New Norcia to Exmouth, lunch at Geraldton and an overnight at a freecamp south of Carnarvon:  We drove into Carnarvon for a quick look also.  On arrival at Exmouth, we checked at the Visitor Centre and discovered the place was packed out - School Holidays, and what better place to take the family!  We managed to get one night at Yardie Homestead, on the other side of the peninsula (we subsequently booked two more nights in an overflow accommodation).  The main attraction here is Ningaloo Reef, and Heidi organised a boat tour to snorkel on the reef and to swim with whale sharks.  On this particular boat they also have a number of research scientists, adding another dimension.  They were interesting and happy to discuss their particular area of expertise which, as may not surprise you, comprises of ocean and reef ecosystems plus whale shark studies.  We had an extra day waiting for our boat tour so we went to Yardie Creek National Park where we walked along the Gorge, visited the Myerling Visitor Centre and lazed about on a beach or two. 

Then the following day we went on the boat tour.  We were picked up by bus, drove to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, where we were ferried out to our boat and then set off for a bit of snorkeling.  Plenty of reef fishes and coral but sadly coral bleaching has taken its toll.   While we were snorkeling, a spotter plane found a whale shark, so we were hustled back aboard and set off in pursuit.  On the way to it, we were organised into two groups and given our specific instructions by our team leader as no more than ten people can swim around the whale shark at any time.  Once in the water, said leader located the shark, brought us to it and we followed along as it slowly (for a fish!) cruised foraging for plankton.   What a terrific experience to be three or four metres from an 8 metre fish just below the surface!  We had a couple of dives at this shark (the groups take it in about ten minute turns and there was also another boat) and I thought that would be it, but we ended up observing four whale sharks, the smallest at three metres long.  But that wasn't all, we also observed humpback whales nearby (the other team actually had a mother & calf swim right next to them while they were observing a whale shark!), I saw a sailfish leap clear of the water and others also observed some turtles and a giant ray leap clear. 

The scientists were busy taking photos, movies and gathering any pertinent information on the whale sharks as research on these creatures is in its infancy.  They took water samples and plankton samples plus gathered other data in relation to their particular expertise, which they freely discussed with us, encouraging questions from any and all.  We were on the water about eight hours and arrived back at the boat ramp pretty well exhausted!  But what a totally unique experience - and a sumptuous lunch provided as well!  Being privy to the research was a terrific bonus - it added so much.  We rested well that night, as we planned an early start to Karijini.    

NB We were promised an email link to some of the underwater photos but none received at this stage, so the photos are a bit light on.

New Norcia

A Spanish Mission in Western Australia?  Oh yes!  It is as fascinating as it is big!  Fleeing religious persecution in Spain, a group of Benedictine Monks established this Mission in 1846.  Initially to work with Aborigines, it expanded to become a local producer of meat, wheat & flour, bread, honey etc. (it has significant land holdings), a boarding school and now mainly a tourist attraction.  The buildings are ornate in an architectural style more in line with Spain rather than of Australia - this includes the decorations as well.  The churches and chapels contain elaborate paintings and woodwork in the European style and are spectacular to view.  Sadly today it is mainly unused, as the school no longer operates and production equipment is outdated and doesn't comply with current OH&S standards.  The number of Monks has seriously declined also, to the point where the future of the Mission is in doubt.  Nearly 30 buildings are classified by the  National Trust.  

The tour of the Mission is fascinating and excellent value.  However, the afternoon light is not sympathetic to many of the buildings so we stayed the night so we could have a quick look around the Mission in the much better  morning light, and then a 'quick' run to the next port of call.

Perth - and Civilisation.

Continuing west toward Augusta, two nites were spent at Alexandra Bridge (Camps6 #287).  Met some nomads I'd previously met at Starvation Boat Harbour and new ones from Myalup for some amiable campfire chats in the evening.   

In Augusta, I visited Cape Leeuwin and toured the lighthouse - a fascinating and informative tour.    Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse on the Australian mainland (there are two taller lighthouses in Bass Strait).  The lighthouse was built in less than a year, is bedded in solid granite but is built of limestone, as limestone is easier to work with.  The light rotating mechanism was initially run on a similar basis to a grandfather clock, with a long weight on a cable descending down the center of the lighthouse, which apparently had to be wound up every four hours:  It has now been replaced by a small electric motor.  ascending the 176 steps to the outdoor viewing deck gives you the view you would expect, only better!   You would be safe in assuming the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean  - which meet at Cape Leeuwin - are competing for the most spectacular ocean vista.

Lunch, a tour of the town and stop at the Visitors Centre, where they told me of the magnificent karri forests along the coast -  then off to Conto Beach for the next few days.  The beach is quite a way from the campground, as I discovered when I set off to walk to it but never found it:  Mind you, I wasn't sure which direction it was and did a few circles before finally heading back to the van.  The karri forests were easier to find so some peaceful walks were enjoyed, plus a few more photos!!   I met Martin, another Tasmanian solo in a van similar to mine.  He informed me of a solo lady European tourist camped nearby who was just getting over a bout of gastro and he had bought some gastro tablets for her when he was in Margaret River earlier that day.  Before we left, we ensured she could look after herself, and she assured us she was now much better and could manage. 

To the beach!  That was at Prevelley, west of Margaret River, and a nice surf beach it is!  The town of Margaret River is also a vibrant town, now with some 120+ vineyards surrounding it in what was dairy country in the past.  It has turned into quite a cultural centre, with good food, art & crafts and, of course, fine wines.   

