continued....
9th February 1996 Kununurra, WA 504 km
Had another early start and drove westbound through interesting country of lush forest and craggy hills. We crossed some big rivers, which were still quite low, despite the fact that we were just into the wet season. The next few days were going to be crucial as we had been warned that at this time of year some of the rivers around this area (The Kimberley) would flood and roads could become impassable for weeks. Luckily the "big wet" had been pretty dry so far.
On route we saw lots of birds, many of them waterfowl, and some of them very big wading-type birds.
Kununurra is a nice town with a serious drunken aboriginal problem. This quaint little place is quite literally littered with pissed abo’s. Very sad. We decided to go "up market" and stay in an A/C caravan for the night at the Ivanhoe Caravan Park, which cost $45 per night.
Slept well last night but there was a huge storm around midnight. Good job we decided not to camp, as the whole place was waterlogged in the morning. We decided to check into the Desert Inn Backpackers for $35 per night, as it’s quite nice and friendly (and cheaper). Afterwards we drove to Lake Argyle – a huge manmade lake (apparently its 9x Sydney Harbour). We saw plenty of crocodiles in the river mouths and took advantage of the beautiful weather by taking a long walk. The whole area is beautiful, even if it is manmade. This region is famous for Diamond Mining and Kununurra is the base for the Lake Argyle diamond mine.
Got back to town and relaxed and had a nice surprise – checked my bank account to find an extra $2,633 in it – refunded superannuation! Celebrated with a cold beer.
Popped down to the river for a spot of late afternoon fishing. I had a couple of bites but didn’t catch anything. A local guy who was wading into a boat gave me some advice on lures to use, and where/when to fish, which was very useful. I asked him if I should be worried about crocodiles, but he just said, "No – no worries at all mate". I then noticed he had an artificial leg. This made me wonder how he’s lost his good leg. Was it from a crocodile attack?! I never asked him. As we were fishing Dibs kept watch, as it was quiet and getting dark, and I nearly filled my pant when about three feet away from me something popped out of the water. I dropped my road and moved very quickly, only to notice it was a big Goanna, which had popped in for a swim and was curious as to what I was doing! We decided to call it a day and returned to the hostel.
Set out on an early morning fishing trip to Diversion Dam and caught my first Barramundi. Great fishing (despite the constant threat/thought of crocs!) and a beautiful fish. It was about 40 cm long and weighed about 4.5 lb. I put it back, as I’m not sure of the size limit for keeping fish.
Spent the afternoon writing letters and reading and then returned back to the fishing spot in the afternoon where I caught another lovely Barramundi. This one was slightly bigger – around 5lb, but I returned it. I had found out that due to low stocks this season, the size limit was 55cm, so we went to the local chip shop and bought Barra and chips there instead! Watched an Aboriginal bloke get into the river and go fishing – with a harpoon. He was quite a rotund chap, stripped down to his pants and just got in there. He spent ages under water, and I really though he must be mad with all the crocodile warnings and stuff. He kept surfacing for air, and after a while popped up with a huge Barramundi – about three feet long. Nice work!
12th February 1996 Halls Creek, WA 483 km
We didn’t get away quite as early as we wanted to this morning, and paid the price with a real roaster of a drive. We drove to Halls Creek via Wyndham which was very scenic, rugged and interesting, but very very hot. The Five Rivers lookout at Wyndham was fantastic and well worth the detour. The sign claimed it was "The best lookout in the whole of Australia". It’s good – but I wouldn’t go that far. Once out of the car we were attacked by huge biting black flies, which made the whole thing pretty uncomfortable. That’s one of the problems in the Australian outback. You drive to a really beautiful spot and think "I’ll go out and have a wander" or "Lets sit out and have a bite to eat", but the flies/bugs nearly always put an end to that. The little bastards really get to you after a while.
The drive was long and dusty and when we got to Halls Creek, a ramshackle town with nothing much to offer, we booked into an A/C caravan and locked ourselves inside for the rest of the day! $38 per night.
13th February 1996 Derby, WA 555 km
Got up at 5:30 a.m. and shared the driving to the town of Derby, roughly 555 KM. We have to work out mileage on our map as the clock on the car isn’t working. Half of the journey was through rugged hills and the other half through flatter, desert like terrain, right on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert.
