Coral Bay – Port Hedland

15 November – 20 November

Monday:

Apart from a lot of roadkill, we don’t see much on the drive from Monkey Mia to Coral Bay.  We stop off for groceries in Carnarvon and arrive in Coral Bay mid-afternoon.  After setting up camp (which we’re getting good at) we head down to the beach for a quick swim.

Tuesday:

Coral Bay is another slice of heaven.  Sandy beaches with clear, shallow, safe waters.  Oh, and brilliant snorkelling within easy reach of shore.  We spend the morning snorkelling and then wander along the beach to a natural reef shark nursery (no big ‘uns in sight luckily).  The afternoon is more snorkelling and then along the beach for the afternoon fish feeding session – where big snappers swim between your legs after pellets of fish food.

It’s happy hour at the local resort tonight, so we head down for a few beers and to catch up online.  Unfortunately the connection is so rubbish that after the 50 mins we’ve paid for we’ve not managed to do much more than check emails.

Wednesday:

We’re supposed to be on a boat trip to snorkel with manta rays today, but as it’s quiet season and we don’t have the minimum numbers required so the trip is cancelled.  We have a lazy day on the beach and snorkelling. 

As we’re about to come in and head back to camp I stick my head under water: suddenly we’re surrounded by tiny fish.  There must be thousands in a big shoal, circled around us.   It’s funny and beautiful and moving, all at once.

Janet adds: I want to live here, apart from that no one seems to actually live here and in proper summer its about 37 degrees…

Thursday:

Our snorkel trip isn’t running today either, so we decide to head on up the coast to Exmouth and Ningaloo Marine Park.  It’s a quick hour and a half drive up and we’re there shortly after ten.   We head straight out to one of the snorkelling beaches – Lakeside – for a couple of hours.  The snorkelling is gorgeous.  We see loads of big fish (about as technical as I get) and even a couple of rays!!  Having lunch back at the car we spot ‘roos dozing under a tree across the way.  Once we’ve had enough we head into town to set up camp.  It’s a really good campsite with resident parrots and emus.  Over dinner we get chatting to 2 lads – one Australian from Broome (who thinks Perth is too cold and too busy ?!) and one English but perpetual traveller.

Janet adds: Choking on the smell of lavender air-freshner, but still better than the stinky car smell we were developing!

Friday:

Turquoise Bay.  Wow.  That’s our snorkel spot for this morning and it’s gorgeous. 

There’s a wide sandy bay and just along from that a drift snorkel.  You get in at one end of the beach, swim out for a bit and then let the current float you across the coral to the other end of the beach where you hop out at the sandbar and run round to do it again.  It’s the best and easiest snorkelling we’ve had so far.  After a little rest on the white sand beach we do go round again.  This time as we’re heading out we spot a white tipped reef shark resting on the sandy bottom.  Nick got a better look at it than I did (ahem, certainly not because I was hiding behind him) and by his reckoning it was about my size – so nigh on 5,8” then ;) .  They’re not really a threat to snorkelers and it didn’t seem bothered by us at all.  Nevertheless we thought it best not to mess with sharks so gave it a pretty wide berth. 

 

After lunch we drove down to check out Yardie Creek.  It’s a beautiful gorge that opens onto the sea.  For the first time we got to try out our fly nets that we’d picked up in Coral Bay.  You can’t look cool in them

 but this is why you need them:

One of the lads we were chatting to last night recommended Sandy Bay, so we stopped there on the way back to cool off.  Again a gorgeous white sand, clear water beach and best of all, we had it all to ourselves – not another soul in sight (apart from the baby ray playing in the shallows).

Janet adds: Been pricing up holiday houses in Exmouth.  It ain’t cheap, but it might just be worth it.  

Nick adds: Can’t believe how many times Janet has had a wee in the water at Ningaloo marine, there must be a law against it.

Saturday:

We leave heavenly Exmouth for a long day’s driving.  We weren’t planning on doing any driving at night, but the constant roadkill is a reminder that it’s a bad idea – cows, kangeroos and even camels.   During the day the temperature hits the 40 degree mark .  The air-conditioned car seems the best place to be.  We were planning on heading to Karratha, but it’s only 2.30pm when we get there (and far too hot to be pitching a tent) so we head on up to Port Hedland.  Its an industrial town about 600km from Broome (tomorrow’s stop).  It’s not particularly pretty, but the supermarket sells quorn, there are cute geckos in the bathroom, we’ve got a campsite with free internet (!) and the sunset is gorgeous.

Janet adds: Just eaten the yummiest mango ever.

Margaret River – Monkey Mia

8 November –  14 November

Monday:

It’s an easy three hour drive from Fremantle south to Margaret River.  There’s none of the crazy driving and terrible roads that we got in South Africa.  We arrive at about 4pm and set up camp for the first time. 

I spend some time making friends with the locals then we stroll down to the river.

