Karri Gully to Augusta and Cape Freycinet
Sat. March 12th
In the morning we set off to Nannup, another timer town and a place with a strong ‘hippie’ feel to it. Alternative shops, long skirts on older women etc encouraged us to think that this town was caught in a time warp!
Nannup had a lovely feel to it, with its timber buildings and shops and we went for a bike ride along part of the Munda Bindi Trail, a bike track that at the moment extends from Perth to Nannup but with further expansion planned. The river was dry, as this area is still in drought, but the grass trees and eucalypts were wonderful. We also loved what they had done at the oval where the fortnightly market takes place. The imaginative use of timber in creating shelter for the stall holders was great to see, particularly as we had seen so little in the way of imaginative design and construction to date.
We were thrilled to hear that Stu was pleased with his performance in 2 practice matches for his new footy club and thinks that he may be a borderline selection in the squad. He sounded confident and happy.
After talking to Barb we decided to leave Luke to his 30th birthday celebrations and head to Augusta for the rest of the day. This very attractive, up-market fishing and holiday centre, with its large river estuary and crashing surf coast was beautiful. We went to see the lighthouse and the views, bought some red snapper for dinner then made our way to the Leewin-Naturaliste NP at Conto for the night. Another NP and another great camp site.
Cape Freycinet to Busselton
Sun. March 13th
We drove along the corrugated road down to Cape Freycinet and had our first exposure to the rolling swell of the Indian Ocean. The beach and waves were wild, so no fishing from the rocks there! We headed north and visited a couple of beaches along the way – Redgate, Prevelly and Gracetown – where surfers were vying for the big waves and the carparks were full. It was a great day to be at the beach and at Gracetown there were swimmers, snorkelers, fishermen, surfers and picnickers, so it was a versatile place.
We spent some of the afternoon visiting Doug Simpson and his 2 kids, George and Amelia, at their home at Coraramup. Marnie was in Perth for her sister’s hen’s weekend. It was great to see Doug and he gave us many ‘must see’ places in the north-west and also the best fishing spots! Graeme was very happy J
Onward to the Wills Domain Winery to meet Ulrika, Luke Webb’s partner. Lots of timber and glass, some interesting sculptures and a lovely view – standard winery experience! Ulrika provided us with coffee and tea and invited us to stay the night with them in Busselton.
We met Luke at his home, just an older version of the young boy I knew. We then headed out to see some of the local sights - the pier, the parks along the foreshore, the 1840s church and manse and the Vasse River. When we returned, Luke & Ulrika were home and we greatly enjoyed their food, wine and company. Generous hosts and we did not impose on them by sleeping in the house but camped in the driveway so that they could go about the early morning work preparations the next day.
Busselton
Mon. March 14th
A day in a house with a computer, catching up on bills, mail and this account of our travels. Locating anew fire extinguisher, having the audio on the DVD player checked out also took some time. It was good to have some time to think about and research texts for Phlip’s wedding. Not long now.
Warm to hot weather has been forecast for this week, so our plans include lots of beach time for swimming and fishing. The drought has taken its toll in this area so the lakes and estuaries are almost dry, so we will head to Perth, making our way along the coast rather than the arid inland areas.
We eventually set off for Bunbury but by the time we arrived GVS was tired so we did a quick ‘Cook’s tour’ and drove on to our campsite on Leschenault Inlet, about 25km to the north and along 4km of VERY corrugated road. The camping ground was set under shady trees beside the inlet and kangaroos fed along the water’s edge and a range of water birds abounded. A walking/bike trail led to historical information posts, where I learned that this was once a large farm where Arab horses were bred for the British military in India in the 1850s and the site was also used as a hippie commune in the 70s, where the 3 rules were ‘No dogs, no drugs and no dole’. Apparently this worked successfully for 5 or more years but eventually the council bulldozed the houses and dwellings after the original founders moved on and the later residents did not respect the rules. The written reflections of some people who had been kids there reminded me of the early Penbank and Preshill years.
One inlet to another
Tues. Mar 15
Graeme ate his breakfast in the company of kookaburras, magpies and butcherbirds who were all waiting to share his food, and the ‘28’ parrots that abound in this area.
We headed down the road to the long, sandy beach from which we could look back on Bunbury’s port and town in the distance. Many ships were anchored out in the Indian Ocean, presumably waiting to load/unload at the port. Graeme fished in the clear water and we watched an enormous stingray patrol the shallows for food and a small pod of dolphins swimming in just 10m off the shore. I enjoyed swimming in the refreshing, clear water and had 2 swims before 11am.
We drove north to Preston Beach, where once again I enjoyed a swim but this time with 5 even larger rays causing some consternation as they came right up to the edge of the beach.
Our destination for the night was Harvey Estuary and a new freeway had been constructed since the map had been printed so as we drove through an area of burnt out vegetation and new housing to discover the estuary on the wrong side of us, we called into a fisherman’s shed, bought some prawns and asked directions. Back along the road we had come, we found the road to the estuary and a beautiful picnic spot with a ‘No Camping’ sign.
We had a late lunch, set up our chairs and watched a beautiful hawk and many pelicans on and over the water. A man came to exercise his dog and told us that the lake could be crossed from sandbar to sandbar and the maximum depth was about 1m at high tide. The only fish were blowfish – our toadies. He also directed us to the campground, via the new freeway, on the opposite shore.
