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all the best for 2010
Regards
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The final frontier - down through the centre - to home
The final leg had begun - from Katherine, where we left off last time, we travelled for a half a day southward via the Mataranka Hot Springs to Daly Waters, to stay the night at the famous pub. First we went to Bitter Springs where the water is still as it has always been. One man saw a turtle which had Sophie all excited but it had long since hidden itself away by the time we went hunting. Sophie and Rob were not too impressed with the slime around the edges and the smell associated (a little bit like rotten egg gas) but Matthew and I were able to ignore that in the thrill of swimming from one end to the other and back and we were surprised by the strength of the current. We then visited the other springs near the
Our timing at reaching Daly Waters couldn't have been better as it was the last night of their almost as famous Beef'n'barra Barbie with 'ntar-tainment provided by Frank the Chook Man. We had been warned that the pub never turn anyone away and that it can get squishy in the sites so we should be there before lunch, well we got there mid afternoon and still managed to snag ourselves a great spot with a bit of shade and some wonderful neighbours in Darren and Karen and their kids, from Queensland, who were travelling in the opposite direction. Some leisurely time was spent cooling off by the pool and chatting with some other nomads before sightseeing around 'town' – out to the old WWII aerodrome, the Stuart tree (for the life of us we couldn't find the S) and the petrol station and carving shop. We loved Franks van with the back seat drivers chair tied to the back stating if you can see this seat then he's lost an in-law…. The man sure has a great sense of humour and provided a wonderful nights entertainment for all.
The next day it was onwards, via Tennant Creek to the Devils Marbles where we explored the interesting shaped rocks, pretended to push them over and break them in half before travelling on to Wycliffe Wells, the UFO hub of
The following day we arrived in
Day three we drove out to Chambers Pillar to the south, travelling along side the Fincke Desert Race Track – oooh how I wanted to put the foot to the floor and fly over the hills at 200kms an hour in a Subaru, Corolla or Lancer - at times like this the Hilux just doesn't cut the mustard. The drive was reminiscent of the trip up to Cape Leveque or at least Middle Lagoon – with soft red bulldust, corrugations and walls of dirt pushed out to the sides, then the scenery changed to harsh rocks and wide open plains, up across ranges and through sandhills – some very interesting driving and some great scenery especially at the destination. The pillar is so colourful and amazing to behold sitting out in the plains as it does. On the way down we stopped in at an aboriginal community to have a look at their art gallery and I managed to find a piece I really liked at a price I liked even more, hoping that in buying it here, the money is going straight back to the painter.
The next day we had a 'slack day' we looked around
Day five it was off to the
Finally it was time to say goodbye to
Driving along we saw Mt Connor rising up before us and it wetted our appetite to see "the Rock". Well we were at Uluru before sunset, catching the changing colours, sitting in the carpark and forgoing dinner for nibblies. We were set up in the caravan park in the dark by the kids bedtime, filled their gaps up with some ice-cream (I know – not a really healthy dinner) and went out to meet the neighbours. Fletcher and Liz, and their two children, had just traversed the
The next morning it was off to Katja Tjuta to do the walks around the bottom of the Olgas. The colours of the rocks once again amazing, but the walks with the children not so easy, the walk in to the Valley of the Winds getting rather tedious and then once we were at the top of the first lookout they declared they were ready to continue on to the next, with reluctance we turned back hesitant to drag them further - considering we still hadn't visited Ayers Rock as yet. That afternoon the kids and I visited the resort, had a look around and checked out the shopping centre whilst Rob did the climb. It is frowned upon by the local tribes but this doesn't deter the many who line up each day. Rob was thrilled that, after all these years, he was finally able to do it.
On our last morning at Yulara it was off to do our own hiking around Uluru, completing a walk into a gorge, a walk along the base and one to a waterhole. I took a multitude of photos whilst at Uluru, the colours that the rock adopts through the day dramatic when viewed on the computer screen against each other, and included were photos of the texture of the rock, the colours of the stains created by waterfalls and the shadowplays on the mounds. The place truly is magical to view. The kids were much keener to walk today after their rest the day before, and fortunately the sight of the rock was enough to create excitement in all of us. That afternoon we hitched the van again, making it as far as Marla, only a hop skip and a jump from Coober Pedie. We were therefore there the next morning, after driving through the Breakaways, an amazing colourful sight of mesas atop sandstone. We beat the rain in setting up the van and were once again sightseeing after lunch.
First stop was the Old Timers Mine, which we chose for their self guided tour. We find that often tour groups move too slowly for the kids' shorter attention spans, this one was fantastic, very informative and also very interesting for the kids to be able to walk through, not only is it one of the old original hand cut mines but previously it was someone's house (they were cutting through to enlarge their daughters bedroom and hit the mine next door), there's also a history museum and a cutter and blower demonstration included. We also participated in some noodling whilst we were there – the name for fossicking opals, and managed to find ourselves a bit of colour which was great (and a lot of potch – which is the glassy opal without colour). We then visited a few of the local opal shops and walked the main street.
The next morning we were packed again in no time before continuing our sightseeing around Coober Pedie, first stop was Umoona Mine to visit their annex of the
Whilst we were at Yulara, our neighbour Liz kept mentioning, over and over, that the only way to travel was with DVD's for the kids. Until this time our kids had forgotten that we had DVD players and had coped just fine without them – suddenly they started demanding we hand them over. With the thought that we were almost home, we relented before leaving Coober Pedie. At first it was very peaceful in the backseat, but I can now say I am glad we didn't have them out any sooner – the noise from the backseat escalated. Gone were the days of listening to the stereo, admiring the scenery and playing games together. The desire to get home increased for us all.
That afternoon it was off to the Oodnadatta track, via the Moon Plain. This Plain has been the sight of many movies attempting to create either an outer space theme or post holocaust theme, including Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, I can certainly understand why – it is stark, and almost unnatural looking with the gibber rocks, shards of glasslike gypsum and no sign of life. We stopped for a visit at another famous establishment, the Pink Oodnadatta Roadhouse which, after reading about it in a variety of articles, Rob was not so impressed with. Onward we drove, and checked out the bridges and ruins along the old Ghan Railway, including the amazing
After attempting a cold shower at the new campgrounds at
Just when we thought the kids could put up with no more time away from home, Matthew, our little jackeroo, piped up from the back seat (as we turned towards Roxby Downs) that he would like us to turn left instead of right and go on to Birdsville and then onwards to Longreach – for a five year old he has now got a good grasp of Australian geography, he just wanted to get to the Australian Stockmans' Hall of Fame – this will unfortunately have to wait for our next big trip, already in the planning – watch out Queensland, here we come….. Of course that won't be for around four years as first we will have to pay off the debts from this trip!!