It was pretty hot again by noon so we were glad to have made a very early start. Derby is a nice place. Lots of Boab trees, in fact all the businesses in Derby seem to have put the word "Boab" into their names – Boab Supplies, Boab Newsagency, etc…. Boab madness !
We visited a 1500 year old Boab tree just outside of town which was huge & hollowed out. Apparently it was used as a holding cell in the past (aptly named the prison boab!). It was big enough to hold six people comfortably. Nearby was the worlds biggest cow trough – be we decided we wouldn’t go to see that particular spectacle.
The campsite in town is good and we set up camp and chatted to some semi-permanent caravan residents before taking a long walk along the jetty across miles of mud flats and mangrove swamps.
14th February 1996 Broome, WA 228 km
Slept well last night and made another early start to Broome. It’s a beautiful spot with superb sandy beaches and clear blue seas. We set-up camp at the Cable Beach campsite, which is about 6 KM out of town and right near to the beautiful Cable beach, a resort, and a pub. It’s clean with a nice pool and was fairly busy. The weather was still hot and humid.
In the afternoon we made our way to the Lord Mac pub at the resort and made good use of the happy hour, had a walk on the beach at sunset, and then drank and ate at the local tavern. A very romantic Valentines day.
Spent a morning on the beach wandering around and relaxing and enjoying the refreshing breeze, and then we visited the local crocodile farm in the afternoon. Definitely money well spent. The guide was very knowledgeable and we followed him round whilst he explained things and fed the crocs and alligators. There were some huge monsters around 5 meters long and it was good to see how dangerous and unpredictable these beasts can be. A seemingly quiet pool of water could contain a silent crocodile – then as soon as the dead chicken our guide lobbed in hit the water, the croc would flash up out of the surface to attack it. Must bear all this in mind next time we are fishing!
Later in the day we went into town with Mark and Will (Australian and German) – we’ve been bumping into them at campsites for quite a few days now. A couple of young lads, and Will was very funny, his English was amusing and his favourite word was "Becoming". He used this word in every sentence (or so it seemed). Example: "Becoming ice" would be the equivalent of "Would you like some ice" or "Becoming pub" would mean "Would you like to come to the pub"!!
We had a couple of beers in town at a lively bar and then ate fish ‘n’ chips. In the evening we went to Broome's famous open-air cinema and saw "The American President". The film was good and the cinema itself is brilliant, sitting outside on deckchairs!
Felt refreshed when I woke up as the night had been much cooler. Spent the day in town and on the beach just relaxing.
17th February 1996 Port Hedland, WA 607 km
Our longest drive to date at over 600 km of fairly boring straight road. Port Hedland is a dump, especially after the beauty of Broome, but we had to stop. The caravan park, Dixons, is an even bigger dump. It was filthy and ridden with ants and mosquitoes. Will and Mark turned up later on and we chatted and cooked in the evening. Will wanted to go to the nearby bar, but is sounded a bit dodgy.
18th February 1996 Coral Bay, WA 838 km
Drove all day. We didn’t plan to go all the way to Coral Bay, but that’s how it seemed to turn out! From Port Hedland we drove to Port Samson and Cossack, lunched at Roebourne, and then motored on. The roadhouse accommodation looked really bad and there wasn’t much on the roads, other than a lone cyclist in the middle of nowhere. We passed through some heavy rain storms and a huge sandstorm, but the temperatures stayed a lot lower, so the driving was easier. We did over 800kms, easily topping our previous high the day before.
Coral Bay is a small, isolated, beautiful place. We set-up camp at the campsite, which was $10 per night, just as it was getting dark. The owner helped by driving his 4WD up and shining his lights so we could see what we were up to. We ate at the local hotel, which was good, and the campsite is located very near to the beach. The coastline, beach and sea are the best I’ve seen.
Today we walked along the beach and decided to take things easy. We felt very tired from all the driving. I definitely know we’ll be staying here for another day or two.
Went out on a glass-bottomed boat to the reef (which is very close to the shore) at 11:00 a.m. for two hours ($18 each). We saw lots of marine life and fed the fish, did some snorkelling. Dibs felt a bit seasick but was OK. Returned to camp to make lunch and as we sat we saw a huge Goanna lurch across the campsite - weird. Must have been over a meter long!
The weather is hot but dry, not humid and there is a cooling breeze. Spent the afternoon snorkelling on the reef – there’s just so much marine life to see!
