Nov 2006

Spent too long in Perth chasing around temping work, managed to actually get some too for a while

Now I'm off to go and work in a country pub for two months, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have phone reception and probably no email, so I'm going to be out of touch for a while.

So until January I'm going to be living in Goomalling, if anybody wants to visit me

Was going to up date photos, but as I Haven't managed to burn Cd yet, can't do that either. So no more photos until at least christmas.

In coral bay for two nights, The first day we were then we went on Manteray watching cruise, though didn't see any Manterays. Got to see a shark cleaning station though, where all the reef sharks come into the coral to get the cleaner fish to clean them. Saw about 5- 6 shakes about 2 metre big some of them. And I was swimming just above them.

Left Coral bay and crossed the tropic of Capricorn again. Went through Carnavon, and saw the satellite dish that received the first picture from the moon landings, before it was relayed to Parks. Travelled on further to the sharkbay area. Went to see the Stromatalites, the worlds oldest living organism or something like that. visited Shell beach as well, a beach made up entirely of shells, funnily enough.

Then went on to Denham (twinned with the one in bucks) and arrived at Monkey Mia in the evening. Went to some place after dark where hot water (from the artesian basin) is pumped into a pool, it was like a hot bath. Next morning went to watch the dolphins that come right on the beach at Monkey Mia to get some fish. It was quite amuing to watch one ranger trying to distract the pelicans so they didn't charge the beach for the fish. Dolphins one side, pelicans the other, all after fish. For some reason all I could think of was the Simpsons episode where the dolphins take over.

In the afternoon, on the way out back through shark bay, went to a look out point where you could see lots of sharks swimming about ( big nasty sharks as well, like Tiger sharks, well it is called Shark Bay).

Say lots of lizzards on the way to kalbarri, courtesy of the bus driver. don't know how he spotted most of them.

On the way into Kalbarri went up to a place called Natures window, couldn't spend long there as we were running very late. Stayed overnight at Kalbarri

On the last day, left Kalbarri and carried on down the west coast, through Port Denison. Went through the Pinnacles on the way, (sort of weird stones in the desert, looks like a graveyard),

Then drove on in to Perth past Leaning tree that grows almost flat because of all the wind.

Arrive in Perth on the 16th October

Set off from Broome on the 8th October on my west coast trip.

Drove to 80 mile beach for lunch and then continued down to a cattle station for an overnight camp. Went down through Port Headland.

Next drove to Karajini. Visited Circular pool, then went up to Fortesque falls and fern pool. All of these are in the dales gorge. Had and overnight bush camp in Karajini.

Next day went to Weano gorge, walked down to Handrail pool. To get into Handrail pool, you have to walk through the creek and then climb down the waterfall holding on to a rope, its actually easier than it sounds. After Weano gorge went to eh Hannock gorget, where you were supposed to Spider walk into Kermits pool. I took the easy route and used the creek as a water slide (weeeeeee, bump). After lunch we climbed down into Joffes fgorge, which looked like an horrendous climb (like straight down), but was actually pretty easy. Drove pas past the Hammersly ranges and camped in Hammersly gorge (which our bus driver was gleefully telling us the time he got trapped for three days, when it rained heavily). Went swimming in Hammersly gorge as well.

Left Karanji on day four of the our for Exmouth. Watched the sunset at the light house with some cheap fizzy wine. Stayed overnight in a hostel (joy a proper bed).

In the morning went to Turquiose bay (part of the ningaloo reef) and snorkleed there looking at lots of coral, and saw a turtle too. Then went to sandy bay for more swimming and then back to turquiose bay for more snorkelling. In the afternoon drove down to Coral bay

Set off from Broome on the 8th October on my west coast trip.

Drove to 80 mile beach for lunch and then continued down to a cattle station for an overnight camp. Went down through Port Headland.

Next drove to Karajini. Visited Circular pool, then went up to Fortesque falls and fern pool. All of these are in the dales gorge. Had and overnight bush camp in Karajini.

Next day went to Weano gorge, walked down to Handrail pool. To get into Handrail pool, you have to walk through the creek and then climb down the waterfall holding on to a rope, its actually easier than it sounds. After Weano gorge went to eh Hannock gorget, where you were supposed to Spider walk into Kermits pool. I took the easy route and used the creek as a water slide (weeeeeee, bump). After lunch we climbed down into Joffes fgorge, which looked like an horrendous climb (like straight down), but was actually pretty easy. Drove pas past the Hammersly ranges and camped in Hammersly gorge (which our bus driver was gleefully telling us the time he got trapped for three days, when it rained heavily). Went swimming in Hammersly gorge as well.

Left Karanji on day four of the our for Exmouth. Watched the sunset at the light house with some cheap fizzy wine. Stayed overnight in a hostel (joy a proper bed).

In the morning went to Turquiose bay (part of the ningaloo reef) and snorkleed there looking at lots of coral, and saw a turtle too. Then went to sandy bay for more swimming and then back to turquiose bay for more snorkelling. In the afternoon drove down to Coral bay

Didn't do that much in Broome, went to cable beach and watched the sunset. Went to the staircase to the moon, a weird event where the full moon shines on the mud flats making it look like there is a staircase to the moon. That was about it I think.