The sightseeing leg of our journey now over, the race was on to see how soon we could get home. In Port Augusta the night before we estimated another two days of travelling, yet finally we arrived at Robs parents house around twelve hours after departure, with, I hate to admit, lunch and dinner from McDonalds – thank goodness their menu is so extensive! Considering the exorbitant cost of takeaway, it is considered a luxury, but for once we were happy that the speed and convenience meant we were back on the road quicker. We also had to take the DVD players off the kids after lunch, as the tension building up in the ute was palatable as we made out way closer to Don and Joan - the children forgot how to share. Finally, turning in to their driveway, after driving through the dark along roads that we know so well, there to greet us was Brownie, our kelpie, followed by Rob's parents. The sight of them all bringing big smiles to our faces – we were as good as home.
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Darwin and surrounds
Finally it was north to
It was off to the emergency ward of
I was now available to start work but the manager was not able to see me until Wednesday so it was off to do some serious sightseeing for the Escott crew with the plan that I may not have any time off for a while. First we went to
The next day it was off to see the jumping crocs on the
On the way back to
On the Wednesday we had the ute booked in for a service so we dropped it off before trekking across
My interview that afternoon was successful and I even helped the manager solve a capital gains issue. The plan was for me to start the next day, on a commission basis per return working out of a booth in Casuarina Shopping Centre. The pay was not negotiable, the ability to negotiate your own wage was dependent on how many returns you could do. I was still keen to give it a go as the manager guaranteed there was plenty of demand out there. But from when I got there things went from bad to worse. The booth was tiny and the computers constantly played up because of connection problems, personally I think if they cleaned the place up half the connection problems would be eradicated. Then the consultant, who I was supposed to be working with, refused to help me with anything stating that he is only paid for returns not administration.
To cap it off, no phone is provided as it apparently interferes with the computer system so when I needed IT assistance I had to use my personal mobile. My computer wouldn't recognise the printer (connection issue) so I spent a good half hour calling IT technicians on the other side of Australia, in the process wearing out my phone battery so I had to go and buy a charger to call IT once again. The other consultant had walked out after an hour and a half stating that there wasn't enough work for two so if I was going to stay he would leave. I finished out the day and informed the manager she was better off keeping the other consultant as I didn't think I would stay for long before travelling on and at least he is permanent. The only good thing is that I calculated that I should have made $200 for the days work.
Sure enough whilst my phone was dead our real estate agent called and left a message stating that our tennants had given notice and would be vacating in three weeks time – this was perfect timing for us. It was the final decider of the 'should we stay or should we go' argument. We decided that we would stay in
That night I managed to catch up with my cousin Cam Agnew from
Friday we went to the Paspaley sponsored Pearl Exhibition at the
The Oil Storage Tunnels took years to be built into the cliffs of
Saturday we went in to Aquascene at Doctors Gully just north of the city centre. This is a fish feeding operation and probably pretty great for people who have not been feeding wild fish before, but to us it was not quite as exciting as feeding the Spangled Emperor at Coral Bay. In comparison to our other experience, Aquascene is very orderly with you lining up on the edge of a purpose made cement amphitheatre. From there we went to Crocosaurus Cove. We had made the decision to just see Crocodylus Park based on the fact that it is the long standing, original croc park, but we were told by some neighbours in the park that we shouldn't miss Crocosaurus Cove so it was another bite in to the wallet for that. But fortunately it was worth it, our personal opinion to anyone on a tight budget would be to see this and do the
This place is wonderful, it has a reptile centre, a turtle sanctuary, numerous crocodiles of all shapes and sizes and there's interactive opportunities where you can swim in a tank which looks like you are swimming with a croc (who is actually in the next tank separated by a 145mm sheet of Perspex) or you can dive in to a tank with crocs swimming around you by entering this tube of Perspex called the 'Cage of Death' – not my idea of a good time but apparently very popular. We even had professional photos taken of the kids holding a crocodile – and Sophie finally held one on her own! Baby crocs can be seen by putting your head up through domes that allow you to be eyeball to eyeball with the crocs on the land and under the water – very appealing to both children and adults.
We then went out to
We have attempted to get the kids in to study mode but admit that we are not achieving too awful much in that vein. This is another reason to go home I guess, as otherwise, if we stay away too much longer, they will be so far behind by the time they get back that they might have to stay down a year which we do not want. So the race is now on to have them back at school in Berrigan by the start of next semester…..
I received an email from a work friend Sam after posting my last blog, she and another work colleague and their respective families are all currently staying at another caravan park in
One of the nurses in the hospital told us about this great water park,
Whilst in
Finally it was southward bound with our first stop to be
Still, it was off to Ubirr to see an
After seeing this, and knowing that all the waterfalls were dry, Rob and I decided that rather than suffer another sleepless night, we would say goodbye to Kakadu early and pack the van up and get on the road. At
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Broken, yes.... but not defeated
So what do you do when you are stuck in a 4.5 star holiday resort for two weeks waiting for a spring? Well you spend a lot of time swimming, reading and socialising at the pool, considering it was 35 degrees most days – it was tough but someone had to do it and I felt up to the job. It cost nothing and of course we are rather tight for money at this stage of the trip – trying to stretch as far as we can. Whilst in Kununurra I did a budget analysis (once again) and worked out that at the rate we are spending (and not earning) we only have enough money to see us through to the end of September, yet Rob does not have to be at work until the end of November. So there are two options open to us – first, to get work and stop for a while on the road or second, to travel home – either way we would be doing the same amount of travelling to the same destinations, but with the latter option we would arrive home later.
We couldn't make up our minds so we thought we would see what presented itself to us and just enjoy ourselves in the meantime. One day we picked up a NT Newspaper and looked through the employment section and a job in
In the meantime we might as well enjoy ourselves. First on the agenda was the rodeo I mentioned last time. It was great fun for all the family – Matthew loved the bullriders and the clowns and he just loves strutting around in his hat and declares himself a jackaroo – if he could live on a station for the rest of his life he would be very happy – riding a motorbike, rounding up cows with Brownie, our kelpie, wearing Blundstone boots just like his dads. Now, since Pardoo Station, he also wants to learn how to wield a whip… You can take the boy off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the boy!
Sophie got her fill of horses at the campdrafting at the Rodeo but was rather disappointed she was not allowed to ride one. She has become overly keen recently to own a pony yet she has never had the opportunity to sit on the back of one. Vanessa and Tom Rankin met up with us in Kununurra for a few days with their friends Sandy and Brian Sullivan, and Vanessa has promised Sophie she can ride her horse when we get home – so now Sophie really has something to go home to as she intends to keep Vanessa to her promise.
