Monday 16 April
Anne came for dinner last night and
stayed over so that she could drive me to the airport early this
morning. Luckily I did my usual trick of allowing far too much time
because there was a huge traffic delay following an accident in the
airport tunnel. This also delayed flights but even though my plane
left half an hour late we made up time and arrived in Perth on time.
The scenery to Adelaide was beautifully wet and interesting. After
Streaky Bay we flew across the Bight with no land in sight then
struck cloud cover until we were quite close to Perth. This leg was
about 2800 km.
I had a four hour stop over in Perth
airport so spent a bit of time walking around the terminal and
generally veging out. I think it is going to be a long day before it
is over. There are huge numbers of flights ferrying 'fly in fly out'
workers to the mines, especially Cloudbank.
The time eventually came for our
boarding to start and lo and behold we were delayed about ½ and
hour! Then, all loaded we moved out onto the runway (a surprisingly
busy one) and sped up for take-off ….. then the brakes were applied
and we taxied to a side track. There had been a problem with the air
conditioning!
We were all offloaded again to wait for
a replacement plane. Eventually, we arrived in Geraldton about 2
hours late but the delays meant the flight was in the dark so there
was nothing to see except the occasional tiny cluster of lights or
stubble burning fires. This leg was about 350 km.
Jeanette and Graham were at the airport
to meet me and the bag soon came through to the pick-up area. That
immediately took us all back to our Canada trip when we all got used
to recognising each others bags so that one could stand guarding
luggage while the others waited by the baggage conveyor belt.
Home about 60 km to Jeanette and
Graham's near Dongara for a very late dinner. We passed about 20 road
trains (only two trailers on each though and the road is bitumen).
Dinner was 'Impossible Quiche' and salad which was absolutely
delicious. We enjoyed a chat together before crashing into bed. It
had taken me longer to travel Sydney-Geraldton than it did to got
Sydney-Vancouver last year.
Tuesday 17 April
Of course I woke with my body clock at
the normal time but WA is 2 hours behind so I had a 2 hour sleep-in
before getting up to a beautiful sunrise and clear skies. J & G
live on their farm of carob trees and about 14 sheep. There is an old
kelpie, Tiger, and one chook. It is so peaceful and very little noise
from the highway 2 km away. The farm is about 100 acres one side of
the road and 2 x 40 acre blocks on the other side waiting for sale.
After coffee watching the red-capped
robin visiting the garden we had breakfast and started our activities
with a walk along the road and back through the property (about 4000
steps). Graham collected two small shell fossils from their drive to
show me. We then packed a quick picnic lunch and headed out for the
day.
Our first visit was a quick drive
through Dongara township and Port Denison. We then headed east along
the Midlands Highway to Mingenew where there are huge wheat storage
and transport facilities. Again there were also plenty of double and
triple road trains moving iron ore and grain.
From Mingenew we headed north to the
Coalseam Conservation Park where we had our picnic lunch sitting on
posts in the only bit of shade and watching another cheeky red-capped
robin. The mistletoe was also down at eye level in many of the shrubs
and trees making interesting photo opportunities.
We walked down to the damp and salty
creek but found some water oozing from the creek bed further down.
We then drove over the creek and up to
the lookouts where we were able to get photos of a tiny dragon (a
jubbi or chubbi). We also found some beautiful Wahlembergia type
flowers so delicate in the hot dry landscape. Drove on and walked to
mine shafts over an extremely salty creek. The salt actually looked
like snow.
We then completed the loop road back to
Mingenew then headed back towards Geraldton via some more minor
roads. We passed an old but very tiny volcanic cone (Mt Horner).
Before heading home we took a short
detour to Seven Mile Beach, arriving home at about 4 pm. We
travelled about 300 km in all.
Coffee was had in the summer house
whilst getting onto the internet briefly and downloading photos. We
then played computers for a while trying to work out how Jeanette can
produce scans as small .pdf files. Got there in the end.
Dinner was lamb chops and veges. This
was followed by meringues and fruit. All washed down with a lovely
wine and followed by chatter till bed time at 9 pm.
What a fabulous day! I am so glad I
have come and Jeanette and Graham are wonderful hosts. It is great to
be together again. We all miss Elaine though so she'll have to come
next time too.
Wednesday 18 April
Up at 6:30 am and after coffee and
cereal we left for our day trip north. Our first stop was at
Geraldton for fuel and then for Jeanette and Graham to sign some tax
papers. We had a quick look at the port and watched a large ship
being tugged out. Then on up to the HMS Sydney memorial with fabulous
views over Geraldton.
We headed north with a quick pass of
Sunrise where Surrey and I stayed one night on a previous trip.
Further north (about 150 km) to the
Galena Bridge over the Murchison River to see what the level of the
river was like. It was running well but below the old bridge. On a
previous visit Jeanette had seen it roaring through just under the
very high new bridge. The old bridge and picnic area toilets were
completely submerged on that visit.
We then retraced our path a little way
to turn off to the west and Kalbarri National Park. This is a
fantastic mix of heathland and deep heath-covered gorges each side of
the Murchison.
