South Western Australia Exploration

The Gap - rock formations in National Park
 (Parking meters in car parks in remote spots - DOC could learn from the Aussies) 

After a reasonably smooth flight and three films  we arrived in Perth on Sunday 25^th November, early afternoon.  Nick & Emily picked us up from the airport and took us to Rocky & Daniel’s where we are to base ourselves for the next 7 weeks!  Thank you Daniel – hope you know what you are in for!!

Stunning white sands

Hellfire Bay in Cape Le Grand Park
the photo belies the wind.Hence no swimming.

We had three days to have a bit of a catch up with the kids (with Rocky - it was July when we last caught up, and Nick only last month in Wellington when he was over for a wedding) which was lovely even though Rocky has to work. Nick spent the Monday bonding with his father installing trailer lights into his recently bought Nissan Xtrail.  We had a lovely dinner up at Kings Park overlooking Perth on the Swan River.  Perth turned on its charm with a bit of warmth and sunshine, except the evenings are still a bit cool.

We got a few things together over the next few days in preparation of hiring a Camper for the next 3 weeks. We picked up our Hippie Camper which is actually an Apollo van but when it reaches a certain age – it gets bumped down to their Hippie Range.  It’s not quite our Bus but I’m sure we can make do.

We brought it back to R&D’s to pack up using some of their camping gear too such as table & chairs, BBQ and other bits and pieces to make life a little easier.

When I booked the Camper back in August, I went through a broker company  that compares the companies offering what I had requested – much easier and they can compare apples with apples. So I was a little worried what we were going  to get, but it turned out quite functional. 

We planned our first night down at Nick’s "Em" in Dunsborough - 3 hrs south of Perth. It worked out quite well as Nick came down that evening  too and as it happened, we followed him all the way from just south of Perth. What was the chances of that!! Opposite Em’s is a vacant section, nice and flat for us to park up on. N&E had a wedding on at the weekend so Em had friends Nicole & Ryan turn up for it too. 

Em's house back right
Our first nights site

So it was a lovely catch up, seeing  Em’s new home and a chance to see what we still required for our trip. The local Mitre 10 did the trick for a few items and Kings Camping for a Porta Pottie. This little Camper has no bathroom facilities so we (mainly Sheryl) thought a backup plan was necessary. Will let you know at the end of this trip if it was worth the money!

Plenty of wild life in some of the Camps
They are such lovely gentle creatures

Another version of a Camper 😉

Our trip plan was very loose – head south from Perth to the bottom at Port Leuwinn (Augusta) and head across to Albany and Esperance. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there is no true coast road across the bottom South-West of Australia as it’s quite swampy and you have to head back inland a bit before returning to the coast. But the road transverses huge Karri (yes I have spelt these huge gum trees correctly) plantations and as most of the area we passed through is National Parks, these majestic trees line the red roadsides. 

Australia is such a vast country. We have been keeping our driving days short but the distances between locales can be huge(ish for us) - the roading straight and true with little in the way of hills to slow progress. Wide roads with large berms and many pull over parks dotted liberally on the main roads. A pleasure to drive but still, little to break the monotony. We have kept largely to the seal but dirt roads still abound, and though still wide and true can often have very disconcerting corrugations which are simply frightening in an aged camper van. After a couple of these encounters with the van shuddering all over the road like an orgasming elephant we became very wary of what we can and do tackle….

Rural scene up through from Albany to Mandurah

The rental company  assured us we would get 3 days out of our fridge however this didn’t ring true as there is no solar  on these  older models and the batteries are equally aged such that the fridge needs to be on power at least nightly unless you are doing several hours a day driving. As said earlier we are not doing big days driving so we need to be on a powered camp site every night. We did do one night freedom camping but the fridge struggled as indeed we did not being able to shower before retiring so are resigned to staying at camps. There is a fair amount of freedom camping to be done but as in NZ, unless you truly are a hippy camper, you need to have a good set up such as our lovely spacious Blue bus.

Our little home away from home

Bill managed to get me up on the Treetop walkway.
I wasn't that happy stopping taking photos! Not at 40m up!