We also did the sights of Kununurra that we hadn't done on our previous trip and even some that we had - for the sake of the children. The Durack Homestead out at Lake Argyle was one, as was the Zebra Rock Gallery where we were able to chat to the birds, feed the fish in the lake and also admire all the beautifully carved Zebra Rock – we even bought a bag of the rock so we can carve some ourselves when we get home – the kids and I can't wait. We also managed to be fortunate enough to be able to be guinea pigs on a farm tour that was just being established and therefore didn't have to pay for the privilege. Kaylin, from the Hoochery, also seed growers in the region, had decided to start the tours as a side line using the Hoochery as a meeting place, and why not? At the end of your farm tour you can tour the distillery and then settle in for a couple of tastes of rum. The tour was most informative and took us around the irrigation area to see the crops of maize, sunflowers, melons, mangos, chia, and the Indian Sandalwood Plantations.
A great night was spent with an old drinking buddy of Robs from his B & S days – Kath Cole. Kath moved up years ago, nursing, and now has a husband and four children under seven and two part time jobs – how she does it all and still remains sane I do not know. I had never met Kath before but loved the opportunity to get to know her, and the kids also enjoyed playing with each other which was a bonus.
At the caravan park the kids caught up with some friends they made in Broome and made some new ones, some going east and some west. At one stage they had taken over the playground and were having such a wonderful time we had to give up the sightseeing. We also devoted some time to some serious learning whilst we were there, with each morning devoted to study to catch up on some of the school work that had been avoided whilst travelling over the Gibb River Road and we attempted to get ahead so that there would be less required of Sophie whilst we were travelling again.
After the first week Rob was going a bit stir crazy so we arranged for the spring repair man to mind our van and we headed off for three days to Warmun (Turkey Creek) where we booked in to a studio unit for three nights – it was a tight squeeze but well worth it. From here we were able to travel down to the second largest meteorite crater in the World, Wolfe Creek Crater, yes the one from the movie. Rob and Sophie walked down in to the crater to the salt bed in the bottom whilst Matthew and I attempted to circumnavigate the crater. We only got so far before Matt had enough and so back it was to meet Rob and Sophie coming up the precarious trail in to the crater.
On our way out we caught up with two couples in a predicament. They had been going way too fast over the rough roads and went over a metre high speed bump (yes everything's bigger in the outback), lost control of their vehicle and slammed in to a tree. The couple were lucky to get out unscathed but their new Navara was not so lucky. The other couple, in a much older Jackaroo, tied a snatch strap between the two front tow hooks and had reverse towed the wrecked vehicle out for four kilometres when we came along – at this rate it was going to be a long trip for them. Rob climbed under the ute and unhitched the bumper bar and pulled the front away from the fan and radiator a bit to see if it was then drivable. Neither couple had a tool kit on board nor knew anything about vehicles – their first comment was that RAC would come and get them, which, after a call on another travellers Sat phone, they found that they were only covered for breakdowns not accidents.
They did have
The following day we set off early for a day in the Bungle Bungles. This was just magical, and so much better than I thought it might be. We had been told that the road was atrocious and the view was not worth the drive in. Well I'm glad we didn't listen – it wasn't that bad that we couldn't have towed in our van, it is just a case of driving to the conditions, but I'm glad we didn't have to. The view as we drove towards the rocks was just breathtaking and then to walk amongst them, looking at the beehive like structures and the colours of the bands of rock, and the height of the structures was captivating.
It took me such a long time to walk in to Cathedral Gorge as I spent my whole time looking up and left and right and oohing and ahing as I stumbled along, clicking away photos as I went, and then I got inside and looked up at the great expanse above me – what can I say – it was mesmerising. I know I'm wafting on but I think this is one of those places that everyone should visit before they die. After lunch we visited Echidna Chasm which is also amazing and so vastly different to what we had seen in the morning making the day even more memorable. The walls here are made of large pebbles that are cemented in by other sedimentary rock, and the effect is spectacular and nothing like I had anticipated. Sophie called it her rock gallery and started naming rocks left right and centre. We were thankful it was a National Park as I think she would have carted a good many out with her had she been allowed!
That night as we sat down to dinner on the veranda of our unit we noted that we had previously had a cat come to visit us during dinner, then a dog, Matthew then stated that wouldn't it be great if a bull came along, within minutes a bull walked through the carpark and over to our ute, gave it a good sniff, checked us out and proceeded to walk through the petrol station. There were laughs all round even from the people on the next veranda that had heard our previous conversation. All in a day in the outback!
It was back to Kununurra then to collect our springs, have them fitted and then the next day head off to Katherine. The drive took a lot longer than it did the last time. Previously there was no speed limit in the
On our first day in Katherine we had a look around town then in the afternoon we ventured south to
The next day we visited
That afternoon we made a visit to
In Katherine we visited the
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The Gibb River Road
The excitement increased. This is what we had been planning for. Wednesday saw us head to
So why was it so good? Well, where do I begin? You walk in along the tunnel following the creek, it is pitch black apart from the torchlight, the walls are spectacular to behold and the ceiling comes down very low in some places, and then rises to small ampitheatres in other areas, with stalactites in amazing formations lowering from the ceiling. Half way along there is an opening where the tunnel has collapsed in and there are roots from trees above twisting around themselves and draping down from the ceiling to the floor. Just when you think it is all over you turn around and do it all in reverse witnessing it all from a different direction. Our next destination was Windjana Gorge just up the road – with the most amazing colours in the rock walls. This Gorge is one of the oldest fossilised rock formations on the planet with evidence of a barrier reef that existed before man…. So what do you do in this situation but go fossil hunting. We only managed to find two and no matter how many people we coerced to assist us we could not find any others. The other main attraction was the sight of freshwater crocs sunning themselves on the banks of the river beside the path. We counted around 30 before we stopped and even managed to witness one fishing.
That day we drove on over the corrugations and numerous creek crossings to a roadside stop on the northern side of Same Creek, all ready to sit around a campfire and have a relaxing evening. Unfortunately when we opened up the van it was all wet inside and smelt strange. After emptying out the pantry cupboard we found the culprit, a previously unopened bottle of cordial we had bought months ago had become victim to the corrugations. It had been sitting against the battery charger, and obviously over time, had slowly rubbed a hole in the side letting out all the contents – charming!
Our home for the night was made of the banks of Barnett River Gorge No. 3, but not before we refuelled at the Mt Barnett Roadhouse where Diesel cost us 242.9 cents per litre! In total we travelled around
Day three on the
The eastern half of the
This was a great decision, we camped under some palm trees on the banks of the
After three very enjoyable nights at El Questro it was back onto the
The temperature is hot, the pool is cool, there is a playground for the kids, and a rodeo on this weekend – what better place to be with a breakdown?
