West from Ceduna

Left Ceduna monday morning to once
again cross the Nullarbor stopping the first night between Nunadroo
and Yalatra, about 150km west.
The second night we stopped on top of
the cliffs 5km drive on dirt and sand off the Nullarbor plain hwy.
You can not too close to cliff edge as it has all been eroded away by
the wind and sea. We saw a dingo on our way in and a snake disappear
into bushes , both too quick for a photo.
Most our stops are anywhere we could
off the hwy as close as we could to cliffs. We found places we
stopped last time here , including where we saw the dolphins and the
friendly dingo. We did see dolphins again but at a different place
and lots of dingo tracks. We still did not see any wild camels even
though the truckies say they do see them.
Our last night in South Australia is
just 20km from the border and the quarantine station so we can use
the last of our fruit and veg instead of just putting them in the
bin. Last time I had to lose my honey and fresh garlic and ginger so
this time we made sure we did not have any to be confiscated.
Friday is border crossing day and a
bigger and better search of caravan and car was carried out this
time, so i'm glad we finished everything the night before . I had
prepared dinner for night time and put in the dream pot to cook, so
vegetables in this were fine.



Mandrabilla Station
This is our first stay on WA side, we
had not stopped here last time.They have power and hot showers and as
no one along the Nullarbor has much water and we need to conserve
what we have, it is a good place to stop.
On the way here there are lots of
kangaroos on the road ,it was showering with rain and they were out
trying to get a drink, and lots get killed as the road trains can
not swerve or stop very easily. There were also a couple of dead
eagles and an alive very light coloured shingle back lizard that
disappeared into the scrub. It could have been our first sighting of
a blotched shingle back we do not know.
We had a walk in the afternoon up the
hill behind the golf hole. All across the Nullarbor the is set up
golf holes as part of the longest golf course and some of the
stations take part by having a golf hole. This is also good for
business of course . This is still a working sheep station as well
as the roadhouse and caravan stop. So only a set walking track up to
lookout is for the public, we saw three wedge tail eagles up there.
I had a shower when we got back and
Larry went for his just before dinner. Well he was in the shower
cubicle and thought that the drain just had dirt or something init
and did not take much notice. He showered and was drying himself when
the “dirt” moved, after taking a look can running over for me and
his camera, it was only a Dugite snake, related to brown snakes, and
it was very pissed off at being disturbed. It was not a full grown
one but after photo taking we informed the roadhouse as these showers
are used { at a fee] by travellers and truckies and possible with
children. So the poor snake had to be relocated so it did not harm
anybody as they are deadly and any antivenin would have to be flown
in .
 
 
Larry will take more notice in future
one would think. The owners say they have been getting a few in past
couple of weeks so eyes open when go into toilet shower blocks.



Saturday 21 february
We drive as far as we could down the
dirt road to the Eyre bird observatory which is supposed to be 24km
dirt 2wd to the lookout and then 12km 4wd to observatory and research
station on the beach. This area is part of the Nuytsland nature
reserve. We had planned to get to the lookout and leave the caravan
and go on by car only . We get about 8km in to a microwave tower
and can not get any further so walk to lookout 4km. And decide not to
go all the way over the sand dunes to the station as this would
entail changing tyre pressures and then having to pump up again
afterwards. This a big hassle for just a couple of hours. And its
40deg. We must be getting old. We could have left the van and stay
at the station in there accommodation, but we did not know about it
and it $90 each for the night. We find this out from a couple who
are doing this and leaving their van up at the tower.
The Eyre bird observatory does a weekly
count of shore birds and is also a weather station. The buildings
were used as the telegraph station in 1897 , this is where you can
stay and you can volunteer at different times of the year to help
with the bird identification and count.
On our walk to lookout we find lots of
large beetles we later find out to be jewel beetles. They are all
sizes and colours on the flowering bushes and lots trying to make
more beetles. We rang the observatory latter and found out they did
not know much about why they were here at this time and in such large
numbers, they had not seen them here before. Jewel beetles or
metallic beetles are in different countries and are used by
indigenous peoples for making jewellery, hence the name.


We stop the night off road not far from
Cocklebiddy.



Sunday 22 february.
We stop at a few places on the way for
walk , cup of tea and lunch then pull up the night at the Frazer
range station parking stop not at the station itself. The stock
stations along here are no different then those in the north of the
country, making money by setting up roadhouses and camp grounds with
showers and toilets. It keeps them in business and is good for
travellers and truck drivers and most these places employ back
packers.



Monday 23 February 
 a week after we left Ceduna we arrive in Norseman ,1460 km, to get water , fuel and do a
little food shopping.
We head south for 15kmsouth towards
Esperance for the night. We have some phone reception so we put up
with the swam of bees that appear as soon as we start doing anything
outside with water. Me washing a few clothes by hand and Larry
starting to hand wash the dust off the van. After ring some of the
family I have to move into the van to get away from the bees, no
reception in the van. Early morning we move before bees arrive and
find a rest area to have a walk and cup of tea before driving on to
Esperance.
Esperance population 14,281 climate
temperate, and is another of those places that want tourist money
but not under their conditions. There is no parking, camping in
Esperance other than the caravan parks, but we only here to get our
national parks pass for WA and then head to Cape Le Grand nation park
60 km east of Esperance. 

 This is were we will stay for a week parked
at Lucky beach camp ground just a few steps from the ocean.
What a beautiful place but we do get
some cloudy days. We have the last van parking area and it on a slope
sideways and while Larry tries hard to get it flat in a very tight
area , he backs over a stump in the grass and it puts a hole in our
drinking water tank. I manage to collect most of the water in buckets
but it means we will be using our drinking water supply from the car
for the week.
 



