Finding Nemo

Hi everyone and hope you have not put on too much weight over Christmas. If not don’t worry you still have New Year to go!

We certainly haven’t as it has been so hot – peaked at 47 degrees in the shade! water and only a little food has been consumed over the last few days. We did manage however a nice T Bone steak for Christmas dinner on the BBQ. There was a very amusing moment however as there were about 15 people on a trip up the coast at the camp kitchen and they were being explained to what a Christmas cracker was and how to use it! (Yes you guess it the Americans were in and no madam it isn’t dangerous and wont explode in your face.)

This blog is more about what we have got up to over the last week and links into the main reason we came up here and every kilometre was definitely worth it (3,000 km to date). We have had an amazing time mainly in the waters around the coast here (hence title!) which are quite stunning with the reef literally a few metres away from the beach and very large fish swimming in less than knee deep crystal clear water.

Our Week

Dolphin Feeding Monkey Mia:

Paddling with sharks -  25 black tipped ones!

We have  paddled and swum with  sharks on a couple of occasions mostly knowingly! Its not called Shark Bay for nothing and as advised by one of the locals ‘never go swimming around here on your own it increases the odds!’

Fishing for the big ones:

They say owners begin to look like their pets!  The fish was excellent eating – along with a bream and sweetlips that David also caught.

Playing with Manta Rays

This was a great trip snorkelling near the outer reaches of the reef – 3 snorkels in total and found these Manta Rays playing, a number of sharks including a Tiger Shark (this one though we did not swim with!), turtles and hundreds of colourful fish.

We also had an amazing trip out by 4x4 vehicle into the Francois Peron National Park – amazing deserted beaches and great views over bays with sharks and Manta Rays (even some jumping).

Our (lazy and rather water orientated) Christmas Day:-

Woken up at 5.45 am by the locals screeching in the open window wanting breakfast!  Dawn got up to feed them – David refused to budge.

7.00 Breakfast with the above and a dozen or so of his friends – most of our Muesli was donated to the birds as it was Christmas (David was wondering about his Christmas!).

8.00 Went to the local beach for a swim temperature already in excess of 30C

10.00 Went to the pool for a swim

11.30 Had shower

12.00 Lunch - managed to eat a ham roll and an apple between us

12.30 Had another shower

1.30 Prepared for the 2.00 Skype broadcast to friends and family

1.45 David realised that 8.00am in England is actually 4.00pm here not 2.00!

3.00 Bothered by Emus! They are big when they appear from behind your vehicle and you are sat down having a quiet drink!

4.00 Dying of heat now 47C in the shade – made Skype broadcast

5.00 Back on beach for another Swim

6.30 Another shower

7.15 Christmas dinner - T Bone Steak on the BBQ

9.00 Another Skype broadcast to rest of the family

10.00 Bed - absolutely exhausted

Boxing Day – Went to Cape Range National Park

More snorkelling, more amazing beaches and hundreds of Kangaroos and Wallabies – even saw some Red ones apparently quite a rare sight in Australia now in the wild.

Is this the grandson of ‘Skippy’?

Koala Korner:

Koala fish – no not really just a cute fish from our snorkel!

We are now off South of Perth to Mandurah and face a 1300km drive over 4 days to start the next part of our trip. This will take us around the South West which mainly will contain trips to Wineries (apparently there are some breweries too!), National Parks and more Beaches. On New Years Eve we should be in Bunbury where we are off ‘Trotting’ (this is horse racing where the jockey sits on a trap behind the horse) followed by fireworks.

Have a great New Year.

Love

David and Dawn

Christmas Special from ‘The Tropic of Capricorn’

As we will be away from our nearest and dearest this Christmas, we send you this extra blog as our gift to you all.

