Exactly 4 years ago we visited Australia for the first time and came away feeling we’d not had the best of holidays. The weather was cold and gloomy, we seemed to find ourselves in some god-forsaken towns and the cricket was truly depressing. So why were we back I hear you cry? In a word – ASHES – plus we figured we’d just hit unlucky last time and Oz deserved another chance. Would we find that hot summer weather and picturesque towns, welcoming country pubs, fantastic food etc, etc the brochures wax lyrical about? Read on.............
Our overnight flight from KL to Perth was smooth and hassle free but of course you never really get much shut-eye. We landed before the car rental places opened so that nicely gave us time to freshen up and grab a brew. Budget car rentals promptly opened and we were soon heading out of the airport in our little car ready to explore a tiny section of Western Australia.
This huge territory takes up a third of Australia’s land mass but only about 2 million people inhabit it. When you consider that 1.5 million of those live in Perth and its surrounding areas; you’ll not be surprised to learn that we travelled for miles without encountering signs of habitation or even passing another vehicle. With it being Christmas and the main school holiday we’d planned and booked this holiday to the nth degree, which is most unlike us. We’d expected everywhere to busy and since we were planning things around the Perth and Melbourne tests we wanted to make sure we could fit in as much as possible. We’d even booked camping spots for our little tent as we’d expected everywhere to be so crowded. We certainly didn’t expect everywhere to be almost deserted, however that made driving a dream.
Bunbury
We didn’t actually stay here but it was our first port of call for this trip. The reason for popping in? To book ourselves onto the 11am dolphin watching trip. In reality we reached Bunbury by 9am just as the dolphin centre was opening – no worry about them having sold all the tickets then! Just as we were buying our tickets a message came through to the shop that there was a dolphin in the shallows. The transaction was put on hold and we were taken down to the beach where sure enough a bottlenose dolphin was swimming in the shallows. You are allowed to enter the sea and get closer to the animals as long as you obey their strict rules so as not to upset and stress them. Unfortunately we still had trek trousers and hiking boots on so not good paddling attire! Still it all amounted to a very auspicious start to our trip.
Bunbury appears to be a pleasant little town but we only wandered far enough to find a cafe for brekkie. The bill came as somewhat of a shock and we quickly realised that it would have to be self-catering as much as possible for this trip. Anyway we duly joined the 11am boat trip out into the bay and we were very glad that we had, even though it cost AU$53 a head. The boatman was very knowledgeable and we learned quite a lot about the dolphins in the area. By the end of tour we’d seen about 15 of the 100 resident bottlenose dolphins and many seabirds. It was time to say goodbye to the friendly marine mammals and get back on the road – we’d booked ourselves into Bridgetown campsite.
Bridgetown
Not only did the campsite have space for us we were the only tent around! The ground was very hard and we managed to bend all the tent pegs – a great start. Luckily we found a couple of bricks so popped those inside to stop our home from blowing away! We didn’t care as on the way through town we’d stocked up on breakfast and picnic supplies and somehow a box of wine had fallen into our basket. We were camped on the edge of Blackwool River and very lovely it was too watching the sun go down sipping Aussie plonk. The campsite was in a lovely spot and the kitchen and toilet facilities were great too. There was a huge fridge, ovens, kettles, pans but no cups, plates or cutlery. It soon became apparent that our 2 metal beakers, knife, fork, spoon and penknife weren’t going to be enough. We’d already decided to go out for a pub meal since it was the first night of our holiday so we wandered up into town. There were a couple of pubs that looked okay but in actual fact were downright shabby inside. There was no way we could bring ourselves to pay over-inflated prices for frozen food in the equivalent of a student’s bar. One place was much better but the food and beer were extortionate and the back verandah overlooked a building site. We ended up having take-away pizza!
