WA – Windy Always? Welcoming Australians? or Worthy Adventure?

WA – Windy Always? Welcoming Australians? or Worthy Adventure?

  • by John
So – The highlights!

Try not to bore you with TOO many details! Every single place and thing we have seen or done in WA has been amazing! Yes, I know that line’s beginning to sound a bit old but we’ve simply loved it all!
Fremantle, Perth. Our first apartment had a great shady back yard perfect for eating out. Great beaches were just a short walk away. We luckily hooked onto a new local basketball court opening, saw the zoo monkeys from Ronny and Clare’s balcony, spent the afternoon in the beautiful Kings park before eating out at Fremantle South Beach Saturday night food market.
Our bike ride to Point Walter Spit and Jetty proved to be a full on challenge coming back on ill fitting bikes against a strong headwind!
After a stop off at the Pinnacles,  we had 2 nights wild camping on the beach at Dongara with ospreys, tea on the beach, surf showers, sunsets and ice creams (and lots of older couples who’d been on the road for 10+ years).
Kalbarri was next – Mark’s place had a fab pool. Top top place this town; we loved snorkelling at blue holes, swimming at Chinamans beach, feeding the pelicans every morning and even the pedalo experience that’ll ensure we NEVER hire one again! In the evenings we took in Red Bluff, did the Mushroom/ Rainbow loop walk and up to the golf course to see the Roos. As we headed further North on our final day, we took on a proper hike in Kalbarri National Park for Natures Window and the Z Bend Gorge hike/ scramble all the way down to the river for a skinny dip to celebrate Colette’s birthday!
Next up – Denham (for the man who doesn’t have to try too hard),  Shark Bay. Windy. Basic cabin. Crap WiFi but helpful hosts (took me to the local lifeboat office where they volunteer, to print out and fax a backcountry permit form to the Grand Canyon NP – YES – they still use FAX!!!). Blustery beach, but the playground was one of the best. By now we were truely enjoying getting back to cooking our own food (you can only enjoy eating out for so long before it gets too much). Monkey Mia was brilliant, although I’m sure most visitors aren’t that impressed. Our two being the rays of sunshine that they are, got picked on each of the dolphin feedings we went down to the shore to see. I’m sure the resort here gets rammed at the height of the season but once the tours and the hordes of Chinese had scarpered when the feeding was over, we found ourselves on an empty beach, as dolphins swam by, with powder white sand and perfect snorkeling water. There was even a great jetty for jumping off (until Arlo injured his foot). We chilled on the comfy sofas of our own private beachside restaurant with good coffee, thick shakes and ice cream, playing life size droughts and catching up on emailing friends. Our leaving day here saw us visit the gorgeous Little Lagoon,  Eagles Bluff and Shell Beach before lunch.
Carnarvon was the only place on this coastal trip that we felt was a bit done down. Everywhere else had been all new, pristine and seemingly backed by state funding. In Carnarvon, yes it was still pristinely clean but playgrounds were run down, shops were shut down as was the town’s big draw – the One Mile Jetty. They closed it late last year after it was found to be unsafe. The council can’t get the funding to revamp it. The cafe down there also seems to be shut/ open sporadically. A 3 legged snarling mastiff came and warned me of as much on a morning run. Carnarvon was the first place we’d really come across the poverty, health and separateness of Aboriginal settlements (or Indiginous Australians as is the current watchword). You really got the sense of why it remains a really sensitive, guilt ridden, blame inciting and contentious issue for the nation. We didn’t see anything negative, nor felt unsafe at any time but Australian’s we spoke to in the area would talk about the crime, the inability of the police to do anything and the tribal fighting that went on in the communities.
All this whilst we are happily enjoying an almost private pool, in a great unit a hop, skip and jump from the harbour prom. The newly opened Space Centre and our walk out to the Quobba Blow Holes and beach were highlights although the sunset helicopter ride down the coast probably topped that for the kids! (We did say this is a once in a lifetime trip, so when things like that come up, we just do it!).
Finally, we arrived at our northernmost destination, Coral Bay. We’d ummd and arrrd about the worth of heading all this way just for another snorkelling opportunity at yet another stunning (and expensive) location but it was WELL worth it. It was paradise! Again, it was REALLY quiet so it felt like us and a few others had the run of the resort and the bay.
Our big cabin sat right behind the dunes with our own private path to the beach. A smaller mother roo and her joey would lounge about outside and we had enough grass for football practice. The water here came from a bore 800m underground with the water arriving at the tap a constant 60 degrees year round. No water heater needed, just a cooler to bring the temperature down. The outdoor shower here was ideal for us all whether after a run or a day on the beach. The fact we had no wifi really paled into insignificance as each day bettered the last.
We really caught up with ourselves here, with journals and maths, blogs and phone calls home. We ate a lot on the balcony and made daily sand sculptures of families of dolphins, turtles and a mermaid. Ningaloo reef resort was a short walk away. As it was quiet, they welcomed our use of the cafe, pool and pool table.
We went Scooter Snorkelling with Ningaloo kayak tours. Joel and Amanda were a Canadian couple who had lucked out on looking after this place whilst the owners were taking a first break in 12 years. Joel was brilliant with the kids on our trip that involved us walking out into the bay before using the underwater jet scooters to pull us out to the reef a mile away. The kids could take a break in a kayak Joel towed with him. The coral, fish and baby turtle we swam with were all wondrous as was an underwater mount named Ayres Rock (so we made it there after all!) Our deal also saw us Kayaking the following day and desperately battling the winds with PaddleBoards in the bay the day after.
As our days here came to an end and the sun got hotter, we had more flies! Time to head off! Was it worth the journey up here? You bet it was – anyone thinking about it – don’t miss it!

