A-D Venture...

As far as the East is from the West

2011-12-10T09:25:00.000+10:00

Esperance is the kind of place that would be amazing when the sun is shining. We spent a week huddled into the tent, sheltered against the battering wind and rain, and putting fallen tent poles back up at regular intervals. Daniel was working each day, so Karen and the kids managed as best they could, watching movies, reading books, and getting on each others nerves in the enclosed space. They did manage a few walks along the waterfront to see the resident Sealion that displayed himself every day, and performed if anyone looked like they might be fishing. Finally, Saturday rolled around and we enjoyed meeting up with Daniel’s cousin Catherine, Greg, their son Kyle, and friends Matthew and Nathan for breakfast. We had already packed up our tent in anticipation of travelling for the day. And then the sun came out!

As anticipated, Esperance is beautiful. We took a few photos and left to head for the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The drive is 4,300km and we want to get there in time to spend Christmas with the family. It’s already the 11th of December, so time is running out. Daniel has lined up work on three properties across the Nullabor, so we set off for the first on the list.

We passed through Norseman and camped the first night at a free site along the 90 mile stretch. 90 Mile is the longest expanse of straight road in the country, so it was nice to break the drive up with an overnight stop. The next morning we introduced ourselves to Peter and Marg from Arubiddy Station, near Cocklebiddy. Whilst on the station Karen and kids mostly relaxed, reading books and playing around the buildings. We managed to get “Tour Guide Karen” to show us through the shearing shed, with all its fascinating machinery. Daniel completed the electrical job was in one and a half days, and we were on the way again. The next two jobs didn’t pan out. One property wasn’t ready for another week, and a roadhouse told us they didn’t need us when we walked in the door. So now it looks like we are going to make it with time to spare.


Sunset over Arubiddy Station	Moon rise over the shearing shed

We stopped overnight at another roadhouse, and then headed for Arno Bay. Daniel wanted to get some assistance from The Travelling Mechanic in servicing the Troopy. Arno Bay was another place that would be fantastic when the sun is shining (which it did as we were leaving). It was great to meet Robbie and Sharon and we would have liked to stay longer, but we are on a mission! A few days later, many of the caravans and vehicles were severely damaged when a freak hailstorm hit the area.


	< Cormornts queueing to get off the jetty as I approach. Along the GAB. ^ Nullabor means No Trees. Arno Bay Jetty. > Waves crashing on the jetty

On the way to Arno Bay, we blew another tyre, the new one that was just replaced in Perth. Aaaarrrggghhh! Fortunately Bridgestone agreed to replace the tyre AND tube under warranty, so after a quick lunch break (with Beth and Jason) in Port Augusta, we headed for Melrose. Here we spent the night camped in the showgrounds beside Mike and Sarah, and their seven children and four performing dogs. It was an excellent evening, and we forgot to take any photos, but the next morning the rush home continued.

Next stop was with Jodie in Merbein, near Mildura. We had met Jodie and her husband Andrew earlier in the year. Sadly, Andrew passed away from bowel cancer in October, and we thought it was time to visit again. We all had a really enjoyable evening INDSIDE THE HOUSE! No camper set up and pack up. Meals cooked on a HUGE BBQ. Excellent company with Summer, storm and Beau (the kids). Most enjoyable, thanks Jodie.

The longest travelling day we’ve had on this trip was 740km from Nhulunbuy to Mataranka in the Northern Territory, so the next days agenda looked impossible. Dubbo is over 800km from our departure point, but Karen wants to visit the zoo for her birthday. We changed tactics for this part of the trip. Normally Daniel does most of the driving, but this time we alternated approximately two hours each, and made it safely, but tired, into Dubbo at 7:00pm. When Daniel went in to check into the Dubbo City Caravan Park, he contemplated setting up the tent and then getting dinner under way, and booked a six berth room instead. The kids (and Karen) were surprised, and delighted at this turn of events. The trailer was plugged into a power point to keep the fridge cold, and we enjoyed wandering around the Western Plains Zoo for the whole next day. Our last visit to the zoo was in 2006, and some things have changed since then, but others haven’t. We also enjoyed an award winning pie from the Village Dubbo Bakery for lunch that day.


On Guard, Meerkats		“Kiss me quick”

Hiding Cheetah	Click on this photo to blow it up, it looks great!	Siamang Apes

Clean your teeth time!	“Happy” really is!	“Catch me if you can”

When being chased by a Tiger, DO NOT climb a tree		New born baby

Otters are SO cute!	Bison	Mum and bub (awake for a change)

To vindicate Daniels cabin accommodation decision, it rained heavily that night, and we were tucked away warm and dry. And so was our tent! It was a week for breaking records, so we left at 6:30am the next morning with Maleny as our destination. At 940km away, there was much distance to travel!

There is not much to report about this part of the journey, we alternated drivers again, and made it into Maleny at 6:00pm that evening. Karen started to get excited when we drove through Toowoomba, and the kids were amazing: Not one call of “Are we there yet?” was heard. They enjoyed some Nintendo DS time (limited to a half hour each), read some books and played happily (mostly).

In 9 days we had crossed five time zones (our bodies are still adjusting to what time it is), and five states. It was an amazing journey, but one that we are not planning to repeat any time soon.

Merry Christmas from the A-D venturers….

2011-12-09T21:41:00.001+10:00

Christmas time is our favourite time of year! There is something about the carols playing over loudspeakers, the decorations festooning townships, the spirit and warmth of this time of year. I am reminded of the simplicity as well….the meaning behind all these proceedings. It is a time of reflection on the Goodness of God that He would send His son for me….and you. Our family have taken a moment to reflect on the past year and want to share individually where we have been, what we have seen and experienced as we have continued our nomadic journey around Australia. I asked each of our precious children to share from their perspective, a snapshot of our life. I hope you are encouraged by their words and that you get a sense of the marvellous little people they are….. Please let us know your thoughts, by commenting, it would mean a lot to them and us. I pray you will be blessed and encouraged as you peek into our world!

Leisl

Jumping in, Manning Gorge W.A	Driving Quad-Bikes, Hidden Valley Station, N.T	Lunch spot at Safety Bay, near Steep Point, W.A
Turtles hatching, Mon Repos, QLD	Feeding Dolphins, Tin Can Bay, QLD	Feeding Dolphins, Monkey Mia, W.A

I really enjoyed riding camels in Broome, bathing in Zebedee Springs, jumping off a REALLY high rock at Manning Gorge, leading baby turtles to the water at Mon Repos, feeding dolphins at Monkey Mia and Tin Can Bay (both on opposite sides of the country), Yellow Waters cruise in Kakadu, driving Quad-Bikes at Hidden Valley (and patting all 24 working Dogs), M.M.M projects in Halls Creek, Billiluna, Yiyili, Lajamanu, and Kalkarindji, exploring Territory Wild-life Park, Rainbow Jungle in Kalbarri, and the Mining tour at Coober Pedy… (please note this list could go on forever!)

My favourite church so far this year would be the A.O.G church in Halls Creek. You could really sense God in the building during the service. It may be an Aboriginal church but it was AWESOME!!! The Worship was LOUD and touching and the sermons were incredible!

This year has been a bit like the Israelites wandering in the desert in search of a land flowing with Milk and Honey, and as a matter of fact Malanda (where we are going to settle down) is famous for its Milk and its Honey! We have just wandered around following God and His will for us.

Home-Schooling…..hmm….. I can’t say I enjoyed it all…but I did enjoy some of it like Art, English, SOSE and New Spell of Words, I only hated Maths (who wouldn’t!) and Handwriting.

These are some of the people we have met this year that I have just loved getting to know: Brother Ron and Sister Fay, the Macchiusi family, Mr and Mrs Morrison, Trinity, Levente, Israel, Aravis, Dash, Gem, Bronte, Roley, Mrs Jenny James, Mr David James (of Hidden Valley) and the House family (especially the cheeky Mr House). It was great to also travel with Nonna and Poppy again. And I really love seeing Mr and Mrs Hobbs. Oh and Easter with the Mann Family, Aunty Rebecca & Bohdi was really great! Cold, but great! I also loved staying with Mr and Mrs Hipwell in Echuca and Aunty Jodie (Mrs Martin), Mr (Andrew) Martin, Summer, Storm and Beau in Mildura. That was really special.

Next year I will be in Grade 7 and I will be going to a new school in North Queensland. I feel really excited about this. I am looking forward to living in a house again, because I miss having space and friends!

Rosa

Mango Ice-cream at The Frosty Mango, North QLD	Connor & I cacking ourselves at Carmilla Beach, QLD	Connor & I riding the Quad Bike at Hidden Valley Stn, N.T
Snorkelling at Turquoise Bay, Ningaloo Reef, W.A.	Catching some waves at Cable Beach, Broome, W.A.	Riding camels with Mum at sunset along Cable Beach, Broome, W.A

I've really enjoyed traveling, in fact I am a bit sad we are settling down, but it has to happen some day. I really liked Cairns. We had Christmas and my 8th Birthday there. Then we went to Frosty Mango, which is where you can have the yummiest ice cream. When we go there, I have mango flavoured ice cream. Then we hit the road and head for Paronella Park. There was a beautiful waterfall there. Then we went to the Northern Territory. We went to a cattle station named Hidden Valley, they had 24 dogs. We got to ride on quad bikes and help Bronte do some cattle work. There was one dog we really liked there, his name was Bob. He was a kelpie, and we liked him because he felt our feelings. One day we were doing Maths work and he jumped up on the table and caused a big interruption. He put 2 big paw prints onto my workbook. I thought he was beautiful! I loved Hidden Valley and really liked going back there a few times.

I was really surprised at how many times God has helped us with all kinds of problems. God is my best friend! My BFF! He is so cool. I love how he always helps us, and how he always gives us 5c and 10c coins when we are worried about money.

School this year was great. I was Grade 3. I am going into Grade 4 next year in a new school. I think I will miss Home Schooling because we only did school in the mornings. I also liked our Groves Christian College teacher Mr P. He was so nice to us.

I found it fun snorkelling at Ningaloo Reef! There were lots of fish and coral to see. My favourite place to snorkel was at The Oyster Stacks. It was like putting your face into a fish tank! We saw a huge blue starfish and lots of turtles there. We also swam with one. It was so cool!

I had a few frights this year. I fell over on an oyster bed on 80 mile beach and have scars on my hand and my leg. I was scared on some of the 4WD trips but Dad does a good job. I was scared to go snorkelling but Dad held my hand and helped me to do it anyway.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!

Josie


Climbing the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, near Pemberton, W.A. with Dad	Mitchell Falls, W.A.	Turquoise Bay, Ningaloo Reef, W.A.

Impromptu violin recital, Billiluna, W.A. (they made me play “she’ll be coming around the mountain” over and over again)	Best Friends Forever, Leisl and I at Osprey Bay, Ningaloo, W.A	Like mother like daughter, Cairns, QLD

I looked past the metal rod I was standing on, trembling. Dad and I were climbing the spiral stairway up the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree. The gap between each metal spoke was large enough for Dad to fall through, let alone me! So my life depended on my sweaty grip of the rungs. Kindly they had added a chicken wire fence to stop me falling out the right side. But what about the gap between my feet?!! Of course I was nervous. Scared even. But I said, "I will reach the first platform." And I did. The view was beautiful. I never thought climbing 25m would be so scary. And the tree was three times taller than the first platform. I am glad I did that climb. Sometimes fear gets in the way of doing something incredible. I just had to be determined to do that.

That’s what a lot of this trip is all about. Dad says to expand your comfort zone you have to stretch it. My Dad and I have done some pretty amazing (and scary) things on this trip. My whole family has been in the other’s face 24/7, for two years. OK we’re not perfect. And we get cranky sometimes. But this trip has brought us all closer together, literally.

My Dad and I stood on the very edge of Mitchell Falls, looking at the bottom about 200m away. He said to me,”You’re going to be disappointed the rest of your life, Josie. That’s about as good as it gets.” Thanks a lot Dad! Not. We went snorkelling in the cool waters of Ningaloo Reef. Dad and I went out together and had the pleasure of snorkelling with a green sea turtle. Dad and I often do the freaky things together. Not because we’re braver than the others. They recognise their limits and where they must stop. Connor sometimes comes with us.

Mum and I have become really close. I know I can always talk to her about anything. Mum’s always been there to guide me through these hectic preteen years. She goes ahead and does the freaky things even when she is afraid. Mum does the household jobs every day without complaint. I can hug her at any time. Dad never gets embarrassed. The only one who has managed to embarrass Dad is Leisl. Go Leisl!! He manages the funds and does a lot of driving. He’s not perfect either, but he’s good for hugs. Dad’s like the family stabiliser in difficult situations.