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From the Pilbara to the Kimberley
Another month is almost over and we are in
From Indee Station it was back to Port Hedland for a night in an attempt to find ourselves a handle for our jockey wheel or a new one that would fit our drawbar as we also broke that on the rough road from Newman to Marble Bar. Not possible in that place – we spent two days driving from Port Hedland to
From Port Hedland it was on to Pardoo Station on recommendation from new friends met at Indee Station. We had recently read about this station in a Magazine, the article didn't do much for us, but the place had a lot more going for it than we had been led to assume. We booked in for a night and whilst sitting around the campfire we met Ron who hails from not too far from us. Ron is a semi permanent fixture at Pardoo considering he and his wife Jacki have been coming up for eight years when Graham and Judith have only owned it for three. Whilst here Ron takes care of the sprinklers and the pool and does his fair share of fishing and mudcrabbing – and he knows all the best spots. He was generous enough to offer to take us out with him the next day.
The next morning we were woken by the sound of cattle being rounded up in the yards nearby so out Rob went to have a look and ended up helping out with loading a roadtrain. By the end he had met the owner, Graham, and had been offered the chance to join a muster that week. So with two great offers before us we figured this was as good a place as any to while away a week before heading to Broome, after all it is only 600kms from Port Hedland to Broome and last time we did this in six hours… That afternoon Rob went fishing with Ron and it turned out to be his best day of the season. Rob said it was amazing to watch as each fisherman hauled in their lines like dominoes as a school of fish swam along the coastline. Unfortunately the muster was not as interesting – it was delayed due to the truck being down south and then the helicopter wasn't available, so when it was finally done late in the week, it was on a much smaller scale than anticipated and only in the 15km radius of the homestead. Matthew was still very proud of his dad especially when all the dust was stirred up by the cattle and the bull buggies coming in to the yard and even moreso when his Dad showed him how a whip works. Matthew had now identified half his Hot Wheels as bull buggies and wants to grow up to be a stockman.
Cattle and fishing are not the only features of Pardoo Station. There is a store which stocks basic necessities such as bread, ice and veges as well as a liquor licence and merchandise – unfortunately no meat is available as it is assumed you will catch your own fish or muddies. There is also a cool refreshing pool to enjoy on the hot days which came in handy with two young children overheating. There is a mud map available from the store which will show you where to get to either of the creeks running through the property, the two beaches, the island and the (small) mountain. The beach is also only 15kms from the homestead and on our way down one day we noticed that the ground was moving ahead of us. We pulled up and got out and found hundreds of large hermit crabs making their way over the sand-dunes and across the road before us. I had to walk out front of the ute and herd the crabs off the road for about
Next destination was
Finally, on Tuesday, it was on to Broome, still four days early. We figured we would come in to town to restock, book a site up north on the Dampier Peninsular for the four nights before returning to Broome on the Saturday. On arrival at the Tourist Information Centre we were to find that everything up north was booked out, and back in Broome even the overflow accommodation at the PCYC was full and they estimated that the Pistol Club would fill shortly thereafter. As we had a booking for later in the week I thought I would give Palm Grove Caravan Park a call to see if we could get any sort of site, if not for that night but the other three, fortunate that I called as they had just been notified of a cancellation and could fit us in that night and for two nights thereafter if we could find one more nights accommodation before returning to them as planned. They gave us the site, as we already had a booking, whilst they were turning people away at the driveway. A call to Middle Lagoon halfway up the Dampier Peninsular saw us confirm our accommodation there for the Friday night.
As soon as we were settled in we called Rob's Uncle and Aunt, Jim and Phyl Escott, who live in Broome for the winter, and managed to catch up with them the next morning for a very relaxing and enjoyable morning tea. Matthew just loved Aunty Phyl's scones which is a real compliment as he is the fussiest eater – he managed to polish off three! We were also fortunate to catch up with the sister of our best man, Vanessa Rankin, and her husband Tom, who had travelled up via the Tanami Track to go on a cruise for a week before tackling the
On the Friday we drove north to Middle Lagoon, about 20kms out of Broome you hit some of the worst conditions we have driven – there's bulldust, corrugations, dips and rises and so forth for around 100kms, then the moment you reach the Aboriginal communities the road becomes bitumen again and it's a breeze all the way to the tip a further 150kms. We turned off though after 30kms to Middle Lagoon, and it was back on the dirt for another 30kms to our home for the night on the Ridge. What a view, here we were parked on the edge of the world with the waves lapping at the beach below us. We set up camp then headed straight up north to the tip. One Arm Point is a community just north of
That night I captured my favourite sunset to date, out on the edge of the ridge, with a pandanus palm in the picture. It was just magical – the joys of a digital camera is that I stood there for almost half an hour and just took photo after photo from different angles, the hardest bit is deciding which one to keep – I posted one of my five favourites on the album. When we arrived at Middle Lagoon the tide was in yet when we returned from One Arm Point the tide had fallen making the scene remarkably different. During the morning the next day we were able to watch again as the tide came in, covering pools, rocky outcrops and huge expanses of beach coming in
Saturday night finally arrived and it was time to see the Staircase to the Moon. Tom and Vanessa agreed to join us at the Mangroves Hotel as I had heard that it was the best place with which to view the spectacle. The Staircase to the Moon appears when the full moon rises and the reflection is caught in mudflats of the very low tides creating the image of steps. Vanessa had the forethought to book ahead and managed to capture us the prime spot for the evening for which I am eternally grateful to her. From our prime position on the deck we were able to peer out over the balustrade, across the horizon. The lights were dimmed and a didgeridoo started playing in the background to increase the effect – it was worth the wait. I had been so concerned that we had prolonged arriving in Broome to see this, costing us valuable money and time, and that I would live to regret it. Alas no, I would be willing to do it all again! I took fifty photos trying to capture what we were seeing but I just couldn't capture it well, no matter how hard I tried – you really have to see it. The didgeridoo ensemble that played afterwards was also masterful, the pair were very talented and kept us entertained long after the moon had risen. It was the perfect way to cap off a fantastic week.
Our next destination was the
On our last day in Broome we posted off a heap more unnecessary items to my mother (now that's one lucky woman!), did all the exciting stuff like the washing and the groceries to prepare for the GRR and then had a most relaxing afternoon in the company, one last time, of Jim and Phyl. We had a beautiful lunch but the highlight for the children was making scones with their surrogate grandmother – I think it just made them miss their grandparents more. I'll be sorry to be leaving Broome but Rob has his eyes set on home now, it's only a couple of months away and there's still so much to do. Until next time – take care.
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Heading North in WA - at last!
After spending one more week in Esperance there were big farewells to the Agnews and all the kids and teachers at Esperance Primary that Sophie and Matthew had become close to over the four month stay. Matthew said big goodbyes to all his friends and his four wonderful teachers – The Mrs Rees, Coyle, Shipard and Bottrell – who will all be sadly missed. Sophie's teacher Mrs McGovern had been a fantastic role model for Sophie during our time there and had performed miracles with her, but unfortunately was off sick during the first week of June although this did not prevent her from calling to say goodbye and wish Soph well – it was just lovely and very much appreciated.
