Friday 22nd May to Wednesday 27th May

FRIDAY 22ND MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 74

With heavy hearts and uncertainty of what may lie ahead we pack up early to take the Princess out to the local Industrial Area to leave her with Lee, the Steel Fabricator who will fit the new axle . He says the job will take most or all day and he will phone us when it is ready. We unhook and leave her in his trusty hands.

Downtown, where we have become so used to we head to the local coffee shop. We begin to throw some ideas around as to what will be our next move. We are keen to go over to New Zealand to spend some time with our friends and if we were at home we would probably be on the next plane. However, as we are as far west on the Australian continent as one could be and flights from here are very rare or even non existent we are not quite sure what to do.

I phone Jan as I want to share with her the news of Jane (we all spent time together at Kingscliff at the end of our trip in 2005) and as we headed home Jane and Peter spent some extra days there and saw quite a bit of Jan and Alan. Jane always said Kingscliff was her favourite place and if things were different she they would buy a house and live there!!! Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Jan and I shed many tears together and she is no doubt feeling the pain of the thought of losing a lovely friend..

She suggests we drive straight up to Darwin and fly to Wellington from there!!!

After our coffee we decide to phone New Zealand and within moments the phone is answered, as usual by a cheery voice. It's Jane and I have to be strong to hold back tears and heavy emotions. I tell her how shocked we were to get her email and we thought we would like to abandon this part of our trip and head across to see her. In her usual cheerful but persuasive way she said quite definitely 'No'! It was too far and that at the moment she said she gets very tired and would rather we remember her the way we had last seen her. Cheerful, giggling, happy and not a care in the world. She would rather we be here for Peter when the time came. What could I say!!!

She wanted us to keep in touch frequently and that Peter would phone us and let us know as soon as 'it' happened. In her unselfish manner she was far more worried for Peter than herself. I hung up, feeling sad, trying to keep the sound of her voice etched in my memory.

Nick, Lucy and I spent the rest of the day taking long walks on the beach together, now and then feeling a sense of sadness interrupted by laughter and lovely reminders of when we were with Jane and Peter on our last trip. We are sure our little Lucy (Lucinda Jane) (named after our friend Jane) can feel our pain too!!!!

By 4pm we phone Lee (who is fixing our van) and he tells us we can pick her up at 5pm. We are elated and decide that we will drive north to Hamelin Pool to spend the night at the campground there before heading off next morning early for Carnarvon.

Luck is certainly not on our side and when we arrive Lee tells us he is not happy with the way the axle is and needs to do some more work on it. He suggests we can sleep in her for the night in his huge shed – it may be a bit noisy but its at least somewhere to stay, especially as it will be hard to find somewhere to leave Lucy.

I begin to make some frantic phone calls. It is 5 to 6 and I notice the Tourist Information Centre closes at 6pm so I make a phone call to them. A lovely lady by the name of Glenda answers the phone and as I tell her of our predicament and that we need to find accommodation she tells me 'nowhere here takes dogs'!!!! She gives me the name of 3 places who might have vacancies but I would need to assure them that Lucy WOULD sleep in the car!!

The first place I phone is the Caravan Park where we have spent the last 2 weeks. They have onsite cabins so I let them know we need one and I assure them that Lucy will stay in the car overnight. The lady tells me they have just let out their last one and they have nothing left!! The next place I phone is the Denham Oceanfront Cabins and speak to a man by the name of Paul. I tell him our plight and that we are desperate. He says he has 1 last cabin left, the dog is not a problem the only hiccup is that he is hosting a fishing BBQ that our cabin is right next to so might be a bit noisy! I tell him as we are desperate we will be happy with anything. We will see him in 15 minutes.

When we arrive there are many fishing boats outside each cabin and Nick pays the $90-00 (he gets a $10-00 note for change, or rather ½ a $10-00 note which, we are sure by accident, has been torn in half. We decide not to say anything as we think $100-00 a night for the accommodation is worth it.

The rain is setting in so we move into our cosy cabin (Lucy discreetly under our arm) and make ourselves comfortable for the night ahead.

There is no way Lucy is going to be content sleeping in the car. She begins to whimper!!! Nick goes to get her and it is not long before she is snuggled up in her bed with her blanket in front of the warm cosy heater.

I make yummy pumpkin soup which we have with warm crusty bread, perfect for this type of weather and despite the noise from the people at the BBQ next door and the wind and the rain outside it is quite comforting to know we will spend the night in this warm cosy environment.

SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2009 – DENHAM TO CARNARVON W.A. - DAY - 75

After a blissful and very comfortable night we pack up and drive to our favourite cafe, Azure, for breakfast. It is still raining and cold so we enjoy a hot cooked breakfast and coffee and make our way to see our friend Lee and hopefully pick up the van.

She is ready!!!! We take the van for a quick drive around the block and all seems in order so we pay the bill, bid our thanks and farewells to Lee and his team and with raised spirits we make our way to the highway. We want to stop in at 'Gladstone' a campground Jan and Alan stayed at and said it was one of the prettiest campsites they had stayed at so far.

We came across a sign on the highway that said 'Gladstone' 6kms (on a dirt road)!!! We turned off the road and found the 'gate' - 'OFF RD. RECOVERY $550 Ph: 99481141 (Phone available 20kms up the road)!!!!

Jan and Alan said don't be put off by this sign and just enter the gate (making sure to close it afterwards). With our luck so far (tyres shredded, and cracked axles) we entered with trepidation and hoped that what we found was worth it.

We were not disappointed as the campground was lovely and we were amused at the sign “Thank You from the Shire of Carnarvon the cost of $1-00 per person per night. Jan had told us Alan was wondering if they give a 'Seniors Discount'!!!!

The campground was Clean, spacious, well kept and right on the edge of the calmest, prettiest part of the Indian Ocean. We were too early to camp for the night so we decided to have lunch which was just as enjoyable. Lucy enjoyed running up and down the beach and we were in 2 minds as to stay but then decided we would keep going and head north, past Carnarvon and onto Quobba Station and Blowholes about 200kms away.

The distance between towns and roadhouses here in Western Australia is very long and vast with not much to see along the way. We arrived into Carnarvon at around 5:00pm so brought some necessary supplies (Cointreau and lemons for my Margarita) among other things and headed north (70kms) to the Quobba Blowholes.

The sun was setting at around 5:50pm so it was necessary for us to get to the campground before it got too dark. Night was setting in very quickly so setting up camp in the dark was not a thought we really wanted to entertain. So, by the time we got to a huge sign 'Big Waves Kill' and darkness that had set in we were really concerned. We took the dirt road to the left (and as we could hear the loud noise of the ocean) we presumed we were in the right place.

There were many caravanners very close together along what we presumed the ocean cliff. It was very dark with no lights and it was difficult to see so we found a spot which was not great but suitable even for only the night and began to set up.