I spent the afternoon kayaking around the very large area, managing to enjoy a close up view of the pelicans, cormorants, sandpipers and other birds. It was very peaceful and relaxing out on the water and when walking along the shore later I saw herons, egrets and other shore birds.
The sun set over the hills on the opposite shore was just beautiful but one my little camera could not capture accurately. For the 1st time in months we needed mozzie protection as the little blood-suckers were there in their hundreds!
Mandurah and Pinjarra
Wed. March 16th
After a hot night, we decided to set off early to Mandurah, once a holiday destination for those who found gold inland and later for the wheatbelt families. It is now a suburb of Perth and many people commute. It is also one of those places that has been developed along a series of lagoons, much like the Gold Coast, and much of the natural beauty has been lost. They even called one area Venice, gave the streets Italian names and designed little arched bridges to cross the water – appalling!
We dusted off our bikes and spent the morning riding around the designated tourist areas, finally deciding that lunch in the park across the old bridge would be pleasant, and it was. In the ‘swimming centre’ – the netted off area in the estuary – high school kids were enjoying kayak ball games and it was fun to watch them. We found a beach where I could have a swim before we headed west to Pinjarra.
Pinjarra is 19km south-east of Mandurah on the banks of the Murray River in Western Australia's South-West agricultural region. The town is one of the oldest in the State and began as a farming community. The area later developed into a lucrative bauxite mining and timber milling town. Alcoa has an office and a mine there. In 1830, following the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829, Thomas Peel was granted 250,000 acres to the Murray River . The area, now known as the Peel Region, was intend for farming use, as all of the fertile land near the Swan River Settlement had already been taken up. Included in the Murray region was Pinjarra land. Unfortunately conflict between the new settlers and the Nyungars slowly increased as tribal lands near the river were taken up by the farmers. Cattle were speared and so too some settlers. The area became a trecherous and dangerous place to be. As unrest continued an incident involving the death of a servant Hugh Nesbit brought the conflict between settlers and Aboriginals to a head. Stirling, along with John Septimus Roe, Captain Ellis and a detachment of soldiers headed to the banks of the Murray River to confront the Bindjareb Bilyidar Nyungars. On October 28th, 1834, they surrounded the Nyungars and opened fire on them. The Battle of Pinjarra, otherwise known as the Pinjarra Massacre, would go down in Western Australian history as one of the State's darkest and bloodiest days. Similar conflicts were occurring on the Swan River settlement as farmers fenced off areas, depriving Aboriginal people of their traditional food sources.
Today, little of this conflict is noted, and the town is a sleepy little place where a new shopping area with a supermarket has led to the main street shops becoming deserted. We visited the Arts Centre, walked across the suspension bridge, meandered under the shady trees in the historical precinct then returned to the Heron Island Point camp area on the Harvey Estuary for a 2nd night.
To Rockingham
Thurs. Mar 17th
Another hot night but not a windy one! Those hot easterly winds of the past few days and nights remind us of the Melbourne northerlies and are just as dangerous in this tinder-dry region.
Rockingham was our destination for this day, just 30km up the road and then just another 30km to Perth! Sneaking up on the city! We had arranged to spend Friday night with Lizzie & Joel Ciszek at Cottesloe Beach before moving on to Barb’s for the rest of our time. A call to Simon Thompson will determine whether he has time to catch up for a coffee or wine over the weekend too. We’re looking forward to other company for a while now.
Rockingham turned out to be a pleasant commuter suburb of Perth and a holiday destination as well. The town was wide-spread with the chemical industries and harbour with enormous grqain storage facilities at one end and Garden Island Naval Base at the other, after which there was Peron Point and fabulous snorkelling opportunities. We explored by van and on foot, enjoyed lunch in the beachside park under the trees, indulged in a cappuccino at a nearby cafe, purchased a new hat and an LED light for using outside at night as the existing one was not bright enough. Having decided that Rockingham had enough areas of interest to keep us busy for the day and into Friday, we swam at the Palm Beach jetty while we waited for the caravan park office to reopen after lunch and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.
Rockingham to Perth
Friday, March 18th
We drove up the road to Lake Richmond, a shallow body of water with beaches which had thrombolites, about which we had read a little. They are extremely primitive life forms, consisting of single-celled bacteria which deposit layers of silt and calcium that slowly grow into rounded rocks. Scientists believe they are the earliest form of life on earth, dating back about 3500 million years, and the origins of oxygen in the atmosphere. These relics are mostly extinct and exist only as fossils - living examples can still be found growing in just a handful of places in the world.
Adapted from http://www.roamingdownunder.com/thrombolites.php
The thrombolites were not a great scenic attraction but the little eagles that rested on the sandy water’s edge and hovered above the lake were very entertaining.
From there we went to Point Peron to snorkel but while the water was warm it was murky too. However, it was great to be in the water again.
The rest of the day was spent travelling to and exploring Fremantle, a great spot in which to while away a couple of hours by walking around the old buildings, looking at the cafes on the port and watching the uni students and tourists. The market was on but the quality and range of fresh food was disappointing.
We arrived at Cottesloe and had a great night catching up with Lizzie and Joel and hearing about their WA lives.
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