Western Australia

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Perth

On arriving in Perth I decided to ride around the city.

I hired a bike for 24 hours (he was about to shut shop so anything less wasn't going to work). I took myself along the river path and was hoping to ride to Kings park.

I found the signage to be pretty poor and ended up in a few dead ends, unable to cross major roads and on off road tracks. However I finally made it and was very impressed by the park and the fabulous playgrounds and activity areas. everyone was out enjoying a beautiful day.


Sunday I took off at 6am to head to the train station.

I was riding, but didn't think of the Saturday night revellers who were just heading home. Was asked a couple of times if I could give very drunk young men a lift home. No!

Push bike in tow I boarded the train to Fremantle and then rushed to catch first ferry to Rotnest. It was pretty choppy and a bit cold but enjoyable trip.


On Rotnest Island I rode around much of the Island without seeing another person. It was very peaceful and I loved the beautiful bays and beaches. I only wish it was warm enough to swim!

No Quacca's to be seen. Must return one day in the summer.


On reaching the northern side of the island I realised I should have gone the other direction so that I had the hard ride first.

The northerly winds were pushing against me for about 1 hour of riding back to my starting point where I had booked my return ferry.

I was very pleased with myself when I finished and stopped in the main ferry shops area to buy a coffee. Sitting waiting for my coffee two Quacca's were hopping around my feet.

So much as for hard to spot nocturnal animals as described in the brochures. Only hard to spot in the bush, not the town.

Jenny and Andrew picked me up from my accommodation near the Perth Mint and St Marys Cathederal.

They drove me to Cotteslow beach and through a number of very impressive housing areas.

There is no shortage of wealth in WA!

They also took me past Adam Gilchrists house and to our surprise he was out in the yard playing with the kids. Good on you Gilly!

After a lovely afternoon the masterchef Jenny wiped up her famous lamb shanks for me for dinner. It was a great stay thank Jenny and Andrew

Broome

Flying into Broome I was so excited to see the beautiful beaches and warm sunshine. I couldn't wait for a swim.

Accommodation at the Beaches of Broome backpackers was a surprise. It is excellent location and facilities can't be faulted. I walked to Cable beach for a swim and strolled along the beach for a couple of hours.

The hostel took us to the bay side of town to watch the 'stairway to the moon' which is when the full moon rises over the bay at low tide turning the reflection into what looks like stairs to the moon. It was really beautiful but I was surprised to see so many people there.


Quick walk around China town and then back for another swim followed by camel ride at sunset.


Went for an hour long camel ride at dusk along Cable beach. It was good fun and ‘Mission’, my 10 year old camel and I got on pretty well. At least I stayed on and he behaved.

There weren’t too many naked men along the beach, as this is the longest nudist beach! They didn’t tell us that until we were already moving.

I tried to take a few photo’s while ridingas it was a beautiful sunset, which is pretty challenging to both hold onto camera and try not to let it shake too much as the camel bump’s along.

Ian finally arrived Tuesday night after a very successful fishing trip off the Abrohlas islands near Geraldton. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and exchanged our travel adventures over the last few days. We had an early start on Wednesday, so we packed up and headed to bed about 10.

Joining our tour at 6.30am we found we will spend the next 8 days with an Aussie couple Diane and David from Brisbane, Tzilil and Paz a young couple from Israel, another young couple Jurdan and Petra from Holland, Haley, Laura and Rachel all single young British girls travelling on their own and two older ladies, Tina from London and Luda from Siberia. 15 total plus Phil our driver.

Ian had brought some fish for the tour which our guide was impressed with after he got over the shock that the tour company failed to tell him and we had to lift out all the eskies to get to the meat esky to store the fish! Oops. Quickly forgotten when he thought about the enjoyment of consuming the fish on the trip.

We crossed the Fitzroy river about hour out of Broome and there were fresh water crocodiles sunning themselves everywhere. Great start!

