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