Many of the campsites have a short section of gravel road leading into them, so on the way to Potters Gorge in Wellington NP when my GPS told me to turn left off the bitumen onto a dirt track I didn't realise I was being hornswaggled up the wrong track until I climbed a  short steep pinch, surveyed the steeper, rough descent toward oblivion and decided continuing on would be a disaster!  I had to back down - quite a challenge - and when I got back to the bitumen, the GPS had the cheek to tell me to turn left and continue along the road I was on initially!   Potters Gorge campsite is in jarrah forests on the edge of Wellington Dam, where by chance Martin was also camped.  The weather was very cool and damp but the National Park Service supplied firewood and fireplaces to burn it in - warm is good! 

Onward to Martins Tank Lake in Yalgorup NP, but it  was closed for maintenance so I went to Heron Point (Camps6 #262), which now requires a fee year around:  Nice location but a bit basic for what they charge, I felt.  The next day I arrived in Perth, ending this part of the trip.

Tall Timber!

At last - the opportunity to see the legendary karri and jarrah forests of Western Australia!   This is the only place these trees are found naturally and only grow in a relatively small belt where the rainfall is about 1100mm annually.  Karri trees are the second tallest hardwood, growing 90+ metres high.    The smooth mottled yellow trunk of a tall, straight tree is a beautiful sight; a stand is stunning!   Large karri trees have been used as fire lookouts in the past, the tops being cut back, a hut built on it for the towerperson and steel climbing rods spiraling up to the hut.  Three of such trees are available for the public to climb, the largest being the Bicentennial Tree, at 68 metres:  I climbed the Gloucester Tree, only 60 metres high.  Jarrah trees are famous for their rich red timber, which is  very durable, thus it is sought after for uses varying from sleepers to structural timber and fine furniture.  The bark is dark and fissured , thus not nearly as beautiful as the karri trees but King Jarrah is a spectacular tree to view. 

So, on arrival in this wonderful forest, my first stop was Shannon National Park, where it rained each of the four days I was there.  Shannon was a millsite and town  in the centre of the forest:  The buildings no longer exist but many exotic trees planted by previous residents make  it a pleasant camp.  Between showers short walks were undertaken and the 48 Km. Great Forest Trees Drive was a 'must', with stops at the Shannon Dam and various scenic outlooks giving a good overview of the forests.

Then onto Manjimup, a major town in this wooded belt, which is also a thriving orchard area and boasts a truffle season as well.    The Timber and Heritage Park gives a good history of the area, with both outdoor and indoor exhibits.  They had a model of a sawpit - a log is placed over the pit with one sawyer below and one above, operating a two man saw to cut boards; you don't want to be the chap underneath the log!  The Giant Jarrah tree is only a short distance from the Manjimup so like a moth to a flame... 

Pemberton next, more forests and great campsites within:  Pemberton also hosts many fine wineries.  A trip on the tourist tram through the forests - why not!  That nite I camped at the nearby Arboretum Campsite, whereupon suddenly descended five Trackmaster caravans and their large 4WD towing vehicles, which parked nearby.  A flurry of noisy activity and soon a large fire was burning in the firepit in front of my van, surrounded by a dozen people in camp chairs.   Hard to ignore, so I joined them for what proved to be an enjoyable evening of banter, advice on great places to visit and the odd tall tale!  The weather was clear (and cool!) now, so getting about in the forests was a pleasure and interesting to see that the previously logged forests fully stocked with healthy regeneration!  A day trip to Windy Harbour, which is a popular spot south of Pemberton, but not very exciting in the winter.  It did yield some good photos of the ocean and cliffs, however.  But forgive me, I am raving on, I will leave it to the photos to tell the rest.  But I gotta tell you just one last bit! 

My last nite was spent in the Snottygobble Loop campsite, where a chance conversation with a Park employee informed me about the nearby Goblin Swamp -  he couldn't understand why it wasn't mentioned in brochures or by the Information Centres, but insisted it is worthwhile visiting.  And so it was!  It is a small area containing large but tangled and twisted melaleuca trees, unlike anything I'd ever seen.  I refer you to the photos as I cannot adequately describe it, but I can confirm; it is aptly named!

Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk

An amazing place in many ways, the least (to me) being the Treetop Walk.  First, I don't recall hearing of Tingle Trees,  but that is what this area contains, the only natural stands in the world.  Second, it is quite wet here, a climate required by the Tingle Trees.  Third, I thought the Treetop Walk was in jarrah and kauri forests, and last is the Treetop Walk itself, giving superb views of the forest.  Tingle Trees are ancient eucalypts, regenerate happily without fire, have very shallow root systems, are huge,  and have mainly been replaced through history due to drier climes and fires, features which later eucalypts have adapted to.  Tingle Trees grow to really big trees, claiming the largest girth of any tree (one giant measures 24 m at ground level) and claiming to be the third largest in the world (I'm guessing by volume, as Karri trees claim to be the third tallest in the world).   A fascinating forest type not found anywhere else in the world.  Click on the link below for more information:-

http://www.rainbowcoast.com.au/areas/walpole/gianttingle.htm

Now off to the jarrah and karri forests, which are a bit further north and west:  But I found the Tingle Trees so fascinating and unique they deserve a section of their own.

Albany & Vicinity.

Arrival in Albany!  The Information Centre pointed out a big weekend with the Classic Car Event, so being Wednesday, I booked into a caravan park (overpriced at the best of times, well & truly so with a loading for the Big Weekend!) for Friday and Saturday, then went to Cozy Corner freecamp for a couple of days - the forecast was two days of rain, so paying to sit in a caravan park wasn't in my plans, though I feel guilty about not contributing to the National Economy.   Cozy Corner is just that, tucked in behind the sand dunes, and a good thing too, as the wind & rain were fierce.  In the next camping bay along were a couple of Tasmanians, Yvonne and Gavin, in a bus they'd converted themselves; they were traveling with their two retrievers, so I got my dog 'fix' and they got a great skritch. 