We have heard that you are due a warm spell over the festive period and you will be pleased to hear that we are not missing out, should be 44C on Christmas Day – but the gentle sea breeze and regular dips in the crystal clear blue ocean make even this a manageable temperature (by the way water - 25C!). Unfortunately we are sad to report that Frosty the Snowman couldn’t stand the heat and immediately melted and there isn’t a sprout in sight.

Having searched high and low we even managed to find some snow – no just kidding it’s actually fine white sand.

The following song (available on the internet via Aussie Jingle Bells) is keeping us entertained on our travels, sing to the usual Jingle Bells tune and you will get the idea, particularly apt as when Dawn was in Australia last, her family travelled in a Holden Ute!

Aussie Jingle Bells

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden Ute

Kicking up the dust

Esky in the boot

Dawnie by my side

Singing Christmas songs

It’s summer time and I am in

My singlet, shorts & thongs

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Engine’s getting hot

Dodge the kangaroos

Swaggy climbs aboard

He is welcome too

All the family is there

Sitting by the pool

Christmas day, the Aussie way

By the barbecue!

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Come the afternoon

Grandma has a doze

The kids and uncle Paul

Are swimming in their clothes

The time comes round to go

We take a family snap

Then pack the car and all shoot through

Before the washing up

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

For those of you with children who will be up at silly o’clock on Christmas morning don’t forget we are 8 hours ahead so will be pleased to receive your emails and will be able to confirm whether Santa is on schedule.

KOALA KORNER

“Wake me up when it’s all over”

We’ve been playing with lots of Sharks, Manta Rays and so many different coloured fish it is just unbelievable this week, so an update of our travels coming soon and should be in Exmouth for Christmas lunch (we think there is a tin of tuna in the back of the van anyway!).

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Love David and Dawn xxx

Campsites, Road Trains and Australians

This could be described as David’s Drivel on the trip so far (Ed)

Campsites

Pros:

• ·       Flexibility of sitting in the shade or sunshine (after you have asked to move twice! We are learning to check the site first now)
• ·        Hearing the waves crash against the beach (not in all camps but great when it does)
• ·        Flexibility of turning up whenever you like and paying about 30% of a cheap motel room
• ·      Having a fridge, microwave, kettle and toaster! – we can make tea and coffee with our biscuits (how British)
• ·   Generally very quiet but school holidays don’t start till the 15^th!! We are desperately trying to book non children campsites but this could be a challenge – tip look at pictures of sites, if it says pool, family friendly or has pictures of children in brochure go somewhere else. Trouble with this sort of tactic is that the better campsites usually include all the above three!
• ·        Australians – far too friendly for their own good (see below comments on Australians)
• ·        BBQ’s – they are everywhere including most beaches and just about every scenic car park! – A great place to meet people and in some places are very posh

 Cons

• ·       Loud neighbours, talking after 21:30!!
• ·        Children are allowed!!
• ·        Getting up early – usually 6.00-6.30 (but at least you can have a swim before it gets too hot!)
• ·        David wants a big 4WD V8 Turbo Intercooled vehicle that he can fit fishing rods and all general camping ‘stuff’ into as well as Jerry cans of fuel on the roof rack to travel around places – by the way it must have alloy side panels and the exhaust pipe coming out by the windscreen – snorkel style.

Questions – Replies to any of these would be very useful via the comments section the bottom of this blog.

• Why do men think that whilst being on a camp site it is acceptable to regularly wear either just their boxer shorts or occasionally mix and match with a tee shirt? (picture not included on decency grounds)
• Why do campers regularly not wear shoes/flip flops to the toilet?
• Why do men leave the shower door open whilst I am trying to clean my teeth (David’s comment by the way) – it has a door, use it!
• Why do people live in decaying old caravans (they could at least paint them pretty colours)? By the way the ones below are for sale £35,000!

• Why do 95% of campers have to read all the time (don’t they get bored)?
• Why do campers have every gadget under the sun that can allow them to survive months not only in the Australian desert but also probably the Antarctic and the Amazon (probably trailing the same caravan as well)!
• Why does it take 2 bottles of beer to put up a tent (unfortunately we do not have a tent and this is purely observational)?
• Why can’t our electricity cable lead be long enough to fit every pitch?