Tuesday:

Our first night in the tent goes swimmingly – literally, not figuratively.  We’ve not quite got the sleeping situation sorted so it’s a bad night’s sleep to both of us.  And it’s raining.  What I thought was a brief night time shower carries on all through the morning and then on and off for the rest of the day.  Luckily the tent holds up well and everything stays dry.  We check out the town and the beach - along the way spotting our first kangaroos grazing and bouncing about in a field.  Back at the camp for a cup of tea I see some parakeets eating lavender flowers.  It’s a beautiful scene and the scent of the lavender fills the air.  

Later in the afternoon we have a walk out along the riverbank through forest. 

Janet adds: There are loads of interesting birds about and I’m turning into a bit of a twitcher, much to Nick’s disgust.

Nick adds: We could be living here soon.

Wednesday:

More pissing rain.  We manage to get everything shoved into the car and then start heading north. I have my first go at driving our new big Australian car.  It’s an automatic and has cruise control, so there’s not much left for me to do but steer We’re heading for Cervantes and are hoping to leave the rainclouds behind.  No luck though – it’s still raining when we arrive so we treat ourselves to a night in a static caravan. 

Janet adds: Hooray for tumble driers and clean knickers!

Thursday:

It’s finally stopped raining.  On the way to see the Pinnacles we pass an Emu – another check on our Australian wildlife list.  The Pinnacles are weird pillars in the middle of desert.  It’s beautiful and quite eerie. 

We carry on up north along the coast through quiet little beach towns.  At Port Gregory we stop to admire a pink (!) lake. 

It’s about 4.30 when we arrive in Kalbarri and as the sun is finally out, we’re back to camping.  Once the tent is up we watch the sunset on the beach.  There are flocks of parakeets about and across the road kangaroos are grazing on the local cricket pitch.  

We manage to knock up some pretty good fajitas on the barbie (I think we’re the only people ever to cook vegetables on these things) and take a stroll for some star (and kangaroo) gazing before bed.

Janet adds: I liked getting greeted by Fred the campsite parrot – hello Fred.

Friday:

We head down to the waterfront early to watch the pelicans getting fed.  Its brilliant fun to get up that close to them – they really are huge.

Then we did a stupid tourist thing: an 8km walk in the heat of the day through a river gorge.  All the signs said to go early morning or late afternoon, so we decided to set off just after midday.  It was hot (30+) and full of flies, but we survived and even enjoyed it.   It was like walking through the Australia that’s in my head.

Afterwards it was a swim at the beach and an ice-cream to cool us down.  We stopped off as well to visit our cricket pitch kangeroos.  We needn’t have bothered: when we got back to the tent there were more roos just across the way bouncing up the road (including mum with baby in pouch).

Saturday:

We’re driving from Kalbarri to Monkey Mia in Shark Bay today.   We had a few quick detours to see the stromatolites, shell beach and to take in the views from the cliffs at Eagle Bluff.  Whilst setting up our tent we made our first acquaintance with the camp emu.

He (she?) basically wanders about looking for unguarded food – and we’ve spotted him trying to get into a few caravans and campers that have been left open.  We’re pretty good at setting up our tent now and have got our bed good and comfy.

We were early enough to book onto a sunset cruise on a catamaran.   A perfect way to end the day.  Luckily we were in the capable hands of a very experienced crew:

Sunday:

It’s close to paradise here, like being on a tropical island with shallow clear waters.  We got up early and headed to the beach for the dolphin interactions.  A group of scientists have been studying wild dolphins here for decades.  There are 5 dolphins that get fed every morning, if they decide to come in and feed.  They come in really shallow and we got to stand in the water with the dolphins playing only a foot or two away.  I wasn’t lucky enough to feed one, but it was still an awesome experience. 

After a swim and a bit more dolphin spotting we headed out on a wildlife cruise.  The area has a large dugong population and we saw quite a few coming up for air.  We also saw rays, sharks, turtles and of course more dolphins.

Janet adds: thinking of my mum this week – I know she would’ve loved our cheeky fat trip.

Nick adds: sick of seeing dolphins

Perth

1 November – 7 November

Monday:

Another run-in with South African police.  We take the car back at the airport and are told we have to report the guinea fowl damage to the police.  Luckily there’s a police station in the airport.  After waiting for a while they hand me a scrap of paper and ask me to write what happened on there because they can’t find the form that needs to be filled in.  I wouldn’t like to be reporting any serious incidents. 

We’re flying via Kuala Lumpur and spent most of the ten and a half hour flight bumping around.  Yurk.  Couldn’t wait to get back on the ground, but then had another 6 hours to go…

Tuesday:

Luckily the second flight was smooth.  We landed at about 3pm to the friendliest airport staff I’ve ever encountered.   From landing, going through immigration, getting our luggage, to leaving the airport took about half an hour.  You’re not getting that at Heathrow.  We checked-in to our hostel and were given bedding to make up the bed.  4 sheets later we still couldn’t get one to fit the bed.  It felt like some twisted intelligence test, but actually they’d just given us the wrong size (3 times? No doubt a way to torture jet-lagged arrivals).