My siblings and I are VERY used to each other. Sometimes I wonder if we are too used to each other. We have lost the need for lots of toys and always go exploring at the new campsites, after we set up. I admit, we fight, but we don’t want to lock each other into an underground prison. I know my siblings a lot better since this trip started. Leisl and I talk together about anything. Connor and I wrestle (BTW, Connor, I won!). Rosa likes to play Barbies, so I try to play with her. We are all in community. We are all very determined and have an opinion (in other words, we’re stubborn!).

I have developed a close relationship with God. He has helped me through the tough times and has used me all over the country. I’m not perfect. Sometimes I fight with Him even though I know He’s right! He has continued to amaze me this whole trip. He has blessed me and shaped me into who I am right now. He is continuing to change me. Right now things aren’t making sense, but He knows the end from the beginning. I know everything will work out God’s way. Listening to sermons from Pastors like Kris Valotten and Bill Johnson from Bethel Church, Shane Willard and Graham Cooke has been a spiritual thirst quencher on this trip. We have been to many different churches all over the country. It’s like tasting a different flavour of ice-cream every time we step into a new church. It’s God, it’s ice-cream, but some people like a certain flavour rather than the others, some like it with nuts, others like it dairy free. It’s still ice-cream.

It’s been really hard away from family and friends. I really miss my friends and I look expectantly in the mail when it arrives. I want to thank everyone who has sent letters to me. I want to encourage those who haven’t. I have made new friends all over the country. In Broome I met a lovely new friend named Angela! Angela wanted to learn violin, so I offered to teach her a thing or two. We got along really well, and it was very hard to leave her. I felt so sad when we left. Schoolwork has been really hard too. I’ve tried hard not to complain but I wondered how it was possible to work when three others were whingeing and Mum was about to explode. I’m actually looking forward to normal school next year. Playing violin is sometimes hard. It’s not exactly easy to learn without a violin teacher but somehow I manage. I have moved forward two violin grades on this trip! It’s been hard when everything is at breaking point: the tent, the car, the bank, the schoolwork, the family. God has helped us through it all.

We have been in heat (Longreach, 40 degrees), cold (Myrtle Park, Tasmania, –5 degrees), rain (Aunty Ruth’s place, near Townsville), storms (Hobart, Tasmania), flat tyres all over the country, enough repairs on the car to nearly replace it, and many other things. God’s hand has been with us the whole time. So as Christmas comes again I am reminded of how much God has done for us. That’s why we went on this trip in the first place – because God told us to.

Connor

Feeding the Dolphins at Tin Can Bay, QLD	ANZAC Day, War Memorial, Canberra, ACT	Shoalhaven River, NSW
Kings Canyon, N.T.	Snorkelling at Ningaloo Reef, W.A.	Rock Art, Bungle Bungles, W.A.

This year we have been in so many awesome places I don’t know where to start.

I’ll start with Cairns. When we were in Cairns we explored over to Tinnaroo Dam, where there’s a pontoon we had to swim to. Next comes Townsville where we had our worst pack up day at our Aunt’s property when it rained and rained and rained. But we had a treat at the Frosty Mango ice cream store. We couldn’t miss Mon Repos (Mon repo) where we watched baby turtles venturing down to the sea from the beach. Then we got to feed dolphins at Tin Can Bay. After venturing across the border we travelled down the NSW coastline, through Sydney. We went to Canberra for ANZAC Day and had an awesome time with The Mann Family over Easter at Shannon’s Flat. We drove over The Snowy Mountains, into Victoria….along The Murray River, to Mildura. Then we travelled with Nonna and Poppy through South Australia and into The Northern Territory. The Northern Territory is one of the most interesting places we have been to. I liked King’s Canyon where Poppy and I ran off and my whole family freaked out when they saw me looking over the cliff edge! I was seeing how high up it was. But they were a long way away. We waited for them to catch up. They were a bit cross. We went up through The Mereenie Loop where we saw lots of Gorges.

We also went to Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) where we went on a boat ride up the Gorge with Nonna and Poppy and saw a small Fresh water crocodile. After that we went out to a cattle station named Hidden Valley where we got to do lots of great things, like riding Quad Bikes, helping Bronte, holding snakes, playing with dogs, catching red claw.

After that we went to Western Australia, to Halls Creek to help with an M.M.M project. We also went out to Billiluna then back in to Yiyili. I thought Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater was awesomer than awesome! We also went to The Bungle Bungles where we heard Dingoes howling at nightime. My favourite place there would be Echidna Chasm. It had 200m high walls, and a cool track in where we walked in single file. Then we went back to The Northern Territory to help with an M.M.M project out at Lajamanu and Kalkaridji. Then after a quick trip back to Hidden Valley we went to Kakadu National Park with Mr and Mrs Hobbs in their yellow Bedford Motorhome. In Kakadu we saw lots of Aboriginal Rock Art and on the Yellow Waters Cruise we saw heaps of big Salt Water Crocodiles! That was cool! We went up to Darwin, then back down to Douglas Daly Hot Springs.

Then we travelled towards W.A. again, but ended up staying in Timber Creek for a week. Then we finished off Term 3 School work in Kununurra, then went off to Lake Argyle before heading up to Wyndham and then off to El Questro at the beginning of The Gibb River Road. The Gibb River Road was cool, with lots to see. I really liked Zebedee Hot Springs, Bell Gorge, Emma Gorge, El Questro Gorge, Manning Gorge, Mitchell Falls, Little Mertens Falls and Big Mertens Falls, Wyndjana Gorge and the best was Tunnel Creek! Then we went over to Derby, then across to Broome where we were happy to see the sea again. In Broome we started and finished Term 4 Schoolwork, as well as riding camels on Cable Beach, watching lots of sunsets over the sea, seeing Dinosaur Footprints at Gantheaume Point and watching The Staircase To The Moon! Then we went up to Cape Levique where I went snorkelling for the first time in the sea.

Then we went to a cattle station on 80 Mile Beach and collected lots of big shells. We drove down the coastline I remember seeing Port Hedland, and Karijini where we climbed through lots of skinny Gorges, my favourite was Hancock Gorge. Then we went to Exmouth to visit Ningaloo Reef which was very cool. We did lots of snorkelling there and were sad to leave.

Then we went down the coastline further to Shark Bay. My favourite experience this year. I liked going to Monkey Mia, seeing the Dolphins, going to Ocean World, Shell Beach, 4WDriving out to Steep Point (The Western Most Point in Australia), Thunder Bay Blow holes and Hamelin Pool Stromatolytes. then we kept going south, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Cervantes, The Pinnacles, The Gravity Discovery Centre and then Perth. We went down through The Margaret River area, through Augusta, Pemberton, Walpole, Albany and Esperance. I really enjoyed The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree and The Valley Of The Giants Treetop Walk.

This journey has taught us to be patient, to be kind, to be generous and to love God as we love ourselves. God has provided for us many times. I’m glad we went travelling but we have to settle down. I would like some friends and some space.

Daniel

Working at Hidden Valley Station, that’s Karen driving!	Jim Jim Falls	We have done lots of walking this year
Simpson’s Gap, The Northern Territory	What??? Me??? Push the kids in…….. No way!	Adjusting tyre pressures for driving on another dirt road

As I reflect back over the past year, it amazes me that we have done so much and come so far. In a world where each years effort is often not much better than last years, we seem to have accomplished far more than ever before. It was my impetus that began the discussion on whether we could consider travelling for another year, and I must admit, I am somewhat disappointed with our need to settle down. I understand it’s what our family needs and with good reason, but this taste of travelling as a family has given me an appetite for more. We have been so many wonderful places and done so many amazing things, that I have been watching how many opportunities we have unknowingly driven past, or not had time for, and it makes me want to slow down and experience everything available. Sometimes we meet people who say “We are going to travel around Oz for three (or six) months.” It just is not enough time. Sometimes two years does not feel like enough time. But as I ruminate on the missed opportunities, I am reminded of the incredible path we have traversed, the incredible people we have met along the way, and the way God has provided for our every need, every step of the way. It is an amazing journey, to step out in faith.

Some of my highlights this year would include (in no particular order):

>Christmas with family in Cairns	>Travelling with Mum and Dad
>Easter in Canberra with my sister & dear friends	>Climbing the Bicentennial Tree with Josie
>Turtles hatching at Mon Repos	>Dolphin feeding – Tin Can Bay & Monkey Mia
>Snorkelling at Ningaloo	>The Gibb River Road & Mitchell Falls
>The Bungle Bungles	>Three days on Carmilla Beach
>Working on Cattle Stations	>Spending time with my peripatetic sister
>Camping on the beach – Qld, NSW, & WA	>Helping Andrew & Jodie
>Serving God through MMM	>Kakadu National Park

One of the questions we are often asked is “Where is your favourite place in Australia?” This question is impossible to answer, there are so many. This year, we spent a few months in Western Australia for the first time, and it has definitely been a highlight. We really enjoy going to the Northern Territory, and Queensland feels like home. There is still so much to explore through NSW and VIC and we have hardly seen anything in SA. Good friends and family always make the ACT an excellent place to visit. Tasmania remains high on the list of best places in Australia, when it is warm! The travel bug is well and truly implanted…..

One of my new interests this year has been photography. Up until recently, I just used our digital SLR camera as a point and shoot machine, with little though for anything further than that. I have read a few books and started experimenting with settings and filters for the camera. You may have noticed an increase in the quality of the photos we are producing lately. This is a combination of my increased learning in the camera’s capabilities, and asking Karen about composition. Together we are getting good results.

As we look to the future, I am becoming excited about settling in the Malanda area. I wanted to find a small community, where I can work for myself, and provide a secure environment for the children. The small country town atmosphere suits my disposition, and health. I have noticed that in the cooler, more southern destinations my asthma is more difficult to manage and more of a problem. Whereas in the north I have fewer challenges and its easier to manage. The tablelands area does feel the heat of summer, but is considerably cooler than the coastal areas, so should be comfortable enough most of the year. And finally, from Malanda, we can explore the many camping and fishing destinations around the top end.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed following our ramblings as we have reported in along the way. We started this blog as a way to keep our families informed, and share the experience as best we could. Today it has become a valuable resource for jogging our own memories and reliving parts of the adventure. It has been a pleasure to write, and I am planning to continue, right to the end!

Karen

I started this year with my vivacious sister Kristy, in Cairns QLD	We had a cool Easter at The Mann’s Block! Shannon’s Flat, N.S.W	Hanging out with Lyn Hobbs at the top of Gunlom Falls, Kakadu, N.T.
Soaking up the light in the darkness at Tunnel Creek, at the end of The Gibb River Rd, W.A.	Most of the M.M.M team with Bill & Pauline Morrison & Jerry Jungela at Lajamanu, N.T.	My best friend: the other half of my Godly counsel, Daniel & I at Safety Bay, near Steep Point, Shark Bay, W.A

Whew what a year! It has been such an adventure to be homeless again! To be out on the open road, going where we feel God is directing us to go. There have been many lonely times, many happy times, many amazing times. God is so good, all the time! We have literally traversed the continent this year. But rather than recount our travel journey, i.e. the places we have been and the sights we have seen I wanted to take a moment to share some of the Blessings along the way. God has blessed me with some great friends! Some friends who regularly send me hair dye, dark chocolate and new books to read! Friends who ring me, sms me, skype me at the very moment that I am not coping. I praise God for the women of my Bookclub and for my (ex-)neighbour! You guys have so encouraged me. I praise God for my friend Melinda, she has mentored me, stretched me and taught me to focus on the goodness of God, his very character!

It was such a joy to travel from Mildura, Vic up through the centre of S.A. and The N.T. with Daniel’s parents (Mum and Sir)! We just loved that. They are so dear to us all and to have them walk through King’s Canyon with us was so wonderful! It will be so nice to live a bit closer to them when we settle (roughly 3 hours drive). Don’t worry, the kids have already started planning sleepovers and weekends away with Nonna and Poppy! Actually Daniel and I are both very blessed to have such a great family. This year we have seen all Daniel’s sisters (Roni, Rebecca, Naomi and Ruth) and their respective families. We have also seen my parents and all of my siblings (Kristy, Ross, Geoff and Jen) and their respective families. I am often surprised how much more time with our respective families we have been able to enjoy as we have been on the road. We had the pleasure of staying with my Mum and Dad in Maleny for an 8 week stint whilst Daniel worked in Brisbane after the floods early in the year. This started as a weekend stopover and grew into many weeks. I like to think that we were a help to them as well, as much as 4 boisterous children can be anyway. It was so hard not having Daniel with us for more than 2 days at a time after living with each other all the time. All of us were so happy to get back on the road again, but really pined for Mum and Dad. There were tears all round!