Road Trains

Well what can we say about these things other than they are scary!

Travelling in our little van which swerves enough in the coastal winds (we only have little thin tires) we regularly pass the large road trains carrying 3 or 4 containers on two trailers, as we pass them our little van shakes from the back draft coming in the other direction.

From now on though we have been advised we will start seeing more of the larger vehicles – these are the ones with three trailers. Lorry weighs 220 tonnes and the trailer is then filled with 220 tonnes of ore! This is then hurtling towards us at 70 mph and not always on its side of the road or alternatively coming up behind us to overtake!

The interesting part of all this comes down to the time we were chatting to a driver of these vehicles. He explains that if and when the back trailer starts to wiggle then the best way to keep it under control is go faster! This becomes quite interesting when one of these comes charging up behind you – we tend to find the next park stop and decide to have a 5 minute break!

Australians

Generally very nice people! –

Generous - we have already been given fish from someone for supper and on another night the local handyman provided us with a small lobster – cooked and ready to go as he had too many!

Amusing – Met an old couple of guys just coming back with their boat from fishing as we were walking along the beach so we asked if they had caught much – the answer in an Australian accent ‘nothing - not even a good looking piece of seaweed!’

Helpful – Advice is always provided freely – Don’t forget to ‘Slip Slap Slop’ this is all about suntan cream and hats etc – everyone keeps telling us this which is always amusing linked probably into our white legs! – another question we ask relates to ‘should we go to certain places?’ one person says ’go for it you may never come back and it is amazing’ the next ‘its too bloody hot up there and the midges wee on you and you come up in nasty blisters’

Well Travelled – Especially the ‘Grey Nomads’ They have been everywhere so if you want some advice just ask – please note above though.

Grey Nomads – Met a number of these already – basically retired, sold up most things and are just travelling around Australia for the fun of it. Sounds very interesting and we must follow up on this one.

This weeks travels

More beaches including some excellent snorkelling on a small marine reserve off Kalbarri with numerous different coloured fish.

Went into a lovely Canyon and hiked down to the Murchison River where we saw our first bouncing Kangaroos (seen a few before but they have been stationary!)

I appreciate this is not the best picture in the world but it was taken by the passenger whilst trying to slow down!

Went to the biggest Parrot Aviary in Australia with a huge open fly zone for over 100 parrots to fly around you freely – a fantastic time. Dawn now wants a talking parrot!

Sat on the beach eating fish and chips watching an amazing sunset. By the way the sunset got much better than this picture shows but we had finished the food by then!

Off to Denham and Carnavon for the next week where there should be some more amazing beaches, Dolphins that come up to the beach and another superb national park.

Koala Korner

Look no Hands!

Only a few more shopping days till Christmas – have you got everything yet?

By the way just to let you know there is no proper beach shot this week as the Jersey Tourist Board (a very little Island between England and France) has placed an injunction on our site complaining that their beaches are as good as the ones we have shown. This is still in dispute and I am sure we will be able to show you more next week (Neil – the beaches here are better, lovely white sand, no one on them and it is 30C – Jersey if you are lucky is just cold!)

Love

David and Dawn

Life’s a Beach

Ah a quicker than anticipated blog this week as we have done so much (or more specifically we have free internet today!).

Who lives in a van like this? 

Since our last blog we have spent some time settling into our new home – didn’t take long in view of it’s size but we thought you might like a closer look at campervan living:

‘Inside lounge/bedroom – kitchen conveniently located!’

 ‘ Dining Room - Please note dinner options!’

‘Lounge Outside Option’

Thanks to all for your suggestions as to a suitable name for our vehicle and we have decided to go with that of our youngest blogger, George  Marriott so from now on the van will be affectionately known as Victor. Judges decision is final and for all our older followers shouting 'fix', that’s not polite and Santa won’t come!

