The Red Centre

Day 7

We left Alice and fortunately there were some familiar faces in the group including the driver - Kiwi who had been the driver on the second bus down to Darwin and my two German friends Heike and Sandra, two of the funniest people I have met on my travels (Hello you two if you are reading). At first I was a bit worried as Kiwi had seemed a bit lost on some sections of the last trip = luckily I was worrying over nothing though as he really knew his stuff. He re-planned the trip a lot too to make sure we spent minimum time walking in the hottest parts of the day - If I thought it had been hot on the trip so far I was wrong.

We started the day with a visit to the Outback Camel Farm and I got to do a lap of the field on a camel! 5 dollars well spent.


After a long drive we arrived at our camp in Ullara the Ayers Rock Resort. For some reason everyone thinks that Ayers Rock and Alice Springs are really close together - it's a 461 km journey.

We stopped off at the Visitors Centre and were all really starting to feel the heat. After a look around we went to the campsite and jumped in the pool to cool down. The guide cooked a BBQ for us and we drove up to the rock for sunset - we got a great spot and enjoyed the view with our beers and food. A lot of the other groups were looking enviously at us.



We slept outside in our Swags before a really early start to head out to the rock.

Day 8

We were up at 4am to get to the base of the rock. You could opt to climb the rock or do a walk around it. The Aborigines don't like you to climb the rock as it was a sacred climb used by their ancestors however they have the option to close the climb if they want to but chose not too because of the money generated by tourism. They also feel responsible if anyone dies or injures themselves when climbing.

I decided as I would probably only ever be here once and that the climb may be closed in the future that I would do it. Only 3 people decided to do it from our group. I made it to the top pretty quickly - you use a chain to pull yourself up some sections but as you get closer to the top there are some steep bits with no chains. The view from the top was pretty good and you could see the Olgas in the distance. I phoned home from on top of the rock in the style of Trigger Happy TV - HELLO! YES I'M ON TOP OF AYERS ROCK!





I climbed down again and there was loads of people now trying to get up including lots of Japanese wearing white gloves and dust masks for some reason (strange as it was hard enough to breathe anyway!!). You could tell a lot of them weren't going to make it. Because I'd made the climb in good time I got to do a bit of the base walk too.

When everyone had finished the walk we headed on to Kata Tjuta (Olgas) and hiked the Valley of the Winds. There was an option to do an extended walk and most of the group decided to continue on. By the end though it was pretty hot and we were glad to get back to the bus for water and some lunch. The track had been closed to stop new walkers starting the route because of the extreme heat.





We drove arond the rock and the driver gave us a talk detailing some of the Aboriginal stories behind the features of the rock which are all explained by Aboriginal Dream Time stories.

That afternoon we drove to the Kings Canyon Resort where we got to go swimming and cool off.

After a nice diner which included a chocolate cake cooked on the camp fire we hit our swags and were all told to hide our shoes under them as the Dingos often steal them!!

Day 9

A lie in this morning until 5 am. Incredibly because of the cloud cover it had not cooled down from the previous day and was red hot even that early in the morning. We packed up and headed out to Kings Canyon. On the way out of camp we passed a Dingo by the side of the road. We did quite a big hike around the canyon where we saw the impressive formations of the 'Amphitheatre', 'The Lost City', the picturesque 'Garden of Eden' and the breathtaking North and South Walls.



The Garden of Eden is like a desert Oasis with a water hole and lots of ancient plants that have only survived in this area.



The guide also explained about some of the plants of the area including a type of halucuinagenic bush (similar to marijuana) and the ghost gum used as sun screen. The guide also told us about Ippy Ippy used to cover wounds but also rubbed in a sleeping persons eyes as punishment for committing crimes - the Aboriginees eyes stick together rendering the victim blind for three days (bear in mind they are always close to the edge of the Canyon) - if they survive they are forgiven by the group! We also learned about aboriginal law and teaching whereby the grandfathers teach the grandsons whilst the father is out hunting.

We left Kings Canyon (it was already 43 degrees in the shade!) and headed back to the resort for a Chicken Burger lunch and a swim.



