The Big Trip Pt 12 Final Chapter:


On 26th May 2023, we set off along the Gibb River Road. It was a place we had dreamed about for years and finally planned to explore. The day began with us shooing peacocks and chickens away from the van so we could have breakfast in peace. Afterward, we loaded up the van and topped up the water on the way out of Birdwood Station. Once we left the gate, we turned left to start our journey along the Gibb River Road.


The first section was sealed road until just before Windjana Gorge. We had hoped to visit there, but it was still closed. Heavy flooding from the wet season had caused serious damage. Further along the same road was Tunnel Creek National Park, which was open. However, the water level was still high enough to block the track through the tunnel. We decided to skip it and plan to visit another time. It just means we’ll need to return to explore more.


Once the road turned to dirt, driving was smooth because it had been recently graded. We even saw the graders working not long before reaching our first camp at Silent Grove, near Bell Gorge.

While our drive was uneventful, we did pass 3 4wds towing on road caravans!!!!! the 1st part of the track was in good condition however this is definitely NOT the place to take any vehicle or trailer not specifically designed to handle rough offroad conditions. Because they only had road vans they were driving incredibly slowly (20km/h or less) and causing problems for others using the road.


We crossed the creek at the entrance to Silent Grove without trouble. Our car and van were only axles deep. After quickly setting up camp, we had a late lunch. Later, we drove a short distance to Bell Gorge. From the car park, it’s a 900m walk to the top of the falls. We spent the afternoon swimming, taking photos, and exploring the view. As the sun started to set, we headed back to camp before it got dark for dinner and sleep.


That night, I snuck out again. I went back to Bell Gorge to try and capture a photo of the Milky Way, with the waterfall in the foreground.


The next morning, we learned Leonard Gorge was still closed. Instead, we returned to Bell Gorge and took the steep path down to the bottom of the falls. Early in the dry season, the water was flowing well. It looked stunning with plenty of water pouring over. We swam and explored further down the river, enjoying the cool water.


Later, we went back to the top of the falls for more fun. The boys loved playing on a small slippery slide just upstream from the falls. It was a safe distance away, so no risk of sliding down the falls themselves. After a while, we returned to camp for a rest and some downtime.


On 28th May, we left Silent Grove. On the way out, we saw the three on-road vans we had passed earlier. They had just arrived and stopped after crossing the creek. They had to drain water from their vans because it had come in during the crossing. ( the crossing is only slightly above axle deep on our patrol)


We continued towards Mt Barnett Station, stopping at Adcock Gorge for a swim. The track was tough, especially pulling the van. It was slow going, with lots of twists and turns. We decided to park the van about three-quarters of the way in and continue on foot. In hindsight, it would have been better to leave the van earlier. But we didn’t know how tricky the track would be, and that’s all part of the adventure.


We stopped at the first parking area and decided to walk from there. The last part of the trail was a water crossing over large rocks, but it wasn’t long to reach the waterfall and waterhole. We swam, jumped off rocks, and swung from a rope tied to a tree. When it was time to leave, we drove back, picked up the caravan, and continued toward Mt Barnett station. About 10km before arriving, I noticed one of the van’s tires was a bit low but still okay to get there, as long as it didn’t lose to much more pressure.


Once we arrived, we checked in, filled the water tanks, and headed down to the camp near Manning Creek, close to Manning Gorge. The area was busy, and we eventually found a flat spot about 500m from the entrance. There is only one set of amenities here, so if you’re not camping nearby, it’s wise to bring your own toilet. There are no designated sites—just find any nice spot you like. Some tour groups stop here, but they have their own setup, and we were far from their area.


After setting up camp, I had to change the tyre with the slow puncture. It was hard to loosen the nuts using our wheel brace, but luckily another camper lent us a breaker bar, and we managed to get it off.


On Monday morning, we were eager to hike down to Manning Gorge. We waited until it warmed up since temperatures had dropped to 6°C overnight. The 2.5km trail begins at the northern end of the campground. Before you start walking, you need to swim across the river. The swim is easy, with a big rock in the middle for resting. There are cut-in-half plastic drums to hold your packs so they won’t get wet.


Once across, we followed the orange markers over rocks and down into the gorge. Near the end of the trail, we reached a beautiful waterhole with a waterfall. It was spacious enough for everyone to relax, swim, and play. We swam and jumped into the falls from the rocks. We also met a Swiss family we had seen earlier at other waterfalls along the road. The boys enjoyed playing with the little girl, Julia. Despite her not speaking English, It didn’t cause any trouble.


After some hours of relaxing, palying and swimming, we all headed back together. Later, our new friends joined us for roast lamb by the fire. The kids played until bedtime.

The next morning, Jack went for a walk with Belinda and played with Julia before we headed west along the track. We drove 30km to Over the Range Tyre and Mechanical to fix the tyre. The hole was on the side of the tyre, so it couldn’t be reliably repaired. Since the other van tyre was quite worn, we decided to replace both on Wednesday.

From there we drove up to Galvin’s gorge which we were going to stop at on our way to Mt Barnett but it was closed that day due to burn offs nearby. Its only a short walk into the falls from the side of the Gibb and this is another small but beautiful little gorge and waterfall, great for a swim and a play.


On the way back to camp, we collected firewood. We then took the boys to the river to play on the sandbanks and splash in the shallow water. We finished the day with a cosy fire in the evening.


Wednesday saw us leaving Mt Barnett and returning to the tyre shop. We got the tyres replaced before driving the last 230km of the Gibb River Road to the Pentecost River. The last 100km of the track was very rough and corrugated. When we finally set up by the river, we discovered our first serious problem: the van’s fridge was leaking coolant. NOT GOOD.

We did our best to clean up the coolant while the boys made rock cities by the river. I also discovered I had broken the grey water outlet pipe by accidently hitting it on a rock crossing the river.


Crossing the river with the van attached was a fun challenge. The water only just covered the bottom of the door, and the rocky bottom was mostly slow-moving and easy to cross. That was until I found a soft patch we later learned had been churned up by a semi-trailer the day before. We almost lost momentum there, but managed to get through. The rest of the crossing was smooth sailing.

In the morning I did another drive across the Pentecost and back without the van attached because I could, and to take some video. We intended to put the drone up for some footage but every time we launched it, an eagle started stalking it so we quickly brought it back down.



We then hooked up the van and headed to El Questro station, where we had booked six nights. When we arrived, the coolant leak appeared worse than before, and we realised we couldn’t sleep in the van because of the ammonia-based coolant. For our family to camp in one of the glamping tents would cost $400 a night, which was too much for us. After calling repair shops in Kununurra and finding no luck, we decided to drive to Darwin to get it fixed.


While planning, I talked with El Questro reception about our options. Just as we decided to head to Darwin, the front office manager came to see us. They were very helpful and were happy to postpone our booking without fees until the fridge was fixed.


With the decision made, we left El Questro around lunchtime. We reached Katherine by about 8:30 pm and stayed in a cabin for the night.


On Friday, June 2nd, I made some calls in the morning. I found a place to fix the fridge but they were unavailable until Monday. So, we continued our drive to Darwin and stayed with friends Kelly and Steven. We ended up staying there for about two and a half weeks, waiting for the fridge repair. We’re very grateful to them; we don’t know what we would have done without their kindness.


During our first week in Darwin, we didn’t do much. We mainly took care of everyday things and arranged for the fridge repairs. I fixed the grey water pipe and spent hours scrubbing the ammonia smell out of the van.


On Wednesday, June 7th, we took the boys to Crocodylus Park. We saw plenty of crocodiles and watched one being fed. Belinda and the boys also held a young python and a bearded dragon during a reptile talk. Jack was especially excited to hold the snake. Later, I took the boys to see the V8 supercars truck parade, where I also ran into some old friends from Darwin.


The next day, we did a day trip to Litchfield National Park. Our first stop was Wangi Waterhole. It was still closed for swimming because of crocs, but it is a peaceful spot with a big waterfall. The water was flowing well, even in the dry season.


I had hoped to take the family down Reynolds River Track to see Sandy Creek Falls. I have a big canvas print of a photo I took there years ago. But the track was still closed due to high water levels. I was disappointed because I wanted to show them Sandy Creek and Surprise Creek Falls, which has two drops into great rock holes for jumping in. It was a shame we couldn’t visit.

Tolmer falls


Instead, we stopped at Tolmer Falls lookout first, then headed to Bluey Rock Pools. We spent plenty of time there in a great spot where you can jump into the creek and let the current carry you to a shallow rock ledge so you can easily climb out and do it again. Everyone loved it. When we finally convinced the kids to leave the water, we piled into the car and just around the corner to Florence Falls.


Near the start of the trail down to the falls, there’s a fantastic viewing point that gives a good view of the falls. You can see it clearly before walking down the track to swim at the base. It gets busy with lots of visitors (thanks to Photoshop for removing the crowd from the photo), but swimming was still fun. If you sit still long enough, fish will swim up and nibble at your feet.

That evening I took the kids out for dinner with my friends to the sailing club and it was great to catch up after so long. Belinda was not feeling the best so she stayed home.


Friday and Saturday were quiet days. On Friday night, we walked to Palmerston markets for dinner. Saturday evening, Kelly, Steven, and their kids joined us for dinner at the Jetty by the wharf. It was a thank you for letting us stay.


On Sunday, June 11, we woke early to visit Berry Springs for an early swim. The water was warm, and at one end, water poured over rocks into the pools. Sitting under it felt like a gentle massage. When we arrived, it was quiet, but it got crowded by the time we left, which is normal on weekends.


From Monday to Thursday, things were quiet. I had some training to do for my pilot’s licence. On Thursday, June 15, I got a call I’d been waiting for. It was about starting my new job in Cairns. The news made me very happy but a little sad too, as our trip would be ending soon. I was set to begin in mid-July, giving us time to see a few more places before heading to Cairns to settle back into normal life.

Saturday 17th June was Troy’s birthday so as per request we had pancakes for breakfast and then we all went to Kingpin to play 10 pin bowling and laser tag. Troy and all the kids had a great time and Troy got a new bike for his birthday. For dinner he requested Pork Belly so I cooked that in the afternoon while the kids played.

Sunday we had a quiet morning, before heading to Mindl beach markets late in the afternoon to explore. At the markets we picked up a lovely Indigenous painting of 2 crocodiles and then got some dinner and sat down the beach to eati and watch the stunning sunset. Mindl Beach markets is one of those must do activities in Darwin although it does get very busy at times.


On Monday, I took the Patrol for a service and Tuesday, we finally got the fridge reinstalled in the van. It took longer than expected because a new cooling unit had to come from Melbourne. It was sent by road because it is compressed gas. We spent most of the day packing the van again, getting ready to leave on Wednesday. That evening, we met Belinda’s cousin at Flynn’s in Palmerston for trivia night.


Wednesday, June 21, we left Darwin. Driving through Katherine and heading west toward El Questro again. We found a quiet free camping spot near Timbre Creek to stay overnight, joined by a few other caravanners.


On Thursday, we continued to El Questro, stopping in Kununurra for supplies. We arrived around 3 pm. After setting up, we had a nice dinner at the resort bar. The road into El Questro is dirt with some bumps but not too bad. There are a few water crossings, one of which was a fun longer crossing with a rocky bottom, just covering the side steps. No trouble for us.


On Friday, we finally started our exploration of the El Questro area after waiting so long. Our first stop was Zebedee Springs early in the day to enjoy a soak in the hot waters. Normal visitors can access the springs until midday. After that, only guests of the five-star lodge can use them. The springs are made up of many small pools nestled among ferns and palms. With some exploring, we found more pools further upstream along the creek.

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In the afternoon, we joined a birthday party for one of the kids our boys had befriended. They happily enjoyed ice cream cake and played together.


On Saturday, we woke early and drove to Emma Gorge. The walk from the car park to the gorge is 3.2 km and takes about an hour each way. The trail involves plenty of rock hopping, and we worked up a sweat before reaching the falls. At the end of the track, there’s a lovely swimming spot at the base of the waterfall. The walk was easily manageable for us and the kids.


After many photos and a refreshing swim, we returned to the car park. We headed back toward the main station area where we were camped. But before stopping, we crossed the river and drove up a steep, well-maintained 4WD track to Saddleback Ridge. The view from the top was stunning, so we planned to return for sunset. In the afternoon, I cooked sausages and kept them warm in the 12V oven. Later, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, eating our sausages on bread at the lookout.


unday, 25th June, started with an early wake-up for a scenic flight over Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungles, Bow River, and the Argyle diamond mine. The flight was smooth and spectacular. The Bungle Bungles looked especially striking in the morning light. The reflections and lines in the rocks stood out clearly.


We landed back at El Questro around 8.30 am. Belinda and Troy headed straight to the stables for their 9.30 horse riding trip.

That afternoon we were all a bit tired so had a bit of a lay down and an early night.


Monday took us to explore another gorge. We trekked 6.8 km return to MacMicking Falls in El Questro Gorge. The journey to the start of the walk was a challenge. We crossed a bonnet deep water crossing that seemed endless. The base was solid, so the Patrol managed easily, however it may have left the car’s carpet a little damp.


The walk itself started easy but grew more difficult the further we went along with larger rocks and tricky patches appearing along the path. Halfway through, there’s a waterhole. To continue, we had to climb between the wall of the gorge and a large rock. By the time we got to this point thankfully, we had met up with another family with similar aged kids so we all worked together to get our bags through dry and then kids through.


The remaining journey was a scramble over boulders. We also had to climb a small waterfall to reach the final section. A group of hikers rushed past, pushing rocks loose. Troy was knocked over but only shaken, not hurt.


MacMicking Falls and the waterhole were beautiful. We swam and played with our new friends before heading back down. We were all very tired by then. We took it easy and enjoyed a drink at the bar later that evening.


Tuesday was a slow day. After all the walking, we did some exploring in the 4WD. We drove up to Pigeon Hole Lookout, which offers views of the Pentacost River flowing through El Questro. We had planned to stay for sunset but clouds rolled in. Instead, we had pizza at the pub and relaxed for the evening.


On Wednesday, June 28th, we headed out early to Zebedee Springs for one last swim before hitching up the van and heading east toward Cairns. The water was warm and relaxing, a perfect way to start the day.


About an hour east of El Questro, we reached Kununurra. Our first stop was at the Zebra Stone Gallery, where we bought more souvenirs than planned. Afterwards, we visited the Hoochery Rum Distillery just north of town. Naturally, I sampled a few drinks and ended up with a lovely bottle of mango rum liqueur. I might have tried a little too much since Belinda had to take the wheel for much of the drive later. We eventually made our way back to Katherine, spending a couple of nights at the Discovery Park.


Thursday started with a sleep-in, then we explored the local hot springs and did some shopping. Later, we visited a nearby farm stay to reconnect with friends we met in Western Australia. The kids enjoyed feeding animals and getting up close with farm life.


On Friday, we set off early again. Our first stop was Bitter Springs in Mataranka, where we floated through the warm, clear waters several times. The gentle current made relaxing swims easy, and walking back to the starting point for more laps was part of the fun.

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Later, we found our camp spot at Elsey National Park on the Roper River. We spent the afternoon exploring the river and riding bikes around. The scenery was stunning, and the boys loved riding around the campoground.


The rest of the trip involves a lot of driving. So, We left our campsite early and headed to Daily waters on the way to Barkley Homestead. Daily Waters is an interesting stop. The street is lined with old planes and helicopters, and the local pub is filled with decorations. We even saw a herd of longhorn cattle being herded down the main road, which was quite a sight.


From there, the drive to Barkley Homestead was straightforward. When we arrived, rain had caught up with us and turned the campground into mud. Barkley Homestead is a good place to stop between Queensland and the Stuart Highway, which runs from Darwin to Adelaide in the middle of Australia. I remembered it as a lively country pub with a warm, friendly atmosphere. Sadly, that’s no longer the case. The old pub burned down a couple of years ago, and the new one feels sterile and touristy. It’s still a decent spot to eat, but the genuine outback charm is gone.


On Sunday, July 2nd, we left Barkley early around 8 am. The drive to Queensland was quiet, with mostly flat roads. Near a rest stop, we watched an army convoy of trucks heading east as well. One soldier kindly handed the boys a patch each, which made them very happy.


We stopped at Cloncurry’s visitor centre on Mopndy to collect a patch for our quilt. Continuing east, the weather turned to rain on and off all day. We finally pulled in at a free RV stop next to Hughenden’s showgrounds. The rain made everything muddy, so the kids took full advantage, playing in the mud and rain. They needed a good shower later that night, thank god we have one in the van.


The next morning, we picked up supplies from the bakery and filled up with fuel before heading to Townsville. We stayed for two nights at a small farm stay just north of the city. We saw horses, ducks, and other animals, enjoying the quiet rural life.

Wednesday we had a slow start before heading into Townsville to the information centre. We then grabbed some lunch and went to the top of castle hill to eat it and enjoy the views. After lunch we headed to the Museum which was really interesting. I learned all about the ship Pandora and The box on the back deck of the ship which was used to house the captured mutineers from the HMS Bounty hence the name Pandora’s box.


That evening, we went to the Bushland Tavern for dinner. It was a chance to catch up with old friends. We all enjoyed a lovely night together.


Thursday, July 6th, marked the last day of our long trip around Australia. From Townsville, we headed to Cairns. There, we planned to stay in the caravan for a while until we found a house to buy.


This journey has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us and the kids. We met so many new people and made friends along the way. We also had some unforgettable moments like swimming with whale sharks, dolphins, and sea lions.


We explored many beautiful and unique spots across the country and enjoyed every single one. We would do it all again without hesitation. The trip showed us how much there is to see and how much more we need to explore, so future adventures are already on the horizon.


The trip cost a lot, but was worth every cent. I lost track of the fuel costs at around $17,000, when still in Western Australia.


Overseas Holidays sound appealing, but Australia has so much to offer. We have everything right here.


This marks the end of this trip. It’s been a fantastic adventure. We’ll add more stories to our site as we head out again. For now, it’s back to work and everyday life.

Route part 20 Gib river rd to Cairns

Exploring Tasmania’s Overland Track: An Unforgettable Hiking Experience

The Overland Track in Tasmania is always listed as one of the worlds best multiday hikes, and has been on our list of must do’s for a very long time. This January, 2025 we finally got to experience it, and what a wonderful accomplishment it was! Mountains, waterfalls, cool climate rainforest and so much more. Although it was a lot of hard work we all enjoyed it so much more than expected.

Our adventure all began back in June 2024. We joined an online queue with 6 computers going, and attempted to obtain seven Overland Track passes for our desired dates. Once the queue was Live we saw there were over 3600 others in the queue with us, thankfully Judd’s number was only 211. Needless to say, we managed to purchase our seven track passes for our preferred start date, the 13th of January 2025. Unfortunately on this trip, we did not take our kids with us as they are a bit young and not used to hiking long distances, for multiple days with a pack. But we will practice with them, so in the future they can come along too.

Once we had our passes sorted, we quickly booked our accommodation in Tassie, for before and after the hike, Transport to Cradle Mountain, from Lake St Clair and the Ferry to Lake St Clair from Narcissus Hut. We decided amongst ourselves, not to hike along the Narcissus river, roughly an extra 17 km, to save time, as some of us needed to get home for work and young children. The only small hiccup we had at this stage was when booking the ferry, our preferred time of 1.30pm was already booked out (yes on the same morning as the passes became available). Turns out a tour group had booked that ferry already as they don’t require the passes in the same way as the general public. We ended up booking on the 9.30am ferry which would mean that instead of walking out to Narcissus on the last day to catch the ferry, we would have to arrive at Narcissus hut the evening before. So at least we had some flexibility in our plans, as we were planning to do the hike over 7 nights / 8 days to allow for side trips or rest days as required instead of the minimum 5 nights 6 days.

