Hello, I'm reporting today from Bunbury library, where I have discovered you can use the internet for free (for everything except for e-mail). Thus blog updates are on!
Sunday 19th November 2006
Woke up early this morning, feeling rather tired after a late-night out in Northbridge with two of my fellow dorm-mates (both Australian, funnily enough). It was good fun... and because I cooked for them and shared my (cheap - 6 bottle of clearskin for $11) wine, I didn't pay for a single drink - bonus!
I met up with Victoria (Scottish) and Clay ([nice] American) and we headed up to Kings Park to watch the Red Bull Air Race from there. We thought it might be a bit quieter away from the main spectator areas, but we were wrong (well, it may have been a bit quieter, but was still awash with picnickers and revellers). There were hundreds of people and it was hard to find a spot with a good view. It was also a bit distant from proceedings, so it didn't seem as exciting as I thought it would (having seen it before on the TV). Still, we had a nice picnic and Kings Park is really beautiful (although most of the flowers had gone over since my last visit - I timed it right in October it would seem). I'm obviously more impressed by the natural wonders of Australia.
Later in the afternoon (after doing the newly re-opened tree-top walk in the botanical gardens - another anti-climax - perhaps it was the wrong time of day... but we didn't see a single bird or anything else of note), we went back into the city to look for a restaurant for dinner (we decided to treat ourselves). But after much wandering we didn't find anything suitable (we all fancied Mexican). So, in the end we went to the supermarket and got various Mexican things to cook for ourselves. It turned out really well and was nice to have a weekend of company after my somewhat lonesome wanderings on Rottnest.
Monday 20th November 2006
Was planning to get the train from Perth to Bunbury this morning, but when I got to the station (in the rain!) I discovered that the train service was cancelled and replaced with buses instead. Boo. This meant that the journey was an hour longer and there was much malcontent muttering in Perth (mostly silver foxes on this particular route it would seem).
I started chatting with a fellow backpacker (the only other person under 60) and she was really nice so the journey went really quickly, despite stopping at every small town between Perth and Bunbury (the sun came out shortly after leaving the city). She's a teacher from Switzerland (around my age, I guess), and as she liked cooking we decided to make a Thai green curry together in the evening.
Beforehand, we wandered around the city (well, it's called a city, but seems about the size of Honiton) and went up Bunbury Tower (10 storeys high) and up another look-out point for the views and to get our bearings (there's not much to it so this was pretty easily done). Doris went back to the hostel for a rest and I checked out the beaches and mangrove swamp (the most southerly mangroves in W.A. apparently), which made for a nice walk but didn't offer anything in the way of awesome sights. Then I came to the library and discovered the internet which I am taking full advantage of today.
Hostel is full of odd-bods. This includes a fat middle-aged man with bottle-bottom specs, who cooked half a cow and 2 huge burgers for dinner, and ate it as it was, just with a bit of barbecue sauce as an accompaniment. He followed this with a massive bowl of ice-cream and (fake) chocolate sauce. A healthy meal indeed. Perhaps he is on the Atkins diet.
Our curry was delicious and considerably better for us (unless you're an Atkins advocate*). Also, a hugely-fat retired couple from Blackpool (who have lived in Oz for 40 years but still retain broad Lancashire accents) and a decidedly odd woman/girl who hasn't uttered a word or cracked a smile since I've been there. I think I'll be glad to move on tomorrow (although the hostel itself isn't too bad and the staff are friendly).
*I'm thinking it must be international alliteration day today - I can't seem to help myself!
Tuesday 21st November 2006
Another early start today (I think I'm still running on a Rottnest rhythm). I got up at 6am and there was a decided chill in the air - I've just looked on the internet and it went down to a mere 8 degrees overnight - brrr. The coldest I've felt since I don't know when. Luckily the sun was already high in the sky by about 7:30am and feeling much warmer. Also no wind, which was a bonus after the strong onshore breezes of yesterday.
Went to go and see if the dolphins were in the bay. Apparently it is a bit hit and miss whether they come or not, but we were really lucky and saw six come right into the bay, and got to go into the water up to waist height (deeper than in Monkey Mia, the previous dolphin place), so they came and swam around our legs. We were then asked if anyone had goggles/snorkels, so (as I did) I was able to go up to chest-height in the water and put my head under for a close up look (and listen - amazing to hear all the clicks and whistles underwater). There were only two of us able to do this so it was quite an honour (I think one of the volunteers took a bit of a shine to me as she kept talking to me about the dolphins long after the rest of the crowd has dissipated. Very friendly. Shame about the moustache). All in all, very impressive.
After this large dose of excitement I went for a quiet walk along the beach and around Big Swamp Nature Reserve. Lots of wetland birds to see and a beautiful area of reeds/swamps/pools. Very tranquil. The beach isn't quite as impressive as those further up the coast, but it is still quite dramatic, with some pretty hefty surf and long stretches of golden sand. So spoiled!
Crikey - I've packed in a lot already today and it still isn't lunchtime.
Reet, that is enough for now; my stomach is rumbling. Back to the hostel for lunch with Doris (leftover Thai Curry). She is staying on for a bit longer in Bunbury, but has kindly offered to put me up in Berne if I ever want to visit Switzerland. I'm turning into the Lord of Dunscombe (family joke), what with my newly-improved networking skills.
I shall be leaving for Dunsborough on the 3:28pm bus, so might not get the chance for further updates until I find my next public library (thanks, Mr [and Miss/Mrs/Ms] Australian-tax-payer).
Best wishes all. Take care...
James xx
Monday, November 20, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Back in Perth
Monday 13th November 2006
Rottnest Island is beautiful. In fact it is one of the nicest places I have been to. The water is perfectly limpid, the beaches pristine. Even the seaweed is beautiful (when it is not rotting, that is). Of course, it helps that the sun is shining, and the temperatures are back up into the high 20s.
I saw my first Quokka (rare marsupial, that looks like a cross between a wallaby and a rat - very cute) as I pitched my tent (the campsite is half empty - actually, make that 9/10 empty - there are only half a dozen tents). I then made my way to the first of several beaches. The water is in the low 20s, so ideal for a refreshing dip.
The quality of the light is superb and the skyline of Perth is crispy outlined on the horizon. I thought at this point that I was going to enjoy my few days here...
...well, that was until I experienced the full force of the Rottnest fly invasion. They were so annoying that at one point I literally thought that they were going to drive me insane. Oh how I can empathise with all those poor, famine-stricken children in the Horn of Africa (I was quite hungry by this time)!
Talking of little critters, it turns out that the quokkas are capable of a degree of iritation which belies their cute good looks. They were everywhere around the campsite (alongside armies of crows and seagulls) - I even managed to kick one in the head as it scavenged for food under my table (Dad - you would have had friends galore!). And the piece of resistance came when two of them decided to use the porch of my tent as a public toilet. Dirty bastards!
On a brighter note, I saw a large ray up close while snorkelling and loads of other fish (including some pretty big ones). The snorkelling here is on a par with Ningaloo, although there are mainly temperate species, rather than tropical. (so the colours are slightly more muted - why is this so?).
Oh and the drinking water at the campsite is yellow. It looks like pee.
Tuesday 14th November 2006
I was sat writing this peering through the gap between my t-shirt (right up over my head) and hat (pulled down as far as it would go)*. I feel a burkha would have been appropriate. It's 11am and the flies are out in force. They seem to home in on all the most irritating places (eyes, ears, nose, mouth). It's lucky that I'm not a naturist.
Fortunately, other things about the island more than make up for it. I saw a pod of dolphins frollicking in the bay, not far from the shore. Then I went snorkelling and saw loads more interesting fish, in possibly the clearest water I have ever experienced. Utterly beautiful. The limestone formations underwater are amazing. Caves, arches, stacks, all with hundreds of fish swimming through and around.
Had a picnic lunch, which presented the interesting discovery that Ryvita is made in Poole. Well, I never knew that. That's a few thousand food miles racked up right there. Environmentalists be damned, I wanted my whole-rye (with seeds) goodness. Found a nice shady spot for a post-prandial snooze (in full body armour, of course)
The wind picked up in the afternoon (in more ways that one - must have been last nights mixed bean salad), which seem to result in their being fewer flies about. What a relief.
I felt pretty exhausted by the end of the day. I reckon I must have walked a good 12 miles in total. In bed even earlier tonight - must be the sea air.
Covered most of the south east of the island today... tomorrow the north...
*I had foolishly left the fly net in the tent (grrr). You would think it should be a case of just ignoring them/not letting them get the better of you. But no. Just as you think you are winning, one finds a special way of irritating you just that little bit more.
Wednesday 15th November 2006
Slept for 11 hours last night. I must have needed it after all the exertions of yesterday. Up until writing this at 11am I had not been bothered by a single fly. What's going on? Maybe there is a change in the weather afoot. It was gloriously hot and sunny in the morning, but hazy cloud appeared to be thickening from the north. Luckily, I had already done a fair amount by lunchtime (including nice swims/snorkels), so as long as it doesn't rain (thundery showers are forecast) it should be ideal for walking. Needed to try and find a shady spot for lunch and a snooze...
There are loads of different terns about (well, at least 2... and I'm sure a load of different sub-species) - including the very pretty/delicate/rare fairy terns. So much nicer than seagulls.
Well, the cloud melted away soon after lunch so it would have been pretty hot for walking and I thus spent a while longer lounging in the shade. Lucky I did as I had a close encounter with a very friendly lizard. It came and sniffed/licked my shoes, bag, rubbish, etc. Meanwhile his/her (how do you sex a lizard?) friend watched from a distance (as did I when it started approaching my foot). Also saw two Ospreys, which was nice (and later saw one fishing, during which felt like being part of Springwatch... except I wasn't wearing a hat, a la Simon King).