As usual we engrossed ourselves in the museums and settlers story of the areas we visited. As in our country, the sealers, whalers then the settlers would not have made it with out the help of the indigenous people, and as often the case were badly treated for their efforts. This is slowly being acknowledged and included in the stories. The settlers did have it hard to be fair and the country was harder to tame than NZ in most cases, and that is a pivotal difference between the occupiers, the aborigines who lived "with the land" and the settlers who only wanted to conquer it, which truly never happens, but they sure have tamed it and revel in this mastery of the land..... Beware the caged beast....

Gas BBQ's are provided at all camps and a lot of the
picnic spots - particularly in the National Parks

The layout of the first Fleet to leave for WW1

We also spent a day at the Albany Great War Memorial. A huge ex military compound now dedicated to the WW1,  two great  fleets off over 41000 people that assembled then left this  picturesque harbour, the legions of keen Kiwi and Aussie soldiers (the Anzacs,) heading off to kick the Bocks Bums and be home for Christmas - we all know how that ended, with thousands from both countries never to return 😢 A moving day for us  on the futility and perversity of War. The stories so difficult, the overwhelming fortitude and fear felt by these young people, we hope wouldn't let it happen again !!

Early Settlers were a hardy lot.

The Camps vary and many  remind us of Tukarua from our camping days in Golden Bay. Fairly basic but in good locales and generally clean. There are some bigger ones of national chains but we preferred the smaller ones as we didn't need all the bells and whistles that they were offering. The Camping trailers seen  are amazing - remember the old Mad Comic books  with flibbet flabbit flabba dap self erecting gizmos,…  huge camping tents, kitchens, dormitories , and spaces are created from nowhere.

A little hill to climb - 

The Wheat Belt of South Western Australia

A lot of information on Early Settlers and Aboriginals

And the same to pack it all down ,you turn your back hear a “flibbet  whump” and there its all gone ….looking like an ordinary trailer again. Magic.

Bill measuring a
Tingle Tree

Very necessary head gear in this part of Australia

There appears to be no shortage of water at the camps with every spot having a tap and most camps having sullage points (waste water) on each site as well. Amazing in such a dry fast country – there hasn’t been one shower that was on a timer! There is signage not to wash vehicles but no other water restrictions. Many of the camps with grass (there were a few that only had sand or gravel) were full on watering to have them look good for the coming season.

Aussie campers  have a Given right to drive their 4wd on to all beaches, and interestingly though the country is a tinder box, an absolute right to have open fires at all camps either on the beach or in a camping ground surrounded by other campers.
Some rules are invoked but  most camp stores do a roaring trade in fire wood to feed compliant commercial grade smelter furnaces. Our theory is they incinerate flies and mossies in a 20 meter radius making for an altogether much more pleasant camping experience. You don’t need to go far however to see the ravages of fire and interestingly the National Parks still actively have control burns in many parks to manage the summer risk.

There are lots of  shiny well equipped 4wds  with winches and sand rescue stuff that head onto the beaches seemingly unafraid, disappearing into the distance on the stunning Persil white sands, and  also lots of 4wds that never  get off the grass at the camping grounds. However at most camps the preponderance of campers are large “trick” trailers and caravans towed by large utilitarian 4wd Utes,  many the bigger V8 type. And  given that petrol is a tad cheaper here, with the large distances travelled it still must add up.

Bill and some of his mates😉

We found the beaches along the southern coast stunning with their white sands and turquoise waters, it was just a bit disappointing the temperature wasn't quite there for swimming, although Bill did get one swim in at Cheneys Beach and managed to get a little roasted as well😚. Our favourite pick of beaches were Thistle and Hellfire Bays in the Cape Le Grand National Park just east of Esperance - if we return it would have to be with a 4wd and caravan!

Amazing rock formations (and Lookouts)

But at least with the cooler temps (still early 20's but the breeze felt cooler) it was pleasant for the walks we managed in the National Parks. The bush is so different, not lush like home - dry and scrubby. As we headed back home we came through more productive rural land (The Wheat Belt) which was pleasant scenery but once again travelling along roads that go on forever.

Another beautiful beach at Thistle Bay

As we headed north the temperatures warmed up and we had our last two nights at Mandurah - 1 hour south of Perth on the West Coast. A lovely town full of canals and huge houses. Apparently a lot of Perth Retirees come here. 