With the bookings all taken care of, over the next 6 months or so until the trip we trained, chatted, organised and purchased gear for the trip. One of the most discussed items to pack was the food. Belinda and I decided to make our own dinners instead of buying freeze dried meals and bought our own dehydrator. I think it worked out about the same cost to buy the dehydrator as it would have been to buy the meals from the shop. We can continue to use it for future trips as well. (the meals all came out really nice too).

About 2 weeks before the trip, we had all our meals ready and all the gear we needed (so we thought). We did a full practice pack only to realize that, Belinda’s 55 litre pack, wasn’t big enough to fit everything in. As previously we hadn’t anticipated how much physical space the food would take up, not to mention the weight. We decided to buy a larger 70 litre pack, of the same brand and model that she already had so that hopefully it would feel similar to carry. We could not buy one locally in Cairns, luckily we were able to get fast overnight shipping, so it arrived within 2 days.

For our meals as mentioned above, we made our own dinners which included Risotto, lamb stew and mash(deb), spag bol, laksa, shepherds pie and Penang curry.

Breakfast was either powdered scrambled eggs or an oats and powdered milk mix. We bagged up our own coffee and powdered milk mix too.

Lunches were mountain bread wraps with cheese sticks as they are shelf stable, and either tuna in packets or salami that also lasts well out of the fridge. Belinda brought tinned chicken, instead of tuna and we put it in vacuum sealed bags, but that didn’t work well as it spoilt quickly. We also learned to late of course, that the mountain bread cracks very easily if the packet is folded or bent at all, so we ended up with small broken wraps. We also took some protein bars, enough for 2 a day each, turns out that was way to many haha we brought half of them back home again. And something to note, if you eat more protein than your body needs, there’s only one way for your body to get rid of it. 😂💩😒

Saturday 11th of January 2025, we were up very early for a 6am flight from Cairns to Launceston via Brisbane. We had dropped the kids off at Nanna’s and the dog at the kennel the day before, so at least we only had ourselves to organise at that hour. The flights were quiet with no delays and after arriving in Launceston and collecting our bags we hopped in a taxi for a short trip to our accommodation at the Country Club Villas, just out of Launceston. We chose the Villas because it allowed our whole group of 7 to stay in the one (3 bedroom)unit which saved on cost and allowed us all to get together instead of just talking over the phone.

In the afternoon, we re-organised our gear to have only what we would take down the track in the packs and spare gear in our suitcase which would be stored by the bus company taking us to Cradle mountain, had dinner and a couple of drinks before bed.

Sunday morning we had a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast. Thanks to Judd and Belinda who walked down to the Woolworth’s the afternoon before to get dinner and breakfast supplies.

After breakfast, we packed up to made sure we were ready and the bus came to pick us up at 10am, for a 2 hour drive to Cradle Mountain. We went with Overland Track transport to get to Cradle Mountain, and then back from Lake St Clair at the end of the trip. They stored our other luggage for us, while on we were on the track, and also organised gas canisters for us for cooking. Since you can’t bring the gas with you on the plane, it was extremely helpful. They also hire out various items. Judd and Angie hired a PLB (personal locator beacon) for extra safety, in case of an emergency. We have a Garmin with the Inreach features, which we always carry on hikes. We were able to send an email each afternoon, once we reached the hut, to our boys so they could see roughly where we were each day, and know that we were safe.

On the drive into Cradle mountain, we stopped about half way in Sheffield for an early lunch at the bakery. Belinda and I had very tasty Venison, bacon and cheese pies.

Its a beautiful drive watching the mountains get closer and closer. We arrived at Cradle Highlander Cabins, at 12.30pm. Which is just across the road from the National Parks Visitor Centre.

At Cradle Highlander, we had 2 really cute cabins for all of us. Belinda and I stayed in a 1 bedroom timber cabin with a wood fire in the lounge room. The others had a larger 2 storey timber cabin, that would sleep up to 6. Its a really lovely place here and I could easily see us staying here for several days on a future trip, and doing lots of day hikes around the Cradle Mountain area.

After settling in, we all headed over to the Information Centre to check in for the track and do the compulsory briefing at 3pm. We chose to get to Cradle Mountain the day before and do the briefing that afternoon, so we could get started on the track 1st thing in the morning. Otherwise, we would’ve been starting much later. This gave us a lot more time on the 1st day, which also included the steepest uphill sections of the hike, so we could take our time.

Once the briefing was done and we had our passes, we headed back to the cottages for a bit of a rest, then some dinner of Ravioli and sauce that we bought from the shops, Saturday afternoon. Something nice and easy to make and lots of carbs ready to start the hike. We also bought a very tasty bottle of muscat from the area, and had a couple of sips after dinner. I put the rest in a new hip flask my lovely wife bought me for my birthday, for drinks on the last night of our hike.

Monday 13 January. The day had finally come, we were all up early for bacon and egg muffins for breakfast. Before heading out with our packs to meet the 1st bus from the Visitors Centre at 8.10am, to take us to the start of the Overland Track at Ronnie creek. Its only about 15 minutes on the bus, it was very full with lots of day trippers and other groups starting on the Overland Track too.

We hopped off the bus, filled in the walkers logbook, took the compulsory group photos at the start of the track and then we were off.

The Overland track starts off easy with a nice walk through the grasslands on a boardwalk before starting a steady climb through the trees, past a small creek and crater falls up to Crater lake. We topped up with water here using our filter system and after taking a few photos, continued uphill towards Marion’s lookout. That 1st day, those 1st few hours, were the hardest I thought. You’re finding your pace, your body’s adjusting to the heavy weight of the pack and finding your walking rhythm.

Its a steady rise from Crater lake to the intersection with Wombat poo track which goes back downhill to Dove lake, before our track heads to the very steep section up to Marion’s lookout. Its quite a scramble up some of this section so hiking poles went on the packs, and we slowly hauled ourselves up this section, using the chain bolted to the cliff, it’s very steep. Then hiked along until we reached the lookout.

The climb up to Marion’s lookout is the rough looking track on the right side of the rock face in the center of the picture

Once up at Marion’s, we all took a short break and enjoyed the view of Cradle mountain, Dove lake and the surrounding area. Once on the move again it was a more leisurely walk up and down through 3 small valleys on the plateau on well formed track and duckboards to reach kitchen hut for some lunch.

Kitchen hut is an older hut, that can be used in an emergency if people get stuck up on the range in bad weather. It’s just before the intersection of the main Overland track and the track up to Cradle Mountain peak.

After a rest and some lunch as well as much discussion about whether to do Cradle Mountain Summit or not. Most decided not to do it as it looked like a very steep and rough climb, we still had a bit over 5km to get to Waterfall Valley hut to camp for the night.

Myself and Lara (18 yrs) decided we would give it a go, and would meet the others at the hut later. For the climb up to Cradle Mountain peak, we left our packs inside kitchen hut, covered them with our pack rain covers. This was to prevent the currawongs from getting into the packs and taking the food, (yes the currawongs know how to open zips) and headed off with just a day pack with snacks and water.

The climb is steep and only gets steeper the further up we went. Probably a little over half way the track disappears and becomes a scramble over large boulders, with the route marked by poles screwed into the boulders every 30 metres or so. At a certain point, we decided it was to technical to continue with our hiking poles in hand, so we left them next to a bush to collect on our way down. From there we kept on climbing up to what looked like the top, only to get there and realise there was another dip down and another almost vertical climb back up to the summit itself. It was a challenging but fun climb and when we reached the top the views were simply spectacular in every direction. We could even see the rest of our group on the track below (a long way below) on their way to Waterfall Valley.

We hung out and enjoyed the view for about 15 minutes, before heading back down the same track. Going down was probably harder than going up. No where near as physically tiring but we did have to be a lot more careful and take it slower, as a slip could mean a very nasty fall.

Back at Kitchen hut we had a quick rest and left there with our packs at 3.45pm for Waterfall Valley. The remaining 5 and a half kilometers were a bit more difficult than the 1st part of the main track, as it was less formed and we had to pay more attention to where we were stepping. On top of that, I was starting to feel pretty tired from the effort of climbing Cradle Mountain. From Kitchen hut, we dipped down a bit and through some trees before heading back up hill to the plateau and some impressive views of barn bluff and past an emergency shelter and then eventually down a fairly steep descent to Waterfall Valley hut. This last descent for me was quite difficult, my knees and ankles were hurting and the steps were very big at times.

We arrived at Waterfall Valley hut at 6.15pm, thankfully the others, having arrived at around 3.15pm had found us all a nice room with enough bunks for all 7 of us. I was exhausted but it had been a good day.

After a bit of a rest, I got into what would become the afternoon ritual of filtering water, preparing dinner, and getting our beds setup. The water at the huts is pretty good as its all rainwater from the tanks, but it is still best to filter it just in case. The last thing any of us want is to get gastro on the track. We used a Platypus gravity filter system which I think is much easier to use as you fill up the dirty water bag and let gravity feed it through the filter into a water bottle or straight into our bladders in our packs. Much easier than the pump type filters which require you to constantly squeeze a pump to push the water through the filter. Each afternoon we would filter around 10 litres of water, for drinking, cooking for that evening, and the next day. The filter will filter out 99.9% of all particles and bacteria so we felt safe using it in Tasmania. The others in our group had a similar type of filter but an MSR guardian one which also filters out viruses, this also comes at more than twice the cost and is slower to filter. The MSR, I think would be a great option in places where the water sources are less reliable in quality. The filtering time also gave me a great opportunity to sit, relax and take in the amazing scenery around the huts.

The days effort was about 13km, including Cradle mountain summit with a total ascent of 1550m and a descent 550m.

That 1st evening, I needed a bit of a rest before dinner so I laid down for a bit. When I got up and went outside to see a wombat, I immediately got a bad case of the shakes. From the temperature change, inside to outside late in the day, I think it was a combination of the exhaustion, temperature and sunburn that gave me the shakes. I went back and laid down under the sleeping bag for a bit and felt better.

We were all a bit lucky late in the day with the wildlife, we saw a Wombat mum and baby and also a very light colored wallaby just near the hut which is not a common occurrence.

That 1st night we had chicken laksa for dinner, as this was the only dinner with a fresh component with the noodles not being dehydrated and therefore heavier. I learned throughout the trip, our dehydrated meals do take a bit longer to rehydrate than the commercial freeze dried packets. All we needed to do was put it in the pot with some cold water and let it soak for 30min or so before reheating it and it came out great.

The 1st night was a bit restless, getting used to the mattress and pillow and the noise from all the others in the room but we got more used to it as the trip went on.

Tuesday morning, we all felt refreshed and eager to start day 2 of the trek. Which was set to be much easier, with only about 8km and a total climb 189m and descent of 223m.

After breakfast and packing up our gear, we got away at about 9am. It was a really enjoyable walk through mostly alpine meadows, occasionally dropping down just a little into some treed areas. We stopped for a snack and a rest at the intersection of the side track to Lake Will. We ended up deciding not to do this side trip as we discovered that we could swim at Lake Windermere, near our next hut. While at the intersection we had a chat with a guide from one of the guided tours for the track. She was catching up to the group after packing up their hut after they left in the morning. She had lots of great information for us about the track and other places too. We were shocked at the cost the trip she guides cost for the 5 nights, $4500 each. Granted they do have private huts with showers and all their food is provided and prepared for them, but for us we prefer the challenge and achievement of doing it all ourselves, without the guides.

We continued on to Windermere Hut, and arrived at about 2pm. The good thing about getting in early, was we had plenty of time to walk back to Lake Windermere for a very refreshing swim. It was only about 10 minutes back. It felt amazing to wash off the sweat and dirt from the 1st 2 days on the track.

Windermere hut is one of the newest huts on the track, and was completed in about 2022. The facilities are fresh, clean with multiple bunk rooms that would sleep varying amounts each, from 6 to about 14 in a room. The kitchen area has stainless steel tables and benches and are long enough for a decent size group to eat and cook. All the newer huts also have a sink outside near the water tanks, to collect water and do washing up but the older huts only had a tap coming out of the tanks.

As the weather was good, Belinda and I decided to sleep in the tent as it would be a lot quieter than in the hut with a combined total of 30 plus people staying in there. Each day 34 people, not including the private groups are allowed to start the track. So depending on how people travel, there could be over 40 people either in the hut or camping near it each night, as sometimes people stay 2 nights in a hut, either to rest or do side trips.

On the day we started there were also 3 other groups that had kids with them which was wonderful to see the kids doing the hike. However, at times the huts became very noisy with the kids playing, talking and running around. On the positive side, this gave us incentive to get our 2 boys ready for future trips, but it made us miss our boys even more, particularly my wife. Belinda actually overheard a conversation between some other hikers, complaining about all the kids out on the track. But we think it’s great for teaching confidence, resilience, and building a sense of adventure for kids.

After our swim we hung out at the hut, did our afternoon duties of camp setup, water filtering, getting dinner ready, and had a nice relaxing time enjoying the views. For dinner it was one of our delicious lamb stews and mash(deb).

It was much quieter in the tent, listening to the birds and other wildlife in the area. We both slept alot better, getting more used to the mattress and pillow.

Wednesday morning we had all decided the night before, to get going earlier as this would be the biggest day of hiking at just under 17km from Windermere to New Pelion hut. The weather forecast for the day also predicted a good chance of showers increasing in the afternoon and evening. So after breakfast we were all geared up wearing our rain jackets, in case it rained and to keep warm as it was windy, and headed off up the track.

The start of the day involved an uphill section through the trees and onto the higher alpine meadow area, where the wind really had a chill to it and at times, we were walking in the cloud. When we did get a good view of the surrounding area, we could see down the valleys either side which was cool.

Each day the teenagers in our group,(14, 16 & 18) were always ahead of us slower oldies. They are responsible and wait at intersections for us to catch up throughout the day. This 1st catch up point today was just at the start of a forested hill after the 1st part of the treeless meadow, and gave us all a nice break from the cold wind blowing across the plateau.

We continued over the hill and back out onto more open areas for a while before starting a steady descent down to frog flats, where we stopped at a river for lunch. It was a very quick lunch of wraps, we got going again as we were getting cold sitting around in the misty weather. The track today was quite wet in parts, and in some places we could step around it. But it is definitely better to just walk through it, as going around had awkward foot placement and risks rolling ankles or hurting knees. Or as Belinda did, slipped and fell into a tree. Plus, if everyone tries to walk around the muddy water puddles, it unfortunately widens the track, as it damages the growing flora and fauna surrounding the track.

From the river (a creek really) it was a steady up hill for a couple of kilometres, then more level track the rest of the way to New Pelion hut. The last few kilometres we did get rained on a bit. Our friends who were behind us however, did cop a much heavier downpour than we did as we got to the hut just ahead of it.

About 1km before reaching New Pelion hut is the turn off to old Pelion hut. Which would have been nice to check out, but we were pretty pooped by that stage and couldn’t wait to get to the hut to dry off and get the packs off our backs. The days walking was 16.8km with 460m of ascent and 560m of descent.

Because it was wet, we all decided to sleep in the hut that night. New Pelion, despite its name is actually one of the older huts on the track. It’s still a nice place to stay with a nice deck all the way around with views back across a big clearing to old Pelion and north east to Mt Oakley. The only problem with this hut was that when trying to get to sleep, all footsteps even all the way up the other end of the hut could be heard and felt quite clearly.

When doing the Overland track, some people stay at New Pelion hut for 2 nights and do Mt Oakley as a day trip. One of the families that started the track the same day as us did this.

Thursday, brings us the possibility to do a side trip of Mt Ossa, Tasmania’s highest mountain. It was a bit cold to start the day and I was wearing a thermal top under my shirt, and the rain jacket to stop the wind chill. The days walking started relatively flat but then went into a steady climb over about 3km up to Pelion gap, which was the high point for the day, and also the intersection to do either Mt Ossa or Mt Pelion east. Walking through the forest almost to the top of Pelion gap was very pretty with lots of moss covered trees and rocks, and not to may muddy parts.

At Pelion gap we caught up to the faster members of our group and had a rest. The views from here were breath taking! Mt Ossa was completely covered in cloud, and the side trip would add another 5km to the days walking. So we all decided to give it a miss. Alot of the other groups did climb Mt Ossa, and they all said it was beautiful. There is a section along the track up Mt Ossa, that is called the Japanese garden, which is particularly beautiful, but most said they couldn’t see much from the top due to the clouds.

Up at Pelion gap when a gust of wind came through it got quite chilly, so we took some pics with the sign and of the surrounding mountains before starting off again, down hill towards our next hut Kia Ora. The 1st part of the walk down through mostly treeless areas provided spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountains, and all down the valley where we would be walking in the next day or so.

It was mostly a gentle descent all the way to Kia Ora hut. Because we had not done any side trips, we were the 1st to arrive at the hut and had our pick of the rooms to sleep in. By the time we arrived at the hut , the weather had cleared into a nice sunny afternoon and we all took the opportunity to hang our wet clothes on the deck railings to dry. Belinda and I were thinking about camping in the tent again, however the tent platforms were quite a long way from the new hut, so we decided to stay in the hut with our group.

Kia Ora is a nice new hut and is quite comfortable. We picked the room furthest from the kitchen. This room was big enough for the 7 of us, and another family of five we had become friendly with.

It was really nice here, laying out on the deck looking at Cathedral mountain in front of us and soaking in the quiet of the area before everyone else arrived.

The ranger came around in the evening to make sure everyone had arrived safe, and also had a weather report for the next few days. Fortunately for us, the weather looked quite good for us for the rest of our time on the track. She also had some good info on the best swimming spots over the next few days. Each hut has a sign-in book, where we fill it in when we arrive and state where we are heading the following day. This way the rangers can check to make sure everyone has arrived at their destination for the day.

That afternoon the 3 teenagers had all their snacks out on the table bartering with each other, for the goodies they wanted. Belinda even got in on the act and swapped a hot chocolate sachet for a single serve Nutella.

The last group to arrive that night was the family of five, with the young kids at around 7pm, as they had summited Mt Ossa. I think they were grateful we saved some beds all in the same room for them, as previous nights, they were separated.

Friday was supposed to be a fairly easy day of about 13km including side trips. A nice walk through the valley and some stops at waterfalls along the way, we got that wrong……

The day did start nicely, the track was a bit tricky in sections with lots of tree roots and rocks, but the scenery was just beautiful. Mossy trees, boulders, ground and so peaceful. About 3km into the days walk as we approached Du Cane hut, we heard the helicopter come over us slowly and just missed out on seeing it drop a slung load to the rangers at Du Cane hut.

There were quite a few other groups, including guided groups, there taking a break. So we opted to keep on walking once the helicopter had gone, to avoid getting stuck in amongst several large groups of people. Around 4.5km into the days walk we arrived at the intersection to the 1st of the side trips, to both D’alton falls and Fergusson falls. We stopped at the intersection and waited for the rest of our group to arrive which was only a few minutes, and then left our packs and headed down to the falls.

D’alton falls was 1st. The track stops opposite the falls giving us a magnificent view directly across from the waterfalls as the water came down from above.

We then we walked back up, over a creek crossing to Fergusson falls. Which are a single drop falls, and we could only get to about half way down the side of the falls. Still a beautiful spot and well worth a visit.

After taking all the expected photos and soaking up the atmosphere at both falls, we all made our way back up the hill to where our packs were, and continued along the main track until reaching the next side trip intersection to Hartnett falls.

Again we left our packs at the intersection, and headed down to the falls. Its a bit further down to Hartnett falls at about 2km return. OMG what a magical place! My favourite spot of the whole track, is the little section just at the bottom of the stairs to the river, that looks like something out of The Lord of the rings. Stone stairs leading to a magical path between moss covered trees beside a clear rocky river, just magical. (The gorgeous video below, does not do it justice, but here you are…… )

Just up from there are the bottom of the falls themselves, and a great spot for a swim, but I was a wuss and just soaked my sore feet in the water. The water was only 6 degrees after all. The others did have a quick swim and all felt refreshed afterwards.