But I wanted to introduce you to some of the dear people we have come to know and love as we made our way from place to place. I often tell our family that we are like Abraham, constantly packing up our tents and moving from place to place in search for the place the Lord has planned for us. It seems we are often in the desert! And in those places we have discovered some of the most beautiful people….

When we left QLD we made an arrangement to visit the M.M.M Office in Wyee, to meet Peter and Lillian Taylor. It was a very wet old time whilst we were in Wyee, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and were so blessed to meet Lyndon and Kelly Bell as well. We had a wonderful Easter at the base of The Snowy Mountains with Kristelle and Andrew Mann and their 4 children, as well as Daniel’s sister Rebecca and Bohdi! It was so cold ice formed on our tent and in our sink! Brrrrr. We revisited our new friends from last year, Peter and Glynnis Hipwell in Echuca on our way west. These two people are so lovely, and it was so nice to stay with them awhile. Our time with them always seems too short. AFter that we went to help out some friends of Ruth and Paul (Daniel’s sister aka The Old Girl and her wonderful fella) in Mildura. We didn’t know these guys but it took about 2 minutes before they started rubbishing us….we knew they were going to be fast friends. Jodie and Andrew and their children; Beau, Summer and Storm snuck into our hearts over the course of the week we were with them and man it was hard to leave. Andrew had terminal cancer and sadly he passed away in October. He was a dead set legend! What a privilege to step into someone’s life for a while and walk alongside them, no matter how brief.

After reacquainting ourselves with the lovely Sullivan family at Cave Creek in Mataranka, we went on their referral to do some electrical work on Hidden Valley Cattle Station, about 65km down the Buchanan Highway from Dunmarra. What a delight to meet David and Jenny James! On subsequent trips we got to meet Corinna (and her 2 children James and Evelyn who just adored Josie), Bronte and Geoff and Roley. Bronte taught me to drive the I.T. and literally put Daniel’s life in my hands! She is a great teacher! We fell in love with Hidden Valley and the people there, the children especially loved their dogs. Jenny was absolutely amazing with her dogs, getting them to work the cattle. I admire these people, such good hard working people who pour their heart and soul into their family and their land. Our hearts broke when the live export debacle occurred as we knew so many of our friends were hurt badly by their loss of business. The media and the Government have a lot to answer for! We had many good times there, and the most rambunctious game of Pictionary ever! By the way…the girls won!!! Sorry fellas.

It is always a joy to roll up our sleeves and volunteer our time with M.M.M. and we joined the Kimberley Safari Team this year for what turned out to be nearly 2 months of hard work with some great people. Phil and Gwen Hall did a good job heading up the team, and we met so many people… Alan Donald (from Perth), Geoff & Bronwyn Bauer (friends from QLD who came out to Maningrida with us last year), Kevin & Ira Sproats (from NSW), Bruce & Pam Collard (from NSW), Bill & Heather Heebles (from NSW), Geoff & Carol Limpus (from QLD), Helen May (from QLD) and to reacquaint ourselves with the inimitable Darrel House (M.M.M. N.T. State Manager aka the energizer bunny). It was an immense privilege to work in the Churches in Halls Creek and also to spend time out at Billiluna (180kms down the Tanami Track) and Yiyili (110kms towards Fitzroy Crossing). There were numerous beautiful people we met over the duration of these projects; Pastor Brett & Justine Wiltshire, Brother Ron & Sister Faye Anderson….the amazing AOM Church in Halls Creek…what an incredible church! Pastor Tony & Lyn fro Billiluna, pastor David Street from Yiyili, Donald and Evelyn Cox, the Korean couple:Timothy and Sarah and their dog Gumburrooo (who stole my shoe!) from Halls Creek People’s Church.

We also joined Darrel House again in July, for another M.M.M project out at Lajamanu in the Northern Territory; meeting up again with Bruce & Pam Collard, Geoff & Carol Limpus, Helen May and meeting some new great people Chris & Sue Mallam (from NSW). Honestly this M.M.M project was life changing! The people of that community touched me deeply, to hear the testimony of the Pastor Jerry Jungela as he shared his story of coming to know Jesus, round the glow of a fire will be with us forever. The Global Interaction Missionaries Bill and Pauline Morrison were so beautiful I just wanted to wrap them up and bring them with us. But how could I? The work they are doing for The Lord in the two communities of Lajamanu & Kalkarindji is inspiring. We just loved these guys….and feel that our paths will cross again.

It is always a pleasure to go to Darwin and hang out with the House family! Lovely coffee, beautiful food and great company to boot. I particularly love going to Darwin because that is where my gorgeous friend Monique Manning resides. I was so blessed to spend a whole weekend with Monique, and a new friend, Naomi Thomsen at the QLD/NT MOPS Conference on The Sunshine Coast in August. I loved that Conference, to see so many dear friends (Rosalie Barrett, Kylie Bartholomew, Simone Miller, Tracey Beard, Donna Turner, Melanie Capps, Jillian Ross, Cath Oehlman, Helen Lang and the many other great MOPS Mamas) and share a room with such beautiful women, was like a breath of fresh air to my lonely soul. MOPS is a big part of our lives. God has really grown me as a leader through this ministry and has shown me that I am to continue serving Him through MOPS. I am unsure in what capacity I will serve next year, but He is so faithful to me, and I trust He will make a way. I also enjoyed attending the W.A. MOPS Conference this year. I have to say…they had the best coffee! Spending time with our National Director Margaret Saunders, the Regional Coordinators: Bec Gibbons, Sarah David and Amy Laden made my weekend so special. And Cherie Macchiusi…beautiful Cherie (The W.A. MOPS Area Coordinator), it has been an absolute pleasure to hang out with someone so amazing. Cherie, Carlo & their two children have blessed us so much in recent times with great companionship, incredible food and fellowship. I love our Aussie MOPS family, what an incredible team, making a Kingdom difference! Praise God for these beautiful servant hearted women who are leading, planting and guiding MOPS Groups all around the country to minister to the Mums in their communities, sowing seeds for Jesus!

We have developed our own unique sense of community as we travel. The Families On The Road Travelling Australia Facebook Group have been absolutely amazing as well. it is always nice to connect with other like minded nomadic families and we were delighted to meet a few of these members as we made our way around the country. Also it was great fun to be a part of The Travelling Beanie, and what a great pleasure it was to meet up with Beth, Jason & their 2 girls. I love that there are other crazy homeless, travelling families out there doing what we are doing Also cool people like Ron from The Wirib Caravan Park in Timber Creek! Or dear friends John and Lyn Hobbs from our Home Church who came and joined us for parts of our journey….what an encouragement they were and such good fun! How very special to share the journey with such great mates.

Finally I wanted to mention the awesome time we had attending Victory Life Church in Broome! This church totally rocked! We thoroughly enjoyed the teaching and the worship there. And what an absolute joy to connect with the Biong family. This family made our stay in Broome so much richer, they embraced us, they fed us the most beautiful food and they made us so sad to leave them all behind. Josie spent quite a bit of time with their daughter Angela teaching her the basics of violin. I thank God for dear ones like this who go out of their way to bless others, to take them into their homes and offer them food and fellowship and the tender hand of friendship.

I pray that you will be richly blessed this Christmas as you ponder the goodness of God in your life. As you take a moment to see how many people He has placed in your life to bless you and encourage you along your journey. I am so grateful that our Lord and Saviour came to die for me…and also for you. Glory in the highest! I pray that this year you will be blessed and that your very life will be a blessing to others.
Merry Christmas!
with love and hugs from all of us
xxxxxx

Where will you settle down?….and….Where will you be for Christmas?

2011-12-07T17:35:00.000+10:00

On the 14th of December 2009, we drove out of a “normal life” on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and set off on our A-DVenture! And what a journey it has been! We have been through every State and Territory in Australia. We have crossed off many places on our “would love to see” List and added so many more…. It is a perplexing anomaly that. The more we travel and experience, the more we want to travel and experience. The journey has been long and varied. The purpose….to serve God. To broaden our childrens’ horizons. To grow closer as a family! To step out in faith, surrender our agenda and go where He leads. Sounds simple enough, I guess. But giving up the security of regular income, a Home, friends, family, our Church, School etc was HUGE! We went from a nice home with nice neighbours (whom we lovingly referred to as our extended pantry), with all the accompanying creature comforts….to Home-Schooling 4 Primary School children, living in a camper trailer, driving a banged up Troop Carrier heading out into the wide blue yonder of possibilities but no definites! We became Homeless, vagrant people wandering over hill and dale looking for opportunities to serve God through the wider ministries of Mobile Mission Maintenance (M.M.M) and Mothers Of Preschoolers (M.O.P.S) and Daniel taking ‘paid’ work as an Electrical Contractor wherever he could.

Two years and some 80,000kms later we are contemplating another change. We are preparing to settle down. Sounds so weird to say that, but there you have it. We have been praying about this for some time. We even wondered if we should spend another year on the road. It is not to be. So without holding you in suspenders for too much longer….we are pointing the Troopy’s nose towards Malanda, North Queensland. This will be our new Home-town. We have already enrolled the children into School (I think you can sense my head-space) and look forward to making a Home again, even though that means starting from scratch. My older sister, Brother in law and their 3 children live in Redlynch, in nearby Cairns. Daniel’s Parents, Sister and Nephews live in nearby Townsville. The rest of my family live in South East Queensland. At least it is the same State!

However, the reason we are going there is because we feel that is where The Lord wants us. He showed me a very clear vision of a Christian Campsite in Malanda. I had no idea where it was, at the time having never seen it before, I just knew it was a Christian campsite in North Queensland. Later we googled “Christian campsites north Queensland” and came across a campsite with the exact same picture God had given me in the vision! So we’re heading to Malanda! At this stage I have no idea what to do about the vision I had…whether we are to work at that Campsite..? We don’t even know if they’re looking for someone (or a family of 6 very handy someones!) We are praying about the next step…. But at this stage, whilst we have the children enrolled into the Christian School in Atherton, we have no home, no prospect of a home, no money to buy or rent a home, no furniture, nothing except for our camper trailer and 4WD! And yet we have a personal promise from God! That is enough!

The other question we get asked all the time is…. “Where will you be for Christmas?” This one has been a bit trickier to answer. We have really prayed about that too. After months of being in limbo, waiting on the Lord, we now know that we are to make the 4,300km journey to be with family on The Sunshine Coast in QLD for Christmas! This means days of constant travelling. And we may be cutting it fine. We are once again struggling to make ends meet, after some car repairs in Perth have set us back a fair way, so we need to stop and work. Daniel has lined up some work on properties along The Nullarbor and we hope to drop in on a beautiful friend in Mildura along the way. It’s funny you know….I had a really strong feeling that we would be going overseas for a holiday, that The Lord was leading us into a time of Blessing and Provision for our obedience to His call. I again had a vision of The Lord walking along a foreign beach beside me, covering my eyes with his hands, saying “I could show you where you are going, but it is a surprise!” I have diligently prepared our Passport Application Forms, and it has taken quite a bit of back and forth correspondence to get them ready, chasing down a new Marriage Certificate and getting a dear friend to fill out the official ‘I have known this person for more than 12 months’ part of each of the 6 forms! Now they are ready to be processed we cannot afford to submit them. The financial cost will eat into our already stretched to it’s limit - budget. We are once again waiting on The Lord, for His wisdom, His timing, His prompting, His provision. His resources are infinite! We simply cannot do this in our own strength!

We make our Plans…and He directs our Paths!

Whirlwind tour of the South West

2011-12-02T12:58:00.000+10:00

We left Perth, having been unable to secure any work, and having spent almost $3000 on some much needed vehicle repairs, in desperate need of a job and associated income. A phone call from Esperance decided our destination, but we had four days to get there, so why not take a quick tour of the South West along the way. What we have discovered is that 4 days, isn’t nearly enough! There is so much to see and explore in this region, we could spend months here!

We stopped for a quick lunch in Busselton and met some friendly people from a facebook group called “Families on the Road – Travelling Australia”, whilst there. Then we continued along ‘Caves Road’ to check out the coastline from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin. We stopped briefly for a walk around picturesque Canal Rocks, where the children climbed all over the large and unusual rock formations. Weathered by the sea and wind, the rocks are quite spectacular. We continued south and camped at the nearly deserted Conto Campground; finally we were back in the bush again.

The next morning we checked out the coastline nearby and found Cape Freycinet, before heading off to Cape Leeuwin and the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia, which is also on its most south-westerly point. This is where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean, and the result is often turbulent. The two oceans seem to beat to different drums, and their junction is often a wash of waves and seaspray. Walking around the lawns gives a sense of the isolation of this place, and even though today it is quite accessible, you can see how hard the pioneers in this area had to work to survive. The lighthouse still uses the original lens from the 1860’s, when it was built, but the light source has been upgraded a few times as technology improved.