Being a campground we had no power so had to use our battery. Well! We turned the lights on and 'nothing'! We checked everything and 'nothing'! Our new battery that we had fitted when we left home almost 3 months ago was faulty. What were we to do. We were so looking forward to spending the night here, cooking by our open fire while sitting watching the night skies lighting up the millions of stars on this very clear night. It was not to be!

It was close to 7pm so we made a hasty decision to drive back to Carnarvon – 70kms away and check into a caravan park which we did. Unbeknown to us we found ourselves at the same caravan park we stayed at back in 2005 when we were travelling with Jane and Peter.

With no further dramas we checked in, found a perfect spot and spent a relaxed night, although not under the stars as we had hoped, compensation was that we had power (with TV) and clean amenities close by.

SUNDAY 24TH MAY 2009 – CARNARVON W.A. – DAY 76

Being the weekend we had a very slow day and spent the day washing, cleaning and catching up on some much needed jobs in the van.

The weather was lovely but not quite warm enough to swim so we spent the day walking and re-visiting places we had been to when we were here on our last trip in 2005.

MONDAY 25TH MAY 2009 – CARNARVON W.A. - DAY 77

Being Monday and armed with our list of things to do we drove the short distance into town and the first stop was the post office. I was keen to get the mail as I hoped my lost keys would have arrived from Perth.

I was in luck. They had arrived so going back to the car, I decided to use my original keys to start the car.

Nothing!!!! It seemed we had a problem with the ignition. After many attempts with no luck we decided to phone the local Mitsubishi Truck Dealer (they were the closest thing to a Mitsubishi Car Sevice Centre here in Carnarvon. The kind gentleman informed me that he only dealt in selling new trucks but had an apprentice mechanic who had done a bit of work on Pajero Cars so he would send him out to see us!

I was a bit bored with waiting so I told Nick I would go and have a look at the shops.

Within about 5 minutes of me going I got a phone call from his to say the car had started with no problems. I made my way back to the car immediately.

We finished our jobs and headed back to camp and began to get ready and organised for our early pack up and departure in the morning. We also booked the car into a local mechanic to have the ignition problem checked out as it appeared to have been fixed we weren't keen to drive too long a distance on these remote roads if we were to encounter problems.

TUESDAY 26TH MAY 2009 – CARNARVON TO CORAL BAY W.A. - DAY 78

We pack up and are organised to leave early. This is the 'best' pack up we have had. However, our gloating doesn't last for long. I get into the car and turn on the ignition and nothing happens. It seems the same problem we were experiencing yesterday is still with us. Our elation turns to disappointment and we start to ask ourselves many questions. What could be happening!!! After several attempts still nothing happened and as we were to be taking the car to the mechanic by 8:00am (it was 7:30am) we phoned them to let them know what the delay was.

The mechanic said he would send a roadside service man to come to us. Within about 10 minutes what resembled the WA version of the NRMA arrived and proceeded to look for the problem.

3 hours later and after all possible problem were considered, scratching his head, he asked if by chance, would there be any more keys anywhere!!! The penny dropped........

A few weeks ago while we were in Perth I had misplaced my full set of keys. As I still hadn't found them a week later, while we were in Geraldton, and while having our car serviced we ordered and paid for another key (approx. $250-00). In the meantime the people who looked after Lucy when we went to Rottnest Island had found my set of keys in their front yard (I must have dropped them in the dark when picking her up). Kathy said she would send them to Carnarvon Post Office for us to pick up when we arrived there.

After all the van problems of the last few weeks we finally arrived into Carnarvon and went to the Post Office to pick up our mail. There was a lovely letter and my keys in a packet sent from Kathy.

Once I had my original set of keys back I began to use them (instead of the new cut one). Unbeknown to us we didn't realise that my original key would be 'de-coded', consequently every time I used that key the car would not start.

Not realising, every time Nick started the car with his keys it turned over first time!!!! Consequently, he kept saying that I was not starting the car properly each time (using my key) but when he started the car (with his key) the car started first go. We were baffled!!!!

However, now with the problem solved we discarded the original key and before long we were on the road having to visit another mechanic to remove the bolts from the new axle.

This took about an hour but we then realised we had a problem with the caravan electricals. The brakes and indicators wouldn't work. So, we then drove to a recommended auto electrician about 1km away.

After explaining the problem the young Apprentice began to try to diagnose the problem with the lights. After about 2 hours he was baffled! We then explained to him that we had a problem with the keys and the immobiliser. Well, apparently using the old de-coded key drained the car battery which affected the electricals. $150-00 later we have a new battery and we finally set off for our next destination of Coral Bay about 240kms. away

I decide that as its late I should phone through ahead to book a site at a caravan park in Coral Bay. Thankfully, we did this as we got the last site (have no idea what we would have done as there are 2 caravan parks in Coral Bay (only one takes dogs)!!!! I also mention that we want to swim with the Whale Sharks while we are there so the very kind receptionist books this for us and we are to be ready the next morning for an 8:20am departure. It all seems to be happening!

We arrive into Coral Bay at sunset, checking in finding a fairly cramped spot. The campers next to us and behind us kindly help us manouvre into our spot and as they both have dogs we find we have something in common.

After settling in we have a blissful night, looking forward to our big day tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY 2009 – CORAL BAY W.A. - DAY 79

We are up early and get organised as we are to be out all day today. I feed Lucy and Nick takes her for a walk as I speak to our 'dog loving' neighbours. We mention to them that we will be out all day and that we are going to leave Lucy, tied up on her leash, attached to the van.

I have already mentioned this to the delightful receptionst here at the caravan park and she said whilst it is not a practice they entertain in our case they would check on Lucy to make sure she is ok. We have also been reassured by our neighbours they will do the same, the lady next door even offering to take her for a walk if she gets bored.

We leave plenty of water and some food plus her toys, bid her goodbye and make a quick getaway up the road and to where we have to meet the guides for our whale shark trip.

There are 10 other passengers of differing ages so we introduce ourselves and make small talk until we leave on our mini bus to make our way to the boat ramp. We board the small 9 metre cruiser which appears comfortable but lacks adequate seating but feel we will be so busy overboard we won't need seating.

Our guides are Maia and Michael and skipper Pedro. We are in their trusty hands for the day. The first couple of hours is spent inside the reef where we are shown the emergency procedures before donning our snorkelling gear for a 'test' snorkel. We all, except one man, dive into the water with no problems, although I must admit I am a little apprehensive of what lies ahead.

All back on the boat we then make our way to the other side of the reef (in dark dark blue water) I am even more apprehensive as we are given instructions as to how our dive will take place and what we might expect. Also a few rules and regulations (as outlined by the Department of Environment and Conservation.)

