We awoke to a glorious day and checked out the campground in more detail…very unique!

After breakfast we headed down to Munglinup Beach and spent the morning there swimming and exploring..wild and beautiful with a reef and huge surf out the back beyond.

After lunch we drove out to Starvation Boat Harbour and then on to Mason Bay…all great spots to camp!

The moon was full and looked great coming up over the bush. That night more entertainment this time from “Short Curlies” a great duo who played more country tunes.

After a Sunday service ably done by Trev we left Lucky Bay and went into Esperance to find a dump point (finally – much to Dave’s relief ), filled up with water and attempted to get to Woolies which was shut as was pretty much the same with everything on a Sunday there… We found an IGA which was exorbitant and then headed out to the port to find a coffee shop.

After a great lunch and coffee at the Blue Fish Cafe overlooking the bay we left and took the scenic route on our way to Munglinup Beach Caravan Park our next destination.

The guys struggled with technology while we enjoyed the view 

The beaches around Esperance were stunning.

We headed on to Munglinup which ended up being quite remote out on a dirt track and the caravan park was rustic and quaint.

The drama unfolded as we unpacked and set up as Rosie noticed there was an issue with their toilet..it was not working !!

After much pulling out, disassembling, playing around and looking at Gordon’s toilet, Trev went in ably assisted by Dave…the troll was nowhere in site at Branch does not do bodily fluids… eventually the issue was solved and all was freed up!

The evening’s entertainment was provided by Mick and Robyn the camp hosts who serenaded the campers with country classics. The local “Mungy mob” looked on and it was great to chat to them and hear their life stories….

Well we left at 602 am from the rest area south of Norseman on the road to Esperance. The sun was rising across the lakes as we drove past the scarred landscape of last years bushfires. A little bit of rain on the way cleared as we reached Esperance.20170407_075225

The helpful owner of John Stewart’s Battery Supplies soon sorted out Dave’s caravan battery with the ever present Branch looking on 😉

We then did a smash and grab shop at Woolies then drove out to Cape Le Grande National Park hoping to secure 3 campsites.

The landscape on the way was unique, and after a quick prayer we arrived at the Rangers Station and were able to secure the last 3 spots at Lucky Bay!

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The campground was awesome and the camp hosts Rod and his wife Glenda were welcoming and very informative.

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We set up and spent the afternoon exploring Lucky Bay. The water was a beautiful turquoise colour and warm! Silky white sand was so fine and soft underfoot. Very inviting for a swim and kayak…..

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We saw  some local wildlife including the overfriendly kangaroos and a poisonous WA snake.

20170407_165450Of course the day was not without incident….Trev’s turn for vehicular hiccups…the drive on the beach revealed that the Prado was not going into 4WD. After changing fuses and resetting the computer and the assistance of “phone a mechanic ” Luke we were still no further along…and no assistance from the troll who was finding it all amusing😅…will have to sort it out in a big town along the way.

We settled in for the night planning to explore the area tomorrow.

Sunrise at Bunda Cliffs – beautiful and mystic with sea mist rising up the cliff.

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We packed up the shower tent and found a scorpion beneath it…glad it did not find its way in during the night…the late night toilet run could have been interesting! 🦂We were on the road early as we had 720 km ahead of us to Norseman.

The Nullabor landscape was surprisingly green but flat with occasional glimpses of the Southern Ocean. Plenty of dead wildlife with some spectacular eagles feasting (and hundreds of crows). A couple of big lizards had a lucky escape from under the wheels and a small group  of emus were standing by the side of the highway waiting to  cross…

We soon arrived at the WA border and after a thorough inspection by the quarantine officers we continued on, stopping at Mundrabilla for fuel and coffee.

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The coffee was not up to scratch for Gordie however so he grabbed some hot chips.

We got to talking with a road train driver… really interesting hearing how they operate – and found out we were at the halfway point between Perth and Port Augusta where the truckies swap over and sleep.

