HOME BY EASTER? AND RATS NESTS

Latest news on home front is that work starts 7th March and new kitchen and lounge may be completed to enable us to at least camp out by Easter.  So project moving on slowly but surely.

PERTH TO ROTTNEST AND BACK

A few days in Perth with a great concert by Josh Pyke, excellent Aussie musician and next night at Perth's Fringe festival.  Rival to Edinburgh with 500 acts at loads of pop up venues with stacks of bars and cafes - difference being all in warmth of a Perth summer.

Had to reprise photo from 2007 - ashamed to say that have same pink top with me, but didn't have it on for 2016!  Also beard and no beard!

Then on to Rottnest island, a short ferry ride away, for 3 days cycling and walking the many tracks and trails.  Surrounded by reefs,turquoise seas and sun - the ultimate island for play with no cars.

 

Rottnest name originates from Dutch explorer who thought these were rats ie. rats nest island ,- I still think they are but Graham and Niki insist they are cute marsupials!

You decide!

Saw this fabulous moonrise over the city centre of Perth from our chalet one night.  A fitting end to another great trip.

Now back in Perth and wilting in the high 30's - may not be much else to post over the next few days to Tuesday, when we wend our merry way home - or not as the case may be!!  

See some of you at Rose Cottage or later on at Raven Hill - transformed we hope to new living quarters.

THANKS FOR READING SO FAR!

AND EVEN MORE THANKS TO NIKI FOR THE CAR, THE HOUSE, THE COMPANY AND THE EXPERIENCES.

ALBANY VISITS

Getting a bit behind with the blog now that we are back in Perth after travelling back for a full day from Albany.  So a bit of a catch up.

We had a rest from beaches and bush on the last day in Albany and did a town visit - quick run around the shops (half an hour does it), essential photo of Dog Rock



Visit to the first farm in Western Australia - 1827 - so not really old at all by UK standards but important to them and an interesting history lesson.  I was amazed by this old apple corer on display - it appears to be remarkably similar to the ones that Joan and I both have! On doing some Google research it seems it was invented by a David Goodell in 1864 - and became a resounding success in later years.  It certainly works brilliantly for us with all the apples we have to peel, core and slice - does it all for you!

Nearby was a bit of a challenging scramble up castle rock. Not one for Lin!!!

WILDLIFE PHOTOS

Visited local museum with wildlife photography of year exhibition - amazing photos ,- see here for link to them.  Mine pale into insignificance but maybe the snake eating one would make it.

WIND, VIEWS AND ONE FOR KATE

WIND FARM

Stopped by this Wind Farm on a whim - and had a great hour or so walking around boardwalks in and out of some of the huge structures, learning about how they were erected, reading lovely quotes about the wind and the sea and taking in more spectacular coastal views.   Wonder if there is anywhere in the UK that gives free access like this - it was well worth the visit and a great PR exercise to swing around the critics.

MORE VIEWS

Walked around Mt Clarence above Albany harbours - and you can see why it is the most popular place to live and visit in this part of Australia.  Good climate (if often a little windy with nothing between here and Antarctica), protected harbours, great beaches and National Parks all around.

This is a lovely lagoon along from a wilder long beach at Nanerup, near to where we are staying in our 5th and last Airbnb (if anyone is tempted to book Airbnbs in the future, let me know and I will send you a link to get £14 off first booking).

Chelsi's Country Cottages - nice setting in more open countryside and kangeroos in the garden!

ONE FOR KATE

Had  lovely meal at this cafe and loved the sign outside!

This was another great sign in the Whalers Cafe

WHALE OF A TIME - AND OTHER ANIMALS

We were 3 nights in Goode Beach, part of Discovery Bay, named after the ship Captain Vancouver sailed in and claimed Albany area for the Brits - as you do.  Just land somewhere around the world, anywhere, and claim it for the King - done.