To camp in National parks you have
your parks pass and unlike SA you can,t add camping to your pass ,
you have to pay as you camp. Its only $6.20 each for oldies and
staying here means not so many kids and no dogs and usually not so
rowdy people evan though there are a few young backpackers from
around the world most are very nice. There are only spaces for 25
vans or motor homes , half a dozen small campers and about 15 tent
sites.
Lucky bay has the whitest sandy beach
in Australia and over the next few days we walk along it for 3km to
the lookout, swim in the clear blue sea everyday but one. We walk
across the hills to the next cove 1.5 hours each way this is Thistle
cove, also white sand but not quite so calm waters. This walk is
listed as easy well only if you are fit.

We drive to what is known as
Frenchman’s peak 262m, high the walk up this is listed as hard
for 3 hours and before we even start I know I will not make the
summit. It is all up hill, starting on dirt and then onto rocks and
rock face no foot holes or anything to hang onto. Larry makes the top
while I go back down to the car. As he is coming down the wind gets
strong just as he is coming down the boulder face and he has to half
sit to stop being blown down.


On one day we walk to the beach lookout
and then on up the hill of Mississippi hill until the track gets too
overgrown , its hard enough without getting legs scratched .
Mississippi hill is 180m tall The tallest mountain is Mt. Le Grand
at 345m this is not for the likes of us to walk up.



The national park has plenty of Banksia
plants so has nectar for the tiny honey possums that are out during
the day but we do not see, southern brown Bandicoot at night forage
for grubs and worms and plenty of kangaroos in the camp area and on
the beach. These are a source of a lot of attention from the overseas
travellers whether here for the day or camping. Ornate dragons and a
few skinks are seen sunning themselves on the rocks most days.
A shark followed a couple of kayakers
one morning, no one quiet knows what type, and a pod of dolphins is
often seen catching fish, much to the disgust of the fishing from the
beach.




We also drive to the other camp site in
the park at Le Grand beach, it is full but we do walk the track that
overlooks the beach. This camp area is not as nice as Lucky bay even
though each site has more room. The Lucky bay camp site is to be
upgraded for next season with more space allotted for campers.

Drive to Hellfire bay and find monitor
lizard hanging around the BBQ area waiting incase he gets fed-- not
supposed to feed them as people feed the rong thing to wild animals
and make them dependant, so what happens when no one is there,
40 million years ago the sea levels
were higher and as they receded the granite rocks were exposed to and
shaped by the waves and wind and slowly making these beautiful bays
and coves.


As for the water tank we find we can
not get a replacement in WA , but we do find some one in Albany that
can plastic weld and he will repair it for us.
Monday 2 March and its time to leave  
this place and head towards Bremer Bay and our date with the killer
whales.
It is cloudy and then it rains so we
stop for lunch and then keep heading west to Ravensthorpe and 5 km
more to a off road camping area for the night.

Tuesday is just stopping to see things
and walking when we can as we do not have to be in Bremer bay until
wednesday.

Wednesday we check out where we can
park the van at the wharf before we go to the caravan park and
manage to get a spot to leave the van on ready to go at 6.30 in the
morning.

Thursday 5 March.

We are there nice and early , there is
only 7 other people with us apart from 3 crew and 32 researchers and
a photographer for the researchers. There are two boats go out ,one
is making documentary for the discovery channel. The killer whales
or Orcas are here only in February and March each year as the squid
are here which brings the sperm whales which are orca food. We have
to go 50km out past the continental shelf into international waters
and it is rough going so I get sea sick off course Larry is fine ,
just slips over once.We have seen killer whales in Canada but only at
a distance. This time they come close to the boat and we see maybe 15
total but we are out at see for 8 hours total. I do manage to see
them between being sick, I could not miss this just because I get sea
sick and I did take my tablets. Even Larry is still moving with the
waves hours afterwards We had over 800 photos to go through that
night.
 
 
We have to leave the boat and get in
car and van and head to Albany a 2 hour drive because the man who is
to repair the water tank can do it early friday morning, and Larry
has his annual heart ecg in Albany also early friday.
So it is a long day for us up at 5.30 ,
on the boat from 7.30 to nearly 4pm then drive 2 hours to caravan
park in Albany, take tank off ready to go in the morning. We both are
still feeling the wave movement until morning so decide to stay 3
days to recoup.
Very expensive few days what with boat
trip to killer whales, fix water tank , replenshish stocks in fridge
and cupboards and then try get television looked at as it has been
playing up and $135.00 latter still not much better.
The pin on the end of the middle stay
of the awning decides to break a few days ago in the wind so
Larrytrying to fix himself.
A suburb of Albany is called Dog Rock ,
there are plenty big rocks all over but this one can you see dogs
head.
 
Today we drove 30km out to Porongurup
so we could do the Granite Skywalk . Ok I new this was going to be
hard but by looking at photos it looks worth it. Porongurup Range
has been here for 1,000 million years and is on the national heritage
list. The forest is of giant Karri trees with 700 species of
flowering plants, 78 species of birds and native fauna of which we
only see lizards and kangaroos. From the car park you have a 2.2km
walk up the side of a mountain. You know your in for a walk when at
the start you find all sizes of branch walking sticks. The whole walk
is up hill no let up, it starts on dirt with scattered rocks then
goes to climbing up over small rocks and right at the top a surprise.
You are warned the last 700metres is pull yourself up through
boulders to a straight up ladder to walkway. Well this bit has metal
pull up handles in the rocks and just step on rocks and boulders
where you can allthe time between these big boulders where if you
turn wrong way in parts your stuck . I did this once had to hang on
hand holds to move feet back and try again. Then the ladder is
circled in mesh and a sheer cliff face drop one side. We made it as
photos prove.






Leave here tomorrow heading along coast
west again to Giant tree top walk and then up towards Perth.