Not much information is known on Whale Sharks and their habits so at the moment these dives are in initial stages. With the help of very experienced Marine Biologists and different techniques the authorities are trying to learn as much about these 'fish' as they can.

There are 3 boats out here at the moment and we all share a 'spotter plane'. This plane will comb the skies searching for these creatures – also for other predators that we are not keen to encounter.

We just have to wait!!!!!

While we are waiting a pod of huge sperm whales approach us and put on a fantastic display for us, coming extremely close to our boat giving us a birds eye view.

As the time passes, there is still no word from the spotter plane but all our eyes are glued to the ocean.

After 5 hours still nothing so we are told the spotter planes have to return to their base and we will head back to shore but on the way will stop at a reef where we can snorkel with some harmless reef sharks among other marine life. Although slightly disappointed, we understand when dealing with nature it won't always go the way we'd like. We have had a fabulous day nevertheless, met some great people and learned a lot about The Ningaloo Reef.

We arrive back at camp and to Lucy who is so excited to see us. We are met by our neighbours who have kept an eye on her all day and have reported she was very well behaved.

We are so tired we order a Pizza for tea and have an early night.

Monday 18th May to Thursday 21st May

MONDAY 18TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 70 (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS DAY)

Nick arrives home from his morning fishing expedition and he is elated as he has caught 2 beautiful size fish. One was a snapper and the other a local coral cod. There is one huge problem though!

As we are not fishing people we have no idea (or equipment) to scale and fillet these marine specimens. I guess that is why I am not a very keen fisherman. I hate the thought of me being responsible for ending their life and whilst I love to eat a freshly caught piece of fish I am not in favour of these recreational fisherman who catch loads and loads of fish, take them home to freeze them for 6 months. If you can't eat immediately what you catch then I think you shouldn't be fishing. There are supposed to be rules and regulations and heavy fines for people who do this but as we have been told it is not closely policed.

We will eat the snapper tonight and the coral (whatever it is) tomorrow night. Nevertheless, Nick had a really enjoyable day (but at $145-00 for his excursion) I think it would have been cheaper at the local fish and chip shop!!! But don't tell him...

TUESDAY 19TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 71

Another morning of gorgeous sunshine. We are told there is a cooler wet change on its way. We haven't had rain since we were in Augusta a few weeks ago but apparently they haven't had rain in this area for months.

I am getting to know the locals, the lady in the supermarket, the lady in the newsagent and as I drive down the main street there is a family of emus that have the right of way on the roadways or the pathways, into the shops where they want. It is quite a unique site and I guess what makes this little seaside town, really a lovely place to be stranded.

The local policeman here are also very friendly and as I meet a couple of the young boys in blue at the local post office as I am walking across the road they are driving towards me and actually stop to let me cross. All this with a friendly smile and wave. It wouldn't happen in the city!!!

WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 72

I get a text message today from Jan and Alan and they tell us they have been snorkelling with the whale sharks at Coral Bay which is on our list 'to do'! They are going to head out to the National Park off Ningaloo Reef, early in the morning which they will love as we spent a few memorable days there when we travelled to this area in 2005. The days were glorious, the ocean was calm and warm and the marine life was abundant. I am very jealous as, even though we weren't going to that area again this time it is paradise nevertheless.

Our day is spent swimming, reading and catching up on emails.

THURSDAY 21ST MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY – 73

Boredom is really setting in and we wake up to wind and the threat of rain so I suggest we go for a drive somewhere. The thought of staying here for too many more days is not very appealing and despite Denham being a lovely little seaside town we are very keen to move on.

There is a Telegraph Station at a place called Hamelin Pool about 130kms from here so we decide to drive there.

The scenery is very boring but at least it is an outing and the Devonshire tea at the Telegraph Station is delicious and worth it and the history very interesting.

While we are out we get a phone call from the man who is going to fix the axle and he says the new one has arrived (we weren't expecting it until early next week) so our spirits are lifted. We have to pack up early and have the van to him by 8:00am where he will take the day to do the repairs.

We decide to drive back to camp and begin to pack up.

While I check my emails we get some bad news from our friends Peter and Jane in New Zealand. We travelled around Australia with them in 2005 and have been very very close and firm friends ever since, continuing our close relationship over the last 5 years.

Jane was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in late 2004. Consequently, they sold their business, cars and home and brought a 4 wheel drive vehicle and pop top caravan. We met them at Kingscliff and as we had much the same plans in our minds we decided it might be fun to travel together. This was one of the most fantastic and memorable experiences we have ever had and despite Jane having interrupted spells during the trip where she had to travel home to NZ for chemotherapy it cemented a loyal and lifelong friendship between us all.

Peter and Nick have the same sense of humour and interests and Jane and I have the same personalities so it made our trip that much more exciting and fun with lots of laughs and a huge pleasure to be travelling for 8 months together.

We then had a wonderful trip to Thailand with them 2 years ago in May 2007. In August last year we spent 8 lovely days with them travelling throughout the north of New Zealand and I'm sure they enjoyed showing us their country as much as we enjoyed seeing it. These are memories that will stay with us forever!

Jane has just been told by her doctors that she now only has weeks until the end, quite a shock as we always thought, with her positive attitude and happy disposition she would beat this retched disease.

We are not sure what our plans will be next so we will phone Peter in the morning and we will then make some decision!

Thursday 14th May to Monday 18th May

THURSDAY 14TH MAY – DENHAM WA – DAY 66

We spent the day packing up to get ready for our departure in the morning. Our plans are that we will drive to Carnarvon but as Jan and Alan are further ahead of us they have told us that we should have an overnight stay at 'Gladstone' which is a very pretty location which we will. Then we will head to Carnarvon (where we will pick up our mail) then up to Red Bluff and Quobba Station for a couple of nights.

From here we will head back to Carnarvon for a night then up towards Coral Bay. Our first priority is to get a new brake cable and have our tyres checked which we will do first thing tomorrow.

However, best laid plans can come unstuck (which you will read further on)!!!!!!

FRIDAY 15TH MAY – DENHAM WA – DAY 67

We pack up early and surprised how easy it is. We are now so organised at this I think the secret is that we have our own 'job descrptions' and it takes me the same amount of time to do my jobs as it does Nick so we 'check out' of this lovely park and head to the Industrial area where we will get our brake cable repaired.

This is done without any problem and we then decide to go across the road to get our tyres checked before heading north to Carnarvon.

After some discussion we are told we have major problems!!!!! Our caravan axle has cracked which puts stress on the wheels and this is the reason we have had to change tyres so regularly. The tyre man calls in the local steel fabrication man to give a second opinion and he agrees it will be very dangerous for us to continue our journey with this problem

After many phone calls we will need to wait until a new custom made axle comes from Perth, then it will need to be fitted. This whole process could take up to a week. The cost is $1200-00.