The journey back to Alice was long and hot although the air con was working it was so hot no one could sleep or concentrate to read. We saw a few Whirl Winds in the desert on the way back including one which blew onto the road and pushed the bus sideways - scary stuff!

Finally we arrived back in Alice after what felt like the longest journey of the trip so far. We met up for a farewell pizza and drink - it was a good trip and I'd made some really good friends.

I had a free day in Alice. I was staying in a nice hostel - The Alice Lodge but just used the day to relax and do some washing before the start of my next road trip - Alice Springs to Cairns.

Darwin to Alice

Day 4

The day started badly. I woke up at 6.30 and ran down to the bus, suddenly realising I was 1 hour late. The bus had left without me - because there was a mix up with the rooms at the hostel when we were checking in no one knew where I was staying. There were 2 Adventure Tours buses there ready to start the Kakadu trip and the drivers where laughing - telling me that flights to Alice where expensive. Luckily they did then help me out and got reception to call the office who contacted my driver. I was amazed when the driver agreed to come back for me. Fortunately the driver had been running late then he had taken some people to the Adventure Tours office to register so had not been that far out of Darwin.

When I got on the bus I was dissapointed to see that hardly anyone from the Kakadu trip was on my bus as it had been such a good group. Again luckily it worked out as our driver (Carl - who always seemed to be stoned) was training the other bus driver (Kiwi) so the two groups joined up. We were a big group which was not supposed to happen according to the brochure (small group adventure) but I was pleased to be with my friends.

I felt a bit rough for the rest of the day and as I got the last seat on the bus it was very uncomfortable with no head rest so I kept falling asleep on the person next to me.

After a breakfast stop we stoped for a swim at Edith Falls a fresh water pool and waterfall where we also had lunch.

We then went onto Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk). It was a hot day and a lot of the group decided to go Kayaking up the river. I definately was not in the mood for that so took a boat cruise up two of the gorges. The gorges were not connected so we had some walking to do in between. The gorges were pretty impressive - we also saw so Aboriginal rock art and a fresh water crocodile.

It was still very hot when we pulled into camp - we were staying in fixed tents with bunks in. I couldn't sleep as it was but then a couple of French lads from the other bus started going on like five year olds looking for attention shouting and screaming at each other for a good couple of hours. The group got there revenge the next day as the French were really tired and hungover - the bus decided to do Karaoke and everytime one of them tried to get to sleep they would get nudged.

Day 5

I was feeling a lot better the next day even though I'd not had much sleep.

We continued our journey South down the Stuart Highway the story behind the road is pretty interesting and our driver had a funny way of telling it. Our first stop was the Mataranka's crystal clear thermal pools. Fortunately they weren't that hot and it was nice to have a swim. In the trees over the pool there was loads of big flying Foxes.



From Mataranka we stopped at the famous Outback pub at Daly Waters,the oldest in the Northern Territory. People from all over the World had left stuff in the pub and there was even a Sunderland shirt up on the wall.





We bumped into a couple from our Kakadu trip who had hired a car and were driving to Alice (Jeff and Sarah) - I would keep bumping into them for the next couple of trips.

Our next stop was Tennant Creek to buy booze before we headed to our overnight camp at Juno Horse Farm. A lot of people had beer stolen the night before so everyone was keeping an eye on what they bought - I reckon that stealing beer is a low crime especially when everyone is on a budget.

I slept much better after a few beers. We were sleeping under the stars in Swags which was much cooler and there were no annoying French children keeping us awake.

Day 6

Day 6 started with a swim at the Mary Ann Dam in the Honeymoon Ranges. This was funny as Kiwi, the driver of the other bus managed to get lost. We then went on to the Devils Marbles. The Devils Marbles are described as granite rocks of volcanic origin eroded over time into the form and formation they are today.



We got a bit lost climbing around and had to climb some rocks to find our way back to the bus.

We stopped for lunch at an Aboriginal art Gallery for a BBQ but it was red hot.

We arrived in Alice Springs and stayed at Melankas hostel - I'd heard some real horror stories about the place but fortunately my room was OK. We had a few beers and a group meal as not everyone was continuing on the same trip. There was a lizard show from the local reptile house then more games to win free alchol some of which were quite entertaining. I didn't stay up too late though as I didn't want to miss the bus again the next day!!