The sea was really warm in the afternoon (the warmest I had felt it since Broome). Saw a couple of naturists (safe now the flies had disappeared), which was unsurprising as the island really reminds me of Formentera. Otherwise this part of the island was completely deserted - just a few passing cyclists (frantically pedalling to try and see the whole island in a day). Had so far had almost all the beaches to myself.
It felt like quite a long walk back, although it was broken up with sites to see along the way (including pheasants, of all things, as well as the now ubiquitous quokkas, a wind turbine, salt lakes...).
In the evening I managed to cut my finger opening a tin of sliced beetroot (oh how us castaways survive). That's the last time I shall use that tin opener.
Early to bed again (such is the life of the camper on the unlit campsite).
Thursday 16th November 2006
Decided to take it relatively easy today (think I may have been over-doing it and perhaps the finger-slicing-incident was the result).
Bought newspaper in the morning and pottered around the settlement (for that is what it is called). Went to the museum and discovered a few interesting things about the island (readily available on the interweb, I am sure). This included finding out that the pheasants I had seen previously were introduced onto the island during the 1800s and have been flourising ever since (not the exact same ones, obviously).
Very windy, so back to campsite for lunch and a lie-down. Was hoping to find sheltered beach in the afternoon (the wind had changed to a more southerly direction and it was quite cool in exposed places).
Interested to read in the paper that Tom Cruise is planning to get married in Bracciano. Been there!
The plan to take it easy on the beach was scuppered somewhat when it clouded in at 3pm. It was too cold in the wind on the beach so I decided to go for a(nother) walk instead. Had a look around the gun emplacements/look-outs from WWII (I must have been bored). Nice views if nothing else. Saw my first snake on Rottnest - only one variety: the highly venemous (yes, really - according to the museum) dugite - and more cute (baby) quokkas. So much sweeter in the wild (and less mangy) than the ones scavenging around the campsite. Was offered a lift back to the campsite (v. kind) but it was still quite early so I declined. Perhaps I should learn to say yes more often.
Was lying in the tent listening to Joanna Newsom (new album - very, very good) when I felt something push against my head. Turned around to discover a baby quokka had pushed under the canvas and was proceeding to try and get into the fly sheet with me. Shooing it away didn't work so I watched it snoop about until it got bored. And lo, it kindly left me a little present before leaving.
Friday 17th November 2006
There were a few showers overnight (tent wet this morning, although not enough to have washed off all the birdshit). Got bus over to the far end of the island and the general tone of the day was for things to get better as they went on...
Got off bus and almost immediately after commencing my walk I managed to get both sandals wet (a freak wave), which then stared to rub. Then I got persistently attacked by bloody seagulls*, which I literally has to fend off with a large stick. Then (final straw) it started to piss down while I was walking along the most exposed beach on the entire island. At this stage I had had enough and wanted to go home (the last couple of days had seemed the loneliest of the trip so far... with so few people about. Perhaps, in the words of the Vauxhall Zafira advert: over-tired?
Luckily, the sun came out at lunchtime and the day (and my mood) turned a corner. This also co-incided with reaching the west end of the island and turning round to head back the other way up the coast. I found some lovely beaches along the way, had a couple of nice swims/snorkels and met the friendliest lizard I have ever seen. It climbed over my shoe (while I was wearing it) and licked my toe. Michelle - you would have loved it!
The weather is much improved - it is really clear and Perth stands out loud and clear on the horizon.
*this incident reminded me of Simon getting attacked by Sidmouth seagulls on his way to our friday morning French lesson at school.
Saturday 18th November 2006
Had an enjoyable final morning on Rottnest. Sunny and warm. Packed up early (dispatched luggage with handlers who take it directly from the campsite) and, after buying the paper, went to the beach as it was already hot by 9am. Had a nice swim/snorkel, but the definite highlight of the day was watching a dugite devour a mouse under a rock on the beach (just a few meters from where I had put my stuff). After my San Deigo experience I have decided that it must be the year of the munching snake.
Got back to Fremantle just after lunch to discover that they had lost my luggage. Ah. The lady phoned everywhere she could think of... but to no avail. Panic! She gives me her phone number and tells me to call/drop in later to see if it has turned up... Hmm...
...well, after a while spent reading the paper/ generally fretting about what to do if it doesn't turn up, I decide to head back to the office to see if there are any developments... And what do I see whilst passing a rival operators section of the quayside? Yup, my bags. She had already phoned across earlier only to be told that they didn't have my bags there. Well, they obviously didn't look hard enough, did they? Muppets.
After that exctitement I made my way over to Perth and checked into the hostel (the same one as when I arrived - it is clean and centrally-located... and as Kylie sang: "it's better the devil you know"). I discover that the internet is really fast and manage to upload all my photos in record time (http://picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth2 - sorry, there are a lot of them!). Then write this before thinking about a shower and dinner.
Tomorrow: Red Bull Air Race Day.
Rottnest Island is beautiful. In fact it is one of the nicest places I have been to. The water is perfectly limpid, the beaches pristine. Even the seaweed is beautiful (when it is not rotting, that is). Of course, it helps that the sun is shining, and the temperatures are back up into the high 20s.
I saw my first Quokka (rare marsupial, that looks like a cross between a wallaby and a rat - very cute) as I pitched my tent (the campsite is half empty - actually, make that 9/10 empty - there are only half a dozen tents). I then made my way to the first of several beaches. The water is in the low 20s, so ideal for a refreshing dip.
The quality of the light is superb and the skyline of Perth is crispy outlined on the horizon. I thought at this point that I was going to enjoy my few days here...
...well, that was until I experienced the full force of the Rottnest fly invasion. They were so annoying that at one point I literally thought that they were going to drive me insane. Oh how I can empathise with all those poor, famine-stricken children in the Horn of Africa (I was quite hungry by this time)!
Talking of little critters, it turns out that the quokkas are capable of a degree of iritation which belies their cute good looks. They were everywhere around the campsite (alongside armies of crows and seagulls) - I even managed to kick one in the head as it scavenged for food under my table (Dad - you would have had friends galore!). And the piece of resistance came when two of them decided to use the porch of my tent as a public toilet. Dirty bastards!
On a brighter note, I saw a large ray up close while snorkelling and loads of other fish (including some pretty big ones). The snorkelling here is on a par with Ningaloo, although there are mainly temperate species, rather than tropical. (so the colours are slightly more muted - why is this so?).
Oh and the drinking water at the campsite is yellow. It looks like pee.
Tuesday 14th November 2006
I was sat writing this peering through the gap between my t-shirt (right up over my head) and hat (pulled down as far as it would go)*. I feel a burkha would have been appropriate. It's 11am and the flies are out in force. They seem to home in on all the most irritating places (eyes, ears, nose, mouth). It's lucky that I'm not a naturist.
Fortunately, other things about the island more than make up for it. I saw a pod of dolphins frollicking in the bay, not far from the shore. Then I went snorkelling and saw loads more interesting fish, in possibly the clearest water I have ever experienced. Utterly beautiful. The limestone formations underwater are amazing. Caves, arches, stacks, all with hundreds of fish swimming through and around.
Had a picnic lunch, which presented the interesting discovery that Ryvita is made in Poole. Well, I never knew that. That's a few thousand food miles racked up right there. Environmentalists be damned, I wanted my whole-rye (with seeds) goodness. Found a nice shady spot for a post-prandial snooze (in full body armour, of course)
The wind picked up in the afternoon (in more ways that one - must have been last nights mixed bean salad), which seem to result in their being fewer flies about. What a relief.
I felt pretty exhausted by the end of the day. I reckon I must have walked a good 12 miles in total. In bed even earlier tonight - must be the sea air.
Covered most of the south east of the island today... tomorrow the north...
*I had foolishly left the fly net in the tent (grrr). You would think it should be a case of just ignoring them/not letting them get the better of you. But no. Just as you think you are winning, one finds a special way of irritating you just that little bit more.
Wednesday 15th November 2006
Slept for 11 hours last night. I must have needed it after all the exertions of yesterday. Up until writing this at 11am I had not been bothered by a single fly. What's going on? Maybe there is a change in the weather afoot. It was gloriously hot and sunny in the morning, but hazy cloud appeared to be thickening from the north. Luckily, I had already done a fair amount by lunchtime (including nice swims/snorkels), so as long as it doesn't rain (thundery showers are forecast) it should be ideal for walking. Needed to try and find a shady spot for lunch and a snooze...
There are loads of different terns about (well, at least 2... and I'm sure a load of different sub-species) - including the very pretty/delicate/rare fairy terns. So much nicer than seagulls.
Well, the cloud melted away soon after lunch so it would have been pretty hot for walking and I thus spent a while longer lounging in the shade. Lucky I did as I had a close encounter with a very friendly lizard. It came and sniffed/licked my shoes, bag, rubbish, etc. Meanwhile his/her (how do you sex a lizard?) friend watched from a distance (as did I when it started approaching my foot). Also saw two Ospreys, which was nice (and later saw one fishing, during which felt like being part of Springwatch... except I wasn't wearing a hat, a la Simon King).
The sea was really warm in the afternoon (the warmest I had felt it since Broome). Saw a couple of naturists (safe now the flies had disappeared), which was unsurprising as the island really reminds me of Formentera. Otherwise this part of the island was completely deserted - just a few passing cyclists (frantically pedalling to try and see the whole island in a day). Had so far had almost all the beaches to myself.
It felt like quite a long walk back, although it was broken up with sites to see along the way (including pheasants, of all things, as well as the now ubiquitous quokkas, a wind turbine, salt lakes...).
In the evening I managed to cut my finger opening a tin of sliced beetroot (oh how us castaways survive). That's the last time I shall use that tin opener.
Early to bed again (such is the life of the camper on the unlit campsite).