On Friday I toured Albany in the morning, including attending a general auction:  It wasn't going really well though.  In the afternoon I booked into the caravan park and caught up on a lot of tasks so I could go to the Classic Car Event, which raced through downtown Albany on Saturday.   Arriving early I roamed among the many cars displayed before the race and there were many classics ranging in age but all in superb condition!  If that Triumph TR6 were mine I certainly wouldn't chance it in a race!  But race they did, the roar and the fumes - a revhead's dream.   On Sunday I toured the Anzac Memorial and Fort before heading east to check out Betty's Beach for a couple of nights. 

I was surprised by the few campsites on offer, even more surprised to get a decent one from the two remaining.  I met Brian & Sheila, who snaffled the prime spot, and who told me that there were fish to be caught off the nearby rocks.  Out came the rod etc. and a quick scramble over the rocks to try my luck - which was up to my usual standard so on this trip I have yet to clean a fish.  Monday morning was brilliant!  Not a cloud in the sky, so we sat in the sun most of the day pondering life, kids and the lovely snakkies brought out by Sheila.  On leaving the next morning I stopped again in Albany to provision and visit the Museum.  En route I visited the Whaling Station and Torndirrup NP before continuing to Parry Beach for my last night on the coast, as i am now heading inland to the jarrah & kauri forests.  Weather is, at best, described as woeful,at  worst *^%$*??+.  Never-the-less, tall timber beckons so onward to Shannon NP!

Stirling Ranges, via Beverley & Perth

The Grey Nomad get-together at Beverley, WA, was great!  Vic & Carol picked a lovely spot, Owen & Glenda, Bob & Jane and Ian & Gaye added pleasant ambiance and - in the vernacular - a good time was had by all!  Beverley is a small friendly town with friendly cafes, an interesting art centre, an aviation museum and is a centre for a large gliding club.  Our Grey Nomad Happy Hour tended to stretch into the evening, a lunch at the local hotel was substantial enough to carry one through to breakfast the next morning, if not beyond, an outing to the local Council Peak proved it to be a small volcanic cone and a visit  - with thanks to Bob - to the auto museum at the nearby historic town of Yorke rounded out a great weekend!  A welcome change to not get rained on when venturing forth and have people, rather than trees, to talk to!  I'm glad I went.

Then on to Perth and a visit to my niece and her family.  A whole double bed to myself, indoor bathroom, kettle sitting near the sink - a real test to the nomadic life in a HiAce van!  Having a real kitchen at my disposal, I made a large batch of the famous spaghetti & meatball sauce I learned from Mum and a large cherry pie.  I also took them out to dinner one evening to thank them for their hospitality.  The van got a service, I hijacked Julie to chauffeur me around the City where I bought a new camera and some LED lights to install in the van and to Kings Park, to admire the view and have lunch.  Too quickly I was on the road and at a very lonely freecamp along the way to the Stirling Ranges. 

The Stirling Range is north of Albany and is a mountain range rising up from the flat surrounding country:  In reality, it is the harder rock pushed up when Australia was pushed against other continents.   The Park campsite is a credit to the Park Service and the volunteer hosts, Andrew and Deb; it was spotless and comfortable (tho Allan found it best not to park under the tree the cockatoos roost in).  The highest point, Bluff Knoll, has a walking track (Grade 4) to the top, which track proved tougher than me, as I set out along it but soon became exhausted and turned back.  There are other tracks up to various peaks, all equally or more difficult.  I took the Stirling Range Drive through the centre of the Park, including a short climb up to the Centre Lookout.  Emus raced the van at various places along the road; apparently if chased they will run until they drop, thus it is necessary to slow right down until they turn off.  The weather is again a bit iffy, so getting decent photos is a challenge, especially with a tiny camera. 

Years ago I read in the book "Photographing Nature" (author long forgotten, book long lost) 'No photographer is as good as the simplest camera made' and continued to explain about '..the photographer's eye..'   Thus my preference is for a camera I can carry with me all the time in a small belt case:  Digital editing is also another very powerful tool.  Modern digital technology has produced some very versatile small cameras that can take some amazing photos.  A larger camera, being more cumbersome, is often left behind, so having a small camera all the time allows opportunistic photos (parks with grandchildren, shopping centre scenes - in fact, any candid possibility) can be snapped, even if the photo isn't 'perfect'. 

Rains today keep me close to the van thus an excellent opportunity to update this blog.  From here I'll move south to Albany and drop into the Information Centre to plan subsequent travels. 

Esperance and National Parks Nearby

A decent run from Norseman saw me in Esperance in good time. I stopped at the Information Centre, where they gave me enough information to get me so enthused I was halfway to Cape Le Grande National Park before I realised I didn't get groceries.  This only meant variety would suffer, as I had plenty of food, even if it meant using Coffee Mate when I ran out of milk.  Cape Le Grande beach is a long expanse of white sand with gentle waves rolling in.  I soon got the fishing gear out and into it; pity about all the weeds, so my four  State record of yet not having to clean a fish stands.  The Camp Hosts told me that I shouldn't miss Cape Arid NP, 80Km further east, and good advice it was!  It is a fantastic long curving beach of white sand with row after row of breakers beating in.  There is a walk to other beaches in the area so I started along the track but after crossing over the hill to the next beach the rains came in so I turned back.  The weather is more like Tassie winter weather, being changeable, cool and plenty of showers, thus limiting longer walks.