21st February 1996 Denham, WA 582 km
Hot !! A tedious drive through desert. Very hot and sweaty. Got stopped by the police, which was interesting. The police car shot past us going the other way and I watched him turn around a follow us – with the blue lights on. When I asked him why he stopped us he claimed that he thought we weren’t wearing seatbelts (which we were). He checked the car out and pointed out that two of out tyres were very bald and very illegal. I was pleasant with him, he was OK with us, and he let us off with a warning after we promised to change them a.s.a.p.
We arrived in Denhmam in Shark Bay, in the afternoon and booked into a "park home" at the Blue Dolphin Caravan Park. A little bit of luxury after a long stretch of camping. The cabin was great and Denham very pleasant.
22nd February 1996 Monkey Mia, WA 26 km
Travelled to Monkey Mia in the morning and set up tent on a really nice campsite in the resort – right next to the beach for $12 per night. It’s very "resorty" but who cares?! A shop, places to eat and a great pool.
The weather was hot and breezy, the beach was clean and the sea was crystal clear. I went fishing at dusk and after catching many small fish and losing some very big fish, I caught a good size Taylor – around 3lbs. It put up a good fight and the two resident pelicans tried very hard to take it away from me. I returned to camp, filleted the fish and BBQ’d it up. Freshly caught, free and delicious, and plenty for the two of us.
I had run out of bait, but a lad who was also fishing gave me some, so I thanked him for my catch!
Woke up early and went to see the Dolphins who frequent the area. They come very close to you and we both enjoyed it – even though it’s a bit of a tourist trap, with everyone lining up and been told the "agenda", etc. It was like everything was done to a schedule and the dolphins were just keeping to it!
I went fishing again in the afternoon and caught a huge ugly looking fish but decided that the Pelicans could have it. I later found out it was a fish which the Japanese eat – but if not cooked properly it will kill you. Good job I decided not to BBQ it! I caught plenty of other fish, including a small Barracuda, and lost some big ones on my light tackle. Decided to eat Pie and Chips instead!
Really enjoyed the couple of days in Monkey Mia.
24th February 1996 Kalbarri, WA 393 km
Today involved another long, hot drive to the town of Kalbarri on the coast of WA. It’s a nice place with a great campsite, but it was dead. I suppose in the height of summer is a bit out of season. On the way in Dibs stopped at a ranch to book some horesriding, which she was very excited about. The campsite, called Tudor Campsite, was very leafy and relaxing. We ate another tasty curry, thanks again to Pataks curry sauces, and drunk a couple of cold beers in the local. Strange, but people in WA tend to drink very small glasses of beer (I think they are called Ponies). About a quarter pint I would think, but I suppose it’s so they always have a cold beer! Australians have a big thing about warm beer and many a time we had fun winding them up telling them their beer was "too cold" and could they heat it up a bit for us Pommies!
Woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning. As I was rousing I heard someone saying "What ya doin’ ?". I opened the tent flap to see a Pink Galah (native parrot) sitting on my car. Again he said "What ya doin’ ?". Being half-asleep I responded with "OK – how about you?". This prompted the parrot to fly down into the tent and spend about five minutes walking around and chatting to us. Bizarre! Dibs woke up and wondered what was going on! We decided to start the say off with a swim in the pool, and again the Pink Galah appeared and started talking to us and walking along the side of the pool while we swam! When we got out and sat in the sun he came and joined us and chatted some more!
We later found out that the parrot was reared by the owners and lives wild with the other Galahs (who wouldn’t come anywhere near a human). What a brilliant pet!
I cleaned up my fishing gear and watched Premiership football on the TV in the campsite common room – fantastic! Dibs went for a riding lesson at the stables and got all geared up for a long hack out in the afternoon.
Around lunchtime we visited the "Rainbow Jungle" – a parrot breeding centre nearby. It cost $5 each to enter and was a great place to spend an hour or so. They have the largest variety of parrots in Australia, so there was plenty to see. After looking and chatting to the parrots, I dropped Dibs off at the ranch and I went fishing on the coast for a couple of hours. I caught a decent sized Parrotfish amongst others. Dibs riding session was excellent and she rode on deserted beaches and even crossed rivers. I collected her at dusk and chatted to the old boys who ran the place. They were very interesting blokes and even offered Dibs a job to help out with the horses (they breed racehorses too). Very tempting. We headed back to the campsite with my Parrotfish and some Spanish mackerel steaks, which the blokes at the ranch gave us, to find Mark and Will set-up next to us.
