Perth, Western Australia, AustraliaBack on the road in 2020
We stopped in Adelaide at for our
meeting with Parks Wildlife of South Australia . Stayed in the
National park of for a couple of days . We did some of the walks
after the meetings before we had to head towards Victoria and the
Grand kids.
We only had a few weeks before we had
to be back in Adelaide for our first aid update course.
Then on to WA again to our first for
the year volunteering for the month of March in lake Laushinalti.
The stay in Benalla was short and we
had to get work done on the car and get new tyres for both car and
caravan. So most days I was left without our car . We still walked
the lake and swam laps in the swimming pool in the mornings, starting
at 6 am.
During our time in Benalla the
transformer/ charger 240 to 12 volt that we had to renew in Sept/Oct
2019 on the way to Credo. Decided to stop working , we did get a new
one under the warranty but it took over a week. So we could not use
240voult and due to the local fires the solar could not get through
the smoke so our batteries did not get charged. Fun we run a 12 v
fridge and lights , water pumps. Usually with no problems with the
solar set up . This meant we had to charge the batteries with Leigh's
workshop charger plugged into the house , very noisy.
We had stopped in with the oldest
grand-daughter and her partner for his plumber help with the pump
that was not working properly. In return we helped with their chook
house set up. We got to see their new house in Wodonga.
I managed to go shopping with some of
the grandkids for christmas stuff. The others got money to spend
themselves.
We did spend Christmas day in
Shepparton with the son and family but missed one grand-daughter who
had gone to QLD to visit her half sister.
Boxing day with some grandkids and
daughters partners family.
Then we were to go camping on the
river with son and his whole family for the week. We could only stay
one night as the car had to go into the workshop for insurance work
on the front after hitting the big kangaroo. It was the only time we
could get the car fixed right when we were to be camping up river in
tent no caravan , using the camping stuff in the car.
We managed to have dinner with two of
the grand daughters and see the house the 3rd oldest
grand-daughter had bought. In Benalla.
I was about to say thats it we are not
leaving at the beginning of February after everything that had
happened but that would not have helped . We had not seen enough of
them but they have their lives, work, university ,school etc. We will
be back for longer next time as I miss them so. We are so proud of
them all.
It will be a few weeks in each town
where they go uni, work or live.
So we left and headed across to SA
stopping to check out Naracoorte caves NP as this is on our volunteer
list for SA.
We have been here once before but that
was way back when the kids were little, thats at least 36-40 years
ago.
Many fossils found in the caves are of
large animals that would have fallen in , got trapped about 50,000
years ago.
Some are
Large Tasmanian Thylacine Tiger or
Marsupial lion -Thylacaleo cairnifex
Giant long beaked Echidna-
megalibgwilia remsayi
Plant eater -Zygomaturus trilobus
Giant Koala- phascolarctas stirtoni
Giant Wombat- Diprotodon optatum
Short faced large Kangaroo- procoptodon
goliah
Lots more like marsupial Tapir, and
giant snake-Wonambi naracoortensis
So we decided Naracoorte caves would be
added and we will volunteer next here year.
On to Adelaide and our course.
We were here 3 days and while there
tried to sort out us going to Kangaroo Island for 2 months well
because of the fires we are not sure when but it will happen. We can
not help now as its more manual work needed and we are getting past
this , getting too old for this or we would help.
Its on to WA . We drive to Port Augusta
get fuel and keep going to stop between there and Ceduna.
First night at Iron Knob mining town
who have overnight stop for a donation. Then 2nd night is
PH rock , we have stopped before so its just somewhere quiet to stay.
Ceduna for fuel , bread, only some
grapes as its only 2 days to WA border quarantine . No fruit, veg,
honey, plants ,seeds allowed in.
leave Ceduna then start the trek across
the Eyre hwy/ Nullarbor. We are doing about 350kl a day so 2 days
to Border stopping looking out on the Ocean then . 2 nights on WA
side at Cocklebiddy road house and Newman rock,
We have a storm that passes close by
which we can see from the highway. I tried to get photos of the
lightening but only get photos of the rain falling from the cloud.
Then there is a big burnt area that was
burnt just before christmas.
Then its into Norseman. First town
after Nullarbor.
We stop in Norseman for fuel then its
along the dirt/ gravel road to Hyden. It is called the Granite/
woodland discovery trail.
You start by crossing Lake Cowan salt
lake no water. You can see gold mine to the east and a Gypsum mine to
the south.
There is a lot of burnt areas at the
start then it gets to the total area with nothing left for about
50-60km. There are road works in some areas. These and other fires in
this area ether happened in November when we were in Credo homestead
in November that is north of Kalgoorlie which is a couple of hours
north of here. Or they happened around christmas like the ones on the
Nullarbor.