An early morning return to Esperance five days later found me at The Coffee Cat, a kiosk on the Esplanade with a reputation stretching as far as Opossum Bay, for breakfast; the coffee was superb!  Next a grocery run, getting the gas bottle filled, a chance encounter with  a Super Cheap shop (and an LED reading light!), a visit to Bunnings AND it was still only lunchtime!  So lunch at the Coffee Cat before continuing west to Stokes NP but the weather here was really poor, the campsite was in scrub next to a large inlet and rather gloomy so I left after two nights for Starvation Bay, as recommended by the Stokes NP Camp Hosts. 

Starvation Bay is another great bay, with walks out to the ocean for more great scenery.  Again, weather iffy and again I got wet on a walk, but saw some terrific seascapes.  Another couple camped here had also come from Stokes Inlet, where, they informed me, the inlet is very good fishing!  sigh.

Continuing west to Hopetoun and to Fitzgerald River NP as per plan but the NP was mainly closed.  What was open could be seen in a couple of hours, which I did and then went to the campsite:  I'd planned to stay for a couple of nights but the campsite was mainly for tents, so I set off to position myself north of the Stirling Ranges, spending the night in the Ongerup Caravan Park.  Having saved a couple of days and being relatively near Beverley, WA, where a Grey Nomad get-together was scheduled for the weekend, I decided to attend it.  Thus, when I left it was to Beverley.

Granite & Woodland

the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail goes east from Hyden for 300km to Norseman; it is a gravel road most of the way but a very good road.  A pamphlet describes 15 stops along this road, covering natural features and historical points along the way.   Perhaps the most important fact, however, is that much of the area is still in its natural state.  As clearing for agriculture continued westward, the lands became less suitable, thus a bit west of Hyden is where clearing stopped.  For about the first half of the trip westward from Hyden the land is flat, very low scrub and very low rainfall.  While a virtual desert, over the Millennia plants evolved to establish a very unique and complex ecosystem, belying its rather uniform appearance.  Most plants are short, about one metre or less in height, the exception being the flame grevillea, growing 2-3 metres in height and forming an avenue along the road.  One very interesting stop is The Breakaways, for which description I defer to the photos; in my view it is equal to Wave Rock.  Further on another stop is McDermid Rock and is another granite dome with a walking track circuit marked out climbing to its highest point and generally around the Rock.  There are intriguing small hollows on the dome that hold water, with the result that small gardens have developed in them. 

The Woodlands section, mainly a mallee type woodland (small eucalypts with several stems arising from a single base), is, according to the pamphlet, ".. one of the world's  greatest remaining untouched temperate woodlands."  Now, these eucalypts are a true natural art form, with their bark patterns and unique twisted trunks & branches.  The bark colours of different species vary from a light mottled salmon colouring to a smooth deep nutty brown to shaggy black 'stockings' with smooth grey upper growth.  The harsh environment gives them infinitely varied shapes and in driving past them you get a 3D continual panoramic that I find truly beautiful.

Further along the Trail is Lake Johnston, another mainly salt flat but it did have some water visible on the far side.  An excavation was carried out at some recent stage to provide a water hole, most likely for firefighting:  In the material scooped out were many gypsum crystals, from which I would guess there is a large deposit down just a metre or two.  The last stop is Norseman and from here I intend going to Esperance and then to visit the National Parks along the South Coast. 

Wheatbelt

This is a broad plain which was cleared about 100 years ago to grow wheat.  The annual rainfall is about 35cm (14 inches), right on the lower rainfall limit.  With the normal cycles of nature, droughts are to be expected and hit these farms very severely; one such drought has existed for three years now and many farmers are not going to survive.  I heard on a radio segment that many farmers are getting out but as they cannot realise a decent price for their farm they are leasing it out if they can,  remaining in the homestead but no longer intending to farm to just walking away from it.  As a result, driving through the area one sees dry barren paddocks with perhaps a few sheep picking through what little fodder there may be.  As in many rural areas I have traveled through, many small towns are struggling and the western wheatbelt in WA is no different. 

I stayed two nights at Tressie's Museum and Caravan Park in the town of Karlgarin, 17km west of Hyden, and one of the best caravan parks I've stayed at.  A tornado-like wind a while back lifted his backpackers unit and hurtled it through his park, destroying the unit as well as many of the trees and infrastructure in the park:  In the town of Karlgarin it took the roofs off most of the buildings, with the result that the town may not recover.   The Museum does a guided tour and I found it fascinating!  It is a private museum assembled over many years as indicated by the number and variety of display material, generally illustrating settlement and past life of the area.  The museum also has a gem of a gramophone collection including working models of the early cylinder gramophones, the first I'd ever seen and heard working!  From a collection of 78rpm records, you can request a selection and if they have it, they will play it:  Many years ago my favourite was "The Strawberry Roan" and sure enough, Merv selected it from his racks, placed on one of the wind up gramophones and played it for me!  As a boy, we had this 78 and it was one of my favourites:  I accidently broke it, and while Mum was displeased indeed, no more so than I was.        

The time soon went and so did I, to Wave Rock.  At various places throughout the broad plains, granite domes appear, which originated as granitic extrusions deep under the then surface and from the large crystals in the rock, a very slow cooling mass.  Over time erosion has exposed them to their state today, with one edge of Wave Rock being eroded to the unique shape of a huge wave.  It was relatively unnoticed until 1963 when a photo of it won an exhibit in New York, and today it attracts many tourists to the area.  There is an interpretative trail up to the top of the dome, which is both interesting and an excellent viewing point where the flat landscape is visible for many miles around.  Visible in the view are lakes, many of them dry salt pans with little water.  Another interpretive walk takes you around a nearby walk and explains the recent changes due to land clearing, the main one being the rising of the water table producing these large salt lakes.  