The four of us enjoyed a feast of fish and some spaghetti, which a tour group who turned up gave us, whilst enjoying a lovely warm evening.
26th February 1996 Geraldton, WA 168 km
Left fairly early and drove a couple of hours to the town of Geraldton. It’s a fairly large town, the largest we’ve come across in a long time. We got two new tyres fitted (the old ones were literally slicks by now), which cost $99 each including fitting. We also visited the National Bank, bought some discount camera film and then set-up camp at the Sun City Caravan Park. It was OK, $12 per night, just out of town and right on the beach.
27th February 1996 Cervantes, WA 312 km
Miraculously I managed to sort payment out for our flights without any woe. I phoned the flight centre in Sydney and then transferred the money into their account at the National Bank - $2424. Easy!
After this we had a wander around Geraldton and did some chores. It’s quite a pleasant city although nothing special. KFC provided lunch (the good old Colonel), and we hit the road again.
The drive was pleasant with a change in scenery to a more temperate one. Ploughed fields and forests with almost English feel. We were back to a more "normal" climate after few weeks in either dry desert heat or humid tropical conditions. All of a sudden we were on dual carriageways and the towns were closer than 400 km apart!
Cervantes is the base for the Namburg National Park, the home of the famous Pinnacles Desert.
We drove into the National Park after debating whether the roads would be too rough. The first half was fine but the second half was pretty hard going, and we drove at around 20 km/h of really corrugated dirt tracks, which was a real suspension tester. No problems though.
The Pinnacles itself was very good. I’d expected it to be a letdown but was pleasantly surprised. It’s quite an eerie feeling place with masses of rock pinnacle formations amongst sand. Well worth a look. We also stopped at Hangover Bay, a nice one, before travelling back to camp. The wind had got up and erecting the tent was challenging.
In the evening we walked down to the "Cervantes Football and Community Club" for a couple of drinks. The locals were very friendly and very fat, who all seemed to be big drinkers and chainsmokers. They signed us in and we sat for a couple of drinks, chatting to them whilst watching the ladies darts tournament which was taking place.
28th February 1996 Perth, WA 280 km
The drive to Perth was easy and we made it to the suburb of Scarborough Beach without too much fuss, just a couple of wrong turns. We checked into the YHA, which was OK but I had a bad feeling about it. We sat by the pool and cooled off, followed by another junk food session at McDonalds. We handed in loads of films for developing
First impressions of Perth were a clean and quite classy.
A full day. We collected mail for the Post Office first thing, and sorted some bank stuff out. I bought a new watch, a wallet and a T-shirt and we both had long awaited haircuts! Collected our photographs, which ere excellent, and lunched on Chinese in town. The centre of Perth is really nice and we were quite impressed. Returned to the room in the afternoon as the heat was on. Did nothing for the rest of the day.
Did lots again today. Dibs got her dodgy ear sorted out at the Med. centre – syringed and she got some drops. We posted some presents and letters and went to town where we sorted out our tax returns, travel insurance and claimed back some Medicare.
Got back in the afternoon feeling pretty tired so had a kip. In the evening we went out for a beer at the Stamford Arms. Three pints of Tetley bitter which tasted very good. Afterwards we ate pizza.
The YHA residents got too much for us. Far too pissed and noisy during the night (mainly young British yobs), so we moved out to the West Beach backpackers, just around the corner. It’s much better – small, cosy and friendly. Spent the day chatting and relaxing.
Left the hostel at 8:00 with two lads who were also staying there – Paul and Chris (both English) – and took the bus and then train to Freemantle. A very pleasant town which joins on the Perth with nice streets, a market and a busy port. We visited the Shark Museum, situated on a boat in the harbour ($2), which was money well spent, and dined out at lunchtime in a nice café. A good day out was had by all.
In the evening we teamed up with about ten others who stay in the hostel (and their friends) and we walked to Trig Beach for a BBQ and drinks. As in most of Australia there are BBQs dotted around for public use, most of which are coin operated gas ones. Very convenient.
We all had a great time and plenty to eat and drink. We started a campfire on the beach later on when it got chilly and got home about midnight.
Went to Kings Park for fresh air and exercise. It’s a great big park right in the middle of the city which has lots of space and great views. We returned to the hostel and sat and chatted to Paul (from Romford) and watched the Premier League update on TV. We sat up till quite late.