So on Saturday 7th June we hit the road for the next stage of our adventure, Sophie was so excited to once again be home schooled that she pulled out her folder before we had exited the caravan park. (I thank Mrs McGovern once again for her influence). We travelled to Wave Rock and the Hippos Yawn at Hyden where the kids had a great time "surfing the rock" – the photos are on the album page. That night we stayed at
Monday we were in a very wet and rainy
Wednesday we drove towards Monkey Mia making it as far as Murchison Roadhouse to stay the night. With the rains of the previous week the Butchers Track had only just been reopened. We were advised to drive straight through any puddles, don't slow or swerve so that's exactly what I did. By the time we reached Denham we were thickly coated in mud! With our cross country adventures of the past few days I made the comment to Rob that you really know you're away from civilisation when there are no tyre tracks only animal tracks on the dirt roads.
At Denham we caught up with the Osbornes, a family we met in Esperance. We visited Denham and Monkey Mia Resort on our last WA trip and were sorely disappointed at not being allowed near the dolphins. Sophie was not to be deterred and was very keen to revisit so we found ourselves down at the water front at Monkey Mia early the next morning and this time it was a wonderful experience. No sooner had we arrived than Matthew was chosen to feed the dolphins and took Sophie in with him, then during the next feeding Sophie was chosen to feed and so I tagged along with her. We spent hours wading in the water with the dolphins playing at our feet, they were in no hurry to leave the beach and were quite playful. I estimate I took over a hundred photos with most having to be deleted as I only had room for the best 30 on my camera. Whilst in Denham Rob took the kids 4 wheel driving with the Osbornes out to Steep Point, the most westerly point of the Australian mainland whilst I stayed at the van rather unwell (to say the least).
From Denham we drove to
Whilst here, we went on a 4 wheeler adventure along the beaches and dunes, stopping at two great snorkelling sites. At the first I was a bit too daring and was washed up on some coral ripping up my stomach a bit. At the second, in a protected bay, I had a very close encounter with a huge stingray. After Steve Irwin I treat these animals with the utmost of respect and was a tad scared (teeth chatteringly so) considering he was as long as me and had nearly beached himself trying to get away from me and at this time I still hadn't seen him. I came in beside him, was warned by some fellow riders, and backed away rapidly… Matt, our guide, had no idea he was there and witnessed the barb being pushed up beside him – I think it aged him a little!
Two days later we went on a glass bottom boat out to the Turtle Sanctuary. Matthew has been too fearful to re-enter the water after his mother's close encounter with the ray so this was my way of showing them the beauty under the surface. I had been surprised to find that the reef is not colourful like the
Onwards to Exmouth we went, to the
Next destination was Tom Price where we saw the Osbornes and Bolts again. We went on a tour of the Iron Ore Mine, to the top of Mt Nameless and to Hammersley Gorge. The folding and colour in the rock was more than I could have imagined and looks so much more remarkable than any photo I have ever seen. We spent hours just looking at it and photographing it from all different angles. The children became junior geologists. From Tom Price we drove out for a few nights at
Newman was the next stop where Rob tried unsuccessfully to contact a mate from home working here Fly in – Fly out for BHP. Our major priority was lots and lots of washing, everything was stained rust red! A quick look around town and we managed to find another tyre which was great. The old one, which still has around 10,000kms in it, was then strapped to the bike rack to accompany us across the
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Our final month in Esperance
The computer, that has been causing me no end of grief since it was purchased at Christmas time, finally failed last month and I have had to resurrect it twice to see if I can salvage it – I have spent so much time on the phone to Compaq that I could have bought another with the cost of the calls. This meant that I was unable to write an update earlier as I had intended. My theory was that I would write less but more often. Instead here is another monster instalment for you to peruse - May. As we type I can happily say we are on the road again, experiencing our big adventure. So how did May pan out?
The first weekend of the month the family rode to
On Sunday Rob set about making us some sidesteps for the ute as Matt has been finding it difficult to get in to the back seat, considering the floor sits mid chest on him I can understand his point of view. A friend of the Agnews' is rather handy and was able to provide Rob with the use of his shed and tools as well as some guidance and advice and two very helpful hands – we are indebted to Malcolm for all his assistance.
For Mothers' Day weekend we went kayaking with the Marg and Rob on the
On Sunday we celebrated Mothers' Day with a tour of the
As previously noted in my last instalment we have had rain, but it has all fallen overnight to date and not much has made it far from the coast, so unfortunately the farmlands are still waiting for rain. The seeding (sowing) that we were here to do was therefore stalled. So we took off sightseeing for a week and headed north to Kalgoorlie/Boulder. We checked in to the
Our first day was spent touring
Thursday saw us travelling north for a day trip past old mine towns, and sites still being excavated, to Menzies and out to Lake Ballard. I was really keen to visit this
From
Friday found us touring
Saturday the plan was to visit the Mining Hall of Fame in the morning and travel on to Coolgardie in the afternoon but the Hall of Fame was so good we skipped Coolgardie altogether. This place caters to all ages and was probably the highlight of the trip for us as a family. First we were able to pan for gold and managed to get a few specks which was very exciting, particularly for Sophie and I. Then we travelled down in to an old mine shaft via an old elevator. Jim our guide was able to give us a feel of what it was like to work underground then it was over to see Johnno who provided us with a gold pouring demonstration and even allowed us to take home some of the spill – it was an amazing site to see and to then be able to hold the gold bar was the final coup. We then went for a wander around the site which has been built to look like the old
Sunday morning saw the van packed, a load of washing on the line and us driving out the gate and it wasn't even
The tour of the Super Pit was worth the wait, the Pit is one of the largest gold mines in the world at 3kms long by 1.4kms wide and 330 metres deep. Only 0.9% of what is taken out of the mine is gold – a total of 800,000 tonnes per annum currently. The trucks are just immense, they weigh 160 tonnes and carry out 220 tonnes every half hour so you wouldn't want to get in the way. The tyres alone are worth $100,000 each and the mine was fortunate to set a contract a few years back at a cost of $30,000 a tyre. Even at this cost if a tyre is blown it takes 16 loads out of the Super Pit to make up the cost – almost a days work. There are around 32 trucks working in the mine with workers on site for twelve hours at a time on a rotating roster of seven days on, three days off, seven nights on, four days off. To obtain work in the mine you can do an induction course through
On our first morning in the caravan park we were able to deduce that the shift commences at 6am by the number of vehicles leaving the park between 5.30am and 5.45am, this was followed by the first jet leaving for the day at around 6am, right over our heads, and then the return of all the night shift staff around 6.15am onwards - Good morning Kalgoorlie! The good news is that whilst we were away it rained in Esperance – even out on the farm!
