By this Author: anne.muld

The last couple of days there has been plenty to explore. We went inland 200km of highway one just to see Wave Rock. Yes it was worth it! It is near the town of Hyden, and this quaint little town caters for 130,000 tourist per year just to visit "The Wave". The rock is a spectacular granite formation reaching 15 m high, and thought to be in excess of 2,700 million years old.

Me catching the only wave I can!

We stayed the night back on Highway One at Ravensthorpe, where we left Big Bertha. The people in this area most be so board. They decorate everything and never through anything away. The town of Hyden and Ravensthorpe had everything reused. They make old toilets into flowerpots as well as TV's and engine parts are made into people. Art everywhere and it is quite quirky.

Just some of the local artwork!

Next stop was Esperance. What a beautiful place, the beaches are fantastic, there are islands everywhere and the beaches have the whitest of sand. Rocks are plotted amongst the ocean and "Cape LeGrande National Park" is sensational.

Bay of Islands at Esperance.

Esperance has approx 10,500 residents. The max temp here is 22 degrees C and min is 12 degrees C. So we have to start wearing a few more clothes and cover up that fantastic sun tan of mine! I'm frightened no one I know is every going to see me with this great suntan...... The beaches are great to look at down here, but far too cold for this body to swim in. Anyway I'm sure there are heaps of sharks! Apparently the fishing is fantastic. We just buy fish, as Tony has no interest in fishing, maybe because he left the boat at home??? He said the fish we are buying is cheaper than buying bait anyway.

Esperance beautiful beaches

There is no shortage of photos here as I've taken so many.

More beautiful beaches

We've stocked the pantry and fridge for a four day drive accross the Nullarbor. We probably wont be able to blog as we will be doing roadside stops and using bertha's shower and toilet. See you next in SA accross another boarder!

And what a lovely bottom it is!!! Albany has a population of 30,000. It is a lovely city mafe famous by shipping. Ther harbours and waterways are spectacular. The beaches have no surf but are amazing and fishing is everyones hobby or job. The temperature in summer months averages about 20 degrees max. Albany was first settled in 1826, two years before Perth. Albany boast at being the first white settlement in WA as well as having the best natural harbours in the World. There are a lot of perennial rivers, dense karri forrests, farmland and WA's most temperate climate.

Ship in the main street

Albany is 408km south-east of Perth on the stretch of the coast that looks out onto Antartica which is 7,000 km south. Usually the rain falls between April & October and it is usually only 37 inches per year.

Middleton Beach

There a lots of lookouts and great shopping in Albany.

Harbour entrance to Port

Albany is a very pretty place and the people are lovely and only too happy to help a tourist.

wonderful waterways

Our old neighbours from Walpole, Vicky & John (crom Cessnock) are parked next to us again. This happens so often when you travel. The same people keep popping up now and then. It is such fun running into people you have previously met. You swap a few stories and share a few yarns. It is a little like meeting your family members again.

Nest stop will be Esperence. Not sure when....

There are a huge amount of towns in WA that end in the letters up. There is Nornalup, Myalup, Ongerup, Manjimup, Kojonup etc etc. Add about another 200 places with "up" on the end. Apparently it derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "place of water". As WA is such a dry state, I suppose you do need to know where the water is in abundance.

While staying at Walpole Restpoint Holiday Village, neighbours, Vicky & John from Cessnock told us about the artwork in the bush. Obviously the Greenies had a little to do with this as well as a few hippies. This is where they chained themselves to the forrest to save it from being logged. Here are a few photos.

Mirror book

Tony looking in the mirror

Messages in the leaves

Seeds in circle

The entrance to the Artwork

This is just a small portion of the discovery. It tells the story of the bush and how the Aborigines lived in harmony with the beautiful bush. It gives life to the forrest and lets us all be reminded that it is needed for our survival. There has been a great amount of money and work poured into this wonderful art exhibit and it is all free to get too. It is rather funny but the local Tourist Information doesn't inform you about it???

Last night we stayed at a beautiful, peaceful van park called "Fonty's Pools". This park is 8 km off Highway One, about 100 km north of Walpole and this is where I wanted to get to. There are vinyards, apple orchards and black truffles(very sort after by cheff's) growing in this region. It is a lovely quaint park that locals come to for weekends. Weddings are also very popular here. The original owner was Archie Fontana, was granted this area in the early 1900's. He chose this area because it had a huge natural spring so fresh water was plentiful.