Twenty nights and 3,211km later we completed our exploration of this part of Australia - a very small area of it. And thankfully no Roos were hurt in the making of this odyssey.
PS an update on the Porta Pottie will be in the next Blog post 😊

Lovely long sealed roads through
the Tingle & Karri Trees

The South Western shore line - rocks & white beaches

Riding Auckland's Cycleway

Ready to begin the trail

When we have visited Auckland over the past year we have tried to plan for a bike ride into the City on the new cycle ways Auckland has been creating or improving for sometime now, but the weather hasn't allowed it.

Shortly after getting onto the Western Motorway Cycleway

The lovely rainbow section of the trail

Finally! On the Pink Light section of the trail

Our reward at the end of the trail

A well deserved home brew beer at the end!

When they opened the Pink Light Path, it made the ride look even more enjoyable as it was able to keep that section of cycling completely separate from the  general traffic.
So before we returned to Auckland this time Wayne had the chance to do a reccy of the trail so we knew where to go. After a couple of days waiting for the right weather, we were off.
Four of us - brothers Wayne & Allan, Bill and myself. Sorry G&C - hopefully next time.
And what a great cycle way it was. The initial part from W&K's in Westharbour was on the road till we found the back paths through a few reserves meeting up with the main cycle track running alongside the motorway into the city. Three of us had our electric bikes but Allan was able to easily keep up. The weather was great.
Reaching the bottom of town, we rewarded ourselves an enjoyable lunch before catching the Ferry back to Westharbour, where we were a bit concerned there  would be room for four bikes on the Ferry - but all worked out well.
Bill & I did the Panmure to Half Moon Bay the other day when we first arrived back in Auckland, and although the weather was a bit patchy, we had an enjoyable ride. Another area of Auckland we hadn't had a lot to do with before but lovely homes along the river ways. I would highly recommend the cycle ways here in Auckland - well done Auckland City Council.

House Sitting Papamoa - Hahei via Waihi Beach to Auckland

End of our walk from Homunga to Waihi Beach

We arrived at Dale & Don's early November to house sit for them while they headed off to Bali for 10 days to celebrate Dale's 60th. Arriving the day before they flew out to go over looking after their property and next door which they have on Air B&B. There was to be some house keeping with the change over of guests and a few wee jobs to keep Bill out of trouble too.

Wendy & Bill walking around the waterways of Papamoa

Cycling to the Mount through Reserves

Papamoa Beach is a lovely long beach - great for swimming in the summer - great for walking and biking at this time of the year.

We managed to get a couple of good rides in while we stayed. One day we rode down to the Mount and return - 38.6km taking just over 4 hours by the time we took time out to take in the scenery & have a coffee. We rode down to the Mount mainly on back roads and reserves as the main road is pretty busy for bikes. On our return we came back along the beach which was pretty cruisy with our electric bikes taking it easy through the salt water at times. It was a lovely way to  travel and the day couldn't have been better.

Another trip we got in was with brother Wayne when he came down with some quality home brew to share with Bill - to Maketu from Papamoa Beach. This trip was 52.8km return and with a head wind all the way home. Thank goodness for electric bikes! Part of  the trip is on the Papamoa East Connection- 6.8km of lovely new shared pathway running alongside the new motorway, and the rest was on reasonably quiet roads. 

Maketu is a very scenic coastal settlement with a population of just over a thousand people, predominately Maori.

Beautiful day for a ride back from the Mount

It has a very relaxed feel about it. Wayne has recently converted his bike even though he wasn't keen to get one initially. But we have noticed now with them converted, we are riding further, so hopefully that means more exercise too. Certainly some great spots to see.

Replacing a few glass panels kept Bill out of trouble 

A bit of ironing keeps Sheryl out of trouble
(Yes - they are sheets!) 

We had hoped to do a ride with fellow motorhomer Wendy but unfortunately the weather wasn't very obliging so we did an 8 km walk around the area. This part of Papamoa has grown huge with a lot of new development, and with it new shopping centres. Plenty of food places and even a cinema. There is a large wetland passing through behind the area, landscaped to take away excess water in times of downpours but other times looking a lovely feature with walkway/cycleway running along side.