The next morning we were rudely awoken by the kookaburra at 4.30am and by 5am the sun was up so there was no chance of a lie-in. Besides which we were lying on the ground and once awake couldn’t get comfortable again. By this point were quite envious of all those around us with motorhomes containing everything and the kitchen sink! We knew we wouldn’t be able to carry much extra kit with us but vowed to invest in the bare minimum so we could cook our own meals and have a plate to eat off. Obviously the first thing we needed to invest in was a couple of mugs, as there was no way Steve was going to be driving all day without a brew. Besides which a small cup of coffee was averaging out at AU$5 and at that rate we’d be skint before getting back to Perth.
All of these issues were forgotten on unzipping the tent to be presented with a lovely day, great views and a colourful lorikeet perched on the fence in front of us. While Steve prepared breakfast and the day’s picnic I packed away the tent, and this task allocation proved to be a winning formula. With being up early we didn’t need to rush off so went for a wander along the river. There were loads of birds fluttering around with the parrots and lorikeets being by far and away the most abundant and beautifully coloured.
Bridgetown to Denmark
By 9am we were on the road but had already decided on a change of route. When planning the holiday we had little idea as to how long it might take to cover distances and what the road surfaces would be like. As I have said the roads were virtually empty and they were in excellent condition so travel turned out to be much faster than anticipated. We still headed for Denmark but we took the long, scenic way round. Even though we didn’t have a detailed map we were fairly confident that we couldn’t go wrong as there are a limited number of roads to choose from and everywhere is very well signposted. Even the scenic drives, tourist routes and places of interest are clearly marked.
We headed in the direction of Nannup via one scenic drive and then joined the Graphite Road so we could call in on the 4 Aces. Basically these are 4 enormous trees that disappear behind one another when you stand in line with them. Not worth a postcard but an interesting little break in the journey – to be fair you can’t fail to be fascinated by the trees as they really are immense. The entire area is dominated by karri, marra and jarrah trees and it makes driving in this area very pleasant indeed. We were also lucky enough to spot our first Australian monitor lizard by the side of the road. Luckily this sand goanna decided to beat a hasty retreat into the trees but further down the road a couple of others had opted for a fatal road dash. We rejoined our original route at Manjimup to get us back on schedule as we wanted to take in Shannon National Park.
Before we reached the park we decided to find somewhere to eat our picnic and the Diamond Lookout Tree proved to be just the spot. On the way we spotted our first emus – not sure if they were wild or farmed but they were definitely emus. Diamond Lookout tree is almost 60m tall and locals use it to keep an eye on any approaching bushfires. There’s a set of metal rungs sticking out of the trunk and spiralling their way to the top. Obviously there was no way Steve was even going to venture onto the bottom rung but I decided I would try and make my way up to the observation platform. I was only just tall enough to be able to step from one rung to the next so I wasn’t 100% comfortable from the word go. Plus I realised that I could very easily slip between the rungs and there wasn’t any safety netting. I didn’t think Steve would be too impressed if I started the holiday with broken bones! These thoughts transpired to make me very nervous but I tried to push myself higher. In the end I got about a quarter of the way up, looked down and was shocked to see the information hut appeared the size of a monopoly house. I soon began to doubt the wisdom of this tree climbing folly and sensibly returned to terra firma. I’m still kicking myself for not pushing myself higher so should another ridiculously large tree present itself in the future - watch this space.
With the fun and games over it was time to enjoy our picnic and what a cracking spot we’d stumbled upon. The birds were tweeting away and once again we had the entire place to ourselves – where is everyone? We finally made it to Shannon National Park where we expected to meet at least one other person – like the ticket office bod. We wanted to buy a pass for the parks as we knew we’d be using a few – not only was there no one around, there wasn’t even a ticket office or honesty box. With our cash still in our pockets we started the 44km forest drive through yet more karri, marra and jarrah trees. Even though we’d seen these impressive trees throughout the day the national park is incredibly beautiful and it’s the first time we’ve ever done a forest drive.
With the car covered in a fine layer of orange dust it was finally time to get down to Denmark. Once we reached Walpole the road followed the coast and even there we didn’t encounter many cars. Which was just as well as Steve had to screech to a halt, do a quick u-turn and go back to look at the kangaroos I’d spotted down a side track. These were western browns and one of them had a joey – aahhh!