Off to the east the coastline was smouldering, with evidence of large fires burning off in the distance. We checked with the local DEC team, before heading east along the more northerly route (to stay away from the inferno), and headed for Warren National Park.

The south west of WA is known for its forests of Jarrah, Karri, Tingle and Marri trees. The Karri trees are second only in height to the Californian Redwood trees and grow to an astonishing 90 metres high. Not surprisingly, the local fire brigade built tree top towers in 1937-1952 at the top of some of the larger trees, so they could observe and track forest fires. In 1988, to celebrate Australias Bicentennial, another tree top tower was constructed and named after Dave Evans, a local teacher, and councillor. The ladder is constructed from steel pillars nailed horizontally into the tree in a circular fashion, climbing 75m to the top platform. At the 25m mark, there is a platform that serves as a rest stop and this is as far as Daniel and Josie climbed when they decided to head back down. Their nerves were a little stretched and sweaty palms made the prospect of climbing further frightening.

Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree

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We camped overnight at Drafty’s Camp on the Heartbreak Trail and wandered along the peaceful Warren River as the sun set.

The next morning, we packed up camp and continued further east towards Albany. The highway took us through more of the Karri and Jarrah forests and the drive was spectacular in itself. The Giant Tingle Tree near Walpole was a worthwhile visit, and only a 1.2km walk through the Tingle forests. This was good news for Daniel, as his thighs were painfully reminding him of the ladder climb he completed yesterday.

Just down the road is the Valley of the Giants Treetop walk. Karen braved her fear of heights and conquered the walk, albeit a bit teary and scared along the way. Daniel and the kids managed a second lap, this time stopping for photographs along the way. Lunch was a hastened affair at Conspicuous Cliffs before being chased away by enormous quantities of flies, including very painful march flies!

We quickly restocked our food supplies in Albany and headed for the evenings campsite, at Cape Riche. We picked this spot because it was halfway between where we were and where we wanted to be, but it surprised us all.

Cape Riche is a fishing destination! Camping just off the beach in a protected inlet where boats could easily be launched, it is a hidden gem. The spectacular coastline can be enjoyed from the best “bar-b-que with a view” we have yet encountered. In the morning, the caretaker feeds about 25 local kangaroos, which were quite happy to get up close and personal with us.

The final part of our journey was uneventful and anti-climactic. We completed the 500+km to Esperance and arrived in time for a late lunch by the ocean. Some things don’t make any sense though – its early December, summer, and its freezing here! Well the breeze blowing in from the ocean makes us wonder if it didn’t just leave Antarctica before running headlong into Esperance.

The job we came here for has fallen through, and so now we have to make further plans, and more tracks. Perhaps we should have taken the extra time to explore some of the best country we have seen…………

The Windy City

2011-11-29T21:20:00.000+10:00

We arrived in Perth with a mandate to visit friends of Karen’s on the south side of the city (actually, they live in Fremantle). We were running late, and could not find a suitable caravan park that allowed children, so we stopped overnight at Quinns Rocks caravan park, on the northside. What an excellent spot; we considered later that we should have stayed there longer.

One of the consistent factors we have been dealing with as we travel down the west coast of Australia is the wind. And Perth was to be no different! At all of our campsites, we have had to peg in the tent! A new experience for us……

The next day we found a caravan park south of Fremantle at Coogee Beach (they accepted kids), and booked in for a week. As well as visiting Karen’s friend, we also sent out some resumes looking for work for Daniel, and enquired about some minor repairs to our Troopy. It also has an unusual fault:

Since about February 2011, it has had an inconsistent wobble in the steering wheel. It can occur three times in a day, and then not for months. Sometimes the wobble is so bad, that it scares the wits out of us, and Karen refuses to drive at all. Lately, this fault has become more and more persistent, and can almost be brought on at will now. We found a mechanic that agreed to inspect the vehicle, and they proceeded with some other maintenance issues.

After two full days with the car, the problem was still not resolved and three mechanics were completely puzzled. They had previously seen vehicles with the same fault, but nothing they had done made any difference. We drove the car for the weekend, booked in for another week in the caravan park and returned the beast to them on Monday.

By this time we had all new wheel bearings (water damage, fancy that!), all new brakes (never been inspected!), new front shock absorbers and a host of other new parts. Eventually it was discovered that the steering damper was the cause of the fault and it was replaced. The mechanic refused to give us the bill until we were happy that it was fixed, and only charged us for 9 hours labour. If you ever need your Land Cruiser fixed in Perth, call TLC in O’Connor – they are fantastic! However, with the bill totalling almost $3000, we suddenly NEEDED to find work, and urgently!

A call came in from one of the emailed resumes, from Esperance. We’ll be headed there next week. In the meantime, we had a quick look around Perth (which reminded us very strongly of Brisbane) and Fremantle.

The fact that we were staying in a beachside campsite lent itself to beach exploring and swimming. However, the wind was so cold, that we only managed one such expedition to the jetty. The water is crystal clear and we joined the locals in jumping off the end of the jetty for a few hours. A dolphin fin rushing toward us through the water caused a little consternation, but all was calm once we figured out what it really was.

The sunsets from the beach were amazing, and way too many photographs were taken, but some of them are stunning.

We also managed a few walks along the beach, and there is always listening to the sound of the surf pounding the beach to rock you to sleep each night…….

We also spent some time exploring the Fremantle waterfront district. Here we discovered the Maritime Museum Shipwreck Gallery, where artefacts from several local sites are on display. The WA coastline was treacherous in the past, and hundreds of ships sank off the coast. One of the most famous of these, is the ‘Batavia’. The remains of the ship’s hull is on display, with some of the cannons and other items that were on board. One of the most fascinating is the sculptured doorway that was on its way to the royal palace in Batavia (now Jakarta), which has been fully erected to its original standing.

After the Gallery, we walked down to the Roundhouse, which is the oldest permanent structure in Western Australia. It was a prison, and was built by convicts. The kids all had a go in the stocks and each little ‘cell’ had its own display detailing life in the early Swan River Settlement.

A short walk to the dock area, revealed two tall ships in the harbour. One is the sailing ship ‘Leeuwin’, which you can book a tour on. Each of the passengers helps to run the ship as she sails into the Indian Ocean for the tour. A modern tall ship adventure in the offering. The other ship was the HMB Bark Endeavour, which we had visited whilst in Darwin.

Just along the wharf we inspected the WA Maritime Museum in all its splendour. The kids really enjoyed the deep water diving section, where all manner of new and old technology explained the evolution of deep water diving equipment over the past 50-60 years. They particularly liked the display where they could drive a small submersible craft and watch their progress on the live video feed. The highlight of the museum though, was a tour on the naval submarine ‘Ovens’. A full sized submarine, sitting right there on the docks. ‘Ovens’ was used as a covert operations vessel during the cold war period, delivering SAS commandos to secure locations around the globe. Our tour guide took us into the front torpedo hatch and explained everything in detail. From the size of the bunks in the staff quarters and functions of the galley, through the emergency evacuation procedures and the control room.

Back inside the museum, we discovered Australia II. The children knew nothing of her glorious victory in the Americas Cup win in 1983, so we regaled them with the story. It was fantastic that the museum had gone into so much detail with the display, even matching the crew members on board, to the winning crew.

A favourite display would have to be the Sandman Panelvan which demonstrates the surfing culture that grew rapidly in Perth in the 1970’s. when you touched the van, it started rocking up and down, and then we noticed the bumper sticker that read “If this van’s a rockin’, don’t bother knockin’.”

There were many other interesting items, including a few boats that you could board, steam engines used in the ferry boats, a large section on the fishing industry and transport ships and more. We only spent a day wandering around Fremantle, but there is so much more to see……next time……

Back in Perth city, we visited Kings Park. This is the Botanical Gardens that also house the War Memorial, a magical setting with the city of Perth as its’ backdrop. The Botanical Gardens has many different areas to explore, including playgrounds and garden sections from each of Western Australias’ regions. There is even a Boab Tree from the Kimberley, with a plaque describing the process of relocating it. After several visits to Kings Park, it fast became a favourite spot to spend a few idle hours.

The wind has not let up, and it’s time we headed for the Esperance job. Until next time…

Going Down!

2011-11-16T12:55:00.000+10:00

Just north of Perth there is a little known town called Gingin, and close to this town is a Government research establishment called “The Gravity Discovery Centre.” We read about this in our Explore Australia book, and decided to visit, as the kids love science stuff!

Furthering the work of Einstein and Newton, the centre is part of a worldwide network of research stations that are measuring gravitational waves moving through space. It is the only centre of its kind in the southern hemisphere, and an awesome place to spend a few hours.

Out tour started with a 6 minute video presentation, explaining what the centre does. From here on, there are interactive displays on everything from bending light, to parabolic descent into a black hole. The kids really liked the aerodynamic pump, where a ball sits suspended in an upwards airflow, until something interrupted the airflow. They were also enamoured with the sound drum. With this drum, you could knock a cup of someone’s head by aim and punching the rubber bladder at the back. You could also blow smoke rings, but that is really hard to photograph, so you may not see it here.

We stopped for lunch, and then had a tour guide show us around the exhibits, pointing out things that we had missed, or adding information to make each demonstration more interesting. An interesting display was the Interferometer which is the instrument used to measure the gravity waves in space. It is mounted on a table weighing 1 tonne and the lasers display a regular wave pattern on a small screen. When anything interferes with the signal, the waves move and display the interference. We tapped the table, and the waves moved dramatically. We stomped on the floor beside the machine and the waves moved. We sent Connor to the front door of the building, about 30m away and he jumped up and down. The waves moved again. This thing is VERY sensitive!

Another fascinating demonstration was measuring the speed of sound through a system of pipes over 1km long, with both ends beside each other. Bang one end of the pipe, and wait for the sound to arrive at the other end – 4 seconds later.

The highlight of the tour was the leaning tower of Gingin. The tower is 45m high and leans on an angle of 15 degrees. There is 160 tonnes of concrete holding it in place, and the whole structure hinges so it can be lowered for maintenance. The centre gives you balloons to fill with water, and the idea is to replicate Aristotle by dropping them from the top. But, you have to climb the 222 steps to get there……. on a 15 degree angle…….with the wind blowing madly……

Daniel and the kids made it successfully, although some kids were feeling a little stretched. The floor where the shutes were, was made of see through steel mesh, so you could observe the results. It also meant you looked down…….and saw how high you were……Our water bombs were quickly dispensed with and the return journey was undertaken.

It was an awesome family day, and we would recommend it to anyone.

The Pinnacles

2011-11-15T13:57:00.000+10:00

You know, when we set out on this journey (nearly two years ago) we had a vague idea of the places we wanted to go to….a bucket list of sorts. It seems the more we travel this wide, often brown, land…the more we add to the list for “next time!” It seems that phrase has been used with an ever increasing frequency lately as we simply are running out of time. Watch this space…we will be posting soon on where we’re heading to settle in the very near future! However in the meantime we are getting out to see as much as we possibly can now

We have loved travelling through and experiencing Western Australia! The BIG State! There are so many cool places to explore and so many that you just have to see.

The Pinnacles are one of those must see spots!

We had an idea of what we thought it would look like, but it was, well different to what we expected! For a start I had expected it to be a long way inland, not a hop skip and a jump away from the Coastline. It seemed so….random. Whilst it is in a desert of sorts, in many places you can see the sea! The other thing I had expected was a 4WD track, but that too was not the case. You are not permitted to tow your camper trailer or caravan through the Park, I suspect because of some of the tight turns. However the road is firm, and all manner of vehicles could easily take the drive. We drove through several times, pulling into lay-aways and jumping out to get up close and personal with The Pinnacles!

The children had talked for days about playing hide and seek in amongst the great limestone stacks, so they wasted no time getting amongst them.

We quickly discovered where Billy Connelly did his “nudie run.” If we had…say….a where’s wally type spandex suit or a Travelling Beanie I am sure Daniel would have done this! Perhaps it is a Blessing for all that he didn’t! However, I am putting it out there for travelling friends “Beth and Jason”….when you get to The Pinnacles we will be watching closely to see just what you do!!!

We were amazed at the huge sand dunes seemingly poised ready to engulf the unsuspecting Pinnacles standing below. It really is an unusual place. On one end there were desert sand dunes, in other parts there were small Pinnacles, in yet other parts there were towering Pinnacles that made the Troopy look small.

What a great day! We thoroughly enjoyed romping through the Pinnacles!

Kalbarri and National Park – A Pictorial Journey

2011-11-14T18:45:00.000+10:00

Driving through Kalbarri National Park, looking at all the wildflowers.