After eventually tearing ourselves away from this special place, making our way back up the hill to our packs. Belinda and myself were starting to feel pretty tired, but with over 4km to go we just needed to chuck our packs back on and keep plodding along.

From the intersection of Hartnett falls it was a constant and in parts reasonably steep climb up to Du Cane pass, before a steep descent back down again to get to Bert Nichols hut at Windy Ridge. We were having to concentrate on where we put our feet, so not to twist an ankle or knee, as the terrain was extremely rocky, lots of large tree roots to navigate over the whole way. There were a few small water crossings, Belinda slipped on a rock while crossing one. She felt a jolt of pain from her ankles up to her neck, but we kept going. This last 4km or so really took it out of us, my back and feet were killing and Belinda was feeling exhausted too.

We eventually stumbled into the hut a little after 6pm absolutely stuffed. Shortly after arriving Belinda passed out. Thankfully, I saw it happening and caught her before she fell. Judd and I sat her on a nearby bench. Judd and Angie sat with her while I organised some hydrolyte, and a few other people in the hut were very kind and offered her m&ms and chocolate bars. The passing out was the result of a combination of not eating enough throughout the day, exhaustion, heat and her POTS which causes her blood pressure to decrease, and her blood can’t get to her brain fast enough. Thankfully, with the medication she has for it, she bounces back from an episode fairly quickly.

Judd and Angie’s 14 year old son was amazing, he got Belinda’s sleeping mat inflated so she could have a bit of a rest, and I went to do the evening duties of water filtering and getting dinner ready. Thanks to all the other families who showed their support, and of course Judd, Angie and the kids for their help and support with Belinda, and helping me with dinner and washing up etc.

The totals for the day were 13.3km, with an ascent of 327m and a descent of 360m

Another great thing about traveling with our friends Judd, Angie and the kids, was the desserts they were kind enough to share it with us! The chocolate pudding and apples and butterscotch sauce were very yummy. Delicious!

The view from Bert Nichols hut to the Acropolis.

Bert Nichols hut is one of the older huts and the sleeping areas have 2 wide platforms in a bunk style with each one able to sleep 4 people easily, so the oldies slept on the bottom and the teens slept up the top. This was a standard theme whenever we slept in the huts, the teens up top and the oldies down the bottom. It wouldn’t be very safe trying to scamper down the ladder in the middle of the night to go pee! Although someone might get a laugh…..

Saturday January 18th, we had a bit of a slower start to the day and thankfully Belinda was feeling much better. After packing up and breakfast, we were off down the track again. Today we continued down the overland track for about 5.5km, a relatively straight forward section of track with a few ups and downs through more traditional native Australian bushland, past the end of the Acropolis to the intersection of the Pine Valley track. The track was a bit rough with rocks so we still had to be cautious.

We all had a quick bit of lunch at the intersection, but didn’t want to hang around for too long as there were lots of flies. From the Overland track to Pine Valley hut was about another 5km, a gentle uphill walk but not to strenuous. There is even a couple of suspension bridges to cross on the way. Once into Pine valley it was very pretty winding between the moss covered trees, lots of large tree roots, and walking beside the river to reach the hut.

The hut at Pine Valley is a lot smaller than the luxurious new huts on the Overland track. It’s all 1 room, with 1 long table, bench seats and a sleeping area that has the same style of bed platforms as Bert Nichols that each would sleep 4 per level. This hut had 2 sets of these, at one end of the hut so could sleep 16. We all decided to camp in the tents, and we found a nice big tent platform fairly close that would fit all 4 tents. Just needed to remember which one is ours or you might get a rude shock in the night, as we all had the same type of tent.

Being a Saturday afternoon there were quite a few weekend visitors. You’re not required to have an Overland track pass to get to Pine Valley, from Cynthia Bay, and there are several day trips that can be done from the Pine Valley hut, which was our original idea when we did our planning.

The original plan, was that if we didn’t have a rest day somewhere, we would stay at Pine Valley for 2 nights, and do a day trip to either the Acropolis or the Labyrinth. Then walk from Pine Valley to Narcissus, in the morning and catch the ferry on the last day.

We all decided together not to do this, and instead headed to Narcissus hut on Sunday. We’d checked the ferry bookings closer to the start of the hike, some of us were on the 11am ferry, and some on the 1.30pm ferry. We didn’t want to risk missing the 11am ferry by walking out in the morning, or giving ourselves an injury rushing to get to the ferry on time.

The rest of Saturday afternoon was spent resting and chatting amongst ourselves and others we met at the hut.

Sunday morning once we were all packed up and ready to go. Angie, Judd and the kids headed off back toward the Overland Track, while Belinda and I decided to head a little further into Pine Valley to a nearby set of cascades. It was only about 10min up the track before coming back and collecting our packs from the hut and heading back out to the Overland Track, towards Narcissus hut. This being the last day of hiking, I think we were all a bit pooped and looking forward to finishing the track.

Walking out was mostly a gentle downhill trip which made it easier, but didn’t stop both Belinda and myself from tripping over branches while distracted by the beauty of the area. The funny part was that Belinda saw what I tripped on, and safely stepped over that log only to trip up on the next branch less than 1 metre away 🤣. We were both fine though so we can joke about it now.

Once we descended out of Pine Valley and back into the more typical Australian bushland area, I think I got a bit of “Get-there-itis” especially as the last few days my back had been giving me a fair bit of grief. I would choof along at a reasonably quick pace, then find a log or rock to sit on, take the pack weight off my back while Belinda caught up before starting off again. I find with this type of hiking, everyone moves at their own pace, and it is more comfortable for them to do so rather than either try to keep up with faster walkers, or walk slower to stay with slower ones so this way seemed to work well for Belinda and I. She would move along at a pace comfortable for her and I would go ahead a little at my pace then stop and wait for her without getting too far ahead. As a hiker had said to Belinda on day one, she stepped aside to let him pass her. He said “thank you for letting me by, thank you for not impeding on my walking rhythm”.

Once back at the intersection of the Overland Track, we had a quick rest and a snack before continuing down the last section of the track towards Narcissus Hut. This only took us about an hour and a half, it was lovely to see the Narcissus river and great to get there.

Once we got to the hut we found the rest of our group at a tent platform, so we set up our tent as well, and then I decided I needed a swim, clothes and all. There is a lovely spot to swim just in front of the hut, on the Narcissus river so I waded in for a very much needed wash and freshen up. I didn’t stay in for too long as the water is very cold, and once out I got changed, hung up my wet clothes and went into the hut to join the others for lunch.

Now I know some will say that the Overland track includes the 17.5km hike all the way to Cynthia Bay. For us, our 1st time on the Overland track, with various injuries and muscle aches, we were more than happy to call it done at Narcissus Hut, and catch the ferry to Cynthia Bay.

After lunch we all walked down to the jetty where the ferry would pick us up tomorrow, Belinda, Angie, Judd and the kids had a swim and a refresh at the jetty. (I already had my swim and was nice and dry)

On the way back to the hut, Judd even spotted an Echidna having a feed on an ants nest just off the track.

That evening we ate our last dinner of lamb stew and mash, (we had 2 of this one because it was sooo good) and all enjoyed a celebratory drink of musket that we had carried with us for this exact occasion.

We were all feeling very happy, but a bit sad at the same time, that we had finished the hiking for this adventure, and were already talking about our next trip.

In the morning the rest of the group decided to try their luck and see if there was any space on the earlier 9.30am ferry. We didn’t have to hike anywhere, and as it turned out there was plenty of room as a group of 8 didn’t show up for the ferry. That meant, Belinda and I would be on the 11am ferry and we would all be back at Cynthia bay with enough time to get our passes stamped, enjoy a well deserved burger from the café and get some souvenirs before our transfer bus arrived at 2pm.

As we were boarding the ferry we were very lucky to get a glimpse of a Platypus swimming near the ferry.

The bus ride back to Launceston took a little over 2 hours, after about an hour we stopped for the toilet and a snack, at a roadhouse near Arthur’s Lake. We stayed at the Country Club Villas again. Enjoyed a long overdue shower, before some really good takeaway pizza from the restaurant and a few rums. In amongst that, we re-packed our packs and other bags ready to fly back home in the morning. I tapped up the straps on my pack, to avoid them getting caught in airport equipment and Belinda’s pack went inside a duffel bag for protection.

Tuesday morning we were all up very early for the taxis to pick us up at 4.45am, so we would be at the airport by 5am for our flights to Melbourne and then home to cairns.

We said goodbye to Judd in Launceston, and goodbye to Angie and the kids in Melbourne, as they were flying back to Hervey Bay. We were super excited to see the kids again after a week and a half away from them. The flight home was uneventful and it was good to be home a bit after lunch. Nanna and the boys even surprised us at the airport when we landed, needless to say, lots of cuddles and kisses were exchanged! It was so nice to sleep in our own bed that night.

The Overland track was an amazing adventure that we had been wanting to do for a very long time and it certainly did not disappoint. Despite the aches, pains and tiredness, we loved every minute of this adventure. We are already thinking about the next one. We are hoping to do the Overland track again probably in a few years, with our kids, once they are able carry some weight and take on some longer distances. Hopefully next time we can take more time to enjoy a few more side trips and hike all the way to Cynthia Bay.

Click on the link below to see our route.

The overland Track route taken

The Big Trip part 11

Thursday 4th May we left Exmouth and the coast for a bit and made our way to Tom Price for the night on our way to karrijini.

Friday we stocked up on supplies and water in Tom Price and drove the 110km to Dale’s campground in karrijini NP. It’s a good setup with 5 separate loops of campsites with clean drop loo’s and only a short walk from Dales gorge. In the afternoon we just relaxed at camp as we were still a bit tired from a busy week in Exmouth.

Saturday we took off reasonably early to explore kalamina gorge. The walk through the gorge is rated level 4 out of 5 but overall we found it relatively easy just taking our time over the rougher sections. It’s a lovely gorge and more open than some of the others in the park with a small waterfall at one end of the walk and a water hole at the other end. The kids enjoyed climbing over the rocks and splashing in the water.

After the walk, we went back to camp for lunch and a rest before going down to Fortescue falls in Dales gorge late in the afternoon for a swim before dinner and bed.

Sunday we had even more adventure doing Hancock gorge to Kermit’s pool and Weano gorge to handrail pool. Both these trail’s are classed as the hardest level of 5. 1st off was Hancock gorge and after a short distance from the carpark the track drops rapidly into the gorge with steep rocky steps and ladders to get down. Once down there are two pools to get past by either swimming or edging along the rock wall on the side. The 1st of these was straight forward but the 2nd was quite challenging with much smaller ledges. The kids did really well here and with a bit of encouragement they slowly got through it.

The next tricky but was the spider walk which is a very narrow section leading into Kermit’s pool. It’s called the spider walk because that’s how to go through it, with one hand on each wall and a foot either side of the water running through it.

To get through I took the backpack through and then came back to piggyback our youngest through as he was a bit small to do it.

Kermit’s pool is just perfect. A small deep pool in the narrow gorge. It gets its name from the green tinge to the water in the pool. The contrast of water rust red rocks and blue skies is simply amazing and definitely worth the hard work to get in there.

We stayed there for a little while, swimming and taking pictures before making our way back to the car for lunch. Heading out was easier as we were all more confident having already done it coming in so it was much quicker.

After lunch we decided to tackle the lower Weano gorge down to handrail pool. Although another class 5 track for the most part we found it not quite as tricky as Kermit’s pool. The 1st part is relatively straightforward down the stairs and following the bottom of the gorge over the rocks and either through a water hole or climbing along the rocks beside it which we did and was definitely easier than the one in Hancock gorge.

From there the gorge turns left and we moved through a narrow slot that opens into a small pool that has been carved out by rock being washed around when it floods. From there we go back into a narrow and slippery section to the start of the handrail and a small platform at the top of a 10m drop into handrail pool. To get down we straddled the handrail and slowly wend down finding the bits of rock that had been bolted in place as steps.  I went 1st helping to lower the boys down after me.

Another amazing spot this larger pool deep in the gorge with sheer walls all around. We swam across the pool which was quite cold and into the section that flows out of the pool. From here it drops down a Couple of metres and into another narrow long pool that is almost like a tunnel as the top of the gorge here is so close together. At the end of this section there is a chain to stop people going any further which is a good thing as the water then tumbles over a waterfall to a much lower section of the gorge.

After some more swimming we headed back out of the gorge and back to the car and then back to camp for dinner and a well earned rest. Everyone especially the kids did an awesome job getting through the difficult sections of track and being very brave when they got a bit worried about how to do it. I’m so proud of them.

Monday we had a quiet day and just did a few things around the van and went to Fortescue falls for a swim in the afternoon.

Tuesday we had a bit of a slow start but we eventually got going and did the 3.4km circuit walk of Dales gorge. From the lookout to Fortescue falls we headed along the top of the gorge for a bit over a kilometre before dropping down into the bottom of the gorge and starting winding our way back along the river. As we walked along, we found some lovely cascades and a nice deep water hole tucked in amongst the gum trees. For parts of the path we had to skirt the bottom of the cliffs and hop from one stepping stone to another which the boys thought was great fun.

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The track eventually leads out to Fortescue falls and you then have a choice of either going back up the stairs to the lookout and carpark or continuing on about 600m to fern pool. We continued on and had a lovely swim there.

Fern pool is another beautiful spot, well shaded by trees and the cliffs above. There is a small waterfall at the top end of the pool that we could swim under and you can get out onto the rocks behind the falls. It’s also a great spot for the kids as there is a large platform out over the edge of the pool with a ladder to climb in and out.

After our refreshing swim, we headed back to camp and made a delicious roast pork for dinner.

Wednesday we took off early and drove all the way to the western end of the park to Hamersley gorge. The track into the gorge is fairly short and at the bottom of the steps there is a large pool that heads downstream between the cliff walls however the main attraction here is spa pool which is upstream a few hundred metres. From the base of the steps up to spa pool is not so much a walk but more a scramble over the smooth rocks jutting up at about a 45deg angle. We skirted the water, slowly making our way over the trickier sections until we reached the opening into spa pool itself.

Spa pool is a small oval shaped hole in the rock with the waterfall at one end creating a bit of a spa effect and is so nice to swim under. The other end make a bit of a waterslide into the next section just after it. We had a swim and took some pictures before moving back down to the main section as the entrance to spa pool is quite small and there were other people heading up towards it.

Back down at the larger pool we had another splash in the water before climbing back up the stairs to the car for lunch.

From there, we drove back into Tom Price to stock up on groceries and water before heading back to camp.

Thursday 11th May we went off to do the last 2 accessible gorges of Knox and Joffre gorges. We started with Knox gorge which is a class 5 hike into the gorge. The path down is incredibly steep and rocky but once reaching the bottom it was much easier going. The walk leads down to a long narrow pool and we were able to walk above the pool on the sides to where it ends before a narrow slot and a waterfall beyond the end of the accessible area. This one is not as picturesque as some of the others but definitely worth the visit.

After some lunch we drove over to Joffre gorge. From the carpark we walked around the top of the waterfall before descending into the gorge on the other side. This one is a lot easier than Knox gorge with ladders down the steepest parts . although there was no water running over the falls it is still a pretty special place. From the bottom of the steps we waded through the water and through a narrow section that opens out into an amphitheatre with the falls at one end. The kids had a play here with some friends we had met before we climbed back out and headed back to camp for dinner.

Friday we had a quiet day as we were all a bit buggered from all the exploring but we did go down to Fortescue falls and fern pool again for a swim which was nice and refreshing.

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Saturday we sadly left karrijini and had a big days drive about 700km to 80 mile beach for the night before continuing to Broome on Sunday morning. While at 80 mile beach we of course did take the opportunity to wander along the beach and collect a few shells.

We had a late start sunday with mother’s Day presents and breakfast followed by a walk on the beach before we drove the remaining 400km to Broome getting in at about 3.30. for dinner we went to Mateo’s brewery and had a very yummy mother’s Day dinner.

Our time in Broome was a fairly quiet time with some rest and recovery from our recent adventures and I had to fly back to Melbourne for a job interview. We got some life admin stuff done, spent time swimming in the pool at the caravan park and the kids did lots of riding around the park making friends.

We did do a few activities during our stay in Broome. On the 2nd afternoon we headed off to the beach for the long awaited camel rides along Cable beach. we all had a good time and the boys especially loved it and even got a camel fluffy toy at the end of the ride. From there we wandered back up to the Cable beach club for a drink and to watch one of those glorious Broome sunsets, what a great way to end the day.

after dropping me at the airport Belinda and the kids went to the deck chair cinema to watch Super Mario Brothers. While I was in Melbourne they also did a day trip to the Malcolm Douglas wildlife park and had a wonderful time feeding all the animals and even got to hold a baby Crocodile, they were thrilled about that and I heard all about it on the phone that night.

I got back to Broome on Saturday 20th May and that afternoon we caught up with some friends at the town beach for an evening puppet show on the beach. The puppets were huge and controlled by multiple people holding the puppets and moving them with poles. The show told a story of the local birdlife through the seasons and their interaction with other wildlife and with people. It was a great night and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

With our remaining time in Broome we had a massage each and Troy and I did a tour to Willy creek pearl farm. Unfortunately Belinda and Jack were feeling sick and couldn’t come.

The pearl farm tour was really good with a great lunch before a boat tour to see some of the oyster farm areas with a talk from the guide about the pearl farming process. After the boat tour we were then shown the factory area where the oysters are taken and the pearls are carefully removed and a new seed is put back in its place before the oyster is returned to its net and taken back to the ocean.

The staff who do this process only have about 1 minute from getting the pearl out to get a new seed of similar size back into the oyster otherwise the oyster may reject it and not produce anymore pearls.

From there, we were taken to another area where one person was chosen to open an oyster and remove the pearl. Troy was picked and he was so excited to get the pearl out. The one he got out was valued at $3000 but no we didn’t get to keep it. He was so proud of himself.

The tour finished after the valuation and we looked around the showroom for a bit before heading back to the caravan for dinner.

Tuesday 23rd May we set off from Broome and made our way to Cape Leveque, 200km north where we had booked to stay at Cygnet bay pearl farm for 2 nights. After setting up we wandered down to reception to check out things to do while we were there and for a swim in the infinity pool. After our swim we went back to camp then walked down to the beach and the kids had a great time exploring the rocks and looking for crabs (and keeping a lookout for crocs). That night we had a lovely dinner at the restaurant of lamb shanks for me and steak for Belinda.

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In the morning Belinda and Jack did a pearl farm tour since they missed out on the one at Willie creek and really enjoyed it. their tour was similar to the one at willie creak and saw the oyster nets, the factory where they seed and retrieve the pearls and also go to see some of the different types of pearl oysters.

After the tour Belinda of course wanted to buy one but in the end settles for two lovely pearl oyster shells in a netting display holder. The afternoon involved more playing on the beach and swimming in the pool.

Thursday morning Belinda was up very early to do the waterfall reef tour. It was awesome, really beautiful, and unbelievable just how much water comes in with the tides in the area. Only 10 of us on the amphibian boat, including the Captain Janie. On the way back in we stopped to watch the whirl pools in the ocean, lots of birds around fishing, it was amazing. Also stopped to see the pearler boat checking the shell racks.

By the time Belinda got back from the tour I had the van packed up and ready to hit the road again for a longer days drive to Birdwood station which is just east of Derby on the start of the Gibb river rd. On the way through, we stopped and checked out the Boab prison tree which was once used as a rest point for police on the way to Derby and they would put the prisoners in the tree while they were there. While in Derby we also stocked up on food and water for our trip across the Gibb river rd.

Birdwood station is a great spot to stay at with plenty of space to camp and good facilities. They usually have a nightly camp fire where everyone is welcome to come and sit around and enjoy the place. They also sell their own beef from the station so I couldn’t resist and got an Eye fillet and a few other bits of meat while we were there.

