We've made it...Perth (Day 7)

Phew.  We're here.  And I am so happy.  Perth - and Western Australia - always makes me happy.

We arrived just on dark yesterday and were pleasantly surprised and delighted that our van site backs onto the playground.  I can watch the kids without leaving my chair and possibly spilling my wine.  Good start.

Today we bummed about for much of the morning and after securing a fistful of tourist pamphlets from the front desk, we trawled through some trying to work out what we would do and see.  My memories of the west are not built on events that would be overly suitable for kids.  So I was looking at this city through the eyes of a child and trig to work out what they would like to do.

I couldn't believe it when Tom found a small promo abut a dino display in Kings Park.  So we bundled the kids in the cat and went to see why the fuss was about.  it was fantastic and the surrounds are just stunning.  

The lawns here were manicured to an inch of their lives.  But they we soooooo nice to sit on 

The Perth skyline from Kings Park

Kalgoorlie to Perth (Day 6)

An exciting day today.  We will finally reach Perth.  Let's hope all the good will in the Prado holds out.

This morning we woke to a disturbing development.  Last night, Mark hung all our bathers out after being at the pool yesterday and left the almost empty beach bag just outside the caravan.  This morning, it was gone.  Vanished.  No more.  History.

At first I was slightly miffed at someone knocking this off, but as I thought about it more - and worked out what was in the bag that had been nicked, I started to get really angry.  The bag largely contained spare bathers for everyone, goggles, sunscreen, etc.  But it also had stashed in it my gold chain and diamond heart that Mark gave me on our wedding day.  The caravan park management was lovely about it and encouraged me to report it to police, as there had also been 3 bikes pinched last night.  I knew that the police couldn't do much for me though.  So this sort of blemished an otherwise good stay in Kalgoorlie.

On our way out of town, we stopped at the Super Pit.  OMG, this structure is ENORMOUS.  The aerial photos show that it is almost as big as the entire town.  This is one serious hole in the ground.  I had seen it before, but the impact never fails to make it's mark.  Even the kids were impressed and they don't impress easily by things like this.

lunch stop and a chance to stretch the legs

Another long day in the car lay ahead for us, as we were now headed to Perth.  As we neared Perth, I actually felt myself become more and more joyous.  I love Perth.  If I were able, I would live here.

Nearly there!

On the way in, we passed the turn off to the research station that I used to work at.  It was disconcerting to realise that it has been 21 years since I have worked there!  Where did that time go?

Turn off to Wundowie which is just past UWA's research farm's turn off

Total kms travelled today: (have to get back to you...seemed like a lot though!)
Total kms travelled so far: (again...will get back)

Norseman to Kalgoorlie (Day 5)

Sorry 'bout the break in transmission.  Nothing like trying to catch up posts while enjoying your holiday!  Back to it.....

So this day, we travelled from Norseman to Kalgoorlie.  The trip into Norseman was very tiring for the last 100kms or so, largely because we went through a number of huge swarms of flying ants that smashed all over the windscreen.  They were REALLY oily when smeared all over, but the real problem came in the fact that we were headed directly into the sun and we couldn't see a thing.  We had to stop a number of times and clean the windscreen.  At times, it was impossible to know exactly what part of the road (if at all) we stopped on until we got out, so there was lots of praying that we were on our side of the road for the most part.

As a result of this stop start driving, we reached Norseman in the dark and had to put off any touristy stuff until the next day.

On our way out to Kalgoorlie, we stopped to see the iron camels that are in the middle of the roundabout in the middle of town.  These are so well done (Mark wants one done in a cow!) and honour the camel trains that opened up this part of the country many years ago. We also visited the statue of 'Norseman' the horse, who as town history has it, was actually the one who discovered gold and as a result, started the town which was then named after him.  The horse apparently pawed the ground after being tied up and kicked up a nugget.  The rest is history.

The drive to Kalgoorlie was very short compared to the rest of the days travelling.  We were only in the car for about 2 hours.  Nothing!  Could do it on our ear!

The afternoon was spent running around doing some odd jobs and buying things that had either been forgotten or thrown away on the Nullarbor (!).  But the weather today was mid to high 30's, so we opted to take the kids to the Oasis Rec Centre for a swim and to get rid of some beans out of their systems.  I was also lucky enough to catch up with a friend of mine - Miriam Thomas - who lives in Kalgoorlie.  She is a Stampin' Up! demo like me and just happened to be at the pool at the same time.  It was great to see her in real life after 'speaking' to her online for some time.

A great meal out at the Albion Hotel tonight.

Total kms today: 224
Tota kms travelled so far: 2,923

Border Village to Norseman (Day 4)

The days are certainly not getting shorter in the car yet (soon...).  Today we packed up and travelled into WA.  Yay!  But first we had to travel through the quarantine station on the border.  We had pretty much eaten all our fruit and vegies the night before so all I had to hand over was a sealed bag of spinach which I wasn't sure whether we could keep or not.

quarantine 

A short rain storm

 Many years ago, when I travelled across the Nullarbor, I stayed at Cocklebiddy.  This was just a little far for us to reach for the night before, but we did stop here for lunch.  Of course, Biddy thought it was great that a town had her name in it.  Bella was adamant that there was a town called "Cocklebella".

