I had some friendly visitors this morning when I woke up early to do some meetings. The Joey was pretty big and I was amazed how it still fitted in the mum’s pouch and that it would still be suckling from the pouch between grazes of grass.
We decided to head out for a drive and explore Hellfire Bay, another stunning beach. Chris and the girls climbed up for a better view while Scarly and I explored the sand. It was so white and squeaky here too and someone had dug out a big hole so Scarly had a great time jumping in and out of it.
On our way past, we stopped at Frenchman’s Peak to see if we could attempt the hike with the kids. We bumped into a German couple who said it was a huge scramble up rocks at the end and with this wind and rain it would not be a good idea. So that was that and instead we headed back to camp to relax and grab some lunch. Leftover sausages warmed up for the win! The girls even managed to squeeze in a movie after lunch.
We headed out for another drive but again the rain was following us, so we would do short bursts of jumping out to have a look whenever possible. Then it was back to our base… as we got back the rain stopped and such a bright rainbow appeared and shortly after a second one. It was a really special sight and the girls were loving it! Scarly and I even ran down to the beach to see it over the water.
Lucky Bay beach has been voted the most beautiful beach in the world and you can really see why it would be, especially in nice weather. Such a shame that today was so windy, cold and rainy. However the rainbows made it feel very lucky!
Jazzy was in charge of cooking tacos tonight and she did a great job feeding everyone their favourite meal.
There were a few dusty heads around today, unsurprisingly, but no time for sympathy as we had our van booked for a safety inspection so that we can renew our NSW registration while we are away. The Douglass family also had a huge day of driving ahead of them, so we said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways.
Whilst the van was in with the mechanic we went for a drive to check out a couple more spots in town. There was yet another playground, ha ha. The slide was super fun for the girls and they had a few turns at going down together, giggling and loving life. The flying fox is also a firm favourite always…
When we were playgrounded-out we walked down to the foreshore where there was a lovely garden and mini lighthouse. Scarly declared that she would like a lighthouse like this for Christmas, urmmm OK!
As we were eating yet more chicken wraps we got a call that the car was ready, but we quickly managed to sneak a walk along the jetty before grabbing the car and setting off to Lucky Bay. The girls faces as if first came into view was priceless, it was wide eyes and open mouths all around! You really can’t make these places up and on a warm and sunny day it would be even more impressive!
It was a lovely afternoon and we grabbed a nice spot two rows back from the beach. In true Aussie wildlife style there was a family of kangaroos grazing in the camp site opposite ours. Then the dad roo stayed and decided to chill out on the gravel watching the beautiful beach in the distance. Not quite the iconic photo of kangaroos ON the beach like I got last time we were here, but close enough! Ha ha
While Chris and I set up the van the girls made friends with lots of other girls from neighbouring campsites and it was a true case of girl power ruling the afternoon. Once we were all set up we ventured down to the beach and had a walk along the shore. The water was cold, but it was just too tempting to have a dip and Jazzy splashed for a while in the shallows whereas Chris and I did a full dunk & dive (in turns, of course!). What a place Lucky Bay is.
We enjoyed some delicious steaks for dinner and it was nice to be in nature with a bit more space again. As fun as caravan parks are for the kids and the convenience of power & amenities, you really can’t beat a bit of nature camping!
The kids were up early and were busy reading books to each other, playing Duplo and hanging out. Our little neighbour from Switzerland had his 4th birthday and we got chatting to the parents about their travel plans of 1 year around the world – wow!
We went for a drive to the jetty and bumped into the boys who had caught a couple of squid. The girls explored the playground and we tried to play a game of giant Jenga, but it didn’t last long with Scarly “the destroyer”. It’s her new nickname for always wrecking everything the older girls build. Hugo, the youngest of the boys didn’t escape Scarly’s wrath of destruction either with his LEGO creations.
We grabbed a few thing from the campsite and headed out in convoy to explore a few of the nearby beaches. On a hot and sunny day there would be so many glorious options to enjoy! Twilight beach definitely had the wow factor for stunning coastline with its crystal clear water, white sand and beautiful rocks. If only it had been a little warmer so everyone could enjoy a swim… a few brave souls in the group did, but it was too cold for the rest of us.
Observatory Point lived up to its name with a cool viewing platform that gave amazing views in all directions.
We thought 9 mile beach might give us a bit more opportunity to swim, but it was the windiest and wildest of them all, so we didn’t even get out of the car there.
Then the masses voted for lunch at Lucky Bay Brewery and it was the perfect spot to enjoy some food, a few tasty beverages and for the kids to roam in the open. There were barrels to roll down hills, a playground, a stage and someone brought a slide and car combo that soon turned into a downhill race track.
It was a fun afternoon and a drunken one for the dads mostly, but everyone had a great time. The kids were exhausted after a huge day and pretty much put themselves to bed straight after dinner.
Everyone had a good sleep and we got straight into travel mode after a quick brekkie. We packed up and set off relatively early today, however by the time we got fuel and grabbed a coffee the kids asked for the lunchbox, only to realise that we had left it at the camp kitchen. So back we went to the campground and lucky we did, because alongside the lunchbox there was a whole pile of other important belongings that had been left in the kitchen!
Today was a big driving day and the road wasn’t the best as it was windy and a bit bumpy, so required a lot of concentration from Chris. Scarly kept busy with her new turtle toy, whilst the girls did a bit of reading. It feels like we haven’t done as many huge driving days as at the start of the trip, but there are definitely a few more coming.
