Our Travels from Perth to the Southwest (to see some of the places we missed)
Table of Contents – 3 Trips in Order 1: 2: 3:
1: Perth
to Hyden (Wave Rock) then on to Esperance
Hopetoun, Fitzgerald River National Park,
Dumbleyung and then back to Perth
Denmark, Walpole, Mt Barker, Porongorups, Stirling Ranges
& Home
3: Yallingup, Dusborough,
Margart River Etc
4: Busselton, Augusta, Sue's
Campground, Pemberton, Manjimup, Bridgetown & Bunbury
5: Wyalkatchem, Yorkrakine Rock, Beringbooding
Rock, Elachbutting Rock,
Perth
to Hyden (Wave Rock) then on to Esperance.
After a visit home it is time to once
again hit the road to fill in some of the gaps created by our diversion. We
decided to drive down to Esperance via Hyden so we could see Wave Rock. To get
there we traveled through some of the wheat belt of Western Australia that
appears to be never ending but it is worth a stop to soak some of it up 
as it has a beauty all its own. The
towns on the way are all friendly and it is often well worthwhile to drive into
them where you will sometimes find the other service station at which the
locals buy their fuel! On arrival in Hyden we stopped at the butcher shop
(Merrilyn had recommended it) where Mary purchased a rolled roast (like the
ones you used to be able to buy before the supermarkets discovered they could
hide all of the poor quality meat in the roll and ruined them for all of us),
some ribs, chops and sausages. The butcher declared all of his meat to be
hormone free and charged us just $22.00 for the lot. Then it was on to Wave
Rock a few kilometers down the road where there is a caravan park at the base
of the attraction. It was a clean, compact park with new ablutions and a pool
that would be very welcome on the hotter days. After locating ourselves we took
a walk on a well marked and maintained path to see Hippo’s Yawn, Wave Rock and
the local dam all of which are within coo-ee of the park. That night we enjoyed
a barbecue with some of the meat we had purchased. In the morning it was time
to continue on down to Esperance, which we did arriving late in the afternoon.
After the mandatory drive around town we settled down for a pleasant evening 
followed by a sleep in the next morning.
Saturday the 23rd of February saw us off on a walk to the Rotary
Lookout. The views from there were spectacular and as an added treat there are
a couple of walks of around a kilometer that start and finish at the lookout.
These walks are excellent and pictured at left is one view of part of a walk.
Of course we extended our walk and found a short cut 
back to the caravan for lunch before
heading off on a scenic drive which took in the Pink Lake and some of the
nicest beaches you will see anywhere in Australia. After this we decided that
there is a lot to see here so we booked a third night. Sunday morning we
decided to drive out to Dalyup River Wines (Esperance’s only winery) where we
were pleasantly surprised by the wines they made. From there it was off to
Monjigup Lake Reserve where there are several pleasant and informative walks to
enjoy. Next we headed back to town via the Wind Farm with its huge generators.
For the record we stayed at the Big 4 caravan park in Esperance which is the
closest park to the center of the town but unfortunately the trains that pass
late into the night may keep you awake along with the trucks that are
constantly passing to enter the port but worse they generate or give off so
much dark brown dust that our caravan was made quite dirty within the three
nights that we stayed there.
Hopetoun, Fitzgerald River National
Park, Jerramungup & Dumbleyung.
Monday morning saw us off early to Hopetoun
via Ravensthorpe. On arrival we booked into the Hopetoun Caravan Park then went
to look at the Fitzgerald River National Park but realising we did not have
much time left in the day elected not to enter or pay the $10.00 fee they
wanted for us to be able to drive in. There is still plenty to look at around
Hopetoun in the 2 Mile Beach, 5 Mile Beach and 12 Mile Beach etc so we did
that. On returning to the caravan Mary decided to go beach fishing. The shock
was too much to bear when she returned with four fish but I recovered whilst 
she went off to clean them.