Thursday 16th November 2006
Decided to take it relatively easy today (think I may have been over-doing it and perhaps the finger-slicing-incident was the result).
Bought newspaper in the morning and pottered around the settlement (for that is what it is called). Went to the museum and discovered a few interesting things about the island (readily available on the interweb, I am sure). This included finding out that the pheasants I had seen previously were introduced onto the island during the 1800s and have been flourising ever since (not the exact same ones, obviously).
Very windy, so back to campsite for lunch and a lie-down. Was hoping to find sheltered beach in the afternoon (the wind had changed to a more southerly direction and it was quite cool in exposed places).
Interested to read in the paper that Tom Cruise is planning to get married in Bracciano. Been there!
The plan to take it easy on the beach was scuppered somewhat when it clouded in at 3pm. It was too cold in the wind on the beach so I decided to go for a(nother) walk instead. Had a look around the gun emplacements/look-outs from WWII (I must have been bored). Nice views if nothing else. Saw my first snake on Rottnest - only one variety: the highly venemous (yes, really - according to the museum) dugite - and more cute (baby) quokkas. So much sweeter in the wild (and less mangy) than the ones scavenging around the campsite. Was offered a lift back to the campsite (v. kind) but it was still quite early so I declined. Perhaps I should learn to say yes more often.
Was lying in the tent listening to Joanna Newsom (new album - very, very good) when I felt something push against my head. Turned around to discover a baby quokka had pushed under the canvas and was proceeding to try and get into the fly sheet with me. Shooing it away didn't work so I watched it snoop about until it got bored. And lo, it kindly left me a little present before leaving.
Friday 17th November 2006
There were a few showers overnight (tent wet this morning, although not enough to have washed off all the birdshit). Got bus over to the far end of the island and the general tone of the day was for things to get better as they went on...
Got off bus and almost immediately after commencing my walk I managed to get both sandals wet (a freak wave), which then stared to rub. Then I got persistently attacked by bloody seagulls*, which I literally has to fend off with a large stick. Then (final straw) it started to piss down while I was walking along the most exposed beach on the entire island. At this stage I had had enough and wanted to go home (the last couple of days had seemed the loneliest of the trip so far... with so few people about. Perhaps, in the words of the Vauxhall Zafira advert: over-tired?
Luckily, the sun came out at lunchtime and the day (and my mood) turned a corner. This also co-incided with reaching the west end of the island and turning round to head back the other way up the coast. I found some lovely beaches along the way, had a couple of nice swims/snorkels and met the friendliest lizard I have ever seen. It climbed over my shoe (while I was wearing it) and licked my toe. Michelle - you would have loved it!
The weather is much improved - it is really clear and Perth stands out loud and clear on the horizon.
*this incident reminded me of Simon getting attacked by Sidmouth seagulls on his way to our friday morning French lesson at school.
Saturday 18th November 2006
Had an enjoyable final morning on Rottnest. Sunny and warm. Packed up early (dispatched luggage with handlers who take it directly from the campsite) and, after buying the paper, went to the beach as it was already hot by 9am. Had a nice swim/snorkel, but the definite highlight of the day was watching a dugite devour a mouse under a rock on the beach (just a few meters from where I had put my stuff). After my San Deigo experience I have decided that it must be the year of the munching snake.
Got back to Fremantle just after lunch to discover that they had lost my luggage. Ah. The lady phoned everywhere she could think of... but to no avail. Panic! She gives me her phone number and tells me to call/drop in later to see if it has turned up... Hmm...
...well, after a while spent reading the paper/ generally fretting about what to do if it doesn't turn up, I decide to head back to the office to see if there are any developments... And what do I see whilst passing a rival operators section of the quayside? Yup, my bags. She had already phoned across earlier only to be told that they didn't have my bags there. Well, they obviously didn't look hard enough, did they? Muppets.
After that exctitement I made my way over to Perth and checked into the hostel (the same one as when I arrived - it is clean and centrally-located... and as Kylie sang: "it's better the devil you know"). I discover that the internet is really fast and manage to upload all my photos in record time (http://picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth2 - sorry, there are a lot of them!). Then write this before thinking about a shower and dinner.
Tomorrow: Red Bull Air Race Day.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Off to Rottnest
Saturday 11th November 2006
I had a bit of an organisational morning, trying to work out where to go on my journey south of Perth. The weather was a bit duff (sunshine and showers - some fairfly beefy ones at times), so it was good to be able to shelter inside.
In the afternoon I went into Perth to try and book tickets for the various coaches that I will be using to get myself around the south west corner. I was thwarted by the fact that both booking offices were closed (and one was quite a trek out of town - grrrr). Saturday afternoon is the only time during the week that they are closed - it would have been fine if I had gone on Sunday instead.
Luckily the weather had bucked up so I made the most of my dayrider train ticket. I explored Northridge (scruffy backpacker area - a bit seedy), Leederville (slightly bohemian), Subiaco (plush and chi chi) and Cottesloe (affluent beach suburb). The last three were all very nice to wander round, and, I imagine, very expensive to live in (Carolyn - where did you live when you were in Perth?).
The weather was still a bit changeable, but I managed to largely avoid the rain, apart from a very brief shower when I was walking along the beach at Cottesloe. I haven't worn trousers since... I don't know when, so it can't be too bad!
In the evening I made further use of the free internet and booked some hostels for my trip south... so I hope I can get the buses that I want!
Sunday 12th November 2006
Another morning of sorting stuff out... this time getting ready for tomorrow's camping trip. I washed my clothes, went food shopping and even shaved! Oh, and I did a bit more stuff on the internet (like a child who has been deprived of sweets for several weeks...).
After a pasta/spinach/garlic/parmesan/olive oil lunch I had a nice chat with Francis the Frenchman (the place seems more friendly now that I am about to leave...) before going to the Market (for bargain fruit and veg) and then to the beach at South Fremantle. The weather had improved since yesterday but there was still a cool southerly wind (although it was quite warm in the sunshine). I got the free CAT (town bus service) back to the hostel and cooked risotto followed by french beans (not a patch on the ones from the garden!).
Chatted with a Polish chap after dinner... got an interesting insight into their migratory zeal. Bed by 9:30pm (it might be the last sleep I get for a week... my tent beckons).
I grew to like the Old Firestation hostel during my stay. This always seems to happen. First you think it is a complete dump, with unfriendly people, then gradually as you get to know the place you feel more comfortable, open up to other people (who you realise are nearly all in the same boat as you) and start to enjoy staying there. And, yes, the free internet was a major bonus. I have saved $$$$$$!
Monday 13th November 2006
Getting 11:30 ferry to Rottnest Island. Looking forward to some open space and tranquility after the (relative) bustle of the city... Hopefully a full report next weekend (although I am staying in Perth City YHA [to go and see the Red Bull Air Race] and they don't have free internet). I'll see what I can do...
Best wishes,
James xx
I had a bit of an organisational morning, trying to work out where to go on my journey south of Perth. The weather was a bit duff (sunshine and showers - some fairfly beefy ones at times), so it was good to be able to shelter inside.
In the afternoon I went into Perth to try and book tickets for the various coaches that I will be using to get myself around the south west corner. I was thwarted by the fact that both booking offices were closed (and one was quite a trek out of town - grrrr). Saturday afternoon is the only time during the week that they are closed - it would have been fine if I had gone on Sunday instead.
Luckily the weather had bucked up so I made the most of my dayrider train ticket. I explored Northridge (scruffy backpacker area - a bit seedy), Leederville (slightly bohemian), Subiaco (plush and chi chi) and Cottesloe (affluent beach suburb). The last three were all very nice to wander round, and, I imagine, very expensive to live in (Carolyn - where did you live when you were in Perth?).
The weather was still a bit changeable, but I managed to largely avoid the rain, apart from a very brief shower when I was walking along the beach at Cottesloe. I haven't worn trousers since... I don't know when, so it can't be too bad!
In the evening I made further use of the free internet and booked some hostels for my trip south... so I hope I can get the buses that I want!
Sunday 12th November 2006
Another morning of sorting stuff out... this time getting ready for tomorrow's camping trip. I washed my clothes, went food shopping and even shaved! Oh, and I did a bit more stuff on the internet (like a child who has been deprived of sweets for several weeks...).
After a pasta/spinach/garlic/parmesan/olive oil lunch I had a nice chat with Francis the Frenchman (the place seems more friendly now that I am about to leave...) before going to the Market (for bargain fruit and veg) and then to the beach at South Fremantle. The weather had improved since yesterday but there was still a cool southerly wind (although it was quite warm in the sunshine). I got the free CAT (town bus service) back to the hostel and cooked risotto followed by french beans (not a patch on the ones from the garden!).
Chatted with a Polish chap after dinner... got an interesting insight into their migratory zeal. Bed by 9:30pm (it might be the last sleep I get for a week... my tent beckons).
I grew to like the Old Firestation hostel during my stay. This always seems to happen. First you think it is a complete dump, with unfriendly people, then gradually as you get to know the place you feel more comfortable, open up to other people (who you realise are nearly all in the same boat as you) and start to enjoy staying there. And, yes, the free internet was a major bonus. I have saved $$$$$$!
Monday 13th November 2006
Getting 11:30 ferry to Rottnest Island. Looking forward to some open space and tranquility after the (relative) bustle of the city... Hopefully a full report next weekend (although I am staying in Perth City YHA [to go and see the Red Bull Air Race] and they don't have free internet). I'll see what I can do...
Best wishes,
James xx
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Fremantle, Freinternet
Hello from Free-mantle.
You should have already seen that my photos are now in the public domain. In case not, they can be found in the following locations:
Monday 6th November 2006
I was woken up at 5:00am by an Aussie chap who was cycling from Taiwan (!) to Perth. He was a bit of an odd character (travelling for over 7 years and the first time since then that he will have been back to his home city) but quite friendly (the day before, that is... it was too early to more than grunt on his departure). I'll have to look out for him on the way to Perth (see later entry!).