This seems like a good place to finish this part of the story and in the next park we will be going across the Gibb and exploring the waterfalls and hikes of the Gibb and Elquestro.

Route part 18 Exmouth to Broome

Route part 19 Broome to Katherine

The Big Trip part 10

We are getting excited about heading further north and getting closer to some long dreamed of places like Kalbarri and karrijini so on Friday 14th April we departed Geraldton and made our way to Kalbarri. Here we stayed at the Anchorage caravan Park which is nice but was very noisy from other camps as it was packed being school holidays.

Friday afternoon after setting up, we did a short trip to see a few of the coastal sites stopping at the grandstand 1st and then over to island rock where we did the walk from there to natural bridge. It was still quite windy because of the cyclone well to the north and the seas were rough and crashing on the rocks at the base of the cliffs all along the coast which did look awesome.

Saturday we went into the main part of Kalbarri NP and our 1st stop was Z bend. I don’t really know why it’s called that as I couldn’t see any bends looking like a Z but it was still a beautiful spot. We did the walk all the way down into the gorge which the kids loved because it had lots of rocks to scramble over and between and ladders to climb down then back up again.

When we where in Kalbarri the Murchison river which runs through the gorge was in flood after rain out near Meekathara so it was really moving and the walks that went through the bottom of the gorge were closed, but we were still able to atleast follow the trails down to the edge of the river.

After finishing the z bend walk we had lunch then headed to nature’s window. This is an easy walk but you just need to be careful on the last part walking around the rock to the window itself. It was really busy here as expected but we joined the queue to get a photo  through the window and had a bit of a look around at the river below us on both sides and the other rock formations near us. By then there were more and more people coming down, so we got out of there and drove around to the Skywalk.

The Skywalk was nice but could be a bit much if your afraid of heights. The platforms hang right out over the edge of the gorge and give a great view up and down the river in both directions. You can see right back past nature’s window as well. At the Skywalk there are lots of bronze animal figures off the sides of the path some showing creatures that lived here millions of years ago which the kids thought was pretty cool too. Once we had finished here, we headed back to camp for the rest of the afternoon and the boys had heaps of fun playing with some of the other kids camped near us.

That night I headed back out to nature’s window to try and get some night shots of the Milky way coming up over the window which was fun except for a couple of other people hogging most of the area with multiple tripods each. I still managed to get a position I was happy with though.

Sunday we headed back out to the national park, this time to Hawks head and Ross Graham lookout. Hawks head as the name suggests is a rock formation that sticks out of the side of the gorge that sort of looks like a Hawks head. I think a little bit of imagination is required to see it though.

From there we went to the Ross Graham lookout and also followed the track down to the waters edge. The track usually goes a lot further but is under water at the moment due to the amount of water in the river.

Monday 17th April, we drove south again to check out the pink lake at port Gregory. Hooray a pink lake that is actually pink. We have been past several so called pink lakes on our trip and this is the 1st one that is actually pink. It is a beautiful sight to see, the still water almost glowing in a nice shade of pink. The edges of the lake are like walking on rock but it’s actually salt which was cool to see.

After a splash in the water with our feet and some photos, we drove back around the lake and then into another lucky bay. An absolutely beautiful spot when you drive down onto the beach and up the beach a short way, there is an awesome calm area protected from the surf by a line of rock about 50m from shore. We parked up on the beach and had a lovely swim and snorkel. I spotted a baby flathead and a school of whiting while snorkeling which was cool. The kids splashed in the water and played in the sand until it was time to head back to camp in the afternoon.

Back at camp we caught up with some friends that had arrived in Kalbarri earlier in the afternoon.

Tuesday morning we went down to the foreshore for the pelican feeding which turned out to be a bit of a bust as no pelicans turned up so instead all the kids got to feed the seagulls.

After that we went down to blue holes for a swim. This is another brilliant spot just on the outskirts of town with sheltered rock pools between the beach and the outer edge of the rocks which protect the area from the waves. There were lots of fish to be seen swimming around and plenty of pretty shells to collect. We headed back to camp for lunch then had a quiet afternoon and a bit of a rest.

Wednesday we left Kalbarri and made our way to shark bay. We set up the van at a free camp near the bottom of the bay with a nice view over the ocean. Once setup, we unhitched the car and drove up to shell beach for a swim. The beach as the name suggests is completely covered by shells. Most are small white fragum cockle shells with a few spiral shells mixed in. The water was crystal clear and a bit warmer that we have been used to further south. After a swim we didn’t hang around at the beach as the flies were really bad, so we headed back to camp.

Thursday 20th April, we stayed at camp for the morning and watched the solar eclipse. Where we are it was about 90% of a total eclipse which was very cool to see.

Once the eclipse was over, we jumped in the car and headed to steep point, the most westerly point in Australia from camp it took about 2 1/2 hours to get there as the road in was very badly corrugated in sections and the last 30km had sand dunes and much tighter tracks to go through.  Part of the track goes along the beach and there was even corrugations on the beach!! I’ve never seen that before.

There is camping sites in the NP near steep point and they are amazing spots right on the beach but the track is definitely not suitable for a full size caravan. You could get a camper trailer in without to much trouble as several people camped had done.

When we finally reached steep point, we stopped had a look around and of course took some photos. Around steep point is all cliffs, so we headed back a little way to one of the beach areas for a little play until it was time to head back towards camp. It’s a long drive in and back and we all felt a bit rattled by all the corrugations by the end but it was worth the drive and we enjoyed exploring the area.

Friday we headed further up the peninsula, past Denham and into Cape Peron NP to hopefully find a camp spot at big lagoon. This camp ground can’t be booked so it’s a case of getting there early and hope someone is leaving. Lucky we saw someone packing up so we waited and took their spot when they left. Big lagoon is a lovely spot right near the water and where we could swim in the calm water and watch the sunset from the lookout.

After setting up, we drove back into Denham for lunch and met some friends so the kids could play in the park. They even had some emu’s join them at the playground.

When we got back to camp in the afternoon we had a swim and enjoyed the sunset before dinner and bed.

Saturday we met up with our friends again in the morning and travelled together up through the corrugated and sandy tracks to Cape Peron. It was good doing the day trip with others as it provides a little bit of support if anything happens as the tracks were reportedly in pretty bad condition. We had a look around the top of the cape and saw 2 dolphins swimming past. We then headed just around the corner to skipjack point lookout which has amazing views over the shallow water below. While there, we saw a shark, stingrays, dolphins (probably the same ones) and a turtle.

From skipjack point we moved on to Bottle bay a few KMs back down the coast and parked on the beach for lunch and a swim. While we were having lunch, we noticed a tour bus just up the beach and all the passengers were out snorkeling around one spot so we decided to go and see for ourselves.

We snorkeled out to where they had been to find a beautiful small outcrop of coral with plenty of fish and some almost fluorescent green coral. We floated around checking it all out for a while and eventually headed back to the cars to go on to our last stop of the day.

The last stop was Herald night on the eastern side of Cape Peron NP and the track in was the softest of the tracks we drove on for the day but we had no issues as we had the tyres down already. We stopped on the beach and watched a group trying to get a very large boat down and struggling to get it through the soft sand entrance to the beach even using a 2nd car to help pull the ute that was towing the boat.  After that bit of entertainment, we started heading back towards camp passing a very bogged new ranger on the way. We didn’t stop as they already had a couple of cars there helping. After a big day it was early to bed for all of us.

Sunday we left Cape Peron and stopped at Carnarvon for the night just to break up the drive and stock up on groceries at the Woolies.

Monday 24th April we continued up the coast and arrived at lagoon campground which is south of coral bay. Once you turn off the highway it’s all dirt with the 1st part being a good wide road with some corrugations until you reach the station buildings. From there the track gets narrower and rougher with the last 2km just a track over a field of rocks which was very slow going with the caravan in tow.  Our site was nice and big and right beside the lagoon and only a short walk to the beach. Laying in bed in the evening we saw dozens of crabs running around on the mat and on the sand around the van which was pretty cool.

Tuesday we drove down a bit further along the coast to see if the beach was any better for swimming than where we were but unfortunately it wasn’t but we did see a turtle cruising through the water only a few metres from shore. After that we went back to camp and the kids played on the beach while I tried to go for a snorkel but the waves were just too rough to manage it. Because the beach and water wasn’t calm like we had thought it was going to be along this part of the coast we decided to leave the next morning instead of staying for the extra 3 nights. I had managed to get some signal just up the road and got a booking at North Lefroy campground which is another 100km or so further north and close to Cape range Np on the Ningaloo coast.

Wednesday morning we left lagoon campground and on our way to North Lefroy, we stopped in at coral bay for a quick look. It’s a very busy spot with a beautiful beach but I can see why people call it coral PAY as almost everything is far more expensive than normal. Yes it is a remote area but some things were just ridiculous.

After a look around, we drove back to the highway and up to the turnoff to the Campground.  The road in was really rough, heavily corrugated almost the whole way so we had to take our time and even then everyone and everything got a bit shaken around. Although it was a rough drive in, it was definitely worth it. Our camp site was 20m from the beach which was beautiful and flat and perfect for swimming for the kids and snorkelling for us.

Thursday and Friday we spent around camp swimming, snorkeling, playing on the beach and just relaxing in this beautiful spot.

Saturday 29th April it was time to leave our beachside camp and continue on to Exmouth. We made our way back along the rough track to the highway and stopped to pump the tyres back up to highway pressures. I had only done 3 of the 6 wheels when the compressor decided to die on me oh ho. We waited for a few minutes.and thankfully another traveller who stopped to let their tyres down on their way into the camp lent us their compressor to finish the rest of the tyres.

With the tyres sorted, we drove the 100km up to Exmouth and checked in at the Ningaloo resort caravan Park to stay for the next 5 nights. We also caught up with some friends and had dinner with them at the whalebone brewery. The pizzas were really good.

Sunday we had a bit of a later start than planned as we all slept in but once we got going we made our way out to milyering visitors centre in Cape range Np and hired some boogy boards that have viewing windows in the for the boys to ride on when we went snorkeling over the reef.

From there we went just down the road to the lakeside snorkeling area. OMG what a beautiful spot. We snorkeled out with the boys in tow on a boogy board each and the coral started about 10m off the beach. We swam around over heaps of coral sections and saw an amazing amount of fish from the little blue ones hiding in the coral to the hundreds of large fish of all different colours. We saw rainbow ones, black ones silver ones yellow ones and more. We even saw 2 large rays just laying on the bottom hiding in the sand. They would be easy to miss if we weren’t looking out for them as  they were mostly covered in a thin layer of sand. We spent over an hour swimming and floating around the reef. The kids thought it was amazing and loved being able to look through the window in the boogy boards and clearly see the coral and all the fish.

When we finally came back to the beach it was starting to rain so we walked back to the car and drove back to camp as I had a few things to do like screw the inverters back into place in the car and caravan as the corrugations had shaken them both loose and give the car a badly needed bath.

Monday it was back to the national park for some more snorkelling. We headed to the oyster stacks 1st which was an amazing spot. The coral starts literally 5 metres from the shore and continues right to the edge of the reef a few hundred metres out. We still had the boogie boards so we towed the boys around the reef. The oyster stacks are even more beautiful than the lakeside area. There is much more coral with less gaps between them and seemed to be more fish life too. We even got to swim along with a turtle which was so cool.

We stayed here as long as possible until the tide got too low to safely swim and then made our way to turquoise bay for a look. It is a beautiful sandy bay area where you can either drift along in the current on one side of the point or stay in the bay area which has less movement. We didn’t stay long as there is nowhere near as much coral here and headed back to lakeside for another swim.

By the time we finished snorkeling at Lakeside again we were pretty pooped so we dropped off the boogy boards at the information centre and headed back to camp.

Tuesday was the day we had been waiting anxiously for. We were up early and dropped the kids off at our friends and walked down to the front of the park to await our pickup for the whale shark tour. On the way out to Tantabiddi where the boats are moored, we watched a video on the area and a few safety things for the day. On arrival at the Tantabiddi boat ramp we were taken out to our boat in a rubber ducky.

The boat called Lattitude 22 is a 20m former Cray boat that has been extensively modified to suit swimming from and whale watching. It has a kitchen area where meals are served and tea and coffee area as well. We could sit upstairs or down as well as on the bow but we stayed downstairs most of the time as it was in the shade and where the food was served.

We had breakfast on the boat as we drove out to our 1st stop of the day which was some snorkeling inside the reef. It was a great spot with lots of sea life and coral areas. We even saw a big stingray. The back of the boat has been modified to make it easy to get in and out of the water with a large flat deck almost at water level and a bar that swings down from it acting as a ladder which was good as we would be in and out a lot when it was whale shark time. After almost an hour on the reef we were all called back onto the boat as whale sharks had been located. Once onboard, we raced off towards them having a morning snack on the way as well as a briefing on what we need to do when in the water with the whale sharks.

As we approached the 1st one, we lined up on the deck in our groups until the boat was in position. The boat stopped and the 1st group was in the water. As the boat moved forward we got in position on the back deck ready to go.

When the boat was in position we heard go go go and we all slid into the water. Once in, we lined up from our guide so that we were in a good position so the whale shark would swim right past us. Before we knew it, the whale shark came into view and as it came alongside, we started swimming along with it. The whale sharks are such amazing, beautiful, and graceful creatures and what an amazing feeling to be able to swim along right next to one.

While we were with the whale shark, the 1st group was picked up and dropped back in the water further in front and after the whale shark moved past us the boat came to get us as well.

This process went on for a solid hour and a half with only a couple of breaks of 5min or so to move from one whale shark to another. In the water, swim along with the shark, back on the boat and the straight back in again ahead of it.

By the time we had finished we were completely stuffed but still so pumped to have been able to have so many swims with these beautiful animals. All up we swam with 6 whale sharks and were in and out of the water constantly for an hour and a half which was unreal. The average swim time for the whole whale shark fleet is 18 min.with 1-2 sharks so we felt pretty privileged.

After the whale shark swimming they normally do lunch while the boat goes back to the inner reef for another snorkel, but the tide was now too low to get back in the southern passage so as the water was very calm we were given the opportunity to snorkel on the outer reef. This was a great perspective on the different sides to a reef , the shallow inner and the more exposed outer parts. There were still lots of coral and fish life on the reef and we could also see long lines almost cut into the reef from the moment of the ocean. While we were there we were also very lucky to see a leopard shark cruising along. Leopard sharks are the closest relatives to the whale sharks.

When we finished our swim we hoped back on the boat for lunch as we started cruising up the coast towards the northern passage through the reef. Lunch was a yummy selection of cold meats and salads and even tiger prawns.

After lunch we gathered upstairs for a talk on the reef and some really interesting info on the whale sharks. The whale sharks can have up to 300 babies inside them at the same time, all at different growth stages from tadpoles to 55cm ready to be born. They also think that they go very deep to give birth to reduce the number of predators for the babies. They have also been known to dive as deep as 5000m below the surface.

Once back inside the reef we had a look at some coral formations from the boat while we had an afternoon snack and a beer before being ferried back to shore and on to the bus to take us home.

This has to be one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had and although it is expensive it was definitely worth it. The crew from ocean eco adventures were fantastic the whole day and made it perfect.

Wednesday we decided to go back to the oyster stacks for another snorkel as it is such a great spot so close to shore and our friends came with us. The kids played on the beach while we took turns to go for a swim. We found a turtle here again and got to watch him feeding on the seaweed that grows in with the coral.

On the way back to camp we stopped at the lighthouse which has awesome views over the area.

In the afternoon we cooked a roast for our friends to say thanks for looking after the kids so we could do the whale shark trip together.

Thursday 2nd May, it was time to say goodbye to our friends and the coast for a bit as we are heading to karrijini. So stay tuned for the next edition of our story where we check out this amazing national park and head towards Broome and then east again.

Route part 17 Geraldton to Exmouth

The Big Trip part 9

And the journey continues.

Wednesday 8th March we left Albany and drove the massive distance of 60km haha to Denmark. On the way into town, we stopped at the information centre and checked out what to do in the area.

After getting to the caravan Park and setting up, we spent the rest of the day doing a bit more planning of where we were heading.

Thursday we did a day trip to William bay NP to see greens pool and elephant rocks. This has to be one of the most beautiful beach locations I’ve ever seen. Greens pool is a lovely sandy beach that is completely sheltered from the waves by a whole line of granite rocks just off the coast creating the perfect swimming and snorkeling location and the perfect place for little ones to splash.

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Snorkeling around the rocks I saw lots of fish of different types, crabs, urchins and different seaweeds and grasses. The water is crystal clear making it so easy to see right to the bottom even in the deepest parts.

We spent a good few hours here snorkeling and swimming and playing in the sand before walking the short distance around the headland to elephant rocks.

Another stunning place in a narrow cove with the name coming from the large granite boulders on the beach and in the water within the cove I guess looking like a herd of elephants.  It is also great for snorkeling and swimming here but there is much more of a pull in and out from the swell. Most of the cove is fairly shallow and I could stand up but around the boulders it was much deeper and you could easily climb up and jump off the rocks into the water. Because of the swell moving in and out more here, the water had more sand and seaweed floating around reducing the visibility a bit.

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Once we had finally had enough of these gorgeous places, we headed back towards Denmark stopping at the chocolate lounge on the way.

For a chocolate place, the chocolate lounge didn’t have very much chocolate at all. Half a dozen different flavours of individual chocolates and some tasting trays of chocolate buttons and the rest of the lounge was dedicated to selling ports and liqueurs. And $14 for a small packet of chocolate buttons is a bit much I think.

I did a tasting of 3 of the spirits and they were ok but personally didn’t find them nice enough to purchase a bottle.

Friday was a bit quieter. We spent most of the morning around camp then made our way into town for lunch and to look around. We of course had to sample the options at the 2 chocolate shops in town which was very nice.

Saturday we left Denmark and on the way to our next camp siter, we stopped 1st at the Valley of the Giants. Here there is a treetop walk and information area. It was great to be up high near the top of the trees looking down at the floor of the forest and out over the valley as well. The walkways do wobble a bit but are still very strong.

from there we drove to the tingle tree which is a huge tree that you can walk through. The walk to the tingle tree is a nice short walk with a few other really big trees in the area as well.

After the walk we drove on to shannon NP to camp for 2 nights. The camp grounds are huge and sit on the old town and mill site. There is also plenty of information on the history of the area.

Sunday morning we decided we would move on a day early as the march flies were horrendous so we packed up the van but before hooking up. we headed back down the road a bit to check out fernhook falls and rowells pool in Mt Frankland NP. The pool was nice but unfortunately there was no water flowing over the falls.

We then drove back to pick up the van and headed to Fonty’s pool caravan park near Manjimup. What a beautiful park with nice grass sites and Fonty’s pool itself which is a man made lake on a small creek surrounded by beautiful lawns. Sunset with just s few clouds in the sky was pretty spectacular too.

Monday 13th March we did a day trip to the Dave Evans Bicentennial tree. This is a fire tower build on one of the huge Karri tree. The 1st platform which I climbed up to is 20m above the ground and the main lookout is 65m above the ground which is the highest tree based fire tower in the world. To get to the top you have to climb up the pegs that have been hammered into the trunk, spiralling all the way up to the top platform.

after a few pics and a video, we did the compulsory stop at another nearby chocolate factory which was very nice and had some lunch. From there it was a quick stop at Beedelup falls then back to the caravan for the rest of the afternoon.

Tuesday We had to head off early and get the batteries tested in Bunbury as they were playing up and after getting them checked, found out they had hadit. So after checking in to the caravan park I drove into Perth to get a new Lithium battery.

While I headed to Perth, Belinda and the kids went to the Dolphin Discovery centre where they saw the aquarium with all sorts of sea creatures.