Litchfield and Kakadu

Day 1

I was up bright and early to start my next trip. The trip was in a 4x4 vehicle with plenty of space.

In Litchfield our first stop was at the Magnetic Termite mounds - these mounds are all built in the same direction and they make the landscape look like a graveyard.



We then headed on for some swimming at Florence Falls and Buley Hole - it was a hot day and it was nice to get in the water. At one point next to where we were swimming there was a massive Mertons Water Monitor (lizard) - these things are supposed to be good swimmers - thankfuly he stayed on the bank.



After hotdogs for lunch we joined a Wildlife Cruise and spotted some crocs (fresh and saltwater) and lots of native birds including the Sea Eagle.





Next we drove on to our camp at Point Stewart Wilderness Lodge - I managed to grab a cabin to myself.

Day 2

We were up early for a trip to Shady Camp where we saw a lot more crocs. It was good of the guide to take us there as it wasn't on the agenda but we hadn't seen that many crocs on the cruise the previous day.

We hiked into "Makuk" or Baramundi Gorge and went swimming - there was loads of waterfalls and sections to climb. I managed to slip on one section and smacked my toe on the rocks. There was also a couple of areas where you could jump in. We saw a few little frogs swimming around too. In one section there was even one bit where you jumped in a pool and had to swim down through a cave to get out - I was the only one in the group to try it apart from the guide. Unfortunately I jumped into the pool and realised that there was no way out except through the cave - I was quite pleased when I swam through and resurfaced back in the main gorge!





We checked into our camp early and had the opportunity for a swim. We then headed on to the Bowali Visitors Centre and watched a DVD about the park - again it was nice to get out of the heat! We saw that the park becomes a completely different place during the wet season. A lot of places we visited were closing soon as they would be inaccessible in the wet season. It is supposed to be fantastic to do a scenic flight around the park in the wet season.

Our next stop was Ubirr an Aboriginal Rock Art site on the border of Arnhem land. Arnhem Land is Aboriginal owned land which you need a special permit to visit. There was tonnes of art in different styles and from different time periods. The art was in caves under overhangs and the guide did a good job of explaining about it all.



We climbed up to a viewing point and watched the sun set - the view was used in the film Crocodile Dundee.




Day 3

We left camp early again and spotted a Frilled Lizard sitting by the road.

Our first destination today was Twin Falls. To get there we had to go along 70 km four wheel drive track that can only be reached in the Dry Seaon. The road was very bumpy and we had to drive through a river - you could really see today why we needed the big 4 wheel drive truck. Here we joined a National Park operated boat which took us to the base of the falls.



We got back in the 4x4 and went on to Jim Jim falls. We had to walk down a track to get to the falls but they were pretty unspectacular as there was no water flowing - my foot was hurting the previous day too.



Things got a bit more lively when someone spotted a Cane Toad - these toads were introduced to eat the Cane Beetle - they didn't though and now they just kill all the native animals they come into contact with as they have toxic glands which kill crocodiles and water monitors - all the Australians try to kill them because they are spreading so quickly around the country. The guide did not want to kill it infront of the group so I gave him a hand - I earned the nickname Killer Phil for the rest of the trip.

We headed back to Darwin for a night out. The night itself was pretty good as we had a good group and most people got along really well.

There was a pub quiz with some random bonus rounds thrown in one of which was to play a hoover like a didgeridoo - I'll be giving it a go when I get back home!! One of the teams from our group won and they shared out the beer they won as a prize. From there we headed to an English bar where some people did some Karaoke before we all went back to the first bar. It was a heavy night!

Darwin

In Darwin I stayed in the Cavenagh Hostel. It was still really hot but I decided to have a wander around and check the place out. I walked around the city along the Esplanade and down to Lameroo Beach. That night I headed down to Stokes Hill Wharf - they are doing some major re-development of the harbour area so it was pretty difficult to find my way through to the Wharf where I eventually found a food court - unfortunately the curry I bought was minging.