Had a mooch around town in the morning and walked a little way up the Murchison River. Watched the pelicans for a while before going to the supermarket to get a few bits for lunch. Had a post-prandial snooze (the weather is still hot and therefore conducive to torpor) and then dragged myself to the beach. Found a nice spot for a swim (just inside the river mouth). The water was warm and very clean, not unlike the River Sid! There were a few fish about but it wasn't a patch on Ningaloo.
Was planning to watch the sun set, but it got a bit chilly (low 20s) and I didn't have a jumper with me. I am now even softer than before! Got back to the hostel and cooked minestrone to share with Marylene (French girl) and Matthias (Swiss kite-surfing bloke - bit of a nobber who reminded me of my Swiss exchange person). Bed by 10pm. (Rock 'n' Roll!)
Tuesday 7th November 2006
After watching the daily pelican feeding, which was total carnage (the pelicans kept on eating* the seagulls instead of/as well as the fish), I walked to the Kalbarri Wildflower Centre with Marylene, only to find that it was closed for the season. Still, we saw a dying bat in the car park (of the flying mammal variety) - soon to be eaten by a crow no doubt - and a massive shed-snake-skin lying beside the road.
Got chatting to a friendly chap from Aosta, Italy (Mattia) and had a leisurely lunch with him. Got rather confused linguistically as I had previously been speaking a bit of French with Marylene. Still, it was good to have a bit of a mental challenge - I don't want my brain to atrophy completely.
In the afternoon I walked along the beach to Red Bluff with Mattia. It was about 10km return, but seemed particularly hard going in the predominantly soft sand. The beautiful sea and scenery more than made up for it, however.
Was pretty exhausted by the time we got back (me slightly less so than soft-Italian-boy!), but managed to cook risotto to act as a starter before the nice steak that Marylene and Mattias had bought and cooked.
*well, getting them trapped in their mouths, before releasing them, at any rate.
Wednesday 8th November 2006
It was a mainly quiet day today before the travails of travelling south. I spent the large part of the day brushing up on my Italian with Mattia from Val d'Aosta (he's got Calabrian roots, you know, so that's all right then...). After he had left (heading north) I walked along the coastal cycle track. It was a beautiful walk but I have never seen so many flies (see picture of my green jumper on www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth2). I really should have dug out the fly net, but the twin evils of embarrassment and it being in the bottom of my bag somehow dissuaded me. As it was, every time I did a sudden movement, I was surrounded by a swarm and looked like Linus from Peanuts/Charlie Brown.
There was a gorgeous sunset and the colours in the sky afterwards were amazing. There were huge flocks of galahs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah), which seem to be the equivalent of the urban pigeon around these parts. In the evening Clay and Victoria arrived on the incoming Easyrider bus, along with various other people who I had met along the way.
I enjoyed my stay in Kalbarri. It was a bit quieter without the majority of the Easyrider crew, but it was a good change to reflect and recuperate before moving on. Kalbarri is in a lovely setting on the river/sea and the whole place still had a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere. It was so laid back it was positively recumbent. The hostel was nice and quiet, although a bit lacking in atmosphere, perhaps.
Thursday 9th November 2006
It was back on the original love bus today (it had done a complete tour of the west coast and was back for another circuit). Bart was the driver, who turned out to be the best value since Rebecca on the first leg (not bad for a South African). Perhaps the old Toyota with the green upholstery somehow brought the best out of people. We stopped briefly at Geralton for coffee and saw the first traffic lights south of Darwin! There is definitely a sense of increasing urban sprawl as we move south (although that means a farm every 30kms or so, rather than every 200km)...
After playing musical chairs on the bus (I was the MC), we stopped at Dynamite Bay for a swim. The water was warmer than I thought it would be, which bodes well for Rottnest Island.
We visited Namburg National Park (the busiest NP in Australia, apparently) to see the Pinnacles. Beautiful area - it would have been nice to spend longer exploring (especially to see the colours at sunset). Passed the cyclist I met in Kalbarri en route and had the good fortune to see copulating kangaroos (a first for everyone on the bus). How we laughed...
We passed through the Great W.A. wheat belt (approx the size of the UK), but there was also some interesting scenery; salt lakes, sand dunes, small hills. Played bus cricket (which involves trying to invoke a response from passing drivers) and bus surfing (standing in the aisle, without holding on, for as long as possible). Road safety campaigners would have had a field day. It was quite an entertaining journey as they were generally a friendly bunch of people on the bus.
As we pulled into a service station on the outskirts of Perth we experienced the first rain for weeks! It was only a light shower, but also felt quite chilly (probably a mere 23C).
Got to Fremantle without and problems and checked straight into hostel. It's a bit noisy for my grandad-tastes, but the free internet more than makes up for it. Meet Francis, another French person who hates France (there are a lot of them in Australia). And he is threatening to move to the UK....
Friday 10th November 2006
I'm rather serendipitous with the weather today. Spent the morning doing odd jobs, which principally involve the internet (of course: it's free!). Am glad to be able to upload my photos and start clearing out the full memory cards. It was just as well I was indoors as there were frequent showers. It was also fortunate that I hadn't walked too far because my left sandal decided to break (after less than a month of [albeit extremely heavy] use), whilst walking around the hostel kitchen. I think I should be able to fix it, or get away with sporting a strapless version - otherwise a trip to the shops may be required. Exciting stuff!
The sun had come out by lunchtime so I ventured to the supermarket and booked my ferry for Rottnest Island. I also has a good wander around the Quayside, which included the stunning (slightly less-so on closer inspection) Maritime Museum. This was only from the outside - I didn't pay to go in, obviously. I wrote this entry from a bench outside the MM. Not a soul about (repeating theme, here), so just the sea gulls and passing boats for company.
Well, it's 11pm and clearly time for bed (exhaustion!), so I'll leave it there for now and update today and tomorrow tomorrow.
You should have already seen that my photos are now in the public domain. In case not, they can be found in the following locations:
- www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth
- www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth1
- www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth2
Monday 6th November 2006
I was woken up at 5:00am by an Aussie chap who was cycling from Taiwan (!) to Perth. He was a bit of an odd character (travelling for over 7 years and the first time since then that he will have been back to his home city) but quite friendly (the day before, that is... it was too early to more than grunt on his departure). I'll have to look out for him on the way to Perth (see later entry!).
Had a mooch around town in the morning and walked a little way up the Murchison River. Watched the pelicans for a while before going to the supermarket to get a few bits for lunch. Had a post-prandial snooze (the weather is still hot and therefore conducive to torpor) and then dragged myself to the beach. Found a nice spot for a swim (just inside the river mouth). The water was warm and very clean, not unlike the River Sid! There were a few fish about but it wasn't a patch on Ningaloo.
Was planning to watch the sun set, but it got a bit chilly (low 20s) and I didn't have a jumper with me. I am now even softer than before! Got back to the hostel and cooked minestrone to share with Marylene (French girl) and Matthias (Swiss kite-surfing bloke - bit of a nobber who reminded me of my Swiss exchange person). Bed by 10pm. (Rock 'n' Roll!)
Tuesday 7th November 2006
After watching the daily pelican feeding, which was total carnage (the pelicans kept on eating* the seagulls instead of/as well as the fish), I walked to the Kalbarri Wildflower Centre with Marylene, only to find that it was closed for the season. Still, we saw a dying bat in the car park (of the flying mammal variety) - soon to be eaten by a crow no doubt - and a massive shed-snake-skin lying beside the road.
Got chatting to a friendly chap from Aosta, Italy (Mattia) and had a leisurely lunch with him. Got rather confused linguistically as I had previously been speaking a bit of French with Marylene. Still, it was good to have a bit of a mental challenge - I don't want my brain to atrophy completely.
In the afternoon I walked along the beach to Red Bluff with Mattia. It was about 10km return, but seemed particularly hard going in the predominantly soft sand. The beautiful sea and scenery more than made up for it, however.
Was pretty exhausted by the time we got back (me slightly less so than soft-Italian-boy!), but managed to cook risotto to act as a starter before the nice steak that Marylene and Mattias had bought and cooked.
*well, getting them trapped in their mouths, before releasing them, at any rate.
Wednesday 8th November 2006
It was a mainly quiet day today before the travails of travelling south. I spent the large part of the day brushing up on my Italian with Mattia from Val d'Aosta (he's got Calabrian roots, you know, so that's all right then...). After he had left (heading north) I walked along the coastal cycle track. It was a beautiful walk but I have never seen so many flies (see picture of my green jumper on www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth2). I really should have dug out the fly net, but the twin evils of embarrassment and it being in the bottom of my bag somehow dissuaded me. As it was, every time I did a sudden movement, I was surrounded by a swarm and looked like Linus from Peanuts/Charlie Brown.
There was a gorgeous sunset and the colours in the sky afterwards were amazing. There were huge flocks of galahs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah), which seem to be the equivalent of the urban pigeon around these parts. In the evening Clay and Victoria arrived on the incoming Easyrider bus, along with various other people who I had met along the way.
I enjoyed my stay in Kalbarri. It was a bit quieter without the majority of the Easyrider crew, but it was a good change to reflect and recuperate before moving on. Kalbarri is in a lovely setting on the river/sea and the whole place still had a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere. It was so laid back it was positively recumbent. The hostel was nice and quiet, although a bit lacking in atmosphere, perhaps.
Thursday 9th November 2006
It was back on the original love bus today (it had done a complete tour of the west coast and was back for another circuit). Bart was the driver, who turned out to be the best value since Rebecca on the first leg (not bad for a South African). Perhaps the old Toyota with the green upholstery somehow brought the best out of people. We stopped briefly at Geralton for coffee and saw the first traffic lights south of Darwin! There is definitely a sense of increasing urban sprawl as we move south (although that means a farm every 30kms or so, rather than every 200km)...
