Day 34 March 16th (Monday)
It has been raining off and on all night aand is still raining . However the sky is trying to clear and it is cool this morning. We are now leaving the Flinder Hwy. and taking the Eyre Hwy. to go across the Nullabor Plain/Desert boardering the Great Australian Bight. The Bight is famous for whale watching between May and October so we aren't going to see the migration. We have gone from farmland to desert-like conditions to the flat plain of nothingness -- there are no trees. We stopped at the Nullabor Roadhouse in Southern Australia (there is a time change of 45 minutes here) about 1pm for the night as we had to use up the rest of our fruit and vegetables before we hit Border Village tomorrow. You cannot take any fresh fruit or fresh vegetables from Soutern Australlia into Western Australia because of a type of fruit fly and about 5 other pests that they don't want. 
We were greeted by some dingos (they are scavengers and appear quite use to people but we were warned not to touch or feed them) as we arrived. It is very windy but sunny and warm. There is NO water hook up here as water is a very scarce commodity . It is extremely dry here and the average rainfall is maybe afew inches each year. Thank goodness we were aware of all of this prior to our travelling across and had stocked up on water to drink and for the van if we needed it. There were afew people in caravans also spending the night here along with some road trains.

Day 35 March 17th (Tuesday) Happy St. Paddy's Day
It is another bright cool morning and what a gorgeous sunrise. I did something that I have not done since my training days -- had to pack up my toiletries and hike off to get a shower which I had to pay to use the water. Of couse Eric had to do the same.
The road trains are on the move bright and early. You don't want to drive before sun up because of the kangaroos on the road. Got gas before we left as gas statons are few and far between and very expensive. They can charge whatever they want as you have no choice here. We stopped to view the cliffs of Bight in the Nat'l Park. Also different parts of the highway become an airstrip for the Flying Doctors and the airstrip is over a mile long . It was strange to see the airplane sign and then the markings on the road. After the second one you got use to it. There are also signs warning you of kangaroos, koalas and camels (yes you are reading correctly).
We had to go through an inspection at Border Village where an officer of Agriculture came on board and went through the fridge, cupboards, drawers and the bathroom looking to make sure we weren't carrying anything that we didn't declare. We were clean as we had read all the literature that we had got in Ceduna. Here the time changed again by another 45 minutes and we have arrive in Western Australia. 
We stopped at the Eucla Roadhouse for gas again and it is still expensive. We then stopped at the Mandrabilla Roadhouse for lunch as we don't have any fresh produce or veggies. Stopped again at Madura for a walkabout and the flies are awful and it is very hot. Also had a walkabout at Cocklebibby Roadhouse as the desert and heat can mesmerize you.
We finally stopped in Caiguna for the night as it has been a very long hot day . The desert scenery is most interesting. We ate at the roadhouse as there still aren't any groceries and we can't get to a grocery store until Norseman at the end of the Eyre Hwy. There is still no water hook-up as water is still very scarce. If we weren't staying here for the night we would have to pay for our water but it is added into the cost of staying here -- you pay for it anyway. (35C)

Day 36 March 18th (Wednesday)
It is already 20C at 7:30am so it is going to be another hot day.
We had to pack all of our toiletries up and head to the shower for our five minute shower again this morning. Off we went again this morning and the desert scenery is constantly changing. We are still looking for these elusive camels and now emus have been added to the mix. Unfortunately there is an abundance of road kill and they are all roos. 
We stopped at Balladonia for a break and walk about. The scenery is still changing and now we are seeing alot of dead eucalyptus trees but I see that there are new planting of the coin eucaplyptus and this is as far as the eye can see . We finally reach Norseman and were looking forward to finding a good grocery store. Unfortunately that wasn't going to be but we did get enough to make a salad for supper. We stopped early as Eric wanted to get the tires checked but they couldn't help him. So here we are in Norseman for the night. We haven't had internet or TV for days.

Day 37 March 19th (Thursday)
It is bright and sunny this mornig and not as hot. There is only one road north to Kalgoorlie (the gold capital of Australia) and that is where we are going today. Along this route the lakes are dry along with kls. of dead trees. Alot of nickle and gold mines throughout this region. The road trains take the ore from here to Esperance to be loaded onto freighters to be exported.
We stopped in Kambalda to get the tires taken care of and someone told us about Red Hill lookout so we decided to check it out. What a 360 view and the lake (Lake Lafroy) was completely white. This message about water being scarce really hit home as it was something that we have never experienced in our life time .
We stopped in Kalgoorlie after we found a great grocery store. The Woolworths grocery stores are great and we have been using them most of the time. The IGAs are okay for some things but I like Woolworths. Now we are back up and running and found a good spot here in Kalgoorlie for the night. Before we went to the camp ground we went to see the mining pit -- all they mine here is gold. This pit is so deep that the dump trucks look like matchbox toys. Since Paddy Hannon found gold here in 1893 there has been over 50 million ounces of gold mined in this open pit. It is now owned by a comglomerate including Barrick Corp. (Peter Munk).
Tonight we have food, water, TV and internet so are happy. We finally got our e-mails and one of them was that Air Transat has cancelled our flight home in May. This really upset Eric so put a damper on a good day.

