The last of western Australia

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So left Coral Bay and headed up to Exmouth. A mission to be acomplished! After 150km of just one straight road, we arrived at the national park of Cape Range, i think that's what it was called. Anyway there we spent a lovely afternoon on an amazing beach called Turquoise bay. It literally was the most pristine beach ever, but definitely only accessible by car and quite a way into the national park. Miles from anything. I snorkeled there just off the shore and let the strong current drift me downstream along the beach. The corals were beautiful, the fish in abundance and even sswam with a shark and rays. The current very strong at one point although i was without fins and did ok to get out of the sea and throw myself back on the beach for an afternoon nap.

Near Turquoise bay is where we set up camp for the night. A very funny experience. Lovely drink and nibbles as we watched the sunset whilst sitting up on the virgin dunes where almost no one had set foot! However, the night was gusty and the wind didn't stop blowing the tent and i was up before the birds i must say. Camping definitely not for me. I would rather a proper bed any day!

Anyway it was an experience one has to go through to see if one is apt for those conditions or not at my age! ha ha It was fun and we had good company so it could have been worse.

Next day as was up so early we head off for a mini trek through the gorges of the national park where we crossed paths with kangaroos and other goats and stuff which were hdding here and there keeping out of the hot morning sun. This was where i discovered the nasty flies that come from the east apparently and love to plot up on your face and in any hole, i.e in your ears, up your nostrils and on your eyes and worst of all in your mouth. Yes, one flew right in my mouth whilst i was talking and i could not get the thing out, tried coughing it up but no luck. It went straight for my stomach and hopefully died of death soon after in a tummy full of acid! After this expereince i decided against going further north, another 700km to het to Karijini national park, as i feared it would be hell up there with no winds and a million more flies. So i was kindly dropped back to Coral Bay where i spent another couple of nights and lazy days at the beach just chilling as one does soaking up the sunny warm weather of western australia.

After that I head back to Perth on a 17hr night bus journey which i boarded on the night of the 22nd Nov. Happy to say that having waited an extra 2hrs until 2h30am that morning for the bus which was 2hrs late coming from Broome, i was no sooner on the bus for 5mins, that a fellow passenger handed me a spare pillow and that was me set for the journey. Head down and off to sleep. Apparently i missed 3 kangaroos which we hit on the way and a few stops, but woke up about 12hrs later and by then only a few more to go which i dozed for too. So all in all the journey was kind of quick, if one can say that!!!

Having stayed a night at my lovely friend Dara's in Quinns Rocks and said my goodbyes, i was on my ways down to south part of Perth, to Rockingham or more precisely Shoalwater. Here i was picked up by some lovely friends of my parents who emmigrated to Oz in the 60's and who have recently completed and opened a b&B which they have built themselves and which is absolutely a dream, or as they call it heaven!

Manuel Towers is where i was welcomed and stayed for my last days in Western Oz. Here Ali and Manuel kindly took care of me, spoilt me rotten and basically made it very hard for me to say i was on my way again. Whilst staying down this part of the city, i did head up to Fremantle one Sunday afternoon and enjoyed strolling around the markets and enjoyed the buzziness of it. It reminded me of Covent Garden and ofcourse then made me feel more homesick!!! It was better to have felt that way than not to have been reminded of home at all. Mind you, the sights on the buses and trains and generally around Perth and Western Oz is quite frightening. There is definitey a need for Trinny and Susannah to come hit the streets around here and sort most people out without a doubt!! I had a laugh at first but after it did almost make me cringe. Anyway some people just need a little help i suppose, and what you don't know, well, just doesn't hurt i suppose. Maybe they have never heard of the word fashion or style or simply some kind of coordination or general taste!

So Perth was now about to be left behind me and Eastern Oz ahead. Yes just a short flight over in comparison to other journeys i have taken over the past months. Just 5 hrs later, i landed in Sydney, by night and hit the Big backpackers hostel in Elizabeth street, which was very friendly and good location. I will report more once i have explored this city!

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