Happy Christmas

#Our time at the Dryandra woodlands was very enjoyable.  There are some ruins of old milling times and we were able to watch for the wildlife on dusk at one of the remaining dams.  The story of Vincent Serventy, one of the original and “true” greenies, was heart-wrenching.  He loved the Australian bush and did lots of studies and work to help preserve it and the animals.  We have included a copy of his dream in the photos.  The bush here is really suffering and has had no rain during the winter.  Summer will bring all sorts of problems.  After leaving Dryandra we headed towards the coast.  Stopped in a small town called Dwellingup.  Lots of interesting things to see and do, so we camped 4kl out of town.  A bush fire in 1961 levelled the town (with the exception of 6 buildings) and surrounding villages.  We camped where one of the villages once stood.  There is the remains of an old POW camp here.  We found it very interesting and haunting.  They held prisoners from Italy and Germany here.  The Italians were transported out to help with the farming and the Germans were held because they were seen as a risk and they cut firewood.  There’s several of this type of camp in the SW corner apparently.  This area is very heavily timbered and with no winter rains, all the parks have been on full bushfire alert since Dec 1^st.  This usually starts on Dec 15^th each year.  We stayed here a week while waiting to go to Des’s son near Perth.  We did a trip to the coastal town of Mandurah one day.  It is just another Surfers Paradise really.  Very nice, but very commercial.  Our first real touch with heavy civilization since we started out.  We are in the ranges just east of Mandurah but the days are getting quite hot.  Evenings are very cool however.  We did a walk to the local falls, but there’s absolutely NO water running there.  The bush is starting to struggle.  We also took a “forest drive” and saw the local area Dam.  It is incredibly low and  unless a cyclonic influence comes through during summer, it will be bad news by the beginning of winter next year.  It’s strange to us to realise all the rains come in winter.  How horrible must that be.    Along part of the drive, we came across two very large pipes (we couldn’t quite work out if it was a covered conveyor belt or a pipe) running for miles through the bush, transporting bauxite to the treatment works.  There is some areas around here mining the bauxite deposits under the jarrah forests.  We even saw one wheat farmer who has apparently sold his land to be mined.  We hope to do the Alcoa mines tour when I come back in January. Yesterday we did a 6.5km walk to see the ruins of another town devastated by the 1961 fires. The walk goes to the local cemetery where you can still see the effects of that dreadful January day.  Many headstones blackened by the intense heat.  Very heart wrenching.  They are still trying to catalogue who is buried there as all records were destroyed.   Des has enquired about doing some volunteer work with Dept of Conservation in Dwellingup when he comes back here about Jan 4^th.  He would like to help tidy up the POW campsite we went through.  We have found a local orchard selling at the gate, new season stone fruit etc.  We think we are in heaven.  The prices are ridiculous compared with what the supermarkets charge in Qld for stone fruit.  Peaches, nectarines and plums at $4 per kilo.  We will take lots to Perth with us.  Lots of vans in this spot now.  6 campers in total.  We had the place to ourselves for 3 days.  Headed off to Aaron’s on 14^th.  A nice trip about 1 1/2hrs towards Perth.  It has been a wonderful few days here.  We went to dinner a couple of nights ago and saw a fabulous sunset. (Photo included).  I couldn’t believe the colour.   Well, friends, as this will probably be our last posting before Christmas, may we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Take care and we’ll be in contact in the new year.



Vincent Serventy's dream vision for Australia



Part of the story of an incredible man.  We found his story very moving.