We decide this is the best and safest option so we go back to the Denham Seaside Caravan Park and camp there until the job can be complete.

There is nothing more for us to see here but we have no other choice. We head back to the caravan park and check in, getting almost the same site as we had before. At least the view is lovely and we could think of worse places to be stuck.

Lee, the steel fabrication man we had been dealing with must have felt sorry for us in our predicament so, him being and avid fisherman, he gave us a freshly caught piece of Shark Bay Coral Trout which he had caught the day before.

We spend the day around camp, walking Lucy and swimming in the bay near by.

The sunsets here are spectacular with the whole sky turning different shade of red. It is certainly a contrast from the sunrises over the ocean we see in the east.

Tonight is the last night of the Fishing Fiesta which has been held here over the past week. They are celebrating with a fireworks display at 9pm so our camp is in the best spot for a spectacular front row view. We wonder if they will be as good as we got so used to when we lived in our city apartment where fireworks were a common practice. We will see!!

I cook the fresh fish for dinner and by 9pm the fireworks begin. 15 minutes of a very spectacular display and yes, we would say they were as good as what we became used to and the applause at the end was testament to how they were enjoyed by many of the spectator on the shore.

SATURDAY 16TH MAY – DENHAM WA – 68

Compensation of being 'stuck' here is that the location is picture postcard and the weather is absolutely glorious. We are treating this part of our journey as a very relaxing holiday (not that the rest of it has been that hard to take).

The main thing on everyone's lips at the moment here in the west Daylight Saving. We were under the assumption that every state in Australia except Queensland had daylight saving but Western Australians don't have it and still take part in the debate. Today is voting day and it is interesting to hear the 'fors' and the 'againsts' from many of the locals.

Dinner this evening is at the 'Old Pearler Restaurant' which is the only finer dining restaurant in the area.

It is the only restaurant in the world to be built predominantly of sea shells. The shells are essentially of the small molusc family being bonded together by pressure, and calcium (as found in shells). Shell stocks come from the Hamelin Pool area and blocks were cut by saw from the ground. The restaurant was built by an Englishman who in 1974 took some three to four years cutting and laying the shell block.

The Old Pearler Restaruant is undisputedly the most photographed building in Shark Bay and it is also the most Westerly restaurant in Australia.

We enjoyed our night immensely and met many 'locals' and as the Swans had just beaten the West Coast Eagles (not that we follow the AFL) we felt very proud to be from the East.

SUNDAY 17TH MAY – DENHAM WA – 69

Well the news is in!!! It is 'No' to Daylight Saving. The no vote won by quite a majority so we say, this referendum has been put to rest, for the time being however, I can't help feeling this, like the Queensland debate will never go away! We will wait and see.

Not much to do today so we spend today around camp and as the weather is gorgeous we walk and swim in the bay close by.

MONDAY 18TH MAY – DENHAM WA – 70

We rise to another 'stunning day' and it will be perfect weather for Nick's day of fishing. I tell him I won't organise anything for dinner except the hot pan ready for the lovely fresh fish he will bring home.

I spend the morning on my computer, answering emails and I hear from Jan and Alan who are on skype – this is where I can talk and see Jan via the computer. Will have to make sure I have my make up on and wearing my pearls!!!!

I also get phone calls from Mitch and Chelsea who need some 'motherly advice'. It is great to talk to them as I feel so far away and I miss them terribly.

Thursday 7th to Thursday 14th May 2009

THURSDAY MAY 7TH 2009 – DRUMMOND COVE, GERALDTON KALBARRI - DAY 59

We pack up and just before we leave we have a visit from Jan and Alan who are heading north also. They will 'see us on the road somewhere' and head off. We are getting much better at this and it takes us about ½ an hour to pack up and be on the road.

About 50kms north of Geraldton is Northampton a lovely historical town with friendly country charm. It is one of the oldest settlements in Western Australia so we stop here for a short visit and to buy fresh coffee before taking the turnoff to Kalbarri.

The drive north is very uneventful and we stop on the way to take in the magnificent views at the various lookouts along the way and the fascination of how nature has shaped the dramatic coastline of Eagle Bluff, Pot Alley, Eagle Gorge and Mushroom Rock.

The site as we were approaching Kalbarri was again breathtaking. I keep saying that word to describe so many scenes here in the west.

We drive through the small village to find the Murchison Caravan Park, one we have been recommended and that will take dogs.

The site we are given is very tight and a very difficult one to manouvre our Princess into. I am not feeling so confident on this one, and as its is quite a crowded park, I am uneasy with the many eyes that are on me. Anyway, after about 4 attempts (and one where I had come very close to the park stone fence) I eventually get the van in.

Jan and Alan are just arriving here and witness my difficulty. I am clearly not happy with this park but it will do for the 2 nights that we have booked. It within walking distance across the road from the beach so that is a plus.

We set up camp and head to the water for a swim. Despite being refreshing and nice it is not as nice as the beach we were at, at Jurien Bay however it will do.

Sunset as usual is gorgeous and we join Jan and Alan with our wine to sit on the bench overlooking the bay. We make arrangements to go to 'Natures Window' at dawn the next day. We will meet at the gate of the caravan park at 5:45am.

FRIDAY MAY 8TH 2009 – KALBARRI W.A. -DAY 60

Our alarm clock wakes us at 5:15am. We are not used to getting up at this hour since we have been away so it is a little shock to the system.

We meet Jan and Alan as arranged and each in our 4 x 4 vehicles drive to the National Park, pay our entry fee and drive the 50kms to the turn off to the 'Window'.

It is still dark so we have to be cautious of wild animals including 2 kangaroos who are as startled by us as we are of them. As Alan is the lead driver he warns us of what lies ahead.

Our first stop is 'The Loop' which provides different views of the winding gorge below and a short walk of 400 metres from where we park is a natural rock arch which superbly frames the upstream view. This is called Natures Window and it is here we witness the magnificent sunrise catching the dazzling colours of the cliff and rock faces with a tapestry of dazzling colour enhancing the various rock and cliff faces below.

This is the best time of the day to be here and the early 'wake up call' was well worth it.

We head back to town to enjoy breakfast and coffee at the Black Rock Cafe in town.

The rest of the day is spent around camp and swimming in the ocean nearby before joining Jan and Alan for fresh cooked local fish and chips for dinner.

SATURDAY MAY 9TH 2009 – KALBARRI TO DENHAM – W.A. - DAY 61

We leave here today as our next major stop is to be Carnarvon which is just under 500kms north and we want to have a look around Denham and Shark Bay before then so as we are not sure where we will spend the next couple of nights we leave here to begin the journey.

We bid our farewells to Jan and Alan who have had a problem with birds overnight. Their annexe is littered with bird droppings as they camped under trees. Alan is busy brushing the droppings off with soap and water and to Jan's alarm his little nail brush. Oh well! Whatever will do the job.

