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Published: April 24th 2009
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Lyn bell ringing
Swan Bell Tower, Perth! Sunday 19th April - On the way to the airport we saw a herd of wild camels in the desert. Alice is an amazing place - right in the centre of Australia. There’s also a top-secret Aus/American military air-base/communication centre (Pine Gap) that everyone knows about but knows nothing of - apart from anyone who works there is either a “cleaner” or “gardener”!! Caught the 10.00am flight to Perth - clear day so we could watch miles of desert below. Caught a shuttle bus into the city where we were staying at the Mercure Hotel for one night. Room not ready when we arrived so we walked down to the ferry point on the Swan River right next to the Swan Bell Tower. In the park nearby there was a Bhuddist Festival - so colourful with an interesting array of stalls and foods. Sat on the quay watching the world go by - Perth is a great city, beautiful and very laid back. Caught the ‘free’ city bus back to the hotel for shower/bath before heading into Chinatown for a meal. Wandered back through the city - across the railway tracks stopping only to give some money to a young busker
playing the drums on 2 upturned plastic bins - thought of Al when he was here with no money!!
Monday 20th April - Lyn’s bell ringing day at the Swan Bell Tower! Caught bus into town and went to internet café for our breakfast and to use their free internet connection. Then down to the bell tower - made our way up to the ringing room. A very beautiful, modern glass tower with stunning views over the Swan River. Lyn rang in a group of 12 ringers - bought the T-shirt (only people who have rung the bells can purchase these) and then made our way back to hotel to collect our bags and take a taxi to the Maui depot to pick up our next campervan. Stopped at a nearby site that night. Tomorrow we head north for Geraldton and Mullewa.
Tuesday 21st April - Looked at map and decided to go via Cervantis and the famous Pinnacles. Took SH1 - good road - now seeing lots of Road Trains. Passed a lot of stock fields with not a blade of grass - just dust bowls with sheep and cattle kicking up the dust - the drought
has hit hard. Starting to see signs alerting you to keep topped up with drinking water and giving distances between fuel stations. Arrived at Cervantes a small seaside community and drove down to Lake Thetis - a big lake where the salt content is 1.5 more than the sea - its famous for its stromalites (bacterial mounds that are some of the earliest life-forms on the planet). Then on to see the Pinnacles - WOW. You drive through desert with thousands of bits of rocks/sandstone sticking up like Stonehenge as far as the eye can see. Some of the stones are only 1 metre high others 3 or 4 metres and so many of them - an amazing place. Then on to Geraldton and began looking for the overnight rest area in the Chapman Valley. Eventually found it just as it was getting dark. Beautiful sunset then pitch black. Wonderful sky full of huge stars which seem so low down you feel you can touch them.
Wednesday 22nd April - Woke to beautiful sunny morning and took the road to Mullewa. Mullewa is the area where both Al and Ian did some farming whilst in Australia some 12 years
ago. Drove along quiet back roads (apart from occasional road trains). Did 80+K without another vehicle apart from one that had crashed into a ditch!! Now driving through vast wheat fields on single track roads. Met the occasional road train coming the other way which meant we had to pull over on to the gravel side as did the road train - and then we had to wait for the red dust to clear before we could carry on! Arrived at Mullewa - very small town in the outback discovered that the farmer had now retired but tracked down Don who Al used to work with. Our next stop was Perenjori - another farm we were trying to track down. Had directions - several kilometres along dirt roads and then after 2 windmills turn north across a paddock to the farm sheds! We did find it although it must have looked very strange seeing this Maui campervan crossing this huge Australian paddock in the middle of the outback. It was another gorgeous sunset and we stopped for the night at the Caron Dam Reserve.
Thursday 23rd April - Beautiful sunrise after a really cold night! Made our way south
View over Perth from water
Does this bring back memories Liz?! again stopping at New Norcia a Benedictine Monastery in the middle of nowhere with buildings dating back to 1846. Originally founded so that Aboriginal couples could get married and live around the monastery. Later an aboriginal boys orphanage was set up and later a girl’s orphanage which was only closed down in 1965 following a change in government policy. Had a coffee whilst watching huge flocks of cockatoos and parakeets whilst incongruously huge road trains were passing the monastery gates. Back on road through Perth to Freemantle. A lovely historical town with picturesque marina - if we have time would like to come back here.
Friday 24th April - Went into Perth and took the Captain Cook Scenic River Tour down river to Freemantle. Saw Pelicans and Dolphins and expensive houses. It’s the most relaxing way to see the city - from the water. Had a wonderful relaxing 3 hours before we start heading south and working our way around the SW corner - watch this space.
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Fra
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The Bells
Pete and I thought we were brave ringing at Corfe!! Well done you. It sounds as though you are still having the time of your lives and being so adventurous. Missing you both very much. xx