Since last blog have driven from Denham to Perth.
We spent time at Monkey Mia Resort where we went on a catamaran trip to a pearl
farm (got Gillie’s 30th anniversary present – don’t ask). Then on to
see dolphins, dugongs and rays in the ocean. On the way back I went in a boom
net – dragged along behind the catamaran at what seemed like very high speed
and in constant danger of feeding my swimming shorts to the dolphins – but
great fun!
We spent three nights at Monkey Mia where they
have two bars, with consecutive happy hours. Very cunning…
From Monkey Mia we drove down the coast, stopping
first at a site called ‘Wagoe Chalets’, 3km off the highway down a dirt road.
At first glance it looked deserted, just a few derelict chalets on the hillside
looking out to sea. But there was a light on in ‘The Office’, so we booked in. Thinking we were the only inhabitants of this remote and windy park, we set up
and made dinner. Very ‘Bates Motel’.
Another couple turned up and went into one of the
chalets, plus two French couples trying to pitch pop-up tents in the dark and
windy conditions. We finally got enough pegs banged in to the rock-hard ground
for them to set up for the night. The drama wasn’t over though as they asked us
to help jump start their car next morning as the battery had run down pitching
camp. This presented me with an interesting dilemma – where exactly was the
battery in our camper van? After much fruitless searching and consulting the
Japanese-translated manual, we unearthed the battery under the passenger seat.
The countryside started to change after Wagoe as
we moved towards the Murchison River. There were now hills and fields with
crops and signs of habitation at more regular and frequent intervals. Every now
and then there would be a riot of red or purple or yellow – spring flowers.
More green and less black/red as well. A generally cultivated landscape.
On to Geraldton, then Cervantes, where the plethora
of Spanish street names (and town names) has no explanation evident in the town
itself, but is mentioned on a plaque in a town called Jurien Bay about 20k
north. Apparently the US ship ‘Cervantes’ was sunk off the shore near here and
all the survivors walked to Perth. This happened in about 1890, I think.
We moved on Saturday to the ‘staggeringly
beautiful’(Lonely Planet) Guilderton, where we were lucky enough to get the
last site at the only caravan park. Our pitch was beautiful, overlooking the
beach in a lovely lagoon (lots of f*&%@ng kids, though). On Sunday we were
treated to the unusual sight (about every 3-4 years only) of the Moore River
estuary, which formed the lagoon, breaking through to the sea and the raging
torrent where the very lively surf and the estuary waters met forms a
horizontal waterfall. Very exciting.
Sunday we moved on to Perth where we are calling
in on Derick and Beth Johnston, who have promised us a roast…cue mouth
watering. More follows when we leave Perth after Gillie’s birthday and trips to
Rottnest island etc…
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| hold on to your drawers! |
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| the lake actually is pink - that's why it's called Pink Lake! |
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| The Pinnacles with some prat jumping |
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| Rogers' beer... |
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| Keen on their punctuation and spelling over here |
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