As far as the East is from the West

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. 

Going Down!

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.

Kalbarri and National Park – A Pictorial Journey

 

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