I think that the West Beach Backpackers was the best hostel we stayed in. The atmosphere was always good and everyone shared food and kept the place nice and clean. We had really enjoyed staying in Perth, which we found to be a charming city with a lot to offer. Even thought it’s very isolated from the rest of "civilised" Australia, it would be a good place to spend more time and even work.
5th March 1996 Albany, WA 409 km
We dragged ourselves away from Perth after a week (we could have stayed longer) and drove south through woodland and wheat fields to Albany, on the southwestern tip of Australia – about 400 KM. The weather was cooler and overcast and we could almost be back in England in these conditions and surroundings. Hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago we were in the desert coping with 45 degrees centigrade! Due to our exposure to high temperatures we were feeling the cold, but at least sleeping will be easier.
We set-up camp at Middleton beach, which is really good with an excellent camp kitchen. We had Steak and vegetables for tea and an early night.
Drove to Frenchman’s Bay (about 20km) which is a very pretty bay, calm and quiet, and on the way back we stopped off at numerous sights. Salmon holes – a small cove with a steep cliff, was very rough and a few other blowholes were quite lively, producing some good effects. We also stopped at a well-known rock-bridge, which had formed in the sea where the waves were fierce. It was a good tour of the coastline and our first glimpses of the southern ocean. We lunched back in town at a place called "Chicken Treat" making the most of a "2 for 1 shop-a-docket", which we had picked up somewhere!
I purchased some supplies for the next car service and then we walked around the centre of Albany and "did" the museum (free). Albany was quite an important port in its day and the earliest settlement in Western Australia – so there was plenty to see. The museum had some good exhibits about whaling – apparently whaling was still going on in Albany until 1979.
Spent the evening on camp in front of the camp TV
7th March 1996 Esperance, WA 515 km
Travelled from Albany to Esperance via the Stirling Ranges, which was a great drive. We booked into Corkers Caravan Park, which is very well kept and friendly. Spent the afternoon chatting to some Syedneysiders and bbq’d some meat. Managed to complete the car service on the campsite and dispose of old oil at a local dump.
Made an early start and toured around the Cape le Grande national park. It’s a stunning place, and again was very quiet with interesting scenery and beautiful blue sea. The day was windy so we declined the ascent of Frenchman’s Peak, which we’d planned, under the advice of a warden. We did, however, do quite a bit of walking and took in some spectacular views of the bays and coastline. We stopped for a bit of fishing in one bay and caught quite a few fish, including one that we kept for tea, called a Sweep.
We returned back to camp in the afternoon and I cleaned the Sweep up ready for eating (read in my book that the black stomach lining had to be removed to ensure good eating!).
Afterwards we did the Esperance "Tourist Loop" in the car – which was nice.
Esperance is a great spot for a holiday and the weather was pleasant, with temperatures around 25° C.
We enjoyed our Sweep (which was delicious) and some chips from the local chippy in the evening, followed by some TV and a glass or two of red wine
9th March 1996 Madura, WA 737 km
We managed an early start this morning and drove 737 KM to Madura on the Nullabor plain. The road was very straight and very quiet, and included a section of road called the "90 mile stretch", which is the longest section of straight road in Australia. We stopped at the couple of roadhouses along the way for fuel, which was very expensive at 102c/l. A real rip-off when you consider that loads of petrol tankers cover this route. I don’t know how they can sleep at nights!
Then again, I suppose these people are entitled to rip us off. One of the roadhouses had a pump for filling planes up. I presumed that light planes simply landed and took off on the road.
Madura seemed like the best place to stop in this deserted part of the world, as it has a small restaurant and a dirt campground.
The day was sunny and bright with temperatures around 25 again. Very interesting and different to be driving across this remote desert highway.
In the evening we ate and drank in the roadhouse and played pool, sleeping pretty well despite the noise of the generator.
10th March 1996 Ceduna, SA 677 km
This morning some bloke asked me if I could tow his broken-down campervan to Ceduna, but I decided it wasn’t worth the risk in our car.
We ended up spending a long day in the car, stopping at plenty of lookouts along the way as the highway drove near to the coast. The cliffs on the edge of the southern ocean were fantastic.
It was quite a laborious day and we both got a bit restless.
We didn’t get to Ceduna until late, which was made worse by having to put our watches one and a quarter hours forward when we crossed the border from WA into SA. We booked into a cabin for $30 per night and tried to find a phone to call home, but couldn’t find one that took cards.