We continued on and stopped for lunch at Madura. Gordon broke out the generator and made us all a “REAL” coffee – styling!

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We hammered out the last few hundred kms including the longest stretch of straight road in Australia and arrived in Norseman while it was still light, thankful again for an uneventful day’s journey.

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Arriving at the rest area we set up and had planned to light a campfire when the southerly hit and it began to rain. The plan for the next day was to leave at 0600 to get the Esperance, grab some groceries and sort out Dave’ s caravan battery and get to Cape LeGrande national park early to get a camping spot.

We awoke to a beautiful day at Haslam. The pop up shower/ toilet tent had it’s first run and held up admirably!

Haslam is a great spot for fishing and catching seafood in general. A long wharf where cargo ships used to pull in was the standout feature of this part of Streaky Bay.

After breakfast we headed into Ceduna to pick up some supplies and then straight on to Cactus….one of the iconic surfing beaches of Australia and a mecca for surfers….so naturally Gordon and Trev were keen to stop for a surf!20170405_10393520170405_103757

The drive out to Cactus was amazing in itself..Dave had some reservations as he had to take the White Princess on its maiden offroad voyage but all went well apart from some dust which I am sure will be carefully washed off at the very next opportunity20170405_11320620170405_113051

The huge sandhills, desert tundra and salt mines made for a very striking landscape.

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20170405_115548Cactus itself was stunning and despite the fact that some random local had posted a NT crocodile sign we were undeterred and headed down to the beach for a swim/ surf. The area is known for great whites and so we had to get a before and after photo of the intrepid surfers 😉.

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The Southern Ocean water was surprisingly warm and the day was perfect…a few good waves were caught….and we left Cactus to  ontinue our journey to Bunda Cliffs where we were aiming to spend the night at one of the many free camps overlooking the ocean.

After a quick lunch at a rest stop we continued on until we reached the famous start of the Nullabor…and yet another unmissable photo op stop.

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The Nullabor landscape was as expected…vast and virtually no trees. We stopped at the Nullabor Roadhouse for fuel and then continued on.

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We were keen to stay the night at Bunda Cliffs Lookout which has great views of the cliffs and Bight.20170405_183822

Making good time we arrived before sunset and got straight into happy hour.

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We were thankful for a day of travelling without a breakdown of any sort…and then Rosie had a shower and all the lights went out in their van 😨…van battery failure….and just to complete the picture Dave discovered that the plug to their Waeco fridge had dislodged…all meat thawed….the adventure continues!

After a great night at Dave and Barbs on the Darling River at Wentworth we were keen to get on the road….but had to take a couple of quick pics of our lovely hosts and their beautiful home and houseboat!

We hopped in the cars optomistic as ever……and guess what! The Ram was flat again 😂Dave brought out his car “defibrillator “20170404_07441920170404_074927.jpg but to no avail….it was up to Branch and the good ole’ Prado ably assisted by Trev and his jumper leads and we were soon leaving Wentworth making a beeline for Streaky Bay. We crossed over into SA only stopping at the inspection point… After a quick stop at Renmark for a new battery for the Ram we continued on …..

The scenary on the way across South Australia was ever changing…mallee scrub, rolling pastures, acres of saltbush, vineyatds, fruit orchards and tiny towns…

We had a brief lunch stop at Spalding a small town founded in the 1860s and then hit the road hoping to be in Streaky Bay before dark.

