HEADING HOME!

The Bluff - in the sunshine - just mildly excited!

Well, yes there was a promise of more Kalbarri photos, so here we go - photos of our wonderful Kalbarri and a few of GreenHead where you currently find us.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in sunny Kalbarri.  The temperatures were perfect and although the wind was a little forceful at times the climate really couldn’t be faulted.  As is always the case in Kalbarri we made several lovely new friends.  I have to say all the kudos here goes to DD, he is such an affable and helpful bloke.  Yours truly was heavily involved in a painting project and you could probably truthfully say I obsessed over getting the project finished.  I did finally complete the project yesterday and now am all ready to head home on Tuesday.

How to Harness That Power?

The Wild WA Coastline

Yes, I did say Tuesday!  Mind you home is a bit of a misnomer as we are heading once again to the Vines CP in Caversham.  Our home is not available at the moment and so we have to remain Geriatric Gypsies for a little while longer at least. 

Before I launch into the whys and wherefores of heading ‘home’ however, it would be remiss of me not to tell you a little about GreenHead.  GreenHead is a tiny fishing hamlet around 300ks north of Perth and 200 odd ks south of Geraldton.  It is truly a fishing community here and I doubt there are any residents who are not true ‘fishies’.  We are here to visit our long time friends Steve & Sylvia and to pick up a few delectable crayfish (more correctly Rock Lobsters) for Christmas.

Wave Sculptures

Wild, Wet & Dry!

I have to tell you all the good work DD and I did during our stay in Kalbarri (diet-wise) has been very quickly undone.  We dine (and I do mean dine) with Steve and Sylvia every evening and Sylvia, who is an excellent cook, feeds us toooooooooooooo well.  Oh well, as our friends are non-drinkers we have also abstained from the fruit of the vine etc.  This is not a major departure for me these days, but it is the first time in a long while that DD has not imbibed at Sundowners.  He has not missed his tipples and is feeling heaps better for his abstinence.  Mind you, the poor old bloke is doing it a bit tough.  Our mate Steve calls for him each morning at 4.30 am so that they can go and check the ‘pots’.  Our lad is back after a couple of hours and then after a light shake for brekkie heads back to Steve’s so that they can go hunting bait fish.  Our lad has not seen so much physical action for many a long day and it a little battered for his efforts.  His blood pressure has come right down however, so I guess this rather harsh, yet healthy life-style is good for him.

I on the other hand have been spending my time sitting with a paintbrush in hand and so have not shared in this healthy exercise regime.  I heard about a man in Perth (Dr) who is doing very good work with Stem-cell treatment, using the patient’s own blood.  It seems, so the story goes, that half the residents of Kalbarri have been to have treatment with this fellow and all the joints, shoulders, knees, hips etc have a new lease on life as a result of his treatments.  I was told that the golf club hasn’t seen so many active players for years!!  I can’t wait to get back to Perth to arrange an appointment.  If I can fix my knee without surgery I will certainly be a happy woman.  Then perhaps I can start to move a little and get rid of some of this incredibly excess weight I am carrying.  Joy!!

Majestic

Anyway, back to GreenHead.  This place is a Mecca for fishermen and as the crayfish season started early this year those stalwart folk prepared to do the hard yakka have been reaping the benefits of the longer season.  DD has a license and so we have been able to grab a couple to grace the Christmas table.  We are eternally grateful to Steve and Sylvia for making this possible – especially at the price of Crays in the shops at Christmas time.

Greenhead has some very pretty coastline (The Limestone Coast) and whilst I haven’t been out with a camera this time around I can show you a couple of shots taken previously.  The weather here has been reasonably good, but incredibly windy.  The lads have managed to ‘get out’ most mornings before the southerlies picked up, but boy, living here would be a tad testing I think, with the strong coastal winds, the howling easterlies in the mornings and the smell of weed in the winter.  The surrounding country-side is typical coastal scrub and fairly dry.  Tall trees are rare and huge drifts of white snow-like sand are slowly gobbling up large tracts of bush. 

Dolphins Hunting Off The Bluff

Don't Like This Bloke's Chances of a Catch with Those Characters Nosing Around

Still Hunting in the Waves & Wash

There is currently a ban on A Class Fishing, so the boys are not able to go and get any Dhufish for the table – that season re-opens mid December, by which time we will be firmly ensconced back in the metropolitan area.  There are of course other fish they could catch, but ‘Dhuies’ are the fave and everything else seems to be ignored due to lack of any real interest.