Unfortunately Mary dropped the biggest fish into the fish cleaning bin whilst
cleaning so there were only the three smaller fish to be had for dinner.
Tuesday we were up at around the usual 9:00AM and we decided to spend the
entire day in the Fitzgerald National Park so as to extract full value from our
entrance fee. The park has a lot to see and much of it varied in any small area
so it is one of those easy to enjoy national parks without having to travel a
gazillion kilometres. The only criticism of the park was where they had spent a
fortune on a boardwalk, which was placed on a relatively flat area, and that
led to a steep hill climb. Maybe the money could have been better spent on some
hand railing to help people get up the more treacherous part of the climb? We
did not manage to drag ourselves out of the national park until around 5:PM and
it was a most enjoyable day. As soon as we did arrive back at the caravan park
Mary who had two attempts at fishing in the national park during the day took
herself straight back to the beach in front of the park to see if yesterday’s
success could be emulated. Of course it was but it is interesting that everyone
that went to the jetty caught nothing whilst those fishing off the 
beach in front of the caravan park
seemed to be always blessed! Wednesday we left for Dumbleyung via Jerramungup
where we stopped for lunch. 
Many fellow caravaner’s queried our wish
to go to Dumbleyung but how could we not, given the towns history with
Campbells water speed record. As it happened the drive was also most enjoyable
with almost no traffic after we left Jerramungup and lots of interesting sights
on the way. On arriving we were surprised by what is a neat as a pin town
sporting a lovely caravan park that was all ours at just $12.00 for the night.
Immediately after settling we headed to the sight of Campbells 
monument at Lake Dumbleyung. It is a
spectacular sight looking at the lake and imagining what was going on back in
1964 when the record was claimed here. This part of our trip is even more
memorable to myself with my father having been involved in the Campbell record
back then but Mary also exclaimed her joy at being there and we both agreed
that Dumbleyung should be enjoyed by more people.
Perth to Albany.
We hadn’t taken any trips in Australia for several
months but in February of 2009 it was decided that a trip down to Albany via the
Albany Highway then around the coast and back to Perth would be a good idea to
ensure that all of our equipment was still in good working order. Before
departing David and myself (Gary) decided to check that our caravan brakes were
in good condition and working order only to discover that the brakes on our
caravans are sealed and self adjusting. We contacted the agent who has informed
us that they don’t want or need to see them until 
around 100,000km – Good News – See more
details in the “Vehicles & Equipment” section. All of the normal
preparation was done then we were off on the 10th. We had planned to
leave at 9:00AM so were on our way by 10:00 AM (David & Merrilyn were
traveling separately leaving around 11:00AM). All went well until around 20
minutes into the trip when the tachometer on the car stopped working. Nothing
else seemed amiss so we decided to ignore the minor inconvenience. After a
couple or three of hours driving we stopped for fuel at a place called
“Beaufort” where after we re-started the motor the 4WD light locked on which
meant that we couldn’t proceed for fear of damaging the gear box. We rang the
RAC and they had a contractor ring us straight back, we discussed what was
wrong and he informed us that he would be out straight away. Whilst waiting
Mary & I decided to check the fuses and after we had played around for some
time we started the motor again. The gear box drive selections were back but a
“motor” symbol had lit up so next we rang Nissan in Midland and they suggested
that we could drive it on as it was probably in safe mode. Rather than risk it
stopping again we rang the RAC contractor who had left Kojonup but was only 5km
out as he had been checking with Nissan for any information he could get. He
agreed that it was OK so we proceeded and rang him again as we passed through
Kojonup. Somewhat worried we continued on 
towards Albany with having organized
with Albany Nissan that we could bring the car in unannounced if we arrived in
time but failing that, that we could bring it in on the next morning and they
would see to it straight away. We made it to Albany and parked the caravan in
our site with something of a sense of relief but it was too late to have the