Denmark
This turned out to be a lovely little town and the Rivermouth campsite we’d booked ourselves into was set on the edge of an inlet and an estuary. The setting was superb and there were birds pottering around all over the place including; parrots, black swans and pelicans. The facilities were once again excellent and now that we were a bit better equipped we made full use of them – sausage butties have never tasted so good! With being on the edge of the water it got very breezy as well as chilly. In fact I had to rescue the top cover of the tent in the middle of the night and work out a better way to keep it secure. With tent repairs complete and confident that we now wouldn’t blow away we got a cracking night’s sleep. Lying on grass instead of hard soil helped too.
Following breakfast overlooking the water, surrounded by birds we wandered into town and to the information office to find out about potter-able trails in the area. As per usual the office was very well stocked with free leaflets and the staff were very helpful. In the end we forked out a whole dollar for a walking trails leaflet that included maps. We worked out that we’d be able to connect several trails to make one long walk. We walked a couple of kilometres to join with the Bibbulmun Track – this actually stretches for almost 1000kms and takes around 8 weeks to complete. Hmmm – tempting. We then linked up with the Little River Walk which was as lovely as it sounds, switched over to the Shalia Hill Trail, wandered along a back road and returned to town via the Heritage Rail Trail. All this without the need for a guide and we didn’t get lost once. We love the way Australia is so geared up towards people spending time in the great outdoors.
With connecting different routes we got to enjoy different scenery and vegetation along the way. At one point we climbed up on top of a rocky headland and the views were so good that we just had to stop and have our picnic. Closer to town we were walking through farmland and have never been pestered by so many annoying flies in all our lives. Not only are they in big swarms but they insist of flying up your nose, in your ears and generally being a nuisance. This unpleasant creature encounter was instantly offset on our first ever sighting of a blue tongued skink. These are very big skinks that don’t scuttle away like all the others we’ve seen over the years. In fact they actively attack by rearing up, opening their mouths wide and sticking out their menacing blue tongue. Australia really does win the prize for fascinating and unusual beasties.
By the time we got back to our tent (which was mercifully present and still standing) our day of pottering had turned into a 25km hike. However, we still weren’t done as we decided to use the river walk to town and treat ourselves to that pub tea we’d failed to get in Bridgetown. The trail from the campsite to town is lovely and you feel like you’ve ventured into the middle of nowhere. However, the plan became unhinged not 500m from town – the river had burst its banks and the path was impassable. So we had to retrace our steps and walk into town along the road side of the river. It was still very enjoyable but we were ravenous! Hunger pangs were forgotten on the outskirts of town when we stumbled across a family of red kangaroos. They reckon Australia is riddled with these biggest of marsupials but it was the first red roos we’d seen and transpired to be the only ones we saw too.
The pub had a lovely outdoor seating area and the food was very good. However, it was extremely expensive and it soon became apparent that we’d have to be breakfast, picnic and dinner self sufficient. With all the campsites being very well equipped and providing free barbie pits we were up to the challenge of how many things you can cook with no pan, oil, utensils.................... That night was extremely windy but my new improved tent staking technique proved to be very successful.
The next morning we were up with the lark again – well actually the; parrots, galahs, kookaburras, seagulls, ducks etc etc and ready to pack and move on. Again we took in a few detours but nothing as dramatic as a few days previously. Great scenery, great roads and only us on the move.
Stirling Range National Park
We actually camped just on the outskirts of this park in Stirling Range Retreat which is huge. We were allocated a huge space for our little car and tiny tent and the site had a picnic table too. Once again we’d booked in advance only to find we were the only tenters! There were only about a dozen people in the whole area and one of those had gone and got himself lost up in the hills. By the next morning news had spread that mountain rescue were busy and the local police and press had moved in. They set up camp in the cafe across the road which was doing roaring trade considering it’s usually shut Mon, Tue and Wed!