Life’s a Beach

From the title of this submission you may have guessed that we have done little more than visit beaches this week and we are quickly settling into beach life.

‘A pity the beaches are so crowded but we are managing to find somewhere to place our towels’.

We are well off the beaten track at the moment, writing this from 'Horrocks' (yes that is its name!) 300 miles up the coast from Perth which has a population of only 46 and that’s when they are all home!

‘The Oz version of a cold drink at the beach’

  

We leave tomorrow to set off further up the west coast visiting Kalbarri – where we hope to feed Pelicans, canoe along canyons and walk in the National Park, Coral Bay – the Ningaloo Reef starts here and we should be able to access directly from the beach so snorkels are at the ready! Before finally hitting Exmouth for Christmas, again hopefully having direct access to the Reef. 

We are still planning our route for after Christmas but are likely to head south once more as going further north will just get hotter and all the good wineries are in the south.  Will need a little something to welcome in the New Year.

We will, of course, try and keep you up-dated along the way but don’t forget you only have 16 shopping days left to Christmas!!

Nearly forgot Koala Korner:

Photo entitled – “I love my tree”

A bit of a disaster now however as there are a couple of clouds around  - Oh well it just means we have to go for our second swim of the day a little early.

Don’t feel sorry for us though as the further we travel North the hotter it gets and we are reliably informed the best beaches are still to come – we will obviously share our findings with you!

Love

David and Dawn xx

AUSTRALIA – BEACHES, HEAT AND FLIES!

Can you guess where we are yet?

G’day – after xx number of years I have finally returned and David is having his first experience of Oz life.

To set this scene we write this blog whilst sipping cold drinks from our deckchairs on the beach, the warm Indian Ocean gently lapping at our feet!  Well for those of you who didn’t just swear very loudly and switch off your computers – we will continue but do not apologise for the photos which follow as they are sure to make your English winter only colder and more miserable – still time to catch a flight for Christmas!!

We spent a couple of days in Perth adjusting to the time difference before hitting the road in our home for the next five weeks.  Whilst David was hoping for the rig on the left of the picture below, the more astute of you will notice the very small Apollo van by the petrol pump on the right – yes that’s us, I prefer compact and bijou as opposed to small and cramped but both descriptions fit just as well.

Competition Time – We are looking for a suitable name for our vans throughout our trip so get naming and there will be a prize for the winner.  Recognition of your name hereafter in this internationally read blog!

The first part of our journey is up the west coast of Australia from Perth to Exmouth (where we will be spending Christmas). Basically it is a slow meander up the coast visiting beaches and National Parks as we go.

To date we have been to Yanchep NP which gave us our first fix of Koalas, Roos, Ghalas and Kookaburras!

As the Koalas were so cute and very obliging for photos (excellent models as they don’t move much) on a designated Koala Walk this has given rise to our first new regular feature – KOALOA KORNER – each week we will bring you a photo or two of these cuddly locals and rest assured we will still have photos of them that you won’t have seen when we get home!  Dawn had full use of both cameras on this day so needless to say there are hundreds of shots.

For the Castells in particular we include our initial shot of a Kookaburra, despite what you might think this is not stuffed, nor in a zoo, but was captured in the wild – all those previous years of stalking them have finally paid off!!

For the last couple of days we have been within the Namburg National Park which contains the Pinnacles Desert.  An amazing place with a lunar like landscape, which has a huge number of rock pinnacles.  Please note none of the photos below have been digitally enhanced – would we have left our legs that white if we had altered the images??

We continue our travels up the coast tomorrow to Dongara, no doubt we will have more great beaches to show you next time.

Stay warm (Steph (who is kindly babysitting our house) – for you that means putting on an extra jumper, everyone else can switch up their heating!!) and only 20 more Christmas shopping days left.

Love to you all

Dawn and David xx