HOUSE SITTING AT WAIKIKI

Yes, here we are set-up in Sonya and Steve's front yard.  No we did not have to cut down the tree, we fit in just fine.

After sorting out the fridge etc in the van, we have settled into the house to "house-sit" and Wayne is enjoying watching TV on a big screen!

I found our Christmas tree, candle decoration from Germany and wrapped the presents so that we feel like Christmas is here.

We are getting around the district which is close to the beaches south of Rockingham and even caught the train into Perth city to see how long it will take for us to walk to the Perth Arena for the Hopman Cup which we have tickets for the day/night sessions on the 6th of January.  Looking forward to seeing Roger Federer playing in the night session.  After walking around the city and down to Elizabeth Quay precinct, we decided to catch the train out to Freemantle for the afternoon and stroll the streets there and down to see the submarine and the Maritime Museum but we had walked enough for the day so did not spend time inside to see all the exhibits but outside the names of all migrating families from the day dot are all listed.  Amazing.

Today the temperature was over 40 degrees so we took ourselves off to the beach for a soak in the cooler waters as we watched folk launch/load their boats off the boat ramps south of Rockingham at Safety Beach.

Looking forward to seeing friends from Birkdale who are over in Perth and are boarding the Indian Pacific train back to Sydney on Christmas Day.  Now that is a different Christmas celebration.

AMONGST THE TREES TONIGHT

Jelcobine Rest Area was our choice to spend a night after stopping for lunch and a stroll around Brookton.

History of Brookton on display and well preserved carriages.

Corrigin is known for "Cobber Dog in a Ute" and the Corrigin Dog Cemetery where we stopped to stroll and read the inscriptions on the graves of the farmer's dogs that have been laid to rest here.  quite surprised as to the number of dogs here and their elaborate headstones.  I even found a "Sharma". I had a beautiful golden labrador named Sharma that followed Craig and Tracey all over the farm.  She ate some snail pellets in the carnation house and I managed to get the vet to save her from an agonising death.  Very scary time!  Wow - memories. (that was back in the late 70's early 80's.

After dinner we strolled through the trees and watched the last of the sunset colours to the west and the eastern sky had the full moon - supposed to be another super sized moon.

WET WET WET

Listened to the rain all through the night and had to get up earlier than usual to get a skype call through to Mum.  Happy Birthday Mum - 93 years young today.
Very disappointed, the reception would allow my laptop to connect so could only use my ipad that for some reason, we could not view Mum, Christine and family from New Zealand.  After the call we decided to have a cup of coffee before packing up and hitting the road.  No, should not have done that, as the rain is falling non stop again so hit the road quite damp!!!  Here are some of the tin horses.

This is known to be the largest tin horse!!!

Yep, that bloody aussie thing is bowling underarm to the kiwi!!  Lol

Travelled west through Kondinin, Kulin where we drove The Horse Highway for a kilometre or so before heading over towards Corrigin where we pulled in at Gorge Rock.  This is a natural rock pool which was once the local swimming hole, (before an Olympic pool was constructed in the town site), offering spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding farmland and countryside around Corrigin.  Luckily we made the short walk up to the pool and top of the rock before the rain has set in continually.  Still a pleasant bush-land rest stop.

We are parked on the old tennis court.  Once a dance hall for all the local farmers back in the 1930's.

The locals concrected the pool and filtered the water for swimming in.  Even had a flying fox into it.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY DARLING

My surfer man at Wave Rock.

Yes another year of wedded bliss!!!  22 years.

We left Ravensthorpe and headed north to Wave Rock.  Called into Varley for a comfort stop and read the story of the historic rabbit proof fence.  The Town Rabbit Cemetery is the community's tribute to the rabbit plague of the 1920's that was a major pestilence to early farmers.

Wave Rock at midday or a little later today was 41.6 degrees and as the weather forecast was not good for tomorrow, we donned our fishing shirts, hat, sunnies and water and off we walked.  As a tour bus full of people were at Wave Rock we decided to walk to The Hippo's Yawn Loop first.  Luckily the main path follows the base of the rock under plenty of sheeoaks for shade and we were not disappointed at the hippo's yawn.

