We left Big Valley Campsite early so the guys could get a surf at Yallingup on our way to Perth. The morning mist over the farmland as the sun rose gave a real ethereal look to the landscape.

We had only gone a short distance when the convoy had to make a short stop as the clips on the Wells poptop were not secured – a near miss according to Branch – the whole top could have flown off (a bit like day one’s window cover 😰).

Dave and Rose had to get to Perth by 1pm to pick up their new window flap to replace the one which had flown off on the freeway back on Day 1 so they had planned to see Yallingup with us and head off to get the repair done, and meet us at our next stop Karrinyup Waters Resort in Perth that evening.

At Yallingup on all beaches (Smiths, Supertubes and Yallingup) the swell was up with large waves being surfed by a few guys on long boards. Trev and Gordon’s boards were no good for the type of surf so we continued on without Rose and Dave.

We drove up to Meelup beach on the other side of the peninusula – such a difference – no swell at all! Trev made friends with a pelican who was wandering the shore hassling the fishermen for food…

On to Busselton for coffee and to walk the famous pier..it was a perfect day and the water was crystal clear. Gordon made friends with a Scottish lady who loved to talk!! Trev could not resist the lemon meringue pie 🍰

The walk along the pier was almost 4km to the end and back but the water was spectacular. The pier has a small trainline on it that was used to transport cargo out to waiting ships but now transports tourists.

After our walk along the pier we swam in the enclosure at the beach. A pod of dolphins swam by – beautiful!

Gordon and Kerry left us then to visit their friends while we decided to make our way up the coast. The plan was all to meet at Karrinyup Waters Resort in Perth where we would be staying for the next 3 nights.

Trev had noticed that morning that one of the tyres on our van was wearing unevenly despite the fact we had ensured a full service wheel balance etc before we left. Our turn for vehicular issues it seemed 😆 so at Bunbury we pulled into a tyre shop and got a mechanic to check it out…Branch was feeling useful once again as the last couple of days had been uneventful!

The bad news was the tyre was damaged and the wheel alignment needed adjusting which could not be done where we were. A few phone calls later and we had organised for Will from a mobile tyre balancing company to come out to the caravan park tomorrow to fix the van.

We realised that time was slipping away and we were still 2 hrs from Perth so we decided to skip Mandurah and go straight to our accommodation as the office closed at 6PM. Fortunately for us we chose that course as the traffic in Perth was horrendous plus there was an accident on the freeway😨

We rang Rose who had arrived at the caravan park and she  checked in both us and the Hunters who were also running late. The sun was setting over Perth as we crawled along through the traffic.

Eventually we were all settled in. Dave was not a happy camper thanks to his earlier brush with the law…speeding fine on the way into Perth after being distracted by the camel farm. The good news was that Rosie sweet talked the policeman who reduced the fine and Dave incurred no demerit points much to Gordon’s disgust!

 

 

 

 

Up at 0600 for that early morning surf….we headed back to Gracetown on a cloudy morning with a bit of drizzle…Trev and Gordie excited but apprehensive….would the surf be as big and gnarly as yesterday??….would they be shark bait??

We rounded the corner and surprisingly the swell had dropped off considerably..although it was a long paddle out Gordie and Trev jumped in. The waves were not that great but Gordie did catch a couple…

 

 

The dolphins were out… but gave us an initial scare with a single fin travelling slowly towards Gordie 😲but it was a pod of very playful tail slapping dolphins which were great to watch.

Kerry sent us a message to let us know that Dave was cooking bacon and eggs as their fridge had cooled off (not related to the troll in any way!!) So we headed back and after brekky commenced our self conducted winery tour beginning at the Berry farm.

The grounds of the Berry Farm were picturesque..and the cafe had a great menu tho’ much to Trev’s disappointment we did not stay for the great pancake stack! Rosie showed Gordie a novel way of sampling the jams and relishes….and no – she was not double dipping just using her dipper conservatively 😉. After some purchases we moved on to Madfish Wines.

The area was dotted with vineyards all around and great clusters of grapes hanging on the vines.

Madfish wines had a large and well appointed cellar door and after some wine tasting we all purchased a varied selection of wines. Dave was in his element!

The next stop was lunch at the Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery…

 

Then on to the Margaret River Chocolate Company. The chocolate sampling was delicious and the variety of chocolates and chocolate products was extensive and mouth watering.