WHALING HISTORY

A few minutes away was one of the other main attractions in Albany - the last whaling station in Australia that closed in 1978 and is a grim reminder of the whale trade.  I could write a long description of a really interesting tour and place - but why reinvent the wheel when a travel journalist can put it so much better - see here for a great article.

This is the saw that he mentions for cutting off the whales head.  There were a lot of gory photos, videos and places where all the blubber was hacked off and then boiled up, but the guys who worked there are obviously now a lost tribe.  It was a tough life, both on the ships and on the shore extracting the oil for use around the world in everything from cosmetics to food.  And it wasn't just the conservationists who stopped the industry -economics played a major part as petroleum products replaced whale oil.







One of the last whaling boats was there and it was fascinating going around it and seeing how it all worked.

This is where the whale oil was stored and now each container is kitted out as the museum or with small theatres for films of the last whalers.

 Of course, it had the ubiquitous cafe attached but you can't beat it for views.

KOALAS ETC

Next to the whaling station was a small animal park with all sorts of indigenous animals - of course, couldn't resist this koala

and this little possum was a cutey too - although Niki isn't enamoured with their cousins living in her roof!

MOVING ON - ALBANY AND A SURPRISE VISITOR

EVEN MORE BEST BEACHES

Had to visit Greens Pool every day whilst in Denmark - just so beautiful and tempting to go in.

 Nearby was Elephant rocks - no comment needed

A few minutes from our Eagles Nest home (in the middle distance) was Ocean Beach - had a great pre-breakfast walk along the narrow spit separating the River Denmark from the Southern Ocean.  Graham is pointing to the river end - it sometimes breaks through the spit or they dig a channel during winter floods (who mentioned f- word?!)

Got back from a hard day on the beach and found an email from Niki, taking us up on the long standing offer to fly down to Albany and join us for few days.  She has just had enough of the 40+ degree heat.  So onwards, and along from Denmark, to Albany tiny airport for the flight from Perth - 5 minutes from plane seat and into our car - oops, her car!!

ALBANY

Straight from the airport to Albany's famed Farmers Market - smaller than anticipated, with around 20 stalls full of fresh produce from local farmers - we stocked up for 2 days, as new Airbnb is 20 km south next to Goode Beach (if anyone wants to look it up, I think I have put a location marker somewhere on the post, if you can find it).

We then had a fascinating morning at the new Anzac museum, which tells the tales of all the Australian and New Zealand soldiers in WW1, who left mainly from Albany's huge natural harbour, in 1914 in 2 large convoys - bound for Gallipoli.  The stories of totally useless fighting over small patches of ground for months on end, in appalling conditions, are reflected in the ones we all now know well for the Somme and elsewhere in Europe.  Complete waste of tens of thousands of lives, on both sides, and many of the survivors from the Middle East then got transferred to the hell of Western Europe.  And as usual when they did eventually return home they had no recognition of the horrors they and been through and suicide was rife.  And still we don't learn.

A brilliant museum and audio to listen to at each exhibit by swiping your pointer and listening.  You also got a card at the start that gives you an identity (1 of 32) and as you go around you swipe the card and get documented details of "You" and the war you fought.  Then at the end it tells what happened to you.  A great and personal way to be involved.


4TH AIRBNB
Our new home is here - big place shared with Roz - a lovely lady who chatted with us over our meal on the terrace.

Different again - we have 2 bedrooms in one half of house and share the huge terrace and kitchen/dining/lounge area with Roz.  Not for me - sharing all my space with strangers all the time - and she does get lots of people from all around the world.

Goode Beach is a couple of minutes walk from the house - another mile long fine white sand beach with turquoise water.  Niki and Graham went swimming and pronounced it perfect!

26 MOVES AND A BUILDING SITE

In between all this beaching and cafe visiting, flood life goes on.  We have recently been handed over to the Reinstatement company and, fortunately, seem to have an excellent lady in the office there, who has really got things moving in the last few days.  We should ideally have a meeting with the various involved parties, but as we managed a comprehensive review before we went they now have authorisation to get plastering - however see her note below

The only thing to inform you of is once the works start, the property will officially be a building site.You are welcome to have access to the property, but only when accompanied by a member of staff due to the health and safety restrictions imposed on the site. This means that there is a key safe installed to limit any unauthorised access.