Entrance to the POW campsite near Dwellingup




ruins at the POW campsite




POW campsite ruins




POW campsite ruins



POW campsite ruins



bauxite conveyor belt running through the forest




our campsite near Dwellingup




burnt headstones at Hollyoake cemetry




evening sunset in Perth



wheat belt travels

From Esperance we travelled to Munglinup and had 4 nights at the beach.  One good day and then the gale force winds found us again. We’d had enough of the beaches at this stage so headed inland.  We travelled through Ravensthorpe to Hyden (Wave Rock country).  The country has a lot of area effected by saline and we passed several large salt lakes.  One of these was Lake King and it is one of the smaller ones.  There's a lot of salt in creek beds and in the fields also.  This is part of the southern wheat belt, very dry this season, and many crops failed.  Wave Rock was quite impressive and some photos show the wall built on top to direct water into the local dam.  Met some people from Nambour in Hyden who told us about “The Tin Horse Highway”, where farmers have made statues of horses out of old farm machinery and drums.  We took 34 photos, but will show you only a couple.  They were hilarious and very clever.  This took us to Kulin where we stayed overnight.   Had to go to Corrigin to get car tyres rotated under warranty and saw the local DOG CEMETRY.  This was started by a local burying his dog in a grave and has gone on from there.  People travel for miles to bury their dogs here.  They have to get permission off the local council, so has turned out to be bigger than Ben Hur  (see photo).  Travelled north through more wheat stubble to Kokerbin Rock  (the third largest monolith in Australia, after Mt. Augustus then Ayres Rock). The photos don’t really do it justice, as it is very large.  We camped 3 nights here, with great facilities.  We climbed to the top to look at more wheat fields.  It’s hard to imagine how large the wheat belt is out here.  We have just touched on a small part of it, and we have travelled about 600klm through it.  Travelled NE and got to Northam.  A very pretty town on the Avon River.  Here we saw the rare white swans.  This part of the  country is very dry as they missed all the winter rains and the river level is quite low.  Camped at Noble Falls (no water, mind you)  5kl NE of Gidgegannup (find this on your map!!!) A nice spot where Des may spend his “free time” while I’m in Qld.  Left here and travelled out of the Perth hills and almost reached Midland before we headed east again up the escarpment to Mundaring.  A very pretty, well established town on the way to York.  This town has a lot of heritage listed buildings.  Wandered around in 40 degree heat and were going to stay at the van park until we discovered they wanted $32 per night.  Went on to the small town of Beverley where we stayed for $22 per night and had free use of the washing machine.  All these small towns are very clean and tidy and some residents are very yard proud as well.  Considering the lack of water and the surrounding country looking as thought it has no life at all, the townspeople really make an effort.  The photo of the restored railway station and the mural on an adjoining wall are examples of this.   On through the wheat to Brookton where there are a couple of displays of old drays and wagons.  From there we travelled to Narrogin (a much cooler day today) and got some good info at the visitor’s centre and camped at a nice campground in the Dryandra woodlands just north of Narrogin.  We did a night excursion at the local animal sanctuary for endangered species.  Following an introductory talk we did a spotlight tour of the compound where we was some rufous hare-wallaby, bilbies, burrowing bettongs and others.  They run breeding programs to re-introduce these to the wild.  Very interesting.   



tin horse highway near Kulin





Lake King, a salt lake on the way to Hyden




Wave Rock




Wave Rock




man-made wall at the top of Wave Rock to direct any water into the dam




dog cenetry at Corrigin, a real laugh



Kokerbin Rock, 3rd largest monolith in Aust



old well near Kokerbin Rock, over 30mtrs deep, an incredible structure in it's day




signboard showing the size of Kokerbin Rock. We camped on the very right edge of it.




beautiful white swans at Northam




main street York




the very old building of York PO




heritage listed Beverley station




mural at Beverley




stuffed Clydesdale and drays at Brookton




Brookton wagon and dray



Coast around Esperance

From Esperance we travelled east to the small town of Condingup where we stayed at the local recreation ground for a couple of nights.  On our first day we travelled out to Cape Arid National Park about 80kl east and did a nice walk in the bush.  The views, once again,were quite spectacular.  We had a meal one night in the local tavern at Condingup and while talking to the landlord, he related the story of how the pub was built from local rock quarried by hand, so that the rock-face wasn't damaged, from the family property.  After wet weather, the outside walls still grow lichen.  The dining tables, bar tops and chairs have been made from a driftwood log found almost burried on the local beach and since been proved to have come from South America.  The log was so huge that it was slabbed on the beach and transported to the pub.  The furniture was manufactured by a local craftsman and is simply beautiful.  Another trip took us to Orleans Bay and a fabulous beach, according to the locals, it has been voted best beach in Australia.  From Condingup we went to Cape Le Grand National Park for 3 nights.  Did another long beach and bush walk and were visited by the resident kangaroo and her joey.  This NP has several terrific beaches and bays and is very popular with visitors from Esperance.  A fully sealed road gives good access.  Moved on from here back to Esperance for general housekeeping and resupplies and travelled NW to a small beach at Manglinup.  Once again the wild WA weather found us and,execpt for one night, we were almost blown away.  And AGAIN the flies almost carried us off.  We have taken to wearing our fly veils over our hats almost constantly.  It's a real good look.  From here we will be heading NW for new adventures. 





