New Territories

Warning: the following blog post is long (you know you love it McRazy).  It’s been a while since our last post so I figured we might as well just cover everything and be “live.”  I’ve tried to keep it short and have even divided it up into chapters so they’re more manageable chunks of a couple of hundred words each (you can even read it like a novel...  a chapter on the train, one in bed, one in the loo).  I  attempted to make it an interesting read too, though I only have Robyn to critique my drafts and she finds pretty much anything I say interesting (at least, that’s what she says...).  If you’re after the Herald Sun version, I’m sure the pictures will tell enough of the story.  :D

Man, even the disclaimer was long!

Chapter 1:  Crossing the Nullabor

Just in case you couldn't work it out, Robyn's the kangaroo and I'm the wombat

What do you think of when you think Nullarbor?  50+ degrees?  Barren desert and dead straight roads for 1,668 kilometres?  Mirages?  Well, we were the same.  In Port Augusta (what is often considered the gateway to the Nullarbor) we bought a few essentials for long hours and hundreds of kilometres in searing heat – top up oil, coolant, water, cruising music.

Treeless?  I think not...

No desert here...

Turns out there’s a 90 mile stretch just after Eucla that’s dead straight but apart from that, it’s actually not really as straight as you might think.  And as far as barrenness goes, It was about as barren as the Garden of Eden!  Apparently they had a couple of good years of rain and the place was bursting with life...  even TREES.  How can you have trees on a plain that has a name that means “no trees”?!?!?  Just the odd tree, mind you...  not a forest.  Well, at least not the whole way.  But yes, we were stunned...  And even more so when in the last couple of hundred kilometres it started BUCKETING down.  Rain at first I didn’t expect, but a downpour?!?  Different to your average.

We thought we were heading west towards the sun and heat.  Of course we showed up on WA’s doorstep during the wettest start to December for 25 odd years.  I guess Melbourne weather knows its locals and likes to follow them round when they travel!

Chapter 2:  Esperance – home of Australia’s best beaches

Believe the hype.  Consume the rhetoric.  It’s all true.  Esperance really does have Australia’s best beaches (or at least equal first with some others).  

No photo could ever truly capture it - Hellfire Bay and Frenchman's
Peak: Cape le Grande NP, near Esperance, WA

We’ve been to the Whitsundays and Hellfire Bay in Cape le Grand NP is easily at least as good as Whitehaven.  Pristine beach, pure sand (the kind that gives that satisfying “squeak” when you walk on it) and the most beautiful deep blue water.  There’s only one problem.  Unfortunately, Esperance isn’t home to Australia’s best beach weather.  I know we were there in summer’s worst start for a long time, but still...  according to the locals it’s always windy in Esperance (a wind farm just out of town verifying such claims) and the average temperature during summer is actually 25 degrees.  If you’re coming out here definitely do it (the whole area is just gorgeous) but if you want beach...  do it later in summer when you have a good chance of getting hot days.

Oh, we went spearing in Little Hellfire Bay while we were here as well (first WA spear!).  Nothing of too great importance to note, other than that Robyn speared a nice Harlequin fish (good eating), we got a zebra fish each (ok eating) and we saw a Western Blue Groper (a very nice eating, big fish) for about 3 seconds and Robyn took a shot at what we think was a (at least) 90cm possible Dusky Morwong (not very nice eating, but the biggest spearable fish I’ve ever seen!).

Robyn's pretty Harlequin fish (Sorry Deej, still no sharks... ;)

We actually ended up just taking Russell (our Troopy) out on a track and had in essence our own beach that we chilled out at for a couple of days.  Despite the weather, it was a good chance to relax and read some books.  And get sunburnt somehow.

Chapter 3:  Quagi Beach – the REAL spearing adventure

So Robyn dropped her diving knife among the weeds on our first WA dive and it needed replacing.  At the local fishing shop we bought a new knife and asked the guy about places to dive and he said, “just turn left at any road on your way out and there’s plenty of good diving all along the coast.”  Which of course, for us, was excellent news.

It was a hairy experience getting here but totally worth it.

One thing’s for sure: if you love fishing or the beach and are planning on touring SA or WA – get a 4WD.  Or a boat.  SO many places that we have been since we left have only been accessible by 4WD and for that we’ve been super thankful to have trusty old Rusty.  Places that aren’t on any maps or brochures you discover by getting somewhere and seeing a little track disappear into the bush or over the hill.  That’s how we found our next port of call just near Quagi beach.

Robyn prepares for our best WA dive yet

Weather had improved by this point so it was sunny, but thanks to the wind it wouldn’t have been a pleasurable experience to have a beach day.  So we decided to go for a spear.  After following quite a rocky track for some way (and getting nervous about having another blowout on terrain that would be slightly more challenging to change a tyre on) we pulled up at the top of a steep track that led to a rocky flat right near the water.  After some surveillance we decided this was the best place to go in.  And after a nerve racking descent over rocks and a track steeper than any we’ve done before (mind you, it’s probably super easy but is always a daunting experience as a first-timer!), Russell was experiencing his first view of the ocean from a rock.  Radness. 

