Today a drive of approx 400km of really not much to see.

Drove north about 400 km and there was 2 corners to take. We did drive through Coolgardie on the way, which was the town that was there before Kalgoorlie was created. At one stage this was the largest inland town in Western Australia, now I would guess population 1,000 maybe. Some lovely old buildings, but also many rundown and empty sites.

Arrived in Kalgoorlie, choose what we thought looked like the best Caravan park and parked up. First impressions, dirt, dust and flies, guess can only get better.

Saturday today, good the weekend!

Down to the waterfront for the kids (and the big kids) to ride on the model railway. They had a railway similar to the one my Dad is involved in in Picton (NZ), but the track would be about 3-4 times as long. Ticket price, $2 for children of all ages! This was all run by volunteers, but they had also made a clock tower as part of the workshop and storage area for the trains. Maybe this will give something for the Picton club to aspire to.

After this we wandered down to the water front cafe for a coffee and some lunch. Back then into town to see the museum, but this was closed, so we went and saw the local replica town where they had rebuilt some of the old houses and buildings. Dissapointingly though, they had then populated the nice looking buildings with local businesses, like real estate, and boring non touristy shops. There were a couple of good shops but a bit of a disapointment.

Next of to the Port tour that we had been waiting all day for (and we were nearly late, as Josie decided we had time to do some shopping on the way). Arrived in true Gabites time frame of 1 minute to leaving time and just as it started to rain. The rain was very short lived. The tour around the port was excellent. It was interesting to see the huge sheds used to store the nickel, iron ore and wheat that was shipped out. Also they had large areas that held the fertiliser that was imported! The iron ore sheds had airconditioning on them so that they emitted no dust. Strange how they managed to do it here but in other towns we have been in it was all too hard! But they were huge! Also saw the train emptying cariages, they had a big sort of lift thing that rotated the railway truck that was full of ore upside down and tipped it out. Very cool.

Back out of the port our tour guide told us he was involved in a local show that night and seats were still available. It was an Agatha Christie mystery, so I volunteered to keep Emily at home while, Josie, Harry and Charlotte went to see it.  It was very good by all accounts.

After the tour we went to the musuem, which contained bits of Skylab, which I thought was interesting. The kids wanted to know what it was, and when we said it was a spaceship that crashed, they just went OK, in the way kids do and moved on to playing on the train at the Museum. Any way a good museum run by locals. had all sort from steam engines, old cars and trucks, horse drawn carriages, and some maritime stuff as well. I even found an old seagul motor on display which I remember using on our boat when I was about Charlottes age. Bit of a worry when I start seeing stuff I remember in the Museum!

Up today and drive to Esperance (not much to do in Ravensthorpe!)

After we arrived at a nice park on the waterfont we drove around the senic tourist loop of the town and the coast. Lovely views out over the ocean. We also managed a swim at Twilight Beach (apparently the best beach in Australia by public vote). It was a lovely sheltered beach, with pure white sand, so rather nice. Also there was an old rusty van selling icecream and softserve. We thought this will be either really dodgy or really good and old fashioned and luckily was great. I thought it was the best soft serve I have had in years!

Also visited their wind farm which they raved about how much energy they were saving. Bit disappointing though when we read the fine print and all the wind farms that had supplied only 30% of their power, the rest coming from diesel generators in town! I guess anything is a start!

 

 

Today both J and me got stuck with some work to do before we got on our way to the wave. Decided to take the van with us, even though we will be coming back this way.

Arrived at Hyden, the town near wave rock about midday and found the locals really had a sense of humor. They had created a time line of things that had happened in town over the last 100 years or so. For each item they had created a scene from scrap they had found lying around, and a bit of welding. Very cool.

Then some lunch, and off to Wave rock. Very cool, but smaller than I imagined. The height was what I though, but the length was shorter, if that makes any sense. Still very cool. Typical though, Hyden had been short of water so the locals had put water diversions around the wave formation to collect the water ('60's). This was all done before the rock became famous. It was a long way to drive to see a rock, but classic Australia (and it was a long drive to Ayres Rock too!)

Also saw there Hippo yawn, which was a cave that with a bit of imagination looked like a hippo yawning (maybe a lot of imagination...)

Back in the car and town the van back the way we had come, down to Ravensthorpe for the night.

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Up this morning an back to the Museum for the kids and me.  Josie is doing another one of her all too comon teleconferences.

Kids had another good hour playing in the interactive area and then we had a look through the rest of the museum, before we started our drive up north towards Wave Rock. Basic plan was to drive as far as we could and then stop. To that end we drove to King Lake, which has only a salt lake, which was a bit disppointing as I had visions of a nice lake and a spot of fishing (in the middle of dry Australia, the heat must be getting to me!).

Nothing too exciting, and the flies were back. Funny though, we stayed at the King lake campgound, $25 for all of us, and the facilities were all newish and very clean. We have paid, $60 a night, and had disgusting facilities in towns not much bigger. When travelling you just never know what to expect!

Travel today through to Albany and on the way we come across a Dinosaur Museum in the middle of nowhere. strange place with life size dinosaur skeletons, reptiles on display and then outside, many parrots and other birds that are flying free and will sit on your shoulders etc. Then to top it off, a yard with a couple of Kangaroos! The guy running the place was fabulous, letting you touch and pet the animals, snakes, lizards, and Kangaroos. If you are in the area well worth a visit. place was called Denmark Dinosaur World.