Day 38 March 20th (Friday)
Remember that I said that there was only one road north to Kalgoorlie so we have retrace our footsteps back to Norseman. Forgot to say that Eric got the tire problem taken care of yesterday. We got a late start as Eric wanted to take care of all of his e-mails and dealing with Air Transat.
We left Kalgoorie and drove to Coolgardie just to look around and then drove back to Norseman. The road trains along this highway are long -- some are 53 meters long -- 3 to 4 trailers behind the cab. The engines in these trucks have to be pretty powerful to climb the hills being loaded . We saw some more dried up lakes on our journey today along with farmland for sheep and cattle.
The view coming into Esperance was stunning as it sits right on the shores of the Southern Ocean. There are many freighters waiting in line to get their lodes of ore (gold and or nickle) to take wherever. We stopped here for the night at the campground overlooking the beach. After supper we walked along the boardwalk towards town and back again. It was windy but the walk was a real treat.

Day 39 March 21st (Saturday)
We took a drive around the harbour before we laft and there was a freighter being loaded and 4 mmore waiting in line. Also a road train was arriving. This is a very bust harbour. Today we saw alot of dense forests (mostly pine) along with farmland   
and it is very mountainous. In fact it reminded us of driving out in the countryside back home. Stopped in the park in Jerramungup (up means place in the native language) for lunch and then headed on to Albany .
We arrived in Albany and did some groceries etc. and gas before we arrived at the camp grounds for the night. It was late when we arrived and it was nice that we had everything that we needed. We also had internet tonight.

Day 40 March 22nd (Sunday)
It is cool this morning but the sun is warming things up. We left later this morning.
We drove to Denmark and the countryside is beautiful. There are lots of calves in the fields with the cattle, sheep and horses. We stopped at the Info building and found a couple of bird books. Lori - you would love the bright coloured parrots here and all the animals here. Also the lady managing the booth is from Johnstone, Scotland which is where Eric's cousin comes from.
There are several wineries in through this region. We stopped in Noralup to do the the "Valley of the Giants Tree Walk". This is 40 meters above the ground just near the tree tops of the tingle (red in the native tongue) trees which are eucalyptus trees. These trees live to be over 400 years old and have narrow bases and add legs to support themselves . This was really something to see and to walk the suspension bridge.
We stopped at the park in Wapole for lunch. There are alot of wildflowers this afternoonand also several Nat'l Parks. We got lost in Pemberton and had to use the GPS to get us to the caravan park where we stayed for the night. The drive back into the village was lovely with all the cattle and rolling hills. Another laundry night ( all the campgrounds provide laundry facilites which makes life alot easier. There are also clothes lines, ironing boards and irons so is quite good.)

Day 41 March 23rd (Monday)   
The weather this morning is strange -- rain here at the campground and sunshine up the hill out of Pemberton. There are definitely alot of giant trees around here. We stopped in Augusta for gas and a walkabout. This is where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. The sun is out and it is quite warm -- no more jackets now.
We drove along the perimeter road for awhile and the scenery is great . We cut across to Margaret River for lunch and walked both sides of the main street. There are alot of wineries throughout this area as well as being very arty.
The wineries and farmland were our scenery again for the afternoon. We then drove into Bunbury for a walkabout downtown and to look at some of the old buildings. We stayed at the Caravan Park for the night. Had internet tonight so was able to work in the blog.

Day 42 March 24th (Tuesday)
Another bright sunny morning. We have been very fortunate with the weather throughout our travel here in Australia. Certain areas need rain desperately and other areas have had too much. We took Hwy 1 up through Mandurah which is a beautiful spot on the water. Saw some more parrots this morning and now that I have my bird book I was able to identify them. They are the salmon coloured Galahs and there many of them. Gas was the cheapest we have seen here in Australia so needless to say we filled up.
We used the GPS to drive through Perth today as we will be back here at the end of the month as we have to fly from Perth to Singapore . The Swan Valley area is just like the Niagara Regoin with all the estates and wineries offering samples along the way. You would need a DD here. We also encountered alot of road trains once again as we haven't seen any since we left Esperance. We stopped in Gingin for coffee and a walkabout. Later we stopped along the roadside and had lunch.
The scenery this afternoon went from vast farmland to scrub and then back to farmland. It is very desolate and dry out here. We then proceeded to Port Denison which is right on the water and the sand dunes are enormous. We stopped here for the night right on the Indian Ocean. This is a beautiful spot especially for surfers and there were people in swimming. We also watched the sunset.