We visited Ross Graham and had lunch at
Hawk's Head where we met a tour driver who said the road into the
next lookouts was terrible. There were some beautiful Banksia
flowering along the main road so we pulled into a parking area to
photograph them. Jeanette decided to try the 'bad' road anyway and
while the road was sandy and corrugated it was not too bad except for
a few drivers who thought that driving over corrugations slowly was
the best thing. When we could get a speed up the drive was much more
comfortable. We eventually got to The Loop Lookout and then to The
Loop and Natures Window. The rocks at Natures Window were
fantastically layered sedimentary rocks and I even took a photo of
what appeared to be tracks of a large ancient animal.
As it was getting well into the
afternoon we drove out to Kalbarri on the coast with a short detour
to Meanarra Hill Lookout over the mouth of the Murchison. Ice creams
at Kalbarri, a nice holiday town, and a walk to Mushroom Rock ended
our sightseeing and we headed towards home once more.
We arrived home tired and hungry by
6:30 pm and enjoyed pork spare ribs with veges followed by a muffin
with cream.
A quick bit of email then bed at 8:30
pm ended another fantastic day.
Thursday 19 April
I'm going to have to stay up later
tonight so I don't wake up at 5:30 am again. Got out of bed at about
6:30 am for coffee and cereal. Then a 6000 step walk with Graham
around the perimeter road. Jeanette hung out washing then followed.
Back for a few computer lessons about 'print screen' images then some
patchwork lessons about 'leaders and enders' and 'postage stamp'
blocks. Then Jeanette and decided that an early lunch and a trip to
Spotlight in Geraldton was in order so I could buy her some cutting
tools for patchwork and some fabric to finish off a quilt she wants
to make.
Our first stop was to the lighthouse
followed by a short tour around the boat harbour. Then on to Finches
Nest Quilt Shop which was huge. I bought some aboriginal design
fabric in colours that remind me of Jeanette and a piece of wheat
design most appropriate to the Geraldton area. While we were there
Graham walked around to the car dealer to see a new 4x4 on the
market. We met him there and continued on to Spotlight were me both
made the required purchases.
We then had the long drive to Dongara
to collect the mail and a quick drive around the new development on
the headland. On the way back home we had a few stops and detours to
find 'Illyarie' flowers and buds with red caps which we eventually
found just near our gate of course.
Home to get the chicken on to cook
before our 'tool-use' lessons. Jeanette and I did lots of cutting up
of her scraps before our delicious chicken dinner. Then more cutting
in front of TV before collapsing into bed at about 9:45 pm.
Friday 20 April
After our coffee, breakfast and walk
this morning we packed for leaving to travel to Perth. Graham's car
gave a bit of angst starting to take Tiger to his babysitter but we
were soon off.
Our first stop was the Dongara bakery
to collect cakes for morning tea at Jeanette and Graham's daughter's
(Beverley). We had a bit of a chat and I met Lachlan and Selina. We
then headed south. Instead of taking the main highway we took the
Indian Coast Road with a few stops in some of the coastal villages
just to take a look.
At Greenhead we noticed a crowd and
took a look at an attempt to unload a boat into the harbour. I think
it was going to have taken all day.
We had our picnic lunch at Jurien by
the beach then called in at a few more lookouts and beaches before
heading for The Pinnacles.
The Pinnacles is a fabulous desert
filled with what might be a petrified forest but the origin of the
stones is unknown. It is an awesome and breathtaking sight that is
quite difficult to put into words. It was a silent place and the
visitors moved about quietly. Just amazing! Jeanette and I took lots
of photos.
On again and tried to photograph the
magnificently white sandhills (sand mountains) a little further south
but they either blended into the clouds if you looked up at them or
the crashing waves if you looked down on them. On further south to
the Xanthhoroea forest. We continued to see thousands of Xanthhoroea
all the way to Perth.
Eventually we arrived at Jeanette's
parents' home in Freemantle. They are away but we are able to stay.
We had dinner at Eat Greek just down on the waterfront below their
house. The food was fabulous and of course we ate too much.
We arrived back home in time for a few
hands of Take Two with Jeanette while Graham watched the footy before
collapsing into bed exhausted again.
Saturday 21 April
Today started early with a shower then
coffee and breakfast on the deck overlooking Freemantle Harbour and
the Swan River. Next came our morning walk around the waterfront past
the restaurant we ate at last night. A beautiful walk with rowers
out, jogger, bike riders and people just walking. Back home to
download photos and for Jeanette and I to swap our photos of the
week.
At 10 am we headed to Woolworths to buy
me some small long life milks to put on my meuslie that Jeanette had
given me. Breakfasts are now OK but I should have got some coffee
too.
On then to the airport where we were
able to have lunch together. Jeanette and Graham were able to come
through security without tickets. I was stopped at security because
of a small pair of scissors they eventually let through anyway.
Jeanette had to have a full pat down because she has two hip
replacements.
Thank you so much Jeanette and Graham for such a wonderful holiday.
The flight to Kununurra was uneventful
but with a lot of cloud cover. I was not able to make out anything
except a huge expanse of wide brown land. However, as we came in to
land we flew below the clouds and over Lake Argyle. It is huge! I
recognised bits of the Ord River above the wier where I had done a
day on the boat last time I was here.
I rang the Kimberley Crocs Backpackers
when I arrived and they picked me up. I settled into my room and
began to catch up with email, diary and such and try to rehydrate
some of the liquid I am losing through sweat. It was 33C when we
landed.
A quick trip to the IGA across the road
has me stocked up with coffee, a mug and some chips (for the salt).
Tomorrow I'll find somewhere to eat out during the day as it is pitch
dark by 5:30 pm here.