It is an interesting life-style here.  Many of the near new and rather up-market homes are empty most of the year, only seeing their owners during the holiday season.  The rest of the community is made up mainly of retirees living pretty much off the ocean.  Jurien Bay some 30ks south of here provides reasonable grocery shopping to supplement the rather fishy diet.  I do think I could get used to that way of living. 

So, all that aside, we are going back to Perth on Tuesday.  I am looking forward to seeing my boys and their various off-spring, not having seen them for pretty much a full year (we left on the 22^nd December 2012!).  We are not particularly looking forward to the Caversham CP as it really doesn’t offer us a great deal.  It is an Aspen CP and very well run, but..... they do have issues with power and one cannot boil a kettle whilst the air-con is going and all of that sort of minor annoyance and whilst I do love the Swan Valley, the park is over-managed for my liking and very constrained.  I have become too used to the ‘further-out’ parks where customers are pretty much left to their own devices.  The city parks seem to attract customers who are overly ‘picky’ and who generate the sort of over-managing I so dislike.  Oh well!  Having said all that, the amenities are excellent and the pool is good.  Most of our family live close to the park, so that in itself is a plus.

The Bluff Basking in The Sun

Blue Holes On A Lazy Day

I am approaching Perth with very mixed emotions.  Sadly the tentacles of some disharmony have stretched out and tickled us from afar and that in itself has somewhat adversely affected my anticipation of seeing everyone.  I dare say, like all families we will have our bubbles and move on, but it is sad that we have to have the bubbles in the first place.  I am a person who strives for harmony at all costs and am sad when that endeavour somehow backfires despite good intentions.  Ah well, enough said I guess. 

We have a plethora of ‘catch up’ appointments to deal with.  You know the kind, Drs, Dentists, Opticians and of course, most importantly, hair-dressers (no not for DD!).  We are keen to catch up with friends too and I can see that the remaining days leading up to Christmas will be all too quickly eaten up.

As was pointed out to us once by a tour operator " If you look carefully, you will see a seagull, shag 'n a tern."

Even more amazing "A pelican shag 'n a gull"

Christmas Day will be somewhat of a juggling act for us as we have several bases to cover between us.  DD’s daughter Bree will be in Perth for Christmas and my eldest grand-daughter Courtney has also arrived home in time for Christmas.  Both these young women have been living the high-life in London.  Between us we have a bit of ground to cover and it may well be that we will have to cover it separately.  Not a happy thought, but sometimes these things happen.  Trent will be hosting a big day at his home as both Bree and their mum Carol will be in town.  My son Troy is also hosting a big family day – so the skates will be coming out in the morning as we attempt to cover the bases adequately without upsetting any barrels so to speak.

Due to not being able to get into the house for a little while yet (at least) we will head south once the kids have vacated the good Caravan Parks.  Pete, we might even see you down at the Duke if you still have a van at that stage!!

So, my very good friends, we come to the end of this particular expedition.  We have had a wonderful experience and look forward to our next adventure.  I will continue to post blogs but I doubt you will find them as enjoyable as those I have put up over the last year.  One never knows however, so watch this spot!!

In case I don’t get to post another blog this side of Christmas, have a safe and happy festive season.  Be kind to each other, particularly family and those less fortunate.  Let’s remember the true Christmas Spirit and do for others and not to others.  May God Bless you and yours.  Stephanie

From Our Campsite

Murchison Lazing

OK!!!! I have been trying to decide which photos to show you and have realised belatedly that there are too many good ones and I forgot to tell you things like the visit to The Pink Lake, Horrocks and the old convict ruins. I have pretty much run out of room to show you photos of GreenHead too, so...................I will post another blog as soon as I have the time and give you the last of the Kalbarri photos along with some nice GreenHead shots. S

Preview of The Pink Lake!

SHADES OF KALBARRI - PART 1

Red Bluff Early Morning

Hello to everyone from a very relaxed and lay-back Kalbarri.  We have decided to stay here in this, one of our favourite places in all of Australia, until early December.  We are expecting to be rather full on once we hit Perth and so are both recuperating from our journey and girding our loins for the onslaught – so to speak!

