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Published: January 23rd 2008
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Hi Everyone,
We hope you had an excellent festive season and are ready for the New Year!
I left the blog as we departed Auckland on route to Sydney, and in Sydney we begin again….
We arrived in Sydney on the 11th December and made our way to the lovely hotel Pensione in China town. Sydney is a vibrant city and it was quite strange to be back in the bustle after the peace and tranquillity of New Zealand.
During our stay we took in the sights like good tourists, visiting the Opera house, Sydney Harbour Bridge and of course bondi beach, where incidentally Claire bought two bikinis (well you would wouldn’t you?)
If you are in Sydney I can highly recommend a visit to the aquarium with the most amazing tanks built into the harbour, and the excellent Maritime museum, particularly the replica of Capt Cooks ship Endeavour, which is a faithful reproduction and makes you very thankful you were not a 17th century sailor!
On the 15th December we were all set to board the Transcontinental Indian Pacific Express from Sydney to Perth 4300km across Australia by rail in a mere 4 days
and 3 nights. For our xmas treat we had booked first class (or gold kangaroo as its known) and had a cabin with bathroom and bunk beds to ourselves, all very plush. All our meals were served in the dining carriage, with panoramic views of the passing landscape. It’s a great way of seeing Australia. We travelled through the suburbs of Sydney and on into the Blue Mountains. At 6am the following morning we arrived at Broken Hill, a gold mining town and were taken on a very blurry eyed tour which given the hour is only a vague memory. Onwards, and that afternoon we reached Adelaide, where we strolled around the streets taking in the strange combination of extreme heat and Christmas carols and decorations
The journey continued through the Nulaboor plains, a vast desert stretching for thousands of miles in all directions. It is a place where it rarely rains, however when we stopped in the small town of Cook (population 10!) it started to rain heavily and continued to do so the whole day, suggesting that if you are in need of rain, just ask English people to visit.
We reached Perth on 19th December by then
we were feeling a little claustrophobic after being on the train so long and were very happy to see Claire’s aunty Mary and her cousin Michael there to collect us. We are staying with Aunty Mary during all our time in Perth, so big thanks to Mary for looking after us both so well.
We spent a very hot xmas (42 degrees) at Claire’s cousin David and his wife Janet’s house who prepared a full turkey dinner with all the trimming for 17 people! So big thanks to them for that and the party that followed a few days later. Whilst in Perth we got back into swimming at Cotteloe beach and walking by the Swan River.
We had a quite new year and on the 2nd January we picked up our new camper van to head up the west coast of Australia.
Travel in OZ is somewhat different to New Zealand, the distances involved tend to be huge, and the bits in between are low bush red soil and a signpost every 200km usually telling you to look out for stray cattle and kangaroos. We stopped at the Pinnacles park set in the desert where strong limestone pinnacles
rear out of the sand worn into shape over millions of years by wind and weather. Continuing our trip north brought us to Nanga bay which I mention only as the bush fly capital of the area we had to remain indoors to avoid constantly having flies in our eyes ears and nose. Next we headed up to Hamelin marine park reserve stopping to observe the Stromatolites, these tiny single celled animals band together to form strange structures in the shallow and super salty waters of the area, they are the last of their kind, but billions of years ago they were the first creatures on earth, and it was their exhaust gas oxygen that created the environment that eventually led to us developing, so cheers for that Stromatolites!
We also came across a small lagoon with a sign warning of the presence of stone fish, the world’s most venomous fish. As the name implies they look like stones, hide among the rocks, and if you step on them inject venom that usually kills rather most painfully, so as you might imagine we didn’t swim there.
We were planning to stop at Monkey Mia, dolphin encounter capital of Western Australia,
but the only campsite was full so no go. On our way our we stopped at an aquarium which catches various sharks for short periods before returning them to the sea, all very interesting, and they also had 2 sea snakes (very venomous 22 species in WA) fortunately sea snakes are very laid back as well, and bites are most uncommon, they are curious but not dangerous.
We eventually got as far as Exmouth a town built around an Australian naval base. It does have fantastic wildlife, and that evening at our campsite we were visited by 2 emus who strolled around sticking their heads in people’s camper vans and tents, we also saw lots of cockatoo’s who appeared in groups to drink from a leaking water tap and were very curious to see what we were doing. Finally at dusk a family of red kangaroos arrived at the edge of the campsite coming in from the bush, and all this whilst we sat drinking wine! The down side was the extreme heat, during the day a fearful 45-7 degree Celsius, and no lower than 40 at night, there is such a thing as too much sun…
By far
our favourite place was Coral Bay, a tiny town on the protected Ningaloo reef, we camped opposite the reef and were swimming the most beautiful fish among multi coloured coral. The place is home to a great variety of sting rays and whip tail rays, and it takes a little getting used to swimming among so many of them. Near by was shark bay aptly named as the mating place for black and grey tipped reef sharks, we would walk down at high tide and sometimes see as many as 50 or 60 swimming around. Coral bay is very beautiful, but also very cut off and basic supplies are double the normal price. There is also no fresh water, all water for washing and cleaning is bore water which is only slightly less salty than the sea so after a while we started feeling quite grubby and headed back to Perth.
This journey took 4 days with a on day stay in Kalbarri where we hired a outboard motor boat and went on a trip up the Murchison River spending a lot of time stuck on sand banks and having to pull the boat. We also went to the
spectacular limestone gorges.
So here we are back in Perth, at least for 2 days, them we are off south down the West coast to wine country! But more of that later, enjoy the photos, though due to an admin error on my part no photos of the Sydney to Perth bit as I put them on disc and they are now making their way home by sea mail!
Will post further adventures after our return from the south.
Regards,
Shane & Claire
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