After a couple of drink/rest stops, we made it back to Wave Rock.  Wow - so glad we decided to come back this way so this natural formation is a sight to behold.  After that exercise there was only one thing to do - dive into the beautiful cool water of the caravan park's swimming pool.  Just what we needed to cool off.

The surface was quite slippery so Wayne got up higher than I could.  Loved the colours of the rock.

Drove into Hyden for a celebratory anniversary dinner - had to cook our own steaks at the hotel with a selection of salads or hot vegetables.  Lovely way to finish an amazing day.

RAVENSTHORPE - HOPETOURN

Friday 9th Dec.  Travelling through Jerramungup and on the Ravensthorpe today we skirted around the Fitzgerald River National Park.  330,000 hectares of unspoilt wilderness accessible by 2WD and 4WD tracks.  I also noticed the bushes of wildflowers are still blooming profoundly down this area.  Splashes of pink, mauve, blue, white and yellow.  Also as we get closer to the townships are huge grain storage bins/silo's.  Yes this is the southern wheatbelt country.  Thousands upon thousands of hectares harvested or still to be harvested.  What a sight to see.

Saturday 10th.  Hopetourn drive only about 50 klm's south to the Southern Ocean for the last time on this coast before heading north and then west from Wave Rock back to Perth to house sit for 4-5 weeks.

This small township is nestled on the shores of Mary Anne Haven and was once a thriving port for the Phillps Rver Goldfields.  (Noticed a Gold mine site still operating as we drove down).  Yes, we tried out the bakery for some toasted mediterian, and ham, cheese and pineapple and sat on the shore under a shade structure, but not on the white sand as it was a foot or more deep with dried up/washed up seaweed matter.

These are farm gate art along the road towards Hopetourn.

Hopetourn Beach 

We drove out Hamersley Drive thinking we would take a hike into the eastern gateway to the world renowned Fitzgerald River National Park to get some stunning shots from higher ground.  Not to be as the road/bridge were under reconstruction so could only stop at the Culham Inlet where the lagoon is fed by two rivers and held back from the sea by dunes.  This site has a bird hide for migratory birds from the northern hemisphere and many other local species.

This is the closest we could get to the Nat Park.

BREMER BAY

After spending a night at Pallinup River Rest Area beside this river with only one other caravaner we travelled on to here at Bremer Bay Caravan Park with the wind blowing 30 plus miles an hour.  Very windy so did not bother to put the awning out for the two nights.

Getting blown away up high overlooking the township and Wellstead Estuary

Today we woke to the wind only a slight breeze so embarked on the Point Henry Drive Trail for the day.  Packed a picnic lunch and thermos coffees and off we went.  All along the 60 klm drive are 144 interpretive panels telling one of the attractions at beaches, history of pioneering grazier, John Wellstead, who first visited the area in the 1840's.  He set up his base nearby, at Peppermint Grove, and for many decades thereafter he and his family were the main inhabitants of a very small and isolated community.  Once the Overland Telegraph Line from Albany to Adelaide began in 1875 saw the region opened up but it wasn't until the 1920's when farming families from the surrounding district would gather here for a break for a month or so after harvest, that the population of Bremer Bay began to grow and the current town site was established.

Fishery Beach is where we sat on the rocks beyond the jetty and sipped our coffee and marvelled at the beauty which surrounded us.

Two fishermen fishing the gap

Native Dog Beach where we sat and listened to the surf break whilst eating our lunch trying to imagine surfing those waves.

We did not enter the museum to see all the old vehicles etc. only had a coffee at the cafe.

These two buildings are part of the original Peppermint Grove Wellstead's Homestead which still has a descendant living here.  We did look into the later one and here are the three rooms showing all sorts of tools, saddlery and blacksmith room.

Would you believe, each item was catalogued and a folder explained each tool, item.  Very well done.

ALBANY - ROSE GARDENS C/P AT EMU POINT

Yes, right beside the harbour is where we parked our home for a week to explore all the interesting spots around this city.  Peter the manager and his wife took the time to mark out on a map, places we should go.

Before going into the National Anzac Centre we drove up Apex Memorial to the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial and Padre White Lookout.  Climbing the stairs to the replica from the original monument of Port Said in Egypt, the Desert Mounted Corps memorial features stories all along the stairway up of stories remembering what happened then.