Our tent site afforded great views of the mountains over the parched outback. The ground was so parched that we had no chance of getting our already mangled tent pegs into the ground. We obviously weren’t the first to suffer the same plight as a handy pile of rocks had been left nearby. These were duly dragged into the tent and placed in each corner with reinforcements on the outside. It might not have looked pretty but there was no way that tent was flying away! Time to explore.
If it wasn’t for the mountains no one would ever have settled here. The main road that passes through this area is a road train route so a few people manage to eke out an isolated living. There are loads of walks to do in the area ranging from minutes to 3 / 4 days. We pottered around the campsite on a 10km figure of eight loop and we finally felt like we’d found the outback. That evening we got our first Aussie sunset but as soon as that orange globe disappeared the temperature plummeted. It was a fight for who got to do the lion share of the cooking i.e. standing next to the hot plate! We crawled into our sleeping bags to keep warm but with lying on rock hard, packed earth there was no chance of getting comfy.
The next morning the weather was gloriously clear but of course mighty chilly. I say the next morning but the kookaburra had us up at 4.30am and I’m sure you’ll agree that’s more of a night-time hour. He was up and his laugh-a-thon meant that everyone within a 5km radius was up too! With it being chilly of a morning the nocturnal animals are still making their way back home after sunrise. We were lucky enough to encounter a black footed rock wallaby on the road leading down to Bluff Knoll in the park. Said hillock is the highest point in the mountain range but at a lowly 1073m we’d not bothered training hard in advance.
It still necessitated an ascent of 600m in only 3kms so not to be totally sniffed at and of course if it’s the highest point we have to get to the top. There were great views all the way up and I enjoyed being in amongst very different vegetation. I’ve read that in spring the flowers are amazing but to be honest they were still bright and varied by early summer. There were skinks sunning themselves at regular intervals along the path but the vegetation is too stunted and sparse to give cover for bigger creatures. We were hopeful of spying a snake warming up but still no luck on the Aussie serpent front.
Once at the top we really did get the 360o views we’d been promised. The front of the bluff is a sheer rock face but luckily you can skirt round the back and sneak up to the top. Just as well, you’d have to be a black belt rock climber (or whatever their skill levels are called) to get up there. We were wandering around the knobbly top and almost stepped on a monitor lizard - so long as we were quiet he just got on with his life. Yet again we had the place to ourselves but on the way down we passed quite a few people on their way up. So Western Australia does attract some tourists but luckily for us there schedule tended not to coincide with ours. We’d pencilled in 4 hours for the walk but were done and dusted in half that. Yippee – time to get back to camp for a hot drink and elevenses.
Since we were in this fantastic national park, we had wheels and time it made sense to do and see more. So we set off in the opposite direction and wandered up another peak, Mount Hassle, which was a breeze not a hassle. Again the hill was empty save for another friendly monitor lizard and again the views were superb. We started to tuck into our picnic but it was very breezy so we decided to find a more suitable spot. We felt we’d done enough walking for one day and would enjoy the rest of the park by car on the national park drive. We soon found a lovely, sheltered picnic spot and polished off the rest of our butties. With the roads being empty we could stop anywhere we felt like to take photos and to shoo animals off the road. Well we tried but those blue tongued skinks will turn and attack instead of bolting. I’m pleased to say we successfully got it off the tarmac before any other vehicles happened along.
As beautiful as Stirling Range National Park was it was time to pack up the tent and car and drive all the way back up to Freemantle. We had the first day of the Perth test on the car radio to keep us entertained along the way.
Fremantle
Once in Fremantle we had to return the car to Budget and check into Freo Backpackers. We’re probably about 2 decades too old to tolerate the rules and nonsense attached to many backpackers places, but it was cheaper than a hotel. Although I have to say the room wasn’t that good for the tariff. We thought that since we were at the seaside we should go down to the front, get a chippy tea and eat it listening to the waves lapping. Town beaches are never really the best but the bit we found was very disappointing and we couldn’t find a proper chippy. All the fish and chip places were more like diners / fast food joints than take-aways and if you don’t eat fish forget about anything to go with your chips. Other than a little wander around town we just checked out the Sail and Anchor pub and watched some cricket.