While at the Battery place in Perth I also took the opportunity to get an inverter for the van so we can run some of the other things when not at a caravan park like the washing machine, modem and stuff like that. When I got back I spent the rest of the afternoon installing the new battery and setting up the chargers to charge the Lithium type properly.

Wednesday Morning we headed down to the beach early to see the dolphins in the ocean out the front of the Dolphin Discovery centre and were lucky enough to see 1 dolphin there named Eclipse. We stood in the water and she swam back and forth Infront of us for a while before she headed out into deeper water. The kids especially thought this was so cool.

We then went back and packed up the van and drove to Olive hill campground just outside Margaret River. This camp it a great little spot with huge sites and lots of space between the sites as we were camped in the olive grove so there where a couple of rows of olive trees each side of the camp spots. After setting up I discovered we were still having power issues but thankfully it turned out to be the solar regulator that didn’t like the lithium battery so I disconnected that from the system and everything started working properly (except no solar input). I also got the van booked into a caravan place after we leave Margaret river to get the solar panels connected to the Dc charger near the battery.

Thursday we just had a quiet day around camp as Belinda wasnt feeling well. The kids had a lot of fun as there were heaps of other families staying here as well which was great.

Friday we went down to Lake cave in the morning and did the tour which was awesome. The water in the cave gives it such a magical look with the stalactites and stalagmites reflecting off the water in the low light.

after climbing the 325 stairs back out of the cave, we headed to Jewel cave and had some lunch before our tour started. Jewel cave is another very pretty cave with lots of flow stone and some very unusual formations on the roof in some areas. Further into the cave (no access areas) there is also Tassie tiger fossils.

After our tour, we headed back to camp stopping in Margaret river for an icecream on the way.

Saturday 18th March we went to the Margaret River farmers markets to get a couple of things and saw our neighbours at the campground there too so we all decided to go for lunch at the pub in town. The meals were big and very nice so we didn’t really need dinner and the boys were occupied playing with our neighbours daughter.

After lunch we all headed back to camp and the kids all played while I had a snooze and Belinda sewed some of the patches we are collecting onto the quilt.

Sunday we headed to Busselton for the day to see the big jetty. when we got there there where some markets near the jetty, so we wen to have a look around. While there we ran into some other friends and their kids we had made and some previous campgrounds and we all went down to the jetty together.

We walked the jetty all the way to the end and back instead of catching the train as it was fairly expensive and the kids didn’t even notice the 1.8km each way as they were too busy having fun with their friends. When we got back to the start of the jetty, the kids all had a play on the pirate ship playground before we said goodbye to our friends as they had other things to do and we were heading off to see more too.

We then headed west from Busselton to Near Dunsborough to see Castle rock. We spent some time there down the beach and found a small area protected by the rocks for the kids to splash in safely. After a good play we headed back to camp for the night.

Monday we went to explore Indijup natural spa and canal rocks. The natural spa is such a cool spot which has a sheltered rock pool area but the waves hit the rocks behind the pools and water flows over the rock from the waves down into the pools and when you sit where the water flows down you get a spa like effect. Despite it being a monday though, it was very busy and we just had to take turns where the water flows over.

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From there we walked just around the rocks a little bit to another smaller pool which was better for the kids to splash in and in that pool we actually saw an octopus swimming between the rocks.

After that we drove round the bay to Canal rocks for a bit of a look before starting back. On the way we stopped at Gralyn wines for a tasting and I got a couple of very nice muscat’s. We then stopped at the chocolate factory and of course just had to get a few things.

By then it was time to head to the brewery near camp to meet 2 other families we met at the campground. We had a great afternoon there and eventually headed back to camp for toasties and a kids movie night at one of the other families camps. (sing 1 & 2)

Tuesday and our last day in Margaret river, we headed south to Hamlin bay in hopes of seeing some of the stingrays that come right up to the shore near the boat ramp there.

We initially took a wrong turn and ended up at cosy corner which had some really nice views of the coastline. So we took a few photos and then backtracked and got on the right road to Hamlin bay.

As a lot of these places are, it was fairly busy with people wanting to see the rays just like we did. It was quiet to start with none around so after waiting for 15 min or so, we decided to go for a walk down the beach towards some interesting looking cliffs. A good thing we did as a few hundred metres down the beach we did see one of the rays very close in and were able to wade in as it swam past us.

We explored the area where the cliffs meet the water for a bit and on our way back we saw the same ray and followed it along the beach and were lucky enough to see a 2nd one heading in the opposite direction too. at one point one of the rays rubbed its side on my leg as it swam past, it felt a bit like leather.

when both the rays swam off, we walked back to the car and drove back to Margaret River to get a few things from the shops and then out to Millers ice cream. MMMMMMM so good!!!!! this has to be the best flavoured ice cream i’ve ever tried. The apple crumble flavour really tastes like apple crumble and the strawberry cheesecake one really tastes like cheesecake soooo good.

We went back to camp after that to get packed up as we had to leave very early the next morning. After getting the van and car all organised we went over to one of the other families sites for a bbq dinner with the same 2 families that we went to the pub with. We had another great evening before saying our goodbyes and heading to bed.

Wednesday 22nd March, we left at 6am as we had to drop the van off in Bunbury at 730am to get the solar panels re wired to the DC charger. After dropping the van off we spent the day in Bunbury, visiting the dolphin centre again, parks, beaches and a couple of shops before picking up the van at 430pm and driving about 40 min to our camp at Potters gorge.

Thursday and Friday at potter’s gorge were quiet days spent relaxing in the bush and doing some planning for the next month or so. Thursday afternoon we headed into Collie to meet up with another family we met at a camp who live there so the kids could have a play together. It was nice to have a couple of days of not doing much.

Saturday we left potter’s gorge and headed to Coogee beach near Fremantle to stay for the week. After setting up we gave the car a very overdue clean inside and out.

Sunday, we checked out the maritime museum and the shipwreck museum. The maritime museum is a great place to visit, with heaps of interesting history and lots of different boats on display. Australia II is even in there which is the yacht that won the Americas cup in 1983.  There is also a preserved megamouth shark in a tank in there and you can look right into its mouth and eye through the window. It is a very big shark but like the whale shark it eats very small things like plankton.

The shipwreck museum was really good as well. They have the rear quarter of a Dutch ship on display that sank in 1629 off the coast near Geraldton they also have a lot of the things off the ship like cannons, brick which it was carrying, coins, and other items. There is also heaps of other things recovered from some of the other Dutch ships that sunk off the coast in the 1700s.

Monday we did a day trip to penguin island to see the little (fairy) penguins. The feeding was really good with lots of information about the penguins and their life on the island as well as stories about the penguins in the visitors centre.

There are 7 penguins in the centre that were rescued around the area. 2 as abandoned babies, another one that doesn’t like to swim so can’t hunt his own food, and the others who can in with various injuries.

One penguin, Gerry is a very old girl who lost sight in one eye in fishing nets, she is 25 years old which is a great effort since little penguins live on average 7-10 years in the wild. Penguins generally mate for life and Gerry had a husband in the centre called piggy, but he died at the ripe old age of 26. Before the staff had had a chance to Bury piggy or even stop crying, Gerry has already moved on to a younger by called skip and they have been pretty much inseparable since. Although Gerry is now too old to produce eggs, apparently that doesn’t stop her having fun at breeding time.

Tuesday 28th March and the morning was spent running around doing bits and pieces. Just before lunch we headed into Perth to do a tour of the mint. The mint is a really interesting place to visit and on the tour you get to see some really cool things like the world’s biggest gold coin which weighs 1tonne and is currently valued at about 96 million dollars. We also got to see a gold poor where they made a gold bar and got to pick up a 1 million dollar gold bar ( was in a case so you can’t run off with it). There is also a set of scales that tell you your weights value in gold instead of kgs I’m worth 8.1 million.

After the tour, we had a look around the shop area and bought a gold bar ( gold rapper around chocolate) and a special set of coins. These coins are all 2023 dated coins but they have the queen’s head on them making them extra special. These had already been produced before the queen’s death and were released anyway.

We left the mint and went to have a quick look at king’s park before driving out to Mullaloo beach to catch up with some friends we met at Margaret River and to see an Arial acrobatic show in the park by the beach. We had a great night catching up and the show was amazing. The kids loved the giant fairies walking around on stilts as well. We finally left at about 9pm and headed home to sleep.

Wednesday we went down to Mandurah and hired a couple of kayaks and paddled around the harbour area looking for dolphins. Didn’t see any but we had a fun time anyway. We even got shot at by a pirate ship!!! ( Water canons) After that we had some lunch and walked around the harbour until we found the pirate ship and joined the next pirate cruise along the waterways. With lots of arrrrr’s and shooting the water canons we played pirate and saw the canal areas. The boys had a ball.

After our pirate adventure, we went to find some giants. These are wooden giant people in several different places around the area. Each one involves a walk from the carpark of between 500m and 1.8 km each, so was a good way to get a bit of exercise as well. The giants are pretty cool.

Thursday was a day of doing pits and pieces on the van and around camp so pretty boring stuff really.

Friday we went back to Mandurah and had a nice walk through the bush to find another one of the giants. After that it was a bit of shopping and back to the caravan to cook a yummy roast pork for dinner.

Saturday 1st April. We moved on from Coogee beach and drove the huge distance of about 80km to Henry white oval campground in Yanchep np. It’s a great little campground with clean toilets and showers and a big camp kitchen and quite cheap being national parks fees. In the afternoon we had a walk around the park and saw the koalas in their sanctuary and looked around the picnic areas while the boys rode their bikes along the paths.

In the late afternoon, the kangaroos come out and there are heaps munching away on the oval right next to our camp which was cool.

Sunday we had a quiet day around camp and I watched the Melbourne F1 race.

Monday morning we left Yanchep and headed about 2 hours north to sandy cape recreational park although it took us most of the day as we made a few stops along the way.

1st stop was at the pinnacles in Nambung NP. These pinnacles of stone sticking up out of the sand around them is so unique and interesting. They have been these for possibly millions of years and scientists still don’t know how they were formed. They do believe that they were there before the sand and have been covered and then uncovered again over the centuries.

After doing the 4km drive around the pinnacles, our next stop was at Cervantes to see the thrombolites. These are made by cyanobacteria and are up to 3500 years old and still growing.

From there we drove the last 20min or so to camp and were lucky enough to find one of the last spots backing up to the dune just behind the beach. By the time we had the van setup, the kids had already made friends with several other kids staying in the campgrounds and were happily playing.

Tuesday we stopped in at Jurien bay and got some info from the information centre on what to do in the area. On advice from the staff there, we then took a drive out to Leseur NP. Here there is a 15km 1 way circuit drive through the park with several places to stop and do hikes of different lengths. We didn’t do any hikes this day but just enjoyed the drive and the scenery. After that we headed back to camp via the very slow but fun 4wd track entering from the north end of the camping area and then chilled out for the rest of the afternoon.

Wednesday we did another day trip. This time we drove to stockyard gully reserve to do the short walk there along the gully and through the cave there. What a cool cave. Formed by the water flowing through the gully after heavy rains it is a very large tunnel that we could walk all the way through and out the other end. Because it is a river cave there are no pretty formations like stalactites but it’s still an awesome place to see. There is also another cave just past the stairs leading out of the gully but there is a fence across it so we didn’t go through that one. All up it’s only a 1.3km walk so pretty easy.

After some lunch at the car, we made our way back to the coast and checked out a few beaches in the area. 1st we stopped at Milligan island and then drove just down the coast a bit to Point Louise. Both are beautiful spots for a fish or a swim. On the way, we came across a couple of guys that tried unsuccessfully to get their commodore down to the beach. After making a bit of fun at them, we towed them out which they were very grateful for. They even gave the kids $20 to share for helping.

After the beaches we went into Green Head for an ice cream by the beach before heading back to camp.

Thursday we packed up in the morning to head to Geraldton to stay at a place called The Cottage Garden. Before we had packed up there was already someone there waiting for the spot at 9 am. It was about a 2 hour drive to Geraldton and after arriving and getting set up, we headed into town to do some shopping and go to the information centre.

When we got back to camp we met the lovely couple that own the property which is really just a 2 acre block with a house and a large yard out the back. The have power and water set up for a couple of vans and only ever have 1 or 2 at a time which makes it nice and quiet. There is also 3 chickens running around that lay their eggs in the fork of a tree and the kids love collecting them.

Friday 7th April, we drove into town mid morning to have a look around and our 1st stop was the HMAS Sydney memorial. The memorial is incredibly special and very well done. The dome is made of 645 metal doves to simbolize the 645 live lost when the sydney sank. There has now also been added a water pool with a map of the coast and ocean with a gull with a wing in the water where the HMAS Sydney II lies.

On the evening of November 19 1941 the Sydney came across the Kormoran on its way back from escorting a transport shop to the sunda straights.
After the Kormoran was unable to report the safe word to the Sydney, it opened fire on the Australian ship.
The battle would ultimately lead to the sinking of both ships with all 645 crew on the Sydney lost. No trace of the Sydney was found except for one life raft until it was finally located on 16th March 2008 off steep point in 2500m of water.

After spending some time at the memorial, we went off to find the lighthouse and from there, a park for some lunch and a play. Once the kids had been worn out, we headed back to camp for the rest of the afternoon.

Saturday we had a quiet day around camp and catching up one chores.

Easter Sunday the kids woke up early as expected very excited to see the easter bunny had found them on our holiday. They had an easter egg hunt and way too much chocolate so spent most of the day hyped up and full of energy. we had a bit of a movie day which was nice.

Monday to Thursday were quiet days doing bits and pieces and waiting for a couple of packages to arrive. Had the car serviced Tuesday, did a bit of van maintenance, had a few plays at the park.

We did go to the museum for a few hours on the Wednesday and really enjoyed it. We did the guided tour of the shipwrecks area which gave us some really interesting info on the batavia and other wrecks off this region over the centuries. One of the items in the batavia’s cargo was all the pieces for a big sandstone arch which they have in the museum all set up. (The actual sandstone recovered from the wreck not replicas). There was also heaps of stories about other wrecks from the 17th and 18th century which we found fascinating.

I think that’s enough for now. Next part we will be going further up the west coast to Kalbarri, steep point and Exmouth.

Route part 15 Esperance to Manjimup

Route part 16 Manjimup to Geraldton

The Big Trip Part 8

Time to cross the nullabor and to start exploring Western Australia. Neither of us have really seen much of WA at all so we are really looking forward to this next part of our trip.

Friday 10th Feb. We packed up and before leaving town, had to stop at the car wash to wash the van as we had been parked under trees and lots of birds had left their droppings all over it. It was a fairly short days drive today at about 300km to Nullabor roadhouse. On the way we stopped in at Fowlers bay for lunch and a walk along the jetty and also to Head of the Bight centre to see the fantastic views.

We reached the roadhouse about 4pm and as the wind was reasonably strong off the sea, we decided not to camp near the cliffs, but head inland from the roadhouse to the Murrawijinie caves to camp for the night. These are not caves in the side of a hill. but rather big holes in the ground where the roof has collapsed providing access to the caves. 2 of the 3 caves would require climbing down the vertical face into and the 3rd has a rough overgrown track down which we decided not to follow as we were concerned about snakes.

We camped near one of the caves on a flat piece of ground and it was so peaceful there with nothing around on the flat plains but the bushes covering the area, The sunset was pretty spectacular too.

Saturday we continued along the Nullabor stopping at the nullabor roadhouse 1st for fuel and souvenirs. Along the way we stopped at a few of the lookouts from the cliffs on the bight and crossed into WA. Our stop for the night was at Caiguna Blowhole (not much of a blowhole more just a hole in the ground). It did feel a bit weird travelling for about 8 hours including stops and setting up camp at 1.30 in the afternoon because of the time difference between SA and WA but we had had enough of being in the car for one day. It worked out well because there was another van at the campsite that had a boy that the kids had played with in Ceduna so they were well occupied.

Sunday we drove the last 400km to Norseman and stopped and the free RV camp in town. Is a good place to stop with sites all marked out and toilets and a dump point nearby. You can also get water for a small cost ($2 for 60l). You do need to get there early to have a chance at getting one of the few grassy sites though.

Monday and we were all excited to head south and get to see some of these famous beaches everyone raves about so off we went 1st to esperance where we stopped and stocked up at the supermarket before heading to camp. The woollies in Esperance thankfully has a large open area across the road from the main car park where vans can park and when we arrived it was packed with vans and campers everywhere. Not surprising since it is the 1st real opportunity to restock on food after leaving SA and not being able to take fresh fruit and veg across the border. While in town we also stopped at the information centre and got some info and were able to fill the water tanks up as well.

After stocking up on water and supplies we drove east again to membinup campground for 6 night. The campground is right in between Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid national parks so was a good base to explore both.

Tuesday 14th February, we took the shortcut from our camp to Duke of Orleans which is a fun 5km track through the dunes to our 1st beach stop and a walk along the beach and along the sand bar to table island. From there we headed round to little Warton beach where we had lunch and a great play on the beach and in the water. There where a couple of other families there too and the kids quickly made friends.

We also had to help a silly land rover driver who tried to drive onto the sand without letting his tyres down and with no recovery gear. All in a days fun. On the way home we stopped at Warton beach for a walk before going back to camp for dinner.

Wednesday we did a day trip to Cape Le Grand NP and our 1st stop was Frenchmans peak to hike up to the top. It’s a relatively short walk at just over 2km return, but very steep walking up the rock face most of the climb but definitely worth it with great views over almost the whole park and coastline. There is also a cave below the summit that is open at both ends and looks really cool looking out the southern end to the coast.

After slowly making our way down, we headed to Lucky Bay for lunch and a swim. Unfortunately no kangaroos on the beach today but still a beautiful beach with crystal clear water. After a bit of time there, we moved on to check out Thistle cove and Whistling rock. We couldn’t hear any whistling but think we found a rock with a hole in it that would whistle with enough wind and then had a quick look at Thistle cove before making our way further round to Hellfire Bay. We had a lovely walk all the way down the beach at Hellfire cove before driving back to camp for the night. People always rave about the beaches in north Queensland but I really don’t think they compare to the pure while sand and crystal clear water of the beaches in this region.

Thursday 16th, we had a quieter day and spent the morning down the beach near camp where we relaxed under the awning and the boys played in the sand and in the water. Later in the day I went for a drive to get some more water and the rest of the family played around camp.

Friday we headed in the opposite direction to check out some of the beaches and sits in Cape Arid NP east of our camp spot. It was a beautiful sunny day for us to play on the beach and we had a great time. Our 1st stop was at Dolphin cove and it was a short walk from the carpark, over the rocks to the beach. We had the whole place to ourselves for most of our time down there where we walked along the beach, checked out the crabs in the rocks at the far end and just enjoyed the peace and sounds of the ocean. (and the noises from the boys).

After that it was a short walk back up the rocks and over the otherside to Little Tagon Bay. A smaller but no less beautiful beach and a great spot for a swim. Once we finished there, we went back to the car to drive down to Tagon Beach for lunch.

The track down to the beach here is quite soft towards the end and there are plenty of warnings about only 4wd access and let tyres down. We did that and got down to the beach having to dodge around another car coming up the track as we went down. Luckily where we met there was an area to pass off the side of the main track.

This is a much bigger beach and we stopped only a short way up near the inlet of a small creek. We had lunch there and a bit of a play before it was time to head back to camp.

The whole day at Cape Arid NP we only saw half a dozen people out there so it would be a great place to camp to avoid the crowds.

Saturday we had planned to get up and drive to Lucky bay for sunrise, however when we woke up it was already light (5am) but we headed there anyway for breakfast of bacon & egg wraps on the beach and a fun morning playing and swimming. It turns out my app that i checked the sunrise time on was still set on south australian time which is why we woke up late but then also decided we would not try again the next day as that would mean getting up at 3.30am to get there before the sun came up at 4.40am.