After playing musical chairs on the bus (I was the MC), we stopped at Dynamite Bay for a swim. The water was warmer than I thought it would be, which bodes well for Rottnest Island.
We visited Namburg National Park (the busiest NP in Australia, apparently) to see the Pinnacles. Beautiful area - it would have been nice to spend longer exploring (especially to see the colours at sunset). Passed the cyclist I met in Kalbarri en route and had the good fortune to see copulating kangaroos (a first for everyone on the bus). How we laughed...
We passed through the Great W.A. wheat belt (approx the size of the UK), but there was also some interesting scenery; salt lakes, sand dunes, small hills. Played bus cricket (which involves trying to invoke a response from passing drivers) and bus surfing (standing in the aisle, without holding on, for as long as possible). Road safety campaigners would have had a field day. It was quite an entertaining journey as they were generally a friendly bunch of people on the bus.
As we pulled into a service station on the outskirts of Perth we experienced the first rain for weeks! It was only a light shower, but also felt quite chilly (probably a mere 23C).
Got to Fremantle without and problems and checked straight into hostel. It's a bit noisy for my grandad-tastes, but the free internet more than makes up for it. Meet Francis, another French person who hates France (there are a lot of them in Australia). And he is threatening to move to the UK....
Friday 10th November 2006
I'm rather serendipitous with the weather today. Spent the morning doing odd jobs, which principally involve the internet (of course: it's free!). Am glad to be able to upload my photos and start clearing out the full memory cards. It was just as well I was indoors as there were frequent showers. It was also fortunate that I hadn't walked too far because my left sandal decided to break (after less than a month of [albeit extremely heavy] use), whilst walking around the hostel kitchen. I think I should be able to fix it, or get away with sporting a strapless version - otherwise a trip to the shops may be required. Exciting stuff!
The sun had come out by lunchtime so I ventured to the supermarket and booked my ferry for Rottnest Island. I also has a good wander around the Quayside, which included the stunning (slightly less-so on closer inspection) Maritime Museum. This was only from the outside - I didn't pay to go in, obviously. I wrote this entry from a bench outside the MM. Not a soul about (repeating theme, here), so just the sea gulls and passing boats for company.
Well, it's 11pm and clearly time for bed (exhaustion!), so I'll leave it there for now and update today and tomorrow tomorrow.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Up-to-date at last...
Tuesday 31st October 2006 (I'll try to avoid CAPSLOCK nonsense this time!)
I think I probably forgot to say that there was nearly always a cooling breeze in Coral Bay, although it was fine and sunny throughout. The breeze continued down to Denham, which was my next stop.
We left Coral Bay at 8:30am for the long drive south. We said goodbye to Clay and Victoria in Carnarvon, where they were stopping to go fruit picking. Jane, the new Easyrider driver, wasn't as good as Rebecca and the bus was a bit cramped, but it was still an interesting drive. You could pick up subtle changes in the landscape, but there is still a whole lot of nothingness over vast distances. Scott, Sofia and Kathleen (from the earlier part of the trip) are back on the bus. Generally quite a good crowd, but some quiet Japanese and Koreans and an odd Eastern European couple (of men), who will later try to get a double room (to no avail).
Got some shopping in Carnarvon, at the first proper supermarket for several hundred miles (still finding W.A. quite expensive in general) - it is nice to have a proper range of goods after the limitations of Coral Bay. The rest of the bus comments on my bulging trolley! We stopped for a break at the Overlander Roadhouse before before heading to see the stromalites at Hamelin Pool. Different shades of blue/green water here and interesting to see and read about the stromalites (google it if you want to know more - I won't bore you with the details). From here it was a nice drive along the road with glimpses of the sea on both sides. Visited shell beach, which is made up of billions of shells and an incredibly shallow and saline sea. Got to Denham at about 5:30pm. It is an incredibly laid-back, v. small town, right on the beach. The hostel is homely, with a kitchen/bathroom/lounge for every two dorms. Sharing with the rest of the Easyrider Crew. We watched a slide show of various people's photos on the TV and I provided the soundtrack from the MP3 player (I'm so glad I brought it with me - it has been great).
Sad to say goodbye to Mitch (v. nice Aussie bloke) who was leaVING FOR pERTH EARLY THE NEXT MORNING - WE'RE HOPING TO MEET UP IN pERTH, OR PERHAPS NEXT YEAR WHEN HE WILL BE LIVING IN nsw.
wEDNESDAY 1ST nOVEMBER 2006
Into the second month of my travels...
I was sat writing this diary entry on a bluff overlooking Shark Bay, along the beach from Denham. It's amazing to see the narrow peninsula and islands on the other side of the bay (many miles away, naturally). Spent the morning wandering about and getting my bearings before heading back to the hostel for lunch. It started off partly cloudy (shock) but soon brightened up.
After sorting out some flight changes (Air New Zealand had cancelled some flights and I had to rebook onto alternatives - but thankfully no major problems) I walked the other way along the beach. Saw sharks swimming just feet away and an eagle soared overhead. Didn't see a single other person all afternoon. It is eerily quiet around here (especially with predatory animals about!). Climbed up to the top of duney cliffs for amazing views over Shark Bay. Almost shat myself when I saw a snake trail and almost immediately afterwards put my foot down what I assume to be a snake hole! Otherwise a lovely afternoon and a good (3 hr +) walk.
In the evening we all tried some of the shark that Richard (rather obnoxious character from Wales) had caught earlier in the day. Had a couple of free games of pool before going to bed. Luckily I had my earplugs in as apparently our neighbours were being very noisy indeed during the night (it turned out it was the son of the hostel managers - typical).
Thursday 2nd November 2006
Got free Hostel shuttle bus over to Monkey Mia at 7:45am. Passed Little Lagoon en route - it looked really nice so hoped to get there for a walk the next day. Arrived at Monkey Mia just in time to see the first dolphin feeding of the day (well, they were just leaving actually, but got quite a good view of their fins!). Had a walk along the beach before seeing the second and third feeds of the day. Great to see dolphins up close in the wild (albeit in in a rather packaged, touristy way). At least the rangers provided an interesting commentary and the water was clear and warm, so we got a good close up view of the dolphins.
After a cool windy start it got really hot so spent the middle part of the day in the shade (I had already got a tad sunburnt by then, standing around watching the dolphins). Had a nice swim before getting the free bus back to the hostel.
In the evening I managed to bag some more free shark from Richard (perhaps he isn't so obnoxious after all) - so I roasted some butternut squash and carrot to go with it and had some asparagus as a treat. This is the exciting culinary life that I lead.
Friday 3rd November 2006
After much hmmming and hawing, I decided to spend the day with the rest of the group, on a working pearl farm. Good decision!
We paid $5 to cover the insurance for the day and then got shown around their operation and helped them out for a while by doing a spot of light work. In our case this was pulling up racks of oysters, cleaning them and then putting them back into the water. This was more interesting than it perhaps sounds as we got to see all the accompanying sealife (crabs, little fishes, sponges, etc.). We also got the chance to go swimming. At this point Kathleen thought she saw a shark fin (it was just me and her in the water) - so she had a bit of a panic attack (v funny in hindsight - especially with her strong french accent). It turns out it was a dolphin - so I guess you could say that I swam with dolphins, as well as wading in the water with them. The day also included several boat rides (and numerous cups of coffee and slices of cake) - we all ended up getting totally soaked as the wind picked up - great fun.
Got dropped off at Little Lagoon to walk back to town from there. Went for a swim in the lagoon - lovely warm, clean water, but a high risk of stonefish (most people die from the shock apparently - it is such a painful sting). I kept my sandals on.
It was a beautiful walk back alongside the river/coast. Saw more sharks and rays.
Pretty knackered after getting back but found the energy to go to a naturally-fed hot tub with some of the others. I didn't go in though, because the water looked filthy and I had just had a shower. I might be becoming slightly more tolerant and open-minded, but I have my limits.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Denham. The group of people wasn't quite as nice as in Coral Bay and perhaps the place was slightly less stunning. But not bad. Hmm... I think I'm probably getting spoiled!
Saturday 4th November 2006.
Went to Monkey Mia again first thing to see the Doolphins. Not as good as on Thursday. There were more people and the rougher water meant that you couldn't see as well.
Got on Easyrider bus with new driver (Mike) for journey to Kalbarri. Had the following stops en route:
In the evening almost the entire group went to a seafood restaurant for dinner. Massive mixed seafood platter for $10. Most people couldn't finish theirs, so I did my best to help. Felt pretty stuffed afterwards, but managed to avoid feeling sick, which was a bit of a bonus.
Said goodbye to most of the group, as the vast majority were continuing to Perth without stopping in Kalbarri. Got on really well with most of them but it will be nice to have a quieter few days and a bit of time to myself.
Sunday 5th November 2006
Easy Sunday today. Bought Sunday papers, did a bit of stuff on the internet and generally took it easy in the morning. Wandered around Kalbarri in the afternoon. It's a more attractive/interesting town than Denham, with a beautiful coastline reminiscent of Portugal/Southern Californina.
Writing this up now before cooking dinner and having an early night.
I'm up-to-date at last - hooray (well, apart from photos - they're going to have to wait until I find a good, fast, cheap internet - probably in Perth, I'm guessing).
That's all for now. I hope all is well with you all.
Best wishes,
James.
I think I probably forgot to say that there was nearly always a cooling breeze in Coral Bay, although it was fine and sunny throughout. The breeze continued down to Denham, which was my next stop.