So then it was back to Esperance. We are enjoying the ease of travelling with the Goldstream. It is very easy to tow which means that we are able to sit on the speed limit unlike the big vans sitting on eighty km/h and we still have the power to overtake if required. Yet when we reach our camp site we don't have to spend hours setting up camp as we did when we had tents or a camper trailer. We arrived at the caravan park at
The next weekend it rained – but only on the coast. Saturday Rob worked and on Sunday we played mini-golf. This is something that Matthew has been very keen to do for some time, I think the anticipation was greater than the experience. Tuesday Rob went to a course and greeted me at home as I was running late to collect the kids to tell me he had lost his credit card. So it was off to the bank for me to cancel our cards and request an urgent replacement in the hope that the cards might arrive before we set off. The Esperance bank changed the address for deliveries to them to ensure it would be delivered and yet they didn't arrive – we believe that they will be waiting for us in Exmouth with the rest of our mail when we get there as the pins arrive with the last of our redirected mail.
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life, love, happiness and a snake in a leaking van!
The first night of the month of April brought rain, rain, rain and more rain – just overnight mind you. The locals say that there wasn't much but forgive me if I feel differently, after all I was standing in it in the middle of the night holding a torch whilst Rob dangled precariously
Suffice to say Rob excelled with the tarping, and didn't slip off the wet roof, I squashed the kids in closer together and they were none the wiser in the morning. I cancelled out of assisting at school and instead purchased a heater and dried out the van. Karl suggested I get a candle and rub wax in the holes so that this wouldn't happen again, which I did and this seems to be working.
Lesson to be learned from this is never put up the van without the flys and the bags are therefore going to be a great investment.
This isn't the first time that the van has leaked. After we finally had it returned to us, from having its overhaul prior to us leaving for the big trip, we thought we should set it up in the backyard, with a storm imminent, before we headed to
School holidays arrived and we headed out to camp at the Agnew's farm for two weeks for a change of scenery. This meant also that the children might see more of their father as he has been leaving before the rest of us are out of bed and getting home just in time for dinner. Instead Rob managed to fit in an extra half hour each side of the day which would have otherwise been spent travelling. The kids enjoyed the great open spaces on the farm and built a cubby, played with boxes, watered the vegie patch excessively and rode their bikes. They rounded up sheep, rode in the tractor with their Dad and built fires with their Aunt which is every pyromaniac Escott's dream. Matthew managed to once again have a stack and do some serious damage to his good looks!!! His last spill was over the handlebars of his bike, this time he flew over the top of the his tip truck. The two were moving swiftly along and then the tip truck hit an immovable object and ceased its journey – Matthew did not and took off much of the skin on his face in his disastrous landing – I have posted a photo of the latest war wounds in the album, unfortunately these were taken after a few days of healing so they don't look so bad.
The children finished the school term by catching a bug which they proceeded to share with their mother. It gave me the excuse to sit back and relax and it also slowed the kids down a little so it was good they were on holidays. Matthew is prone to ear infections and woke one night screaming in pain - so loudly he woke his sister, so it was off to casualty with Marg in tow to keep me company. After a little wait the Doctor concurred my diagnosis, gave Matthew some antibiotics and sympathy, said to maintain the Panadol to relieve the pain and sent us on our merry way. And merry it was, as it was then that my son, dressed in his Wags the Dog all-in-one sleepsuit, let loose with a rendition of Zippedy do dah – yes we departed to the tune of "My oh my, what a wonderful day!"
Sophie and I celebrated our birthdays on the second weekend of the month. It was only my birthday but I chose to share it with Sophie as she could therefore receive her presents at the start of the holidays rather than the week before we leave Esperance - which is when her birthday really falls. Terrible I know, but the Queen does it so why shouldn't Sophie? Anyway it was a bad decision on my part as instead of a pleasant sleep in for my birthday I had a child calling out "Now?" every five minutes from
Further on children and toys - in all the reading I did in preparation for this trip I once read a suggestion to take only one toy per child, that just seemed too harsh to me. The writer who had travelled with his family for eighteen months around
Speaking of rain - the rains came again, which just confirmed to us that we have done the right thing in travelling and we are in the right place at present as back home is still parched. But unfortunately with rain came more water in the van, yes, yet again we encountered another leak. I therefore spent the day pulling out the seat cushions which were nailed and screwed in to the wall and found that, considering the amount of mould present, this has happened before. I went and purchased some Velcro and have proceeded to stick this to the cushions and will then stick the other side to the walls so that next time we can just rip them out and dry them (then again, lets hope there isn't a next time!)
Another birthday celebrated in April was Rob Agnew's. Rob had become quite relaxed whilst sitting in Rob Escott's camp chair on occasion, and had admired the chair (enough to warrant a purchase). The look on his face on seeing the chair was priceless, I was just waiting for him to say he was going to put it "straight in the Pool Room" to quote The Castle. As Marg would be the only one not having a birthday in the four months that we are in Esperance we bought her a chair as well, hers a more upright model, both are by the same company and made in the same navy material but Marg's has a tan trim around the edges with Robs having a black trim – a real his and hers set!
We headed back to the caravan park on the last weekend of the month, before school resumed. In the process of setting up the van I opened the door and reached in to pull out the plastic step so I could get in and put together the door. On the ledge I saw a blackish strip but figured it was a bit of rubber or a toy of the kids but that strip turned out to be a snake. I must have startled him reaching in to the van as he jumped from the ledge with his mouth open and fangs out. Fortunately he was only about 30cms long and when he jumped I retracted my arm from the van and he just fell down to the step below wriggling and squirming. I was able to joke later that he was a feisty little thing and looked to be saying "Come back here, I can take you on!" At the time I don't think that I left anyone in the caravan park with any doubt as to what I was screaming about. Rob once again came to my rescue and took care of the situation whilst I wandered around muttering under my breath that I was never getting into that van again.
Sure enough I recovered my composure and we continued to set up camp without our awning. We broke it the first time we used it as we had no instructions on how to work it but until now we had still managed to get it to move. Packing up out on the farm it seized up and we couldn't get it to open at all when we got to town. Rob and I fashioned a tarp out the front of the van to provide us with some protection from the elements and since then I have attached the sides of the annex to the tarp on two sides to give us some protection from the coastal winds which can be quite strong and chilly. This is a great new set up as it is twice the size of the regular annex - we are very happy with it and will probably even leave it this way after Rob fixes the awning. The kids loved having somewhere to spread out their stuff at Rob and Marg's and so I have gone out this week and purchased a tent for them to put all their toys in. The tent is only a three man tent but is big enough to use for a night if we ever decide to go 'real rough' where the caravan cannot follow, such as off the Gibb River Road in the Kimberly. As it is waterproof the kids can spread out their toys inside and I don't have to worry about the mess, or that they will be left out in the rain as they have been previously. Sophie is understandably thrilled and would be happy sleeping out there – she may soon get her wish!!