Next day I walked to the museum via the botanical gardens which proved to be a lot further than I anticipated meaning that I arrived at the museum a sweaty mess.

The museum itself was OK with Aboriginal art, a display on all the creatures in Australia that can kill and injure you, exhibits on Cyclone Tracy and the boats of the Pacific Islands. There was also a massive stuffed salt water crocodile called Sweatheart!!

I decided to catch the bus back into town and explored a bit more. I saw survivors lookout where there was information about the bombing of Darwin Harbour in WWII and found the secret oil storage tunnels built to protect the fuel during bombings. I also saw some of the remains of buildings that were destroyed by Cyclone Tracey during in 1974.

That night I went out for a few beers with my room mates but had an early night ready for my early start next day.

Broome

On the first night in Broome we headed over to Cable Beach to meet the rest of the group for a farewell meal and drink. The restaurant was very strange - it was like a shop with an outside patio and the food was rotten.

There was another storm brewing so we grabbed some beers and sat down on the beach to watch it.

(Yet again I hadn't brought my camera and I'm hoping someone from the group will send me some shots!!)

I got a bit of a shock the next day when I was checking through my tickets as I noticed that my plane ticket had been booked for 15th December not 15th November. I raced to the airport and fortunately there were still seats available on the flight I needed. I had to pay a bit of money but the travel agency I had booked with agreed to refund me half of it. After sorting the flight I felt a bit more chilled and I had a look around Broome, did some chores and relaxed around the hostel.

I had wanted to see the dinosaur footprints at Cable Beach but you can only see them at very low tides at certain times of the month. The Tourist Info office recommended a Hover Craft tour where you could see lots of footprints all year round.

I got picked up from my hostel and got driven to the hovercraft port. It was nice to see some more of Broome as it was too hot to walk very far during the day.

We arrived at the port then had our safety briefing before boarding the craft.

We headed off around Roebuck bay as the driver showed us some points of interest and talked us through some of the hovercraft controls. The hovercraft seemed really difficult to control at times but looked great fun to drive.

We pulled up on a beach accross the bay and got out to take a look at the dinosaur footprints.



The first few prints were not too impressive at first until the guide asked people to stand in each of the tracks so we could see the scale of the strides. He saved the best set till last though and showed us this set:



Here you can see not only the footprints but a cross section of what used to be the planal forest floor with the impact caused by the weight of the dinosaur.

After checking out the footprints we boarded the hovercraft again and set off back accross the bay. On the way back we saw some of the pearling boats including an old boat which had been restored.

After the trip I headed back into town for a quick look around China Town. I also checked out Sun Pictures - the World's oldest picture garden.

Next day I took a flight to Darwin with Skywest. It was a good flight and the snack was a cream tea!

Perth to Broome Safari Part 1

Day 1 - Perth to Kalbarri

We left Perth early on Saturday morning although not as early as we should have as the bus was 25 minutes late - so glad I got up early!!

Anyway I hopped on board and we headed North up to the Nambung National Park. We stopped to see the thousands of limestone pillars at The Pinnacles. It was a bit windy and the sand was blowing everywhere so we just stayed long enough to get a few photos.



After lunch at the township of Dongara we headed towards Kalbarri. We stopped off at a Colonial house in the process of being restored. We saw a snake lying in the sun outside and it slithered away into one of the rooms.

The area we were driving through could be very windy - check this tree out:



We arrived at out hostel for the night and cooked a stir fry on the BBQ hot plate.

Day 2 - Kalbarri to Monkey Mia

An early start saw us heading out into the Kalbarri National Park. We visited the Murchison River Gorge and explored The Loop, Natures Window and Z-Bend Gorge.



On the way to Monkey Mia we made a number of other stops. We went to see something called Stromatolites - Stromatolites are an example of the earliest record of life on earth. They just looked like rocks under the water but you could see the bubbles showing that they were producing oxygen.



We also stopped at Shell Beach - a beach which was covered in tiny shells instead of sand - there was a quarry there too where they made bricks using the shells.

We arrived at our hostel in Monkey Mia (via the Bottle Shop) and cooked a BBQ. The hostel was fantastic and was right on the edge of the beach.