Goldfields

In Norseman, after discussions with the kind lass in the Norseman Information Centre I planned a circuit up to Kalgoorlie & Coolgardie, traveling east & south to Hyden to see Wave Rock and then return to Norseman via the Granite & Woodlands Discovery Track.  So north to the Goldfields!

Gold was discovered at Coolgardie in 1892 and Kalgoorlie in 1893 resulting in the Gold Fever which went on to develop the area:  Of course, a substantial amount of gold helped keep the fever alive.  It is a formidably dry area so water was actually more valuable than gold, the local saying "You can live without gold but not water" being very true.  A pipeline supplying water from Perth to Kalgoorlie was established in 1903, the long distance requiring pumping stations along the way .  The result of water and gold resulted in quite a boom, as evidenced by some very grand buildings in Kalgoorlie/Boulder (Boulder was a separate town close by and today is virtually amalgamated with Kalgoorlie) and to a lesser extent in Coolgardie, where gold ran out a while back.  In Kalgoorlie/Boulder is the Superpit, a large open cut gold mine, but before 1985 the situation was many underground mines competing with each other, with profitability suffering.  Alan Bond started buying up mines to lead to the formation of  the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines -  http://www.goldfieldstourism.com.au/Destinations/KalgoorlieBoulder.aspx?gclid=CMa-1Ymk-bYCFSZdpgodZxEARw  -  which was able to implement  the more efficient open cut system.

A tour of the main streets of Kalgoorlie, Boulder and Coolgardie reveals some fascinating architecture, especially those buildings surviving from the boom times.  Mine views were also a must, although the Superpit guided tour wasn't available the few days I was there.  There are very interesting museums and I visited one in Calgoorlie which had a world class bottle collection as well as other topical dispalys of the area:  The iconic Coolgardie safe was displayed, of course!  The National Heritage Warden Finnerty's Residence  - http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/wa/warden-finnertys-residence  - is another worthwhile visit, having been built in 1903 by the contracting firm Bunnings, the fore runner of the national Bunnings chain today.  While driving about Coolgardie, I went into the local Health Centre to inquire about a flu shot:  They aplogised, as I would have to wait about 15 minutes as the Dr was seeing a patient at the moment!  I was expecting to have to make an appointment, IF I could get the vaccination at all. 

Leaving for Wave Rock I headed east and as the Wheatbelt was only slightly further east, I decided to travel through it a bit also.   

The Nullarbor

As stated, Cactus Beach was on the itinerary, so turning left at Penong, 20Km down a gravel track and then there it is - this fabulous view of surf pounding into the shore that is Cactus Beach.  While camping was allowed, it was impossible to fish from the shore so I decided to continue on.  The next feature was the Head of the Bight, where whales breed in May/June but none were present yet.  It is an impressive view and does have a proper bitumen road into it.  Quick stops at a couple of other coastal outlooks, roadhouses for coffee, snacks & petrol and the compulsory photos of the start of the Nullarbor, the 90 Mile Straight sign and the odd shot of the broad flat expanse that is the Nullarbor - I was expecting barren ground but there is vegetation the whole way, very sparse in some places and also some low trees which wasn't what I was expecting -  pretty well sums up the crossing.  The only wildlife I saw was bird life concentrated on road kill:  The ravens are smart enough to get well out of the way but the eagles wait until you are nearly on them, then lumber off into the air right across in front of you!  Thus, when one sees a gathering in the road, one slows down to allow the eagles time to be able to get away.

The world's longest golf course starts at Ceduna and ends in Kalgoorlie.  It cost $70 to play, you get a card and when you finish at one place they stamp your card and you drive to the next hole.  Certainly an intriguing way to make the crossing more interesting but a golfer I am not. 

The Nullarbor is a vast limestone shelf, some 400,000 square kilometres in extent, with many intricate caves throughout, mainly unexplored.  There are some spectacular cliffs along the ocean but generally it is flat and monotonous country.  It is similar to driving up the Stuart Highway, through the Centre, in fact, but without the gorges, giant rocks and stunning ghost gums.

A vague feeling of prescience was with me the whole way, some vague memory of a story passed down by my Norwegian ancestors.  On arrival at Norseman and learning of its history it all unfolded.  The town of Norseman is named after a horse of the same name.  Apparently, Norseman, while tethered one day, scratched the ground and turned up gold nuggets, starting a gold rush.  Now, Norseman was so named by his owner, a Mr. Laurie Sinclair, who originated from the Shetland Islands and was of Viking lineage.  Apparently Mr. Sinclair was actually looking for evidence of his ancestors having briefly exploiting the area 800-1000 years previously.  The legend has it that the Vikings believed there was a great southland rich in pink diamonds and set off to search for it.  Find it they did, but they landed at the wrong spot and it wasn't pink diamonds they found  but rather vast hardwood forests - and what they thought were giant rodents.  Not ones to miss an opportunity however, they sent word back to Scandinavia to send out hard working lumberjacks with Jonsered saws as well as enough hardtack & lutefisk to last until the snows arrived.  A fleet arrived and they started clearing the forest and sent the boats back loaded with timber.   Meanwhile the lumberjacks were to continue cutting and when the frosts arrived, they were to build more boats, load them with timber and then abandon camp & head home.  However, winter as they knew it never arrived in this new land and by the time the realisation came, their food ran out and as they couldn't be reduced to eating giant rodents, they perished.  Subsequent frequent fires and a gradually drier climate reduced any regeneration to the low scrub and sparse vegetation that exists today.