Fonty's Pool

He cemented the base and sides of the spring and this became the swimming pool for the town people. Archie migrated from Italy a young man and died about 20 years ago aged 103. The water is known as "fountain of youth". The grounds are gorgeous and you can have a camp fire every night if you wish.

beautiful grounds at Fonty's Pool.

After spending one night at Fonty's we moved back to Highway One as I was keen to get to Walpole as I've heard about the great suspended tree top walk on bridges 40 metres off the ground. There is a placque situated on the highest point as one the the builders died by falling asleep on the job.

Our new house in the Land of the Giant Trees

We arrived at lunch time and headed to the "Land of the Giant Trees". The walk was excellent. Very different from the other two suspended tree top walks I've been on. The one in the Daintree had a very dense and tropical follidge and the one on the Great Ocean Drive in Victoria was also very dense and slippery. On this walk the sun can actually shine onto the ground so it wasn't at all dense on the ground.

The top of the walk 40 metres high

The "Tringle" (This is the name of the Forrest) trees often have houses within them. I'm sure a fairy or two has lived here in the past?????You can see where the trees have survived fires and they are still standing tall and strong. I have a thing for trees and the roots of trees. I'm sure I must of been "Tinkerbell' in another life. (Actually Tinkerbell was the nickname my father use to call me). I just think this forrest is fantastic... A little on my weird side I suppose but each to their own. Tony loves birds (feathered ones) He is always saying look at the little wren or ......listen to the bird call....... I love the birds house!...

Cubby houses everywhere

Highway One has became very windy, hilly and narrow. This section of it reminds Tony of going through the Buladelah mountains. We only travel about 100 km per day now as Tony says he has to concentrate too much on the road. The kangaroos are also very huge and they jump on the highway anytime. You don't see any trucks along this section, obviously too windy for them. It is still very beautiful and we are glad we chose to travel this way as there is plenty to see but of course it is a little cooler.

We love Mandurah!This seems to be where a lot of "Grey Nomads" live when they go home from Broome after there five month stay at Cable Beach.

Great Cycleways

You can tell this area is booming. It reminds me of Port Douglas without the rainfall. There are moats in the backyards with a huge boat for every home, or should I say mini castle. The cycleways are everywhere and the shops are great.

Where the rich and famous live in WA when they retire.

We are staying at Miami Caravan Park. It is about a kilometre long with a few shops near there entrance, two abolution blocks, one at the front and one in the middle, and a lake at the very back. We are at the very back on the lake frontage with access to a bike track also. So we are so far away from the abolution block that we now use Big Bertha's loo. This is the first time we have used it on the trip. Tony read the instructions and we rung a friend and bingo. If I'd know it was so easy I would of started earlier in the trip. We have used the shower once before but we didn't bring a hose to fill the water tank up, so we have to bottle the water to refill Bertha. So no need for showers unless we are desperate. This park is only 3 star but it is probably one of the quietest and peaceful one we have every stayed in. The sites are 4 times bigger than most parks, and because this section is $35 per night and the sites near the entry are only $25 per night, not many sites are taken near us.

Tony giving Trixie a ride

Tony doing "dunny duties".

me doing some more exercise

Trixie the Tricycle is out. That is why we are staying a week. (Tony won"t assemble Trixie unless we stay a week) She is in good use here. I go for a ride for an hour everyday as well as do the grocery shopping with her and fill the water bottles us and Tony even gives Trixie a ride when he dumps her "black water". I love Trixie as much as I love my treadmill at home... A bit of exercise keeps my back happy!

Best lattes judge

The cafes in Mandurah are plentiful. We are doing a latte crawl around Australia. We ride to a different cafe and have a latte. I think we have found the best latte in WA here. It is at the Miami bakehouse. Also there spinach and fetta rolls are very, very good. (We share one between us so as I only put on half the calories!)

The weather here is perfect, dry, and about 30 degrees most days. We celebrated Melbourne Cup here again. That is 2 years in a row we were in WA for the Cup. Last year we docked into Fremantle from our Cruise Ship "Rhapsody of the Sea". We stolled to the front of the van park to the local hotel and they had a wonderful Cup is on at 12.00 noon. I actually enjoyed this. So we had a great day out and Tony got a second place. I wonder where we'll be next year? Perth again??