car attended to. David & Merrilyn arrived shortly afterwards so we all enjoyed
a cordial or two before retiring early as we were going to have to get up early
in the morning to take the car in. First thing in the morning we headed off to
Nissan where we were once again pleasantly met with a helpful straight away
attitude (Mary had felt the same helpful reassurance when talking to the young
lady who answered the phone on the previous day). The car was left with them
and we went for a walk around town whilst waiting for their call. Albany is a
very pretty, clean, amicable town so we enjoyed the morning with also finding
the occasional bargain. When we did get a call from Daniel at Nissan it was to
tell us that the part they needed ( a
crank angle sensor) would not be in until the next morning with the bad news
being that the car wouldn’t go at all now. We saw this as good news as if it
had stopped yesterday we would 
have been in quite a pickle. They
organized to run us back to the “Middleton Beach Caravan Park – Big4” (one of
the nicest caravan parks we have stayed in) where after going on another
shopping run with the pecks we were invited along with all park patrons for a
“Scone & Coffee Afternoon Tea” (gold coin donation to the Victorian Bush
Fire Charity) - very nice. In the evening it was decided to enjoy a barbecue near
the pool before retiring. Thursday morning we went with David & Merrilyn on
the scenic drive to town before spending a couple of hours there. After lunch
we drove out to Goode beach near the 
old whaling station then on to the
natural bridge before returning to town. In the mean time we had received a
message from Albany City Nissan to tell us that our car was ready and that they
would come to get us if we could not get to them. On arriving at Albany City
Nissan I was pleased 
to pay a small 
account as previously quoted and thanked
everyone concerned at the company. After this it was time to head back to the
caravan park where shortly after my return Graham & Lynne Quartermaine
arrived. Graham invited us to watch the camper erection! Next David helped Graham
assemble a chair and then a committee of all in the vicinity managed to attach
the sail to their camper. It was now time to rest before the mandatory barbecue
welcome dinner. Friday was overcast and windy but still a good day for a game
of golf at the Albany “Links” golf course that as it happens backs onto our
caravan park. Graham is a very keen golfer and with Lynne also becoming one,
the game was fairly competitive with Mary drawing with Lynne and Graham beating
the lone loser by from memory around 54 strokes. Valentines day was wet and
overcast in the morning so the ladies went to the morning markets whilst I now
recovering from my golfers wind burn went with the boys for lunch at the
Premier hotel.
Denmark, Walpole, Mt Barker,
Porongorups, Stirling Ranges & Home
The trip to Denmark from Albany is quite
short but it is worth relocating to the Observatory Resort caravan park as a
new base for a few days. After arriving we set up and then departed on a short
drive to the William Bay National Park where first we visited Greens Pool,
which is a beautiful protected beach perfect for swimming. A short walk from
there we came across Elephant Rocks (pictured at left) 
where once again a protected swimming
area is available. After leaving there we drove to Mad Fish Bay that is signed
as Mad Fish Island? and where the situation is unique with waves coming in from
both sides, meeting in the middle. Not far from there is waterfall beach, which
is also worth a look. Monday saw us on the recommended tourist drive taking in
many wineries with our favourite being Ducketts Mill Wines that is also the
Denmark Farmhouse Cheese business, as it had some special cheeses, great wines
at sensible prices and an economical cheese board lunch available. The tourist
drive ended back in Denmark town giving Mary an opportunity to shop in some of 
the small boutiques etc. Tuesday we were
off to the Walpole area which first led us to the Tree Top Walk (value 
at $8.00 per person) and Ancient Empire
Walk (free) both at the same location. They were (I am told) equally wonderful
experiences although only Mary participated in both. Next we went to the
Coalmine Beach “Knoll Drive” then we drove into Walpole proper were we both
enjoyed very much the Horseyard Hill Walk Trail where it was our pleasure to
enjoy the tree top view from the angled view platforms. From there we drove to
the Giant Tingle Tree and then on to the Circular Pool before deciding to head
home. “Home” that is to our trusty caravan, which is currently at Denmark. On