We couldn't come back to Tauranga without a visit to the Dentist - one of my new crown's was giving me a bit of grief which thankfully was easily remedied and without an injection so I was able to enjoy a lovely lunch with Bill down along Tauranga's waterfront afterwards. Tauranga as we have mentioned earlier in another blog has been undergoing quite a transformation in it's city centre with lots of buildings being renovated and a few new ones going up. So last time we were in town it was pretty noisy, thankfully it wasn't today.

After a catch up with D&D on their return from their trip (Dale not that well after picking up a tummy bug) we headed off the next day back to Waihi Beach for a quick catch up with Graeme & Claire who have settled back into routine after their couple of months overseas. 

Lovely Maketu Beach looking back to Papamoa

Waihi Beach was as lovely as ever and with Claire having some guests coming for lunch we headed off for a 4 hour walk that we had on previous visits to Waihi Beach considered but not had the time. Graeme drove us out to Homunga Road where we descended down to Homunga Beach. This was definitely

Caught up with Cuz Warren & new Bike

the right direction, it was pretty steep. After just over 2 hours later it was time to have some lunch on Orokawa Beach, a quick nap and then onto Waihi Beach - a 10.5km walk. Beautiful scenery. Great walk.

Looking down to Homunga Bay and across to Waihi Beach

With only just over a week to go till we head off to Perth for 7 weeks (25th November), we had a couple of days with Sam & Pauline at Hahei Beach. We spent the day taking our time to travel up the East Coast through Whangamata, Tirua and onto Hahei. There are some lovely beaches along this coastline, but not quite warm enough for a swim yet.

 Sam & Pauline use to own and run the General Store which kept them very busy for the last ten years. Now they have it leased out so they have have time to enjoy their lovely home and gardens along with family and grandchildren. It was lovely having the time to catch up (even if the All Blacks did loose to the Irish!)

Bill playing with a Gun again!!

Drinks & Nibbles at Hahei - great transport 

Then it was onto Wayne & Kate's in Auckland once again to get ready for our trip. Pack up the Bus and car and put into storage for the 7 weeks we will be away. And hopefully a cycle or two.

Cycling around Hobsonville Point
now with new walk way open

Delicious Graeme - spoilt once again 😋

Coromandel to Wellington "The Project"

Arriving at Stony Bay Doc Camp on sunset

The Doc Camp at Stony Bay is another remote Coromandel Peninsula camp ground - up the Eastern side. More windy dusty gravel roads - our poor car, so filthy. We had been told the last part of the road to the camp from Sandy Bay was even windier so we unhitched the car to drive over separately. I was pleased to be following Bill as it was very narrow in places - very difficult for passing, luckily not coming across any other vehicles on the road.

Bill sorting out his Ducklings

Arriving late in the afternoon, the sun already behind the hills, we parked by the beach, looking for the perfect spot, but not good for the morning sun! Great in summer to keep cool under the huge Pohutukawa trees but not good when you are reliant on your solar panels. So after a quick reconnoitre of the many and varied camping spots we relocated further into the camp, up onto a grassy knoll overlooking the wee bay. On the Peninsula this is the largest Doc camp - initially couldn't see how it could be but the camp opened up further in behind the front of the camp. The new location was perfect for the few days we had here. Bill had another go fishing off the "stony" beach, losing one of his spinners in the rocks. Two more attempts were made over a couple of days from the beach but no takers :{(

We also completed the Coromandel Coastal Walkway, walking back to the Lookout we had reached previously from the walkway at Fletcher Bay with Diana. The track on this side was a much easier walk - a lovely wide track, with not much of a climb compared to the other end.

Coromandel Coastal Walkway
amongst the Manuka

Our last evening at this camp we met up with fellow motorhomers Mark & Sharon, although Kiwi's, they have been living in Melbourne for the past 30 years and are now popping back over to NZ for a few months at a time  to travel around NZ in their camper. Hopefully we will meet up another time on the road - perhaps down south next year when they return.

Bill's fatherly instincts kicked in when a mother duck kept bringing her 7 ducklings over to see him and hang around the bus. But sadly each day she turned up, the number of her babies was diminishing. At the end of our stay she was down to 3 - it's a hard life raising babies in the wild! (Sheryl loves roast duckling

.... just putting it out there!)