Anyway it was a glorious morning with almost no wind and a little fog around giving a really nice effect on the way there and down at the beach. Some kangaroos were also spotted further down the beach in the dunes.

We left there a bit before 11am and headed over to Le Grand beach for a look as this was the last area we hadn’t yet explored in Cape Le Grand NP. The beach here runs from the national park all the way back to about 10 km from Esperance and we say quite a lot of people coming up the beach from town to spend the day in the national park. The beach itself is another nice beach and wider than most of the others but probably not as good for playing with the kids due to the amount of traffic going up and down.

Once we had finished there, we made our way back to camp a bit after lunch time so i could get the roast pork ready and cooking for dinner.

Sunday 19th February we all went for a walk down to the beach before packing up and driving back into Esperance to stay for 4 nights. We stopped in town 1st to get some groceries but the woollies was closed!! oh well it is Sunday and a country town. We stopped at the IGA for the basics and made our way to the caravan park to set up. The RAC park in Esperance it a little on the expensive side but the facilities ar the best around. it has a huge camp kitchen and tv/lounge area, a large pool and playground. It also has 3 amenities blocks all look quite new.

In the afternoon we stayed around the park and started the washing and also met up with some other friends we had met in Ceduna that we and the kids had gone to dinner with so the boys particularly were very excited about that.

Monday Belinda did the big hike around the bay to Twilight beach and inland to pink lake while i stayed with the boys and did washing, shopping and had a bit wiring modifications to the caravan.

When we went to pick Belinda up from Pink lake we had a bit of a wayward adventure. Just as we were leaving pink lake to come home, a lady came up and asked us to take her to the hospital as a large lump had blown up on her leg and didn’t know what from. Her husband had already started walking back to twilight beach and he didn’t have his phone so she couldn’t call him. We took her in and she asked if we could find her husband waiting at the beach and let him know what happened, so we drove out there and found hin easily enough but he did not have the car keys, she did haha so we gave him a lift back into the hospital too just and they would catch a taxi back when she was done. We were happy to do it as we would like to think someone would do the same for us in a similar situation.

In the afternoon we all went to the pool for a swim and cool down before heading out for dinner to catch up with Belinda’s cousin. We had a very tasty meal and a good time at 33 degrees in town and when we got back to camp there was a nice note, a bottle of wine and a 6 pack on the table under the awning from the people we helped earlier in the day.

Tuesday morning after doing the household chores and homeschooling for one of the boys, we headed down to Twilight beach ourselves for a swim. It was going to be very hot today reaching 42deg so a swim in the cool water was just the thing to do. We also met up with our friends there and the 4 kids all had a great time together in and out of the water. The beach on the western end of the bay where the main car park is, is a beautiful cove with some large rock just out 50m or so from the beach helping to protect the area which made it perfect for the smaller kids and also makes for a great photo opportunity. As expected it was busy at the beach but certainly not packed like some beaches nearer to major cities.

We all spent a good couple of hours there going in and out of the water until it was getting a bit too hot and windy so we left the beach to head back to camp. Just as we were loading the car the shark alarm was sounded as one had been sighted in the area and we heard from someone else that shortly after that they closed the beach completely as the shark had come right into the bay. Later we saw some footage that our friends got with the drone of the shark and it was a bigone and it had come in quite close to where the surfers were at the other end of the bay.

After lunch we did a few things around then van and went to the pool for a swim to cool off. For dinner we met down at the camp kitchen with 2 families we have become friends with for a bbq. we all had a great time and the 6 kids all played together in the playground and then in the lounge area as the rain had turned up. Plenty of food and good company to top off another great day.

Wednesday 22nd was a quieter day, the kids and Belinda went for a play at the park and I had a rest. In the afternoon we went for a swim at the pool.

Thursday we headed off again, this time to masons bay which is about 2h along the coast to the west of esperance. It’s a good spot right near the beach and if you pick one of the sites back a bit there is more protection from the wind too. We also met up with some other friends we had met in esperance and spent most of the afternoon with them so the kids could play together while we just hung out.

Friday we took a short drive to starvation bay which has a great little area for a swim and snorkel just next to the boat ramp. We swam and looked for crabs and Belinda even had a go at fishing and caught a small fish.

starvation bay

In the afternoon the kids played and i cooked a nice roast lamb and veggies.

Saturday we moved camp into Hopetoun for a night. We had a delicious lunch at the port hotel in town and had a bit of a play on the beach just over the dune from camp in the afternoon.

Sunday morning we moved on again to Bremer bay. Having a quiet afternoon at camp.

Monday February 27, we headed out on a day trip to see Point Ann. Point Ann is where the number 2 rabbit proof fence started. From the carpark it is an easy 1.5km circuit to the fence and the point and back again. There is not much left of the fence these days except a couple of posts and some very rusty mesh fencing on the ground but there is quite a lot of great information along the walk to stop and read. It is very interesting to see and great for the boys to learn about as well. Schooling on the road while having

Tuesday we just had a quiet day at the caravan Park. The boys played and we relaxed at the van.

Wednesday 1st March, we packed up and departed Bremer bay for Albany. And arrived at the king river palms caravan Park early afternoon. It is a lovely little park right by the king river with large Grassy sites and very friendly owners. After setting up we made our way into town for a look around and to collect some things from the post office. We also made the compulsory stop at the information centre to get ideas for places to see while in the area. After that we went back to camp and looked through the brochures and did a little planning while the kids played on the playground right near our van.

Thursday we started by heading the gap and natural bridge in torndirrup np for a look around. The natural bridge is very cool although the tide was not high so the water didn’t come all the way in under the bridge. The gap had an awesome viewing platform that hangs out over the gap and you can see straight down and see the waves crashing against the rocks in this narrow gap in the rock cliff. The area is really well set up with lots of great information on boards along the raised walkways.

From there we drove to Frenchman’s bay to catch up with some friends. We stayed for a little while while the kids all played together. As the weather was threatening to rain and there was a strong wind, we all decided to go to the Anzac centre in town. This is a must visit if you come to Albany. Albany is the location where all the troop ships departed carrying out troops to Gallipoli and, Europe and Africa to fight during world war I and the Anzac centre has a brilliant setup showing all sorts of information and detailed stories of individual soldiers that fought in the different campaigns. They have these audio pods that you scan at the different areas and listen to the stories about different people and different battles that the Anzacs fought in.

Of all the horses that went over with us, only one came home due to our quarantine rules and there the hoof of that horse has been preserved and on display at the centre. There is so much information and so many stories here you could easily spend several hours reading and listening to them all.

We finished at the Anzac centre about 4pm and decided to check out the distillery before dinner. At the limeburners distillery they make whiskey and gin, we sampled a few different types which were nice but not really our thing so we didn’t buy any bottles.

By the time we had finished with the tastings, It was time for dinner and we made our way to the due south hotel for pizza. Not the cheapest but really tasty with home made bases and plenty of toppings. The kids pizzas were just as big as the normal ones but half the price so we had plenty of leftovers to take home.all up it was a really good day with good friends.

Friday morning and the sun had come out, so we headed to two peoples bay for the day to check out the beaches and play in the ocean.

Little beach is another one of those special places we seem to keep coming across in this area. White sand, crystal clear aqua water and even these two big granite rocks right in the middle of the beach. We spent the morning there, playing on the beach and in the water. There were small waves, just enough to body surf for a few metres but a bit of fun. The kids are getting more comfortable with the beach swells the more time we spend at the beach which is good.

We left Little beach after lunch and moved just down the road to two peoples bay. This is a much larger bay stretching several km’s but you can really only access the beach at either end and on the southern end where we were, you can take the car down on to the beach but this access is limited to a small section near the boat ramp.

The southern end is very sheltered and had almost no swell at all which is great for our youngest although here he found some other kids to play with and didn’t go for a swim.

When we had finished there, we headed back to the caravan park and spent the rest of the afternoon doing a bit of planning for the next couple of weeks.

Saturday morning we met up with a family we had met in streaky bay so the kids could all play in the park together. Everyone had a great time and about lunch time we left, did a bit of shopping and headed back to camp. The afternoon was spent doing some planning of where to go and stay over the next couple of weeks while the boys played with other kids at the caravan Park.

Sunday we travelled north a bit to castle rock to do the hike up to the granite Skywalk the walk is a little under 5km return and reasonably easy but steady uphill until you get to the big rocks near the top. From there you have to scramble through between big boulders climbing up as you do. There are a few pegs in the rock to hold on to or step on but smaller kids will need help as they are too far apart for them. After the scramble, there is a small platform and a 7m ladder that takes you Up to the Skywalk and some very nice views. It would have been nice to get some Arial pics but there were too many people around and it was quite windy up the top.

After enjoying the views we made our way back down and had lunch at the car before heading back to town.

After lunch it was a trip to see the brig Amity which the boys loved exploring and down to the port to see the big ships.

Monday 6th March, we took a drive down to West cape howe NP and made our 1st stop at Shelly beach. We played there for a bit and then headed further into the park and down the proper 4wd tracks towards Torbay head and West cape howe. We didn’t quite make it to Torbay head and dunksy beach as we came across a steep sandy downhill section with some very big holes that we would have to come back up and as there were no solid trees or anything to winch off if we got stuck coming up, we decided to turn around.

We were still able to get to West cape howe and stopped there for lunch of pies and spring rolls and enjoyed the views. When it was time to leave, we headed back up the 4wd tracks to the main road and drove back to Albany and back to camp to cook a yummy roast lamb for dinner.

Tuesday was our last full day in Albany and we drove back to torndirrup NP where I was dropped off to do the 12.5km bald head hike while the rest of the family checked out misery beach and the whaling station.

The bald head hike is a grade 5 hike following the ridge line out to bald head. There are 2 decent climbs each way, the 1st one on the way back being the steepest. Most of the track is made of raised platforms but the last part is a scramble over the rocks. At several places along the track you get amazing views over the southern ocean or back towards Albany you can see the ships coming in and out of the port.

When you finally reach bald head there is a Cairn to mark the spot and there is a plastic container tucked into a crevice with a book in it for hikers to fill in their names.

After a rest, something to eat and some photos, I started back along the track. It always seems harder on the way back (probably because my legs were already feeling it). The whole hike took me about 5 hours with plenty of rest stops. And I was absolutely buggered by the end but it was well worth it.

While I was hiking, the others played on misery beach and had a swim, did a short walk to Stony Hill lookout and then went to the whaling station.

The whaling station covers a huge area and has heaps of fascinating and sometimes upsetting information. It shows the history of whaling in western Australia and the damage that this caused to the whale and shark populations. There is a skeleton of a blue whale, humpback whale and a sperm whale in there and a 3d cinema showing shows on the history.

Once I returned from the hike and the others finished at the whaling station, we all went back to camp and had a paddle on the canoes on the river at the caravan Park.

That’s all for now. In the next part we will be travelling through Denmark and up and the south west corner then up to Margaret River and towards Perth.

Route part 14 Streaky Bay to Esperance

Route part 15 Esperance to Manjimup

The Big Trip part 7

Day 1 in Port Lincoln, Monday the 23rd of January, we were up nice and early to take Belinda down to the harbour for her full day trip to dive with great white sharks. Not my thing personally, but what a great experience.

As hubby mentioned, he dropped me off at the dock very early. I went with Calypso Star charters, as they’ve got the best rating and reviews online. There were quite a few of us going on the boat, around 45 people plus the crew, which surprised me, as I didn’t think there’d be that many.

It was a long and rough boat ride out to the Neptune Islands Marine park. As I’m prone to seasickness, I was well prepared, but I opted to be outside in the fresh sea air. While heading out, one of the crew came around with a chart asking us to write our names down as we’d be going into the cage 8 at a time. As I was travelling solo, I ended up in group 6 out of 8. (Not all groups had 8 people though).

Neptune Islands consists of 4 small islands, which provides a safe anchorage for the cage diving experience. The North and South islands are 35 and 40 Nautical miles from Port Lincoln, with a travel time of approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Australian Fur Seals call these islands home and I was able to see some relaxing on the rocky coves. The sky was very overcast and cloudy, some cool wind in the air, but overall it was beautiful out on the water. The ocean surface appeared quite dark from on the boat, I was concerned about visibility in the water, but the crew assured me, I’d be able to see the marine life once in the cage and under the water. There’s a lot of bird life around and on the islands.

Once our Captain found a good spot, they dropped anchor, and gave a group talk about keeping our fingers and hands inside the cage, and how to use the diving regulator mouthpiece, and encouraged us all to have a practice before our turn to dive. I was extremely nervous about breathing underwater with the regulator, but I managed ok.

I had a while to wait until my turn in the cage, so I found a seat upstairs to get a good view of the ocean life. They served up a nice buffet lunch for us in the meantime, with salads, bread rolls, chicken drumsticks and beverages. I opted to fill a plate and save it for after my cage dive.

As the groups entered the Cage, the staff on the boat would take photos of each person all kitted up climbing in the cage. I watched as staff threw the natural fish burley into the water to attract the sharks, some of the sharks would partially leap out of the water, while others would dart around below the waters surface, it was an amazing sight. As my turn grew closer I felt more and more nervous.

Finally it was time to get suited up for my greatly anticipated cage dive! We put on thick wet suits, boots, a weight belt and snorkel mask. Then had my photo taken by the Captain, as I climbed down the ladder into the cage, with an oxygen regulator in my mouth, of course.

Once in the cage, I focused on getting my breathing under control, as I was breathing heavy due to my nervousness. But once I looked up and saw how clear the ocean appeared , I instantly felt a calm wash over me. So many Trevally, Blue fin Tuna and Kingfish swimming in all directions, following the natural fish burley, here and there. Some of the fish were so large, longer than my arm, I felt comfortable in the cage, and took in the beautiful scenery while others slowly entered the cage. Some of the people in my group were quite frightened of getting in and took their sweet time, which just meant I had more time to get comfortable before they began throwing the bait out.

Once the staff began throwing out the burley, a large grey shadow appeared off in the water, we were all excited and tapping one another on the shoulder pointing at it and preparing our Go Pro’s for the first picture or video. Well, it was certainly large and grey. The Great white moved so graciously through the water, it dwarfed the trevally and tuna darting out of it’s path, so slowly the shark moved towards the cage, then calmly changed direction to swim below us. We all followed it’s path with our Go Pro’s in hand, trying to capture every second of the beautiful fish.

We had about 45 minutes below the surface in the cage. The Great White gracefully glided past the cage a few more times, giving us a quick glance, LOL. The sharks must be used to seeing dinner in the cage all the time out there! We only saw the one shark while my group was in the cage, however we did see a few others throughout the day. Once our time was up, I didn’t want to leave the cage, I didn’t feel scared at all, just in awe of these large majestic fish.

One of the groups before mine, had a Great White swim directly at the cage and attempt to bite the railing of the cage! I hope she didn’t loose a tooth.

Once I was out of the cage and back in the boat, I got out of the heavy wet suit and headed for the tiny bathroom for a quick shower to warm up and get changed. I grabbed my lunch and dug in. Shortly after we made our way back to Port Lincoln, I spent the few hours enjoying the scenery and making new friends with like minded travellers. Needless to say, I slept well that night.

Another amazing experience ticked off the Life long Bucket List!

While Belinda was on the tour, the boys and I spent the morning doing a few things around town and got some yummy fish & chips for lunch before making our way back to camp. In the afternoon gave the car a well overdue bath and the kids found some other kids in the park to play with. After dinner we drove back to the harbour to pick up a very tired but very happy wife and it was pretty much straight to bed when we got back to the van.

The next morning was a bit of a late start as we all slept in a bit, but when we did get going we drove up to Tumby bay for a look around. It’s a nice little town but we didn’t stop in the main part as the jetty was closed, but instead drove through and out to the point. We parked there and had a nice walk up along the beach and rocks to the headland where you could look out to Tumby Island. On the way back we also came across a snake slithering along on the rocks, so we made sure we stayed well clear of him.

On the way back through town we stopped at the bakery for some vanilla slice for us and jelly slice for the kids before moving on to Glen forest tourist park. We spent the afternoon at the tourist park seeing all the wildlife. the kids got to feed lots of different animals from the usual kangaroos to emus, a camel, sheep and rabbits. We also all got the opportunity to pat the koalas during their feeding time. When we had finished seeing and feeding all the animals, we headed into town to the information centre to get the key to the southern part of Lincoln NP in preparation for our day trip there the next morning.

Wednesday morning we headed off about 9 to explore Lincoln NP. We made our way straight for the track down through the gates (which we got the key for) and all the way to Memory cove at the end of the track. It is a good track, nice and firm but rough in places so it was a slow drive, taking us about an hour to cover the 20km or so to Memory cove. Memory cove is a beautiful, quiet spot and would be a great place to camp but getting into the campsite between the trees with the caravan would have been all but impossible you would have to back in a caravan and the only turn around spot is very tight and has low overhanging trees. You definitely could get a camper trailer in there without to much trouble. The beach here was lovely, with soft whiter sand and smooth water for the boys to swim in. The water was a little cold though.

After a swim, a play and some lunch, we headed off again back down the track and up to the more publicly accessible northern section of the park. on the way up, we checked out a few of the campgrounds in the park, immediately wishing we had stayed here instead of the caravan park as it is just beautiful right by the water on the sheltered side of the bay. We stopped at Fisherman’s point for a quick play on the beach and then went out to the furthest beach of September beach. We stopped here for a while taking photos and playing on the beach.

By the time we finished here it was getting late so we hopped back in the car and started back towards Port Lincoln. We stopped in town on the way through and got takeaway for tea to take back to camp. The roads through the northern part of the park were all very good and even though half were dirt, would be fine for a 2wd car. for a caravan we thought either Fishermans point or September beach were the best options.

Thursday, Australia day. We headed out and spent the morning in Coffin bay where we had a walk along the foreshore and then made our way into Coffin Bay NP to see a couple of the lookouts. 1st we stopped at point aux crabiers which looks west up towards the great Australian bight before going across to golden island lookout. Another beautiful view from here but it was very windy so we had a quick lunch at the picnic tables there before heading back to Port Lincoln for the afternoon.

One thing that has amazed me is the colour of the water throughout the southern Eyre peninsula. Such bright aquas and blues.

We spent most of the afternoon at the Tunarama festival in Port Lincoln where the boys had a ride on one of the sideshow rides and spent a bit of time at the kids disco. On the way home we also stopped at the Axel Stenross maritime museum. This is a museum housed in the old Axel Stenross boat building yards and is quite interesting both in the history of the person as well as the maritime history of the area. There are lots of small boats to see and plenty of other boating gear as well, The kids really enjoyed seeing all the things there too.

Friday was a much quieter day. We went into town in the morning to do some grocery shopping and we spent the rest of the day at camp cooking up a heap of meals to freeze for when we are more remote across the Nullabor in a couple of weeks and resting.

Saturday morning we went to the pool in town so the boys could have a practice with their new snorkel and goggles before needing to try in the ocean in a few days when we go to swim with the sea lions and dolphins at Baird bay. Both did very well. After that, we went to the festival again and the boys got a balloon pirate sword each. We then had the chance to catch up with our friends that we met at point Gibbon so we saw them for a while until it was time to head home for dinner.

Sunday morning and we left port Lincoln and drove up the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula to Tahlia caves. An awesome camp spot surrounded by dunes and close to the beach. We had a relaxing afternoon at camp while the kids wore themselves out playing up and down the big dune just opposite our van.

Monday 30th January and we spent the morning exploring Tahlia cave and the tub. The cave opens to the ocean but you can walk in from the rocks fairly easily but you do need to be careful as the way in is on a fairly steep slope and if you slip you will end up off the edge and in the water.

The tub is a big hole in the ground near the cave and there is a small opening in the rock at 1 end where the ocean can get in at high tide.