the way we went to the “Strickland French Hot Bread” Bakery where we had
purchased our lunch previously with a view to enjoying another of their fine
pies each (they are way up Strickland St, but all of the locals go there and we
know why – yum). Wednesday took us to Mount Barker with Mary having decided we
should stay at the local caravan park as a base to explore the local wineries
and then the surrounding ranges etc. Thursday saw us up at dawn (no) and off to
visit the Porongurups. The drive justified Mary’s idea of using Mount Barker as
a base with the never-ending road works – Thanks Kevy. When we arrived at the 
Porongurup National Park we were hit
with the “pay $10.00 day visit charge” which is an annoyance but if you want great
parks you must pay for them! Once in we read the information boards and decided
to take the walk to Hayward Peak etc. The track would appear to be
un-maintained (see picture at left of Mary on track), is full of weeds and is
poorly marked. After we arrived at the second stop being 1.73km “Hayward Peak”
we decided that it was not worth proceeding so we returned the way we came to
the car. There is a lovely picnic area at the car park so we decided to have
lunch at this time. Over lunch we came to the conclusion that we should go on
to Castle Rock but when we arrived there it was not looking very exciting so we
decided to proceed to the Stirling Ranges. WOW they are a great place to visit
with the Stirling Range Drive which is a 42km drive being 
spectacular with many walks and
diversions on the way. Yep there was NO CHARGE, the same free barbecues, a
campground with toilets just before the entrance off Chester Pass Road
(probably a stopover to be considered on a trip through) and tracks that were
navigable without a machete. It was now time to head back to base before
preparing everything to head home on Friday.
Yallingup, Dunsborough, Margaret River etc
One of Mary’s favourite memories from
our caravanning past was of our visit to Yallingup in 2006 which was to
familiarise us all with the concept of caravanning before setting off on our
first major adventure around Australia in 2007. For some time we had wanted to
duplicate the trip so in November of 2009 that is just what we did. We booked
into the same caravan park and into the same sites as we had previously at the
Top Tourist park that claims to be the best located park in Western Australia.
This is in our opinion not true but it is though very well located, although
with there being no television reception and with average maintenance on
facilities it is probably needing a little nudge to meet its full potential.
Busselton, Augusta, Sue’s Campground, Pemberton, Manjimup, Bridgetown,
Bunbury, Etc.
Departing
on the 8th of February 2010 the drive to Busselton was for us
straight down the Kwinana Freeway to Bunbury then a short trip on the Bussell
Highway into the town. We elected to stay at the Kookaburra Caravan Park due to
their proximity to the town center. It was the quietest caravan park we have
ever stayed at with the only real down side being the tinsee winsee shower
cubicles. After setting up we visited the Information Centre where a young man
informed us that there wasn’t much to do in Busselton and that we should head
off to the Dunsborough / Margaret River area. Rubbish – We had come to
Busselton to see Busselton and that is what we planned to do beginning the next
day. Tuesday we rose late to a warmish day and decided to head off to “The Old
Cheddar Cheese Company” which is around 15Km out of town back towards 
Perth. What a delightful surprise it was
to walk in to a manufacturer that wasn’t trying to make all of its profits from
just one sale. We tried lots of different cheeses then purchased a large swag
for us and to give away. A cheese platter for one proved to be too much for the
two of us (so they packed the balance onto a tray for us to take away) and
enjoyed with a coffee was called lunch! From there we travelled to Capel where
Mary found a book she had been looking for for three years at “Jennies” second
hand shop. We then meandered back via Port Geographe for a look at the
development there – Quite refreshing after what I consider to be the Mandurah
debacle. From there it was back to the caravan. Wednesday we decided to walk
the town. The first surprise was to find that Boans Department Store was
opening in Busselton on that day. Next it was off to the art galleries many of
which had artists in residence doing their arty thing. Then a tour of the old
court house, Gaol etc where again there was a lot of fine art on sale.