I am aware that many of you are from WA and subsequently are familiar with this beautiful place, but for the benefit of those who do not know Kalbarri, and for the edification of those of you who do, over the next month I will post a series of blogs dedicated to a pictorial feast of this area.

Waves Pounding The Coastal Gorges

Colours of The Murchison River

To be perfectly honest, we haven’t taken a great many photos this time around (yet), probably because we have taken so many in the past.  It is largely from that hoard that I have taken these photos.  Some of them will not be quite as good as our current stuff as they were taken with less sophisticated cameras, many in fact, were taken on a good old ‘point and click’ type.  Regardless of that, there are some stunning photos amongst them, largely due to the abundant beauty available.

Next time I will tell you a bit more about what we are doing, but this time I thought perhaps I should do something I have never done in the past – give you some factual data about the place.  This information should help to describe Kalbarri.

The Cliffs From The Sea

Nature's Glory

Kalbarri, part of Western Australia’s Coral Coast, is situated some 590 ks north of Perth and some 150 north of Geraldton.  The town is tucked into the bay of the Murchison River as it meets the Indian Ocean.  The river mouth is notoriously dangerous and has seen multiple deaths due to boating accidents over its short history.  One of the thrills of this place is to sit up on the top of the hill overlooking the break, watching the brave and somewhat foolhardy fishermen navigating that rock strewn and frothy maw.  This time around we have not seen much in the way of swell, but trust me, the seas here do get to be very large indeed – there has been many a night here at the Caravan Park when we have gone to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the not too distant shore.  The noise often sounds like some demented drummer pounding a huge kettle drum.

Amazing Colours

A More Gentle Mood

The large swell makes this somewhat of a surfing Mecca and it is common to see the huge waves liberally dotted with daring lads (and lassies) swooping down their glassy slopes.  The other day when we did have a good swell coming in, I spotted an anxious hound glued to a rocky outcrop, staring fixedly out to sea where his boss diced with the delicious thrills of that surf.  As the beaches here are laced with huge rocky outcrops and treacherous reefs, the risk of losing life and or limb is relatively strong.

There is history of a sort here.  It is reputed that the first white men to make a permanent landing in Australia came ashore right here at Wittecarra Creek.  These unfortunates were mutineers, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgroom from the ill-fated Batavia which was wrecked on this coast around 1692.  In 1712 another famous shipwreck, The Zuytdorp also came to grief just north of Kalbarri.  The very treacherous ocean along this stretch of coast is littered with wrecks of early sailing ships.  Theoretically there is a fortune to be found off these shores, the Zuytdorp particularly was reputed to be carrying a fortune.

Despite the early landing of the mutineers (I think their descendants now run the hotels and restaurants here!) the place was not really settled until around the early 1950s.  As late as 1943 this was just a tiny fishing colony comprised largely of crayfishermen.  Slowly people gravitated here to become involved in fishing and mining.  The advent of lead mines around Geraldton drew a few folk to the region.  Until around that time this was simply called The Mouth of the Murchison.  The name Kalbarri is a fairly recent acquisition.  This would make a good question for QI – NOBODY KNOWS ...where the name Kalbarri comes from.  There are thoughts that it may have been a seed, a woody pear or even the name of a prominent aboriginal – as I said, nobody knows!!

Iconic 'Nature's Window'

Murchison Snaking Thru' The Inland Gorges

Aside from the outstanding scenery here, the other big attraction is the weather.  Kalbarri really doesn’t have a winter as we know it.  The winter temperatures run between around 22 – 25 during the day and the rainfall is moderate.  Mind you, when it rains, it really comes down!  Over the years, we have experienced several full on storms - they come in quickly and disappear just as fast, leaving you looking for the number plate of the truck!  Summer time temps run around the low 30s and most days a brisk sea breeze takes the sting out of the heat by the middle of the day.  Evenings are balmy and the stars here are just amazing.

Murchison Mellow In The Early Morning Light

Serenity

Since we arrived two whole weeks ago we have probably averaged around 28 during the day and the nights have been blissful.  We have had a few cloudy days and the wind is moving into a strong summer pattern, but the wind keeps the flies away, so all is good.  Yes, the flies can be a problem if you are spending much time outdoors, but generally, here so close to the coast, they are not too bad.  If you venture inland to the gorges you will definitely need the full mesh covers over your face, otherwise you will be eating the little devils.

