Brian climbing the Gloucester Tree
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Week 4 December 14th to 20th
Valerie and Santa at Norseman
Giant Truck in Super Pit
Super Pit -Can you see the giant trucks?
Super Pit
Water Pipeline
Rabbit Proof Fence
We left Northampton on Saturday 13th. It is a very long straight road down to Perth. Again there was very little traffic apart from the occasional road train. These are enormous vehicles with a cab towing three or four great wagons. They can be up to 50+ metres in total length and quite intimidating when you meet them. Most Australians obey the speed limits which are much lower than UK. It is particularly frustrating to travel relatively slowly on empty freeways.
We bypassed Perth and headed straight for Mandurah, which is a very popular seaside resort South of Fremantle. We booked into a small motel near the beach and took a very pleasant stroll along the esplanade. After a tasty fish and chip supper by the sea, we joined in an open air carol service organised by the Salvation Army. It was quite bizarre to be singing Christmas carols sitting on a park bench on a balmy summer's evening. Each town is festooned with Christmas decorations including fake snow, Santa's sleigh and reindeer.
Much of Mandurah is built among many man made canals. We went on a boat trip to visit the harbour, marina and sail past the multi million dollar homes built along the banks of the canals. Apparently Michael Parkinson has recently purchased one.Unfortunately we saw no dolphins.
Amongst the new development of the town is a state of the art Arts Complex and a superb sailing museum, which we also visited.This has been built and donated by Rolly Tasker. It houses his vast collection of sailing memoribilia including many fine watercolours painted by him. It also tells the story of the America's cup.
We then travelled south along the coast to Busselton, another very pretty resort. Busselton boasts the longest jetty/pier in the Southern hemisphere. It is 1.8 kilometres long and is being rebuilt after cyclone and fire damage. At the far end will be an underwater observatory. We decided to stay in Busselton two nights so that we could visit some of the wineries for which the area is famous.
We booked on to an organised wine tour which proved to be great day out. Gerry, the courier and boss picked us up at 9.45 and we travelled up to Dunsborough to pick up two young couples who were great fun to be with. We visited two wineries for winetasting in the morning. We were served a very nice lunch at a Brewery where beers were sampled, then on to 3 more wineries, an olive oil manufacturer and finally a chocolate maker. With all those samples it was a good job we were not driving. We learned a great deal about wine as well.
On Tuesday we left early and headed for Margaret River. The town itself was somewhat disappointing, although the surrounding countryside was very beautiful. We drove along a very windy road through many forests of beautiful gum trees of all types. We headed down to Augusta, which is on the southern most tip of Western Australia. We visited the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, Australia's tallest lighthouse which is on the point where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. It guards one of the world's most important shipping lanes. At times you can actually see the dividing line between the two oceans as the Southern is a much brighter blue. There was nothing interesting to see in Augusta, although it is a pretty little town which is an ideal retirement spot.
We continued to Pemberton, a town dependent on the timber trade. We were lucky to get upgraded in the Best Western motel and enjoyed a spa bath and complimentary wine and chocs.
We bypassed Perth and headed straight for Mandurah, which is a very popular seaside resort South of Fremantle. We booked into a small motel near the beach and took a very pleasant stroll along the esplanade. After a tasty fish and chip supper by the sea, we joined in an open air carol service organised by the Salvation Army. It was quite bizarre to be singing Christmas carols sitting on a park bench on a balmy summer's evening. Each town is festooned with Christmas decorations including fake snow, Santa's sleigh and reindeer.
Much of Mandurah is built among many man made canals. We went on a boat trip to visit the harbour, marina and sail past the multi million dollar homes built along the banks of the canals. Apparently Michael Parkinson has recently purchased one.Unfortunately we saw no dolphins.
Amongst the new development of the town is a state of the art Arts Complex and a superb sailing museum, which we also visited.This has been built and donated by Rolly Tasker. It houses his vast collection of sailing memoribilia including many fine watercolours painted by him. It also tells the story of the America's cup.
We then travelled south along the coast to Busselton, another very pretty resort. Busselton boasts the longest jetty/pier in the Southern hemisphere. It is 1.8 kilometres long and is being rebuilt after cyclone and fire damage. At the far end will be an underwater observatory. We decided to stay in Busselton two nights so that we could visit some of the wineries for which the area is famous.
We booked on to an organised wine tour which proved to be great day out. Gerry, the courier and boss picked us up at 9.45 and we travelled up to Dunsborough to pick up two young couples who were great fun to be with. We visited two wineries for winetasting in the morning. We were served a very nice lunch at a Brewery where beers were sampled, then on to 3 more wineries, an olive oil manufacturer and finally a chocolate maker. With all those samples it was a good job we were not driving. We learned a great deal about wine as well.
On Tuesday we left early and headed for Margaret River. The town itself was somewhat disappointing, although the surrounding countryside was very beautiful. We drove along a very windy road through many forests of beautiful gum trees of all types. We headed down to Augusta, which is on the southern most tip of Western Australia. We visited the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, Australia's tallest lighthouse which is on the point where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. It guards one of the world's most important shipping lanes. At times you can actually see the dividing line between the two oceans as the Southern is a much brighter blue. There was nothing interesting to see in Augusta, although it is a pretty little town which is an ideal retirement spot.