Busselton art prices are also refreshingly realistic. From there we went over
to The Jetty which is in the process of being re-built to “as new” at a cost of
$24m. All very interesting and an opportunity to book for a meal at one of the
restaurants that overlook the jetty area. Augusta was our next destination and
we set off on the next morning along Sues road which had been recommended as a
different way to get there. It was a few kilometers extra this way but worth it
as we enjoyed a road we had never traveled before and in addition found a camp
spot that we thought we would return to later. At around midday we arrived at
Augusta where we again chose a 
caravan park based on location - Turners
Caravan Park – It was OK with bigger shower cubicles and river views to enjoy
from our caravan site. In the afternoon we drove to the lighthouse via Skippy
Rock where we enjoyed a “clambering across the rocks walk” and found a whales
carcass in its final stages of decay. Heading on we came across the Old
Waterwheel, fascinating, just before arriving at the lighthouse. The lighthouse
itself is closed for renovation so I was a little miffed at the lack of value
when being charged $10.00 for us to be able to walk up to it and back with
nothing but views to see. Friday took us to Margaret River on the Bussell
Highway and then back via Witchcliffe before cutting across to travel back
along Caves road. On the way back we stopped at a gallery that wanted all of
your arms and legs for anything of 
theirs before heading in to Hamelin Bay.
There is lots to see here with walkways in place and to top it off there are
very large Stingrays that patrol 
the foreshore leisurely checking out the
tourists. On the following day we decided to walk Augusta and on our walk
booked a river cruise. The cruise was fascinating with birds, birds and more
birds. Sunday we left for Sue’s Campground to spend an evening on the Blackwood
River in a camping situation. It was a very pleasant way to spend Valentines
Day enjoying bush walks and swims in a natural environment. Monday saw us drive
to Pemberton where we booked into the caravan park for two nights. We decided
to take the tram ride, taking 1¾ hours in total. The
commentary was what made it an excellent experience and good value at $18.00
each. After that we walked to the town center to have a look around and to buy
some spelt bread. The next morning saw us heading out on the recommended 86km
circuit drive. The drive was a good one with a lot of sight seeing and a
pleasant 4km walk around the Big Brook Dam. We elected not to pay for a park
pass so missed out on looking at a big tree (seen a lot of them anyway) and a
falls. In the afternoon we partook of one of the town walks that we managed to
join from the caravan park by walking a plank across the creek and heading up a
hillside track to join the main path. On this walk we stuffed ourselves with
blackberries that are growing wild throughout the area although some caution
needs to be exercised to avoid the ones effected by the spraying program that
is designed to eventually excise them from the area. Wednesday we headed up the
road north to Manjimup. After covering the 30 or so kilometers we arrived at
Fonty’s Pool caravan park. Once settled in we headed off to The Wine &
Truffle Company where we enjoyed one of the finest culinary experiences to come
our way for a very long time. The wines were great, the food was a new
experience and Mary was able to cross something off her bucket list. In the
morning we went into town with the caravan in tow and parked near the Timber
and Heritage Park so we could have a look at the many displays. From there and
only after Mary had looked in every shop in Manjimup we headed off to
Bridgetown where we booked two nights stay at $20.00 per night at the
Bridgetown Caravan Park. Again Mary insisted we look at every shop and of
course a visit to the Bridgetown Cidary was a necessity. Friday 20th
February saw us take the suggested Ballingup, Nannup, Bridgetown circuit with a
small diversion to Busselton to pick up a piece of artwork that Mary wanted. On
the way back from Busselton towards Nannup we stopped at the Cambray Sheep
Cheese Farmhouse where they make sheep cheeses by hand. The cheeses were very nice but quite expensive
so even though we would have liked more we purchased only one small round
product. In the evening we met with Eric & Marcia (Eric is the son of a family
friend from Mary’s side) at the Bridgetown
Hotel. Retiring back to our caravan at around 10:30PM. Saturday it was off to
Bunbury stopping at several towns and in addition at several roadside vendors
to purchase peaches at $2.00Kg etc. On arriving in Bunbury it was V8 time.
