Monthly Archives: July 2013

Journeys End

Well day 51 begins with home in site, though dimly through a foggy Keith morning.

Wake up to icy cold conditions, literally. There is ice on the tent and ice on the car. We mostly pack up and leave the tent, hoping the rising sun will warm and dry it. Over to the local bakery for a warm, hot breakfast. Though we stretch this as long as we can we finish by nine and still the tent is frozen. Some of the nights moisture has pooled on the roof now and turned to ice. This tent is not drying!

So we dry and fold as best we can and head off. Soon crossing the mighty Murray and then the border. No quarantine inspections for once but it is still cold. Onward we drive stopping at Nhill for a bit of a shop and Dimboola for lunch of soup and cheese rolls. Nice and warm unlike the weather. Then its full steam ahead for home.

Finally back in Melbourne we are greeted by a traffic jam on the Monash Freeway just to let us know we are back in civilisation. Still we stagger home and collapse for the evening, pausing only to unpack some things and start the first loads of washing. Oh and uninterrupted hot showers.

Now two days latter all is unpacked – nearly – the photos are being uploaded and archived, the last load of washing is on and the tent is drying in the drive way. Were we ever away? Ah well, I will take some time to sort through photos and upload some to pad out this blog and maybe do a photo album. Then we can start planning our next trip.

Keith – almost home

Day 47 – After the trials of Cocklebiddy, Eucla turned into a little gem. Warm and cosy in the motel room, we still managed dinner in the camp kitchen and settled in for a comfortable night, even if we did watch TV for too long. Found a bit of time to glance through the small museum in the motel and fill up the gas bottle. In the morning drove down to the old telegraph station, now half buried in the sand dunes and wandered around in the fresh sunshine. Then on to Border Village and another time change. From Central WA Time to Central Australian Time
Photo stop as we reach the western end of the Great Australian Bight. Sand dunes and plains to the right, sheer cliffs and crashing waves to the left. Then on to flat plains as we enter the Nullabor Plain again. Another photo stop and we are about half way along the Bight. Just sheer cliffs that make the huge waves crashing against them seem small. Next stop for lunch and then a coffee at the Nullabor Roadhouse with its whale sculpture. These windblown places seem placed only to offer fuel and shelter for travellers as there seems little else around them for hundreds of miles. Oh and a place for tourists to find work. Soon after we turn off to Head of the Bight and a bit of whale spotting. Between showers with stand and marvel at about a dozen Southern Right Whales that we can easily spot by eye from the viewing platform. Most are said to have calves and the two frollicing about 100m off our lookout certainly did. Just as well the rain came or we could have been there for hours.
Onwards now as we race the weather to Ceduna. Past the end of the dog fence we saw so far away and long ago. Through Nundroo then Penong, town of the windmills, another quarantine check point and then we are in Ceduna settling down for the night.

Day 48 – rest in Ceduna. Sleep in, shop, National Trust Museum ( a grand collection of everything and anything from Maralinga memorabilia to spark plug collection), buy oysters and prawns (for dinner, yum), Pinky Point for the seals (not there). Denial Bay and McKenzie ruins – he use to distil sea water into drinking water for locals – which I found fascinating. Yummy dinner of Caesar Salad and grilled prawns (oysters for Cath). Nice day.

Day 49 – Ceduna to Mt Remarkable NP. We drive and drive. Did we stop at Minnipa or Wudinna. Maybe both, once to eat then once for someone to go to the toilet who forgot. Or maybe it was Poochera before that? Towns starting to look alike with a big grain silo, a rail yard and a Lion’s Park. Apparently we are in granite country with some fascinating granite formations to see as part of the mitcha body and the gawler extrusion (or something like that) but we are too tired and pressed for side excursions. Do notice some nice granite sculptures including one to the farmers as we go by . Past Iron Knob were they are slowly turning a mountain into a mole hill as they remove the iron ore. Through Port Augusta which is so industrial and grey and flat. On to a bush camp at Mt Remarkable National Park amongst the River Red Gums and Baroota homestead ruins. A bit damp but very relaxing apart from the noisy nomads down the track. Emus wandering by at the sunset.

Day 50 – Mt Remarkable to Keith. Driving again. Slow start because of overnight rain as we try to dry off the tent. Through rolling farmland to Port Wakefield for lunch. Intriguing port area, seems to be too small for the trade suggested in ore. Certainly runs a roaring trade in coffee shops for travellers. Down through Adelaide – factories, shops, traffic lights and freeways. Escape the other side and on to Keith for the night. Last sleep before home.

Eucla – day 46

Day 43 – up earlyish to visit the stromatolites at Thatis? Lake. Similar to but different to Hamelin Pool ones. Climb a sand dune for a veiw of the coast. Rather disorganised and not sure to go next so head back to camp and settle down and plan afternoon. Bit of a shop for a change – general store at Cervantes really doesn’t have much. Head out in the afternoon to see the Pinnacles, timed so we will be there at sunset. Interesting and imposing but covered with tourists. Many weird and wonderful shapes of small to massive examples. Some rather rude. Hard to take an interesting shot that doesn’t have a car or people in it. Manage to get a few good ones and sunset is spectacular even if there are dozens of tourists cars and buses spread around the place.

Day 44 – Cervantes to Coolgardie, long days drive and Siobhan’s birthday. Start with some presents which she loves. Then I throw my back which we hate and a delayed start. Leave town greeted south of the pinnacles with white, white massive sand dunes. Then into Lancelin for morning tea and “best coffee in town”. Lived up to advertising as did slices. Drove past fields of grass trees, hundreds of grass trees even amongst the army firing range.
Then cut across through various small towns and big as we start across from the coast. Land changes from scrubby with occasional manicured paddocks to more varied paddocks and vineyards and orchards and sheep, goats, alpacas! Grass trees keep turning up. Past the Gravity Research Centre. Stop for lunch at Toodyay with its own live steam model railway. (Not running today 🙁 ). Then onwards we drive into Northam and pick up the main highway to Coolgardie flanked by the railway and the water pipe. Accident stops us for a while and we are heading ever east so it is quite dark when we get in. Bare looking caravan park but it has a great camp kitchen and the owner recommends the pub for dinner – Denver Hotel. Great call as it is a top meal even if Kiara is a bit hyper. Good end to Siobhan’s Birthday.

Day 45 – from Coolgardie to Cocklebiddy. Long day again. Might be getting homesick. Bit of a look around Coolgardie as we shop then onwards. Norseman and the corrugated iron camels and a bit more shopping. Good sausage rolls at the BP for lunch on the go. Not always treeless but weird and flat, usually. Did the 90 mile straight. Boring. Manage to beat sunset into our campsite but it is rather flat, open and windy. Bit of rain on an off. Why did we stop here?

Day 46 – Too cold and windy at Cocklebiddy, so shelve plan to hang around and visit the Eyre Bird Observatory. Take it easy and a slow start then on the road again to Eucla. Meet guy riding from Perth to Melbourne for Kids Cancer Project. Meet some of support crew for a runner who is running around the world. Hear about Shane Crawford riding the other way and see lots of ragged signs about various charity runner. The world is a funny place. Lots of Wedgetails on the road and don’t seem bothered by us. Go over Medena Pass to the Roe Plain. Beat rain but not wind into Eucla. Plan to camp but give in and crash in a motel room. Snuggled up warm and dry.