If you click on any of these photographs, they will enlarge for you.


Daniel and kids at Natures Window	Karen and Kids at Natures Window	Murchison River from the lookout

Hawks Head from the lookout	A fault line through Z-Bend gorge	Interesting rock formations

The Murchison River winds its way through the gorges	Natures Window, Kalbarri National Park	Amazing Landscape


Kids on the playground in Kalbarri	Almost sunset at the playground	Spread your wings and fly!

The rocks breaking the sea up, before it enters the calm Murchison River	Sunset at Chinamans Point lookout	Kids on the Murchison River jetty in Kalbarri

Rocks are always a favourite place for the kids	They also love caves to hide in	Murchison River, Kalbarri


Australia's Premier Parrot Breeding Centre	The Tower had excellent views from the top	Water features are scattered throughout the park

Beautiful ponds	Watch out for the crocs	A waterfall you could walk behind

Another beautiful water feature	A hands-on experience	Fischer’s Lovebird

Alexandrine Parakeet	Red-Capped Parrot	The original cockatoo, from the parks early days

Princess Parrot	Crimson Macaw	A mother and her brand new chick

This is Beanbag and he is blind. He also bites VERY hard!	Noodles, a Gang Gang Cockatoo	Sun Conure

Rainbow Lorikeets destroying everything in sight	Female Eclectus Parrot	Moustached Parrots

The West Australian coastline

is astonishing!

Natures Bridge, just south of Kalbarri


The Pink Lake at port Gregory	just south of Kalbarri	The lake is pink, because of the extremely high beta-carotine content

World Heritage Listed Shark Bay

2011-11-11T01:51:00.000+10:00

Travelling south along the coastline of Western Australia has been simply amazing! There are so many places you just have to go see. World Heritage Listed Shark Bay is definitely one of those places! It’s pretty much a long way from anywhere, but is well worth the visit! We decided to set up camp at Hamelin Station Stay on the way in. This was an incredible campsite. Their facilities were absolutely wonderful! In fact it was so lovely there that we decided to leave our trailer set up and drive into Monkey Mia and Denham for the day rather than relocate. This worked for us. Although there are numerous campsites along the way in and out….we were just happy to be there. We do crazy things like that.

One of the places that has been on everybody’s “wish List” since we began this a-dventure was Monkey Mia! We just wanted to get up close to wild Dolphins and experience them! Well Monkey Mia is the place for that! There were quite a few Dolphins there. Even a little calf! Sooooo cute! The baby was doing laps around it’s Mum. Awwww. Our family had already fed wild Dolphins in our home state (QLD) at the beautiful Tin Can Bay, so we were curious to see whether Tin Can Bay was as good as Monkey Mia. Well, let me put it this way….whilst there are numerous Dolphins swimming very close to shore they only feed 5 of the females 3 fish each. Which means you have to be pretty lucky to get picked out of the crowd to feed a Dolphin. We were present at each of the 3 Feeds, and thankfully Rosa and Leisl were chosen to feed a Dolphin together in the last possible session. These 2 girls had been looking forward to Monkey Mia for pretty much our whole trip so this was special for them. At least in Tin Can Bay earlier this year we all got feed a Dolphin! But I was relieved that they were chosen. It was a special experience nonetheless. Have you ever looked into the eye of a Dolphin???

After the obligatory Dolphin feeding we decided to explore Denham, Australia’s Western most town! It’s a nice little place. The kids were terrified they were going to get gobbled up by sharks having watched several films at the Information Centre. So we decided to cut our losses and eat lunch overlooking the water and letting them run off steam along the Beach front and playground. It’s a very picturesque place. The other thing you can do here is get right up close to a Wind Generator! Very cool!

We decided that since we were in Shark Bay we should really see some sharks so we trotted off to Ocean Park to do just that. It’s an interesting little place. The guide does a continuous loop throughout the displays providing good quality information about each of the Marine animals they have. We found it all really interesting! Especially watching the way the sharks interact! I have to say though, my Husband was very distracting for the duration of the tour he was pointing out with great delight the various delicious tasting fish they had there. From Dhufish, 75cm Barramundi, Red Emperor, Golden Trevally, Various Cods, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Jack, Tusk fish, Pink Snapper, Painted Crayfish and Western Australian Rock Lobster. At one point the guide pointed out the place is monitored securely overnight so that he wouldn’t get any ideas of sneaking in for an easy catch!!! There is a great coffee shop and you can relax sipping good quality coffee, whilst your kids slurp on their icy poles on the Deck with terrific ocean views of the western Gulf!

The other thing you must do here is sink your toes into Shell Beach, literally! This place consists of thousands of tiny shells! I know it looks like sand but those are shells! Very cool! This is an unusual renewable resource. Shell Beach is unique because the super saline water only allows the shells to grow for about 18 months, before they are washed ashore, dead. 10's of millions of these shells make the beach, rather than sand. The shells are harvested as lime for the concrete industry, they are also used in blocks as construction. A lot of the houses and old telegraph station were made of these large shell blocks! We did a little brainstorming of what would be the best way to photograph these shells for you, our BLOG followers, and the children decided to do Shell Angels… What fun!

The water in these parts is very salty. Not a lot can grow or tolerate this kind of Habitat. Although we discovered that Stromatolites in Hamelin Pool were not only in residence but in abundance! These are interesting phenomena. Stromatolites are arguably the oldest life form on earth. Although read this interesting link to Creation Science....http://creation.com/controversial-claim-for-earliest-life-on-earth. Hmmm.

We decided on Day 2 to once again leave the camper at Hamelin Station Stay and drive out to the western most point of Mainland Australia; Steep Point! It was about 160kms of dirt road from the station, the first 100kms were a bit like a Highway, smooth as. We figured that was because of the salt mine out this way at Useless Loop! Once we got to the locked gate, we had to lock in our 4WD hubs and lower our tyre pressure to about 25psi. There was sand ahead! Understatement of the year! The rest of the drive was pretty straight forward I guess, although extremely windy. We lost the horizon a few times and saw lots of sky as we negotiated sand hill after sand hill after sand hill! The Rangers were the loveliest people, living in an absolutely incredible spot with back yard views of Dirk Hartog Island! Unbelievable location for a home. After checking in with them we made our way all the way out to Steep Point for the obligatory snap, and amazingly we had enough phone signal to broadcast our location to a few of those near and dear to us. The Rangers had encouraged us to pull in to one of the campsites dotted along Shelter Bay to have some lunch before heading out again. We were so surprised to find these amazing campsites right on the Beach! What a spot! We found ourselves wishing we had brought the trailer! Never mind, we didn’t know about the camping spots then, but we do now! It was a beautiful day for a picnic on such a glorious untouched part of the world!

We ducked out to check out the Blowholes at Thunder Bay before leaving. Now that was quite a drive! Only 6km off the track but the last part was over pure sand dune….a soft track over a steep dune and subsequent slide down the other side, think desert sand dune…. Ay yi yi! I’m sorry we don’t have photos or footage to share of that….but I was freaked! The blowholes just added to my state of mind….unfortunately. Gaping crevasses that fell away at least 100m to the gurgling angry ocean below. We were walking around the cliffs looking for them before we stumbled upon them! Oh my goodness they were so very deep and so very freaky and so very dangerous! I herded Leisl and Rosa back to the car, and watched with my heart in my throat as Daniel, Josie and Connor nonchalantly picked their way from Blowhole to Blowhole. The Blowholes here were unique, it was as if the very earth was breathing. The sound, the expulsion of air…..you can listen to this by clicking here! The trip out was worse than the trip in, by that stage I was a mess!

We finished up our Day trip with a quick peek at the surf Beach called False Entrance! A beautiful beach nestled between some serious cliffs! Amazing shells, surf, sun and sand. It was a great way to end the day, before making our way back to camp.

Sometimes this journey is surprising. You never know exactly what lies around the corner, how you’re going to react or where exactly you will be from one day to the next. But days like today make you realise….life is precious, your family are so important and there is so much to see and do together as you explore this beautiful creation. I encourage you to grab those near and dear and get out there…you won’t be disappointed!

Blown Away

2011-11-09T17:44:00.000+10:00

On the drive just north of Carnarvon, there is a little place called Quobba Point. A fellow traveller recommended we call in and check out the sights.

The first attraction is the blowholes. Small caves are eroded into the rocks at the edge of the ocean and the action of the waves pushes large volumes of water into these caves. With nowhere to go, the pressure builds up inside and eventually something has to give. Any crack or opening to the surface becomes the ejection point for this water, and the results can be spectacular. We have seen blowholes before, so we knew what to expect. Whoops! Never let your preconceived ideas run too far, they might just get blown away.

We walked across the top of the cliffs towards a small jet of water that appeared every now and then above the edge. Suddenly a HUGE wave engulfed the rocks below us, and an enormous blast of foaming sea water erupted from below the surface and swamped everything in its path. WOW! The jet must be about 20-25m high, from a hole that looks to be about 1m across.

It’s very impressive, to say the least.

Quobba Blowholes

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Once we had videos and photographed to our hearts content, we drove around the point to reveal two things simultaneously. One was a spectacular protected reef system, just metres from the shore, which would be awesome for snorkelling. The second was that both camera batteries were now flat. Not good.

We fell back to our reserve camera, Daniels mobile phone, and captured this beautiful spot. The children felt the water temperature and suddenly snorkelling was off the menu, so we continued our journey, heading for Carnarvon.

Quobba Point Beach

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A Dream come True

2011-11-07T22:59:00.000+10:00

Some of the places we camp are very cool, but every now and then we discover somewhere exceptional. After we left Karijini, we headed for the Exmouth Peninsula and Cape Range National park. The park has a limited number of camping spots, so if it is full, you have to wait for someone to leave, before the next camper can enter. We had heard stories of people waiting at the entrance gate from 4:30am, just trying to get into the campsites. We arrived at 5:30pm and the ranger was nowhere in sight, so we just drove straight in and began looking for somewhere to set up. We settled on Osprey Bay, about 36km south of the entry gates, where there were three empty places.

Osprey Bay was one of the best campsites available, a fact we confirmed as we explored the area for the next 6 days. Our campsite host was happy for us to set up and sort out the details the next day, as the light was fading fast, and it takes a while to get everything ready.

Early the next morning, we wandered down to the beach entrance and snorkelled out to see if there was anything interesting underwater. About 30m offshore we discovered a large, deep hole in the rocks that was home to several hundred fish, of all colours, sizes and shapes.

Unfortunately, it had been a while since a grocery shop had been available, so we had to run into Exmouth and pick up some much needed supplies, fuel, water, all the usual suspects. Further exploring would have to wait until the next day.

As became our custom, we started the next day snorkelling. This time we headed for Turquoise Bay, a renowned reef destination, where you walk to the south end of the beach and enter the water, and the current pulls you along the reef until you reach the sandy point where you walk back up the beach and do it all again. And again. And again. It was amazing. As soon as you put your mask on, you were surrounded by a large school of curious Dart fish schooling on the sand. A short swim to the reef and the underwater environment literally exploded into life all around.

Ningaloo Reef is Western Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It runs south for 300km from the tip of Exmouth Gulf and is accessible from the shoreline in many places. Snorkelling on the outer reef is not recommended, due to the Indian Ocean crashing huge breakers constantly from the continental shelf, which is at its closest point to the Australian mainland. Not very far from the shore, the ocean plunges over 1600m deep. But snorkelling from the beach is easy enough, and there are many choices, depending on your skill level and fitness.

A short walk around the point at Turquoise Bay brought us to a calmer, more protected beach, where the snorkelling was easier, but less rewarding. There were still plenty of fish around, but the reef lacked the colour and variety found in the faster flowing waters. Josie and I decided to complete one last trip around the reef, and on the way back to shore, we managed to spot a Green Turtle lying on the bottom watching us. He swam away slowly, so we followed him for a little while, before leaving him alone. Amazing! Never in my lifetime would I have ever considered that we might swim with turtles, and Josie is only 12.

Once we finished snorkelling, we began our daily pilgrimage to the closest water tap to fill our 20 litre shower bottle. A flock of Emu’s knew where to find water, so we arrived to find several large birds guarding 6 smaller chicks and the only water tap for 50km. Luckily, Daniel was willing to brave the large birds to fill the water bottles, so we could all have warm showers each night.

We returned to Turquoise Bay several times over the next few days, but a fellow camper told us we should check out a site called The Oyster Stacks. Due to Rosa’s recent unfortunate accident on the Oysters at 80 mile beach, we were reluctant to visit, but we were assured it was worth the risk. The other important detail is to enter the water at high tide, as the reef here is very shallow. We found out that tomorrow mornings high tide was at 8:20am.