Day 43 March 25th (Wednesday)
A gorgeous morning. Got gas and stopped in Geraldton for some groceries. We have to come back this way as there is only one road northwest to Monkey Mia. By nooen we were back into bushland, trees and scrub as were back in the Outback . It is very hot and very dry. Also there isn't any water and we already knew this when we were in Geraldton. We stopped at the Overland Roadhouse and got gas before we started along the Shark Bay Road. This is a 128 kls. stretch of road of nothing to see except scrub and that is sparce at time. We drove into Denham just for a break from the monotony. We finally arrived at the Monkey Mia Resort and were greeted by emus and we will be here for two nights. Monkey Mia is approximately 800 kls. NW of Perth.

Day 44 March 26th (Thursday)
We had to get up bright and early if we wanted to see the feeding of the dolphins. The time they arrive is unperdictable but this morning it was after 8. There are a couple of conservationists with microphones and the dolphins follow the voice. No one can touch the dolphins but it was very interesting to learn about them. Eric was asked to feed one of the dolphins. Only the females are given a snack that is weighed out for each feed and they only look after families . We were told that dolphins don't group together in pods so that is why I used the word families. We also got to see a new calf trying to nurse which they do every 15 minutes but it was too shallow. These are bottlenose dolphins and very intelligent as they turn their heads to see you and are vey playful. They also have 104 razor sharp teeth and eat their pry head first. After the feed we went back to have breakfast and also an early lunch as we were catching a catamaran at 1pm.
At 1pm we boarded the boat to go searching for more dolphins, dugongs, turtles and sharks. We saw many dolphins and some of the females had their newborn calves to show off. They were very oblidging jumping for us and swimming alongside the boat. We also saw a dugong which looks like a walrus with two small fins and the tail of a whale. These are almost extinct so are protected in Shark Bay. We saw several sharks from a foot long to bigger as there are 28 different varieties of sharks in these waters. We saw some turtles and some skipping long-toms (these small fish skip across the water on their tails) . There are also many pelicans and cormorants. Evidently there are only the Greater and the Lesser cormorants. The ones we saw were the Greater because of their white throat and chests.     
After awhile we stopped and had a swim in the Indian Ocean. It was so refreshing after I fell in. Now I can say that we have had a swim in the Indian ocean as I have been in the Pacific and the Atlantic. This was a neat experience and we talked to two ladies from Quebec (they didn't sat that they were from Canada, just that they were from Quebec) -- very interesting. They did know where Kingston was which was good.
We decided to have dinner in the restaurant instead of me cooking which was a treat. Eric was enthralled about his meal and mine was okay. We saw cottontails scurrying across the grass as we were walking back to the RV. It was dark and the emus had disappeared for the night but had been around all day. They like to eat the seeds from the palms and it was interesting to see them jump to get more higher up. Evn though they are a bird they can't fly .

Day 45 March 27th (Friday)
We got up early again this mornig as we wanted to see the feeding again and this time the dolphins were there before 7:30. They were already there when we arrived and I saw one of the conservationists feeding one of the pelicans. That was something to see as i shook its head from side to side and the pouch under the beak was moving as it was eating. I didn't realize how big these birds are but it came up to her shoulders in height. Some of the dolphins were different this morning and only two were fed.
Something we learned is that the dolphin only sleeps on one side at a time as they have to concentrate on breathing as they breathe through their blow hole. There was so much information about these wonderful creatures that one could spend a lifetime studying about them. We had breakfast and packed up for the journey back to civilization. On our way out we stopped at Eagle's Bluff to see if we could see any dolphins and or sharks but there weren't any as the water is crystal clear .
We were back out into the scrub and not mush to see for over 150 kls. However to break the monotony we stopped at Overland for gas and Billabong for lundh. The flies are awful and it is 43C.
Eventually we did get back into ciclization and the temperature dropped considerably to 31C by the time we got to Northampton. It is very windy and we noticed that the scenery was definitely better coming south than going north. We stopped in Geraldton for hopefully our last lot of groceries and stayed here in the campground for the night.