The Derby boab goal tree was bigger than I had imagined. Our guide suggested that the goalers were more likely to use the tree to rest in themselves and tie the aboriginal people up outside, which I tend to agree with as it is about 5 degrees cooler inside it and there is nowhere else to find such good shade.

After 2 hours we arrived at Tunnel creek. The entrance to the cavern is concealed and hard to find. When you enter it opens to an enormous cavern tunnel. Phil took us into caves off the side of the tunnel which again opens via small entry to another large dry cave. This went off again along a corridor which we didn’t follow. The water was cool and we had to wade about thigh deep in parts. The cave continues for about 400m to an opening and billabong on the other side.

Following the Napier range we camped at Windjana gorge. This range was formed from a reef shelf when the ocean covered the area and marine fossils of about 500,000 years old have been found here. After dinner we walked through gorge to look for fresh water croc’s. There were plenty of croc’s and they were easy to spot as their eyes shine red in your torch light. Ian tried to see how close he could get to one about 1 metre long. It took off when he was about 1 metre from it. We cooked a great meal of fresh fish Ian had caught and Phil made maple syrup dumplings in the camp oven. Great food!

Sleeping in the fly part of a small two man dome tent, on swags allowed us to feel like we were sleeping under the stars, without the bugs. The moon was pretty bright so it was like waking up with the light on. Ian was up before sunrise and had the fire burning with billy boiling as everyone else woke. It was really relaxing.

It is a strategic operation getting all the tents, swags, bags, chairs, tables, eating equipment and food back on board but the group works really well together and everyone finds a job. It didn’t take long at all and Phil was very impressed with how quickly we were packed and heading off on day 2.

We drove to Bells gorge where we walked a couple of klms into the gorge, across a small creek and climbed down to the large waterhole. This was a beautiful spot with a large waterfall and a number of levels of pools. After some time in the closest pools we swam, and climbed down to lower pools until we reached the next waterfall which dropped about 15m and although ian and Phil wanted to jump in there was no way out without a long swim to the other end of the waterhole and then a large climb back.

Our next trek after lunch took us into Galvins gorge. This was completely different waterhole as it was small and the bush surrounds were very lush and the water was a bit cooler. Everyone enjoyed the refreshing water but were a little scared about the water monitors which had slid into the water on our arrival.

We then drove onto our overnight campsite at Manning gorge campground. This was the first time we had other campers near us since the start of our trip and we all enjoyed the showers.

In the morning we had a big hike so we cooked up a great fish curry and swirl cake for dessert. The cooking has become a great celebration and we are all learning new recipes. Tzilil made cous cous for the next days lunch with capsicum, onions, tomatoes and olives in it. Cover the cous cous with boiling water and a little oil.

After breakfast we packed everything up and by 6.30am we were crossing the river next to the campsite on our way to Manning gorge. The river was over head height so we loaded all our gear into one of the campers tinnies and swam across while the guys pushed the tinny. We then unloaded the gear and put on shoes and clothes as it was a 3km walk through the bush to the gorge.

By the time we got the gorge we were all pretty hot so quickly undressed again for a swim. No croc’s this time. The waterhole was really large but the waterfall wasn’t flowing very much to Phil’s surprise. The boys jumped from very high ledges and we all enjoyed the rainbows under the waterfall.

A small beach area in the cave under the waterfall had formed from the flowback of the waterfall at high volume. A little bat was sleeping in the cave. When we trecked back to the campground we were all glad to have to swim across the river again to reach our camp as we were very hot.

The water was beautiful and clean.

After a quick change were were on our way to El Questro. We stopped at Ellendale station for scones. This family encourages visitors to stop for Devonshire tea for $7. Beautiful scones!

El questro station was an amazing setup with a number of accommodation options ranging from the $1200/night homestead to camping. Even the campgrounds were setup beautifully with the creek running alongside the campsites and small waterholes along the length for a relaxing dip. We had chicken stirfry for dinner and apple crumble for dessert. Another camp oven success!