Hope we can get get in to our own house on our return with Rae (thanks again for offering us a lift - remember it's only Oxenholme and not Manchester Airport!!) - we will need to pick up winter woollies and wet gear!

ON THE MOVE

We have calculated we will have moved house 26 times since we went away to Spain in November until we get back to our own (brand new - hurray!) bed at Raven Hill - not accounting for a few additions, if we have to find somewhere over Easter:

• Friends in Manchester
• 2 hotels in Spain
• 1 night Raven Hill
• 1 week Yew Tree Cottage
• 5 weeks Rose Cottage (x 3 moves)
• 2 weeks Jen and Rich and 1 weekend March (x 2)
• Rob and Lin (x2)
• Qatar Airways (x 2)
• Niki's in Perth (x 3)
• Niki's in Dunsborough (x 2)
• Augusta hotel
• 5 Airbnbs
• Rottnest 

Just as well we have our camping routines to fall back on - mostly all these places are warm, comfortable and easy to self cater or be catered for - thanks again to all those who have put us up and put up with us -much appreciated.

AIRBNB 3 - EAGLES NEST BUNGALOW - DENMARK

MOVIN' ON

Seem to be downsizing every time we move on - from Dunsborough and a big 3 bed house, to Airbnb No. 1 with 3 beds and a hot tub, to Airbnb No. 2 with 2 beds and a river view, to Eagles Nest with 1 bed (as you open the front door) and a compact but "easy to manage" tin sided chalet overlooking the Southern Ocean in the distance - and the Antarctic in the very far distance!  It's fine and suits us well.

Traveled the short distance from Nornalup to Denmark, taking in various stops en route - wild beaches and crashing waves and lunch at a winery with local fishy specialty, marron.  Like a small lobster but a lovely blue, turning to this on the plate

BEST BEACH FOR 23 YEARS

Been dreaming about Greens Pool at Denmark since we first went there with Niki and Paul all those years ago and had a fleeting visit.  The beach and pool is amazing and just invites you in with the colour, the surrounding rocks, the pounding surf on the edge of the lagoon and the perfect unspoiled beach.  Just as good as we remembered it - best of all the beaches around the world we have been to.

It must be the most photographed beach in Western Australia, if not the whole country - so see here for a zillion better photos than mine.

BORING BLOG OF MORE BEACHES

Just so many completely unspoilt beaches all along the coast of Australia - hard not to take photos from cliff top walks, lookouts and beach walks.  Actually did a lot of walking today - 3 walks - 1 up a small hill (a third of Whitbarrow and others were huffing and puffing their way up), 1 cliff top, 1 river trail - good to get the legs moving a bit.

A RAVEN HILL THAT'S NOT FLOODED OUT

Couldn't resist this - a road just round the corner from where we are staying.

NORNALUP/WALPOLE – DAY 2

Top thing to do in Walpole according to Tripadviser is the WOW eco-cruise – and well worth the recommendation. 

Garry, who runs it, is a cross between David Attenborough, David Bellamy and Tommy Cooper – a historian, world traveller and dedicated conservationist, with the ability to keep the show on the road for 2 hours.  Should definitely be on TV.  Banter with the boat load of tourists from around the world and then up close to the creatures on the half hour walk up and over the sand dunes of “his” reserve.  Showed us fascinating new track marks that he couldn’t identify (but his assistant will leave a camera out there later today to trigger overnight) and was a fund of knowledge on very subject.

  

We later learn (everyone in the area knows Garry!) that Garry has run the Bibbulum Track in 2 weeks in bare feet – the track is mainly forest floor that has “attacked” our sandaled feet several times and is home to lots of deadly snakes.  He has also worked around the world and led expeditions – amazing guy, amazing trip.