We left Coral Bay at 8:30am for the long drive south. We said goodbye to Clay and Victoria in Carnarvon, where they were stopping to go fruit picking. Jane, the new Easyrider driver, wasn't as good as Rebecca and the bus was a bit cramped, but it was still an interesting drive. You could pick up subtle changes in the landscape, but there is still a whole lot of nothingness over vast distances. Scott, Sofia and Kathleen (from the earlier part of the trip) are back on the bus. Generally quite a good crowd, but some quiet Japanese and Koreans and an odd Eastern European couple (of men), who will later try to get a double room (to no avail).
Got some shopping in Carnarvon, at the first proper supermarket for several hundred miles (still finding W.A. quite expensive in general) - it is nice to have a proper range of goods after the limitations of Coral Bay. The rest of the bus comments on my bulging trolley! We stopped for a break at the Overlander Roadhouse before before heading to see the stromalites at Hamelin Pool. Different shades of blue/green water here and interesting to see and read about the stromalites (google it if you want to know more - I won't bore you with the details). From here it was a nice drive along the road with glimpses of the sea on both sides. Visited shell beach, which is made up of billions of shells and an incredibly shallow and saline sea. Got to Denham at about 5:30pm. It is an incredibly laid-back, v. small town, right on the beach. The hostel is homely, with a kitchen/bathroom/lounge for every two dorms. Sharing with the rest of the Easyrider Crew. We watched a slide show of various people's photos on the TV and I provided the soundtrack from the MP3 player (I'm so glad I brought it with me - it has been great).
Sad to say goodbye to Mitch (v. nice Aussie bloke) who was leaVING FOR pERTH EARLY THE NEXT MORNING - WE'RE HOPING TO MEET UP IN pERTH, OR PERHAPS NEXT YEAR WHEN HE WILL BE LIVING IN nsw.
wEDNESDAY 1ST nOVEMBER 2006
Into the second month of my travels...
I was sat writing this diary entry on a bluff overlooking Shark Bay, along the beach from Denham. It's amazing to see the narrow peninsula and islands on the other side of the bay (many miles away, naturally). Spent the morning wandering about and getting my bearings before heading back to the hostel for lunch. It started off partly cloudy (shock) but soon brightened up.
After sorting out some flight changes (Air New Zealand had cancelled some flights and I had to rebook onto alternatives - but thankfully no major problems) I walked the other way along the beach. Saw sharks swimming just feet away and an eagle soared overhead. Didn't see a single other person all afternoon. It is eerily quiet around here (especially with predatory animals about!). Climbed up to the top of duney cliffs for amazing views over Shark Bay. Almost shat myself when I saw a snake trail and almost immediately afterwards put my foot down what I assume to be a snake hole! Otherwise a lovely afternoon and a good (3 hr +) walk.
In the evening we all tried some of the shark that Richard (rather obnoxious character from Wales) had caught earlier in the day. Had a couple of free games of pool before going to bed. Luckily I had my earplugs in as apparently our neighbours were being very noisy indeed during the night (it turned out it was the son of the hostel managers - typical).
Thursday 2nd November 2006
Got free Hostel shuttle bus over to Monkey Mia at 7:45am. Passed Little Lagoon en route - it looked really nice so hoped to get there for a walk the next day. Arrived at Monkey Mia just in time to see the first dolphin feeding of the day (well, they were just leaving actually, but got quite a good view of their fins!). Had a walk along the beach before seeing the second and third feeds of the day. Great to see dolphins up close in the wild (albeit in in a rather packaged, touristy way). At least the rangers provided an interesting commentary and the water was clear and warm, so we got a good close up view of the dolphins.
After a cool windy start it got really hot so spent the middle part of the day in the shade (I had already got a tad sunburnt by then, standing around watching the dolphins). Had a nice swim before getting the free bus back to the hostel.
In the evening I managed to bag some more free shark from Richard (perhaps he isn't so obnoxious after all) - so I roasted some butternut squash and carrot to go with it and had some asparagus as a treat. This is the exciting culinary life that I lead.
Friday 3rd November 2006
After much hmmming and hawing, I decided to spend the day with the rest of the group, on a working pearl farm. Good decision!
We paid $5 to cover the insurance for the day and then got shown around their operation and helped them out for a while by doing a spot of light work. In our case this was pulling up racks of oysters, cleaning them and then putting them back into the water. This was more interesting than it perhaps sounds as we got to see all the accompanying sealife (crabs, little fishes, sponges, etc.). We also got the chance to go swimming. At this point Kathleen thought she saw a shark fin (it was just me and her in the water) - so she had a bit of a panic attack (v funny in hindsight - especially with her strong french accent). It turns out it was a dolphin - so I guess you could say that I swam with dolphins, as well as wading in the water with them. The day also included several boat rides (and numerous cups of coffee and slices of cake) - we all ended up getting totally soaked as the wind picked up - great fun.
Got dropped off at Little Lagoon to walk back to town from there. Went for a swim in the lagoon - lovely warm, clean water, but a high risk of stonefish (most people die from the shock apparently - it is such a painful sting). I kept my sandals on.
It was a beautiful walk back alongside the river/coast. Saw more sharks and rays.
Pretty knackered after getting back but found the energy to go to a naturally-fed hot tub with some of the others. I didn't go in though, because the water looked filthy and I had just had a shower. I might be becoming slightly more tolerant and open-minded, but I have my limits.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Denham. The group of people wasn't quite as nice as in Coral Bay and perhaps the place was slightly less stunning. But not bad. Hmm... I think I'm probably getting spoiled!
Saturday 4th November 2006.
Went to Monkey Mia again first thing to see the Doolphins. Not as good as on Thursday. There were more people and the rougher water meant that you couldn't see as well.
Got on Easyrider bus with new driver (Mike) for journey to Kalbarri. Had the following stops en route:
- Ocean village - an aquarium place run by marine biologists. Interesting to see and hear about local wildlife, especially the stuff that we had previously seen in the wild.
- Eagle Bluff - beautiful lookout point over Shark Bay. Amazing shades of blue and yet more sharks.
- Shell Beach (again) - not as impressive as it sounds, but nice to stretch legs.
- Kalbarri National Park - viewpoint overlooking gorge - lovely spot, but loads of flies (will have to dig out Michelle's fly net at this rate!)
- Red Bluff - beautiful red cliffs. Watched sun set. Gorgeous.
In the evening almost the entire group went to a seafood restaurant for dinner. Massive mixed seafood platter for $10. Most people couldn't finish theirs, so I did my best to help. Felt pretty stuffed afterwards, but managed to avoid feeling sick, which was a bit of a bonus.
Said goodbye to most of the group, as the vast majority were continuing to Perth without stopping in Kalbarri. Got on really well with most of them but it will be nice to have a quieter few days and a bit of time to myself.
Sunday 5th November 2006
Easy Sunday today. Bought Sunday papers, did a bit of stuff on the internet and generally took it easy in the morning. Wandered around Kalbarri in the afternoon. It's a more attractive/interesting town than Denham, with a beautiful coastline reminiscent of Portugal/Southern Californina.
Writing this up now before cooking dinner and having an early night.
I'm up-to-date at last - hooray (well, apart from photos - they're going to have to wait until I find a good, fast, cheap internet - probably in Perth, I'm guessing).
That's all for now. I hope all is well with you all.
Best wishes,
James.
Over Halfway down the West Coast
Longtime, no update. The internet has been decidedly crappy down the West Coast. Very expensive and very slow. So this is the fist real opportunity I have got to update the blog. And now I have got such a backlog of diary entries that the task of updating it is quite intimidating. Ah well, best get started then!
Tuesday 24th October 2006
Eary start today to catch the Easyrider Bus at 6:45am. There are 14 people on the bus and initial impressions are good (the driver also seems really nice and friendly).
Most of the day is spent driving through seemingly neverending scrublands. The landscape is very flat and the road stretches for miles with no other traffic, or much to see (apart from a burnt-out road train about 100km out of Broome). We stopped off at 80 Mile Beach. Saw a fisherman land a huge shark and beachcombed for shells. Again, as in Broome, the water is an amazing colour and the place has a decidedly languid air.
Arrive at our first overnight stop - Pardoo Cattle Station - at about 4pm. Saw fan-tailed eagles beside the road and my first real-wild-kangaroos! The people running the joint were what I imagined to be typical oz farmers - tough as nails and as coarse as the roughest sandpaper... and that was just the Sheila! Interesting place, with myriad bugs all over the shop (spiders, grasshoppers, beetles) and a lovely setting among the trees (a welcome break form the scrub!). We had a nice swim in the sea as the sun set, then had a barbecue with the group. Good spread of tucker: Kangaroo steaks, lambchops, kangaroo sausages, loads of different salads.
So far the group seems to be a really good mix of people and the tour leader is lovely (Rebecca). She's really enthusiatic about everything and that makes all the difference when covering vast areas of nothingness (she's interested in Aboriginal culture, so has little stories to tell us all the time). Overall Pardoo was a lovely place and really relaxing. Slept like a log in a proper bed.
NB Here in Kalbarri (where I am writing this) you pay ($1) to turn the screen of the computer on for 10 minutes, so I am typing this blind, so as to save money!
Wednesday 25th October 2006
Earlyish start (7am). Landscape starts getting more interesting with the beginnings of the hamersley ranges. There is already water in some of the water holes which is untypically early this year. They must have had some of the rain we had in Broome here too. The only oyther vehicles about are either campervans or road trains (interesting fact #1: road trains with 4 trailers are only allowed in certain parts of Australia, and this is one of them). Saw the giant salt mountains of Port Hedland gleaming in the sun and various other industrial activity. Arrive at Karijini National Park at about lunchtime. Walked to circular pool at foot of impressive gorge. Stunning scenery and lots of interesting flowers. Continued walk, stopping at 4 different pools to swim. Water was lovely and clear and warm. So rerfreshing! Played around on a rope swing, which was great fun. Walked via fern pool to Fortescue falls and then back to the bus. The falls as Fern Pool were great to stand under - it gave my back a wonderful massage (which, touch wood, has been holding up well).