Wednesday:

I’d like to say we basked in the Perth sunshine, but I think wilted is probably more appropriate at 36 degrees.  Some very persistent flies kicking about too.  But Perth is a beautiful city, unfortunately my pics haven't done it justice.   We only realised today (Saturday) having read the paper, that the ‘cloud’ in the background is smoke from a bushfire.  

Thursday:

Today we’re meeting up with our friend Laura.  She’s been travelling for six months and is currently working and living in Fremantle.  We’re really looking forward to seeing a friendly, familiar face.  We get the train out there (about half an hour) and our first experience of Perth public transport is pleasant – fairly cheap, and runs regularly.   Fremantle is gorgeous – full of interesting looking shops, nice restaurants and bars.  Definitely on the list of places to live.

The sun is out so we head to the beach for a couple of hours.  Nick is very proud of his progressing tan, until I show him a picture of him next to Laura…

In the afternoon some rain comes in, so Laura takes us to a brewery turned bar called Little Creatures.  It’s a good place to watch afternoon turn to evening.  

After a final drink in the Norfolk we head our separate ways off home. 

Janet adds: I think seeing a face from home has made us all a little homesick. 

Nick adds: I’m not homesick.

Friday:

We head down to the CBD for a late breakfast and a look round the shops. We’ve set aside today to get our final bits of camping gear sorted, but it’s soon clear that the shops we need are out of the centre of town and we’d be better off waiting till we have our car (picking up Sunday) to sort it out.  We follow the treetop walk in King’s Park for some more great views of Perth and then decide to take the train out to Cottesloe.  

Cottesloe has a laidback feel and a lovely beach.  We settle in a bar to watch the sunset.  

Some engineering works delay our journey back into Perth, but the rail replacement bus makes us feel right at home.

Janet adds: Cottesloe is on the list too.

Saturday:

A horrific night’s sleep.  For some reason the air-conditioning in our bedroom has been turned down to arctic.   I’m so cold I have to get the sleeping bag out and bury myself in it.  I’ve barely got to sleep when we’re woken up by drunken kids being, well, drunk and loud.  By the time morning comes I’m just looking forward to getting out of the room.  We’ve decided to go and check out Mandurah today. 

It’s about an hour’s train journey south of Perth.  We have high expectations, but are a bit disappointed.  It’s a pretty enough town but with nothing to make it really special (except the pelicans).  

The train station is miles out of the town centre too, so we have a good long walk there and back.  After a couple of hours we’re ready to move on.  As it’s still early we decide to stop off in Rockingham on the way back.  Again, the station is miles out of town.  After 2 hours or so of walking around we still haven’t made it to the town centre and find ourselves back at the station so head home. 

Janet adds: Looking forward to another day in Fremantle and seeing Laura again.

Sunday:

We pick up our car this morning and head out of the city.  After picking up some extra camping gear we head for Fremantle.  It’s a lovely day and we spend the afternoon wandering about the shops and market.  Laura finishes work at 4 so we meet up to skype some friends and family.  In the evening we do a tour of some bars and end up in a chip eating competition (me and Nick against Laura and her friend Cally).

Later on we head back to the hostel for a drink and a chat in the garden.  When Nick started getting cuddles from a fellow backpacker (male) we decided it was time for bed.

Monday:

It’s a gorgeous day today and we’re sat in a café catching up.  We’re thinking a little swim and lie on the beach and then we’re off to Margaret River.  It’s a hard life.

Somerset West/Cape Town

26 October – 31 October

Things we did in Cape Town:

1)   Climbed Table Mountain and then wandered about feeling infinitely superior to the other tourists that had taken the cable car up.  Tutted loudly at their inappropriate clothing for a mountaintop.

2)   Joined the tourist throng at Cape Point., this time tutting loudly every time the traffic stopped for someone to take pics of baboons.  Winced at a fellow plunging straight into bluebottle filled water.   Checked out ostriches on the beach.

3)   Got spoilt in a lovely guesthouse in Kalk Bay and watched the seals playing in the harbour.  Tutted a little at the wedding taking place at the end of the harbour, just past where the fishermen were gutting their fish.

4)   Paddled with the penguins at Boulders Beach.  I’m sure we tutted, but can’t remember what about now.

5)   Worried that rocks would crush us on Chapman’s Peak.

6)   Went to the scratch patch!  I had a ball, but probably best not to mention scratch patch to Nick ever again.

7)   Had a family braai, caught up with old friends and lazed by the pool enjoying the sunshine.

Off to Perth in the morning!

Janet adds: Had a great time, but South Africa is definitely off the list of places to live.