That night Dan the guide took us all out to a naturally heated pool where we had a few beers.

Day 3 - Monkey Mia to Coral Bay

We were up early to try to catch a glimpse of the wild bottlenose dolphins that come into the shore to be fed. There was no sign of them for a while, but just as we were heading back for breakfast they appeared.



The place is a bit of a tourist trap and there was a big crowd by this point. You stand in a line in the water but the rangers keep you at a distance as the dolphins swim backwards and forwards. When it's time for them to be fed everyone has to get out of the water and the rangers pick out volunteers to step forwards and feed them. Apparently the dolphins are not fed very much so they still have to go out and find their own food.

We left Monkey Mia and headed to 'Ocean Park' eco tourism site where we got to see some of the sharks, fish and turtles close up.

We made a stop for lunch where we cooked burgers.

There was a lot of wild life to be seen while on the road (where we spent a lot of time!) and we spotted loads of Kangaroos, Emus (although no Rod Hull or Grotbags!), an Echidna (which we nearly ran over) and this little fella:



The Thorny Devil.

We arrived at another nice hostel in Coral bay where we had yet another burger!! After dinner we went to the beach for some beers we also met some new people joining our trip.

Day 4 - Coral Bay

Practically the whole group headed off on the Manta Ray Snorkelling Safari at the Ningaloo Reef.

We made a brief stop for a snorkel before heading out to see the Rays. They use a plane to spot the Rays which are massive and can easily be spotted from the sky. We were the first group in the water and we were really lucky as the Rays were swimming around a cleaning station (they get the bacteria cleaned from them by smaller fish) so they swam backwards and forwards right underneath us. They were really big - one of them had her tail missing - they look quite scary but are harmless to humans.

While on the boat we did a Melbourne Cup sweepstake - not all the numbers were drawn and the winner stayed in the bag!

Next we headed into another area along the reef to see the turtles. There were quite a few and it was funny watching them come to the surface for air then spot our boat, get a shock then dive back down.

Before lunch we made another snorkelling stop to try and see some turtles in the water. Although we didn't see any turtles up close there was a bit of panic when we started spotting sharks. I saw one of the Reef Sharks - luckily he wasn't hungry. We also saw some stingrays.

After lunch we sailed back to the beach.

There was a second panic of the day as the guide had lost the van keys and the trailer had a flat tyre. Luckily the keys were found at the boat office and he quickly changed the tyre and we headed off to Exmouth.

We passed another tour group on the road who had lost the wheel off their trailer and were all in the fields looking for it!! We stopped briefly to see if we could help.

We got to our hostel in Exmouth cooked dinner and had a few beers.

Day 5 - Coral Bay to Exmouth

For me day 5 was the best day of the trip. We drove out to Turquoise Bay a remote beach at the North end of Ningaloo Reef. It was an amazing spot to snorkel as you walk up the beach and swim out to the reef - there is a current flowing which you can use to drift along the reef taking you back to where you started - you had to swim quite hard to get back to the beach though or the rip could carry you out to sea. I spent nearly the whole day snorkelling.

We headed up to a lighthouse on the way back to the hostel to watch the sun set.

After dinner we went out to see if we could spot some turtles laying their eggs - I'd missed them in Costa Rica and had thought it was going to be the same again but the guide spotted turtle tracks up from the sea and soon found the turtle itself and we crouched down to watch her dig a hole and lay it's eggs - it's pretty incredible to think that turtles only come ashore to lay their eggs and they somehow come back to the spot where they were hatched to lay their own eggs. We watched the turtle head back to the sea. On the way back to the bus we saw another turtle digging.

Perth to Broome Safari Part 2

Day 6 - Exmouth to Karijini NP

We left Exmouth where we stopped on the edge of a gorge for breakfast - the views were spectacular.



It was a long driving day as we headed towards Tom Price and Karajini National Park. When we stopped for lunch though and hopped out of the air conditioned bus everyone was shocked to see how much hotter it was - making and eating lunch was a much slower process as people tried to find shade. The guide reckoned we'd all turned into zombies!!