Eyre Peninsula

Port Augusta was my first stop after leaving the Flinders Range NP.  Port Augusta is a clean modern town on the Eyre Peninsula at the top end of Spencer Gulf.  With competing supermarkets and two kilograms of coffee to prove it!  Seafood restaurants are also popular, so seafood for lunch was a treat.  They have a terrific desert botanical garden, with sections representing various ecotypes in the SA desert - quite fascinating!  There are  very complex ecosystems in what looks like an unvarying vast desert. 

The next stop was an unremarkable freecamp at a roadside rest area, which had a most remarkable sunset.  Then on to Whyalla and the steel mills around which it is based.  It claims to be the largest town on the Eyre Peninsula, again with competing shops but my poor van was overstocked from Port Augusta.  My next camp was just north of Whyalla at Point Lowly, a super freecamp with waterfront spots (for the quick) and a coldwater shower as well!  At point Lowly is a major cuttlefish breeding reserve, but the camp is just out of the reserve area so fishing is allowed.  I tried for squid, the closest I got was the guy next to me caught two (I'm sure he was cheating but I couldn't see how).   A lovely spot and a lovely stay, but there are others on the Peninsula so my next stop was at Lipson Cove for a night - very similar in that the campsite was next to a beach and very scenic.

Port Lincoln was the next port of call, another lovely town but as I was keen to camp that night in the Lincoln NP so after doing laundry, filling with petrol and a few supplies it was off to yet another waterfront campsite in the NP!   A very pretty spot, but no walks or fishing - a shallow shelf ran out from the shore so you couldn't get out to deeper water very easily.  The view mitigated these deficiencies though, it really was superb, as the photos prove.

Coffin Bay NP, on the Great Australian Bight side of the Peninsula was my next campsite, a short way back from the water's edge:  This area is pretty flat, shallow and swampy in places and the bay is large with many waterways and low landforms.   There were some walks that both climbed to lookouts and followed the shore.  The 'wildlife' is anything but, with various birds gleaning crumbs from the doorstep and a couple of 'roo who nearly stepped on my foot as they passed.   There are other campsites along a 4WD Recommended track so I went to check that out and nearly got bogged - and I was on foot!  Perhaps the low lying beach bits are best traversed at low tide.  There must be plenty of 'roo in the area from the sign as they crossed the track but they kept out of sight. 

Heading north along the western side of Eyre Peninsula was mainly inland; the towns along the coast were similar to ones already visited so I continued to Ceduna.  The exception was a slight detour to visit The Haystacks, a unique rock formation technically known as Inselbergs:  They are granite formations standing above the surrounding flat, eroded land.  Rain was forecast and I was due for a stop at a caravan park so I pulled in to the first one I came to on arrival at Ceduna.  It started raining not long after and rained steadily all night, with showers thru the next day.  Being connected to 240VAC I had all my battery chargers plugged in to charge up my AA & AAA batteries, computer battery, printer battery and the house batteries.  It looked like holiday decorations with LED's everywhere!  Ceduna is a pleasant town with a variety of shops so a good place to stock up before crossing the Nullarbor.  WA quarantine restrictions are quite severe, so any fresh fruit & veg must be eaten before then, as well as other restricted items, honey being one of the surprising one, but if there is a threat to WA, then my honey will be tossed - if there is any left.  So, having duly prepared now for crossing the Nullarbor, a seafood lunch finished off the list!  A stop at Cactus Beach near Penong tomorrow, and then its the Nullarbor!

.

Flinders Ranges National Park

En route I stopped by the town of Burra, SA, as recommended by a fellow Grey Nomad - Spida.  It is a quaint town developed around a copper mine (now played out) and many of the miners were Welsh.  They built their houses in the way they did in Wales, thus there are many stone miners cottages making the town quite different from most Australian towns. 

Then straight to the Flinders Ranges National Park, crossing the Goyder Line   http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=247  on the way (the Goyder Line is meant to delineate feasible farming/grazing lands from sub-economic and does this basically by following the 10 inch rainfall line.  South of this Line was grain paddocks; north was dry scrublands, red soil & more rugged.  The Flinders Range is a long mountain range, part of which has been made National Park.

On arrival at the Wilpena Pound Resort, I booked an unpowered site for three nites, set up and then walked up to the Wilpena Pound Lookout, around 8Km return.  While uphill it was reasonably easy going until the last 400 metres, which was quite steep but the lookout was well placed, giving a very good overview into the Pound.  The Pound is a large natural basin, relatively green and was grazed in early days but is now all National Park:  A stone homestead used by the family that owned the land is not far from the lookout.  There is only one entrance into the Pound and it is narrow:  To get stock out they had a small truck to get through the gap - with some difficulty - to bring stock to a staging area accessible by large trucks. 

The following day I attempted to climb Ohlssen Bagge peak, which offers an alternative look into the Pound.  This goes up through rocks and cliffs and looks back over the Resort on the way up.  It is six Km return and is a very steep climb from the get-go.  After two & a bit Km I reached a saddle where you could look out over a small part of the Pound and back toward the Resort, which looked tiny from this perspective.   I was pretty exhausted, the trail ahead was incredibly steep and decided to turn back as it is as hard going down - if not harder in places - as going up.  My tail was dragging proper when I got back to camp, but it was an experience and the scenery was, well, ruggedly good looking . 