After lunch Belinda had a rest at the van while the boys and I went to explore the beach and dunes just south of camp. The beach was very very soft and we did get the car temporarily stuck uncomfortably close to the water until I let the tyre pressure down further to 10psi and was able to reverse out back up my own tracks. After that bit of excitement, we followed the track through the dunes behind the beach for a few KMs and had a play on a big dune down the end before making our way back to camp.

Tuesday we had a late start and eventually headed off to Baird bay where we were booked to go swimming with the dolphins and sea lions on Wednesday. After setting up we did a drive around to the other side of the bay to point labatt where there is a lookout to view a sea lion colony. When we were there we saw about 20 sea lions sleeping on the rock or going in and out of the water. If you go there make sure you take some good binoculars or a big zoom lens for the camera as they are a fair distance away. From there we did a quick run into streaky bay for some groceries before heading back to camp for the night.

Wednesday the 1st February. A day we had been excited about for a while. We were up early and headed just down the beach to the Baird bay ocean eco experience office to do our trip to swim with the dolphins and sea lions. After getting wetsuits on we hoped onto the boat with the other people on the tour and we were off down the bay to look for the dolphins 1st.

It’s not a big boat but enough seating down each side for the 10 of us on the tour and the 2 staff. It was only about a 15min boat ride down the bay until we got to a spot where the dolphins were. On the way we were fitted for our goggles and snorkel and briefed to be ready as once in position we needed to all be in the water together quickly as the dolphins don’t always stay in the same spot.

When the word was given, all the adults hopped in the water but the kids( ours and another families) decided they didn’t want to yet. We then swam around as a group with the dolphins as they swam back and forth past, under and around us. This was such an amazing once in a lifetime experience, seeing these beautiful animals so close to us and in their natural environment.

swimming with the dolphins

After a while we were directed to hop back in the boat and we drove a little further down to see if we could find more dolphins in a clearer part of the bay. We did find some more so back in the water we went and this time our oldest came in too. As he is not a strong swimmer, he was able to float in a big life ring attached by a chord to my leg so I could tow him around. We saw several more dolphins here and our oldest got very excited when he saw one swim straight under him. After that we all got back on the boat and it was time to go across the bay to find the sea lions. On the way across, we had hot Milo and bickies to keep us warm.

The sea lion colony lives in a shallow protected part of the bay on a small island. Once we found a part where there were several females and a couple of males, the boat was anchored and we watched them for a while to make sure they were not in aggressive moods as it was breeding time.

After seeing that all the ones there were ok we jumped in the water to get a closer look. I thought it was going to be hard to top the dolphins but I was wrong….. Such graceful, inquisitive and playful animals the sea lions are. They swam around us, with some of us and came right up to check us out too. We got to see one of the smaller males chasing 2 of the girls around and even getting a bit friendly with one of them. Unfortunately the boys decided not to come back in the water as they were cold but they still got to see the sea lions playing up close from in the boat. Once it was time to get out we headed back up the bay to the office and the end of the tour. This would have to be up there with the best experiences of my life and one I’ll never forget.

swimming with the sealions

That evening my shoulders were so sore from all the swimming as I haven’t done any real amount of swimming in such a long time but it was sooo worth it.

Thursday we had originally planned to stay at Baird bay again in case the tour had been postponed due to weather. Since it hadn’t, we packed up and made the short drive to streaky bay stopping at Murphy’s haystacks on the way. These are not actually haystacks but unusual rock formations Just sitting above the ground on a hill in farmland. They are about 1500 million years old and formed when the softer ground around these granite pillars and boulders was slowly eroded away leaving the granite standing sticking up or on top of the ground.

After a bit of an explore we jumped back in the car and finished the drive to streaky bay. Originally we were going to stay at the RV park but as the weather was wet and windy we decided to stay at the caravan Park with toilets, showers, water and power. The caravan park is also right next to the water.

Friday was a bit of a lay day as it was raining on and off and very windy. In the morning we did a bit of a clean of the inside of the van and in the afternoon we watched a couple of movies.

Saturday February 4th was a better day as the sun came out late morning and we headed around the headland to whistling rocks and blowholes. This is a unique place where fissures in the rocks allow the air to escape from the cave below as the water rushes in from the ocean making quite a noise. To us it sounded like very heavy breathing. Water vapour and spray also come out the top of the bigger holes when the tide is high enough.

After we had finished looking around there, we made our way back to streaky bay and had a nice walk on the beach in the afternoon.

Sunday morning we left streaky bay drove north up the coast to point brown to camp and had a look at perlubie beach on the way. We would have liked to camp at perlubie beach but could not get a booking for the days we needed.

Even though we couldn’t stay at perlubie beach, point brown does not disappoint either. A more rugged coastline but plenty of options to camp on both sides of the point so you can always find a spot protected from the wind.

On the northern side where we camped, the small sheltered bay is great for a swim and has a rocky outcrop on the end near our camp that the kids love playing on and looking for crabs. We spent the afternoon after arriving swimming, and playing on the sand and rocks.

Monday 6th February we took a short drive around the point to the rock pools on the southern side of Brown Point. They are not big rock pools but we found a few small ones in the rocks, spotted some little fish in them which fascinated the kids. We found a nice protected beach between the rocky outcrops which was great for a swim with only small waves so the kids could enjoy it too. after our swim, we headed back to camp and the rest of the afternoon the kids played with some other kids camped there down the beach in front of camp.

Tuesday we left Point Brown and drove to Ceduna to stay for 3 night before crossing the Nullabor. in the afternoon we stopped at the information centre and had a swim in the pool at the caravan park.

Wednesday We had a fairly quiet day, just doing some grocery shopping and catching up on washing. I also had to drop the car off at the mechanic for a service. We met some new friends who have 2 girls who the boys get along with really well and we ended up all going to the pub together for dinner.

Thursday we took the boys to the playground across from the caravan park for a bit with some other people we met the and then back for cake as it was one of the other kids birthdays. The rest of the day was spent swimming and the kids playing.

From here it will be across the Nullabor and down to the south west coast of WA. Next part there will be beaches of white sand and beautiful aqua water, national parks and mountains to hike up.

Route part 13 Whyalla to Streaky Bay

Route part 14 Streaky Bay to Esperance

The big trip part 6

We have been travelling now for a little over 3 months and still really enjoying the adventure and looking forward to seeing more of our beautiful country. So on boxing Day we packed up and got going reasonably early for the 4 hour drive back to Ballarat where we would stay for 3 nights.

Our stop back in Ballarat was mainly to get a few things out of storage and put a few things back in storage as well.

While we were there though, we were able to catch up with some friends which was great and Troy got to have a day playing with his best friend as well.

Thursday 29th December and it was time to head off on our adventures again. Today we were off to mount Gambier where we stayed at the showgrounds for 4 nights to explore the region. After setting up we chilled around camp and met some of the other campers at happy hour at the camp kitchen.

Friday we stopped 1st at the information centre. There is an excellent display of the geological history of the area as well as a replica of the Lady Nelson which was the 1st ship to sail west through bass strait amongst other exploits. This would have to be one of the best information centres we have been to on our travels.

After that we checked out blue lake which is a huge lake in an old volcano crater near the centre of town. The water here really is very blue hence the name. We stopped at a few of the lookouts but did unfortunately have to battle the clouds being school holidays and Xmas holidays for most people.

From there we went to valley lake which is right next to blue lake in another volcano crater. This one we could go right down too and for those with boats you can fish or water ski in it.

We stopped at the picnic area and had some lunch followed by a play on the small beach on the edge of the lake. We then took the boys for a big play at the nearby playground. They were even lucky enough that the icecream truck turned up at the park so of course we all had one.

Saturday 31st December. 1st on the list for the days adventures was a tour of Engelbrecht cave right in the middle of Mount Gambier. You enter through a sinkhole and then explore to the east and west going underneath roads and houses. It is a very interesting cave but not like the typical ones full of stalactites. This cave in the limestone is very dry, with no water dripping down through the rock to create stalagmites etc.

There is however water in the cave as the vast majority of it is completely flooded. We were able to explore both sides of the sinkhole up to near where the water started but to go further you would need to have special training to dive in the caves.

The cave does continue for hundreds of metres in both directions and only recently diver’s discovered a whole new section on the western side.

After the tour we made our way to Umpherston sinkhole gardens. This is another large sinkhole with beautiful gardens inside the sinkhole. Unfortunately we didn’t really enjoy it here as there were way too many people and numerous idiots buzzing their drones around over everyone’s heads.

From there, we went back to camp for lunch and then headed out of town a little way for a swim at little blue lake which is a smaller sinkhole than the blue lake in Mount Gambier. Another great spot and as expected quite busy on a warm afternoon. There is a pontoon on the lake with a ramp and steps onto it so you can swim, and we did enjoy a nice swim in the very cool water.

It was also fun to watch some people jumping off the top of the cliffs all around the sinkhole into the water. It is probably a drop of about 10m. It is also VERY deep one depth I heard was 47m and we did see divers going in to go down and into the caves below.

In the evening we had a nice bbq and drinks at the showgrounds with some of the other people camped there and just after dusk we went back to Umpherston sinkhole to see it by night and to see the resident possums. It was much more peaceful at night and the plants and flowers lit by the lights looked wonderful.

After that it was back to the caravan and bed and still all asleep before midnight.

Sunday 1st of January happy new year. Today we drove the 30min or so down to the coast to explore port MacDonnell and on the way stopped at hell’s hole and Caroline’s sinkhole.

Hells hole is hidden away in a forestry area and the sides are a sheer drop to the water below. Apparently divers are allowed in there as we saw a sign above the gate at the end of the lookout platform telling divers to keep the gate locked. The only way down from the platform would be rope or rope ladder the the divers must bring with them.

Caroline’s sinkhole is just around the corner from hells hole and couldn’t be more different. There may be water below but If so it is under the rock and vegetation that covers the bottom of the hole.

It was a very strange day on the coast with the whole coastal area covered in fog all day, but less than 1km inland it had totally cleared to a perfect blue sky day.

Our 1st stop on the coast was Cape Northumberland which is south Australia’s most southerly point. What a dramatic section of coastline, with jagged rocky outcrops and waves flowing over flat rocks surrounding the cliffs. Such beautiful scenery.

After that we went back into Port MacDonnell for lunch and a walk along the beach and down the jetty. Thankfully we brought our own lunch as the wait time at both the fish and chip shops was an hour.

After our walk we jumped back in the car and drove up the coast to blackfellows caves. At first when we got there, we looked around and thought, we can’t see any caves here! But the realised that they were actually caves formed by the ocean and we were basically on top of them. So we walked around and explored them as best we could without trying to swim around the headland.

After we had finished there, we headed back to Mount Gambier for an icecream and then back to camp for the night.

Monday morning it was time to pack up and head for the town of Kingston SE. On the way there we stopped at Pines cave and Fossil cave. Pines cave is another of the diving caves with a small entrance, their appeared to be divers in the cave when we were there as we could see a steady stream of bubbles coming out from the water.

Fossil cave is another divers cave but not as pretty to look at and we also got attacked by a swarm of bees there. Luckily the kids did not get bitten.

The caravan Park is a nice spot just across from the beach although when it’s busy like now some of the spots can be a little tricky to get into.

After setting up, we went for a drive around town and got a late lunch of fish and chips. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed while the boys played with lots of other kids on the jumping pillow which was right near our site. .

Tuesday we drove to Cape Jaffa via the beach and checked out the out lighthouse keeper’s cottage and could see the old lighthouse platform which is on a shoal about 8 miles out to sea.

From there we made our way to Robe and started with a walk up and down the main street, checking out some shops and having lunch at a the food lab where we had a really good greek lamb pizza. After lunch we finished exploring the main street and then headed out to check out the old gaol ruins and the obelisk.

Out at the obelisk the cliffs and islands are very impressive but seem to be crumbling fairly rapidly as we could see where the walking tracks did go but are now fenced off and in parts already collapsed into the ocean.

Walking around to the south along the track towards the lighthouse, we saw more spectacular views of the cliffs and a small island that formed a bridge between two parts.

The lookout on the northern side of the obelisk looks across the bay past Robe and all the way up the beach to the far end of the bay.

After taking lots of photos, we drove back through Robe and down onto the beach where we found a less crowded spot to park and a play on the beach for an hour or so before getting an icecream back in Robe and heading back to camp.

Wednesday, as the weather was overcast and windy was a quiet day mostly at camp while the boys played on the jumping pillow. This gave us a chance to catch up on a few things like washing.

Later in the afternoon we went for a nice walk down the beach.

Thursday we made the short drive with the caravan to Naracoorte caves to stay for the next 2 nights and check out the caves and surrounding areas.

After setting up, we drove down to peola and Coonawarra to check out some of the wineries. We had a lovely afternoon, I sampled a few very nice fortified and stickies and Belinda tried a few whites and reds. We did also take home a couple of tasty ones. Some of the wineries also had games and things outside for the kids to play with which was really good and kept them occupied while we tasted.

Friday 6th January and our 1st adventure of the day was a guided tour through Victoria fossil cave. This is an amazing cave system with lots of stalactites and stalagmites and several significant fossil beds.

These fossil beds were created when animals over the last 500000 years or so have fallen into small holes in the roof of the caves and either gotten stuck in the hole and died or fallen completely in and sometimes died where they fell or survived but then couldn’t escape again.

There is something like 140 different animals fossils in 1 section and include things like giant wombats and short face kangaroos as well as giant Tassie devils.

On the tour we had the opportunity to have a good look at one of the fossil beds with the bones laying just as they were found as well as a couple of fully reconstructed skeletons.

We all really enjoyed this tour and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is travelling through the region.

After lunch we went to the fossil centre and looked through the displays there and the did the self guided tour through stick tomato cave.

This is a very different cave to the Victoria fossil cave, as it has much bigger caverns inside and seems to be dryer with less water dripping down creating stalactites. Still it is a very nice cave to visit and worth the effort.

Saturday morning it was time to leave Naracoorte caves and make our way to Loxton where we stayed with friends for 4 nights.

While we were there we spent each afternoon in the pool, caught up on things like washing again and relaxed with our friends. We did go for a drive around to berri, Renmark and Barmera and saw how high the flood waters from the Murray River are. The local areas have done an amazing job with all the levies to protect as much of the towns as possible.

After a wonderful few days in Loxton with great friends, it was time to head to Adelaide on Wednesday 11th January to see family and go to a wedding on the weekend.

We stayed at Moana tourist Park in Adelaide which is in the southern hills, right next to the beach. There is also a vehicle entrance to the beach just near the park where you can take the 4wd down and find a place to park for a nice day by the water.

Thursday and Friday were busy days with appointments to attend in the city and a few bits and pieces to get from the shops like clothes for the wedding and a snorkel set for the kids.

Saturday morning I had to go and get my beard trimmed and fixed at a barber after the wife tried to trim it and did a bit of a woopsy…… After lunch I did a quick bit of food shopping and a couple of things from Bunnings before getting back to camp in time to get all dressed up for the wedding.

It was a great night at the wedding, with everyone having a great time and dancing the night away. Our 4 year old even made it until almost 11pm before he finally crashed in my lap.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were spent seeing family and playing at the beach and relaxing. I also had a chance to make a small mod to the caravan by bolting the hose reel to the rear bar of the van, beside the spare wheel. With the reel fixed there, it doesn’t take up any space in the storage areas and is also a lot easier to wind back up as it wont move around when trying to wind the hose up.

On Tuesday afternoon we dropped the kids off at Nana’s to have a sleepover so we could have a date night for our 10th anniversary of meeting yay… We made our way into town to a camping shop to get a new chair to replace the faithful old one we have had for about 15 years and then headed off to the movies where we saw the new black panther movie. Definitely worth seeing this one.

Wednesday morning for the 1st time in forever we woke up at our leisure without being jumped on and hounded by 2 little boys wanting breakfast. After having breakfast ourselves, we packed up the van and drove to Nana’s to pick up the kids and say goodbye.

From there it was a short 2.5h drive to Wallaroo to visit more rellies. Here we stayed up the road at a nice free camp at Alford. In the afternoon we had a good time visiting family and grabbed some pizza and pasta from a takeaway shop on the way back to the van.

Thursday 19th January we drove up around the top of the Spencer gulf, past Port Augusta to an awesome camp right next to the beach just north east of Whyalla. Black point is a small, free camp with only 2 camp sites which makes for a nice peaceful time. we stayed here overnight then made our way further down the coast to Point Gibbon for 2 nights, stopping in at Whyalla to have a bit of a look around in the morning as well as refill the water tanks and empty the toilet.

In Whyalla, we drove up to Hummock hill lookout which gives great views over the coastline, the port area and part of the town. From there, we drove down to the marina and jetty area and arrived just at the right time to see 2 dolphins right beside the boat ramp and we all got a really good close up look at them.

After the dolphins moved away, we walked out along the new jetty which has nice big areas to sit and plenty of space for the fishermen to spread out. We also saw the same 2 dolphins who had come out of the marina and were swimming around the jetty checking us out.

After getting a few groceries, we finished the day’s driving down to point Gibbon. What a great spot!! Right next to the beach with excellent firm allocated spots and there is even flush toilets and free wifi all in the middle of nowhere. After setting up, we went for a walk down the beach and the boys played on a big sandbank on the edge of the beach. The sign said that there are often sea lions here but unfortunately we didn’t see any during our stay. When we got back from our walk, another family had arrived, so the we went to say hello and our boys and the 2 boys from the other family played for the rest of the afternoon.

The next day we, along with our new friends decided to go for a drive down the beach and explore the dunes in the 4wds. There is such a large area of tracks and dunes just to the south of the campgrounds and the adults had fun driving on the dunes and when we stopped, the kids all had a great time climbing up and rolling down them too.

After lunch we went for a swim at the beach just in front of our camp. We even saw a starfish in the shallows near some rocks. The rest of the afternoon all 4 boys had a great time playing in the dunes near camp and the adults relaxed.

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Sunday 22nd January we packed up again, said goodbye to our new friends and drove down to Port Lincoln where we were booked into the Port Lincoln caravan park in North Shields about 10 min north of town. From here we will explore the bottom of the peninsula on day trips.

Thats probably enough for this part. In the next part there will be caves, Beautiful beaches, swimming with sharks, dolphins & sea lions and more.

Route part 11 Seaspray to Adelaide

Route part 12 Adelaide to Whyalla

Route part 13 Whyalla to Streaky Bay

The Big Trip Part 5

Well, It has been a great adventure so far and hopefully plenty more to come. So on Sunday 4th December we sadly departed the Blue Mountains to explore Canberra for a few days. We wouldn’t actually stay in Canberra but just outside the city at the showgrounds in Bungendore.

Show grounds offer a great option to camp for a few days or more, most have power and water and are almost always substantially cheaper that the caravan parks and this one was just like that. nice and grassy, with power and water for $25 a night.

Monday we visited Cockington Green, which is a miniature town with lots of displays of types of buildings from around the world and different scenes of life. It also has a miniature train that you can have a ride on. The kids especially loved that part.

Tuesday we did Questacon which is an amazing place, full things to learn and really interactive. It has 7 sections on different areas of science. some of the highlights were for the boys, the section where they built pathways down the wall for a ball to roll. to make the path they used pipe, cardboard, sticks to go into the board and rubber bands to hold the bits to the sticks and board.

Troy and I went into the earthquake lab where the floor actually shakes just like in an earthquake. There is also another section with different activities like freefall drop and a challenge to see how fast you can throw a ball.

After some lunch at the Questacon Cafe, we headed up the road to Parliament house.

New Parliament house is a massive place and the public areas have so much art, and memorabilia. There is even rafters and burned fences from England’s parliament house and Buckingham Palace that was burned during the bombing of London in WWII.

A highlight for us was the lego parliament house complete with money tree and a Sith lord and guards.

Wednesday we did the war memorial in the morning and the dinosaur museum in the afternoon.

The war memorial is such a fascinating place to visit, with so much history and stories from the places Australians have served since as far back as the boer war. It is something that everyone should visit atleast once.