Then into Albany, and park up the van. Decided to stay only one night as not too much to do here, or so we thought!

Of to the Brig Amity, a reconstruction of on of the original ships to sail to the town, which was very well done, with lots of fun areas for the kids. Then into the musuem for a quick look, visiting the old school house. Then we popped our nose into one area and they had heaps for kids to do, like dress ups, plaster of paris painting, and other fun interactive stuff. The kids just loved it. So much they wanted to come back in the morning!

After this we went for a drive up the local look out, we are tourists after all, and a drive around town. Lovely town and local feel here.

 

 

We have also noticed the landscape and tree scape again has changed fairly signifigantly over the last while. 

Started today with some work, for Josie and Tony. Then I started really earning my keep by fixing the plumbing. Quite proud of myself, for I fixed the plumbing and it supprisingly still seems to work!

Finally got out of the van park at midday and off to the Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants. This was a steel walk way suspended up in the top of the trees. Very interesting but not quite as good as we expected. Walk was pretty high, about 40 metres above the ground and had a bit of a wooble on.

Also walked the Acient Empire walk, a grove of impressive veteran tingle trees, some over 400 years old. These are the giants that gave the forest its name – they’re some of the most enormous trees in the world and are only found in the forest surrounding the Valley of the Giants.

Bit of a drive in the afternoon to see the Art in the forest, then off to the Largest Tingle tree, and finally the circular pool (so named 'cause the water makes circles as it flows through the pool). Today there the water was a foamy coffee colour, due to the plant matter in the water (normal they say!).

Drive back to the van park, and a look around town on the way back. Lovely area around the inlet, reminds me very much of NZ (Lake Brunner).

Started today with a plumbing issue. Poor Harry dropped the toothpaste cap down the sink, and do you think we can get it out. Tried with plunger etc, but looks like a job for tomorrow to fix, as it is just not coming out (and neither is the water)! Off to see a sheep being shawn at one of the local sheep farms/ shop called the Yallingup Shearing Shed. Very good fun, with the kids getting involved in the sorting of the wool, stuffing the wool in the wool press, and feeding the sheep and lambs. Also saw a round up of the sheet in the yard, and the farmer was really good with the information etc. Then off to a vineyard for some lunch and tasting. Josie wanted to add a couple more tastings in before we left this area. First winery was "Swings and Roundabouts" Wine was OK, pizza for lunch was yummy. Then of to Leeuwin Winery, I had a coffee as needed to drive ... Josie tried and tried more, and then purchased, tasty. Bit of a drive then to Walpole with a quick stop at the Glouster Tree, which is the tallest still in use, fire watching tower in the world. It has metal pegs in the side of the tree to allow you to climb up. Not for the faint hearted. Unfortunately, we were running short on time so we, looked, took the photo and moved on our way. Arrived here, at 6:35 (place closed at 6:30) but luckily the staff were still around to let us in!

Today we drove south to Cape Leeuwin light house. It is here that the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. Also this is the south west most point of the Australian. Climbed up the light house for some wonderful views, and learnt about some of the history of the light.

Then off to Jewel Cave, very good. Huge cave, heaps of steps. Very good stalagmites and stalactites , and also some straws, in fact the 3rd longest in the world. Many caverns. Also the only natural entrance to the cave was a hole, in the top of the cavern, which had a 20 metre drop to the floor. We luckly could enter using the whole someone had made for tourists in the 60's! Also they had found (and removed) a skeleton of a Tasmanian Tiger (now extinct), which they think had fallen down the hole as some stage and died due to lack of food.

After lunch we visited another cave, called Lake cave. This was supposed to be the best cave around, but I have to say, I was much more impressed with Jewel cave. Lake cave did have an upside down table and the water in the cave created some nice reflections.

Now nearing the end of the day and we had to fit in a wine tasting at Voyager Estate. Abolutely beautiful grounds and gardens, and the wine was not too bad either.

Started the day with Josie doing a teleconfernce and me fixing some of the PC's at Cpharm. Managed to get that finished by by about 10:30 and we next door for a very yummy breakfast at the vineyard and cafe next door. Yes our life is tough!

Next of towards Cape Naturaliste Light house, but funily enough we managed to stop at the Duckstein Brewery, for a tasting of their locally brewed beer. The wheat beer was the clear winner, with one of their beers being left on the tasting plate so I guess you will be able to tell what we thought of that one! Lovery place with bars overlooking a large dam with lake in the middle. Kids loved the playground, what more could a kid want.

Then continued on our way to the light house, visiting Yallingup on the way. There was a sign there stating there was a dead whale on the beach that may be smelly so we just looked out the car window and continued on our way.

Arrived at lighthouse, and Josie was still on the phone. She  had had the phone glued to one ear most of the way up. Kids and I went for a walk but seemed you needed to pay a fee just to walk around so we did not get too close.

Off then to Simmo's Icecreamery, sounded like a place for both big an little kids, and it was. I would think they had 20 flavours of Sorbe, and 40 kinds of icecream. Oh heaven in a cone. Great flavours, and I would recommend if you make it here, well worth a look. Yum. Decided to do the Wobly goft, mini golf with style, which was enjoyed by all. I won, with Josie a close second, followed by Harry, Charlotte and Emily a distant 5th.

Had dinner at the pub in Margaret River, which was good food, in a good pub.