We continued to Pemberton, a town dependent on the timber trade. We were lucky to get upgraded in the Best Western motel and enjoyed a spa bath and complimentary wine and chocs.
In the morning we went first to see the famous Gloucester tree, a very tall Karri tree which is over 60 metres high and has a lookout at the top. You can climb it if the fancy takes you as it has iron wrungs all the way round to the top. There is a chicken wire around it to protect you but hardly following health and safety. Brian tried about 30feet. Valerie got on the second wrung. We met a Zimbabwe couple there. She climbed to the top. He gave up a quarter way up.
The Valley of the Giants was our next stop. This is a Tingle tree forest. Red Tingle trees live for over 400 years and grow very tall. They have a limited root system and so the trunk splits into buttresses which create black cave like holes in which you can stand and which give support to the very tall trunk. A 6oo metre tree walk has been installed. It is an amazing steel structure which allows you to walk above the tree canopy. It is a breath taking experience.
The Valley of Giants lies between the two towns of Walpole and Denmark. Herthere are also some of the most beautiful beaches. We explored the stunning Greens Pool with its white sand and turquoise blue water. Close by are the giant rock formations known as elephant rocks. We then headed on to Albanywhere we were to spend the night.
Albany is the oldest European settlement in West Australia, being settled in 1824, two years before Perth. Its bay is one of the best natural harbours in the world. Throughout its history it has been of significant strategic importance to the security of Australia. Because of this a formidable fortress - The Princess Royal - was built to guard the port. Modern weapons have rendered the fort redundant and it is now a very comprehensive military museum.We had a very interesting conversation with the museum curator. It was from Albany that the Anzacs sailed in 1914, to fight for the Empire and Albany was the last view of Australia many of them ever saw, before losing their lives at Gallipoli or the Western Front. At the top of another hill overlooking the bay there stands a grand memorial to the fallen Anzacs.
In 1816 the governor of Sydney decided to send a group of convicts to Albany to establish another convict settlement there. They sailed in the Brig, Amity. A full size replica brig can be found by the sea and we visited it before we left for Esperance along the great ocean highway.
It was a very long and tedious drive to Esperance. The roads is quite narrow, with little interesting scenery and the great 50+ metre road trains are so intimidating. The Tom Tom said turn left after 468km! Esperance is a popular seaside resort, very isolated but boasting the most stunning beaches we have ever seen. We went on the 40 km Great Ocean Drive stopping at all the viewing ponts and it just got better and better as we stopped at each of the stages. The beaches just take your breath away with their beauty. What a small world it is. At one of these beauty spots we met a couple from Milton Keynes who used to live in Rugby!
On Saturday we left Esperance for Kalgoorlie right up in the Gold mning country. Another long drive but much more interesting scenery including vast fields recently harvested. Half way we stopped for coffee at Norseman, where we met Father Christmas AKA Mad Ted from Norseman. Norseman is the only town between Esperance and Kalgoorlie. It is at Norseman you can join the great Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor plain to Adelaide - a desolate 1000+ km drive. In fact there was a couple having coffee who were about to embark on cycling the Nullabor road. It was 36° at the time.
We arrived in Kalgoorlie at 2pm, just in time to visit the original gold mine discovered by Irishman Paddy Hannan, where there is now the excellent Museum of the Gold Fields devoted to Australian mining in general, as well as the original winding gear and machinery. We also drove to the famous "Super Pit" to view from above one of the largest open cut gold mining operation. It was amazing to see the enormous trucks driving up and down looking like little toy trucks. Kalgoorlie has many beautful nineteenth century buildings along the main thoroughfare, called Hannan Street. Its the kind of street scene where you expect John Wayne to come striding down!
The next morning we drove all the way back to Perth, a journey of nearly 600 km, again along a very straight road. All along the side of the road a large pipe for bringing fresh water to Kalgoorlie from Perth could be seen. We travelled through a number of small towns and again encountered many heavy road trains. We also came across the site of the beginning of the Rabbit Proof Fence. See picture for details. We made very good time and spent the night in a hotel near the airport and also near to where we had to return the car.
Sunday December 21st was our 46th wedding anniversary. We exchanged cards, had breakfast in the hotel and then went to the airport to fly back to Melbourne. Over all we had travelled over 3500km and felt we had really explored the South Western corner of Australia.
We have so many photos to go through. Brian is really enjoying his new camera purchased in HongKong. I will publish this blog without photos and download some after Christmas. We are in Melbourne. Ashleigh and Matthew are getting very excited about Christmas. Mike's Mum, Mary and his brother Peter are arriving tomorrow, Christmas Eve, so we shall have quite a family Christmas. The current temperature is 36°!! We were able to swim in the new pool for the first time today.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Week 3 December7th to December 13th
Brian's first attempt at fishing
On Monday we had a good flight to Perth with Jetstar, which is a cheap Quantas line. The flight was 4 hours and 3 hours back in time! We stayed the night in the Criterion Hotel right in the centre of the city. It is a beautiful art deco building. On Tuesday morning we picked up the hire car and headed for Northampton which is 500km north of Perth. After leaving Perth the Tom Tom said first left turn after 368km! There is just one road north. The countryside is very dry although they are supposed to be harvesting a bumper crop of wheat this year. Harvest is nearly complete.