Ceduna is OK but the town seems to have some suspicious looking characters wandering about. The cabin was fine and we settled down early. It seems like we are near to Adelaide on the map, but are in fact still 800 km away!
11th Mar 1996 Port Augusta, SA 480 km
Another long, hot day behind the wheel to get back to Port Augusta. We were last here on the 24th January, heading North (46 days ago!), which feels like ages. This time we chose a different campsite – the Fauna Caravan Park – which is more expensive at $14, but very nice with plenty of green grassy plots, a camp fridge, swimming pool, etc. Spent the rest of the day relaxing after three days of pretty solid driving. Cooked up in the camp kitchen after waiting ages for three Japanese lads who just kept filling the grill with bread, putting some sort of chocolate spread on the toast, and then eating. One slice after another they got through a whole loaf. Very wholesome!
12th March 1996 Adelaide, SA 315 km
Woke up early as usual but felt very tired, probably as a result of pushing things a bit too hard over the last week or so. Arrived at Adelaide at midday and headed to the Cannon Street Backpackers. $32 for a nice double room, and they had secure parking which was a real benefit. A good opportunity to park the car up for a few days and forget about driving. The hostel was OK, right in the middle of town with a friendly atmosphere. We wandered around the city in the afternoon, which we both found to be extremely pleasant. I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the look and feel of Adelaide. We had a couple of beers in a bar and then headed back to the hostel for a sleep.
In the evening we decided to treat ourselves and have a meal out. We ended up dining at the "Bunga Raya Malaysian restaurant" on Gouger Street. The whole area was packed with different places to eat, so the choice was difficult. We chose the Bunga Raya for it’s $19.80 banquet for two, which was very nice and was washed down with a couple of cold beers.
Had a well-deserved lie-in and then "did" the city. Lots of wide streets and interesting architecture – nothing spectacular, just "nice"! I suppose "nice" sums Adelaide up. We had a wander around the museum and the botanical gardens where we ate a packed lunch we had prepared. We also collected some photos and booked onto a trip to Kangaroo Island. $157 each, which includes transport, accommodation and sightseeing. It works out about the same as if we were to take our own car.
In the evening we cooked in the hostel, which was hard work. Because the hostel is so big, the kitchens get very busy around mealtimes, making cooking difficult and not much fun. Some of the "kids" who stay in these hostels have no idea about patience or manners. We managed to knock up another tasty curry – again thanks to Pataks curry sauces!
14th March 1996 Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA
Left Adelaide at around 7:30 a.m. and arrived at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island at around 10:30 a.m. The bus journey down through the Fleureau peninsular was beautiful. The thirty-minute boat journey from Cape Jervis to Christmas Cove was pretty rough. The sea was quite wicked and there were plenty of green faces on board by the end of the voyage. Luckily Dibs took her seasickness tablets and was fine. Our accommodation is in dorms at the Penneshaw youth hostel – which is OK (separate for male and female).
After check-in we started our tour. There was about ten in our group. We visited some great lookouts, a honey farm (boring) and a sheep farm for a sheep dog and shearing display (which was surprisingly good).
We walked along the Cygnet River to spot Koalas and saw three of them up in the trees, and then drove on to Kingscote, the main town on the island. It’s the oldest town in South Australia and has about 4000 people living there – most of the islands inhabitants.
The real "draw" of Kangaroo Island is wildlife. Because it’s away from the mainland, there have been none of the problems with pests/vermin and other introduced species (such as dogs and foxes), so the wildlife had thrived. It’s also a very beautiful place.
The weather was cool and overcast, which was a nice break from the usual hot and humid times we’d been experiencing.
In the evening we ate and then went out to view the Fairy Penguins which are nesting on the island, at around 8:30 p.m. This was excellent and the highlight of the trip. The guide who took us was very informative and we had no problem finding Penguins, as they are literally everywhere. We weren’t allowed to use torches (it blinds them temporarily), so we had a couple of red-light torches. We got very close to them at times, and the noise they were creating for such small things, was really loud. We returned to the hostel and relaxed/chatted before bed.
Didn’t sleep too well last night. The Japanese kids who are in the dorm are noisy – rattling around in plastic bags all night, plus there were plenty of mozzies about.