The plans are in motion for heading north. We have booked Exmouth and Broome to ensure we have accommodation in both these busy locations. The plan is to go to one of the cheap camps at Exmouth for a couple of weeks so we can truly enjoy the Ningaloo Reef and hopefully get to swim with the whale sharks. First we need to have accommodation for a night or two so we can find where we want to stay and then be there early in the morning to get a spot as there is no reserving allowed and it's a case of first in best dressed. Broome books out very quickly so we have planned ahead there but that is as far as we have got. We have arranged a general itinerary but it is all subject to change based on conditions and whatever else we find along the way. After all - it's all about the journey not the destination.
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March in Esperance
Well another month has passed us by quickly and I find it amazing that we are coping so well and not really missing too much from our five bedroom house, especially considering we are now living in one room that is a whole three metres wide by six and a half metres long (not including annex). In fact the other day I packed up a box of miscellaneous items that we will not be taking along with us when we move on, I hope to have at least another one or two before we leave Esperance – these will most likely be forwarded to that wonderful mother of mine to mind until we return!
So how have we spent our time in Esperance in the past month? Well the first weekend I noted in the last instalment that we went to Mt Ridley and along the beaches with the Osborne's.
The next weekend Rob worked the Saturday morning for one of the Agnew's neighbours to compensate for taking some time off the preceding week, as in the afternoons the temperature had been peaking as high as 49 degrees celsius and he was to be outside in a paddock pulling out fence posts. My day commenced with a visit to one of the local car dealers with a German friend, Sascha. He and his girlfriend Sybella are travelling Australia and came to Esperance for a few days and two months later are still here due to vehicle repair delays. They have managed to obtain some work to assist them in their travels on from here, even arranging to stay a further three weeks to get a bit more money in their pockets whilst they can.
In the afternoon, on Robs return, we conducted a beach tour to the west, covering all the Twilight Bay area which consists of West Beach, Second Beach, Blue Haven Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Twilight Beach, Nine Mile Beach and Eleven Mile Beach, how many beaches does one place need? We chose
We went out to have a look at the wind farm and stood under one of the huge wind turbines and listened to the amazing sounds made as the blades cut through air. I can understand why this was the site of the first wind farm in
The following Saturday was the much feted Yabby Classic at Grass Patch, a small community 75kms north of Esperance so we drove up to check it out. There were jumping castles, a merry-go-round, a laser shooting game and there were yabby competitions galore including, of course, yabby races. The kids were able to have a turn at one game where they had to scoop into a tank and see if they could catch a yabby, after a few attempts they each managed to catch their yabbies and win a prize.
Sunday morning saw Go Kart racing to the side of the
The next weekend was Easter. On Good Friday we headed out to
The Saturday night was spent at Esperance Speedway, we took Sascha along for a bit of culture – he he! and he had a ball even winning the $100 raffle. One of Matthew's best mates from school, James, was there so it was a very enjoyable evening for the kids. The start of the evening being a huge hit as they had watered down the track and so every now and then the mud would fly in our direction.
Easter Sunday, with the weather not too flash, it was out to Marg and Robs to check on the sheep in the morning and then off to the Esperance Puppet Festival in the afternoon. We saw Ziggy Swift, a hip-hopping, break-dancing puppet guarded by two rather stern Matrix styled bouncer types who then proceeded to assist us in a workshop to make our very own Ziggy style puppets from recycled matter. Two plastic shopping bags were the main items which formed the body and the head and then other items were added to personalise the creations. Sophie created a little girl called Olivia, after her best friend back in Berrigan, Matthew managed to obtain a name badge for his puppet with the name Gabrielle written on it and so it was named. Mine was Fizzle after its Schweppes drink bottle lids eyes. The puppets are to be taken to
Monday and Tuesday were school holidays for the kids and so we went to the great
The last weekend of March saw us making the most of all the friends that the kids have made over Easter period in the
Yesterday, Sunday, was the annual Esperance Fun Day Out Kids Festival at the
At present, when I exit our caravan, I am beset by some of the most gorgeous landscape photography I have ever seen - plastered to the side of a camper trailer. If you like your landscapes I recommend that you check out the website of the photographer, our current neighbours at www.rastanley.com. The Stanley's are doing a similar trip to us but Rich is taking photos as he travels to sell through his shop out of Sydney and online.
During the weeks when the kids are at school and Rob is at work I have been helping out a bit at the school with either Sophie's or Matthew's class as required, running errands, shopping, washing and cleaning, washing and cleaning and did I mention washing and cleaning? Then there's the interesting bits like chatting to the other travellers staying at the Park, improving our van, annex and ute in preparation for the rest of the trip, and getting stickers made for the front windscreen of the ute and the back of the caravan. We wanted to come up with something snappy like so many of the grey nomads have like "Spending the kids inheritance" or "Dun a runner" or something explanatory like "Bob and Shirl, Ch
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February in Esperance
On Saturday we finished settling in to our new home, adding the final touches including putting up our awning and annex for the first time to find that the repairs made were a little amiss. With some helpful advice and a visit from Kevin Tobin from Esperance Caravan and Camping Centre we were able to 'make do'. We hauled off the bikes that had caused Rob so much angst on the way over – if only I had a dollar for every time he said that we should dump them – I could buy myself a box of Smirnoff Ice to ease the pain! Then again it might be better spent on a slab of beer for him!! I am referring to the fact that at present we cannot do any tight turns and by that I mean anything tighter than 120 degrees – which made traversing
On the Sunday we played in
We have been fishing on the jetty – Matthew even managed to catch something (the Jetty!!!) and we have seen Sammy the Sea Lion who lives there and enjoys the treats that the fishermen throw to him as they fillet their catch. We have seen sharks, and squid being caught along with the usual fish.
We have visited the Agnew's Farm which Matthew has been impatient to do for some time, and look forward to visiting again soon. We have celebrated two birthdays, Robs and Matthews and wish family well on two birthdays as well – Mick and Ellie. We have visited the
I have filled my days seeking work, performing minor repairs and changes to the caravan, including cleaning and repacking the caravan since we left in such a hurry, and general home duties and am worried at present how I will ever be able to fit the time in to have a job. Living in such small confines means the cleaning is endless trying to maintain clear space – packing up after young children. The caravan park where we are staying is lovely, the toilets and laundry are immaculate and well set up and there is a camp kitchen as well which is handy.
The weather in the first few weeks had been very changeable; the same wind that led us away from
We attempted home schooling for the first week in Esperance and we were so unsuccessful that we enrolled both children at Esperance Primary School by Wednesday with Sophie commencing Year 2 the next day with Mrs Linda McGovern and Matthew commenced his first day of Pre-Primary (as Prep, Kindergarten and Reception is referred to over here) with Mrs Alison Rees on the Friday.