The was actually some heavy rain in the morning (luckily while we were driving), so there was plenty of water about and when the sun came out the colours were incredibly vibrant. Got back to our campite after dark and slept under canvas. All in all a wonderful day.
PS Saw a large snaKE IN THE np - PROBABLY A wESTERN bROWN (DEADLY!), WHICH WAS A BIT OF A WORRY, ESPECIALLY AS IT STARTED MOVING TOWARDS US WHILE WE WATCHED IT!).
tHURSDAY 26TH oCTOBER 2006
tODAY WE DROVE FROM aUSKI (ON THE EDGE OF THE kARIJINI nATIONAL pARK) TO eXMOUTH. tHE FIRST PART WAS THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY OF THE nATIONAL pARK (WHERE WE STOPPED TO WALK UP TO A LOOK OUT, PART WAY UP THE SLOPES OF mT. bRUCE. tHE LANDSCAPE GOT DRIER AND FLATTER AS WE WENT ON. aND THE WEATHER GOT HOTTER - EVERYONE ON THE BUS WAS RATHER OVERHEATED! wE STOPPED OFF EN ROUTE AT THE nANTURRA rOADHOUSE ON THE aSHBURTON rIVER (MORE dEVON NAME CONNECTIONS!). iT WAS MOST REFRESHING AFETER THE HEAT OF THGE BUS). sPOTTED EMUS AND KANGAROSS ON THE WAY TO eXMOUTH. iNITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF eXMOUTH ARE THAT IT IS VERY SPRAWLING AND THERE IS LOTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT GOING ON (V. EXPENSIVE, APPARENTLY). jUST BEFORE SUNSET WE WENT TO THE TURTLE SANCTUARY AT THE END OF CAPE rANGE (NO TURTLES, UNFORTUNATELY). hAD A LOVELY SWIM IN THE iNDIAN oCEAN ALTHOUGH WE COULDN'T SEE MUCH UNDERWATER AS THE SUN WAS GETTING LOW AND THE SEA WAS QUITE ROUGH. iN THE EVENIHG WE WENT TO THE PUB IN eXMOUITH FOR PIZZA AND BEER. i ASKED IF i GOT A DISCOUNT FOR BEING FROM eXMOUTH IN eNGLAND (ONLY A SMALL LIE!). sHE SAID NO... BUT THAT i WOULD GET A FREE DRINK! bONUS.
oUR ROOM SMELLED A BIT OF FISH (SHARING WITH A COUPLE OF FISHERMEN), BUT THERE ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE ON THE eASYRIDER, SO THAT MAKES UP FOR IT).
fRIDAY 27TH oCTOBER 2006
aLL THE THINGS AROUND eXMOUTH REQUIRE TRANSPORT, SO I DECIDE TO MOVE ONTO cORAL bAY TODAY, WHICH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER (ABOUT 150 MILES!).
sET OFF AT 7ISH (turn screen on to check that all is okay and realise that I must have hit Caps Lock halfway through writing (oops!). Can't remember the shortcut to change it back, so will leave it for comedy effect!
Drove up into Shot Hole Canyon in the Cape Range National Park (not really on our itinerary, but we manage to persuade Rebecca to make a detour!). Beautiful Mediterraneanesque landscapes. Loads of termite mounds on road (well not literally on the road) from Exmouth to Coral Bay. Arrive in Coral Bay at about 10am (1.5 hrs behind schedule thanks to our little detour). I'm sharing a room in the Nigaloo Club Backpackers with Mitch, Clay, Victoria and Alex from the Easyrider bus. Unpack and then head to beach for snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, etc. Really beautiful beach and sea. Loads of different fish and coral, just off shore. Amazing Parrot Fish (munching on the coral) and huge clams, which clamped up when I stuck my finger in (only joking!) - swishing water in was enough to make them do their stuff. I cooked dinner with my roomies (such a nice group of people) and then played table tennis with Mitch (2-1 to England)!
PS Also saw a shoal of cuttle fish earlier in the day.
PPS A man from Darwin showed us his crocodile injury (how Australian is that !)
PPPS Sea feels surprisingly cool after Broome (only 23/24C)
Saturday 28th October 2006
Walked left along the beach today to Pasradise Beach. Wonderful snorkelling. Millions of fish - just like swimming in an aquarium. Got back for lunch and a rest from the midday sun. Ate first Aussie Meat Pie!
Walked to shark nursery (natural breeding area and creche for sharks) in the afternoon after a quick game of table tennis with Mitch (2-1 to England again). Didn't see any sharks but had a snorkel and saw some fish. Walked back into brisk wind - reminded me of both Furteventur and the time we cycled into Guinea-Bissau! I cooked risotto for the troops and we scored some free cream cakes from the girl at the bakery (they would have been thrown out otherwise). You wouldn't believe the outbreak of excitement that that caused! Being the party animals that we are, an early night was had by all (it's very tiring this holidaying lark).
PS Saw large lizard today (Goanna) and took some good photos of it, which I will post when I get the chance).
Sunday 29th October 2006
Today was my best day of the trip so faR (i THINK - IT'S NEARLY ALL BEEN GOOD UP TO NOW). mITCH AND i WALKED RIGHT ALONG THE BEACH IN THE MONRING. wE WENT AS FAR AS WE COULD GO BEFORE THE COAST TURNED BACK ON ITSELF. oUT ON THE SANDY CAPE THE SEA WAS AN UNBELIEVALBE SHADE OF BLUE. wE SAW MANTA RAYS FROLLICKING JUST OFFSHORE (and a turtle). Clay and Victoria came to join us and we all went snorkelling (different corals from yesterday and all sorts of fish). We walked back along the beach, stopping for an impromptu lunch en route. Then we got to the nursery for the sharks and saw loads of reef sharks and sting rays -only a few feet away - an absolutely amazing experience. Got back for a bit of lunch and a snooze. Woke up for chocolate raisins and a nice glass of cold coke (courtesy of Clay). Played table tennis again to take it to 3-0 in the series to England and a series whitewash! An omen for the Ashes, perhaps?
Went to watch the sunset on the beach - absolutely gorgeous. The sun looked huge setting behind the boats in the bay. We then cooked together again (the group dynamic is working well!). Pasta with tomato, sausage and spinach. Yummo. Got more free cream cakes from the girl in the bakery.
After dinner walked out into bush behind Coral Bay to look at the stars - (note to former colleagues: my leaving-present-torch is powerful indeed)!
PS Place we went snorkelling yesterday was the same place that we saw all the sting rays and sharks today!
Monday 30th October 2006
Put contact lenses in this morning to make the most of the last day of snorkelling in Coral Bay. Made use of a free day's snorkel hire (courtesy of Easyrider). Walked left along the beach with Mitch, but he slipped and cut his foot, so, as Mitch didn't want to act as shark bait, I was left to snorkel alone. Again, there was a brilliant range of fish in crystal clear water. Snorkelled until I started to get cold (a first on this trip!). Walked along to the cape - to see what was around the corner (Dad!). More azure/turquoise/aquamarine seas, sand dunes and endless blue skies. So gorgeous (I cant stop using these superlatives!). After lunch and a snooze (and an update of my diary) I went for a mammoth swim with Clay to try and retrieve some sunscreen that Victoria had left on a boat from a trip earlier in the day. The swim was in vain, as the sunscreen was locked away in the cabin, but I enjoyed getting some proper exercise nonetheless.
In the evening we walked into bush to watch sunset and spot kangaroos. Saw a kangaroo silhouetted nicely against the sunset, jumping along a ridge. Very nice.
Got back to find that the (v. overpriced) supermarket was shut, so had burger and (loads of) salaD AT THE HOSTEL INSTEAD. gOT GIVEN CHANGE TWICE SO WAS QUIDS IN! mORE CREAM CAKES FROM GIRL AT THE BAKERY. WE'RE ALL GETTTING A BIT SICK OF THEM BY NOW - BUT THEY STILL PROVIDED ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF cORAL bAY.
oVERALL, cORAL bAY IS A FANTASTIC PLACE. mUCH QUIETER THAN i EXPECTED - THERE ARE SO FEW PEOPLE ABOUT IT IS EASY TO FIND YOUR OWN SECLUDED SPOT ON THE BEACH. gREAT HOSTEL, GREAT PEOPLE... (especially the latter). ALL IN ALL i HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AND WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK AND EXPLORE THE nIGALOO REEF AND cAPRE rANGE naTIONAL pARK A BIT MORE. oNE DAY...
Tuesday 24th October 2006
Eary start today to catch the Easyrider Bus at 6:45am. There are 14 people on the bus and initial impressions are good (the driver also seems really nice and friendly).
Most of the day is spent driving through seemingly neverending scrublands. The landscape is very flat and the road stretches for miles with no other traffic, or much to see (apart from a burnt-out road train about 100km out of Broome). We stopped off at 80 Mile Beach. Saw a fisherman land a huge shark and beachcombed for shells. Again, as in Broome, the water is an amazing colour and the place has a decidedly languid air.
Arrive at our first overnight stop - Pardoo Cattle Station - at about 4pm. Saw fan-tailed eagles beside the road and my first real-wild-kangaroos! The people running the joint were what I imagined to be typical oz farmers - tough as nails and as coarse as the roughest sandpaper... and that was just the Sheila! Interesting place, with myriad bugs all over the shop (spiders, grasshoppers, beetles) and a lovely setting among the trees (a welcome break form the scrub!). We had a nice swim in the sea as the sun set, then had a barbecue with the group. Good spread of tucker: Kangaroo steaks, lambchops, kangaroo sausages, loads of different salads.