We left on time for our snorkelling adventure, but Rosa was apprehensive, and Leisl flat out refused to enter the water. She read a book on the shore. We put Rosa on her inflatable boogie board, to keep her above the water, and fitted our own masks, snorkels and fins. As soon as I put my face in the water, I was transported into an enormous fish tank! It was like the set of ‘Finding Nemo’, and we hadn’t moved off shore yet. Once we all got going, we discovered that this was the BEST snorkelling on the coastline. (AND it was our last morning!!! Doh…). Huge fish were hiding under the rocks in their dozens, the reef was alive, colourful and vibrant, we saw a starfish that would have measured 50cm across, and much, much more. It was incredible. There were no incidents with the oysters, as we were all very careful. As we left the water, we decided we should go back to Turquoise Bay for one last float along the drift.

We also took a few walks along the beach, spotting turtles, or wetting a fishing line in a vain attempt to catch a fish, or watching the kids play at the waters edge. I also am learning more about our digital SLR camera, so have been experimenting with sunset shots. I still take way too many photos to get a good one, but every now and then, they come out all right.

Ningaloo Sunset

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At the moment the beach and water are constantly filled with Green and Loggerhead turtles in the midst of their breeding, egg laying and hatchling cycle. There is plenty of evidence of these activities, and Karen took great delight in telling the children that they were Humpback Turtles. Until she overheard Rosa telling another child, who had just arrived at the campsite, “Oh those are Humpback Turtles! in the water” Try getting an explanation for that one from his parents…

Early on the last day, no-one wanted to get out of bed. No-one wanted to eat breakfast. No-one wanted to face the inevitable. It was time to leave. It was like pulling teeth, trying to get the kids to pack up clothes, beds and rubbish. Finally, we managed to pack up and head off to our next, as yet unknown, destination.

Wherever we are headed, it’s going to be very difficult to beat Ningaloo Reef.

Karijini National Park

2011-11-03T00:35:00.000+10:00

One of the new Bridgestone tyres we just purchased in Darwin blew up about 150km from Port Hedland. Replacing a wheel on the side of the road is rarely fun, but it’s really warming up so now everything is hot as well. Once the job was done, we had to delay one night in Port Hedland to replace the tyre, as we are unwilling to drive too far with only one spare. And it was Sunday!

Seeing an opportunity to make the most of it, we did a little exploring around the busiest port in the Kimberley. We watched the huge ships docking and departing the harbour in rapid fire succession. We viewed the BHP documentary on their Iron Ore operations in the Visitor Information Centre. We even managed to package up and send our 80 mile beach shells away. A job offer was turned down within five minutes of arriving, as we want to keep moving. So we booked into a caravan park for the evening, and waited for the tyre store to open.

The next day we headed directly south to Karijini National Park. This park is all about the gorges, of which there are several to explore. The campsite is located near Dales Gorge at the eastern end of the park. We set up camp and settled in for the evening.

The next morning we tottered off to investigate and explore Dales Gorge. It’s home to three well known sites, Circular Pool, Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool, at either end of a beautiful creek walk. No-one was feeling particularly energetic, so we elected to view Circular Pool from the lookout above and walk down to Fortescue Falls. At the top of the waterfall is another track (unmarked) leading off into the bush, which eventually lead us to Fern Pool. It is a simply stunning environment, with twin waterfalls dropping delicately into the crystal clear pool below. Various types of ferns line the rock walls either side of the falls, and there are some very interesting rock formations near the boardwalk.

Dales Gorge

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Back at the top, and we are exhausted and decide its time to hit the campsite and prepare lunch, contemplating another exploration in the afternoon. By the time lunch is finished, we can hear the distinct sounds of several thunder storms surrounding us. We decided to wait a while and see what direction they may head. Good decision. That afternoon, and most of the night, it simply bucketed down. At one stage the wind was so strong that it lifted several poles from our awning and dropped them to the ground. Daniel and Karen hurriedly went to resurrect the fallen tent, and in doing so encountered the hail stones that had accompanied the storm. Finally the tempest abated and we were able to relax a little, and get some sleep.

The next morning still looked overcast, but the clouds were reasonably high, and it was decided that we should head for the Weano Gorge area and see what was on offer. It is a 50+km drive from the campsite, so we took our lunch along for the drive. Stopping briefly at the Visitor Information Centre to learn more about the area and its native people was interesting, but our curiosity was for the gorges themselves, so we set off to the northwest.

Right at the end of the road was the Oxer Lookout, which overlooks Red Gorge. What is amazing from this viewpoint, is that three smaller gorges all merge into Red Gorge in the colourful vista before you. Weano Gorge comes from behind to the left. Joffre Gorge is right in front, and Hancock Gorge disappears around a corner to the right. All three creeks meet at Junction Pool and merge to form Red Gorge. It is spectacular. We met the ranger here, and he warned us “If it starts raining, you get out – straight away.”

Oxer Lookout

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Walking into Hancock Gorge first, at the rangers recommendation, had us a little on edge. We knew we could walk as far as Kermit Pool, but beyond that required the use of abseiling and rock climbing equipment. As we descended into the system, we climbed down the last ladder to creek level and followed it downstream. As predicted, the further we went, the smaller the gorge became, until it was less than 1 metre wide. The rangers warning came to mind – a small rainfall upstream would create a flash flood with disastrous results downstream. We walked to Kermits Pool, took three photos and left. Quickly.

Hancock Gorge

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After devouring a lunch, we wandered over to Weano Gorge, with its descent to Handrail Pool. With the clouds looming overhead, and the sound of distant thunder, it was too much for Leisl and Rosa. Karen accompanied them back to a safe spot, while Daniel, Connor and Josie continued the trek. We followed the creek along again, and came to a large pool cut into the surrounding rocks, where a handrail had been fixed to the wall to make the final descent easier. Again its rock climbing and abseiling from here, so we returned to the relieved girls as quick as we could.

Weano Gorge

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On the way back to camp we stopped for a brief look at Joffre Falls, Knox lookout and Kalamina Falls. After the adrenalin rush of the first adventure of the day, they all seemed a little tame. Desperately in need of a hot shower, we finally headed to camp for the evening.

Our final day dawned clear and sunny, the perfect day for walking around in treacherous gorges. Never mind, it has been an adventure none-the-less.

Working, working, worki……oh look – a beach

2011-10-30T17:02:00.000+10:00

After 5 weeks working in Broome, and a little R&R at Cape Leveque, it was time to go back to work. I was working for Greg Irvine in Broome, and he asked if I would like to spend some time on a cattle station completing a project for them. So we called in to Anna Plains Station, about 2.5hrs drive south of Broome. After scoping out the job and sending off a list of parts to be delivered, I had two days of free time, so naturally, we headed for the beach.

The station lies at the northern end of Eighty Mile Beach, and very few people ever visit the beach this far north. We had been told that shell collecting at Eighty Mile was sporadic, and you had to be early to beat the grey nomads….. A short drive through the station revealed an enormous stretch of untouched beach, without another soul in sight. For the shell collectors in our family, namely Leisl, Rosa and Karen, this was a touch of paradise. We had thought that we may find the odd larger shell scattered among the small samples. How wrong that assumption soon proved to be.

The beach was littered with large Conch, Baylor and many other types of shell. Within an hour we had three large bags full of huge shells, and more than we could carry. Anything smaller than 7cm was discarded as ‘too small.’ It did not take long to become fussy and some exceptional specimens were collected. They have since been boxed up and mailed to Karen's sister in Cairns for safe keeping. Lets hope they retained some of their original shape during the journey.

We followed some bush directions along the stations tracks and discovered the northern end of the property terminates at ?? Point. Here we discovered that someone had been fishing, caught some sharks and had discarded the carcasses on the beach. Needing to stay upwind of the stench, we began exploring along the cape itself. Leisl and Karen were keen to get back to the beach and explore for more shells to add the their collection. Rosa, Connor and I headed out onto the rocks to take some photos of the formations and reflections at low tide.

Rosa slipped in some mud and landed heavily into an oyster bed, generating some large cuts on her hands and knees. We quickly headed back to the beach and found Karen and the girls. A little cleaning and covering and it was decided to head for the station, on the double. The staff were excellent, but no-one had medical experience, so we continued to the nearest medical centre at Bidyadnaga for some anti-biotics and large bandaids. They glued Rosa’s wounds together and applied a special bandage that would wear off as it healed the wounds.

One of the station staff showed me around a little, taking in some of the sights of the property, and told me some of its history, which was very interesting.

When the Australian and British Governments set up the Woomera Training Area in SA, during the cold war, they would often release rockets across the continent and into the Indian Ocean to test their capabilities. What they lacked at the time was somewhere near the coast to track the rockets as they passed overhead, and report back to Woomera. They needed somewhere where very few people would be affected and where the landscape would suit their requirements. Once the location was scoped out, construction began on a small town with all the required infrastructure. Roads, buildings, water storage, sewage treatment and a runway were all completed. As the cold was threat diminished, the town was no longer required, so the buildings were sold off for scrap and everything else was decommissioned.

As we drove around the property, we discovered all that remains of the town is the concrete slabs of the buildings, and the posts of the water tank. The artesian bore feed into two large tanks (an excellent spot to relax on chilly nights) before feeding the bore drain system which waters the cattle. Evidence of the road system is amazing, as you drive through narrow, but dead straight, tracks which are all perpendicular to each other. The airport runway is something else though.

We drove into the bush and suddenly came upon the airport apron, used to park planes for loading, unloading, refuelling and the like. In front of that was a large runway, which we began to drive down. To imagine the size of this, small aircraft pilots use this to land on today. Then we reached a T intersection onto the runway itself, the section we just drove was the taxi area. The official runway is 2.7km long and about 100m wide. It is cambered correctly, and the soil preparation was so good, that it can still be used today. It looks large enough to land a commercial flight on.

That’s the Troopy at the other end of the runway!

For those in the know, this suddenly felt like driving around the set of a Matthew Reilly novel.

Anna Plains was an excellent spot to spend a few days, and owner John Stokes was very hospitable toward us. After completing the project, we left to follow our noses south, into more West Australian adventures.

A little R&R at Cape Levique

2011-10-25T01:06:00.000+10:00

I know it probably seems like our lifestyle is one great big holiday…but there are definitely days when one or all of us is “over it!” Sometimes we need to set up for more than an overnighter, and just chill out! So, after working flat out for 5 weeks in Broome, we headed up to Cape Levique to do just that. It seemed a fitting reward for the early completion of school for 2011 and for all Daniel’s hard work too.

Cape Levique is absolutely beautiful. Rich red cliffs and rock faces, hemmed in with pure white sand and sparkling clear blue sea! This place is special. We had booked a Beach Shelter on the beach front at Kooljaman it wasn’t flash. Just a large thatched shelter, with a picnic table, fire pit, outdoor fresh water shower and a killer view! Literally our own little hut on the Beach front! Location, location, location! Our children quickly decided they wanted to “rough it” and sleep in the thatched hut….we figured it couldn’t hurt, so much to their delight they set their beds up on a tarp, in the best possible position to see the sea as they drifted off to sleep, and as they opened their eyes in the morning. We still set the camper trailer up parallel to the Beach Hut.

There is so much to do in this part of the world….yet we just wanted to stay in one place and rest, read, hang out together, swim, snorkel, walk on the beach, lie in the hammock, sit around the fire….you know….chill out! So that’s exactly what we did. We all went for early morning beach walks. We got to practice snorkelling. The children had an absolute blast playing in amongst the many rock pillars and sandstone caves that dotted the foreshore, creating their own secret places. I got to finish one of my novels and start the next one. We marvelled at Humpback Whales frolicking offshore. Enjoyed the blessing of watching wild Dolphins swim by. And trembled at the slide of a 2m saltwater crocodile that we encountered much further up the beach on one of our morning strolls! We were frustrated by the intermittent phone signal that allowed us to send out an sms or 2 then stopped working completely! But we were in paradise. And boy it was nice to catch our breath!

Next stop Anna Plains Cattle Station on 80 Mile Beach!

Beautiful Broome…

2011-10-21T00:25:00.000+10:00

Broome W.A. Wow!

It feels like forever since we’ve seen the sea! And we were not disappointed. Broome is very different to the coastal towns we’re familiar with on the east coast of Australia. For a start it is very flat. We miss the mountains of the Sunny Coast Hinterland sometimes. Broome is also, well, RED. The dirt is so very fine it gets into everything and stays there resisting all attempts to evict it from clothing, tent walls, cars… The locals call it pindan. it is finer than talcum powder and is everywhere!!! SO it was a great surprise to head for the infamous Cable Beach (rated one of the 5 best beaches in the world) and discover the sand was pure white! Even more amazing was the azure water, the vast stretch of beautiful beach in both directions, the gorgeous little beach umbrellas dotting the sand like party lights. And the camels!!! Serious! Camels are a common sight on Cable Beach. The kids were quick to hit the water and enjoy the waves!