That afternoon we arrived at the mining town of Tom Price to pick up supplies (beer). There were some injuries to be treated from the beach the day before and two of the group went to hopital - we had to wait a while but just chilled out on the grass.

It was quite late by the time we arrived at our camp and we had to set up in the dark. It was the first time I'd seen a Swag, my bed for the night which we set out on top of a tarpaulin. Swags are basically a matress covered with a canvass bag that zips up around you leaving your face exposed - it has another cover you can pull over your face if it gets cold or the bugs bother you. Some of the group cooked Apricot Chicken on the camping stove.

I headed off to the toilet - or tin hut with a long drop toilet. The guide had said there might be Red Back spiders around the toilets and I thought he was joking. As I got near though I felt a web around my legs - I had not been pointing my torch down that low - I jumped back and shone the torch and fortunately could see the spider sitting on the wall - although still had to re-assure myself that nothing had gone down my hiking boot.

That night some of the group headed down into one of the gorges for a night swim. but slightly put off by my lucky escape from the spider and the fact that we were doing the same swim the next day I decided to turn in. The swag was actually really comfy and it was fantastic to go off to sleep looking up at the stars.

Day 7 - Karijini NP

The flies buzzing around my head and the ants woke me up bright and early - luckily they were only crawling around the swag and had not gotten inside.

After breakfast we headed down to Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. Although it was quite early it was still quite hot and we were glad to get down the gorge and along to the falls. The swimming spot was perfect the water was clear and there was even a platform and ladders to climb out.



We walked back along the gorge to another pool for another swim.

Next we headed to the Visitors Centre and had lunch after a brief look around.

After lunch we went to Dales Gorge. This walk got a bit tricky in places and one of the girls slipped and hurt her leg. The area used to be used for asbestos mining and you could see the asbestos still in the iron stone rock (perfectly safe).

This huge boulder was also on the floor of the gorge.



There was also a section at the end of the section where we were allowed to walk where you could climb along a tree trunk and look down to a drop below. I got this shot from out on the log.



After a swim at Circular pool we walked back along the gorge and climbed back out. We then drove to a lookout where we could see Circular Pool from above.



Just before camp we went to the final lookout of the day Oxer Lookout, the junction of Weano, Red, Hancock and Joffre Gorges.

We set up camp just outside the National Park boundary at a spot where there was no toilets only a shovel.

We had some music playing from the bus and just sat and chilled out watching the stars and having a few beers over dinner.


Day 8 - Karijini NP - Indee Station

Next morning the flies woke me up again, but no ants this time.

(Note for this section I'm hoping to get some shots from some of the group as I didn't take my camera - one of the group actually dropped their camera in the water!!).

That morning our first walk was absolute quality. At Hancock Gorge we had to leave our backpacks and just wear our swimming stuff. There was lots of climbing including a ladder we had to climb down and a section called the spider walk where the gorge got really thin and you had to climb along using your hands and feet on opposite walls. At the end of the walk was Kermit's Pool where we swam before heading back out of the gorge for lunch.

Next we walked to the nearby Weano Gorge for another good walk. Here we had to take our shoes off and wade through the gorge then climb along to an area called the amphitheatre. Crossing the ampitheatre we walked through a narrow section of the gorge before we got to a handrail. You had to climb around the handrail to a rope ladder which you used to get down to Handrail Pool itself. It was another great swimming spot although it was a bit cooler as there was not much sun at the bottom of the gorge. There was a great jump you could do climbing high up the cliffs then jumping in the pool. Some of us went even further along the gorge with the guide.

We stopped off at one final spot for a swim - there were smaller pools with water flowing through them - the water was warm from the sun but the rocks around the pool were so hot.



We headed out of Karajini and I was sad to leave - I really enjoyed my time there, I think in part because I had no expectations of the place and no one had told me anything about it.

We had a bit of a drive to Indee Station - half a million acres of cattle station where we camped in a dry creek bed.

I helped gather wood for the fire when we arrived there and some brave lads in the group did a bbq on a hot plate over the fire - the steaks cooked in about 3 seconds each.

We were glad to have a shower after 3 days in the park as there was a shower block close to camp although it was quite a trek to get there.

We settled down in our swags after a very energetic day.