Wyalkatchem,
Yorkrakine Rock, Beringbooding Rock, Elachbutting Rock,
This trip is to be a little different
from our past trips in that we are heading to a town that is around 193km E NE
of Perth with the intention of using it as a base to explore the surrounding
areas whilst also learning to fly recreational aircraft at the Sport Aviation Academy. The
trip from Darlington via Northam, Goomalling, Dowerin etc is all made on good roads.
The shire of Wyalkatchem offers a caravan park with all en-suite sites at the
remarkable price of just $20.00 per 
night or $100.00 per week. We had pre
booked a site for two weeks with a tentative third week. On arrival we were
pleased to find the small caravan park was in good condition with only 3 of the
8 sites taken. It also has a small laundry and a near new campers kitchen that
is one of the best we have seen. After setting up our caravan we investigated
the town of Wyalkatchem and its local surrounds. We checked out the local golf
club that is run on an honour system at a charge of only $5.00 per day so we
will be taking advantage of that. The town center is spotless and the
population are very proud of it. Our main concern though was to investigate the
local airfield where we were once again very pleased to see a recent and
ongoing runway upgrade in progress. The aviation academy is run by Glenn and
Nikki Hawser using the Australian made Jabiru aircraft. They have been building
their business for 5 years so everything is in excellent condition and we both
signed up for twenty hours (flying time)
training. Day one of our training schedule had us arriving at 7AM and
departing at 6:30PM so by the time we were back at our caravan we were both
exhausted and wondering what we had managed to get ourselves into. By day 5 we
totally were exhausted with the theory component of the course having turned
our brains to mush so Mary called a break. This meant we had an afternoon off
which was very much enjoyed by us both at the Wyalkatchem Agricultural Museum where we were treated by
two gentlemen to an excellent informative tour. Sunday saw us back at school
with only one hours flying but the usual 3-4 hours theory.
Monday we at last were given a whole day
off so a trip was planned. First we went to Yorkrakine Rock, a massive monolith
with a most enjoyable walk of around a kilometre up across and down it. There
are also good facilities for a picnic lunch but we were of the opinion that it
would have been even better in the wet months. From there we headed to Tammin,
then across to Cunderdin where we had a drink at the unique Ettamogah Pub,
before heading back to Wyalkatchem to do a little study in preparation for our
ongoing aviation training that was continuing on Tuesday.
Tuesday through Saturday morning saw us both
accumulating hours of flying whilst trying to absorb as much of our theory
training as we could. It was all
starting to make sense and we were also starting to enjoy the flying again.
Then we both sat our pre-solo exam and we passed – Hooray! Sunday the 8th
of May is mothers day so we packed a picnic the night before to allow us to
make an early start on 
a discovery trip that had been
recommended by a local. At 8:00AM we were ready to head off to Bonnie Rock via
Mukinbudin to see the Beringbooding Rock catchment that was built by sustenance
labour in 1937 and has 
the largest rock catchment tank in
Australia. It is well worth a look but not as a single attraction trip. From
there at only around 20km away is Elachbutting Rock which has a wave rock
similar to the Hyden wave rock but it also has Monty’s Pass that is where a
giant slab of rock has fallen down forming a passage way around 50 metres long
that you can walk through. The round trip is around 400km so on arrival back at
the caravan (approx 4PM) we were quite tired. Monday is to be our rest day to
do a little study so as to get stuck back into our flying for yet another week
at the hard grind wheel!
Whoops – Mary caught a cold so I took her home to
recover – Three weeks later we returned to do yet another week of flying
lessons. We are both at the exhilarating stage of doing circuits which means
that for hour after hour, day after day we take off, go around and land, time
and time again until we get it all down to as near to perfect as can be
expected of beginners. This went on until after a week it was time to return
home again. We are both loving this and we will be back again in August or
September 2010 to do another week of training.
Last
revised: Date Monday, August 16, 2010