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

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.