Highlights of the trip have been:
* Child Chefs – Both have really got into helping prepare the meals
* Arlo’s Growin – in height, confidence and in finding his own thing/ time/ space to make/ play/ read/ do
* Both are TRUE water babies – Arlo has now found his belief in the swimming ability he’s always had and is just following Henna to the deep end.
* Reading competition – Arlo’s started reading by/ to himself totally undirected – he loves this feeling of being more grown up
* Making choices – They’ve buzzed off having a say on stuff we do/ eat/ buy – choosing their own rash vests and snazzy new sunnies – looking cool and looking after their new gear.
* Let’s do this attitude – The bug has now caught! if there’s an adventure to be had – The default reaction is now more likely to be – Yep, let’s go for it!
* Upsets – makeups. We all have them but they wash through quickly so we can all move on. Nobody’s perfect/ can be happy or pleasant ALL the time

THE RETURN LEG
Early start – 6.5 hrs of driving down to a farm camp at Northampton, stopping at Carnarvon for fuel, shopping and a cafe pit stop – Lots of Flies – thank goodness for headnets! Great site though – good showers, tents under shade, slept well, useful camp kitchen. Early start next day saw us on a short trip to Jurien Bay via Geraldton for fuel, food, sunnies, rash vests, flip flops and chips.

We all enjoyed Jurien Bay – It furnished us with the materials to make Claire and Ronnie’s presents. We’d hoped to take a sea lion snorkel trip but the extra windy weekend put a stop to that. Instead, we had a morning on the beach at Hangover Bay, visiting Lake Thetis on the way back for more Stromolites. We also dug tunnels on the beach, learned all about breath testing at the side of the road courtesy of a friendly traffic cop. Swung, bounced and walked our socks off.

As we headed back into Perth the next day, we caught the Cottlesloe Sculpture Festival before a fabulous pizza tea out with Claire and Ronny as we dropped off presents and pick up bags before our flight out to Adelaide.

6 COMMENTS
  • nana gwen

    The kayaking was a lot of fun and I am amazed at you balancing on that surfboard so professional. Proud o you all. Love mum xx

    1. John

      I of course revised the whole family with the comedy falls off the paddleboard. The kids were naturals. I looked like I should be on you’ve been framed!

  • Chelle Platen Mills.

    It all looks amazing guys. Shell x

  • Rachel

    Just Wow! What an amazing time you are all having! Loving reading the blog!

    1. John

      Hey Rach! Hope all’s well with you. Couldn’t be better here

  • Anonymous

    Question is…are you going back…for good?

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