Day 2 of our tour began at around 8:00 a.m. We drove to the other end of the island to the "Flinders Chase National Park". There were lots of tame Kangaroos and Emus there as well as some inquisitive Cape baron geese and some more sleepy Koalas. We stopped at "Remarkable Beach" where there are some interesting rock formations and then we drove to "Admirals Arch" to view the colony of New Zealand Fur Seals playing on the rocks. Access was made easy by a manmade walkway.
We then visited "Seal Rocks" to view the local Sea Lions. Lots of them just lying on the beach, and most of them were huge. We got to within about 10 meters of some of them, which was close enough. Some very nasty looking beast and cute little pups.
All is all it was a great day out and we were very glad we’d chose to do a tour of Kangaroo Island. One of the highlights of the trip.
We got back on the boat later in the day and then coached back up to Adelaide for a final night in the hostel. The crossing was a bit calmer this time!
16th March 1996 Halls Gap, VIC 511 km
It was hard work getting out of the comfy bed in the morning, but we managed to get away from Adelaide at around 8:30, arriving at Halls Gap at about 4:00 p.m. We tried to try and get on-site accommodation as the weather is a bit grim, but everywhere we tried was full. We ended up pitched our tent on the campsite. It was very windy and wet. The area is quite hilly and green, with some good peaks dotted around - this area is known as "The Grampians".
We sat in "The Café" and ate some crappy food. Halls Gap is a small holiday place, nestled in a valley, about half was between Adelaide and Melbourne.
17th March 1996 Melbourne, VIC 565 km
Started early as usual and drove the "Great Ocean Road". A long, twisting road, which makes its way along the Victorian coastline, winding it’s way through some spectacular scenery. The weather was cooler and the sea quite active at times. Very enjoyable driving and well worth the effort. It seemed to be very popular, and most of the towns were very busy with it being a Sunday. Lots of motorbikes.
We arrived in Melbourne and stayed with an ex work colleague of Dibs, Owen, in a suburb called Aspendale. Unfortunately Dibs had only phoned them in the morning so they weren’t really expecting us, although they were very hospitable. Owen, his wife Colette, two young daughters and dog called Mischief were all very friendly. We ate and chatted and spent the night on the sofa bed.
Got up early as Owen was heading off for Sydney, and drove into the suburb of St Kilda to look for a bed for the night. We nearly ran out of petrol (again) and spent quite a while looking around hostels, all of which were either full or complete pigsties. We ended up booking into the Oslo Hotel, which was $40 for a basic but damp room. It was, however, luxurious compared to some of the others we had seen.
St Kilda is OK, a bit shabby though, and full of dubious looking characters. Plenty of places to eat and drink dotted around, and it’s near to the town centre.
Later in the morning we took the tram into the city centre and had a good wander around. The trams are very useful and we used them to get around quite a bit, jumping off and on when we fancied. We visited "Old Melbourne Gaol" which was fantastic. Very authentic – damp and dreary – with a lot of information of past prisoners, included the infamous Ned Kelly (he was hung there). Well worth $6.50 each.
Melbourne is a very vibrant, "happening" city, but felt a little on the dreary side with regards to the weather. It felt old, much older than Sydney did, even though it isn’t.
Later in the day we took the tram back to St Kilda and spent the evening wandering along the esplanade, which is full of cafes, restaurants, queers, prostitutes and weirdo’s!
Dibs felt a bit sickly so we opted for a quick meal at a Greek take-away before returning to our dusty, musty, damp room for some sleep. We sprawled the tent around the room to dry after our soaking at Halls Creek a few nights before.
Melbourne was OK, but we’d got a bit used to the countryside and peace and quiet I think.
19th March 1996 Lakes Entrance, VIC 335 km
Had a really nice breakfast at a café in St Kilda and then drove through the city heading east. The traffic was heavy and it felt strange navigating the streets with trams hurtling around. We stopped at "Ramsay Street" (of the TV show "Neighbours" fame) at about 10:30 a.m., as Dibs wanted to have a look. Its actually called Pin-Oak Street, in a suburb called Vermont. They were filming when we got there and Dibs managed to persuade some bloke to allow her on set to take pictures.
We carried on east and drove through English sounding places such as Stratford, Sale and Barnsdale until we reached Lakes Entrance, which is a pleasant seaside town.
Dibs was still feeling a bit rough so we opted to stay in a cabin. To our surprise the prices here were very cheap and we got a lovely en-quite cabin with TV for $25. Definitely the best cabin and bargain of the trip. We relaxed and watched TV for an afternoon (I had worked out we hadn’t had a complete half day off since we left Perth), and then cooked up some Tortellini followed by fruit and yoghurt in the evening. Slept like a log!