They are not sure whether they will stay here another night (as they have booked) or to leave here and head north as we are. We arrange that we will see them 'somewhere on the road'!!!

As we are taking the driving easy, sitting on 80kms per hour, we will find a spot for the night before dark.

We drive inland a bit before joining the North West Coastal Highway. The scenery is a little monotonous so I doze and sew my patchwork while Nick drives. All of a sudden we feel the vehicles begin to vibrate and on stopping and investigation find the left hand tyre on the Princess has completely shattered. We pull off the road into as safe a position as any and begin the awful task of changing it.

I am a bit useless at these things (and changing tyres is certainly not in my job description) so whilst I am happy to help, hold, pull, hammer, or kick whatever he instructs me to do I make myself scarce. After about an hour, and with some difficulty with our Jack we decided the best thing to do is to unhook the van from the car and one of us drive to the nearest roadhouse to purchase a new one. Although I haven't seen the movie, Wolf Creek, the story runs through my mind but we have no other option.

Just as we are about to unhook Nick looks around and here are Jan and Alan parking their car behind us. Someone must be looking down on us as they couldn't have arrived at a better time.

Alan, being a far more seasoned camper than Nick had just the right equipment and before long we had the spare tyre on and were making our way to the next roadhouse (about 5 kms away)!

Our well laid plans to arrive at a camp in daylight certainly went out the window as we now were heading towards Denham about 60kms away and as we could see the sun slowly setting over the ocean we could guage that we wouldn't arrive during daylight which makes it that much harder to set up in the dark. Nevertheless, we pushed on.

Jan and Alan decided they would probably head to wards the National Park for the next few days so would keep in contact with our mobile phones. Thank god for them I say!!

We arrive into Denham just as the sun is setting over the ocean, a magnificent sight but the task ahead of us at the moment is more important to find a camp for the night.

There are a couple of caravan parks here but I can remember from our last trip in 2005 one that was right on the beachfront with magnificent views of the bay so, despite the impending darkness we drove to find it.

When we did we were given, I think, the best site in the park. Overlooking the ocean, and no one either side of us. Perfect! We booked here for 3 nights with an option to extend. There was an almost full moon rising also so this site at dusk with the sun just set on the ocean was magical.

It didn't take us long to set up camp and while Nick was doing the finishing touches I headed into town to find a take-away for dinner. I certainly wasn't going to cook at this time of night.

There is the Shark Bay Fishing Fiesta here for this week so this tiny town is buzzing with
many fishing enthusiasts. There are a couple of tents along the beachfront with BBQ's and a band playing and the couple of restaurants are overflowing with diners.

I buy hamburgers and take them back to camp where we enjoy them overlooking the ocean.

SUNDAY MAY 10TH 2009 (MOTHER'S DAY) – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 62

I am overwhelmed by this place. We came through Denham on our way to Monkey Mia on our 2005 trip and whilst I thought it was a really pretty little seaside village we didn't really have time to stop and look around. Also the weather at that time, despite having lovely sunny days the temperature was getting cooler.

This is a perfect time of year to be here. Up to 29 degrees during the day but no humidity and a very very slight breeze blowing.

I wake up to an absolutely magical sight. We have a panoramic view across the bay (Shark Bay) and with the turquoise ocean and white white sand its breathtaking.

At 6am (our time – 9am Eastern time) I receive a text message from Danny, Tash and Kirra wishing me a happy Mother's Day. I have been trying to phone them since they texted me the message of their 'baby' news! Our telephone service has been very much spasmodic so I will try and phone them tonight hopefully with better luck.

I then get a phone call from Mitch and Chelsea. In such an idyllic place my only wish is that my children could be with me to share this lovely day. But that's not to be so will just have to be grateful of hearing their voices. I am missing them very much!!!

I make a couple of phone calls to Lois my sister-in-law to wish her a happy Mother's Day and to friends Shannon and Sue Cross who lost their Mother (and father ) earlier in the year. The 'first' anniversaries of these occasions are always the hardest, as I experienced last year, so I just wanted to let them know I was thinking of them.

Nick decides he wants to have a swim and sit on the beach for a while so I sit in my new 'office' overlooking the ocean and boats while I update this blog, and write a few cards. I think I could spend a few weeks here - will just have to convince Nick.

MONDAY 11TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 63

I pack a picnic lunch and as we decide to do some exploring of this area. We won't go to any National Parks so Lucy comes with us.

First stop is the Tourist Information Centre where we decide on doing a boat trip out to Dirk Hartog Island tomorrow. We try to book but there is no answer at the moment so we ask the attendant behind the counter if she could arrange it all for the next day and we will call in to get the details on our return from Nanga Bay.

There is a lovely drive with many things to see on the way so we head south towards Nanga Bay about 50kms away.

Shell Beach is an amazing pure white beach that has been created naturally from hundreds of millions of tiny sea shells ( Fragum cockles – thought to be up to 4000 years old) that grow in profusion in L'Haridon Bight extending 120kms along the coastline. Compacted shell has been quarried for building blocks best displayed at the Old Pearler Restaurant in Denham where we plan to have dinner on Thursday night.

Eagle Bluff about 20kms south of Denham is first stop and there has been a boardwalk erected along the sea front. It is perched high above the bay, allowing us uninterrupted views across Shark Bay to useless Loop and we see many rays swimming but we spot a small reef shark. The views are breathtaking.

We get to Nanga Bay which is on the western side of Peron Peninsula and is a peaceful location with access to lovely calm waters. Once an operating pastoral station, part of the station has been converted into a tourist resort with full accommodation and recreational facilities and the remainder has been purchased for conservation.

There is a lovely shaded area about 3 metres from the beach with an old table and chairs. This is where we decide to set up our picnic. It is lovely and we let Lucy off her lead to run on the beach and dip her toes into the crystal clear water.

While we are here another couple in their 4 wheel drive pull up not far from us to have a swim. They are a delightful couple and we spend about an hour chatting to them. They are 'locals' from Mandurah and often come here to holiday. They love the natural beauty, the warm waters and the peace and quiet. They give us some good tips on where we should go when heading north we finish our picnic and head back to Denham via The Tourist Information Centre to get the details of our trip planned for tomorrow.

TUESDAY 12TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. - DAY 64

We rise early and decide we will leave Lucy tied up on her longer lead outside the van for the day. Although it will be a long day at least she will be able to have some room to move around and if it gets too hot she can lie underneath the van. I will make sure to leave her a big bone which will occupy her for a while. She also has a basket of toys which she likes to play with so hopefully that will keep her busy.

It is a short distance down to the Wharf where we see our magnificent cruiser and meet our 2 guides, Stacey (Guide, first mate, and cook), and Mike Skipper and Guide).

