Freewheeling to Fremantle

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Sunday 27th April - left Bridgetown en route to Fremantle but stopped at Mullalyup Gardens at Kirup (some 20 km off the beaten track). This was a 4 acre gem of a Japanese style garden started by Lloyd some 25 years ago - a wonderful oasis full of very tame birds darting in and out of so many different trees and bushes - even Lloyd couldn't remember what they all were. The lakes were full of different water lilies as well as floating cedar trees each adrift on their own island moving across the lake in the breeze. Spent a lot longer than intended so didn't reach Freemantle and had to freedom camp in a rest area overnight just outside Bunbury. Weather on the change with strong winds and heavy squalls of rain - first rain we've had since Sydney and the Blue Mountains (first heavy rain since Raspberry Creek in NZ!!!). Forgot to put any pictures of the garden in.



Monday 28th - continued with our impromptu journey by taking a side road into the hills to Serpentine Dam - passed a lot of stud farms and although all the horses and foals looked really well there still wasn't a blade of grass in the drought ridden paddocks. Ironically the trees were so much greener now that the leaves had all the dust washed off. Coffee at the Cafe at the dam then a walk through the woods with no other soul around. Beautiful back road towards Fremantle, easy driving until we hit Highway 1. Reality check in that we hit road works and our first traffic jam - followed the extensive diversions(!) and eventually reached our campsite outside Fremantle.



Tuesday 29th - wanted to make the most if our last day and as the sun was shining headed to Penguin Island near Rockingham. Lots of cars in the car park but after a 5 minute ferry trip we were surprised to find the Island nearly deserted apart from masses of gulls on their nests, gulls in the air and a Pelican colony. Made ourselves comfortable on the beach in the sun to watch the antics of the birds. Every so often panic set in and all the gulls took to the air whilst either a Little Eagle or the occasional Peregrine swept by. Had an explore around the edge of the Island and found 2 Australian Sealions (now a rare species) resting in the caves. After 4 hours caught the ferry back and were lucky enough to see a Fairy Tern and then a small pod of dolphins in the shallows - what a great day. Back to the campsite to start packing up but just enough time to grab our cameras and walk to the beach for the sunset. Met a young couple who had taken their pet duck 'Abigail' to the sea for a swim with them. Lots of fisherman on the jetty with Pelicans roosting on the lights above them - a wonderful last evening in Oz.

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Photos

Pelican bedtime
Pelicans on the lamp-posts on the jetty at Fremantle

Australian Sealion
Now on the endangered species list - but not this one

Abigail after her swim in the sea!
That's the duck not Lyn