20th March 1996 Jindabyne, NSW 186 km
Left around 9:30 a.m. and decided to take the short cut to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. So far we had been very careful on our trip to choose the best roads (the car wasn’t exactly in brilliant shape), but now the trip was nearing an end we decided to take a gamble. The road, about 180 KM, was mainly unsealed and very rough, winding up the valleys along the Snowy River. The drive was exhilarating and a little bit dangerous at times. The car survived and it was a great change from using the highways.
We pitched our tent at the Snowline Caravan park (I’d stayed here before with Gordon and Shaun) and had a few hours fishing on the river near to the Ski-tube. I caught two small brown trout. Phoned Arthur in the evening and arranged to stop off at Wollongong on the way back to Sydney.
It got very cold at night – probably 6 degrees C! (Far too cold for our heat thinned blood!).
Moved into a cabin first thing in the morning. We were warm enough last night, but fancied a bit of luxury on our last night out on the road. We drove to Charlotte Pass for a walk, which was high and cold. The mountain scenery is like nothing else in Australia – a popular winter ski area. Not many people around and the resorts that we passed through were like ghost towns.
Later on we returned to camp to cook up some chops and mash, followed by cake. We needed it after the cold weather up in the mountains.
Dibs rested in the afternoon and I went fishing to various sports around the lake. Didn’t catch anything, but enjoyed a nice sunny afternoon of peace and quiet. As I returned to the cabin I got chatting to a bloke with a boat and we went out trolling for about an hour. Not my idea of fishing, but an experience none the less. Today’s lack of fish means my 100% record of success during the trip has gone. Failed at the last hurdle!
Ate takeaway food and drunk beer in the evening
22nd March 1996 Wollongong, NSW 433 km
Left the Snowys and drove for five hours or so up to Wollongong. Stayed with Arthur for the night and had a good evenings chatting and showing pictures with him and Max.
23rd March 1996 Sydney, NSW 92 km
Back to Sydney and the road trip is over! It just so happened that we got back on a Saturday, so after a few phonecalls we ended up staying at Gordon and Jennies flat in Kirribilli and met the whole gang down at the RSL for a grand pissup!
TOTAL TRIP DISTANCE = approx. 16,441 km
Relaxed all day!
Spent my birthday sitting in the dark confines of the Kings Cross car market, the same place I bought the car in December, trying to sell it! Didn’t get much interest first day, but made a lot of friends. Every time someone sold their car they bought a slab of beer and handed the tins out, which was nice! I decided that this was the best place to sell, and I’d come here until we had to leave, when I’d consult the dealers (but I knew they would give me next to nothing for it). Too many sellers and not enough buyers at that time of year.
Dibs did some chores in town, and cashed our tax rebates, a bumper $2600, a real bonus.
In the evening I met up with Dibs, Shaun, Liz, Dave Bryant, Dave’s friend and Norm for a few beers in the Kirribilli Hotel and a curry at the Shenai at Milsons Point. Fantastic. Made me feel much better.
Spent another day at the car market and had a bit more interest. Went to John and Louise in the evening for drinks and some lovely home cooked Mexican food.
Another day in the car market. Getting to know a lot of people (all in the same boat – selling cars) and generally having a good laugh. Lots more interest today and lots of people selling cars. This meant lots of tins of beer and I was quite drunk by the end of the day. Left the car parked up in the car market for the night. Dibs had spent the day in town again tying up a few loose ends before we left.
Went out in the evening for more beers with the gang.
(See yesterday’s entry!)
Brilliant - I finally sold the car. This was my last day so I was very happy. A group of lads from the Channel Islands came later on yesterday, test-drove the car, bargained hard and agreed to buy it. I was a bit apprehensive that they wouldn’t be turning up this morning, but they did. I got $1500 for it, a bit less than I wanted, but at least I sold it.
It’s just been car-beer-car-beer-car-beer all week. I’m feeling fat and bloated and ready for another session tonight!
Went into the Rocks in the evening with most of the gang, and even revisited "Jackson’s on George" (another story), finishing off with a walk home over the bridge at around 2:30 a.m.
Our last day in Australia. Packed our stuff during the day and had a really good night out at the Kirribilli RSL with all our friends.