The night before we left Boat Haven CP Leah made a special fire pit for "Meerkat Mascot" and the clay toy she had made. I thought I'd share it with you as I thought it was very creative and gorgeous.
It was beside our fire pit ... so cute! 😍
On our way through to Albany we stopped off at The Boston Brewing Company and bought 8 cans of beer. Over the next few nights we had our own beer tastings. With three of us it was a great way to experience some new beers and they weren't bad either.
By early afternoon on Jan 21st we'd set up our vans at the King River Palms Caravan Park. We then went to Albany's forest sculpture park, which you drive through. All sculptures are carved into the wood often using parts of the trees that are still attached. It's quite unique and quirky!! The three girls took a heap of photos as we drove around. Here's just a few!!! The variety of sculptures were amazing and they were often hidden in the trees or ground so it was easy to miss them. You weren't meant to leave your cars, but Leah couldn't resist hopping out and sitting on the trunk throne!!!
The following day we headed out to the historic whaling station at Frenchman's Bay. The last time I had been there was 1981, about 2 years after whaling was banned in 1979 . The museum had just opened and was very basic. Now it's a huge tourist attraction with many of the buildings and tanks displaying historic equipment and processes with theatres and video presentations as well as a whale skeleton museum.
Left to right - whale oil tanks, a whale playground slide and swing, Cheyne 1V being the last whaling ship to work out of the port, Sara and family in front of a Blue Whale skeleton, me in front of Cheyne 1V
On the way back from the Whaling Station we detoured via Torndirrup National Park to see the "The Gap" and "Natural Bridge". The paths and viewing bridge are far more substantial compared to 1981 when I was there last, but the force of the water and windy conditions make it no less scary.
Mother and daughter getting very wet from the water spray😫
The Natural Bridge
Over the next few days we visited a fabulous creative children's centre where the girls spent ages making leadlight sticker displays, which they collected the following day and installed on their caravan window.
There was a fabulous museum in the historic precInct that I spent an hour or two. One of the highlights of the day was we all watched a "Virtual Reality" film on Antarctica. Someone said afterwards, I guess you're next bucket list item will be a trip to Antarctica, but I don't think that's now necessary....it felt like I'd been there. It was amazing 👍
I visited the National Anzac Museum on Mt Clarence. As you approach the "Convoy" lookout you walk through a huge set of display panels of all fleets that assembled and departed through King George Sound in WW1. Every warship was named and all the information for each ship (size, dates, crew numbers etc). I never realised how important Albany was as a centre for ships preparing to head off to war. There are underground tunnels, which you can walk through where all the artillery was kept during the war. And of course, all the canon's on the hill top protecting the ships and the harbour.
Sara, Leah and I walked up to the top of the Padre White lookout on another section of Mount Clarence, to see magnificent 360 degree views over Albany and surrounds. It supposedly the spot of the very first ANZAC dawn service ever held in Australia in 1930.
Lookout view
Nearing the top of Padre White Lookout - Mt Clarence
While in Albany I had to revisit Little Beach at Two People's Bay. I can still see it so clearly in my mind from when we swam there in the late 1970's and early 1980's...It hasn't changed😍
We picked a great day to visit ...and...OMG!! it's still a stunning beach. I'm so glad it was a great weather as it had been rather cool and even wet on the days leading up to this day.
I remember swimming and snorkelling at this beach in the early 1980's and it's exactly the same!!! Magnificent
We did a couple of river excursions, on the King river at the Caravan Park which were fun. The CP had kayaks we could use so we all took off for an hour or so up river. We decided to stay on for Australia Day and walk around to the pub (on the other side of the river) and while we had a drink and listened to the band, the girls had fun on a paddle boat.
Me and Nellie partnered up kayaking
Time to move on...Jan 27th we packed up and drove east and parked the vans at Tozer's Bush camp about 13kms west of Bremer Bay and up a 5km dirt track off the main road. This was a fascinating camp ground, set on a farm with magnificent camp kitchen and toilet block facilities, but no water or power hookup. We didn't do much sightseeing in the area as the beaches at Bremer Bay were the drawcard!!!
Blossoms Beach - The girls out swimming
The following day we returned for more of a good thing...😍
And talking about a good thing....It's been absolutely wonderful travelling with Sara, John, Nellie, Leah and Kate. Over the past 11 months I have caught up with the family three times and each time it's been a highlight for me. These past few weeks has been the longest stint and I'm going to miss them 😢
Tomorrow I start heading east on the homeward leg of my journey and I'm back travelling on my own.
Jan 29th I start heading for Esperance, but decide to do a side trip to Wave Rock and Kalgoolie...As you do!!! I travel through open wheat country and pass lots of dried up salt lakes and park my van at the Wave Rock Caravan Park by mid afternoon.
The weather in Wave rock is hot, especially after travelling from the south, but I immediately go for a walk around and up to the top. By the time I get back I head straight for the pool!!!
Great views from the top, although I didn't quite make it to the very top as the heat coming off the rock was severe and the pool was beckoning 😵
The following morning I took a quick drive out to see Mulka's Cave and saw the aboriginal art, before coming back, hooking up the van and driving through to Kalgoorlie via Narembeen and Southern Cross.
As I was approaching Narembeen I came across the "Mile of Boots" fence. About one kilometre long, it's full of shoes and boots stuck into the fencing wires. It's quirky, looks amazing and certainly pulled me up to get some photos.
I also passed the John Deere factory at Narembeen and OMG...gaped at the size and quantity of the huge machinery. I'm just sorry I didn't stop to take a pic!!!
Jan 30th I parked my van at the Discovery Park in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and booked in for 3 nights. It had been a long day of travel. During my Kalgoorlie visit I took a tour of the Superpit, visited the mining museum, had a good look around the city, visited the Goldfields Art's Centre and gallery, played my first two holes of golf of the Nullarbor Golf Course and tried to get into a tour of the Hay Street Brothel, but no tours were available while I was there.
A street scene taken from the balcony at the historic Kalgoorlie Hotel
The beautiful staircase inside the Kalgoorlie Hotel
Hay Street Brothel
This was inside a beautifully maintained historic art deco theatre in Boulder and the curtain was amazing. All hand painted
The Beaten Track brewery which was housed in a large container in a back street in Boulder.
A quirky set up hidden away, but buzzing with people!
I took this photo from the lookout before doing the Superpit tour the following day
Me on the tour of the superpit
Driving through the Superpit
This brings up my travels to the end of January as I pack up to leave Kalgoorlie. This next instalment will document my February travels across the Nullarbor and South Australia. I'll have more info on the golf challenge in this next instalment.
Thank you to all those who comment and contact me after reading the blog. It's great to be able to share the experience with you.
Until next time...Enjoy
🥂 Anne
Total Distance travelled to end of January 27,934 kms
March....764km
April .....1225km
May......3435km
June....2800km
July.....2606km
August....3908km
September.... 4190km
October....3034km
November....1656km
December....898km
January....3418