We arrived at Derek and Audrey's house at 5pm. We were welcomed by their two great German shepherd dogs, Renee and Ruby. Audrey was not too well as she had had a nasty fall the day before.
Northampton is a small town with just a few shops along the high street. It has a lot of history as it was a mining town 100 years ago.
On Wednesday Derek drove us down to Horrocks , a small fishing resort where he and Audrey often fish from the beach and enjoy filling their freezer with their catch. The weather has been very warm - thank goodness for air conditioning.
Brian and Derek were up and away by 4am on Thursday morning to go fishing. Sadly they caught nothing. Brian and I were invited to lunch with Lyn and Jack Fox. Lyn is Jill Hill's sister. Jill is our near neighbour in Orchid Way. They made us very welcome and we had a most enjoyable time.
On Friday we drove with Derek and Audrey into Geraldton, the nearest big town as Audrey had to go for an Xray. Afterwards we went on a little tour around Geraldton and visited a beautiful memorial to the men who lost their lives in the "Sydney" Battleship off the coast of Geraldton when the ship was sunk by the Germans during World war II. The remains of the ship were only discovered last year.
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Week 2 November 30th - December 6th
Valerie in front of house with traditional cast iron lace work
After a nice weekend with the family we were left to our own devices as Mike and Zoë were working and the children were at school. On Wednesday we drove down to Point Nepean, which is the far end of the Phillip Bay. After driving round and eating world famous vanilla slices in Sorrento for lunch, we took the ferry across the narrow entrance to the Bay to the other corner to Queenscliff, a beautiful town with many Victorian buildings still decorated with the traditional cast iron lacework.
On Thursday we spent the day with Gillian, my old friend and neighbour from my childhood. We were three years old when we first played together - so many shared memories and reminiscences.
On Saturday we went with Zoë and the children to an excellent amateur pantomime, Princess Gorgeous in Neverland. There is no tradition of pantomime in Australia, so this was a real bonus.
On Sunday Brian was able to play his first game of golf with Ashleigh and Matthew. Both children's golf had improved a great deal since he last played with them.
We shall be flying to Perth on Monday, December 7th.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Week 1 November 22nd to 29th 2009
We arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday evening, after a very good flight with a two night stopover in Hong Kong. We were making very good time when Brian mislaid his passport at immigration and after twenty minutes of panic found it in his camera case! It was so good to see Zoë again. The car ride back to Glen Waverley took over an hour and when we got home the children were fast asleep. We had a rude, but very welcome, awakening at 6am. We walked them the 6 minute walk to school. Zoë then took us by bus and train into the city to sort various bits of business including bank and medicare registration. It was fortunate that Zoë was able to take a day off from school. Friday we spent locally, unpacking etc. After school we went along to Ashleigh's clarinet lesson, followed by watching her play in a tennis match.
The weekend showed us just how much the children are taking advantage of being in Australia. The local sports facilities are amazing. Brian went with Mike to watch Matthew play Milo Cricket and Valerie went with Zoë to watch Ashleigh first play netball and then play softball. She was all togged up in the softball gear and first did well as "catcher"or backstop as in rounders. Softball is the girls equivalent of baseball . Ashleigh then went on to score a home run or rounder. It was great to see so many kids taking part all with their parents vocal support
It is so hard to think that Christmas is nearly here. The shops are full of Christmas stuff, and carols being sung, yet the sun is shining and the weather is hardly "deep mid winter". Although since we have been here the weather has not been too kind - in fact, positively chilly!
The children are preparing for their Christmas concert which sadly we shall miss as we are off to Perth on Monday. Matthew was heartily singing all the songs this morning before school.
The weekend showed us just how much the children are taking advantage of being in Australia. The local sports facilities are amazing. Brian went with Mike to watch Matthew play Milo Cricket and Valerie went with Zoë to watch Ashleigh first play netball and then play softball. She was all togged up in the softball gear and first did well as "catcher"or backstop as in rounders. Softball is the girls equivalent of baseball . Ashleigh then went on to score a home run or rounder. It was great to see so many kids taking part all with their parents vocal support
It is so hard to think that Christmas is nearly here. The shops are full of Christmas stuff, and carols being sung, yet the sun is shining and the weather is hardly "deep mid winter". Although since we have been here the weather has not been too kind - in fact, positively chilly!
The children are preparing for their Christmas concert which sadly we shall miss as we are off to Perth on Monday. Matthew was heartily singing all the songs this morning before school.
Zoë and Mike have bought an older house which they are in the throes of renovating. All the major building reconstruction has been done but the kitchen is not quite finished. The garden backs on to a beautiful nature reserve which can be viewed from the house. The purple jacaranda trees are in flower. It is certainly a very good location, especially for the schools.
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