A Different Mood

I have no idea what the population is here (surly!?) volume wise, but it is a small place with most of the population gathered into a fairly tight knot right at the mouth of the river.  I am probably being a little unfair here – not everyone who lives here is unfriendly, but it does seem that they are not over-enamoured of tourists.  They love to take our money, but smiles are sometimes a little hard to find.  It is just as well the place is good enough to overlook this rather sad indictment on the locals.

Sparkling Waves In The Early Morning Sunlight

Ancient Rock Face Meets The Ocean

Sun Basking

The ‘town’ boasts two hotels, a couple of cafe/restaurants, chemist, two small supermarkets, butcher, health spa, gift shops and a novelty restaurant.  There are numerous motels, rental units, holiday houses and 3 caravan parks.  We always stay at the old Anchorage CP – right on the bank of the Murchison.  J row is our spot, this elevated site overlooks much of the CP and our gaze just naturally gravitates to the picturesque Murchison River.

I am enthralled by the Murchison. I start my day sipping my morning cup of tea whilst dreamily joining with the river as it travels from the rugged and dry inland gorges, through the spectacular vivid and sculptured rock faces, over cream coloured sand-bars, brushing pretty gums and scrubby bushland as it slides silkily past.  Roos gossip at the edge of the old river which has sustained them and their ancestors seemingly forever. Goannas bask on  sun-baked rocks and in the spring wild-flowers of every hue fringe the banks.

Like A Blue Ribbon Thru' The Bush

Sandy Little Beaches Along The Way

The old river rolls thru’ the harsh landscape like blue satin ribbon, reflecting the azure sky above.  Closer to the ocean she garbs herself in light frothy turquoise, flirting with the pelicans and gulls as she drifts on past us on her way to greet her lover, the sea. 

The mating of the old girl and the ancient ocean is often tumultuous, and the echos of their rapture reverberates thru’ the small colony. Other days they enjoy a lazy coupling, frothy ripples providing the only evidence of their muted passion.

Some Sort of Magic

Ancient Beauty

As the day starts, so it ends, with sundowners sipped slowly as the air cools and river dons her darker gown for the evening.  The past couple of evenings we have been soothed to the strains of a classical Spanish guitar played beautifully by a fellow traveller, and before that another clever fellow eased gentle and soothing strains from a saxophone.  The choral efforts of the local bird-life melded with the music creating a wild yet soothing rhapsody.

If you are the active type, there is plenty to do here.  Surfing, canoeing, bush-walking, ocean gorges, land gorges, quad-biking, scenic flights over the gorges and or the Abrolhos Islands – it’s all available if you are keen.  There is even a visit to the Rainbow Jungle, a marvellous parrot breeding facility if you are a birdy person.  For those of us who come here regularly tho’ there is one overwhelmingly precious activity here – quality relaxation.  We come there to relax – there is no better place to do pretty much nothing.  This is a place to seriously un-wind.  We see people rush in and rush out – what a shame!

Sparkling

Still Sparkling

Well, I hope you have enjoyed your brief visit to Kalbarri – I will publish a few more photos over the next few weeks for those who might be interested.  Until then, take some time out, just for you!  Stephanie
PS  These pics really do benefit from being enlarged a little, do click on the first one to bring them up in good format! S

Feed Me!!

From The Rainbow Jungle Down The Road

NIPPING ACROSS THE NULLARBOR

How Far?!

Whew, that was quick!  If ever I needed proof that men and women come from completely different planets and or communication between the genders is often oblique and confusing, then these last 7 days have provided the evidence.

I was under the impression (obviously an incorrect impression) that we were going to slowly wend our way back to WA, smelling the wild-flowers along the way.  WRONG!!!

As you would know from the last blog we left Melrose in SA last Friday and I expected to arrive at our destination in Kalbarri WA tomorrow – that would be eight days of pleasant travel.  Guess again Stephanie!  We took off from Melrose around 7ish in the morning, hoping to get a good run up to end up at Penong in the far west of SA by late afternoon.  What happened?  Well let me tell you.

FLYING THROUGH THE FLINDERS

Ummm?

