http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , Western Australia , Cervantes en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 20:52:04 +0000 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:52:04 +0000 In our hurry to get out of Perth we packed up the car bought enough canned food to last us over a week filled up with what was to be the cheapest diesel for the next 4000 km and drove to what seemed to be the closest and best option outside greater Perth. This ended up being New Norcia which according to the Camps 6 book the camper39s bible in Australia seemed like an oasis of services i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-776056.html Camper van....yes Angus decided that he wanted not just any van but he wanted a project. So we bought a newly decommissioned ambulance. It has amazing cupboards and oxygen hoses and stuff. It is a 2003 Mercedes Sprinter diesel which is Angus39s dream machine. It only has 147000 kms on it and has been very well maintained. WE parked it at Tim and Chris39s house. Did I menti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-757554.html Saturday 9th June the day has finally come around and we are ready to go....well almost. Last minute shopping for food and some running repairs on the electrics on the van for the newlyweds Debbie and Steve. At around 130pm we finally hit the road after a ham and salad roll for lunch. First stop is a refueling stop for Steve at the cheapest diesel garage in Perth today Neerabup Fortunately thi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-722621.html 21 27 March 2012 Back on the road again There39s really no feeling quite like it. We have been really looking forward to the next leg of the trip up the west coast of Australia and in particular the north west of WA. It39s hard to believe that for the moment work has ended and play time has started it39s motor up again. We had an easy drive to our first overnight stop at Lancelin http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-715743.html Cervantes19th and 20th April Leaving Perth we headed north on the Wanneroo Rd towards Lancelin our first scheduled stop coffee. A small seaside town that is made up of holiday homes and a small fleet of local WA Rock Lobster fisherman. The community is serviced by a few basic shops including a bakery of course but coffee shops were not to be seen. A vanilla slice and a milkshake had t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-711470.html Going up to the Pinnacles is one of the first thing that jumps out at you from the Lonely Planet. Id wanted to go up there and visit them since we landed in Perth nearly 5 months ago as it was something touristy to do. You can do the Pinnacles in a day trip but as I wanted to see them at sunset and driving in the dark isnt advisable because of the wildlife our little Excel would not http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-669481.html Saturday 14th and because of the rather late night we were a bit slow getting going. It was a little cloudy and cool but hoping it would warm up as the day went on we packed the snorkelling gear in the car. I prepared a picnic in case we happened upon an ideal picnic spot but our main destination today was The Pinnacles. This is one of Australias iconic images the Pinnacles Desert where http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-612133.html Thursday 12th was just a preparation day. We did some shopping at the local hardware store the tube in the light above the dininglounge area had been flickering for the last week or so and finally gave up the ghost. Luckily the hardware store had just what we needed so it was no problem to replace it. Next stop was the garage to fill the tank and the two spare containers with diesel http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-611980.html Due to the opening of the new Indian Ocean Drive Sept '10 it is now only a couple of hours drive from Perth to the mid west of WA. Although only 250klms from here it is a different world. Before the road opened these small towns existed due to the Rock Lobster and fishing industry. After the first 100klms there is nothing but open roads and bush. Our destination Cervantes population 503 name http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-594093.html Having been south it was now time to start the long drive north. We stopped in the first town we got to Busselton and found a McDonalds in which we used their free wifi. Having been kings in Asia we were now paupers in Australia and had to find a McDonalds just to get the internet and charge our devices. On the way in to the car park on a hot Saturday afternoon we witnessed a horrific car cras http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-554098.html Le dsert des Pinnacles dans le parc national de Nambung en AustralieOccidentale est clbre pour ses milliers d'tonnantes concrtions rocheuses calcaires menhirs naturels de taille et de formes varies qui surgissent du dsert et dont les plus hautes peuvent atteindre quatre mtres. Au printemps la flore qui s'y panouit accentue encore l'tranget du lieu.Le Parc national de Na http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-500095.html After spending a delightful 10 days yes 10 days the longest we have stayed in any one place with the exception of the raspberry farm . we thought it was about time to leave Glen Mervyn Dam and to start making our way towards Perth in preparation for our flight and short trip back to Brissie at the start of Feb. After Australia Day all the other campers had started to head home anyway so http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-477486.html Got up ridiculously early due to the big freeze. Set off North for warmer climates The roads were all so quiet. The amount of different terrailns in Oz is amazing. One min is deserty then green bush then beautiful cost then a flat plain looking like the set of a western. Spent some time dead animal spotting we know how to entertain. Cervantes was a couple of hrs drive but we were just so pleased http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-458949.html Day 214 CervantesWe stick our heads out of the caravan door this morning to see if there is any sign of anyone else yet there isnt so we can enjoy a few more minutes in bed What a laugh we had last night and we hope that the lovely neighbours who asked if we had obtained a fun permit from the local council didnt mind when we gleefully answered Yes and then laughed ourselves silly til ab http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-457317.html Day 213 Coronation Beach to CervantesIts my lovely cousin Annas birthday today and wed like to wish her many happy returns for the day. This is our last year in the thriving thirties lovie so have a ball and well hit the fabulous forties together next year Lots of love to our favourite PIE from both of us x xWe wake up this morning for our last breath of Coronation Beach fresh ai http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-456834.html H allWe are spending tonight at Cervantes the place Rick named his launch after. We visited the nearby Pinnacles this afternoon and were very impressed with the way they are presented for the tourists. We walked around a 1.5km loop walking track first seeing thousands of limestone pillars which vary in shape and stand up to 4 metres high then went to the visitor centre. After that we drove a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-447782.html Our final destination on the roadtrip was Cervantes however we made a slight detour on the way to visit the Hutt River Province. I came across the Hutt River Province in my guide book Backpackers Ultimate Guide highly recommended and up until that point I had never heard of it. The Hutt River Province is a really interesting place to visit not only because it is considered an independent co http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-439871.html DAY 179Today is amazing I often wondered about Australia being such a small place for a vast country but today just confirms how small the world actually is.Waking up in Cervantes it was 7.00 but it was too cosy and warm to get out of bed and I suppose not quite so easy as stepping out of bed dressing and wandering downstairs to make a cup of tea ok so the process is not that different except http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-396691.html We have picked up our hire car and are now cruising around WA. Our first stop was Cervantes which is about 3 hours north of Perth. The town itself or should that be village is tiny but is close to Nambung National Park which was our main reason for comuing here. We are staying on a caravan sitethe Ozzies love caravaniong and camping. Obviously we are not camping we are staying in a 'unit'. I http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-378445.html S kommer der endelig lidt nyt fra familien Riis on tour.Nytr.Efter 22 timers rejse nede vi frem til Singapore. Dejlig varmt men meget fugtigt. Vi boede Lige midt i byen og kunne g til alt. Fra hotellet har vi udsigt over Singapore fra 24 etage grimt hotel men udsigten var fantastisk. Vi brugte en aften i Night Zoo hvor vi sammen med resten af befolkningen i Sydst Asien krte http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Cervantes/blog-361037.html