Blogs from Cervantes, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania - page 2

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Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes May 15th 2011

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 Australia’s iconic images: the Pinnacles Desert where thousands of huge limestone pillars rise out from the shifting yellow sands. Eight years ago we went with a local tour but today we drove there ourselves and our WA National Parks Pass came into play allowing us ‘free’ entry. The entrance to Nambung National Park, as it is now called, was about10 kms off the main highway south of Cervantes. The ... read more
There's no clue here of the hidden wonders ahead
First view of The Pinnacles Desert
This looked very like a camel to us

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes May 14th 2011

Thursday 12th was just a “preparation” day. We did some shopping at the local hardware store – the tube in the light above the dining/lounge 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, as the price in Forrestfield was as competitive as we have seen for the last couple of months. Then it was on to Woollies to stock up with foodstuffs. We resisted the temptation to eat out after what has been a very extravagant couple of weeks. Our new frugal approach is aimed at keeping our spending within reasonable limits and perhaps saving ... read more
Having a break on Lancelin Beach
Lancelin Beach
The very new 'Indian Ocean Highway'

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes April 13th 2011

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, named after an American Whaling Ship which went down in 1844. The wreck was later discovered (1969) by a local diver, called Laurif WALSH - I kid you not (my maiden name). Cervantes sits alongside 505 hectares of the Nambung Reserve and has some of the most beautiful coastline I have ever seen. We stayed in the Cervantes Holiday Units. They are what ... read more
More beach
Mike relaxing!
Carpet Python

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes December 28th 2010

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 crash. A jeep came round a corner too quick and rolled into a pedestrianised green verge. Luckily nobody was hurt. We were having car troubles of our own. It would not start properly but after a call to John at the garage we learned that it shouldn't be started cold on LPG. It was fine on fuel. With ... read more
Strange but Beautiful Limestone Formations
Cooking at a free camp
Ellendale Pools

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes April 9th 2010

Le désert des Pinnacles, dans le parc national de Nambung en Australie-Occidentale, est célèbre pour ses milliers d'étonnantes concrétions rocheuses calcaires, menhirs naturels de taille et de formes variées, qui surgissent du désert et dont les plus hautes peuvent atteindre quatre mètres. Au printemps, la flore qui s'y épanouit accentue encore l'étrangeté du lieu. Le Parc national de Nambung est situé à 162 km au nord-ouest de Perth, hahahahaha que de bon souvenir au pinnacles et les stromatolithe ou stromatolite (on parle aussi parfois de thrombolites ») est une roche calcaire ou une structure marine biogénique et organique laminée double-couche. Les premiers stromatholites, fossilisés, datent de plus de 3 milliards d'années. Ils sont la trace des premières formes de vies en colonies fixées. Coupe d'une roche montrant la trace fossile de stromatolithes et sédiments ... read more
lancelin
attention
nambung National park

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes February 22nd 2010

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 we were the last to pack up and leave. Of course, after spending so long in the bush (back to nature as you will!) you can’t rush things and so we decided to ease our way back into civilisation by spending 3 days at a beautiful reserve called Lane Poole. Although only populated with about 10 other campers and a few ... read more
Murray River at Lane Poole
Our swimming hole at Lane Poole Reserve
Stirling Cottage - May Gibbs Cottage

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes November 28th 2009

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 to have the sun on us warming us through. We went through a couple of national parks on the way and saw an emu. We booked onto Cervantes Pinnacles Caravan Park which has better facilities than last nights then we went to see the Pinnacles. OMG the flies were all over us when we got out of the van at the ... read more
Pinnacles 2
Pinnacles 3
Suse on the beach in Cervantes

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes November 26th 2009

Day 214 - Cervantes We stick our heads out of the caravan door this morning to see if there is any sign of anyone else yet, there isn’t 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 didn’t mind when we gleefully answered Yes and then laughed ourselves silly til about mid-night. We were in the caravan though and it’s pretty sound proof - we hope! When the others do start to surface most of them fall head long into the proposed curry ‘competition’ that will feed us all this evening at dinner time! Amazing isn’t it that the first thing we’re thinking about when we wake is ... read more
Inside the Discovery Centre
The not so impressive Pinnacle sunset
The kids found a great way to travelling through the Pinnacle Desert drive

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes November 25th 2009

Day 213 - Coronation Beach to Cervantes It’s my lovely cousin Anna’s birthday today and we’d 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 we’ll hit the fabulous forties together next year! Lots of love to our favourite PIE from both of us! x x We wake up this morning for our last breath of Coronation Beach fresh air, we’re on the move to somewhere different but nobody has decided on where! The travel group is now 15 strong but only for the next few days as the Palmas and the Elliotts will be staying on in Perth while we continue travelling south towards Melbourne. We consider ourselves very lucky to have met such fabulous people along our journey ... read more
Kenny shows us the blue tongued lizard that he found on the track
HMAS Sydney memorial
Inside the memorial

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes October 24th 2009

H all We 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 around the one way vehicle track. On the way back to Cervantes we called at Hangover Bay, and had a swim, and also saw the stromatolites at Lake Thetis. From Geraldton, (which we liked as a town), we have done a zigzag route south. Our first stop was at Allendale Pool, a shire run rustic campsite. We did some walks, saw some more wild flowers, ... read more
Pinnacles again
Chris with his mates!
we drove through them too




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