Day 9 - Indee Station to Broome

I was so glad I had a shower and shave that night as some of the group who had left it until the next morning found there was no water - one of the girls had left the toilet flush on and drained the water tanks!

We set off on a long driving day and passed through Port Hedland, then cross the Great Sandy Desert. We stopped briefly at Eighty Mile Beach but decided not to eat dinner as it was extremely hot and starting to get humid and there were loads of flies.

We hit a huge storm on the way too with loads of lightening and heavy rain - the rainwater even started running into the bus!! At one point the driver couldn't see a thing - I hope I don't see rain like that over the next few weeks when I'm camping!!

We arrived at Broome that evening and the group split between two hostels - the Kimberly Klub in town which i was staying at and another hostel on Cable beach.

Fremantle and Margaret River

Fremantle is a city located within the Perth metropolitan area on Australia's western coast, at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometres southwest of Perth's Central Business District. It was established by British settlers as part of the Swan River Colony in 1829.

I took the ferry to get there and cruised up the Swan River. There are some incredible houses you pass on the way including this multi-million pound one...



I hoped of the ferry and did some sightseeing. I walked passed the Maritime museum and saw the HMAS Ovens Submarine. I checked out Bathers Bay and the Round House.

The Round House, the oldest remaining public building in Western Australia, built as a gaol in 1830 - 1831.The Round House had eight cells and a gaolers residence which all opened up into a central courtyard. In the 1800s, bay whaling was carried out from Bathers Beach below the Round House. As part of the whaling operations a tunnel was constructed under the Round House to provide whalers with access to the town from the jetty and Bathers Beach. There is a secret side tunnel leading up to Gunners Cottage which was built when the Whalers Tunnel was used an air raid shelter in World War II.



Next I went to the Shipwreck Gallery where I saw the original timbers and treasures from the famous Dutch shipwreck, the Batavia. I also saw displays highlighting the mystery surrounding some of Australia's oldest shipwrecks.

Just before lunch I tried an award winning Pale Ale at the Little Creatures Micro Brewery before heading back to the port for a Whale Watching Tour. There was a chance we would see Hump Backed Whales but we didn't see a thing - a bit dissapointing. I was glad I'd took plenty of sea sickness tablets as the journey was very rocky!!

That night we headed out to the bars again.

My final trip from Perth was to Margaret River. It was a good trip although I was glad Nicky came along as it was full of OAPs.

We stopped for a coffee at Dawesville Channel before arriving at Margaret River and the Xanadu Winery. The Xanadu Winery is one of the earliest established vineyards of the region. We had a tasting there and it was hillarious watching the old people pushing in, thinking they might miss out - they couldn't wait for the next wine to be poured!!

Next we headed to the Eagles Heritage Raptor Centre where we had lunch. Set on 29 acres of natural bushland, is the largest area in Australia specifically set aside for eco-tourism based rehabilitation of birds of prey. Walking around we saw (amongst other things) Wedge-tailed Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and Black Kites. There was also a strange owl that nested on the ground.

After lunch we headed over to the free flight display where I got to hold Radar the Masked Owl.



We also saw the Kites grabbing food in mid air.

We headed on to Mammoth Cave, one of over 300 natural underground limestone caves in the district. There are lots of old animal bones preserved in the caves.



Travelling south we passed by stunning Boranup Forest, before arriving at Augusta’s famous Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, a geographical point of significance marking the dividing point between the Southern and Indian Oceans.

Heading back to Perth we stopped for an evening meal at Busselton Jetty. At 2km long the Jetty is the longest timber jetty in the southern hemisphere.



We arrived back in Perth quite late. Although the trip had been quite a random collection of things it had been a good day.

On my last day in Perth I chilled out and bought some bits and pieces for my trip up to Broom.

Perth and Rottnest Island

Perth city centre is quite compact and I had a bit of a walk around to get my bearings.

My hostel was pretty nice too - Britannia on Williams.

On Sunday I met up with Colin and Nicky and we headed up to Kings Park for a walk around the gardens and some great views out over the city and river.