It was such a treat to lie in a bed and have a private bathroom that we forgave Freo Backpackers their foibles. I was on one of my quests to quietly break as many rules as possible – what do you mean no hand washing in the room? Why should I fork out for washing machine and drier when there’s oodles of hot water pouring out of the tap and a fan to dry the clothes? Anyway, never mind all that, we had another day’s entertainment lined up so headed off to catch the ferry to Rottnest Island. For once we were glad we’d pre-booked the tickets as the ferry was chokka.
Once over on the island the queue to hire bikes was long, long and we seemed to spend half our morning queuing. We eventually got allocated a couple of not very good, over-priced bikes and set off only to have to double back. My gears didn’t change and we’d paid extra to have bikes with gears and the seat kept going down. Now I know it may surprise you that I had to have the seat raised but I was allocated a bike that was bordering on child’s size! The bike was swiftly changed and we were finally ready to circumnavigate the island. Although lots of people were hiring bikes it soon transpired that not that many folk were up for the longest loop at 22kms. We were of course more than happy to leave the crowds behind and best of all, other than a couple of hotel vans in town and the tourist bus, the island is motorised traffic tree. What a treat!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that on rounding every bend we were presented with stunning and beautiful views. The coast line changes from dramatic cliffs to pristine beaches and on looking over your other shoulder you get interesting vegetation and the odd landmark such as lighthouses. To top it all I’d read about some animals that we were guaranteed to find. We hadn’t been pedalling for long when we finally spotted our first ever Australian serpent slowly slithering across the road. It turned out to be a dugite which is a longish brown snake that we were right not to get too close to as it’s pretty poisonous. Further along a big black skink scuttled across the road in front of us and when we stopped at one the many beach areas another of those snakes was hanging around. It wasn’t reptiles I was on the look-out for but you know me, other than mossies, leeches and cockroaches all creature encounters are exciting.
As we approached a particularly popular rest area, atop a very picturesque headland, I happen to notice something move under the shadows of a tree. Yep – I’d found it, a quokka. What do you mean you’ve never heard of them? Neither had we before this trip; they’re actually very cute, small, curious wallabies with a funky name. They’ve almost disappeared from the mainland but are surviving well on the island due to lack of introduced predators and traffic. This in turn means that they haven’t learnt to fear people and they either ignore the fact that you’re close to them or will actively come for a nosey. By the end of the day we’d seen a fair number of them but some have become too tame in places where they can find scraps of food. There are signs around the island asking you not to feed them as it damages their health but it seems some people just can’t resist. To be fair, they are adorable and it’s difficult not to give them a tickle when they approach you and lay a paw on your knee. I resisted and resisted until one hopped into the bar and I figured this one was already very humanised! I draw the line at giving them food that is not in their natural diet, but I just had to stroke its gorgeously soft fur.
Meanwhile back on our round island cycle tour. We were ticking off the kilometres quicker than we expected so decided to find a nice spot and maybe have a dip in the turquoise waters. I’ll never understand why some beaches are busy yet the next one along is almost empty but equally stunning. We weren’t complaining as it was lovely to have that translucent blue ocean and those dazzling white sand dunes virtually to ourselves. It was baking hot so a cooling dip sounded fantastic. The water was freezing! I only got wet up to my knees and legged it after a matter of seconds but of course Steve played in the waves for hours. Or did he?! You guessed it – now he may have got wet up and over his head but he only lasted about 5mins. The breeze had picked up so we sheltered behind a shrub in order to eat our picnic before the elements conspired to make it literally sand-wiches. By this time the few people who had been around had gone and we had the entire sand dune back bay to ourselves.
We still reached town, where we had to drop the bikes and catch the ferry back, with plenty of time to spare. There was nothing for it but to sit in the bar, watching the cricket supping a well earned cool one. All-in-all the day’s activities (ferry tickets and bike hire) were expensive but we’d had such a wonderful day that we’d recommend going should you get the chance. I’m sure you’ve glanced at the photos so you know it really is a stunning place and with the added bonus of no cars but plenty of wildlife it’s got to be a winner.