Kerry went for the ice cream…and had enough in one serving to last the whole trip. The rocky road was divine

Our last port of call in an attempt to find some port was Bettenay’s Wines and Nougat…with free nougat samples we could not resist. No port but some great tasting honey nougat/ coffee liquers good over ice (cream 😘).

We drove back via Surfers Point at Margaret River to check out the surf…. again a massive swell with 10 foot waves… only a handful of surfers out braving such huge waves.

Once back at the camp, Dave and Rose got stuck into packing up in preparation for leaving the next morning…their van was packed, clean and ready to depart….the other 2 vans were still as is with the owners sitting back enjoying the evening ambience……

Gordon had been telling Rosie that down  south from where we are was the point where the 2 oceans meet and she was keen to see the line between the two (😉) so we drove down through Augusta to Cape Leeuwin to see the point where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet. The day was gorgeous  and the coastline at the southern tip was wild and beautiful.

We stopped and looked at the lighthouse on Cape Leeuwin.

There was a nearby waterwheel that had been there since the 1800s and used to supply the lighthouse with water. It was encrusted with limestone but you could still make out what it was.

The swell was huge and Gordie and Trev were stinging for a surf but we had a couple more stops before they would have the opportunity to get in the water 😣

We stopped next at the Jewel Cave the largest cave in WA open to the public. The cave was only discovered in 1958 and so is in pristine condition with many different limestone formations relatively untouched.  The first explorers of the cave entered through the small hole in the roof in the picture below which had been made by a root of a Karri tree – it was the only entrance to the huge cave.

We did the hour walkthrough tour which was breathtaking (not due to the multiple stair cases or the increased CO2 in the cave air!!)

 

The next stop was Hamelin Bay where the stingrays usually come in close to shore but they were nowhere in sight much to Rosie’s disappointment

After leaving Hamelin Bay the search began for a good surf break for the guys to catch a wave. First stop was Contos….

..the bush along the way was full of beautiful native plants including some amazing grass trees.

Surf was no good so we kept driving north to Gracetown where Gordie was sure they would get a wave…..the swell was huge with massive sets rolling in…and too many surfers out to count amongst the reefs….so it was decided we would return early next morning for a surf…

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It was time to leave Cheynes Beach and continue the adventure. We attempted to sneak out quietly at 0630 as we had a long day ahead…apart from Gordon knocking over an entire recycling bin full of beer bottles and waking up the whole neighbourhood 😁we were successful and headed towards Denmark.

A quick coffee stop at Ravens cafe in Denmark….very quaint and great coffee – then on to the Valley of the Giants.

The giant treetop walk took us through the tinglewood forest where the trees were enormous.

The suspension bridges up in the canopy were quite springy as Kerry found out thanks to Trev and Gordon’s bouncing and potentially could make the walker feel all at sea!

The tinglewood trees grow to an enormous height with huge buttresses that usually rot inside and then are burnt out by bushfires leaving a hollow section.

The next stop was the Gloucester Tree near Pemberton –  a 72 metre tall giant karri tree used as a fire watch tree – the second largest lookout of its kind in the world. It had steel rungs driven into its trunk that you could imb up to the top of the tree where there was a lookout platform. Trev, Gordon, Dave and I all climbed up to the top – the view from the top was 360° over the forest canopy…great for spotting bushfires.

The journey continued to Margaret River through magnificent gum forests….

We arrived at Big Valley Campsite a working farm that also accommodates campers. The facilities were great and really rustic – we set up quickly then enjoyed a bbq dinner under the stars.

Easter Sunday was cool and overcast. We met after breakfast to hear another Simon Manchester talk on John 1 which was great and enabled some interesting discussion.

The Easter  bunnies arrived thanks to Kerry and Branch got stuck into Trev’s Easter eggs over a morning coffee.

We took the Ram, the White Princess and the Black Pearl for a run along the beach which is approx 22kms long and had some 4WD fun.

The guys checked out the scenery…Kerry preferred the sensible choice of binoculars from the cab of the Ram as the wind was chilly.

Abbey Road minus one??

The view from the top of the large sandhills was fantastic…just a bit of a shame the day was so gray!

