Mon. 24th Sept., 2012 - Jurien Bay to Bunbury

It was 9am when we left Jurien Bay - the sun was shining & the temperature was 18C.  The brilliant white dunes looked like snow-covered mountains as they gleamed in the bright sunshine.  With the turquoise ocean on one side & the dunes on the other, we were loathe to leave the coast & move inland.  Bob tried to photograph the picturesque scenery but it was so panoramic that it was difficult to capture it & do it justice.  We've realised, so often, that there is nothing like the real thing.  However, it's nice to have a record for future reference.

Our route was still strewn with wildflowers that coloured the verges & the bush on either side of us - how lucky we were to have arrived at the exact time of their blooming; it was a wonderful sight.  Grass trees (known as 'black boys' before the name became politically incorrect), began to appear in the landscape, their spiky 'topknots' adorning the dark trunks.  Frequently, they had tall, black spikes extending upwards from their grassy heads, probably carrying the seeds.  When we got out of the car to look at them more closely, we realised that many smaller low-growing flowers abounded that we'd been unable to see as we drove along.  The kangaroo paws were incredible, dotted amongst numerous other lovely plants.  There is so much beauty in the world, but all too often we fail to notice it.

The Mitchell Freeway took us through the centre of downtown Perth, which is a very attractive city, situated at the mouth of the Swan River.  It was reminiscent of the Mediterranean, with its terracotta rooftops & arched doorways.  Time was our biggest enemy & we could only take a brief glance as we drove straight through.

At Mandurah, we did something we hadn't done for years ... I knew you'd think that; shame on you! ... we bought some Kentucky Fried Chicken.  We were hungry & it tasted delicious!

We began to see signs advertising wineries.  It was a long time since we'd seen grapes growing - they obviously don't thrive in the red dust!

On arrival in Bunbury & finding our caravan park, we discovered that it was just across the highway from our friends, Gillian & Tony; within walking distance, in fact.  We called on them for a cup of tea & made plans for the next couple of days.  It was good to catch up & share one another's news.

We were definitely in "up" country - half of the nearby place names ended in "up": Myalup, Binningup, Burekup, Dardanup, Boyanup & Mumballup to name a few!  We discovered that the aboriginals use "up" to inidcate "near or by water".

Before dinner, we were invited to join two couples (neighbours in the caravan park) for drinks.  Several wines & beers later, we returned to our van & "rugged up" for what turned out to be a very cold & wet night.  Fortunately, we were warm & cosy in our little home.

Sun. 23rd Sept., 2012 - The Pinnacles

It had been a cold night (we put the warmer duvet on), but the weather was beautiful when we awoke - sunshine & blue sky, so we didn't pack the shorts away.

We set out for Cervantes (24km from Jurien Bay), which is near to the site of the famed Pinnacles.  The verges were an absolute picture - ablaze with yellow wattle, abundant & delightful to behold.  It pleased the eye & lifted the spirit.  Even the fact that Bob had forgotten his wallet, failed to dampen the mood entirely!  Fortunateley, we'd brought coffee & a picnic lunch, so we were able to cope with only $11 between us.

The sand dunes, that ran parallel to our route, were perfectly white & sunglasses were a must to dispel the glare!  We were now in the Nambung National Park & turned off in the direction of the Pinnacles Desert.  We swerved (probably shouldn't have!) to miss another bobtail skink - how sad that they are so vulnerable.

The Pinnacles were an amazing & totally unexpected sight - thousands of limestone pillars rose out of the dune sands creating a scene that one could only liken to a film set, for a space movie.  We visited the Discovery Centre but, not even there could we find a definite explanation regarding the formation of these strange phenomena.  Various theories have been put forward but none is certain.

First, we did the 1.2km walk amongst the pinnacles, then a 4km drive, both of which gave us close access to these unique formations.  It was a spectacular experience & one we wouldn't have missed.

Sat. 22nd Sept., 2012 - Geraldton to Jurien Bay

Geraldton Lighthouse

It had been wet & windy during the night, but the clouds had broken up & the sun was shining when we left Geraldton at 9am (it's now questionable as to whether Carnarvon is actually the windiest place in Australia!)  South of Geraldton the countryside was green & supported both crops & animals - it was an attractive & productive area.  One or two older stone buildings suggested early settlement.  Nearer to Dongara, we saw a couple of olive groves & there were some beautiful homes dotted about the countryside.