That evening we met up with Neil who’d joined us for some cricket fun. The next morning we were up bright and early, bags packed and on a train heading for Perth.
Perth
We eventually tracked down the hostel (North Lodge) despite Perth’s best efforts at being unhelpful – there weren’t any street names. We were way too early to check in but were allowed to; sign whichever piece of paper needed to be signed, part with some cash and dump our bags. Following this record breaking check-in we were soon marching off towards the WACA hoping that we wouldn’t miss any play. Now for any of you who follow the events associated with leather on willow you’ll know what transpired but at this stage in the proceedings I haven’t got much to tell you about Perth. The day pretty much went; cricket, cricket, beer, cricket, cricket, sponsored hike to find a pub, beer, talk about cricket, beer, lament the fact that it was going to be an Aussie win, beer, find the hostel, crawl into bed – goodnight!
It was just as well we didn’t miss any of the next day’s play. Now we knew we were looking at a hefty defeat but did England have to collapse quite so dramatically?! It was at this point Steve and I felt we were jinxed and would never be able to attend an Ashes test in Australia ever again. The short but costly day’s play (AU$2 /min) gave Neil just enough time to track down his friends. Then, against the odds, we all managed to find each other in the ground. So, what shall we do for the rest of the day? I know let’s go and have a beer and talk about it – you can guess the rest!
Early to bed, early to rise but didn’t really have much choice since check-out was 9.30am. We weren’t impressed to find grey, gloomy skies and rain in the air but with no home and a night time flight we were determined to explore Perth. Perth’s a very attractive, modern, well organised city but most of its more interesting activities revolve around the outdoors. We didn’t fancy forking out for a boat cruise in windy, cold, drizzly conditions so decided to head up to King’s Park – it’s free. Ever the optimists we decided that when we got there the skies would clear and we could spend a few hours wandering around. In reality the rain set in and we retreated into a cafe for a brew. Well we couldn’t stay there all day so we headed back into town. It was a shame as the park looks lovely and the views back looking over the Swan River and the city skyline should have been impressive.
Of course by the time we got back into town Sod’s Law stepped in and the rain eased! We dried off with another brew and tried to find something cultural to do. We’d heard a rumour that we may be able to get a refund on the cricket tickets so headed towards the WACA. We thought that even if we didn’t get any money back we’d have a look in their museum. We weren’t that surprised to find out that the money back rumour in the papers was a common myth and legend. However, we were just in time to join the last ground tour of the day. At AU$15 a head, including entrance to the museum, it turned out to be one of the best value activities in Australia.
The tour took 2 hours and it was led by a lovely elderly gentleman who obviously loves his cricket and is proud of his links with the WACA. We were shown, among others; the corporate rooms, score board, player’s rooms and eating areas. We were very surprised to discover that the teams eat together with the philosophy being that what happens out on the pitch stays there. All around the ground’s rooms there’s interesting memorabilia such as old photos, records of matches and histories displayed in interesting ways. Our favourite was the stump room; where every test match ever played at the WACA is recorded on a stump that has been carefully sawn in half and each participating player has signed his name. Obviously the highlight was getting down onto the pitch where, of course, we weren’t allowed to stand on the wicket. It was interesting to see how much wear and tear the ground had been subjected to in just over 3 days play. The tour finished back in the museum which has got loads of interesting stuff and we wished we could have spent longer in there.
That just left us enough time to collect our bags then go and catch our flight to Tasmania. We left Western Australia disappointed that the cricket and the weather had let us down at the end. However, the rest of the first leg of this trip had been wonderful. Highlights include; having the luxury and freedom of a car, camping in beautiful places and being self sufficient, taking in lovely scenery when simply travelling from A to B, visiting some stunning national parks, doing lots of walks without needing a guide or getting lost and encountering lots of fascinating animals.