The boat trip takes 1 ½ hours to get to Dirk Hartog Island and while the seas are relatively calm it makes a very enjoyable trip.

For the next four hours we visit the old shearing shed and the homestead before departing in 1 of the 2 x 4 wheel drive vehicles heading across the dunes to the blowholes while learning the history of the island.

Our travelling companions are a gorgeous girl by the name of Toby and 2 guys, Jon and Gavin. They are in a band called “Toby” and accompanying them is their friend and 'Manager' Kate. They are great fun and as they are schoolfriends of our guide Stacy, Nick and I feel we are getting a more personalised service.

“Toby” are on a tour of the West Coast at the moment and are, in a few weeks going to Canada and the United States to tour. I am really keen to hear them so I will get their tour dates when we get back to land.

This island was the first piece of Australia visited by Europeans when Captain Dirk Hartog arrived on the 'Eendracht' on October 25th, 1616. He announced his arrival by nailing an inscribed pewter plate to a wooden post at the site now known as Cape Inscription.

The blowholes were spectacular with some amazing scenery where spray would shoot some 20 to 30 feet into the air. We got some fantastic photos at this point.

We learned of the wildlife protection project (Project Eden) on the island where they are trying to re-introduce animals such as mallee fowl, bilbies, echidna, woylie, bunarra and threatened grasswren birds. The only way they can achieve this is to rid the island of foxes and feral cats and the sheep and goats. They have exported overseas many, but the remaining sheep and goats are shot and killed by Department of Environment wildlife officers. It is sad to see the carcasses remaining but as these animals eat and destroy the vegetation which is needed to sustain the endangered fauna. It is all part of 'nature'.

We then go to a location where we view Steep Point which is the most westerly point on the mainland in the country. This area also features the magnificent Zuytdorp Cliffs towering up to 170m above sea level. The Zuytdorp (pronounced Zurtoff) Cliffs that begin at Kalbarri to the South and end at Steep Point make for some amazing scenery.

After a delicious lunch and swim in the crystal clear water we head back to the homestead before boarding the boat to take us back to the mainland. Once there the girls give me a pamphlet with the band tour dates and hopefully when we are in Exmouth or Coral Bay we will see them at the local venue.

I touch base with Jan and Alan who have been further north and are heading out to the National Park for a few days. We will see them in Coral Bay or Exmouth next Wednesday after we have been to Carnarvon, Quobba Station and Red Bluff where they have been to already.

After our long day out Lucy is happy to have us both here together so after dinner we watch some TV and have an early night. I try to phone our daughter in law Natasha for her birthday but with no luck so will text her. She works for Qantas so could be overseas. I will keep trying.

WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY 2009 – DENHAM W.A. DAY 65

This morning we drive over to the Industrial Area where we will get a 'nut' for our caravan tyre that we have lost somewhere along the way. We also have to get our caravan brake cable fixed as it snapped when we shattered the tyre a few days ago. We speak to a man who does this but he cannot fit us in until Thursday or Friday so we will have to hang around here at Denham until then.

While in this area we have been told the local Fish Co-Op have lovely fresh local fish so I buy 500grams of Shark Bay Whiting which I will cook tonight. It is so fresh!

I slipped while on the boat yesterday and have pulled a muscle behind my knee. Although not debilitating it is quite painful so I decide to spend the day around camp, with ice and hot packs to relive some of the pain.

We have plenty of washing to do so we do that and then spend the rest of the day sewing my patchwork. Lucy is happy to have us around and with some walks close by and a swim in the afternoon we enjoy the peace.

More WA Photos

 

 

 

More WA Photos

 

 

 

 

WA Photos

 

 

 

 

More Photos

 

 

 

 

Saturday 25th April to Wednesday 6th May

SATURDAY 25TH APRIL 2009 – FLINDER'S BAY, AUGUSTA W.A. - DAY 47

Today is Anzac Day and the weather is far from favoUrable for those who want to take part in any outdoor Anzac Day Ceremonies.

If Nick and I were at home we would usually go and find a pub in the city and join the diggers in playing the traditional two up. With this place being so quiet and out of the way I am not sure anything will be happening.

As its so awful outside I decide to stay in for the morning and Nick, more out of boredom decides to go and find an Anzac Ceremony “somewhere”.

He returns about 20 minutes later to say the all is very very quiet so he joins me and spend the time reading.

We speak to Jan and Alan on the phone and they tell us it is lovely weather where they are in Fremantle and they are catching the ferry and riding their bikes over to Rottnest Island. We arrange to catch up in Geraldton in about a weeks time.

The rest of the day is spent hanging out, reading, me sewing and watching videos!!!

SUNDAY 26TH APRIL 2009 – FLINDER'S BAY, AUGUSTA W.A. - DAY 48

I wake up and listen to the radio and there is a journalist who is helping to promote the Olive Industry here in Margaret River. She suggests a very good Olive Farm at Cowaramup about 40kms from where we are so we decide to drive up there today and check it out. We are becoming very familiar with this highway through the vineyards so just past Margaret River we find our destination.

It is called Ollio Bello Olive Farm so we drive in and park the car. The fields are abundant with lovely olive trees so we are keen to taste whatever they have to offer.

When we got inside the lovely tasting room there were benches and shelves filled with not only every type of infused olive oil but tapenades, jams, chutneys, soaps, exfoliant rubs and moisturisers. I had no idea there were so many uses for this fruit.

After a few tastings and some lovely purchases we decided to have lunch. Nick a lovely homemade soup and I had some lovely morsels of crusty bread and a tasting plate. It was delicious and as we brought some of the lovely Margaret River Wine with us we were able to enjoy these two local delicacies together.

On our way home we had a drive around Augusta and were impressed with a fantastic recreational park with tennis courts, bowling green, skate board track, bike track and 9 hole par 3 golf course.

We spent the evening having local fish and chips while watching more DVD's.


MONDAY 27TH APRIL 2009 – FLINDER'S BAY, AUGUSTA W.A. - DAY 49

The weather here now is really turning cold and windy and there is rain around. There is not much more we can do here so we spend 'another' day around camp and getting ready for our departure hopefully, tomorrow once our mail comes in. I am finding I have a problem with my computer – whilst it will turn on the screen does not light up. I am keen to get it fixed but not keen to hang around another day for it to happen so will ask a local computer expert in town what the problem might be.

TUESDAY 28TH APRIL 2009 – FLINDER'S BAY TO MAIDA VALE (PERTH) - DAY 50

We wake up early in anticipation of our departure today. Hopefully the mail will have arrived and we can head north. Nick and I do everything to pack up except 'hook up'. At 9am we drive into town to the post office and hooray, our mail is in. Don't know why we are so excited as there are only bills. I take my computer to the local computer man and he says that he really is not keen to play around with it as it will interfere with my warranty so suggests it best to wait until Perth.