Gordon was keen to try out his portable shower he bought yesterday but unfortunately he had made a faux pas… wrong sized connection..or was it a case of troll interference?. Anyway the shower finally worked but only after we all nearly got soaked….although it took a woman’s touch (thanks Kerry) to get it neatly sorted

Trev and Gordon went for a kayak while the rest of us read and enjoyed the spectacle from the salubrious beach chairs!

The shower came in handy after all for rinsing off after the kayaking…

Roast pork on the weber was on the menu for dinner tonight….nothing like a Sunday Roast 😘

We left Cheynes Beach to drive into Albany to visit the historic whaling station and pick up some supplies. Our first stop along the way was The Gap and the Natural Bridge – a spectacular and wild section of coastline in Albany.

The Gap was a cauldron of seawater between 2 cliff faces and very deep.

Further along the cliff was the Natural Bridge – a stone archway with the waves crashing beneath

We arrived at the historic whaling station and grabbed a coffee and scones before going on the tour. Trev fed his inner child by buying a lolly bag …Gordie was not impressed by Trev’s lack of sharing…

so Trev relented…Dave then helped himself while Trev was fooling around!

The scones were awesome..probably not up to the G Hunter standard (apparently we will be sampling some tomorrow 😄)…Gordon did get into trouble for jumping in early 😅

The first exhibit was the most amazing shell collection….so many varieties and all cleverly laid out.

We then toured the whaling station, looking over the last whaling boat “Cheyne IV”….

The area where the whales were brought in, felshed and processed was interesting but sad to think how many of those beautiful mammals were slaughtered

 

We also saw skeletons of the sperm whale and

the Blue whale which was enormous!

The cafe at the whaling station sold great seafood lunches (ironic..??) so we all tucked into some delicious platters.

A quick shop… and that roundabout that stumps Gordon (probably all of us if we are honest!) everytime!!!..

and then home to Cheynes Beach. Gordie had a slight incident on the way home which cost him some cash and a few demerit points but he had a great conversation with a lovely English policeman who shared Gordies concerns re the North Korean leader Nu Yung Bum (??)

 

 

It was Good Friday so we started the day with a message from Simon Manchester on Mark 8 about Jesus and 2 crosses which was really encouraging. The weather was overcast at times and the wind was blustery.

We decided to take the Prado on a 4WD track down to Mermaid Point. As we could only fit 5 people in, Gordon decided to ride his pushbike along the track – he did well only coming off once (which he managed to do out of sight hence no photo!)

The views were spectacular and after letting the tyres right down we arrived at a downhill sand track leading to the beach.

We walked down to assess whether there was room on the beach to turn around…..but Trev had no choice – he had to come down with the Prado as 2 utes came up behind him.

The beach was wild and beautiful and had potential for good surf on the right day.

The sand on the beach was so powdery and soft that I sank to above my ankles near the waterline. The Prado went well and had no difficulty getting back up the steep sandy incline.

We drove back to the headland above Cheynes Beach in search of the seals that often inhabit the rock shelf there..unfortunately there was not a seal in sight .

After a coffee we decided to go for a walk together along Cheynes beach to walk off some of the happy hours snacks…. it wasn’t long before Gordon and Trev got caught talking to a kite surfer at the beginning of the walk…Kerry and I gone a considerable distance before we realised they were not with us….they had not even reached the sand!! Trev caught us up after waiting a while for Gordie but even Trev was out talked this time! Gordie probably had a 5 minute walk but he had already burnt up the kj doing his “4WD” bike ride earlier

An early morning walk along Cheyne Beach was peaceful…the only other people in sight were a small group of fisherman at the edge of the bay with their nets full of herring….reminiscent of the disciples.

Our campsite had to be moved to our emergency spots…of course not without a hiccup or 2…Gordie had a valve issue which stumped both him and Trev….maybe a backflush was warranted…or maybe a troll had gotten into the mix?

Nevertheless we all relocated….Rose and Dave to the upmarket North Shore… Trev and I to the freeway siding and Gordie and Kerry to aptly named “Paradise Way”.

The weather was glorious so we headed down to the beach for a 4WD along to find a good surf/ swim spot.

Cheynes Beach was beautiful…soft white sand, turquoise water and waves rolling in. We surfed, swam and kayaked….great fun!