So far the group seems to be a really good mix of people and the tour leader is lovely (Rebecca). She's really enthusiatic about everything and that makes all the difference when covering vast areas of nothingness (she's interested in Aboriginal culture, so has little stories to tell us all the time). Overall Pardoo was a lovely place and really relaxing. Slept like a log in a proper bed.
NB Here in Kalbarri (where I am writing this) you pay ($1) to turn the screen of the computer on for 10 minutes, so I am typing this blind, so as to save money!
Wednesday 25th October 2006
Earlyish start (7am). Landscape starts getting more interesting with the beginnings of the hamersley ranges. There is already water in some of the water holes which is untypically early this year. They must have had some of the rain we had in Broome here too. The only oyther vehicles about are either campervans or road trains (interesting fact #1: road trains with 4 trailers are only allowed in certain parts of Australia, and this is one of them). Saw the giant salt mountains of Port Hedland gleaming in the sun and various other industrial activity. Arrive at Karijini National Park at about lunchtime. Walked to circular pool at foot of impressive gorge. Stunning scenery and lots of interesting flowers. Continued walk, stopping at 4 different pools to swim. Water was lovely and clear and warm. So rerfreshing! Played around on a rope swing, which was great fun. Walked via fern pool to Fortescue falls and then back to the bus. The falls as Fern Pool were great to stand under - it gave my back a wonderful massage (which, touch wood, has been holding up well).
The was actually some heavy rain in the morning (luckily while we were driving), so there was plenty of water about and when the sun came out the colours were incredibly vibrant. Got back to our campite after dark and slept under canvas. All in all a wonderful day.
PS Saw a large snaKE IN THE np - PROBABLY A wESTERN bROWN (DEADLY!), WHICH WAS A BIT OF A WORRY, ESPECIALLY AS IT STARTED MOVING TOWARDS US WHILE WE WATCHED IT!).
tHURSDAY 26TH oCTOBER 2006
tODAY WE DROVE FROM aUSKI (ON THE EDGE OF THE kARIJINI nATIONAL pARK) TO eXMOUTH. tHE FIRST PART WAS THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY OF THE nATIONAL pARK (WHERE WE STOPPED TO WALK UP TO A LOOK OUT, PART WAY UP THE SLOPES OF mT. bRUCE. tHE LANDSCAPE GOT DRIER AND FLATTER AS WE WENT ON. aND THE WEATHER GOT HOTTER - EVERYONE ON THE BUS WAS RATHER OVERHEATED! wE STOPPED OFF EN ROUTE AT THE nANTURRA rOADHOUSE ON THE aSHBURTON rIVER (MORE dEVON NAME CONNECTIONS!). iT WAS MOST REFRESHING AFETER THE HEAT OF THGE BUS). sPOTTED EMUS AND KANGAROSS ON THE WAY TO eXMOUTH. iNITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF eXMOUTH ARE THAT IT IS VERY SPRAWLING AND THERE IS LOTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT GOING ON (V. EXPENSIVE, APPARENTLY). jUST BEFORE SUNSET WE WENT TO THE TURTLE SANCTUARY AT THE END OF CAPE rANGE (NO TURTLES, UNFORTUNATELY). hAD A LOVELY SWIM IN THE iNDIAN oCEAN ALTHOUGH WE COULDN'T SEE MUCH UNDERWATER AS THE SUN WAS GETTING LOW AND THE SEA WAS QUITE ROUGH. iN THE EVENIHG WE WENT TO THE PUB IN eXMOUITH FOR PIZZA AND BEER. i ASKED IF i GOT A DISCOUNT FOR BEING FROM eXMOUTH IN eNGLAND (ONLY A SMALL LIE!). sHE SAID NO... BUT THAT i WOULD GET A FREE DRINK! bONUS.
oUR ROOM SMELLED A BIT OF FISH (SHARING WITH A COUPLE OF FISHERMEN), BUT THERE ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE ON THE eASYRIDER, SO THAT MAKES UP FOR IT).
fRIDAY 27TH oCTOBER 2006
aLL THE THINGS AROUND eXMOUTH REQUIRE TRANSPORT, SO I DECIDE TO MOVE ONTO cORAL bAY TODAY, WHICH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER (ABOUT 150 MILES!).
sET OFF AT 7ISH (turn screen on to check that all is okay and realise that I must have hit Caps Lock halfway through writing (oops!). Can't remember the shortcut to change it back, so will leave it for comedy effect!
Drove up into Shot Hole Canyon in the Cape Range National Park (not really on our itinerary, but we manage to persuade Rebecca to make a detour!). Beautiful Mediterraneanesque landscapes. Loads of termite mounds on road (well not literally on the road) from Exmouth to Coral Bay. Arrive in Coral Bay at about 10am (1.5 hrs behind schedule thanks to our little detour). I'm sharing a room in the Nigaloo Club Backpackers with Mitch, Clay, Victoria and Alex from the Easyrider bus. Unpack and then head to beach for snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, etc. Really beautiful beach and sea. Loads of different fish and coral, just off shore. Amazing Parrot Fish (munching on the coral) and huge clams, which clamped up when I stuck my finger in (only joking!) - swishing water in was enough to make them do their stuff. I cooked dinner with my roomies (such a nice group of people) and then played table tennis with Mitch (2-1 to England)!
PS Also saw a shoal of cuttle fish earlier in the day.
PPS A man from Darwin showed us his crocodile injury (how Australian is that !)
PPPS Sea feels surprisingly cool after Broome (only 23/24C)
Saturday 28th October 2006
Walked left along the beach today to Pasradise Beach. Wonderful snorkelling. Millions of fish - just like swimming in an aquarium. Got back for lunch and a rest from the midday sun. Ate first Aussie Meat Pie!
Walked to shark nursery (natural breeding area and creche for sharks) in the afternoon after a quick game of table tennis with Mitch (2-1 to England again). Didn't see any sharks but had a snorkel and saw some fish. Walked back into brisk wind - reminded me of both Furteventur and the time we cycled into Guinea-Bissau! I cooked risotto for the troops and we scored some free cream cakes from the girl at the bakery (they would have been thrown out otherwise). You wouldn't believe the outbreak of excitement that that caused! Being the party animals that we are, an early night was had by all (it's very tiring this holidaying lark).
PS Saw large lizard today (Goanna) and took some good photos of it, which I will post when I get the chance).
Sunday 29th October 2006
Today was my best day of the trip so faR (i THINK - IT'S NEARLY ALL BEEN GOOD UP TO NOW). mITCH AND i WALKED RIGHT ALONG THE BEACH IN THE MONRING. wE WENT AS FAR AS WE COULD GO BEFORE THE COAST TURNED BACK ON ITSELF. oUT ON THE SANDY CAPE THE SEA WAS AN UNBELIEVALBE SHADE OF BLUE. wE SAW MANTA RAYS FROLLICKING JUST OFFSHORE (and a turtle). Clay and Victoria came to join us and we all went snorkelling (different corals from yesterday and all sorts of fish). We walked back along the beach, stopping for an impromptu lunch en route. Then we got to the nursery for the sharks and saw loads of reef sharks and sting rays -only a few feet away - an absolutely amazing experience. Got back for a bit of lunch and a snooze. Woke up for chocolate raisins and a nice glass of cold coke (courtesy of Clay). Played table tennis again to take it to 3-0 in the series to England and a series whitewash! An omen for the Ashes, perhaps?
Went to watch the sunset on the beach - absolutely gorgeous. The sun looked huge setting behind the boats in the bay. We then cooked together again (the group dynamic is working well!). Pasta with tomato, sausage and spinach. Yummo. Got more free cream cakes from the girl in the bakery.
After dinner walked out into bush behind Coral Bay to look at the stars - (note to former colleagues: my leaving-present-torch is powerful indeed)!
PS Place we went snorkelling yesterday was the same place that we saw all the sting rays and sharks today!
Monday 30th October 2006
Put contact lenses in this morning to make the most of the last day of snorkelling in Coral Bay. Made use of a free day's snorkel hire (courtesy of Easyrider). Walked left along the beach with Mitch, but he slipped and cut his foot, so, as Mitch didn't want to act as shark bait, I was left to snorkel alone. Again, there was a brilliant range of fish in crystal clear water. Snorkelled until I started to get cold (a first on this trip!). Walked along to the cape - to see what was around the corner (Dad!). More azure/turquoise/aquamarine seas, sand dunes and endless blue skies. So gorgeous (I cant stop using these superlatives!). After lunch and a snooze (and an update of my diary) I went for a mammoth swim with Clay to try and retrieve some sunscreen that Victoria had left on a boat from a trip earlier in the day. The swim was in vain, as the sunscreen was locked away in the cabin, but I enjoyed getting some proper exercise nonetheless.
In the evening we walked into bush to watch sunset and spot kangaroos. Saw a kangaroo silhouetted nicely against the sunset, jumping along a ridge. Very nice.
Got back to find that the (v. overpriced) supermarket was shut, so had burger and (loads of) salaD AT THE HOSTEL INSTEAD. gOT GIVEN CHANGE TWICE SO WAS QUIDS IN! mORE CREAM CAKES FROM GIRL AT THE BAKERY. WE'RE ALL GETTTING A BIT SICK OF THEM BY NOW - BUT THEY STILL PROVIDED ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF cORAL bAY.
oVERALL, cORAL bAY IS A FANTASTIC PLACE. mUCH QUIETER THAN i EXPECTED - THERE ARE SO FEW PEOPLE ABOUT IT IS EASY TO FIND YOUR OWN SECLUDED SPOT ON THE BEACH. gREAT HOSTEL, GREAT PEOPLE... (especially the latter). ALL IN ALL i HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AND WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK AND EXPLORE THE nIGALOO REEF AND cAPRE rANGE naTIONAL pARK A BIT MORE. oNE DAY...
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