Fires do happen in these woodlands and
regeneration is usually good but the fires are more frequent and burn
hotter so there are areas of burnt-regenerated burnt again which you
can clearly see. If this keeps up there will be very little seed left
to regenerate as burnt before plants can get old enough to make seed.
We went into a woodland parking area
but has been burnt since the last time we were here so we went on to
Disappointment Rock and it did not appeal this time either.
We stopped the night at Lake Johnston
not much here in the way of wildlife .
Then to what is called The Breakaways
for the night and a wlk around. Not much happening here either and
its cloudy.
So on we go to Hyden , we stop for a
cuppa the go to Hyden. We stopped here in 2018 in there free area
which was good but because of the clouds we go to the caravan park
where its council run and you pay what you like. Most people pay
either 20 or 25 a night to get power. Both the free place and van
park have flushing toilets and hot showers so you are really only
paying for power and I am sure we do not use $20 aday but we need to
top up batteries for 12 volt fridge etc.
We unhooked and drove to Jilakin rock
and Lake that has the most inland stand of Jarrah trees. All is very
dry and not much wildlife.
Larry fixed one of the water pumps that
was leaking a little bit.
Then its on to Narembeen, we have not
been here , but have been in the area. We stay in there council run
caravan park at $27.5 a night but get a 10% discount as well for
seniors.
While here we find out about Wadderin
wildlife sanctuary.A fenced area of 520ha of bush where some
endangered animals of the area have been released and protected. It
is a locked area and we arrange a night visit. The man that looks
after this has had an accident so the local Doctor who volunteers
here takes us out for a couple of hours. He is doing up keep work and
is cleaning out the drains into the old dam. It used to be the water
for the area as its only 8km from Narembeen.
We get to see Woylie -brush tailed
Betong which we have seen at Dryandra woodland . I did see a couple
of Brush wallaby but did not get photos. And a spider that we also
have seen in Dryandra. .
They have also released red tail
phascogales, Quenda mallee fowl and others. Guess where we would be
helping if we lived in Narembeen.
We walk the lake in town and walk
around this very well kept little town of 500 plus another 800 or so
in surrounding wheat growing area. They have this big sporting area
with skate park, bowling green , tennis and a good swimming pool.
We can not stay we must keep going. We
pull up next at Bruce rock 48hour free park we intend just staying
the night.
We find our charger /transformer for
the 12 volt stuff has stopped working. So all the time we were
paying for power to boost the batteries up it was not working. This
brand dose not have all the digital tuff on it to read. Power is
going in but nothing is making 12volt for the batteries. We only got
this replacement inShepparton in dec/jan when we went back to
Benalla . Remember We bought this new brand and had it delivered to
us in WA back in spt/oct last year. So it lasted 3 months then
replacement has only lasted 2 months and its only had to work maybe
only ¼ of that time.
What to do . Run car connected to get
some battery life to keep the fridge going.
We ring and get an original brand that
lasts 3 years on its way for just over $1000 again.
We find a rep for this none working
thing in Bunbury a full 6/7 hours drive south away from where we are
heading. Then we find a rep in Perth which is we pass were we are to
volunteer and drive about an hour so its only an hour back not a
couple of days. So we head to Perth stay in caravan park we used when
I had surgery last year. Find out we are not going into the lake to
Volunteer until 3 march so we have 7 days to get stuff done. Its
raining and cloudy for days so its a good thing we are in with power
and have someone to sort the charger out.
We go straight to solar guy to look at
charger with the van still attached , which is fun in outskirts of
Perth. At this stage we have only booked park for 2 nights and wanted
to drop off charger first. But finally someone who knows what he is
doing. Apparently this brand is made in the Netherlands where they
are not used to our corrugated roads and they have a part that
breaks at its contacts with the shaking. He got a new charger and
took some thing off the non working one to reinforce
and stabilise the part and made a
claim on the warranty again . They have 3 year warranty so if this
keeps happening they may fix the problem for Australian roads. So we
put our new charger/ transformer in its place but it will be packed
away in storage when our other first brand one arrives, and kept as a
back up.
So we now have 5 days in Perth. The
park has 3 pools and a big 20 person spa so we swim in morning laps
then have spa. It is still cloudy raining and thunderstorms.
Finally its into our placement for
March- Lake Leschenaultia.
Good to hear from you..interesti
2020-03-06
Good to hear from you..interesting trip. We in albany catching up with family and friends leaving here to go north in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to that! We going to 14mile camp to host on 1st june so will pull into gladstone for a while. Cheers morrie & lyn x