We met up with John and Lyn Hobbs again, we love these guys! They are such a blessing to us. After a quick tour of the town and Gantheaume Point, well it’s not a big town, we headed back to the beach for a quick swim and obligatory sunset camel ride! If you get the opportunity to do this you should! We thoroughly enjoyed it! I could not stop grinning! It is….different, that is for sure. Camels are really tall, the ground was a long way away and it’s not so much a gentle meandering sway from side to side, it felt more like you were in the back of a beat up troopy without a seatbelt on a deeply rutted 4WD track! But I digress. We rode the Blue camels and I can recommend them highly. They treat their camels very well and they go out of their way to take photos/videos of you with your own cameras! I really appreciated that! It’s the little things that make a difference, and how nice to be able to use our own cameras rather than being forced to purchase an over priced digital print….

At the other end of Cable Beach is Gantheaume Point! In stark contrast to the pure fine white sand of Cable beach, Gantheaume Point was red! Rocky and absolutely amazing at sunset! The sunsets in this part of the world are unreal. You can almost hear the “ssssssssss” as the sun gracefully dips her golden head into the depths of the Indian Ocean. Anyway, back to Gantheaume Point. We loved this spot. The rocks were tossed about wildly like a caber tossing event gone berserk, the lighthouse seemed to poke it’s head up out of the red dirt with an air of nonchalance. There was a large nest on one of the tiers near the top of the Lighthouse, which we discovered was home to a family of Ospreys! We counted 7 up there. What a view they must have! One of the original Lighthouse Keepers dug out a pool (in the rock) for his arthritic convalescing wife to bathe in. It’s called Anastasia’s Pool. Not far from there, when the tide is right there are dinosaur footprints preserved in the rock. What a find! We watched the tides with great interest, waiting for it to be lower than .98m so that we could “walk where Dinosaurs had.” It was so cool. The footprints were actually quite clear and we had a wonderful afternoon clambouring over the slick rocks beneath Gantheaume Point hopping from one set of footprints to the other. In fact there was a fellow filming a documentary there…he may have been famous, but we wouldn’t know it (we don’t have TV). Anyway he filmed Josie with her hand over one of the footprints, and a little later he filmed all of us literally standing in another set of footprints! He was greatly amused that we didn’t have a tv, and also fascinated with this concept of being homeless and itinerant for nearly 2 years, in a tent no less!!! I know!

Broome is at the centre of the Pearling industry! There is so much to do here if you are interested in that. The other thing we found kind of cool was that there were sunken flying boats (catalinas) preserved in the mudflats of Roebuck Bay, bombed by the Japanese. We had intended to walk out on the really low tides to check them out, it’s roughly a km walk out and then you have to watch for the tide, it comes in pretty quick and usually is around 10m or so…. But after meeting some people who did it, they told us how freaky it was coming back with all their cameras and stuff in knee deep water. And we just knew that with kids in tow this could get ugly, so we left it, this time…. You can’t do everything!

The other really cool thing that happens in Broome, is the stairway to the moon! If you have ever read “Are We There Yet” by Alison Lester, the stairway to the moon is mentioned. Anyway, we were tickled pink to get to see it! it was beautiful! Basically for 3 days in a row the moon rises over the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay during a really low tide. As the moon comes up it creates a slatted effect as the light reflects off the mud, hence the stairway. We stood there in the dark, cameras perched on tripods set to long exposure, straining our eyes to see something, anything, with about 800 of our closest friends (well geographically anyway). The moon rises relatively quickly but it is a memorable experience. Daniel managed to get a couple of great shots! But sometimes I just like to sit back and experience things….to remember the moment. It’s special to be there, in that moment. Over the next few days the kids painted stairway to the moon and their work was so beautiful I have sent it in as work return for School this term.

I flew down to Perth for a quick trip when we first got to Broome. I had the amazing privilege of helping with the W.A. MOPS Conference. It was a special time for me, those women are really exceptional. The conference was absolutely amazing! And I got to hang out with the beautiful Cherie Macchiusi, her cool family and also with Margaret (National President for MOPS Australia) and Keith Saunders.

We were in Broome for five weeks in total. Daniel, working, Yay!!! The kids and I working towards finishing school for 2011, double yay!!! We all thoroughly enjoyed our time in Broome. I think it was made special by the people we met there, the lovely Philippino family we got to hang out with and the awesome church we went to. Josie got to share her love of violin with a new friend, which was really special. Not to mention the daily swims, the best sunsets in Australia and the incredible weather. It was a lovely spot to pull up for a bit, but there’s still so much of W.A. to see……

Derby Day

2011-09-19T08:17:00.000+10:00

After 10 days shaking and rattling our way across the Gibb River Road, it was such a relief to hit the bitumen again. Heading in to Derby the road is not even that smooth, but it was a welcome relief from the standard we had become accustomed to.

Derby is known for several distinct features. It has the largest tide shifts in Australia, up to 12 metre tides are fairly common here. We headed for the wharf district, because we had been told that we ‘had to have’ fish and chips at the wharf restaurant. When we arrived, the sign on the shop said “Open from 11:00am, Tuesday to Sunday.” It was Monday. The pavilion beside the jetty has a large mosaic on the floor that depicts the history of the region, from the wool and pearl shell exports in 1894 to the live cattle and zinc trades of today.

We decided to wait and see what happened, and to our surprise, the restaurant opened at 11:00 and we were able to have an early lunch. In the meantime, we drove across the wharf and observed the low tide mud flats WAY below. The current jetty was re-built in 1964 on very high stilts to accommodate the tidal shift, and it was like driving across a very high rickety bridge.

The food was good, but not amazing, and after we had eaten our fill, it was time to get moving again. Just out of town is another Prison Boab Tree, and we had visited a similar tree at Wyndham, so it made sense to stop here also. As we drove into the tree site, we also came across the longest watering trough in the southern hemisphere. The Myall bore is 322m deep and the adjacent trough is 120m long, enough to water 500 bullocks simultaneously.

The Prison Boab Tree is believed to be 1500 years old, and has a girth of 14.7m. Hollowed out with a single opening, it was a staging point for prisoners being walked into the Derby Gaol.

Whilst we didn’t spend very long in Derby, it was a memorable visit, and we wanted to get through to Broome and Cape Leveque as quick as possible.

There is a lot more to see here, and we have many reasons to plan a return visit one day…..

Gibb River Road – Part 4 – The Other End

2011-09-18T19:54:00.000+10:00

When we left Bell Gorge, it was a great relief to get off another really bumpy road, and back onto the (relatively speaking) better quality of the Gibb River Road. The drive to Windjana Gorge was not far now, but we stopped for lunch at a rest stop beside the Lennard River. We had passed Lennard Gorge, Adcock Gorge and Galvins Gorge along the way, but didn’t find out till later, that they were easy to get into and quite picturesque. Oh well, we have to leave some reason to return to this area at another time…

The drive to Windjana Gorge and campsite was uneventful, although we are getting a bit over dirt roads after 10 days of constant shaking. We set up camp and lazed around for the afternoon, knowing that our friends, John and Lyn would pull into camp sometime.

Early the next morning we completed the walk through Windjana Gorge. This area is significantly different from every other gorge along the GRR. To start with, the gorge follows the Lennard River through a series of limestone cliffs, rather than the sandstone we have become accustomed to. At the end of the walking track, it just stops. It doesn’t reach a pinnacle, or enclosed rocky gorge, but instead just stops suddenly. AS we walked along the track, we were rewarded with many freshwater crocodile sightings. We saw 26 crocs on the walk into the gorge, and 32 on the way out. We also saw a fruit bat colony among the paperbarks, and many archer fish in the water espying their insect prey above the surface and shooting them with jets of water. They are amazingly accurate and can fire this water jet up to 2 metres.

The limestone cliff walls display the characteristic signs of stalactites and stalagmites growing on their surfaces. This is the sort of thing you can usually only find inside limestone caves, so it was most unusual to observe it on the cliff walls. The limestone also houses many fossilised animals and insects, and one part of the walk reveals these treasures up close. The kids had a great time looking for fossils among the rocky cliff surfaces, and managed to find a few.

Note: There are 5 freshwater crocs in this photo alone!

After lunch back at the tent, we set off to look around Tunnel Creek, having heard from many travellers that this is a MUST-SEE destination. It is 35km south of the Windjana Gorge campsite, and the only facility is a toilet near the entrance. We had some expectations, based on the things we had already heard, but found ourselves quite unprepared for how amazing this site really is.

We climbed down through the rocks towards the entrance and we greeted with a wide open chasm with a large swimming hole and a rocky track off to the right hand side. We followed the sounds of other walkers along the track, until we came across our first opportunity to cross the creek. We were warned that this would happen, but that did not diminish the ominous feeling standing there on the small sandy beach, looking into the dark water of unknown depth, with torches that suddenly felt too dim and contemplating which way to go. Fortunately, a couple came back the other way, showing us where to step and how deep the water was. We quickly became accustomed to the cool water temperature as we found our way along the dark tunnel, crossing the creek several times, and arrived at the mid-point where the roof has collapsed.

The sudden burst of sunlight into the cave provides a view of the fruit bat colony living on the stalactites hanging precariously from the cavernous ceiling. Continuing our journey, the creek became deeper (about one metre), so our nether regions got a taste of the cool water also, testified to by the shrieks emanating from the suddenly frozen children. This was the deepest water crossing and the end of the tunnel was in sight ahead of us. We were approaching midday, and had almost reached the end, when a beam of sunlight shot down from an opening in the roof. Awesome! It felt like this little sojourn had been blessed by God himself.

Once we exited the cave, we turned left as advised and discovered some aboriginal rock art high on the cliff faces to the side. The major discussion at this point was “How did they they paint that, way up there?” theories abounded, but Connors offering was the best - “They floated past on canoes in the wet season, painting as they went.”

Our next decision was to either follow the walking track through the surrounding bush, or walk back through the cave again. There was no votes for the walking track. Tunnel Creek is definitely a MUST SEE destination.

We returned to camp for lunch, and were lazing around afterwards, when John and Lyn arrived. It is always fantastic travelling with friends, and we have thoroughly enjoyed having this remarkable couple around for quite a while now. We have managed to take them a few places they might not have seen otherwise, and today was to be another adventure for them. Off to Tunnel Creek we went for the second time….

We have taken 10 days to cross the Gibb River Road, including Mitchell Plateau, but we could easily spend more time completing the journey. There is so much more we could have done, but we have left it for NEXT time! Timing is an essential part of planning this journey, and we arrived at the end of the tourist season, when there were fewer people around and less water in the river crossings. Earlier in the year, it would have been a completely different trip, and probably a lot more stressful.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the 4 instalments of this journey. As we continue our trip, there will be plenty more to whet your travelling appetite…..

Gibb River Road – Part 3 – Manning and Bell Gorges

2011-09-17T21:24:00.000+10:00

After enduring the shaky drive along the Kalumburu, what we needed was some peaceful driving and a nice place to swim. This section of the Gibb River Road from the Mount Elizabeth Station turnoff, to the Barnett River Roadhouse was AWESOME! We sailed along at 90kph (fast for us!) with no corrugations and very few river crossings. Once we had booked in, we drove the rough, but mercifully short, track to the campsite.

We had read that the walk to Manning Gorge from here would only take one hour return, so we set off immediately in search of the walking trail. We lost sight of it when we reached the edge of the river, but managed to locate the rest of it on the opposite bank. It seems that this walking trail begins with a short swim across a deep river. Some people resting on the bank told us it was too late to set off, as it might take longer than the anticipated one hour. So a swim was in order, everyone was delighted with the change of plan.

That night, we only set up part of the tent, making tomorrow mornings pack up quick and easy. We have discovered that if we pack up early and then explore, it becomes easier to keep moving when we return, rather than having to pack up in the heat.

At 7:30 the next morning we crossed the Barnett River, the early morning dip as refreshing as a cool drink on a hot day. It was at this point we learned there was another walking track AROUND the river. oh….. Never mind, the cool dip was already fading into memory, as we set off on the walk. It turns out yesterdays advice was good, as it took over an hour to walk to the gorge and waterfall. Its not the biggest or most impressive gorge we have seen, but thus far, it is the best swimming spot we have encountered.