And Round Again

The day dawned perfect for travel, sunny, mild temperatures and NO WIND!  The wind was the most important motivating factor aided and abetted by the number of flies chasing us out of Melrose.  We had been told that the flies were even worse further into the Flinders and any remaining desire to explore those incredible hills further dissipated with the swarms of the sticky little blighters.

Sunlit Splendour

From Afar

The journey thru’ the Flinders was to say the least stunning;  where on our way across in February, the hills had been clothed in gold velvet, now they were wearing soft greens.  I am a loss to adequately describe the scenery for you and hopefully some of the photos will help to explain the beauty.

Towards Port Augusta

Not The Nullarbor!

Zed performed admirably as we wound up and down thru’ the various hills and dales and thru’ the well known Horrocks Pass with Jezzy trundling obediently along behind us.  We made excellent time and before we knew it were passing thru’ the now quite pretty Port Augusta.  From Port Augusta the countryside starts to flatten out and some of the beauty dissipates a little heading towards Ceduna.  We passed thru’ Ceduna in amazingly good time and continued on towards Penong.  By the time we reached Penong it was still only around 3ish in the afternoon and so we made the Big Decision to keep going.  We kept going right up until we reached the Nullarbor Roadhouse and CP.  You need to remember of course that SA was on daylight savings time and we were chasing the sun so to speak.  Daylight seemed to go on forever. 

Iron Knob

The Lonely Harvest

NIPPING ACROSS THE NULLARBOR

By the time we reached the Nullarbor Road House there was just a little wind, but nothing like we had previously experienced in this region.  The wind was slightly to the side of us and over our left shoulders.  Not too shabby at all.  The CP was predictably dusty and bare, but with it’s own certain charm.  The Road House is pretty much at the beginning of the true Nullarbor and the countryside around there stretches out into indistinct distance – it is flat for as far as the eye can see and the only vegetation is low lying salt bush and tough looking scrub.

Desolation

And Then Some

We saw very little wild-life, only a couple of eagles, 3 dingos and remarkably and fortunately very little road kill.  The traffic was kind to us and we had absolutely no trouble with anything.

Hmmm

Uh Oh - Some Welcome

In the morning the winds, whilst reasonably light were more on our nose, but we took off regardless and with great optimism for a good day.  Only a few kilometres down the road (oh you know 100 or so) we crossed thru’ the Bordertown Quarantine Checkpoint.  Another disappointment!  Previously we had been lead to believe, by no less a personage than one of these checkpoint people that providing fruit and veg were frozen there was no problem.  To this end I had frozen our lemons and the beautiful little limes that Zan had given us and happily and trustingly placed them in the freezer.  By the time we reached the checkpoint, they were frozen solid.  The very nice and informative lady who checked us out, informed me that this was incorrect and once again I had to hand them over.  Zan I felt so bad about your limes – thank goodness we had used some of them – they were absolutely beautiful by the way!

Golf Anyone

Communication Nullarbor Style

So ‘lemonless’ and ‘limeless’, we continued on our now somewhat subdued way.  We crossed the timeline and gained two and a half hours and so it was only natural that once again we just kept on going.  Late afternoon we trundled into Fraser Range CP, some 100 ks east of Norseman.  This is a great little spot and much ‘improved’ since our last stay some 3 or so years ago.

Forever

Dad & Children

Era's Past at Fraser Range

GALLOPING THROUGH THE GOLDFIELDS

Fraser Range is situated at an historic sheep station and encompasses some of the old original buildings.  I didn’t photograph them this time but if you are really interested you can always slip backwards in time to our first crossing and have a bit of a gander.

They have there a large communal fire-pit where most folk gather in the evenings to enjoy a tipple and pleasant company under the canopy of stars.  They also offer ‘dinner’ for travellers.  The meal was priced at $25 and the evening we were there comprised of Chicken Casserole and Apricot Tart with cream and ice-cream.  You will be amazed to hear we didn’t avail ourselves of this doubtless delicious repast, having already prepared a meal previously.  Oddly for the lad, he didn’t bother to join in the group gathered around the fire – I suppose that should have told me something, but I was just too grateful to really wonder why the lack of interest.

