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Sandy Corrugations
Despite plenty of sand, still enough to rattle your fillings out.DAY 181
7th May 2009
Ahhh bed was so cosy I just didn’t want to get out of bed, but I wanted a pee and as I couldn’t wait any longer I just had to get up.
Today is a landmark in the trip; we have been away for 6 Calendar months, originally leaving the UK on 7th November 2008. Just casting my mind back over this amazing trip, and looking at what we have done, all I can come up with at the moment is wow.
We started of in the sunshine Coast near Brisbane, after our brief but pleasant spell in Singapore, then spending 7 or so nights in relative luxury at the Southbank Rydges acclimatising to or getting over our jet lag, then like a rabbit in the headlights realising that we had to start from the ground up, with setting our selves up with all the equipment we needed for this adventure.
First came the Swag, then the Nissan Patrol, then the camper trailer and I nearly said everything else we needed for cooking, cleaning, etc for the trip, but that is not quite correct as we got the basics together then
from there we built up the kit as we found we needed it.
I am a man of many words, but in this case I can sum the trip up for me in only a few, oh go on then maybe a few more words than just a few. To me it has been the people we have met along the way, all I can say is the people we have met, have been just amazing, so if you have met us that is what my humble opinion is of you all, just amazing. You have all given us so much, in strength, support, friendship, and advice, all of these things are absolute jewels to us, and without all of this, this trip would be nowhere near the adventure it has turned out to be, you have honestly touched our souls.
The places we have ventured have just been fantastic, Cradle Mountain for the wildlife, The Warrembungle National Park for the night sky (& the Breadknife, Coonabarabran for our Observatory evening, Kangaroo Island for Dennis the Koala, Cape Otway for the abundance of Koala’s, Helen and Roberts sheep farm in Nangus for fascinating times, and Cliff and Sue
Graham for letting us discover Perth, and the Truman family for teaching us great camping techniques and the art of making damper.
Just because your name does not appear in the list above it does not mean that we have forgotten you and hope that we do not offend, that is not intentional, everyone has been inspirational.
Furthermore, the blog, the dreaded blog that we have created and had to find time, come what may, to type up every day, our opinion is that it is a monster we have created, that we could get out of it if we wanted to but have been totally inspired by peoples enthusiasm for, and have just loved receiving the messages we have got.
Amazingly today 7th May, we have typed 230,974 words, uploaded 1,964 photo’s and had 14,958 hits on the site, but don’t forget we are 2 days behind as (while I am writing this) we will soon publish “Will the real Andrew Trenfield please stand up” which was for the 6th May and this blog 6 months after won’t be published until 8th May, anyway we find this quite staggering.
We would love you to recommend
the blog that you think is the best so far, and tell us why.
I was always hoping that it would have been more of a two way street, with more people telling us about what was happening in there lives, but unfortunately it has turned out only really about us, which is a bit disappointing, still such is life. You just cannot appreciate how excited we are when we get a message; they are so inspiring, even if we are unable to reply to them all.
I have to single out one reader in particular “Reen” from Bundaberg, a person who we have never met in our lives, and has read the blog, then contacted us via our Kangaroojack blog site telling us how much she enjoyed the blog and like the way that we took our time to speak to people and if we would give her an address she would send a book to us.
Cliff and Sue Kindly let us use their address to get the book mailed to, but unfortunately it would be until at least 4 weeks until we were in Perth and could pick the book up, and eventually when
Layers
Millions of years in the making. we got to Perth the package was waiting for us, and we have to say we were overjoyed to receive 2 books and a torch from Reen.
What touched us both was the generosity, and making the effort to send this package just for us, which we were delighted by.
The whole trip has been like this, people always giving, not always materialistically, but emotionally and spiritually.
Today we wanted to explore Kalbarri a little, and wanted to scope out the Nature’s Window” and “The Loop”, the 8 Kilometre walk and the Z bend lookout, reading what the Truman family had put in their blog made us think and whilst having a shave this morning a guy next to me shaving said he had been a park ranger for 30 years and told me the 8K walk was tough as the temperature in the gorge was always 10 degree’s hotter than the days ambient temperature and we should be very careful, as it has floored very fit people, I’m just glad he wasn’t looking at me when he said that.
We dropped in to the rangers station to buy a park permit which would have been
Natures Window
This is what is called natures window $35, but we got $10 off as we had already purchased a day pass at the Pinnacles. We were told that we could use that day pass to offset a monthly parks pass in WA. Considering we would be visiting at least 3 more National Parks in WA we considered it worthwhile.