Not only is this the longest straight stretch in Australia, but I think, the world.  At least the Southern Hemisphere.

Total kms travelled today: 724
Total kms travelled so far: 2,699

Streaky Bay to Border Village (Day 3)

A rather over ambitious goal was set for today to reach Madura in WA, but this wasn't going to happen.   Forgetting the time changes, we kept noting that the kids would be getting quite hungry at around 7pm and that we still had a few fruit and vegies on board that I would rather eat than throw away at the quarantine station on SA/WA border.  So we decided to pull into the caravan park at Border Village to spend the night eat our food and start afresh the next day.

However, the day was a long one, broken up with a few photo opportunities along the way.  The first stop was at Penong, SA which is famous for a heap of windmills that pump out of an artisan basin.  For us though, it is famous for the poo explosion of 2013 from baby H who had not only filled his nappy, but also some of the car seat as well.  An unsuspecting mummy picked him up and wore a god bit of it too.  After a change of clothes, I packed all the pooey stuff up into bags, making special note of which ones had clothes and which one had the nappies (you can see what is going to happen here...!)

Onto the Nullarbor which really does go on for what seems forever.  I have done this trip before (twice) and it hasn' changed.

 We stopped at the Nullarbor roadhouse to feed the baby and stretch our legs.  And the continuation of the poo explosion of 2013 continued.  This time Bella.  I have NEVER see so much come out of one small child...EVER.  Of course this would happen at a place where we couldn't wash and had to keep moving.  After using nearly a whole packet of wipes, I got it under control and added to the pile of bags.

Fuel is also pretty expensive around here.  Average about 1.99/litre.

 This stretch of to Eyre Hwy also has some great photo opportunities of the Great Australian Bight.  Mark was very taken with this view and reckoned that it is more magnificent that the Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles.

As we were checking in at Border Village, and thinking it was quite late, I questioning the girl as to the local time - of which it was about 4pm!!  And here we were, starving and ready for bed.

At Border Village

I think this night, we were all in bed and alseep by 8.30pm local time.

Oh...and back to the poo explosion.  Well, I had to do a clothes wash when we pulled into Border Village.  I opened all the bags, only to discover that I had still in my possession a bag of soiled nappies and a missing t.shirt.  I had thrown my t.shirt in the bin at Penong.  Sigh.....

Total kms travelled today: 606
Total kms travelled so far: 1,975

Adelaide to Streaky Bay (Day 2)

We have decided to blast across the country and then take our time coming home, stopping at the various tourist places that take our fancy.  Hence, we had another big day in front of us.  Adelaide to Streaky bay is a loooooong trip.  This time round, we have to do a few more stops than when we went to Darwin, because Henry needs a boob every so often and also it is impossible to feed him whilst on the move (unlike the other kids who are happy with their little snack boxed I make up for them).

Iron Knob

In the arvo, we arrived at Kimba which was pretty much our first tourist photo opportunity.  Whilst Kimba isn't exactly halfway across Australia for us, it did already feel a loooooong way form home.  And we have so much more in front of us!

At the Big Galah in Kimba

 In the morning, we ran the caravan park at Streaky Bay and booked in.  So glad we did, because i think we might have gotten the last powered site.  The park was packed and it isn't even close to school hols over here.  Lots of grey nomads though..... This is a great van park for the warmer months because it is literally on the beach.  The front sites all open up onto sand.  Depending on timing, we may be back here on the return trip.

Total kms travelled today: 686
Total kms for trip: 1,369

We're off! Home to Adelaide (Day 1)

After many months of talking about it, the day has finally arrived when we are headed to WA in the caravan for a month.  Personally, I'd love to go for longer.  In fact, I would take the kids out of school and travel with them for an undetermined period of time if I could.  We've met a few families doing just this over the years and I think that what the kids miss out on, is picked up by the experiences that they have along the way.

However, for us, this is not an option, so I need to be content with the breaks that I can get.  And a month is nothing to be sneezed at.

Packed up and ready to go....at Camperdown for our first toilet stop.

So today, we drove out the gate about 1 hour later than expected (8.30am) and headed for Adelaide.  I don't think that we reached Pirron Yallock (about 10 minutes up the road) when Bella started!  And Biddy made Camperdown before she needed a pee.  Mark was frazzled (on the inside) and I think it took a good few hours before everyone had settled down somewhat.

We lunched in Narracoorte (will be back this way on return trip to catch up with friends) and then pushed onto to Adelaide where we stayed at the same caravan park on the north side that we did when we were going to Darwin 3 years ago.  We arrived on dinner time and fell into bed.

Quick stop at Tailem Bend to see the Murray before moving on

Total kms travelled today: 683