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Published: September 25th 2006
Thanks once again to everyone for your messages and emails, always great to hear from you all!!
I have just had the most fantastic trip travelling with Planet Perth, and nine others, we had a good humoured 'surf dude' driver called 'Simon' who took us to all the nooks and crannies on the way, not to mention stopping often to look at the wildlife and wild plants. He had a funny habbit of repeating everything he said. Our bus was named 'Disco Bus' with some OK music.
First day we went through the Nambung National Park, and walked through the Pinacles, which look like stalegmites (in the outdoors), you could make out different shapes and it was quite earie as you walked through them all. We had a picnic lunch at Hangover Bay and the excellent choice of sauces reminded me of John (must be a guy thing). We went sandboarding at Sandy Cape and onto Kalbarri for our overnight stay at a hostel in mixed dorms (Um?), It was very late when we arrived and very busy, Paul (a funny cockney aussie) cooked us some great steaks and plenty salad to go with it. Kalbarri is a 'crayfish' fishing industry.
Ah well I got over the shock of mixed dorms, and the next day onto Jaques point (pronounced Jakes) which is a famous surf spot in Oz, as the wind was off shore, there were some lovely pealing waves with a small barrel. Kalbarri Town beach also looked very nice. We drove onto Murchison Gorge, and climbed right down to the river, the loop and the Z bend, it was like being in a small canyon, fascinating sandstone rocks all around. (no pics unfortunately my battery died in the camera?!). Also looked through Natures window, which was a giant rock formed its own window by the weather. After this we had some lunch and onto 'Shark's Bay'world heritage, nearby town is Denham.
Our accommodation was at Monkey Mia and it was quite late when we arrived, happily it was not quite so crowded and we had two dorm rooms between us. For tea we had BBQ Chicken and Kangaroo, yum!! then after watching the glorious sunset, we all gathered on the jetty to look up at the jet black sky and do some star gazing, milky way and all.
Waking up at Monkey Mia, some were up early enough to
Sandboarding
Yeeeeheeee!!see sun rise, I missed it, but we were all down the beach for the morning visit from the Dolphins, who come in very close and are recognised and given names by their dorf fin. They were lovely, you are not allowed to touch, as everyone touching (and there were many of us) would be too painful for Dolphin and germs could be passed onto them. On the beach and not to be left out were some Pelicans. The dolphins came a bit late today, which made us a bit late for the Catarmaran trip where I got to ride in the Boom net!! like being in a really harsh spa. Around us we saw more dolphins and turtles swimming. Everything was finely tuned, time-wise and we left Monkey Mia and headed for Shell Beach, at Shark Bay, from a distance looked like white sand, was actually tiny shells instead of sand, and there were really tall ridges in the beach, we sat a while and enjoyed the sun, then onto Eagles Bluff, a look out point where we could see some reef sharks in the bay. Stopping at the roadside, to all hold the Horny Lizard that Simon spotted
Jaques Point
sounds like Jakes! while driving along, beautifully coloured and looking like a prehistoric miniture. Stopping for lunch in the picnic area near the Stromatolites, which I found a bit strange and could not really fathom out. (must've been hungry).
Our stop for this night was at the Ningaloo club, Coral Bay, 10 of us in a mixed dorm, again we were quite late arriving and it had been a devil of a drive for Simon, as it had got dark, there were Kangaroos, literally jumping across the road in front of the bus, not just one, but many, as if they couldn't see or hear us (I had considered hiring a car initially to do this trip and kept congratulating myself on taking this option). It was mad. The following morning was a free morning at Coral Bay, which is lovely, a very popular holiday spot for aussies apparently. With the Ningaloo Reef stretching out across the bay, supposed to be excellent diving too, 250 species of Coral and 520 species of fish. We all went in the glass bottom boat, just inside the reef, in the afternoon and had a snorkel, lots of snapper fish. But it was very windy and ended
up being uncomfortably cold. There were waves where the reef is, apparently the inside reef has died off, so not such colourful corals, but still quite alot of fish life, but outside reef is best for diving the coloured corals.
Our next stop, Exmouth, taking in 2,200 km in total over the 5 days. Exmouth is WA's newest town, built in 1966, and started as a Naval Communications base. All still amazingly Flat. We stayed two nights in the Caravan Park at exmouth, with Emu's wondering around and white pink breasted parratkeats. When I tried to get a picture of Emu they had disappeared for the night, when they came up close, it was quite alarming knowing what harm they could do. After a late night we spent our last day around Exmouth, at Cape Range National Park, to Yardie Creek, Vlamingh Lighthouse, Turquoise Bay, and Lakeside Beach for more snorkelling and sun baking (although a bit windy here too). The snorkelling was excellent, saw the most beautiful fish. The beach's and bays are white sany beaches with turquoise outlook.
The rest of the group head back to Perth the following day, and pick up a few more in Coral
Bay, I was invited to join the group for Spag Bol tea and a game of crazy golf (called mini golf here) for the last evening together.