Rosie did well catching some great waves on the kayak despite a minor mishap after falling out ….

….which could not be blamed in Branch as he was AWOL doing some exploring of his own.

Trev and Gordie also had some epic fails!!

After lunch we went out to Waychinicup National Park hoping to see the dolphins that live around the cove there. Yet another awesome place with a beautiful inlet and rocky outcrops. The tide was coming in and the waves crashing around the rocks at the inlet were spectacular.

We did see a couple of dolphins but they were a fair way off playing right in the inlet – Rosie was still excited as it was the first time she had seen dolphins in the wild.

The vegetation around the area was interesting too – many tall silvery grass trees – a different variety to those we get on the east coast.

We headed back to the boat ramp to watch the sun set over the beach.

the area was once a whaling port and I found a large whalebone washed up on the beach.

Trev got talking (surprisingly ) to a couple of locals who shared some stories including a 4.6m great white shark that had been  caught there in the herring nets… and the sad shark attack on a young snorkeller 2 years ago….

Our day began with us trying to determine where to stay for the next few days before we went on to Margaret River. The original plan was to free camp for the next few days but we had discovered that the Albany region is at its busiest during the Easter break so we had Buckleys and none of getting a free camping spot! Gordie prayed for us and Trev went down to our lovely hosts Allan and Joanne at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park to see if we could extend our stay by 4 days to get us over the hump of Easter. The place was fully booked out – bar 1 cancellation and as there were 3 of us it looked pretty grim in particular since a few phone calls to other places had confirmed that there was no room at the inn anywhere else.

Well it must have been Divine intervention because Joanne determined that she could place one van at the back of a shed, one next to a camping spot and the third on the cancellation….and so we had somewhere to stay for the next 5 days 

The weather was not great so we went into Albany to see the sights and also see if we could get Trev’s 4WD issue sorted. Trev and I went to Albany Toyota – they were fantastic and took the car straight in. They then dropped us back to Rose, Dave, Kerry and Gordon at a coffee shop in the city centre…from there we went to the Anzac Memorial.

The memorial was awesome and very well done. A great tribute to those who gave their lives in service of our country. We spent a couple of hours there.

Trev was in his element in the wash house!

View over Albany harbour where the ships carrying Anzacs left for Europe…

Albany Harbour land defence tunnels and guns.

LEST WE FORGET 

After a late lunch at the cafe we drove to the whaling museum only to realise that there was not enough time to see it all so we decided to go back on Saturday. Trevs car was ready so we returned to find the Prado ready …and nothing could be found wrong with it… after multiple computer checks, up on hoist and 2 test drives it was engaging into 4WD with no issues… maybe a gremlin…or troll (Branch ??) But all was good.

We headed back for happy hour and a relaxing evening…..Gordon was that really you in the pic??

We packed up – Rosie was in her element keeping the van clean and tidy…unfortunately there was a trip hazard kindly pointed out by Gordie!!

and Trev put the other blokes to shame by sweeping out our van.. We then departed Munglinup Beach and headed west towards Ravensthorpe. Branch was sad to leave the campsite where he had felt so at home and so had brought a small souvenir with him. 

The roads were badly affected by recent floods so we had to take some dirt road detours which included several encounters with road trains creating a desert storm.

I realised on the way that applying lip balm that had been in a 30 degree heated car on a bumpy dirt track was not a great idea much to the troll’s amusement! The route to Ravensthorpe took us past a variety of landscapes including large mines. We stopped at Ravensthorpe for an early lunch.

 The dirt roads had taken their toll on the White Princess who now had brown walled tyres!

We drove on hoping to get a spot at either Norman’s or Betty’s beach free camps. The roads down to the beaches were narrow and windy but easily accessible with the caravans in tow. Betty’s Beach was small but picturesque and the surrounding area was beautiful. Both campsites were very small but nice and sheltered.

 Sadly both spots were full so we went for our default plan and rang Cheyne Beach Caravan Park who were able to accommodate us for 2 nights. So a short drive back to Cheynes Beach and a quick setup in a beautiful grassy spot….though not without issues as Kerry got her plumbing all wrong!

We then settled back and relaxed as Dave gave the Princess some TLC  and Rosie debugged the van…and Gordon gave the pushies a rinse 

The moon was full and bright…..gorgeous night in WA