Day 2 in Augusta was a treat! We walked along the beach bordering the salt water river out to the mouth and the Southern Ocean. As we walked we could not believe our eyes. About 3 feet from us and in around 2 feet of water was a large stingray fluttering up the river. About 5 minutes later we saw more activity right at the edge of the water and found that two baby and two adult dolphins were herding fish into shore for feeding. They weren't any further than 3 feet out. We were told that because the river is fed by the ocean, it is loaded with fish. Fishermen from our camp also clean their fish in the river right by the camp and this provides easy feeding for these wonderful creatures. Of course the 100's of pelican's that stick around aren't complaining either.
Aug 24: We drove down to Cape Leeuwin to see where the Southern Ocean and Indian Oceans meet then up Hwy 250 around 250 km to Margaret River. Margaret River is the hub of wine and horse country. There are also loads of galleries.
Our campground was unique in that it housed many migrant workers; young travellers who help with their budget by working in vineyards and olive groves. We had not seen this many young people at any camp so far. Lots and lots of money in these hills. Very lush and beautiful.
Jan 25: Leaving Margaret River with a destination of Busselton we visited a lavender farm that also makes lavender wine (my word!!!) and beer. Of course we bought a few bottles...gotta try it all we figure!!
Arriving in Busselton we checked in to the Kookaburra Caravan Park....JUST for you Jenn!!! So that the rest of you readers are up to speed on this, our daughter Jenn was in Australia last year and so loved the Kookaburra bird (it IS sweet!) she made it her email address.
Busselton is a great destination for surfers and is absolutely gorgeous. The water is pale green and clear as a bell (so you can see the fin from km's away). Here they have nets to protect you from the stingies (jelly fish). It was over 40C and later in the day.....which didn't make a darn bit of difference to the temperature.....we walked the jetty....all 2 km's of it! So in total, we walked 4 km on one of the hottest days so far and that was just the jetty. It was lovely out there and many people were swimming or fishing along the way. We returned to the shore and sat under a huge gum tree watching people and the 100's of cockee's that landed in the tree.
It cooled down to around 20C for sleeping and we decided to stay another day.
Jan 26: Happy Australia Day! We walked downtown attended "Art in the Park" and saw some beautiful work by local artists.
We were back at camp to sit in the shade by mid afternoon and watched as a new couple arrived to set up their tent behind us. It was as if the energy in the park immediately changed. A fantastic couple, Chris (originally from London UK) and Sarah (from Melbourne but just returned from 2 yrs working in London UK) exuded friendliness. Bob called out to them as they floundered with the tent and Chris asked us what part of Canada we were from. We were stunned that he knew and that's where it all started. They came over and we shared a few beer before they even got the tent up. Later they joined us for wine and appetizers and before we knew it it was late. They just moved to Perth 2 weeks ago and were celebrating Sarah's return from Britain. Chris has been here 12 years and is now an Ausse citizen. They gave us their number and asked us to connect when we get to Perth. Chris works with young offenders so there was much in common with our Peter and lots to talk about.
As we were about to crawl into bed, Sarah came to the door and asked us to come with her up to the camp kitchen. There on the walls surrounding the building were possum. We had heard them on our roof the night before but couldn't see them. They are the cutest things and allowed us to pet them.
News flash! Remember the story about the "monkey birds" being galah's? Well the woman who told me that way back in Albany didn't know what she was talking about. Sarah said that what we heard was the Kookaburra bird. We were thrilled to learn this because we had only seen them in captivity and had tried to see what was making the noise in the trees.
Jan 27: Great driving from Busselton to Fremantle on divided highways all the way. As we passed through Mandurah we were shocked to see all the housing developments taking place. This is a town where three tributaries meet so there are great marina's and great beauty. We checked it out in our Lonely Planet Guide and determined that this is the fastest growing city in all of Australia. This is also where we saw a sign advertising fresh corn on the cob for $1.75 for 2 cobs!!!
We had seen it being sold for 50 cents per cob and thought that was rich but this was unbelievable.
Approaching Fremantle (which is actually a suburb of Perth) we saw the largest industrial area we've ever seen. It went on for around 20 km and is right on the Indian Ocean. Huge ships were at sea and in port.
Jan 28: Happy 88th Birthday Mom!!! Well OUR 28th.....not yours since we are a day ahead of you.
Attended the lovely Fremantle Market where we picked up a lot of organic fruit and veg. As a matter of fact we filled the van! Then on to Perth and our Big 4 Camp; the only 5 star campground in Western Australia. It is fabulous! Huge trees, green lawns, a beautiful pool that would rival any Caribbean Hotel. We didn't have much choice of sites so got one that had a lot of afternoon sun. It was incredibly hot; the hottest we've experienced and even our van air conditioner couldn't keep up. We bought a rotating fan and tried to cool down. We did manage to walk to a local pub where we had a very late lunch/early dinner, had a pint and couldn't believe our eyes at what was on their large screen tv. Skiing competition at Lake Louise!!! That cooled us down somewhat. It was awesome!!!
That night there was an enormous dry storm with thunder and lightening all around us. The heat did not relent as it had every other evening and it was difficult sleeping. I awakened in the night to the smell of smoke and found out the next day that lightening had caused a bush fire around 5 km from our camp. The rain started sometime in the night and it aided the firefighters greatly. The heat wave had broken and the temps were now in the mid 20's.
Jan 29: Called Mom for her REAL birthday and got to speak with my brother as well. It was a lovely chat and great to catch up. Mom had been treated to dinner by Jan, Elliot, Wayne and Ev.
We called one of the lovely couples we'd met in New Zealand and who live in Perth and they invited us over for "tea". Turns out they live in the Perth Hills which are part of the Darling Ranges (don't get excited; they are only 1000 feet above sea level). What a beautiful location!! We had a fabulous time with them and they provided us with tons of great info re the next phase of our trip up the west coast. They are avid campers and really "go bush"....meaning they go where our camper would never take us.
Jan 30: Took the bus from the camp to downtown Perth where we explored a bit and took the sightseeing trolley for a hop on hop off experience. What a beautiful city!!! It is green and gorgeous with views of the Swan River. Wonderful restaurants and shops as well. Bob called Chris (the young couple from Busselton) but couldn't connect live so left a message re our plans and our date of departure.
Jan 31: Got up late which is unusual for us. Just about to get brekkie when the lovely Sarah showed up at our door. She and Chris were inviting us to join them and two friends (one who is Canadian) for dinner at Cottesloe; an area on the beach in south Perth. That is where I am typing at this moment. We will be meeting them in an hour or so. It is another beautiful place with white sand beaches, boardwalks and sun and surf.
I will leave you here and will do my best to update and upload the photo's that should have accompanied this blog as soon as possible.
We leave tomorrow for northern territories and it seems we have lots of driving to do! It may be that we will be unable to email or blog for some time, depending on availability.... so know that we think of you always and will be in touch as soon as we can.
Love to all!
Sharon
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