There are big exhibits for both WWI & WWII and a 3rd main area for the other conflicts from Korea to present day. There is currently a lot of construction going on there so once that is completed, i’m sure it will be even better.

The Dinosaur museum in the afternoon was ok but not what I had expected. It did have lots of different dinosaurs and information but was mostly dodgy rubber models and felt tacky. But I guess we have been a bit spoilt after having been to the dinosaur places in central QLD.

Thursday 9 December and it was time to make a move again as we had to get to albury so we could get the rego on the van transferred to Vic rego.

For the next few days we had the van setup out and a farm near Gerogery that is owned by my very kind aunt and uncle. It is a beautiful farm with cows and horses and a little side by side farm ute thing that we could take the kids for rides on.

Friday we had the van and car booked in to get some electrical work done like a proper 12 pin plug for the car and a DCDC charger for the van, so the wife and kids played around at the farm all day while I just wandered around town while I waited for the work to be done.

Saturday and sunday were fairly quiet days, doing a bit of shopping and had a great lunch at the Gerogery pub with my aunt and uncle. The rest of the weekend we just relaxed.

Monday morning I took the van to Vic roads to get transferred which took all of 10 min but had to be done. On the way back I stopped at a caravan place and found some bike racks for the kids bikes. I put them on in the afternoon before we went back into Albury to get our covid boosters and stopped in at our rellies place for a visit before we left in the morning.

Tuesday 14th December and back on the road to our next location. We headed all the way up to Long plain in the Kosciuszko NP. This is in the northern part of the NP and is a beautiful area with high plains (as the name suggests), small river, waterholes, caves and thermal pools.

After arriving at cooinbil campground mid afternoon, we explored around the camp, the hut and the nearby creek for the rest of the afternoon.

The next day ended up being a bit of a write off at one of the boys was feeling sick and it was cold and rainy. It even snowed briefly!!  So instead of exploring like we planned, we had a movie day.

Thursday was a better day, partly sunny so we made our way to blue waterhole and did a short walk there.  It is a very pretty spot and there are longer walks there that we would have liked to do but the gorge walk was still closed for maintenance.

On the way back out from blue waterhole, we checked out a few other camp grounds for future trips and explored Coolamine homestead.

The rest of the afternoon we relaxed at camp and tried unsuccessfully to get an fire going with wet wood.

Friday morning we took off early for yarrangobilly caves area and had a nice refreshing swim in the thermal pools. The caves and pools are a great place to spend a day in the caves and swimming but most of the family were not keen on the caves and I had done them before so we just had a swim before packing up camp and heading to the coast.

Our camp for the next few nights would be Hobart beach campground between Tathra and Merimbula. A great national parks campground with good showers and drop toilets right near the lake and only a short walk to the beach for a swim in the surf.

Saturday 17th December we went into Bega to do some washing and shopping. We even managed to get a new bbq for the van.

About lunch time we went to the Bega cheese heritage Centre which has a great little museum upstairs and a cafe downstairs. We of course couldn’t leave without sampling some of the cheese.

That evening we had to take our youngest to hospital with really bad constipation (no not caused by a visit to the cheese factory) and he ended up having to stay 3 nights with COVID and rota virus.

Sunday as it was just myself and our oldest at camp, we went to the beach in the morning and to Merimbula In the afternoon to look around town. By that night though, I was also coming down with rota virus which is a nasty gastro bug.

With mum and one boy in hospital and myself sick in the van, that pretty much wrote off most of the week.

We left Hobart beach on Wednesday 21st and made for Mallacoota where we stayed for 2 nights although we didn’t do too much here either as I was still suffering from the rota virus but slowly getting better and our youngest was still recovering as well.

The park at Mallacoota is really big and stretches along the shoreline. There are even some sites on the waterfront with their own jetties.

Friday 23rd we left Mallacoota for seaspray which is a small seaside town about 25km east of sale. The caravan Park here is really good, with very big and Grassy sites, new playground and good clean facilities.

We had a relaxing afternoon around camp while the boys had heaps of fun on the jumping pillow with other kids staying at the caravan park.

Christmas Eve we went into Sale for some last minute food supplies and a small tree for Santa to put the presents under (or at least around). We also got a few things for the caravan like anti flap clamps for the awning and a mesh side wall for the awning.

The afternoon was spent getting organised and wrapping last minute presents and hiding them again while the boys were playing. We planned to have an early night but it didn’t work out that way as certain smaller members of the family were just a bit excited.

Christmas day and the boys surprisingly slept in until just after 7, Before excitedly waking us up saying Santa has been and he ate the cake and carrots we last him.

Of course the 1st order of the day was to open the presents despite suggesting we have breakfast 1st. The boys were very happy with new trucks and planes to play with.

Once everything was unwrapped and the wrapping cleaned up, we made ham, cheese and tomato croissants for breakfast followed by playing with the new toys. Before we knew it, it was time to cook Xmas lunch which was pork belly and roast veggies with gravy. Mmmmm yum. We also got a visit from the rural fire brigade handing out lollies with their truck.

In the afternoon we went for a walk down the beach to where the river flows into the sea. Here the kids can splash and play in the water without worrying about getting swept away by waves. We relaxed and looked for nice sea shells while the kids built sand castles and moats.

We finally headed back to camp about 5pm and had leftovers for dinner before crashing in bed. It has been a very good Xmas day.

That’s all for part 5 of our trip. In the next part we will be heading west to south Australia, the limestone coast and Adelaide.

Route part 9 Girraween NP to Albury

Route part 10 Albury to Seaspray

The big trip part 4

So, back in Hervey bay for a few days of relaxation, staying with some good friends again.

While we were there we had a lovely dinner at the dock restaurant which had all sorts of yummy tapas dishes. And another evening we left the kids with our friends and had a date night on board blue dolphin for a sunset cruise. The cruise went for 2 hours and cruised around near the harbour and past nearby round island. Iwe had a great time with a great sunset to go with the nibbles and drinks on the boat.

We left Hervey bay on the 10th of November and headed back to the gold coast to visit more family.

On Sunday 13th we headed to Byron bay for the day to explore.

1st up we all did the Cape Byron circuit out to the headland and to Australia’s most easterly point before travelling on to the lighthouse and then back to the car.

By then we were getting pretty hungry so we headed back into town and ended up at the beach hotel for lunch and a drink. The beach hotel is a great pub which had live entertainment all afternoon and yummy meals.

Monday we took a drive up to my tamborine and did the witches falls walk which is a nice 3.1km circuit taking in a waterfall and some great views.

For a while we had been talking about the idea of moving from the camper trailer to a caravan and over the last couple of weeks in Hervey bay and the gold coast we had been investigating the options and brands to see what we liked and suited our needs.

Our initial trip to a number of dealers on the sunshine coast and Brisbane were with a few exceptions quite disappointing. We saw so many new vans from newer Australian and overseas made companies that were really not well put together. Some felt flimsy others looked like there was no care factor in their assembly and one brand new van on display even had water damage from a leaking roof (we left that dealership very quickly).

As stated above, there were a few exceptions and we had really narrowed down the options to 3 potential makes. Kokoda, supreme or sunseeker.

We looked at a new Kokoda and supreme on our way to the gold coast but while both looked very well built, just didn’t quite have the layout and features we really wanted.

We had to wait until Wednesday 16th to have a look at a 2nd hand sunseeker wild child, which was not to far away in Ballina. So on Wednesday we headed off to look at this one and by lunchtime it was hooked up to the patrol and headed back to the gold coast with it all very excited.

The new van has everything we need and wanted and the only compromise was having an east west Bed as you can not get a van this small with bunks, separate toilet and shower with a north south facing bed.

It also has a washing machine which is really handy especially with the kids clothes.

Some of the other requirements we had were a maximum weight of 2700kg and being full off road so that it can handle the rough stuff like corrugations.

Excited about our new home we spent the afternoon swapping all our stuff from the camper to the caravan and getting a few new items for the van. Before continuing on our journey on Thursday.

A big thank you to my brother and his family for both looking after our dog while we are travelling and now also our camper trailer.

Thursday 17th November we are on our way again and this time we pulled up in Girraween Np for 3 nights.

Friday morning we ducked into Tenterfield for some supplies including some amazing sausages from the Tenterfield butcher before doing a nice walk in the afternoon not far from camp.

The granite arch walk does a loop from the picnic area, across the creek and around through an amazing arch made by a huge granite boulder resting on top of 2 others to form an arch. It’s a really interesting walk and the boys thought that the arch was awesome.

Saturday we headed back into NSW and bald rock NP which is right next to Girraween to do the bald rock walk. The walk is 2.6km each way and all uphill on the way there but oh so worth it.

The formations on the way up and the shear size of lump of granite that is bald rock is something to see, and the views are pretty good too. You do have to be careful on the upper sections of the climb and I wouldn’t recommend it in the wet as you walk along the side face of the rock and it’s a long way down if you were to slip and slide off the track.

Back at camp in the afternoon we relaxed and watched all the kangaroo’s and wallabies come in and munch on the grass near our camp.

Sunday morning we packed up the caravan which is so much quicker than the camper, not having to pack up beds or the camper itself. Before leaving though, we went up the road a bit and did the short 2km walk to underground creek. It is a nice little spot where the water slowly eroded the rock away until the rock collapsed above the creek. The water still flows under this hence being underground.

After the walk we hooked up the caravan and headed off to our next destination of cranky rock.

Cranky rock reserve is a nice spot just outside Warialda which is East of Moree. We had a quiet night there before exploring cranky rock the next morning. we even had a peacock wandering around camp.

Here there is a beautiful gorge with a water hole at the bottom with the rocks towering above on either side. No one really knows why it is called cranky rock but 2 theories are either because a cranky Chinaman who murdered a woman in the late 1800s was chased there by the police and to escape he jumped from the rock to his death. The other less exciting theory is that cranky is a term used for an unstable boat that is likely to capsize and the rock does look like it could topple over.

After exploring the reserve we hooked up again and headed to Tamworth. We were going to go straight to Coonabarabran but the direct route was still closed due to flooding so we decided to stop at tamworth and check it out on the way.

Tuesday 22 November we spent the day exploring Tamworth. We checked out the wax museum and guitar hall of fame before heading to the lookout for amazing views of the city.

From there it was off to Bunnings for some bits an pieces for the caravan to make it out own before an awesome steak that we got from a local butcher.

Wednesday it was off to Coonabarabran for 4 nights. Here we stayed at a free camp behind the golf club. it is a basic site on a slight hill but you can’t complain when it’s free and the club has a great Chinese restaurant.

That night we did a star tour at millroy observatory just north of town. It was a great night with lots of information and the chance to see lots of different things through the telescope. We saw the tarantula nebula, Jupiter, Saturn and some dwarf galaxies the kids also had a blast seeing all these places so far away. We also say heaps of shooting stars and satellites going past.

Millroy observatory also has the original telescope from the siding springs Observatory but it is not yet operational. It would be great to go back there when it is to see through it.

Thursday morning it was a bit of a late start after a late night and we stopped in at the information centre to get ideas before going to the siding springs Observatory. While you can’t go into the telescopes themselves because they are all research equipment, there is a great information centre with all sorts of info on the site and some of their discoveries as well as other fascinating facts about space and the stars. There is even a set of scales that will show you how heavy you would weigh on each planet.

If you are conscious about your weight you don’t want to know how much you weigh on Jupiter. However you would be very happy about it on Pluto.

There is also a small gallery in the main telescope building where you can see it and learn about it.

Friday morning we were up fairly early and off to the warrumbungles for a hike. First up was Fan’s horizon walk which is a constant uphill climb of 1.8km to the lookout. It was a bit of a slog up there but once we reached the top it was so worth it. Just spectacular views across the national park and siding springs Observatory in the distance.

We spent a bit of time up there having a rest and some snacks and taking photos of course before heading back down the path to the car. After some lunch we drove back towards coonabarabran stopping at whitegums lookout on the way. This one is a much shorter level walk to the lookout facing almost the opposite direction to Fan’s horizon from the eastern edge of the park. Another beautiful view, one that I would have to come back to for sunset before we left the area.

Another thing that was fascinating to see was the amount of destruction the fires in 2013 had done and how wall the bush has recovered.

Saturday we went back to warrumbungles Np and did the burbie canyon walk. This is a lovely 2km return walk up and back through a small canyon with multiple creek crossings and plenty of wildlife. The boys had a great time playing in the creek.

After that we drove north of town to the Piliga Forrest to see the sandstone caves. It is amazing to see these caves that were clearly formed by water yet are so high above the surrounding plains. It makes you wonder how long it must have taken to 1st create these caves and then wash away the surrounding areas. Millions of years in the making.

There are also some indigenous art sites and evidence of scrapings from making tools and weapons. Unfortunately these are now behind cages to protect them from people that can’t just leave them alone.

That night we had a delicious dinner at the Chinese restaurant at the golf club before crashing in bed.

Sunday 27th November we got going early and made our way to Hill End. Hill End is an historic gold mining town during the gold rush in the 1800s. It now comes under NSW parks protection and is a wonderful little town to visit. So much history and walking around the town there are plaques everywhere showing you what was there or still is and what life was like for the people living there 150 years ago.

The next morning we checked out the golden gully just outside town before hooking up and heading off towards the blue mountains. We stopped in sofala on our way for a quick look around. This is another old gold mining town and a pretty place for a coffee or some lunch. If you are staying in the area there are any number of spectacular camp spots right beside the Turon River East or West of town.

After a break in Sofala we continued to lake Wallace just west of Lithgow where we would stay for 2 nights. Lake Wallace is a really good free camp beside the lake with a huge area to choose from to camp, a playground for the kids, a dump point and even toilets and showers. The only restriction was that you are not supposed to stay for more than 2 nights although I don’t think that is enforced as we saw some that had definitely been there longer.

The rest of that afternoon we spent planning which hikes we wanted to do in the blue mountains.

Tuesday we had decided to do the grotto 1st and then minnehaha falls after that.

The grotto is a part of the larger centennial pass circuit but can be done by itself down and back from the carpark. The track down is mostly solid but with very steep stairs on the lower section before arriving at the creek level. From there it is just a short distance into the grotto.

To get right in there you either have to crawl along a ledge on the right side which in one part is only 1 foot width wide or you can wafe in the creek through a very narrow section cut through the rock on either side.

Making the effort to get in there was well and truly worth it as we found ourselves standing in a cavern almost with a pool in the middle and just up from that the water appears to come down through a hole in the rock but is actually a waterfall into a narrower section of the gorge in front of us. Such a spectacular place so close to Blackheath. For most people it would take about 20min each way but took us a little longer to help the boys through the trickier parts.

The Grotto

The only problem with all these beautiful places is that what goes down must come back up again. The climb back up on this one at least wasn’t to bad but we just took our time.

From there we jumped back in the car and drove to the carpark for minnehaha falls where we had some lunch before venturing down the track to the falls.

The track to the falls is 1.2km each way and is fairly rough in parts although not hard to navigate, just have to watch your footing. About half way there is a lookout that gives a great view of the falls from above the height of the top of them before heading down all the steps and ladders to the bottom of the falls where there is a great waterhole you can swim in. (if you’re brave enough to handle the 14degree water).

Another great spot with the water flowing well over the falls into the pool below. This one seems a popular place as there were plenty of other people there too, some going for a swim and yelling as they jumped into the cold water.

After spending a fair amount of time there just enjoying the scenery and letting the kids play, we headed back to the car, back to camp and an early night as we were all pooped.

Wednesday 30th November we left camp and drove into Katoomba to do a hike to Leura falls. From the carpark this one is a constant steep descent into the valley with lots and lots of steep stairs. On the way down we stopped at a number of different spots from dramatic rock walls with trees growing out of the rock, narrow cuttings between the rocks for the steps and a number of other named and unnamed smaller waterfalls and cascades.

The 1st waterfall we reached was Lila falls which only had a small amount of water coming over the small falls. from there we moved down to Linda falls which is a narrow waterfall of about 5m in height.

The turn off to Leura falls is just past Linda falls and we discovered that the unmaintained track is actually now closed, so after a bit of a rest and a look at the map we saw another possible track to the bottom of Leura falls a bit further down. Off we went in our search for the falls, however when we headed down the other track we found it was also closed near the creek downstream from the falls. Oh well, I guess this one was not to be.

After a few pics of the creek, we all started the long, very slow climb back up all those stairs to the carpark. This was a big climb up for us unfit people but the boys did extremely well with constant comments from other hikers saying how well they were doing.

We finally made it up and headed back to lake wallace where we hooked up the van and moved to the caravan park at Blackheath. This is a nice little park and the managers are very friendly and helpful, you can also have pets there.

Thursday we took as a bit of a rest day as the car was booked in for a service in Katoomba. While I waited for the car I looked around town and got a much needed massage while the kids and Belinda played around camp and caught up on washing.

That night we caught up with family at the Katoomba RSL. We all had a great night and stopped by the 3 sisters on the way home to see it lit up at night.

Friday it was back to hiking and finding waterfalls again. This time we started with Terrace falls followed by horseshoe falls.

The Terrace walk is a loop that takes in 3 falls, the 1st in the direction we went was Pyramid falls which is on a very short side track off the main circuit.

Next stop on the hike was Bedford pool, a beautiful lagoon in the creek at the bottom of the valley. It would be a great spot for a swim and a picnic on a hot summer’s day.

from there we stopped at little Terrace falls before moving on to Terrace falls for a play/ rest and a snack. (and of course some photos) Terrace falls is a beautiful set of terraces that the water tumbles down into a shallow pool at the bottom.

after a rest we continued the loop back up to the carpark for some lunch and then off to Horseshoe falls.

Horseshoe falls as just a short 600m walk each way from the carpark to a great little waterfall that you can actually walk all the way round behind the fall. Its not a super tall waterfall but gig enough to walk through the overhang behind it without having to crouch down. This place would have been really good to see at night too as glow worms live on the ceiling behind the falls.

Saturday 3rd December would be our last day of hiking in the Blue Mountains and we also had auntie sue visit us and join us on our days hiking. Today it would be the South Lawson loop which takes us past 4 waterfalls in about 3.5km. This is another not to difficult walk with plenty of opportunity to stop, rest and just enjoy the bush.

We started at the north end of the track and our 1st stop was Adelina Falls. From there it was on to Junction falls which is a beautiful big waterfall with an upper part that drops from overhanging rock, and the lower part that cascades over the rock face into a pool at the bottom.

After we had all finished taking photos and the kids had finished making boats to float down the creek, we moved on to Federal falls which is another medium size falls that tumbles down the rock face.

Then it was on to Cataract falls which is a bit bigger than the others and has 2 parts. the top come over a short drop, the runs down a rock slope before tumbling over the 2nd drop. From the bottom you can actually get in behind the lower part of the falls but not walk all the way through.

You can also get to the middle part of the falls down a short side track and we just stopped at the side there as walking out onto the rock itself would not be wise as one slip and you would be straight down the rock slope and over the bottom part of the falls.

From Cataract falls it is a reasonably gentle climb back up and around the rest of the loop, back to the carpark. It was a great day again and great to see auntie sue as well.

The Blue Mountains is an amazing area, so full of places to explore whether you are looking for family adventures right upto extreme caving, canyoning and multi day treks. We would have liked to have stayed longer but we need to make our way towards albury to transfer the rego on the caravan in a week or so.

If you are looking for some great guide books the ones by Lostmtns are great if a bit pricey. For each of the locations listed in the books, there is a QR code you can scan and it brings up a map showing you the route to get there and back. these maps are also usable offline which is very handy since there is often no signal away from the main town areas.

That’s all for this part of our big adventure. Stay tuned for the next part where we will be heading to Canberra, Albury, Kosciuszko NP and the NSW south coast.

Route Part 8 Hervey bay to Girraween NP

Route part 9 Girraween NP to Albury