A guy was in front of us, no dogs are allowed in the National Park and I think he had had a bit of a grilling from a Park Ranger this morning, he had been told about a doggie crèche, but was now being advised that this was closed, so he wondered if he could leave is dog at the rangers station in the shade. The very helpful lady said the chap could leave it with her as long as it was well behaved (this lady is a dog lover anyway and she confided in us that she was getting a new puppy a Kelpie crossed with Border Collie, she showed us a photo and he looked gorgeous).
Well Brian the Staffordshire bull terrier was a sweetheart, so well mannered it was untrue, the guy was delighted, and Brian looked pleased about the arrangement as well.
Overhang
Don't stand on the edges they could give way! Onwards in to the National Park we flashed our badge and were waved through, 30 K’s of corrugation, the old patrol puts up with it really well, however you do think it will shake it self to bits.
We arrived at the lookout and the scenery in and around the gorge was breathtaking, Caroline told me about a woman who was standing next to her looking at the view who said to her husband “I won’t take a photo it is not scenic enough”, You have to be kidding what does she want? Dancing Wallabies?
Then we drove on to Natures Window, which is absolutely beautiful, it was scorching hot, I mean probably 35 degree’s so it would be far too hot to do an 8k walk, so that is planned for sun up tomorrow. Getting back in the truck it was like an oven inside, and you had to get in quick as the flies where unbearable, not just unbearable but a complete pain in the proverbial, they won’t leave you alone and if you stand still for more than a nano second you are swarming with the wretched things. Anyway, back in the truck and
on with the air-conditioning, then off we went to the Z bend look out.
At the Z bend we meet a nice couple Andrew and Kirsty who are Australian from Victoria, they are on a year out after selling their house and now looking to make a new start somewhere were they describe as feeling “they belong”. We chatted for an hour in the baking sun with bloody flies everywhere, flies, flies, flies, aaargh, until we could stand it no more, they are staying on the same camp site so said that we would catch up with them later.
Back at the campsite, I am eager to watch my Didgeridoo instructional DVD as I want to practice more, whilst Caroline settles down with her book and a cup of tea.
Eventually, Caroline wanders off for a shower so I am doing the blog, Caroline has to edit, “Will the real Andrew Trenfield” please stand up before it is published.
Our evening meal tonight is warmed up beef curry that we had a Coronation Beach, then it will be fairly early to bed as we need to be up a 6 so we can get the walk
underway before the heat of the day.
I think as people we have both grown a little, not grown I will never surrender to that one, but just grown in our horizons, fortunately we are both extroverts and find it easy to communicate with others.
I can’t love Caroline any more, that is impossible, but I am that much more proud of her, she gets stuck in, always helps out and has had to make some large sacrifices, what the hell would she want with a pair of Jimmy Choo’s over here, and she has been ok with that? All in all she is an amazing person that I have envied in a business view but out here is so much different, its tough, and you need to be able to keep your head, she has the capability to do that.
Where we end up I haven’t got a clue, at this moment in time, It won’t be back to the UK as far as I am concerned but I suppose never say never.
Technology has helped us tremendously with e-mail and Skype allowing us to speak to four loved ones back in England and some
of our new friends in Australia.
But believe me when I say thank you to you all for making the first 6 months of this trip amazing, without you all it really wouldn’t be what it has turned out to be, whatever contribution you have made has been astounding and it is truly appreciated, you are amazing and we love you all very much.
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virginie Leach
non-member comment
Hi Kangaroojack, My name is Virginie, I'm a 26 year old French travelmaniac (not in a criminal way of course) I'm one of your faithfull blog reader, I found out about travelblog as i was searching the net for some infos on Australia as my hub & I, are going to Os for 10 weeks in August, we're gonna do Cairns-Melbourne in a camper, and backpacking towards the end. Anyway, when I was reading a forum about where to go and what to do in Oz, as I wanted some advice on going in the Outback, someone was recommending your blog to someone else saying that you had done most of what could be done and your blog was great and full of insight. So I started reading it, from the start, and I'm working my way up (thank God your not blogging every day now I would never be able to catch up!) Many times I felt like sending you a comment, but I never did cause I thought you problably had a ton of mail to read from perfect stangers that you problably didn't give a crap about... But after reading, this entry "six months after" day 181, May 07th 2009, I thought Why nooooot... Anyway I just want to say I loooove your blog!!!!! It's addictive, and giving me lots of ideas about what we want to do once we will be there. For example, trying to spot wildlife, I never really gave a thought to the fact that Australia is such a great place to see some wildlife, you just take for granted that it's the land of the kangaroos... but reading your experience, you can really feel your love for the wildlife, it's inspiring. I don't want to take to much of your time, especially as you are back to work and probably "have other cats to whip" (it's a french saying= your busy). Anyway i'll keep you posted on the advancement of our trip planning, now if you'll excuse me I have another entry of Kangaroojack's exceptional adventure to read about. Keep up the good spirit!!!!!!!! Virginie Leach-Morel