There was a walking track to follow which takes you through the trees via a glass bridge. After our sightseeing we were thirsty and headed for the pub. Perth is famous for it's Sunday sessions and we checked out Brass Monkey, the Moon and Sixpence and The Elephant and Wheelbarrow (with live band).

Next day I was very hungover so I headed to the cinema to see The Departed.

We all headed to Rottnest Island. Our first ferry took us to Fremantle up the Swan river were we changed boats and headed out to Rottnest Island.

The island was observed by various Dutch sailors from 1610, including Frederick de Houtman in 1619, and the three ships Waekende Boey, Elburg and Emeloort in 1658. The island was named by the Flemish fleet captain Willem de Vlamingh on 29 December 1696. de Vlamingh described the indigenous marsupial called a quokka as a large rat ("rattenest" meaning "rat's nest" in the Dutch language).

Once on the island we hired bikes and followed the various tracks around the island. There were some beautiful coves and beaches as well as shipwrecks and a lighthouse.



There were lots of Quokkas - very odd looking things but not scared of us at all. We also saw a snake on the road which i nearly ran over!



It was a good day and we all dozed off as we headed back to Perth on the ferries.

The India Pacific Adelaide to Perth

As I was catching the shuttle bus outside my hostel to the station I got chatting to an Irish lad, Colin, who was also heading to the station too. Randomly it turned out our train seats were together. When we got onto the India Pacific train we also met Nicky a Scottish girl who was sitting next to us too. We were glad we were sat together as there was some proper weirdos on the train.

The journey took us 2 days. Our seats were like aeroplane seats that reclined but had a bit more leg room. We were in the red kangaroo section and we also had a lounge car and restaurant car that we could use. You could walk around too to stretch your legs.

The first night was a long one. Some of the passengers got absolutely hammered and there was a fight between an old guy who would not stop shouting and a younger lad. A big Hungarian bloke kept pulling the guys apart but they just kept going after each other. The fight lasted ages and even though someone hit the alarm the train staff took ages to get there by which time things had calmed down a bit. I felt sorry for the kids and old people - some of them were terrified. Eventually the night manager took the old bloke away. Next day the old guy was handed over to the police in the middle of the dessert - it would be interesting to know how he got home and how long it took.

We were woken up for breakfast next morning at 7 after not much sleep at all. I ended up sleeping with my head on the tray table - not the most comfortable!!

I'd expected a bit of variety in the scenary but it was all pretty much the same most of the way - dessert scrub..



We did see Eagles and a couple of Kangaroos. Our stop that morning was in Cook a ghost town in the middle of the Nullabor Plain - one of the world's most isolated townships. It was a very strange place and there were even a small group of people living there who depended on supplies from the train to survive.






That day we also travelled along the world’s longest length of straight railway track, 478 kilometres through the stark and desolate Nullarbor Plain.



Following an afternoon of reading and cards we arrived at Kalgoorlie that evening. I had originally wanted to spend a couple of days in this gold mining town but decided just to do a Whistle Stop tour.

In June 1893, prospectors Patrick (Paddy) Hannan, Tom Flanagan, and Dan O'Shea were travelling to Mt Youle when one of their horses cast a shoe. During the halt in their journey, the men noticed signs of gold in the area, and decided to stay put. On June 17, 1893, Hannan filed a Reward Claim, leading to hundreds of men swarming to the area in search of gold and Kalgoorlie was born. The mining of gold, along with other metals such as nickel, has been a major industry in Kalgoorlie ever since. The concentrated area of large gold mines surrounding the original Hannan find is often referred to as the Golden Mile, and is considered by some to be the richest square mile of earth on the planet.

It was a funny tour as we never really got off the coach as we cruised around the street of Kalgoolie and Boulder at walking pace.

We saw some of the 25 historical hotels and pubs in Kalgoorlie which are still operating today. We then headed to Boulder to see the floodlit Superpit. The mine is in operation 24 hours a day and produces up to 900,000 ounces of gold every year. Our final stop off on the way back to the train was at the ladies of the night on Hay Street.

The second night on the train was a bit quieter and I managed to get a bit more sleep.

We finally arrived in Perth at around 9 on Saturday morning and some guys were there from my hostel to pick me up.