Our prize fish - My 83cm just-feed-the-kids Dusky Morwong
and Robyn's 60cm $100-plus-worth Blue Groper

So we had our second WA dive(s).  After a couple of short dives (I’ll spare you the laborious details) we came out with a Long-snouted Boarfish (Robyn’s – a very good tasting fish!), an 83 cm Dusky Morwong (JR’s – the biggest fish I’ve ever speared but unfortunately a fairly poor eating fish.  Not bad marinated in some lemon, ginger and soy sauce though!) and the prize fish of the day – a 60 cm Western Blue Groper (Robyn’s – not as long as mine but slightly fatter and a million miles nicer – confirmed by our discovery a few days later that Blue Groper was selling for $38 a kilo at the local market!!).  They’ll be our meals for the next couple of weeks I think!  A spearing day is always a bit of a mission though – we found the spot at about 9 am and finally finished filleting and cleaning out gear at about 7pm (several intermissions and a casual pace were adopted ;). 

And one of the coolest things about WA – we stayed there the night.  Went to bed with the stars feeling so close you could touch them with your fingertips and the sound of waves lulling us to sleep (mind you, they sounded like they were crashing right outside the car when we went to bed which made us a bit nervous!  Thankfully we’d checked the marine forecast and could rest easy).  This was my favourite camp spot up until this point.  I love you WA!

Fun at Short Beach

Chapter 4:  Beach Day

Sadly, Fitzgerald River National Park was under construction and closed for the next 18 or so months.  They’re upgrading it to make it more tourist-friendly.  Hmmm...   next time I guess, haha.  I was ok with that though, because it meant we finally got to have a day that I’d been hangin for since we started the trip...

It was the hottest day we’d had in WA so far.  About 30 degrees I think.  We ended up finding Short Beach in Bremer Bay to chill out at and it was gorgeous.  But the best thing?  We had it all to ourselves.  A private beach minus the millions of dollars.  Couldn’t believe it.  Splitting time between going for a dip and lying on the towel reading our books was just lovely.  Finally got the beach day I was patiently waiting for.  And what better place than the beaches of WA...

Chapter 5:  Albany

The spectacular coast at Albany

As I type we leave one of our favourite towns along the WA coast.  It’s funny because when we arrived yesterday I think we instantly decided that we liked the place, but as we leave I realise we didn’t actually do too many of the touristy things.  Might have something to do with the fact that I was a bit sick of driving and doing things that I said to Robyn as we arrived in Albany, “I’m putting a ban on tourism today.”  After finding out all the things to see and do we did check out a few of the lookouts, but ended up spending most of the day organising things that needed organising.  We then set up camp in a little spot near Torbay Inlet.

J works the shovel before giving in to letting down the tyre pressures.
Thought we could get away with it but turns out the sand was softer
than I gave it credit for!  Thankfully I didn't need to get out the
Hi-Lift Jack...

The fun part came this morning.  We took off at about 5am (the usual rising time these days...  due to our wanting to get up and enjoy most of the day as well as the sun rising in the west at about that time!) and headed down a 4WD track that took us along Mutton Bird Beach.  It was all great...  till we got bogged.  Near the water.  Thankfully I play it pretty safe and the water wasn’t exactly lapping at our wheels, but we were still close enough to get a bit nervous about losing Russell to the ocean’s belly.  I was also pretty thankful that I’d read and watched a few things about sand recovery and began our multiple-step recovery.  I was pretty glad we didn’t have to get too far into the recovery program to get free and drive our way to safety.  Whilst I reinflated the tyres Robyn made us breakfast – too much activity before having your first meal I think!

One of many rest stops we spend in slumber

Epilogue: Onward!

So we’re about to pull up for the night at a rest stop (a common occurrence as our setup involves moving a few bags to the front of the car and jumping into the back to sleep.  Oh, and the fees are a grand total of 0 dollars).  Robyn will probably cook up some fantastic dish – as she consistently does – using a quarter of the epic Groper she speared (who’s supposed to be the provider again?!?!) and we’ll dine on $40 worth of fish.

Not sure where we’ll be at Christmas, but wherever you are may it be a blessed one as we once again remember the birth of the Saviour!

Much love,

J.

P.S.  I did say we'd post more photos and vids...  we'll definitely get there!  It shall come...  soon enough.  :D

P.P.S.  I finished this post yesterday but was prohibited from posting...  This evening we spend Christmas eve at D'Entrecasteaux Point and wake up to a beautiful sweeping view from high up (and a big box of shortbread that we've been eyeing off for a week).  Merry Christmas all!  :D