The Last Post

Hello all

Arrived safely back in Melbourne last night, sadly this trip has come to an end.

I had a busy few days, starting Thursday visiting friends in Orelia in the southern suburbs then  Friday night with about 15 people for dinner, then off to lunch with more friends on Saturday. From lunch it was straight to Jandakot airport for a joy flight. My mate Brian is a pilot and the plane was a Piper cherokee.

Brian doing a Tom Cruise impersonation

Looking up the Swan River towards CBD

I used to live roughly centre of this picture in Palmyra.

CBD in the distance

King's Park directly ahead and CBD

Brain got permission to enter the restricted air space around the CBD to give me a circuit.

Looking South along freeway towards Canning River

CBD with Burswood Casino in the Background

Looking East along the Swan River

Subiaco Football Oval

Hilary's Marina

Looking South towards Fremantle

Port of Fremantle

 The Flight was brilliant, and the visibility was about 80k so I thought I had to share these views of Perth with the people who have never had the pleasure of seeing this beautiful city.
Signing off until the next trip.................thanks for traveling with me

Kalbarri to Geraldton....

Hello all

After waking up to glorious sunshine this morning it was time to set off to Geraldton.

Kalbarri

Kalbarri harbour

From Kalbarri I took the coastal drive to Geraldton, along the Kalbarri cliffs.

Kalbarri Cliffs

more cliffs

Tomorrow it is back to Perth to catch up with friends before flying back to Antarctica, sorry Melbourne Saturday evening, so this will probably be the last post from this journey, unless something spectacular happens on the way.

thanks for following my trip, hopefully there will be another episode next year.............

bye all

still heading south

Hello all,

before leaving Carnarvon this morning I stopped by the decommissioned OTC Satellite tracking station, this tracking station was utilised in the moon landing and was shut after tracking Haley's comet in 1987. I skipped the Blowholes and Point Quobba on this trip as I visited this area a few times while living in Perth.

Trusty camper beside the OTC tracking station

Carnarvon OTC dish

I also gave Monkey Mia a big miss this time around, I have been there several times before and think it is over rated. the forgotten Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool and the fact you travel over a narrow piece of land  to access the Peron Peninsula far more interesting. This narrow piece of land has allowed the authorities to electrify the fence line and eradicate all feral pests on the peninsula and needs to be applauded. I have seen more wild goats than sheep during my travels.....
Ok I pushed on to Kalbarri this afternoon traveling through the Murchison Gorge area.

Kalbarri National Park

Murchison River

Kalbarri National Park

I have been looking at the weather for Melbourne and I would like to let you know it is 8.15pm here and it is currently 18C. The rain I had sprinkles of further North ended up dumping 21mm on the Pilbara, so I have been just ahead of it all the way, the forecast for tomorrow is 25c

In the morning I am heading along the cliffs on the coast road to Geraldton, the last time I traveled this road it was gravel, it is now the major entry to Kalbarri.

Coral to Coffee Pots

Hello all

the weather is still crap, that is WA crap not Victorian crap (the difference being about 15c)

It rained most of last night and spotty rain some of today but still warm and humid.

I did the coral cruise before leaving Coral Bay this morning, the boat was good, you sit down in the hull and look out the sides through glass. The water was crystal clear although a bit of sunlight would have helped the colours in the pictures a bit

Nemo and friends

nemo and coral

coral no Nemo

Sub Sea Explorer - the boat i went on

This place is amazing, the coral starts where the boat is moored, and the water is so clear, you can stand in calf deep water and manta rays will swim right up to you

snorkelling start where the boat is moored

outer reef

There was some pretty big waves on the outer reef, the boat in the picture is a 25footer. The outer reef is less than a kilometre offshore.
On the way to Carnarvon I snapped this picture of the everlasting wildflowers, there has been very few wildflowers so far, and this is supposed to be the time of the year.

everlastings

Now for the Coffee Pot Train. Carnarvon Jetty is 1 mile in the old terms long and the longest in WA, when I was here 20 years ago it was barricaded off and condemned. The local heritage people have restored it and run a little train out to the end. It still needs a lot of work though it's pretty rickety.

Carnarvon Jetty

Nice straight tracks

Coffee Pot Train

check out some of the pylons !!!!

Tomorrow it is off to Kalbarri and the Murchison Gorge, damn it just started raining again, reminds me of Victoria although at 7.15pm it is still 17.5c, nah maybe it doesn't remind me of Melbourne after all.

A stay at Coral Bay

hello all 

After a night of light rain last night I headed off to Coral Bay. On the way I did a side trip to Charles Knife Canyon road about 30k south of Exmouth. This is a one of the very few roads which actually head up onto Cape Range. It was put in by an exploration company many years ago and now serves as a scenic drive. 