It only takes about 20 minutes to hook up and before long we are on our way heading towards Perth.

We are keen to catch up with our friends Liz and Buz in Rockingham so after about 4 hours we arrive there but the caravan park is very crowded so we decide to drive into Perth. There is a caravan park about 14kms south of Perth at Maida Vale so we set the GPS and head there.

There are quite a few 'permanents' here but as we are keen to only use this as a base we are not fussed. We find a spot and set up camp.

I ring our friend Ben Brown (from the Gold Coast) and he is keen to have dinner with us. We ask the Manager of the Caravan Park where is a nice pub to eat at and he suggests Kalamunda at the foot of the Perth Hills. We arrange for Ben to meet us and he can follow us there.

Kalamunda is a really lovely little village (a little like Leura or Bowral in NSW.) with many small cafes and specialty shops. We find the pub and order steak and salads.

It is fantastic to catch up with Ben and hear what his plans are. He has been travelling for 9 years, throughout Australia and overseas whilst working at the same time. At 26 he feels now he is ready to settle down. Unfortunately, his girlfriend, also from the Gold Coast is wanting to head back there to settled down but Ben is keen to stay here in the west so I think there will be some serious decisions to be made. We will see what happens!!!!

The food at this pub is delicious and steaks are cooked perfectly. We have a lovely night.


WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL 2009, MAIDA VALE PERTH W.A. - DAY 51

It is Nick and Jan's birthdays today so we phone Jan early to wish her a happy birthday. They have had a surprise where their 3 daughters, Angela, Sarah and Lisa have given them 2 nights at the Joondalup Resort in Perth with golf thrown in. They are over the moon and Jan is a bit worried as to how is she ever going to come down to earth and go back to their camper.

I offer to take Nick out for the day so we drive to Coogee Beach where we stop at a lovely cafe for lunch. From there we go to Fremantle and while there decide we will do a trip to Rottnest Island. We are given direction to the Tourist Information Centre at Guildford, not far from where we are staying so we drive the 40 minutes there, park the car and go inside to speak to the delightful ladies behind the counter.

We are given advice and make our decision that we will do a daytrip from Perth tomorrow but we say to the ladies we are not keen to leave Lucy in the caravan for the whole day and could they suggest 'Doggie Daycare'. One of the ladies, Kathy says it is her day off tomorrow and that she would be happy to look after Lucy for the day.

They are introduced and there is an instant attachment. It is agreed that we will drop Lucy off at her place at 7am.

We have made arrangements to drive down to Rockingham tonight to catch up with our friend Liz. Unfortunately her partner Buz, who is an Engineer in the Mines, is working tonight so we will miss him. With such a short visit we are not sure we will see him this time but we arrange to meet Liz at a local pub at 6pm when she finishes work.

It takes about 40 minutes to drive back down the Coast but we are delighted to see Liz as she tells us we are going to the Swinging Pig (Rockingham)!!!! for dinner.

Steak is on the menu again so, as we don't eat a lot of red meat normally we are really getting our fair share of iron over the last few days. We had a lovely night catching up and hearing all about their plans for their wedding in September on Treasure Island, Fiji (where we met and were included in their engagement celebrations 2 years ago).

THURSDAY 30TH APRIL 2009 -MAIDA VALE (ROTTNEST ISLAND) W.A. - DAY 52

Up early as I pack Lucy's backpack for her day out and we drive th short distance to Guildford. Kathy and her husband Eric are waiting for us at the home they are housesitting. It is the most beautiful home, built in the early 1800's with magnificent gardens. The house is owned by friends of Kathy, 2 doctors who are overseas at the moment. Lucy is going to love this place with an enormous area to run around in.

We hand her over together with her backpack and everything that she will need for the day. She takes no notice of our escape as she heads straight to the huge backyard with poor Kathy being dragged along behind her!!!

It is fairly easy to make our way by train the 20 minutes into Perth. We walk the short distance down to the wharf and board the ferry that will take us down the Swan River to Fremantle. There is a commentary along the way, a bit like on Sydney Harbour, where all the mansions and landmarks are pointed out along the way.

It takes about 1 hour and we then board another boat and the journey is 40 minutes by rivercat to t Island. It is quite crowded with many many bikes and riders.

There is a small swell but nothing to worry about and we arrive on the Island very promptly. There are many many daytripprers and as there are no public vehicles allowed on the island the form of transport is bicycle or small coach.
We walk into the historical Mall and are immediately met by a small animal resembling a 'rat' which is a quokka – native to this island. We decide to do some discovering on foot as there is so much history here before heading to the lodge for a delicious fish lunch.

We are booked on a 2 hour tour of the island so after lunch we make our way to the 'pick up' area and board the small coach and driver – Derek who will be our tour guide.

The scenery is breathtaking and so much nicer on the other side of the island where there are many deserted beaches, wild birds and animals and rugged coastline. Our tour guide is so knowledgeable and interesting and makes our tour that much more interesting.

Our boat back to Perth is booked for 4pm so we make our way to the boarding area and this time there is more of a swell on our return.

It is peak hour in Perth now so the journey back to Guildford is longer and as we are so tired we are very anxious to get back to our camp.

Lucy has had a lovely day, lots of walks, running around the the huge back yard and a lovely bath. When we picked her up she was so fluffy and white, visibly excited to see us as usual but quite relaxed in Kathy and Erics company. I handed over $20-00 which Kathy reluctantly took, collected the backpack and drove the short distance back to our camp. We were exhausted.

FRIDAY MAY 1ST 2009 – MAIDA VALE, PERTH TO JURIEN BAY W.A. - DAY 53

Today we are leaving Perth and heading north. We have been told there is caravan park at a place called Cervantes, a small fishing village right on the ocean so we head for there. I notice I have lost all my keys so after a search with no luck I decide, I'm sure I will find them within the car or van and don't want to waste time so off we go.

Cervantes is about 200kms from Perth so we arrive there in the early afternoon, and as the caravan park is quite crowded decide to drive onto Jurien Bay. Cervantes close to the National Park where the Pinnacles are so if we stay at Jurien Bay we can always drive the short distance back.

Jurien Bay is a little bigger than Cervantes and the caravan park is also on the beach. We check in and are given a spot – although a big park the sites are huge so very comfortable.

We set up camp and meet our neighbours, Sue and Barry from the South Coast of NSW. They are also driving around Australia, have done it before in a caravan, like us, but this time have a 'pop out' camper and are planning to go to the places they didn't see last time. They are a lovely couple and we hope see more of them.