Moving on I now join the Easy rider crew, felt very sad leaving my last group, it was alot of fun, we all got on so well. Left in such a rush, didn't even get chance to say cheerio, and thank Simon. New driver Scott, Leanne and Anna were sat at front with him, and a phyco 'Irish' woman (who I had previously met in Albany). 'Irish' as I name her, talks non stop and doesn't stop to take a breath, she has the most unfortunate squeaky voice. We drove mostly the first day and stopped at a place called 'auski' for our overnight, which was a tent and camp bed and in middle of no-where, really remote, we had to put trainers or shoes on now because of the possibility of snakes (uumm). Peacocks were strutting around here. The evening went surprisingly well, considering we had 'Irish' for company. We'd bought some booze, Leanne and Anna taught us some great card games, including 'shit head' and drinking games. I slept really well
in the tent, except for being woken twice by 'Irish' cos I was snoring and keeping her awake!! (frightened me half to death). The next morning included a bush walk in Karijini National Park, surrounded by fabulous Red coloured cliffs, of Iron Ore, we climbed down, walked along the river and had a swim in the little pool, sat under the waterfall, it was so chilled, all the better because 'Irish' decided she would give it a miss and sat at the top, phew!.
Back on the road, and there is just endless remote ness, fascinating, several road trains now and Huge oversized vehicles moving 'Plant', as wide as the road. Otherwise long periods of time with no traffic at all. We stopped at Port Headland for some food shopping to prepare our evening meal, this is the first time I have seen the aborigini people and 'Man' they are scarey, they hang around in groups, drink alot, and I had a terrific feeling of unease here.
However our overnight accommodation is an outback station, called Pardoo. 7000 cows apparently. We were sleeping in a dorm room on the farm, and it was extremely clean and comfortable, 'Irish' asked for
her own room because Lorraine snores. So she was stuck on her own in a room by the door, she ended up having to sleep with the light on because after we had all sat around watching "Wolfe Creek" she realised if there was a murderer here, she was nearest to the door and on her own!! Most of us also went out in the dark on the back of 'Farmer's' Ute, culling the pest. This was so surreal, exciting but a bit scarey also, as we bounced along in the dark in the back, Scott with the spot light panning the countryside, for green, yellow and orange eyes that stand out in the pitch blackness. The reality when the farmer actually shot, the fact that he was pretty pissed but managed to score several hits. On the beach the amount of crabs scuttling around was a commical sight.
Last day was driving again, with one stop at 80 mile beach, you cannot swim in these waters, but along the shore many people were fishing and I collected a few pretty shells. We finally arrived at the Kimberly Klub in Broome. We headed straight for the pool, met a girl
who warned us all not to go out alone after dark, and scars were clearly visible on her chin, she had been attacked the previous week by an aborigini man on her way home from her job. So Leanne, Anna and myself stuck together for the following days. Scott took us to Cable Beach for 5.45pm, Long curving White sandy beach with beautiful turquoise water of the Indean Ocean, leanne and Anna had some wine, and we sat on the beach and watched the most fabulous red sunset. He also took us to Oasis, the local outdoor disco, again we were warned not to walk home alone. (even though 10 mins away).
The Town of Broome is fairly small, I'm not really bothering to tour much here, using it as a holiday stop, to rest. It is glorious and hot, spent three days lounging on the beach, first day I went in the water and a Brown jelly fish brushed against me, it really itched and felt hot and sore, the first aid man told me they like Pommies and squirted me with some vinegar, also gave me a nice big ice chunk to cool it down. Second day, no
jelly fish, but still felt the itchy stinging in the water, invisible jelly fish? Not good, eh!!. We went to the local outdoor (sun) cinima, built in 1916, quite weird to watch a film with the stars above, an airplane flew over very low, as it was landing, the airport is really close. With all this distraction and the uncomfortable deck chair seats, Pirates of the Caribean, dead mans chest, didn't seem so good as the original film. I had a walk around the few shops and up to The Mangrove Hotel, which is on, probably the only hill, this overlooks Roebuck bay, turquoise waters and Mangrove growing in the sea (possibility of a croc). This is a prime spot for Stairway to the Moon, which happens on a Full Moon, the lighting forms a stairway, looks amazing on the postcards. For my last day, Leanne, Anna and I went to Cable beach again in the afternoon and stayed to watch sun set. Later we had a drink and free sausage sizzler at the Bar of the Kimberly Klub, enjoying the local talent.
As I took off at Broome airport heading to Darwin, I was quite sad to leave Leanne
Easyrider group
Leanne, Anna and me and Anna. They are true backpackers, have it all weighed off really well. Thanks guys for your company since Exmouth, its been great fun!!.
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Brad
non-member comment
nice pics
Hi Lorraine, Looks like things are going well in Oz. Am very jealous, it looks lovely there! Bet you are missing Plymouth. (sarchasm) Brad x