The bar area was great with a big beer garden and live entertainment on the Saturday night we were there. The girls got up to dance which was great fun! A local elder aboriginal sits at the bar and tells stories for free drinks. Probably not the most appropriate attraction but he was a really lovely old guy.

The next morning we were up and at the Zebadee hot springs for a morning dip by 7.30am. Afterwards we headed to El Questro gorge. This 6.7km return trip requires a number of creek crossings, rock climbs and many of the bolders are more than 2x2m.

There are a number of water holes to swim in along the way which helps to keep us cool. The entire journey took us nearly 5.30 hours as we had to help Tina to negotiate many of the obstacles. It was amazing that she made it. After a couple of hours rest Phil drove us to Pidgeon lookout to watch the sunset. We spotted a salt water croc on the bank of the river below us.

The next morning we headed to Emma gorge and walked it after breakfast. This is on the other side of the station and has an upmarket campground. The rocks look like they have waves in them. On the way out we stopped at the cafe and ordered a latte. First real coffee which was very appreciated. We then headed for the Bungle Bungles. The drive was pretty long and we stopped at Doon Doon roadhouse and Turkey creek for lunch. As we got closer the weather turned bad.

A cold front and rain had the potential to stop us from seeing anything of the area as the road into the Bungle Bungles is rough dirt road that is often closed if raining. We had to setup a tarp area to keep our things dry. This was another mammoth effort with little material other than a massive tarp and a few poles and ropes to hold it down in pretty strong winds. Lucky the bus was the main stay for the tart and it worked pretty well.

The next morning we were supposed to take a flight over the area but this was cancelled due to weather. We walked to Cathederal gorge and the echidna chasm before leaving the national park. It took much longer to drive out due to the rain affected road. We drove onto a small bush camp (Marchfly Creek) just north of Doon Doon roadhouse. The camp is on private property and the entrance almost indistinguishable from the road.

Phil and couple of other guides have agreement with the owner to use. The camp is along a river and small waterhole which is very pretty but there are no amenities so you have to dig a hole for loo. A freshwater croc also lives in the water hole and was easily visible when we arrived. The weather was still really cold so i didn’t go for a swim. Another tarp setup was required that night and Phil cooked a roo stew!

Our drive the next day took us into Kunanurra for a short stop to get extra supplies. Ian and I decided to book a 3 day tour when reach Darwin into Kakadu and Arnhem land. The town matched my expectations with obviously high levels of unemployment and poverty. We also visited the zebra rock carvings and Hoochey’s rum distillery.

We then drove onto lake Argyle. We were supposed to be going on a lake cruise that afternoon but the weather didn’t permit. Another tarp setup was required. Everyone finally had some drinks and another tour group had joined us so we had a few drinks aroud the fire and another game of kookataki.

In the morning we packed everything up after breakfast and took an hour cruise around lake Argyle at 7.30am with Matt who had come over for dinner. The cruise took us to see rock wallabies and croc’s lazing in the sun - they needed to warm up! After packing up 2 of the group (Diane and David) left to return to Broome to be rejoined with their caravan which they would then tow to Darwin to continue their trip. It was sad to see them go!

Our drive to Katherine was about 5 hours and we crossed the WA to NT border within an hour. The rest of the trip was pretty boring but we pushed on in our effort to make it to see Katherine gorge before dusk. We only had time to walk to the lookout over the first part of the gorge.

Our camp for the last night was a fully equipped group bush camp about 10 Km outside of Katherine with full kitchen and permanent tents. Due to the luxury of having a kitchen and dining tables we went all out and made pasta bolognaise, cheese and garlic damper and a chocolate cake for dessert.

We even set the table with candles. We decided not to make use of the tents and slept out under the stars in our swags for our last night. It’s amazing how comfy the swag is after a few nights of getting used to the hard ground. The stars were amazing and we all set ourselves around the campfire.

As we woke in the morning to Ian’s last fire and a beautiful sunrise I was really appreciative of the entire experience this trip has provided and surrounded by such a great group of people has really made it extra special.