He also knew every bird at the end location by their own names – Horace, the pied cormorant, here remains on his post as we pass, but signifies what he thinks of the daily tourists disturbing his fishing.

MORE SCULPTURES, MORE CAFES

Exhausted by the amount of information on the cruise, we head for the local herb farm (Thurlby for those who need to know) - yet another remnant of a past hippy retreat to the middle of the bush.  So we find a nice cheap place to live miles from anywhere to live off the land and then realise we can’t because the soil is rubbish, but still have to live – so plant herbs/lavender/make soap/paint/develop another craft/buy in cheap artefacts from our trip to Nepal/etc – then have to sell the stuff.  (There is soap at every turn down here!)

So I guess several years of trekking into local town markets and then we decide to bring the tourists to us – but the difficulty now is that we are way out of town, down unmade roads (location, location, location if you are running a business!) and no matter how good the cafe/shop – it takes an effort to get there.  Not sure how they all make a living doing this – but the cafes are all good, if empty, and in great spots with lovely gardens and bush views.  Worth searching out, so maybe enough people like us to make it worthwhile. 

So another arty idea is the Sculpture Trail – this time it is free with no visitor centre attached and winds around the bush again – but much smaller than the last one.  These 2 installations were pretty interesting though.

Double trouble

Thought about 2 more visits to a local woodland pool and another big tree, but all down miles of unmade roads and a bit late in an already busy day – so gave up being a tourist, as a bit tree’d out and went home for a siesta.  We can do this.

AIRBNB 2 – NORNALUP RIVERSIDE CHALETS

We found one of these chalets on Airbnb, but then discovered on researching Walpole area that in fact it is a “proper” business with its own website – it seems loads of long standing B&B’s are now registering with Airbnb in a case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”.  We know several in the Lakes do the same thing now – Airbnb is becoming the first go-to place for self catering and B&B’s, so it must be affecting a lot of legit businesses.

We are right down on the south coast now below Perth - looks no distance at all on the main map of Oz but we are 5 hrs away from Perth- this is a BIG country!

We are in the best chalet at the front with a clear view to the river – it’s called the Blue Wren and guess what was on our bird feeder this morning?

NORNALUP/WALPOLE AREA

DAY 1 – 10 X 28 = ?, Tree Tops and Beach Bottoms (Bums)

Breakfast on the deck and as well as the Blue Wren, these were at the bottom of the lawn – 10 lovely green parrots, locally known as “28’s” due to the fact that they shout “twenty-eight” as they fly about!  Common as anything to locals and regarded as a nuisance eating all the seeds and crops, but we still enjoy their gorgeous colours. They are mere specks on the lawn but the river is in the background and is the view from the chalet.

Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. 

Made an early start to ensure a quiet walk on the biggest tourist attraction for this area – Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk.  6 slightly moving suspended walkways up in the tree tops – a great experience and virtually on our own the first time round – it became more crowded an hour or so later and must be queuing all the way on busy days.

Also a lovely interpretative walk amongst the huge Tingle Trees alongside the walkway – well worth its top attraction title.


 


Hottest Day – so head for the Beach

Wonderful swim today at Peaceful Bay - even I got in and loved it – just to cool off for a while.  Niki is still suffering 42 degrees in Perth – just the 35 here, but a lot less at night with cool sea breezes.  What a perfect spot amongst perfect spots.
 

And this is Graham at the end of his 3 mile run along the beach (or do I mean yards?!)

Then had to partake of recommended, freshly caught this morning, fish  (King Fish and Shark) and chips at great seaside cafe/shop/campsite office/swimmers/fishermen hangout.




Loads of caravans and motorhomes at site – full of the same retired set that hit southern Europe in September after schools go back.  Alongside fair number of students who don’t go back for weeks yet (3 months off over summer – shocking!) – just hanging out swimming/fishing/drinking.