The landscape changed to rolling pasture as we journeyed towards Port Augusta.20170404_135142

A quick stop for fuel and water at Port Augusta which was an interesting mix of industry desolation and a riverside town and then off again.20170404_153052

Just as we though we were making good time the vehicle convoy pictured below with police escort loomed up in front about 10 kms out of Kimba. The piece of equipment being transported was as wide as the entire road and the police ahead were stopping oncoming traffic on the shoulder so the convoy could pass. We had to sit behind till we got to Kimba and yes it turned off so we could speed up again!!20170404_171544Kimba is apparently half way across Australia and is the home of the big galah. We shot a couple of pics out the window but noticed our convoy behind had stopped for Rosie to get a couple of pics.20170404_17225120170404_172341

Thankful we had lost the massive convoy we headed west again….and not too much later…dejavu! Another massive convoy identical to the one before 😲….and then we realised it was the same vehicle that had had to bypass the town centre….and the photo shoot had basilled us 😉 As always Branch was there to remind us that disaster and doom are not our focus…..20170404_175317

So as the sun sinks slowly in the west we are still travelling at 60 – 80 kph behind the biggest rig… and Streaky Bay is a tantalizing 134k away…20170404_183744

Moments later they had to finally have a toilet stop….Praise God we are on our way again!!20170404_184952

…..finally arrived at the free camp at Palumbie beach only to find it full 😣…18k later we arrived at Haslam frww campground at 830pm…tired but pleased we have made up the time and back on track.

We  slept in slightly thankful we did not have to travel today. After a communal brekkie of bacon,eggs,haloumi,mushrooms,tomatoes and sourdough we drove out to Cape Le Grande beach. It was overcast and the wind was howling. The beach was open and wild…we definitely were staying in the better location!

Next stop back towards Lucky Bay was Hellfire Bay – another amazingly beautiful beach.

Continuing back we passed Frenchman’s Peak an unusual stone formation with a hole through its peak. The sandy tundra was full of beautiful native plants of many varieties.

On to Thistle Cove the home of the Whistling Rock which actually whistled when the wind passed through it…although Trev thought it looked more like a wave!!

Thistle Cove had more unusual rock formations and another pristine beach.

A short dirt track drive past the Lucky Bay turnoff led to Rossiters Bay…which was covered in seaweed.

On the way back to Lucky Bay was a great photo opportunity to capture the beauty of it in a panoramic shot.

A long walk along the Lucky Bay beach that afternoon was beautiful with the sun out again…and Gordie and Trev rode their bikes. We spent that night at Lucky Bay….off to Esperance and beyond tomorrow.

Well the day started out with Gordie discovering that someone had tried to steal his expensive pushie…they had undone all straps and just about cut through the heavy duty lock  when something or someone (??Dave on early AM toilet run??) disturbed them. We then found a mechanic from Southwest Trailers at Bomen who was happy to look at Gordies brake issue…all good until Gordie went to start his Ram and the battery was flat!! (Was it the fridge? Or the troll??) With a quickish Loveday jump start (with a reminder from Branch the troll that it is not all gloom disaster and danger 😉) we were on the way to the mechanics.   20170403_084325

The Southwest Trailers mechanics were great and fixed the multiple issues with Gordies brakes (that occurred due to the very costly pre-trip service 😨) so after a couple of hours we were ready to hit the road!20170403_121714

So into the cars we hop….on the road again….NOT! Gordie could not take a trick today…battery still flat…with a little assistance from Branch plus the friendly mechanics the Ram was jump started again and off we drove!20170403_123231

We now put the foot down aiming to get to Wentworth near Mildura where Gordon and Kerry’s friends have a property …we will free camp there tonight. Travelling across the Hay Plains and thinking what a great country we are blessed to live in😚

Big day tomorrow……930 km to Streaky Bay….can we do it???

Farewell ‘burgh…hello open road…almost!! Met Rose and Dave, Kerry and Gordon at Panorama House at 0600…Dave lost front window cover on caravan. …Gordies brakes locked on van…after repairs in pouring rain plus a visit from the NRMA finally off at 0930. …Hay here we come!

….Branch the mascot here to remind us that it is not doom and gloom..danger and disaster…but sunshine…singing. ..and glitter Arrived in Wagga Wagga…Gordies brakes burning on the other side….staying here tonight to get them sorted in the morning then long haul to Port Pirie ….despite this it’s been a great first day