The next walk was a 7Km walk through Bunyeroo Gorge and while relatively flat, much of it is on stony ground.   A feature throughout the Range is the large old river red gums (Eucalyptus cameldulensis) and here in the Gorge were plenty of them.  They are generally twisted and knarled, many with large scars at the base from previous fires.  One of these trees was made famous when photographed in 1937 by Harold Cazneaux  and the photo titled "The Spirit of Endurance".  The tree endures yet. 

The Flinders Range is extensive and varied, from small hills to rolling ranges to steep and rugged peaks.  .  The geology has both limestone and sandstone present, the rocks are a deep purplish red and generally covered with scrub.  Paintings by Hans Heysen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Heysen)  feature the gum trees in his work.  The Wilpena Pound is unique, being approx. 5 by  Km and virtually totally enclosed by steep mountains.  I planned to spend at least one nite at the Brachia Campsite in the National Park, however the 20 Km drive along the gravel road into Bunyeroo Gorge was such a rough drive that I decided not to attempt a similar drive and gave that camp a miss.  On my last night in the National Park, there was a thunder storm at dusk, creating a unique and eerie sunset.  From here I'll continue traveling down the Eire Peninsula, they say there is good fishing there.

Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

A local chap was surprised to see a Tasmanian, "Not too many people go out of their way to come down here" apparently,  "Its neither here nor there."  Yorke Peninsula - about 250Km by 50Km, is a flat, limestone over basalt extension shaped like a leg extending into the gulf between the Adelaide side and the Eire Peninsula.  It is mainly a grain growing area and they boast there is a bit of the Yorke Peninsula in most Australian beers.  The coastline has excellent views, good fishing (supposedly), with blue crabs a specialty and being 2-3 hours from Adelaide, the Barossa etc. it is a regularly holiday spot for them.  Many have shacks along the coast and from  the number of newer houses one would guess an increasing permanent population, as it would be a great place to retire.  Many of the original buildings are of a coral coloured limestone and are beautiful, tho many are derelect as the story I was told is that there are few stonemasons available to repair them.

On arrival, I stopped at Kadina , a fully serviced town with an excellent Information Centre where they helped plan my stay.  There are a number of camping areas along the coast, managed by the Council and permission is needed to camp on them:  Most require a fee but there are a few free camps as well.  For the first week I stayed at Council campsites, having purchased a weekly pass.  The gravel roads - especially the last leg to the coast - tended to be very corrugated and the camps basic but they were on the coast and the views great.  Weather has been iffy at best but with the winds creating a lot of waves I took some of the best seascape photos ever, as there is a shelf out into the water so breakers start at its edge and form a series into the shore.  Swincer Rocks proved best, and even then, after a couple of hours the winds died down and seas less dramatic. 

Let me digress here and go back nearly 50 years, when I chanced upon an artist painting seascapes, which really caught my eye.  In the course of conversation I mentioned they were very beautiful but I could never afford one.  Well, from out of nowhere came his partner, stating in no uncertain terms the fellow had spent years perfecting his techniques and they were in fact good value!  I agreed the value was there and I'd buy one if I could but I just couldn't afford one.  When I took up photography I thought I could get similar seascapes but found it difficult indeed and am happy to have finally achieved that goal.

I only spent one night at Swincer Rocks, moving from there to Barker Rocks on the recommendation of another Grey Nomad, similar in outlook but the wind had died down - until around midnite of the second night!  I woke up as the van was shaking violently and pulled the pop top down as it was taking a beating.  I then heard people outside in the adjacent van and went out to see if they needed help; they certainly did.  Their awning had blown over the top of their van and they were trying to stop it from wrecking anything on top of the van, or along the side the wind had blown it, as the metal leading edge was flapping against the far side of the van rather violently.  Eventually the owner decided the only way to prevent more damage was to cut it free:  It was pretty well ruined by this stage anyway.  So standing on a couple of white buckets I reached up and cut it free, we secured it to a couple of posts and went off to get what sleep we could in the wild conditions.  In the morning we screwed the main rail back onto their van which had been nearly ripped free, so they could drive off to a repair place and then we had a coffee.  It was then they told me that he had a bad shoulder as the result of a recent broken arm and they wouldn't have been able to secure it on their own. 

From here, as per my plan, I went to Innes National Park, which is at the southern tip of the Peninsula and it was great!  The rugged coastline, near and far islands, vast beaches - comparable to the Great Ocean Road!  Surprisingly few other tourists, perhaps as a long weekend had just passed and Easter was only a few days away.  The scuddy weather tended to kept me close to the van at times but with plenty of time I eventually got to the best spots - some of which I missed the first time through.  E.g. they highlight the unique Stainless Steel Lighthouse, which  in my view is rather plain and thus just another lighthouse.  But after seeing most everything else I thought I'd check it out and discovered one of the most scenic views in the Park! 

For Easter I'd booked a site at Corny Point Caravan Park - Corny Point was named by Matthew Flinders, who thought it looked like a corn on a foot.  It is a popular fishing area but the shallow shelf requires driving over it to deeper water to launch a boat and for this they use tractors!  Here I met up with another Grey Nomad staying at Turton Point so we explored a bit, including trying out the seafood basket at the Marion Bay Pub, which was excellent!  Not a snipped bag of frozen bits poured into the deep fryer this, but proper fresh seafood and delicious!    Over Easter many families filled the park for the holidays and thus very active!  Kids, dogs, late night socialising - a welcome change from the quiet few weeks previous!  Being Monday today, they are busy packing to leave, children gathering in groups to say goodby to newfound friends and parents preparing for the 2-3 hour drive home, confined with children who'd been running free for the last few days.  I will be leaving tomorrow as the roads will be quiet again by then.  So Goodby, Yorke Peninsula, and Thank You to all those friendly people there!  I probably won't get back but glad not to have missed it.