On our way to Darwin we stopped off at Edith Falls the other end of Katherine gorge. It was only about a 45 minute walk to the top falls which was running well given recent rains. The water was cool but very refreshing, the walk back included some lovely crossings of the river and a second look at the upper and lower falls.

After a quick lunch in the park it was back on the bus for a 1.5 hour drive to the Adelaide river to see Charlie the bull. This was the bull from the 1st Crocodile Dundee movie and when he died the pub had him stuffed and mounted on the bar. Pretty freaky! Then off on our final trip to Darwin.

Darwin

On arriving in Darwin, Phil had booked us into the Youth Shack right next door to Shinanigans. I quickly showered and raced off to see the Mingil Beach sunset and markets.

It was a beautiful sunset and the markets were a food frenzy with every nationality presenting stalls with enticing options. However, we were booked to have our last dinner with our fellow travellers at the Vic. Ian stayed at the backpackers and did the washing and sat at the bar to keep an eye on it. Yes he was happy!

The Vic was an average dinner but they were getting the patrons involved in games so Rachel took out the didgeridoo playing (by applaud not her playing) and Jurden, Petra, Paz and Tzilil managed to beat the other team in swapping clothes within a 10 metre tube of material about 40cm in diameter which was stretchy so they could just move inside it and pass each other as they went to the opposite end with new clothes on. Funny! Drinks and sad farewells all round. What a great group of people!

The next morning we were up early and joined our next trip. 16 people for 3 day/2 nights in Kakadu. This was going to be different from the start as the group was very much older and so was the guide. We travelled about 4 hours to Ubirr to see the aboriginal art site. There were many interesting drawings but probably not as good as I had expected. The view of the wetlands was great though! We then travelled to the cultural centre for a look around and learnt more about traditional foods etc. By this point I was pretty disappointed in the trip.

Our overnight stay was at a cultural camp. I really didn’t know what to expect given the rest of the day. It was great to be greeted by Fred one of the aboriginal owners of this camp. Although we were in permanent tents in a double bed! Fred, George and Jenny were traditional aboriginals who worked as rangers for the Parks and Wildlife service and decided 4 years ago to setup their own camp to teach about their culture.

They taught us to throw spears, basket weaving, pit cooking, didgeridoo playing and many other really interesting things. Fred and George then took us for a night time cruise on the billabong to look for crocodiles. We only saw three croc’s as it was a pretty cool night. This was a great end to the day.

After a good night’s sleep, with pretty cool temperatures we were up and on our way about 8, by 4WD to Twin falls. This is a really beautiful area and has been restricted from swimming. It was really hard not to get into the water which so crystal clear that you could see the bottom even in the deepest sections. There are still croc’s in the area and they have traps set to try and catch them. The only way to get up stream is via a boat and this is run by aboriginal tribe.

After twin falls we headed to Jim Jim falls. This is about 45 minute drive still on the dirt track. We walked about 20mins into the falls and got to a half way pond that no swimming was permitted and our guide told us we could go no further. This was apparently due to company restrictions on the rest of the track due to risk. It was pretty hard to take as a small group walking just behind us with two small girls about 8 and 10 continued on with their parents and guide to the falls for a swim. Ian was really cross.

We returned to the camp and Ian decided to go fishing in the camp billabong which we had been on the night before and seen 3 croc’s. He used the boat as a fishing platform and managed to catch one ox eye herring.

On the last day of our trip we travelled to Yellow river for a cruise around the wetlands. It was amazing as we saw dozens of crocodiles and loads of birdlife and a tree snake. After the 2 hour cruise we to the cultural centre which had a great display of the traditional culture and a good video. We then went to the resort at Cooinda for lunch.

After lunch we again went off road to the Muguk falls and waterhole for a swim, It was beautiful and refreshing. We could see the fish so deep in the water at all the pools along the way and even saw a water snake under the path on our way back to the bus. Our drive back to Darwin was about 4 hours and we got in at 7.30.

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