The view from Padre White Lookout overlooking King Georges Sound
At dawn 25th April 1930, Padre White led parishioners to the summit of Mt Clarence, the very site where so many gathered to watch the convoys depart in 1914 and was the beginning of the Dawn Service tradition.

Also on the Avenue of Honour are large gum trees which line the Avenue of Honour on Apex Drive.  At each base of each tree plaques bear the names of soldiers lost at war.

This beautiful artwork titled Longing, Memory ......... marks the beginning of the Convoy Walk.
Inspired by a fragment of a letter a soldier sent to his loved one, the sculpture contains inscribed text obtained from original letters and postcards sent by Australian soldiers who departed in 1914.

21 markers giving information about the ships in the first and second convoys.
This Convoy Walk leads to the Convoy Lookout overlooking King George Sound.

One walks with the ANZACs and experiences the Great War through their personal stories.  Truly moving following them from Albany in 1914, to the Middle East, to Gallipoli and across the Western Front both men, women and horses.

Spent many hours in here and the seamless melding of sophisticated yet unobtrusive technology with real-world artefacts, coupled with a strong dedication to telling the personal stories of the first ANZACs has resulted in one of Australia's most important, and genuinely moving, heritage experiences.


Friday 2nd December we booked on the Kalgan Queen to cruise Oyster Harbour and the Kalgan River system with Jack a very knowledgeable guy that kept us entertained for four hours.  Wow, I have not had such an informative journey on the water before.  Before we left the Emu Point Boat Pens, we viewed the largest stingray through the glass bottomed boat below us as well as up close feeding of the pelicans.  Jack gave us a running commentary of the history of the early settlers, W.A.'s first vegetable gardens & Aboriginal Prison on Green Island that is now one of the only bird sanctuary islands on W.A.'s coastline.

This is in remembrance of "Simon" the NZ fur seal who was friend to all but one.  He was unnecessarily killed?

Green Island with thousands of nesting birds

Spot the baby pelicans in the middle of this photo.  These babies are about three months old and growing quickly

We constantly stopped and fed swooping white bellied sea eagles, osprey's and today Jack also got a whistling kite to fly down and pluck the fish from the water.  At times the Captain had to steer the boat in figure 8's to get rid of the cheeky pelicans that follow the boat for more fish.  They are wild pelicans and must not be fed too much.  One called Percy also dances for Jack and gets fed while flying beside the boat.

Percy dancing for a fish.

Captain Jack was slowly meandering up the Kalgan river giving his commentary when he was telling us of honeymoon island when he told us to get our cameras ready as just around the corner we will encounter a very rare giant species of kingfisher.  So already with my trusty camera - this is what we saw.

Ha ha. He got us.

After stopping off to stretch our legs we stopped and had a cup of tea/coffee and damper made with Captain Kalgan's famous HOT Damper recipe.  Tasted very nice and not too hot.  On our way back down the river we called at elbow bend to be picked up by a horse-drawn kart!!  No horse today but a 4WD so that we could view over 40 odd kangaroos feeding and lying around the golf course.

This is Jack's Dad who foundered this cruise and is now retired to bee keeping among other things.  A very colourful man.

This riverboat cruise is a must if travelling here in Albany.  Upon getting back to the jetty, Percy met us and farewelled all with Captain Jack.

Love, love loved this experience.

Monday 5th Dec. we travelled out of town around to Torndirrup National Park with its beautiful beaches and many bays.  Did not go through the whaling museum but continued looking at each beach and inlet.  So beautiful and rugged along this southern coastline.  The Gap and Natural Bridge are two natural features carved from ancient granite by the forces of nature.  The Gap features a new suspended viewing platform 37 metres above the sheer drop to the ocean.

This viewing platform has just been completed this year.

Looking straight down into the chasm of seething foam, spray and crashing surf 37m below.

Gigantic stainless steel arms hold this in place bolted to the rock back from the chasm

The Natural Bridge

On our way back to camp we had one more place to stop and look at.  Beyond Collingwood Heights is a gentleman that has a unique talent.  Chainsaw art with trees and old timber.  WOW.  Just look at some of his creations.  I could have posted over two dozen but had to stop at six - eight?!

Does he have a talent or not?  Among other days I stopped and did some shopping for materials and lovingly made some Christmas presents for our families and got them posted off before leaving Albany.  Not much but saw this item for sale at Cowranup Christmas markets last month.