Naracoorte Caves

As Dan Backsly was often saying, "Curses!  Foiled again!".  It was a long weekend, Mt. Gambier had a major motor event and a horse event so accommodation was booked out.  So, metaphorically shaking the dust from my sandals, I drove 35Km the nearest campsite at Tantanoola for the nite; when the rail was closed, Tantanoola is another of many small remnant towns.     On firing up my computer, there was an 'invite' from another Grey Nomad - in Mt. Gambier.  So the next morning I backtracked for a lovely breakfast and chat with two lovely ladies!  Life's good!  I also checked out the Blue Lake in Mt. Gambier, a quite unusual phenomenon right in the city.  It is in a volcano crater and is bright blue, but only in the summer months, apparently.  It is also supplies the water for the city, very handy! 

In drafting a rough itinerary for South Australia, camping in National Parks looked significant, but a Parks Permit is required.   As the permits are only available from Parks Offices AND they were closed for the long weekend, I was at loose ends for another day (Curses!  Foiled again!) so decided to sidetrack to Naracoorte, where I could visit the Naracoorte Caves NP and obtain the necessary permit:  thus re-visited the Caves (I'd visited them a few years ago on a trip to Adelaide) and obtaining a pass was a good way to spend the day.    This also obviated the need to find a Parks Office in/near Adelaide along my planned route.  So I drove to Naracoorte and stayed the night at the showgrounds where showers were available, indeed in this hot weather - necessary by now!

The caves area few Km from the town and are unique in that they contain marsupial megafauna remains - these are large marsupials that inhabited Australia but long after the dinosaurs died out.  The area is limestone, thus caves and associated sinkholes, into which the animals would occasionally fall into, thus contributing their bit for posterity, or at least for the scientists today.  One critter - Thylacoleo carnifex - was the marsupial equivalent of a large cat, which climbed trees and dropped on its prey, thus the original Australian Drop Bear (anyway, that's their story and they are sticking to it.  The mega kangaroos also had a variety now extinct that mainly foraged on trees and had a much more blunt head.   Neither has an equivalent in the current marsupial mix today

On leaving Naracoorte, I stopped at a campsite south of Adelaide but it was still hot:  As the van has aircon in the front, it was more comfortable to keep driving, even though it meant going through Adelaide in peak hour traffic.  7PM saw me pull into a campsite just into the Yorke Peninsula and the weather was also cooling down.  A rather longer drive than I normally undertake, partly due to a desire to put the frustrations of the SE corner behind me, as well as being the cooler alternative, I could look ahead more positively.  So tomorrow off to the Information Centre at Kardina to start my Yorke Peninsula adventure.

Great Ocean Road

What a spectacular bit of scenery along that stretch!  So with a stop in Torquay for supplies and qwik look, I turned west and collected the compulsory lighthouse photo at Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet, and on to camp at Glenaire Beach for the night.  Then onward - with a hoard of other tourists as well.  So many, in fact, that pulling into the Twelve Apostles was impossible as vehicles were backed up to the highway and there was no room.  Plenty to see further along, however and stops at Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Grotto, Bay of Martyrs plus the odd terrific view along the way.  The day was perfect and it was a happy, cheerful drive along this Australian wonder.  A feeling shared by others who also looked happy and overwhelmed by the scenery they were busily snapping from every angle.  Some took the opportunity to enjoy a swim on a few of the accessible beaches including one hapless lass who lost her bikini top (38C is my guess, but that was from ~100m away).  Then suddenly the fantastic scenery came to an end, making the really good scenery remaining seem less so.  That night - night 3 - was spent at Yambuk Caravan Park, on a large estuary and a popular spot for a bit of fishing.  While I saw a lot of fishing, I failed to see any catching.  The couple in the adjacent van - Sue and David - invited me for a coffee and chat and they suggested I check Mt. Schank, a volcano crater near Mt. Gambier as my next stop, which is where I am now.  Suddenly it was past 2300 (11pm) and time to bid these fine folk goodnight and retire.  Next Mt. Gambier?

2013 Big Loop - The First Step

An interlude in Tassie after the travels last year as part of the never-ending-summer strategy as well as touching base before setting off again to go around Australia.  Summer in Tassie was great, but like all good things, it is drawing to an end.  Thus, all the necessary preparations to do the Big Loop were done, van packed - it took a couple of hours to pack the van BUT at least 2 1/2 days to find things I wanted to take!  The van was serviced, tyres rotated, re-seal along roof to fix a leak (Sika silicone, great stuff!) and then off to Lonnie for a last few days with family before departure on 4th March at 0900.  So, an early departure for Devonport, virtually straight onto the Spirit, for a quiet and comfortable crossing and meeting Chris, a work acquaintance from yesteryear, for a happy reminisce!  There was a small delay getting off due to Melbourne traffic but an improved route onto the Westgate Freeway was discovered, which was a great relief to me as my earlier route always found me in the wrong lane and onto the toll road - not a great problem if heading north but this time I wanted to head to Geelong.   So onward to my planned night stop at a freecamp partway to Geelong and a night's rest. 

Mixed feelings about heading off again, it will be a long time before seeing family & friends again but I'll catch up with relatives in Perth so that is a real bonus, as the distance makes visits infrequent.  I really want to see Western Australia and during planning it looks like I can expect some decent beach fishing along the South Australia coast.  I'm looking forward to my first visit to the Flinders Ranges and the Great Ocean Road is always exciting.  And so, Westward Ho!