To Beautiful Not To Pass On

Curious

As we were only semi-unpacking, staying hitched up and ready to rock and roll, we took very little time getting back on the road the next morning.  Not before we spotted a Daddy Emu and all his little (or actually not so little) chicks foraging right next the CP.  The park is set in what almost amounts to a natural amphitheatre at the foot of small hills.  In the early morning light it was quite beautiful.

Off we went again, early Sunday morning saw us on the road heading towards Norseman.  As a child, my paternal grandmother lived in Norseman and I spent a few very happy holidays with her in that austere and dusty mining town.  As a kid of course, I saw none of the ugliness; I just thoroughly enjoyed the big swimming pool and being totally spoiled by my grandma.  Despite my status as an only child, my mother held some very stern beliefs about the upbringing of children.  Spoiling them was certainly not part of her belief system, so being out of sight of my very strict mother and with a doting grandma was just wonderful.

Barren & Salty

Sunday Morning Coolgardie

Anyway I digress, we filled up with both petrol and breakfast at the Servo in Norseman and continued on our speedy journey.  We passed the old Widgiemooltha siding where I used to switch from the big Prospector diesel driven train to an old dog box puffing billy for the last leg of my journey to Norseman.  Before we knew it we were passing thru’ the old gold mining town of Coolgardie.  Trust me the main street of Coolgardie early Sunday morning is pretty quiet.  We topped up the fuel again and moved right on along.  Thru’ Southern Cross where the giant open cut mine lives (without stopping) and finally into the outermost reaches of the wheat-belt.

Roadside Splendour

Tassie Doesn't Have The Only Weird Names

WEAVING THROUGH THE WHEAT-BELT

Early afternoon saw us pulling into the wheat-belt town of Merredin.  DD drove us thru’ and around the sleepy town in order to find an IGA where we managed to purchase some reasonably good fresh produce.  The IGA in Merredin was surprisingly good I have to say.  Merredin also brought back memories for me as I used to run Training Seminars at the motel in that farming town.  The CP was quite good and we had a drive-thru’ site right near the front fence bordering the Great Eastern Highway.  Other patrons complained in advance about being kept away by the noise of the semis thundering past during the night, but I have to say I wasn’t aware of them.  The sound of the bloke slumbering next to me tends to block out most other noises!  I guess too, that I was pretty weary with all that hard work being a passenger/navigator!

More Beauty

Salt Encroaching

Monday morning saw us hit the road once again heading towards the famous (in WA anyway) tiny town of Meckering, site of the epicentre of our famous (once again in WA) earthquake. At Meckering we took a northwards turn taking us through the heart of the wheat-belt and up towards wild-flower country.  We thought we were being smart taking a little used back road, but guess what.  Half the wheat trucks in WA had the same idea.  Well, at least half a dozen of them!  Not usually a problem but these blokes were haring along in the opposite direction, on very narrow roads, fully believing the worst they would meet coming the other way would be cars – not large lumbering caravans.  It was a little squeezy but the first of these truckies contacted us on two-way advising of his mates following him.  We managed to cope, talking to these blokes where possible and finally reached our destination of Perenjori in one piece.

All Done

Make Way!

It was interesting driving thru’ WA wheat fields having just traversed some of the SA wheat producing country.  I would say at a very uneducated guess, the SA crops looked to be a little heavier, but both states are looking pretty good.  The big difference I think is in the sheer size of the farms over here.  Traversing the golden paddocks and cresting the mellow hills you can see forever.  It made my heart sing driving thru’ the wheat – it’s hard to explain I guess, after the decadent beauty of Tasmania, the verdant countryside in NSW and the glorious water-colours of SA, just what it is about WA that makes it so very special to me.  I think it is the starker colours and the immensity of the countryside.  There is a bare and bold beauty here and an inexplicable feeling of freedom when you are out in this countryside.  It makes you want to spread your wings and take flight!  Ah well, perhaps that’s just me.

Water On Salt 

More Salt

We have stayed at the pretty little Perenjori CP before when chasing wildflowers a couple of years ago.  After that stay, we went home and I packed mum into the car and brought her back and she and I stayed in one of the surprisingly well appointed little on-side cabins in the park.  Happy/sad memories!

Only In WA!