Day 46 March 28th (Saturday)
Still windy this morning but it is already 22C. The couple next to us were from Ottawa and had been here for 8 months. The ocean is very blue with huge waves and sand dunes. There is titanium mining between Cataby and Gingin. We stopped again in Gingin but this time for lunch. The scenery of vast farmland, trees and scrub repeating itself made for an interesting drive. At Muchea is the Pearce Australian Air Force Base but is not as big as CFB Trenton . There are many huge horse farms around here and somehow I missed them on the way through a couple of days ago. The road trains on Hwy. 1 are limited to size and the signs say no longer than 36 meters long. We are back into Swan Valley and the vineyards and the State Equestrian School is located here. We arrived in Perth this afternoon and here we are until Thursday.

Day 47 March 29th (Sunday)
It has cooled down abit but is still very pleasant.
We had a very leisurely morning as we didn't have to be anywhere by a certain time. In fact we haven't had one of these days since we left home and it was nice. However we did take off to check out where we have to return the RV on Thursday, got gas and found accomodation for Thursday night as we have to go into a hotel for the night.
We drove into Perth for a look around and found the Info place as someone told us to take a walking tour of the old areas of Perth so we decided that we would do that tomorrow. The GPS sure comes in handy in big cities .
We then drove to Fremantle and it was really busy. In fact it was probably busier than during the week. Since there is no Sunday shopping here in most parts of Australia it seems that people hit the streets for something to do. There was a huge boat show with some in the park and some in the water across the street. Believe me there was alot of money sitting there and some of these yachts were beautiful. Consequently the streets were packed and all the cafes (and there were plenty) were filled with people. We stopped and had a coffee and just watched the world go by. We walked back to the van and then drove around the marina just to have a better look. The Australian Racing Team for sailing is stationed here in Fremantle.
We then came back to the campgrounds and Eric had a nap. We had a quiet afternoon and evening. However we have TV as well as internet so are good.

Day 48 March 30th (Monday)
We took our time again this morning and then walked to the front of the campground to catch the bus into Perth . While waiting for the bus I spoke to the young lady also waiting and found out that Perth went back onto Standard Time yesterday and we didn't even know it. Needless to say we were now catching the 9am bus instead of the 10am one. We rode into Perth and got of on Murray Street and started walking. However we weren't quite sure where the Info booth was as it is different on foot than when we saw it yesterday. We asked a parking ticket attendent and he was very helpful -- in fact he gave a map of the downtown area. However the car he was looking at got a ticket. We found the booth manned by volunteers and the tour is free.
They also put together bag of information that is excellent and gave Eric something to read. We took the walking tour and learned that Perth was founde by Capt. Stirling and because he needed money he went to Perth, Scotland and it was dictated that the name of this new development was going to be called Perth. Even back in the late 1800's money talked.
The dicovery of gold here brought the camels from Afghanistan to help get equipment up and down from Kalgoorlie . Perth has a very interesting history.
After the tour we found a photo shop so Eric could get his photos onto a disc so we always has a backup copy just in case as we have lost so many with computer problems. We then got our hair cut and went for lunch -- too much food.
After lunch we walkedaround as we had to put in time waiting for the disc at the photo shop. Unfortunately my leg was hurting so bad that I sat and Eric did the walking.
Once we got the disc we headed back to Murray Street to get the bus back to the campground. It got packed with school kids and it got a bit claustrphobic and very noisey. We fianlly got back and we had a light supper later on. The wind has picked up abit and it has really cooled down.

Day 49 March 31st (Tuesday)
We still haven't adjusted to this new time change and caught the 8:20am bus back into Perth. This time Eric wanted to see the mint and it was opened when we got there. We took the tour and actually got see liquid gold being poured into a mould . It was then transferred into a water bath to cool in afew seconds and there was a 200gram ingot of gold. This mint is the State Mint for Western Australia as the Federal Mint is in Canberra, the Capitol. Eric also wanted to see the Fire Museum but when we got there the sign said closed for renovations.
We walked back down to where we were yesterday and then decided that we would get some supplies to tied us over until Thursday morning breakfast. We walked back to Murray Street to catch the bus and I got talking to a lady sitting beside me and she said that these vast farms are over 1000 acres and there are so many of them. She was very informative and we ended up getting off the bus here at the campground as well.
We had lunch here and have been able to work on the blog.

Day 50 April 1st (Wednesday)
It was cool this morning but the sun is making for a lovely day.
Today is laundry and packing day as well as finishing up the rest of the food.
Eric met a fellow from Pickering this morning and gave him some of our maps and a Canadian decal for his camper. I was able to get rid of some extras this mornig as well.
We saw a red tailed black cockatoo this morning and when he flew from one tree to another his red tail is a Christmas red -- really bright.

Day 51 April 2nd (Thursday)
The only thing about this day is that we have to return the camper and move into a hotel for the night.

Day 52 April 3rd (Friday)
We fly to Singapore so will catch up with you after that.