SATURDAY MAY 2ND 2009 – JURIEN BAY, W.A.- DAY 54

We wake up to a brilliant day with a temperature forecast for the high 20's. There is a lovely bike track by the ocean so we pack our swimmers and towels on our bikes and we head off. There is a gorgeous, deserted beach on our way so we park our bikes and head in for a swim. The water is, as Nick says, 'delicious'! Once I am wet I don't want to get out. There is a small wave and not one other person on the beach. It is just how I like it.

After about an hour we ride back to camp and are met by Barry and Sue who have told us about a fresh lobster outlet not far from here. We have showers and follow their directions.

We purchase 2 beautiful fresh cooked lobsters for $13-00 each (in Sydney I would pay $49-00 each) and I can't resist a dozen oysters and 500grams of fresh tiger prawns. It is close to 1pm so we just make it in time.

Back at camp I make a salad and we share one of the lobsters. There is so much meat on it and it is so sweet. A lovely cold glass of WA Sauvignon Blanc accompanies it. “Perfect”!!!

This afternoon we want to go to see the National Park out of Cervantes where the Pinnacles are. These or rock formations just 'sticking out' of the the sand. This is the only known place in the world these unusual natural 'statues' are and really worth seeing.

We meet a couple of 'middle aged' guys, Ron and Derek – actually brothers in law, travelling on their motor bikes. They left NSW and are taking 11 weeks to drive round Australia. I noticed the sign on the back of the bike “Adventure B4 Dementure”! They had left their wives at home and were planning to seek out the best places to being 'the girls' back to. They were trying to convince us that their wives were back home pining for them and missing them so much – yeah right!!!!!

When we got back to the van we noticed copious amounts of water dripping out of the door of the van. Nick had by mistake left the tap running with the plug in and the sink had overflowed – there was floods of water everywhere. Just as well we have lots of towels as It took about 4 of them to mop up all the water.

I cooked a thermidor sauce for our lobster that night which we ate out under a perfect starry night. This place is so gorgeous we are considering staying an extra night!

SUNDAY MAY 3RD 2009 – JURIEN BAY TO GERALDTON W.A. - DAY 55

A decision is made that we leave here today and head to Geraldton. Our car is booked in for a service there on Monday so will need to be there and settled tonight.

We ring Nick's son Stuart as he is celebrating his 39th Birthday today so we make the phone call as we are driving north.

There is a caravan park at Greenough a small historical town just south of Geraldton and they will take dogs so we will call in their. We stayed at Sunset Beach last time which was lovely but they don't take dogs so we must find an alternative.

Greenough has so much history in their buildings and museum but we make the decision to go further to see what we can find closer to Geraldton.

There is a caravan park which takes dogs just north of Geraldton at Drummond Cove so we drive through Geraldton and the 9kms north. Drummond Cove is lovely with panoramic views out across the Indian Ocean. It's gorgeous and there are large shady sights. We book for 3 nights, find a perfect spot and set up camp.

I phone Jan and Alan and they are staying at Sunset Cove and are booked until Thursday. We arrange to meet them in town in the morning.

We also have friends who live here, Joe and Sharon Knight-Smith who we visited last time round so we also phone them and arrange to see them sometime also.


MONDAY MAY 4TH 2009 – GERALDTON W.A. - DAY 56

Joe phones Nick early and we arrange to meet in town at a local coffee shop. As we are driving into town to drop our car off at the local Mitsubishi Dealer in time for the service, along the beach front we come across Jan and Alan who are riding their bikes. We make arrangements to also meet them at a coffee shop. Once in town we drop off the car and walk the short distance into town. We get a phone call from Jan and Alan that they are having brunch at 'Skeetas' a cafe across the road from the beach so we meet Joe and walk to the cafe.

After coffee and catch up I leave Nick and Joe to 'do their own thing' while I go and find some shops. I am in desperate need to have a hair colour, cut and style, nails done, feet done and eyebrows waxed so I am on a mission.

Before we leave the cafe it is arranged that we will all go and have a BBQ at Jan and Alan's tonight. I will make a salad to take.

I find a lovely hair salon where there is a delightful South African girl ready to transform my tired image. After travelling for the last 2 months I am desperate.

4 hours later I emerge with a new hairstyle, colour, nails, and eyebrows I feel fantastic. Co-incidentally I meet Jan in the nail shop – she has the same idea!!!

We get a phone call from Kathy and Eric back in Guildford (the couple who looked after Lucy for the day). They tell us they have found a set of keys and did we happen to lose some. With relief we thankfully asked that they forward them onto Carnarvon Post Office which is where we plan to be in the next week or two. They don't want any payment for postage. These people are the salt of the earth and can only hope we see them again sometime.

We arrive at Sunset Beach where Jan and Alan are just in time for sunset. It is magnificent here in the west at this time. Joe and Sharon arrive and we settle in for a lovely night of catching up, and it was amazing at how many people Joe knew that Jan and Alan knew.

Sharon and Joe invited us all over for dinner the following night.

TUESDAY MAY 5TH 2009 – GERALDTON W.A. - DAY 57

Our car still needed new tyres which were coming up from Perth and we needed a new key cut (as I still couldn't find my lost set) so I offered to take the car back to the car service place while Nick and Jan, Alan and Joe went to the local Maritime Museum. I was going to meet them there when our car was ready.

4 hours later, I was able to pick up the car (there was a problem with the key apparently) not impressed we paid the $1100-00 bill and left there. I was too late for the Museum so I ended up meeting Nick and we went back to camp to hang out before heading out at 5:30 to pick up Jan and Alan for dinner.

Sharon and Joe's 4 children have all left home however, at the moment they have a young lady, Ruth Highman staying with them from Perth for 6 months while she is working as a GP in Rural Medicine here. Her story is fascinating and we were intrigued listening to her.

On March 22nd this year, Ruth together with her friend Jane Humphreys, won a Gold Medal in the Doubles Surf Ski Event at the Australian National Surf Lifesaving Championship (Aussie Titles) at Scarborough Beach. This event brings competitors from all over Australia and the competition is fierce. She took us through the event minute by minute and we were as fascinated hearing it as she was proud to be telling it.

Sharon cooked a delicious meal and our night ended a little later than we were used to but it was a lovely night nevertheless.

WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH 2009 – GERALDTON W.A. - DAY 58

I was really keen to have a day to myself and Jan was invited to play golf in a charity tournament at the local golf club so Alan kindly took Nick off my hands for the day! Joe met them and they had a swim and lunch while I took Lucy for a long walk on the beach and then took off on my own to a lovely local shopping centre.

After a couple of small purchases I came home to find Nick here. Where had that time gone!!

After doing some washing, we decided to start packing up a few things slowly, ready for our departure in the morning.

By 5:30pm it was close to sunset so we got our beers, chairs and Lucy settled ready and at this time of the day we notice all our neighbours coming out also to watch this magnificent sight, one that we are not used to living over in the east.

I cook a small piece of roast pork and veges for dinner before having an early night.