Bad News Wrapped In Pretty Paper

Most of the wild-flower season is now past, but the larger shrubs are still in flower and we were gifted with some very pretty road-sides as we travelled.  The bloke at the CP gave us a mud-map to Geraldton, having Googled the various options for us and finding that the route via Geraldton was surprisingly the shorter option.  It is an interesting aside here that at both the servo in Merredin and the CP at Perenjori when we enquired about local maps, they went instead to either the ‘apps’ on their mobile or the Google option on their laptops.

We still had some 4oo plus kilometres to go to reach our destination and so without too much haste, hit the frog on Tuesday morning, heading towards our much beloved Kalbarri.

I Could Take Flight!

Love It!

KAPUT AT KALBARRI

For those of you who are not familiar with Kalbarri, it is a little village, some 150ks north of Geraldton.  The tiny township hugs tight to the semi-circular river-mouth where the Murchison River meets with the Indian Ocean.  I won’t elaborate at this point as I want to bring you Kalbarri as we know and love it over the next couple of weeks.  Suffice for now to know that it is exquisitely beautiful and splendidly decadent insomuch as one can do practically nothing (if that is one’s want) or if one is adventurous and active, be as active as you could possibly wish to be.  We are currently of the first preference!

Road To Kalbarri

Pink Salt Lakes

So, from Perenjori we travelled through some delightful farming country we had not previously seen, this being a new route for us, eventually arriving (due to a slight altercation between driver and navigator) at the southern end of Geraldton.  Had the driver listened to the navigator, we would have entered at a slightly more northern point, but, really, it mattered not.  We moved quickly through the port town of Geraldton, just skimming the periphery really, and popped out on the road to Carnarvon. 

We stopped to fill up with fuel and brunch at the servo just north of town – bought way too much in the food department.  I have a fondness for salt and pepper squid and this place sold it by the cup full – brilliant, but one each was way too much.  Feeling somewhat bloated, we continued north to the tiny town of Northampton where we took a left turn towards the ocean.  Now we really had the bit between our teeth.  Onwards and upwards, feeling that we were practically there we threaded our way along the coastal road, past the pink lakes which were totally pink and much larger than we remembered.  The photos I took from the car window didn’t really come out very well, so we will have to take a day trip back down there to get some really good shots.  These salt lakes are a hue somewhere between rose pink and soft mauve – stunning!

Kalbarri Snuggles Along The Murchison

To Whet Your Whistle

Finally the ocean glimpses became ocean gazes and the town and the river-mouth came into view.  Ahhhh, we drove through the little town and into the entrance to the old Anchorage CP.  We had booked a site, not just any site, but the one that we had always salivated over, J1!  Unbelievably despite the vast numbers of vans we had seen on the road, obviously travelling down the west coast and back across the desert divide, the park was almost empty.  We have this row almost to ourselves, the families and all the little children having left for home last week-end.  Can we plan or what!!?

That was Tuesday, it is now Friday and I think in another 2 or so days, the bloke will be back to normal.  He was totally buggered!  I don’t really know what particular demon drove him to make that sort of time – and no it wasn’t me – I would have been happy to dawdle a little.  The flies mind you were a contributing factor, having been in pretty much swarm proportions everywhere we stopped from Melrose onwards.

Anxious

'Cause Dad Is Catching Waves

It has really taken it out of the lad and he slept for a good part of Wednesday.  Mind you..............the bloke can be a tad obsessive you know, and he had been having problems with his VAST satellite system and had been unable to make it work since.....well somewhere in NSW I think.  He was starting to get really steamed about the whole thing and when he tried to set it up here and once again it just wouldn’t go, he almost lost the plot (having had a tenuous hold on it in the first place).  He found a bloke here who used to earn a living making these things work and guess what, even HE couldn’t make it go.  Hours were spent both on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning trying to make it GO.  Finally in desperation the lad re-activated his card and TA-DA! It worked!  Thank the ......for that girls.  Frankly I had pretty much had enough of the wretched thing and would have been happy to be ‘televisionless’ forever rather than continue down that frustrating track.

So, we are back in WA, on the road to sanity recovery, and finally having some lovely down-time.  Over the next couple of weeks I won’t post proper blogs, but rather will simply run some photos of this place and tell you a little of why we love it so much.  Any antidotes worthy of telling will be posted, but other than that, like us, you can have a little holiday from all these words. Until then, be kind to each other, slow down a little and enjoy the journey.  Stephanie.

Jealous?