At the end of the week we headed back over the hill to Sandy Bay to meet up with High School friend Julie and hubby Steve who were renting a Bach to have another catch up. We had caught up with J&S at Waihi Beach and prior to that at their Bach up at Rangiputa last Spring.  On our way through Sandy Bay to Stony Bay we spotted a Reserve that had places allocated to Freedom Camping just along from their rented Bach so it was nice and handy. We actually ended up moving over to their property the next day to have all our supplies more available.

Julie still perfecting the Selfie
(with a glass of wine of course)

Steve & Bill heading off to catch lots of fish in Sandy Bay

Well! One is better than none 😉

Sandy Bay is a peaceful little Bay of approximately 30 Baches, just around the corner from the very tidal Port Charles. Not a big bay, but probably perfect for swimming in the summer. We drove back over to Stony Bay to walk the Coastal walk again, this time with Steve as it had been on his "to do" list. Unfortunately Julie only joined us on the first part of the track and had to return to the camp as her newly operated on knee was not up to the full challenge yet!

Bill & Steve tried fishing off the rocks with no success, but on the last evening took out the kayak where Steve caught a large snapper - nice to catch something over our three day catch up. They also headed back to fish off the "Fishing Rocks". Said fishing rocks were an epic. Over the course of the week Bill had observed the rock being fished from, and maps showed a track to the spot. But it was not easy, the track was easy enough till reaching the headland where it followed a steep ridge down getting so difficult that ropes had been placed to aid access. It did occur to Bill that it was difficult enough, loaded with the basic fish gear let alone the extra burden of a 20 lb Kingi. Fortuitously, some might say, they had no such luck, and after a fruitless bone chilling 90 minutes were able (just) to climb back up the roped escarpment and arrived back at the Bach cold, tired but more to the point, as far the women were concerned fishless! And not worthy of a beer even. Needless to say this sentiment did not prevail........

F&C's with a lovely Porter - thanks Wayne

We headed back to Coromandel after our second week away to empty our waste and pick up more Custard Square! Hmmmm I think they had a different cook today - it was still nice but not delicious like two weeks earlier.

Heading back to Waihi Beach we stopped in at Thames and caught up with brother Wayne who had his newly converted electric bike (750W compared to Bill's 300W) and a fresh brew of Porter that he had been promising Bill for sometime. We enjoyed a bottle with our F&C before he returned to Auckland and we continued on to Waihi Beach.

Quite tight on the Paekakariki Hill bends.

Thanks G&C for your hospitality once again and for storing our excess gear, we repacked our vehicles, returning the basement back for their own storage. Nice to catch up with Wendy for dinner too and touch base on our upcoming Northland adventure in February. Yummy dinner G as always.

The next day we continued heading down to Wellington for Labour Weekend, catching up with Shannon & AC, and the Big Project.

We parked up at John & Sarah's Waitarere Beach Bach so we could leave the Bus here till next week, heading into Wellington on the Friday of Labour Weekend - a busy enough  day on the road as it was, without the accident occurring on Highway 1 into Wellington at Pukerua Bay which closed the road for the day. This meant we had to go over the narrow windy Paekakariki Hill Road - thankfully we didn't have the Bus as we wouldn't have been allowed over this road and would have ended up stuck along with all the trucks that got held up. We might have been able to make some money though, supplying the stuck truckers with home cooking :) though by all accounts the locals did there best to keep the frustrated drivers well catered for.

Derro Dad
Arriving in style at Shannon's

Shannon & Bill had a plan to start her "Project" of building a wall unit she had designed. The plan was to remove some of the many bookcases they have and having one large unit that covers the whole wall. Big project! Great father and daughter bonding!

"The Med". Wellington.

Labour Weekend saw perfect weather in Wellington but unfortunately Shannon was getting over a cold that AC had shared with her. So while she spent the weekend recovering, Bill & I had time for some lovely walking around Wellington, including catching up with Diana who was returning to Nelson with her camper. The rest of her travels went smoothly  up north,  well  pleased with her new Camper.