Looking From Cape Range toward Exmouth Gulf

Charles Knife Canyon

Another Canyon view with Exmouth Gulf in the background

I am booked on the sinking boat tomorrow to go coral viewing. I am not certain but I think the boat half sinks, you sit down in the hull and view the fish and coral out the sides, it is called a semi-submersible. I will bring you some pictures tomorrow, it is the only one of it's type on the reef.

After the coral trip I will be leaving the sinking boat to head to the coffee pot train in Carnarvon. I will leave you to ponder that one! 

Hello from Ningaloo

Hello all

Yesterday was just a transit day, driving about 680km from Tom Price, via Paraburdoo to Exmouth. I decided to push on arriving just on dusk an booking in to Lighthouse Caravan Park. This is the only caravan park I have ever been to without Telstra reception for mobile and internet. It might have something to do with the fact in the distance you may be able to pick up the antenna of the Harold Holt Naval Base. One of only three places in the world to be able to communicate with submarines.

Lighthouse Caravan Park

I am currently sitting at the Lighthouse, and this is the view, as I am writing this, as it is the only way I could get reception, ahh it's a tough office.
Today I visited Cape Range National Park and Yardie Creek, there are a lot of great beachfront campsites all through the park but are booked out years ahead.

SS mildura

Across from the caravan park is the wreck of the steam ship Mildura, it was a cattle carrier and hit the reef in 1907.

Yardie Creek Gorge

Turquoise Bay snorkeling area

Cyclone Vance hit Exmouth on the 22nd March 1999 with wind gusts of 267kmh, an Australian land record, and you thought it got windy in Melbourne.

Osprey nest

The weather has been overcast and windy today, not ideal coral viewing conditions, although still 25c.

A bit of a change after 29c and sunburn yesterday. The forecast is similar for a few days so I am heading to Coral Bay tomorrow hoping for a better day to go glass bottom boating.

Well , that's about it today, I will hopefully have internet at coral bay and be able to read about our change of government.

I think I got sunburnt today !!

hello all, 

I did the Pilbara gorge tour today 7.30am until 5.30pm so it was a big day. If you don't know the definition of terrifying I will explain it to you. Terrifying is sitting in a Coaster bus on a narrow corrugated dirt road with lots of other traffic (creating dust) at 80-90kmh. As you may be aware a Coaster is no sports car. I just put my faith in the driver knowing he does this every day.

First destination was Hancock Gorge.

Hancock Gorge

This was closely followed by Oxer lookout. Oxer lookout is the junction of Weano, Red, Hancock and Joffre gorges.

20 years ago i stood right out at the end (in the centre of the pic) in the days before anyone worried about Occ Health and Safety

It was then a trek into Weano Gorge, these gorges are approximately 100 metres deep

In Weano Gorge

I have been very disappointed in my photos here, it is extremely difficult to take photos here as you have deep dark rust coloured gorges capped by brilliant sunlight and glare reflecting of the spinifex. It has been giving my camera headspins.

Joffre Falls

Knox Gorge

Tomorrow I head towards the coast (about 680km) so don't know if i will get all the way to Exmouth. I will probably have a free camp somewhere along the way meaning I may not have a post tomorrow.

It is currently 20c outside and it is 8.20pm suffer Melbournites.

Wide loads and Gorges

hello all, today was superb 24c, I have just finished reading about the weather in Melbourne, suffer !!!!

There is a saying that everything is big in the Pilbara and I think it is true judging by the wide load I had to give way to today. There was two loads, both having a tow vehicle and a push vehicle. Every rest area they would stop between the entrance and exit of the rest area to let traffic go around. If you happened to come upon it between rest areas bad luck you had a slow trip.

Now that's what I call a wide load!!

I started the day from Newman and travelled to the Eastern entrance of Karajini,

Typical roadside scenery

I don't know if any of these miners on mega dollars up here actually do anything, each one seems to have a company 4x4 and just drives around all day, anyway I headed to Circular Pool first.

Circular Pool from the lookout

Dales Gorge

From the Circular Pool lookout there is a very short drive to Fortesque Falls and the Fern Pool

Looking down Dales Gorge

Fortesque Falls

I climbed down the goat track to Fortesque Falls and another 500 metres upstream is the Fern Pool.

Fortesque Falls from in the Gorge

Fern Pool

I am in Tom Price tonight and tomorrow night and booked on a gorge tour in the morning. This will allow me to see Oxer lookout and Weano Gorge that my camper insurance won't allow. Pretty rough having a 7.30am pickup time while on holidays though. Oxer lookout, if i remember from 20 odd years ago was spectacular so hopefully it will be worth sitting in a Coaster Bus on a corrugated dirt road for 50km
until tomorrow