The pool is, apparently, over nine metres deep and the water absorbs plenty of sunshine, so is slightly warmer than any other previous offering. The rocky sides climb away from the water almost vertically, so there are numerous places to safely jump into the water. Behind the waterfall, there is a small sandy beach, where we could stand and observe where the bigger fish hide. We stayed at Manning Gorge for several hours, taking in the serenity and putting off the long, hot walk home.

And that’s where the magic of Manning Gorge is. At the end of the return journey, we had to cross the Barnett River again, and cool down from the walk. This crossing took longer than this mornings speed bath, we languished in the cool, clear water for another hour before heading for the car and Bell Gorge.

Bell Gorge is reputed as one of the MUST-SEE destinations along the Gibb River Road, but be warned, the 22km road is quite rough. We crossed several creeks and the road surface was deeply corrugated with many exposed rocks and washouts. The campsite is relatively pleasant, as it is maintained by the WA National Parks Department. We did not expect flushing toilets and hot showers way out here! The gorge is another 10km further on from the campsite, so we chose to attempt it the following day and spent the afternoon wandering around the campsite meeting new people and lounging in the hammock.

After we packed up the next morning, we set off for Bell Gorge and were delighted to discover the walking track would only take about 1/2 hour to complete. This is good news, as we are all a bit weary. When the track arrives at the gorge, we appeared at the top of the waterfall, and then had to climb a hill and scramble over some rocks on the way back down to the waters edge. It was surprising how much water was flowing through Bell Gorge and the waterfall was very scenic. We enjoyed a quick swim and observed a water monitor warming up on the rocks. He must have been for a swim too, because the water was very cold!

The walk back to the car was becoming an endurance test, climbing back over the hill, and then hiking along in the warm sunshine.

Our Gibb River Road tour is coming to a close, but we still have a few things to finish it off with…..

Gibb River Road – Part Two – Mitchell Plateau

2011-09-15T12:12:00.000+10:00

Many people choose not to travel along the Gibb River Road for various reasons - corrugations, remoteness, water levels and more. The Pentecost River is a notorious water crossing, so we approached it with some trepidation.

As we approached the crossing, another vehicle came the opposite direction and roared through the crossing as fast as he could manage. His bouncing vehicle demonstrated how rocky the bottom was, and showed us the deeper hole at the near end. The water was only running at about 40cm deep, so we just trawled through slowly and with little difficulty.

The next point on the road is Home Valley Station, which we had decided to leave for next time, but just after the station turn off, we drove up a hill, and stopped to view the Cockburn Ranges from the lookout. Suddenly our phones went off, receiving SMS messages. We had heard about this spot, so took the opportunity to check in with the family, and taunt some friends with a photo text message.

Then it was drive, and drive, and drive, west until we reached the Kalumburu Road turnoff, where we turned right and headed for a refuel stop at Drysdale River station. The Kalumburu Road was closed due to wet season damage until about 3 months ago, but had become very corrugated since re-opening. The drive was very rough with deep corrugations, rocks, washouts and creek crossings.That afternoon we managed to make it to the King Edward River to set up camp. The campsite only had two other campers, and is quite large, so we had plenty of room. The kids went off to explore the river and rocks while Karen and I set up camp.

The following morning we undertook the rough track to Mitchell Falls. It’s 76km long and took two hours to complete. The road condition gradually became worse, the further along it we travelled. Once we found the carpark, we followed the 4.2km walking trail to the top of the falls. Along the way, we stopped at Little Mertens Falls and admired the aboriginal rock art on the underslung cliff faces. There was another rock art site a bit further along, and then we reached the top of Big Mertens Falls. The waterfall was only flowing slowly off the edge, but the closer we approached it, the more we began to realise how high and sheer the cliff face is. It quite literally drops over 100 metres straight down from where the walking track emerges.

The top of Mitchell Falls was only 500m further on, so we proceeded quickly. We crossed the Mitchell River and walked a bit further to the Mitchell Falls lookout. If you thought Big Mertens Falls was a bit scary, you would be amazed at the Mitchell Falls Lookout. Standing on a rock ledge overlooking the falls, with another sheer drop to the water below, a lot higher than you can be comfortable on. If you did manage to fall off and survive the impact on the water, you would then have to deal with the salt water crocs that inhabit the pool below.

All that aside, the view of the waterfall is spectacular!

We walked back to the top of the falls, and got changed ready for a dip. The river-side was almost deserted, save for some German tourists that we met in the King Edward River campsite this morning. Everyone was about half dressed (and half naked) when the pair appeared, climbing over the rocks towards us. “Zee Germans are coming, zee Germans are coming” was Daniel’s warning sign. It is very difficult to hurriedly get dressed whilst also falling about laughing, so the warning was not fully appreciated.

“Zee Germans are coming, zee Germans are coming” became the catch cry for the trip, as there were European tourists all along the journey.

We had a refreshing swim, taking care not to go too close to the edge, devoured our lunch, and then redressed for the return walk. By the time we reached Little Mertens Falls, we were all so hot, that another swim was required to cool down. Rosa was particularly suffering, and complained of feeling nauseous. She was also reluctant to enter the chilling water, but eventually succumbed to cool down.

We drove the last part of the trip in the dark, so it was a very long day with many happy memories. Well worth the journey.

As we left the campground we followed the advice of some fellow travellers, and found the aboriginal rock art site famous for its “Bradshaw” paintings beside the King Edward River. A tour group came through at the same time, so we managed to obtain a guided tour of the site.

Although we had stayed two nights on Mitchell Plateau, there is a lot more to see in this neck of the woods, so a longer visit would be feasible. However the memory of enduring that road again dulls the thought a little…

Another fuel stop at Drysdale River station, and we are on our way again. Next stop, Manning Gorge to see what surprised it has in store for us.

Gibb River Road – Part One – El Questro

2011-09-11T14:59:00.000+10:00

We paid a short visit to Wyndham to see the Five Rivers Lookout that we learned about from fellow travellers, before taking a few shots beside the Big Croc. Then a quick drive to see the prison boab tree about 20km out of town before hitting the Gibb River Road and El Questro station.

Some things that surprised me:
The cheap diesel station in Kununurra was $1.75 per litre, in Wyndham it was $1.62.
We were warned that El Questro would be too expensive, by a few people. At $18.00 per night per adult (kids are free), it was about the same as any other campsite. BUT you also have to buy an El Questro Wilderness Park pass (also $18 per adult). So if two adults stay one night, it will cost $72, which is a bit expensive. Subsequent nights were still only $18 per person, and you had plenty of time to look around. One person told us to buy the El Questro pass, stay at Home Valley station just down the road, and then visit the El Questro sites at your leisure. The camping is about the same price, but you have to drive further every day, so I didn’t see the point. El Questro also has drinking water and fuel available (at $1.95 per litre) so we left with full tanks on both counts.

end of rant!

We asked for one of the private campsites along the Pentecost river (at no extra charge), and were rewarded with an excellent spot, with no-one around. At night you could vaguely make out the other campsites lights off in the distance, but we didn’t see another soul in our camp while we were there.

We were able to watch the kangaroos and cockatoos drinking in the river every day, and enjoyed the peaceful tranquillity of water running through the nearby rapids. But there is so much to explore, it was time to look around!

Zebedee Hot Springs

Knowing that the hot springs were very popular, and that they close at midday, we set out early to enjoy them for as long as possible. The water was very refreshing at 28 deg, and crystal clear. It emanates from holes in the fault line that runs along the bottom of a small gorge and finds its way down the hillside through several small pools that someone has done a little dam work to make deeper. Although the water is initially warm, once your body adjusts to the temperature, you feel like it would be nice if a bit warmer, so you find yourself progressing further and further up the hill in search of the warmest pools.

We enjoyed Zebedee so much, we returned even earlier the next morning to indulge again.

El Questro Gorge

There are a few gorges to explore in the park, but El Questro gorge is one of the best known and most visited. On the drive into the gorge we encountered a sign advising that only high clearance four wheel drives were to venture further. Around the corner we discovered the reason for the warning. “Moonshine Creek” is one of the major waterways in El Questro station, and this road crosses the creek in a very unglamorous fashion. The entry point has large weathered erosion holes to navigate, then over the sandy banks and into the deep water (about 500mm). The road underwater is navigated by bouncing from one rock to the next until you reach the opposite sandy bank with its well rutted exit and large mud protrusion in the centre to negotiate. It’s enough to stop most standard vehicles and makes visiting the gorge all the more rare.

We walked along the 2.5km walking track following the creekbed through the forest of palms until we reached the halfway pool. At this point the track continues past a large boulder that you access from within the waterhole itself. It was a tricky climb and signalled the end of the walk for us. Even though we never made the gorge itself, what we saw has become one of the highlights of our El Questro visit. The sheer rock wall on one side, while the other is covered in thick ferns and shrubs. The beautiful swimming hole that we had all to ourselves for about an hour.

As we left the gorge, the sun was getting low in the sky, and the resulting reflections from the rock made the forest walk all the more spectacular. It is difficult to describe how the sandstone rocks change with the afternoon sun. Its like they suddenly become reflective and bounce their red glow over everything below them. Simply stunning!

Amalia Gorge

The brochure states that there are some difficult and dangerous sections on the track to Amalia Gorge, and they are right! At one stage, we had to crawl along a narrow shelf 4 metres above the ground with sheer rock surfaces in both directions. It was the kind of walk where everyone helped everyone and the team spirit was evident within our family. At the end we were rewarded with a big swimming hole and a relaxing place to cool down, but also the feeling that we had conquered a difficult challenge.

Along the way, we also managed to see our first fresh water crocodile, up close and personal, who swam away at the mere thought of us approaching him. Fortunately, on the return journey, he posed nicely for some photographs.

Emma Gorge

Emma Gorge is one of the most visited places on the Gibb River Road, and it is not difficult to see why. We initially thought it would be an easy walk, because even the elderly tourists had told us they had been there. But the walk was no different from any other gorge walk, with some easy bits and some rock climbing at the end. There was even a hill climb towards the end, gaining some elderly tourists a little more respect from yours truly.

We had information about a hot spring that enters the gorge on the right hand side of the waterhole, but it seemed to make little difference to the water temperature. Josie and I attempted to swim across to the base of the waterfall, but turned back because the water seemed to get colder and colder. The benefit was that as we returned, the previously freezing water suddenly felt much warmer.

Chamberlain Gorge

The boat ramp is located at the beginning of Chamberlain Gorge, and the ‘high falutin’ resort is built on the edge of the cliffs nearby, so it looks an ideal spot for catching that elusive barramundi. We arrived just before dusk, with a bottle of wine, and some lures. With both camps happy, I began the task of locating a willing victim in the calm waters. All the while making sure I wasn’t being watched by anything nasty – swimming is not recommended here, due to the presence of salt water crocs…..

Karen was happy, she was enjoying the wine, and taking some excellent photos, while the kids played noisily on the nearby sand dunes.

Unfortunately, I managed to tangle the fishing line, and set about the arduous task of untangling it. In the water close to the boat ramp, I noticed something swimming around close to the surface and followed it for a while, still untangling the fishing line. It swam past the lure, which was waiting patiently to be cast again, and headed for deeper water, when suddenly it lurched, snapped and flashed its big round tail at me! Doh! Untangling the fishing line took on a whole new urgency as I noticed more and more barramundi swimming around in the waters nearby. As new adrenaline surged through me, I cut the line, retrieved the lure and retied it quickly.

Alas, there were no suicidal fish in the water, and they showed little interest in my popper. Despite me casting it in close range to them, I could see them swimming away whenever it hit the water. Never mind, they live another day, and I’ll have to keep trying.

Chamberlain Gorge was as nice a destination for fishing as you could ever dream of.

After four wonderful days, we are leaving El Questro to tackle the infamous Pentecost River crossing and venture further east….and north….

Lake Argyle

2011-09-09T22:18:00.000+10:00

Kununurra is nice and all, but Lake Argyle is awesome!

We stayed in Hidden Valley Caravan Park for four days, so we could finish off the school term and get all the work sent in to the teacher. Alas, on our last day, the entire north west was inundated with smoke from 25 fires that had been lit over a 700km area. It made for some interesting photos, but was difficult to breathe at times.

We drove out to Lake Argyle and set up in the lakeside caravan park. After a quick drive to the dam wall and its subsequent river, we decided the best place to be was the swimming pool. Until we felt the water temperature. It was currently 18 deg in the water, and freezing! We can’t manage a boat cruise on the river yet, so will have to settle for some lookouts, maps and local stories.

Lake Argyle is enormous! Up to 16 times the size of Sydney Harbour it encompasses over 1000 square kilometres of land. There are three spillways over separate dam walls, but you can only visit one of them easily. We were told that when you sit in the middle of the lake, you cannot see land in any direction!

Next time we visit Lake Argyle, hopefully we can do a boat cruise and learn a little more…