Government House - to visit another day 👍

We visited the Dominion Museum in the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and took the 45 minute tour of the Great War Exhibition seeing what NZ's role was in World War 1 - an exhibition created by Peter Jackson and his team. Unfortunately we couldn't do the Trenches tour as we hadn't booked in advance - being the long weekend it was quite busy. The tour was well worth taking, so much information and history that we hadn't taken on board (or retained) from earlier history lessons. But like the Gallipoli exhibition we had taken on another visit to Wellington - very depressing to think of all those young lives wasted by so many mistakes. The huge losses for NZ and particularly the Maori Units who were sent to defend a King that had just conquered them. A terrible time to have lived but also a time of so many changes. If we don't know our history we are doomed to repeat our mistakes

So...the painting begins - hoping it won't rain.

Bill tutoring Shannon in the art of cutting to plan

Hard to recognise Sarah & Johns Batch  - great drying area!

It's coming together slowly

FINISHED - Well done 👏

Shannon & AC live in Evans Bay which is perfectly located for walking up through the Victoria Tunnel (very noisy with all the tooting - we will no longer toot going through here) past the Basin Reserve onto the Dominion Museum. After our tour we walked down to the waterfront for a late lunch before heading back around Oriental Parade to Evans Bay. Wellingtonians made the most of  the perfect weather. Couldn't believe how busy the little beaches were along the waterfront - Oriental Parade looked like the Mediterranean - except for the temperature of course! And lack of brown bodies.

After the long weekend we packed up and headed out to Waitarere Beach where Shannon and Bill were to build her wall unit. The Unit consisted of 13 boxes. Hiring a trailer from Wellington and taking it through to Foxton where Bill had organised the plywood from a Whanganui supplier to be delivered to the Foxton Joiner who cut the panels to predetermined sizes for easier handling.

Meeting Shannon at John & Sarah's Bach, we unpacked. B&S got straight into painting the many panels. This took two days, the unpredictable weather thankfully not eventuating and slowing the whole process. I think Shannon was quite surprised how much labour it took with painting and assembling - she's keen to keep her desk job. (pays much better too Shannon). Three days full on left B&S shattered at the end of their days - particularly the last day when we heard from J&S that they were coming out to their Bach that night for the weekend. A bit of a panic to restore their place back to normal rather than the "workshop" -  but what an achievement Guys.

Friday it was all packed neatly into the trailer (unfortunately the photographer overlooked getting this photo) and taken into Wellington to S&A's apartment. Being early afternoon it was very quiet in their basement so we could pull in with the trailer right by the stairwell and lift. S&A's entrance is on the first floor so wasn't far for B&S to carry the units up rather than the lift. But a little tighter carrying them up into their second floor where the units were to be assembled. I took the Building's Trolley, taking tools and our gear up in the lift which was easier on me as Shannon had shared her cold with me by this time.

After returning the trailer, it was time to pick Nick, up who had flown into Wellington from Perth for the weekend to be MC at a friends wedding - apparently he had introduced the couple-a flatmate from his Dunedin student days to his work colleague at Audit NZ in wellington . It was lovely to catch up with him over the weekend as he stayed with S&A too.

Bill then proceeded to fit the 13 boxes to the wall being under strict guidance re earthquake proofing etc. This part of the job also took 2 full days with fitting doors to the bottom cupboards etc. The job generally went well achieving a good result for everyone.

Nick got a bit of time out to play 😊

Shannon & AC then generously took us and Nick out to dinner on the Sunday evening to a restaurant in downtown Wellington called Charlie Nobles, a fabulous meal was enjoyed by all, a most convivial night.

Nick flew out early the next day and with S&AC gone to work, Sheryl & Bill were left to quietly pack up and headed back to Waitarere, but not before dropping into John & Sarah's Ngaio home to look at a couple of little issues with their kitchen joinery.

Waitarere was reached whence we proceeded to repack the car and bus before continuing our odyssey, turning north once more, in deed coursing to Papamoa about an hour south of Waihi Beach to house sit for the next two weeks.

We had a couple of nights in Taupo at Whakaipo Bay on the way through where we only managed a 5km bike ride along the Great Lake Trail before Bill's peddle fell off! Another wee job for Bill!!

Not a good look to be holding your peddle!

Ah well, at least a nice setting to try and repair his bike.