Sophie is in year two over here as they do not really focus hard on the 'R's until year 1, she is one of the smallest and youngest and is behind the other children but I am hopeful this will assist us when we get back on the road. She is in the largest class (and classroom) in the school with 23 Year two's just in her class and a further full class of 20 Year 2's at the school – making St Columba's seem very small indeed. She has made great friends with a girl called Charlie and they seem to be very well suited, her other friends are Ella, Tamika and Emma. She misses Olivia a great amount and this would be one of her main reasons for homesickness so hopefully making friends at school will alleviate some of this for her.
The next weekend we were fortunate enough to catch up with my cousin Cameron on the Saturday and take a cruise with the whole Agnew clan (and a mate of
We had Sophie's first school excursion last week – to
Matthew is loving Pre-Primary and has mates called Summer, Porsche, Jett, Shanade, Willow and others I cannot remember off the top of my head but suffice to say his plain old name looks rather out of place – knew I should have called him Rocket, Ford, Winter or Glider. Due to his age we were not able to get Matthew in to year 1, they are very strict about the ages and so I am lucky now that I delayed Sophie's start to school. There was a great deal of discussion with the teachers at the school and at the Hay DEC (School of the Air) and it was decided that it wouldn't hurt Matt to go to pre-primary and then, if necessary, start school next year as this way I would also have more time to devote to Sophie on the road when we head off and Rob can spend some time with Matt.
Rob has been working for my aunt and uncle, Marg and Rob Agnew, since we arrived and I am led to believe that all three are very happy to be reunited – I am most pleased that they all get along so well. This week Rob has commenced two weeks work with one of Rob and Marg's neighbours – pulling out fences, there's some cattle work for another neighbour to be done and still plenty more to do at the Agnews.
Last weekend we had a great day out with Reece and Paula Osborne and their two young children Grace and Chelsea. We have gotten to know them over the weeks here in the caravan park – mainly at the washing line! On Saturday we travelled out to see Mt Ridley which is like a smaller version of Wave Rock at Hyden. The sun was fierce on the day and much too hot for serious hiking with young children so the men tried to see as much as they could whilst Paula and I and the kids chatted and played in a hollow rock which was obviously a former home of the Aborigines. The blokes saw some interesting rock formations and a bit of Aboriginal rock art but not the wave rock and there was still more to see and so we might come back on a cooler day. From there we headed south to the beach and found a creek that feeds in to the ocean for the kids to throw themselves in after being very patient all morning.
We attempted to slide down the sand dunes but found the sand was so light that even the kids sunk down and couldn't build up momentum, even on tarps and lifejackets. We then drove back to Esperance via the beaches, which was a great experience, and another great photo opportunity. Rob had been looking forward to this for quite a while and it was great to experience it with someone who had done it before. Reece and Paula left on Monday and we hope that we might be able to catch up with them up north somewhere once they have done the west coast.
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Stage 1 - Across the Nullarbor
We managed to get away from home on Saturday 2nd February, only a day later than planned and a day or two earlier than I thought possible. We drove straight through that day to Sharyn and Paul Lyford in
The next day we drove to a beach south of
Day three we drove on to Port Augusta to stay for the evening in the
Day four we crossed the
Day five found us doing our first big day of driving – and the kids handled it brilliantly which was a godsend – I wouldn't like to do it to them too often and that isn't the plan for this trip, but really there is not much to stop and look at across the Nullarbor. We stopped at the Nullarbor Roadhouse to see the whale (small replica) and have our photo taken in front of it and the Nullarbor sign. Next was a stop on the edge of the bite to look over the edge, and then our only other stop was at the Eucla Telegraph Station hidden in the sand-dunes. There is even less of it evident than there was on our last trip across four years ago so it was good to pay it another visit and show the children what it looked like. Matthew and Sophie both found themselves bedrooms and really weren't fussed that they were full of sand and missing a roof. That night we stayed at Madura at the top of the
Friday was the final leg across the Nullarbor and we were in Norseman by lunchtime which was great. The children read about how the town was named after a horse (remarkably called Norseman) and were able to see some great camel statues made out of corrugated iron which are very well done. That night we checked in to our home for the next four months at the
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Planning for the trip
The decision had been made, the plan was put into action. Once we decided that we were going to bite the bullet and take this trip we had to consider how. We had an older Trek Bwana Camper trailer which was no way near in good enough condition nor large enough to house the four of us conveniently as we travelled around
We weighed up how much money we could spend to set ourselves up by deducting how much we considered we would need to conduct the trip. We wanted to buy a better 4WD as well and so started looking on the internet and via many local and
Whilst still searching for the right Hilux, our local caravan dealer, Peter Ennals Cobram Caravans, advertised a Goldstream Goldstar off road Campervan in the paper which I convinced Rob to have a look at even though it was just out of our budget. This is what I had been wanting for years and it had always been out of our reach. Regardless, for two months I had been studying their movements on the internet in the hope that I might somehow find a cheap one. This van had been neglected and needed a little TLC so was much cheaper than comparably sized and aged vans so we agreed to take it and had to reconsider the amount we could pay for a Hilux.
The campervan is ideal for what we have in mind. Being an off road model it is very solid and will be able to withstand the corrugated roads of the outback, and, as it folds down, it should not be too cumbersome to tow. It has a three way fridge, a four burner stove, grill, and microwave, mains water point, a 60ltr water tank, 2 x 9kg gas bottles, a battery pack, bed end flys, an outside 2 burner stove and bench, and an awning and annex sides. It has a reasonable amount of storage area and a great seating arrangement which can also be converted into another bed if required. The beds consist of one queen for ourselves and a double for the kids, I fashioned a curtain to run down the centre rail so the kids can sleep sideways and have plenty of room each. Rob fitted a pole carrier to the front and we are still looking at options for a stoneguard.
On our way to check out a Hilux I had been watching on Countrycars.com.au we dropped in to Shepparton Toyota and found the perfect vehicle, it had just been traded two days prior and we were later to find out it had belonged to a work colleague of mine and her husband. The Hilux is a 2004 standard turbo diesel and came fitted with snorkel, bulbar, winch, towball and backstep, tinted windows, central locking, engine immobiliser, and a long range fuel tank. The vehicle had also been lifted and had shockers on it which was an added bonus and during discussion with the previous owners we were able to obtain some springs and mud tyres to further enhance the ute. The Hilux also came with a canvas canopy which only had a steel frame and could not be locked so we needed to replace this and fortunate to be able to source a second hand colour-coded fibreglass canopy from Campbellfield Hilux Wreckers in
The basics were now complete. We then had to assess what we didn't already have and work out what we were lacking. We had previously purchased a porta potti and used a turbo shower with hot water provided by a extra large billy heated by fire. This we upgraded to a Primus hot water shower service that we bought at the 4wd, Camping and Fishing Show in
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