There followed an area where we guessed there had been extensive bushfire damage.  We took the coast road through Leeman & Green Head to Jurien Bay.  Although the sun was shining, the temperature had dropped to 18C, only half of that we'd experienced in some of the more northerly places ... brrr!

Unfortunately, the school holidays had begun & the caravan park was full of children.  The noise was horrendous & we were almost glad when it turned colder, as it discouraged the little darlings from playing outside.  Things did quieten down after dinner, as it was not only cold, but dark, too.  How did I cope with all the noise when I was teaching?  I guess that getting paid, helped!

Fri. 21st Sept., 2012 - Exploring Geraldton

The weather became unsettled & unreliable - it seemed that our long spell of constant sunshine was coming to an end (where did I put the umbrella & the long-sleeved tops?)  Fortunately, it only rained at night, so we were still able to enjoy going out & about.  We continued to wear shorts & sleeveless tops but I'm not sure for how much longer that will be the case.

Geraldton is an interesting town, with some impressive places to visit.  We began by driving to the HMAS Sydney II War Memorial, which is a wonderful tribute to the ship & the 645 men who lost their lives in November 1941 when attacked by a German vessel, off this coast.  A stunning monument has been built on Mount Scott, from where visitors can see all over Geraldton.

Next, we moved on to St Francis Xavier Cathedral, which has been described as "a poem in stone".  Although modern by European standards (it was begun in 1916 & completed in 1938), it is imposing,  impressive & beautifully designed.

There was a treat in store for us at the Regional Art Gallery, where we were able to enjoy an exhibition of Mary Durack's work.  She was the lady whose family home we visited near Lake Argyll.  Mary was multi-talented, having also written books, short stories, poetry, plays & film scripts.  Her exhibition, at the Gallery, consisted of numerous sketches depicting people, in & around Geraldton, going about their daily tasks.  The work appeared to be spontaneous & introduced us to many characters of the 1960's.

We moved on to the Old Gaol, which once housed convicts, but is now maintained by the Geraldton Crafts Association, who display their work in the former cells.



Lighthouse Keepers Cottage



Finally, we visited the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, which was built in 1870 & also incorporates the original lighthouse for Geraldton.  The first lighthouse keeper lived there with his wife & seven children in two rooms!  How times have changed.

As the day drew to a close, the wind became very strong & blustery.  We were glad to return to our cosy caravan before the rain arrived.

Thurs. 20th Sept., 2012 - Kalbarri to Geraldton







The drive out of Kalbarri was beautiful - wattles were in bloom everywhere & the countryside was a sea of yellow against the blue sky.  The ocean ran parallel to us, injecting a deep turquoise into the picture.  What a magnificent sight - scenery like this would surely imprint itself on the mind's eye forever, to be recalled & enjoyed long after it had been left behind.  And, as if we hadn't already been treated to sufficient colour, "Pink Pool" suddenly appeared alongside us, its water actually glowing pink, for some chemical reason, maybe, or perhaps due to the colour of the soil beneath it.



Pink Pool



On leaving the coast, we moved into undulating green hills, some of which were used for sheep farming.  The verges continued to provide splashes of yellow & we found our route a most attractive one.  Some of the fields contained wheat & the area appeared to be fertile.  The only downside was ... flies!  Having been free of them for the whole of our trip, so far, we had now begun to encounter them - oh dear, would we have to buy nets, or maybe succumb to the dreaded hats with corks?

A couple of 'bobtail skinks' crossed the road infront of us - apparently, they get run over frequently because they move so slowly.

We passed through Northampton, which looked an interesting little town (wish we'd had more time to spare, but we couldn't do everything).  N'hampton had a lovely church, a museum & a lot of historic-looking buildings.  It appeared to be at the centre of an agricultural region & was surrounded by magnificent hilly scenery.  What a lovely area!

Geraldton was quite a surprise, being probably the biggest city we'd seen on our travels since Adelaide & Port Augusta.  In fact, it received the "thumbs up" from Bob when he learned that it had a "Bunnings", this being his particular shopping Mecca!  I was greatly impressed to see a "Spotlight", along with other familiar stores such as "Target", "Miller's", etc., & so our withdrawal symptoms abated for the time being, at least.

We settled in at our caravan park (which we might never have found, had we not had a SatNav), then called at the Visitor Centre, where we discovered that there was plenty to see.  We would have to make the most of our time, tomorrow.