view from lookout on our bushwalk Cape Arid NP





view from campground Cape Arid NP.  The banksia in foreground grow wild




Wharton Beach - Orleans Bay- Condingup



view of Little Wharton Beach from lookout at Orleans Bay



Wharton Beach from way up a lookout at Orleans Bay




looking in the opposite direction to previous photo



stone wall interior of Tavern at Condingup



view of Tavern at Condingup



slabbed dining table and chairs from driftwood tree



the wild one with the wildlife at Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand NP




Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand NP.  Campsite to the right hand side of the beach



Nullarbor to Esperance

After we left the Nullarbor roadhouse we were able to turn off to see the Great Australian Bight and the Southern Ocean for the first time. (It is so blue here) It is truly a spectacular sight and we got some good photos.  We were able to go to the coastline a few times before crossing into West Australia.  At Eucla, the first town in WA, you come down off the plateau to the plains.  This was a strange section of the trip as you have the ridge (the height of the cliffs) off to the right of you.  Some travellers have been very creative along here and used the dead trees to make a theme. Some were covered in teddy bears, some in thongs, some in bras and the one we photoed was a  soft toy theme. They were very amusing. There are several places where the Royal Flying Doctor can land on the highway.  At Madura we started to photograph the 18 hole golf course now crossing the Nullarbor, from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie.  The tee off area is usually near the roadhouse, but the fairway and the greens are something else.  You golfers will really appreciate this.  Once again, at Madura, you come up a pass on to the plateau again.  At Cocklebiddy we saw the funniest signboard, which we will share with you later.  And then you come to the longest piece of straight road in the world, or so they reckon.  146km without a single bend.  At the golf tee at Balladonia we asked a lady to pose for us teeing off into the bush.  You will appreciate the way they have marked the green.  We were lucky to get a tailwind all the way to Norseman.  End of the Nullarbor crossing and, YES!!, we did not see one camel. We were now experiencing the summer. 35deg at lunchtime.  Such a shock from what we had two days prior.  So we had to make do with the galvanised iron ones in the roundabout in Norseman.  Norseman is very small, but they have a large gold mine right on the town doorstep.  We went up the lookout and were surprised by the gypsum lakes surrounding the place.  One is very large and is a gypsum mine. There's a large pile of  goldmine tailings 40mtrs high and covering 12 hectacres. We moved on to a small town south of Norseman called Salmon Gums for a couple of nights.  Population about 45, but the van park was great for $10 per night.  The town gets its name from the beautiful trees growing for kms around.  A thunderstorm eased the heat the second night, and the following morning was quite cool AGAIN.  We headed off for Esperance - bloody hell - talk about winter winds.  There had been quite a lot of rain here and the wind again was from the deep south.  Can't get used to the changes.  Esperance is very pretty.  The ocean is sooooooooo blue.  The main street is lined with huge pine trees.  Did a bit of sightseeing, replenished our supplies and had the car serviced.  Tomorrow we are off east to see some National Parks.  Photos to follow.



our first view of the cliffs at the Great Australian Bight & southern ocean



looking south at 2nd road to the cliffs



looking north from same spot above




looking south, note how the cliffs are not here but appear further down the way




themed tree




one of our bush campsites crossing the Nullarbor




golf tee at Madura, can you spot the flag on the green




this description goes with the tee above




going up the Madura Pass



amusing sign at Cocklebiddy roadhouse



this says it all




on she goes - forever



teeing off at Balladonia roadhouse



this hole
 named after the piece of Skylab which fell to earth nearby




same hole, spot the green



tin camels at Norseman (only ones around)



gypsum mine in the distance




tailings dump at Norseman goldmine




historic village at Esperance



Esperance harbour



West Bay from Esperance lookout




Esperance from Rotary lookout




Des dwarfed by the huge pine tree lining Esperance main street