The landscape around us has changed completely again and it was wheat fields everywhere. I didn’t even realise Australia produced so much of it. As we rolled into Ravensthorpe for a stop, it was cool to see the big Silos.
Ravensthorpe itself looked very sleepy and only had one cafe open today, which didn’t leave much choice for lunch as it had been emptied by 11.30am. We grabbed the last sausage roll there and I got busy making chicken wraps, trying to stretch what was left into enough for everyone. We quickly stretched the legs, had a little look around and after Jazzy had rescued a ladybug (named Amber) were back off on our merry way.
When we arrived in Esperance the weather wasn’t all that incredible with some pretty gloomy storm clouds around, but that didn’t stop the girls from jumping in the pool and enjoying a long swim and some games with their friends the Douglass boys. Apparently the pool was even heated but as it was drizzling when they jumped in, I was happy to watch on from the sidelines.
We had a relaxed start to the morning, the girls played mums and kids in our bed and when Scarly was the mama, she was doing work on her “laptop and phone”.
Once it warmed up a bit we headed out to see the many glorious beaches of the area…
Little Boat Harbour looked pretty, but Blossoms Beach got the family vote for a swim. We drove right out onto the beach and luckily the tide was going out so there was no need to drop Tyre pressure.
The beach was stunning with its turquoise water and snow white sand. Best of all, it’s amazing how empty they are – I think we only saw 2/3 other cars the whole time we were there.
Izzy and Jazzy had the best time jumping and splashing in the waves. They said it was a bit too cold for them to jump in for a swim, but Chris and I braved it and jumped in. There’s nothing better than a nice ocean swim to clear the head!
Once everyone had enough, we drove further to check out the next place. Native Dog beach got its name due to the many dingoes that used to roam it and it was a popular hunting place for early settlers.
Last beach stop was Short beach, which had the finest and squeakiest sand of them all and the girls had a blast running around with it squeaking under their feet…
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When we got back to camp we couldn’t believe the sandfly or fruit fly infestation that had happened, I don’t know what caused it but it was horrific. There was literally a wall of these flying creatures around the campsite and particularly around the playground and the neighbouring camps. We had to hide out for an hour or so in the car and van to avoid them. Izzy’s Crocs got absolutely swarmed within 10 minutes of being left outside the van, she was horrified when she saw them. What an unpleasant experience!!
It made sense to go for another drive and check out John Cove beach whilst we waited for the swarm to settle down. There was a nature playground and some stunning shallow waterways around. If we had a bit more time, I would have definitely taken the paddle board out there. The water on a sunny day would have been magnificent…
Back at camp things had settled down and we enjoyed a nice dinner outside.
We woke up to rain early in the morning, which really wasn’t ideal for pack up day, but it cleared pretty quickly and we even had some sunshine to dry a few things off…
The kids always seem to have time for one quick play at the playground, but it actually worked well because our new neighbour was going into political debate territory and I had to excuse myself to watch them. Thanks for saving me girls!
From camp we headed off to the National Anzac Centre, an interesting and interactive experience to learn about the history of WWI through the eyes of different Australian and New Zealander soldiers, nurses etc. At the start of the exhibition each of us got given a card linked to a real person who had been at war and we had access to digitally scanned records of their enrollment, letters they sent and photos as well as stories of their life post-war. Throughout there were audio recordings of letters and recollections that you could listen to as you moved around the museum. It was a really lovely, relatable way of learning about an otherwise sad part of history and I know that the big girls took in a lot of information.
They also had historic records of everyone who left on the first and second convoy from Albany. The girls searched up the name Thiering and interestingly enough there was a George Thiering who left on the Ulysses with the second convoy. Something to research further! Jazzy’s soldier – Clunie, later married his sweetheart Doris, who passed away on 4th September 1985, with the day and month being Jazzy’s birthday.
Outside there were other buildings including the barracks, where Scarly got a bit tired and asked to go outside. As we were sitting down waiting for the others, Scarly befriended a lovely gentleman by the name of John, who has been volunteering here for 18 years. John kindly offered to drive us to the top of the hill in the buggy, which was a welcome suggestion for all in our family!
He shared more about the submarines with us, having himself been a mechanical engineer in the Royal Navy before he had moved to Australia some 46 years ago. It was fascinating to chat to him. We hopped out of the buggy at the top of the hill and took in the amazing views from the top. Imagining all those convoys of ships lined up as depicted in the diagram really made it hit home knowing that they carried 41,265 Australians and New Zealander men and women.
We walked around the cannons and artillery rooms where Chris shares his Army reserves knowledge and experience with the girls. It was a very educational, but busy morning!
Driving to Bremer Bay wasn’t too long and Scarly had a good snooze in the car, which made time go faster also while the girls and I worked & homeworked. I feel like the commitment routine is finally a well-oiled machine for us, as we start getting closer to returning home. It’s actually 6 weeks today, whaaaaaa.
As we cruised into Bremer Bay, we drove past a brewery with a little playground, so we decided it would be rude not to stop for all involved… I have been tasting all the ginger beers along the way when we have visited breweries on the trip, while Chris had a pale ale.
Then it was on to the final leg of the day – camp for set up. The people at reception must have heard about our obsession with playgrounds, because our site literally backed on to one, ha ha. It did make it easier though because I could be watching the girls from the van playing at the playground.
Dinner was a collection of all the small bits of leftovers we had accumulated over the past 2/3 days and I was just happy not to have to cook anything new. A camp kitchen with a microwave is a very helpful thing for us who don’t have one in the caravan!
The sunset was absolutely phenomenal with the deepest shades of pink and purple I have seen for a long time, but the photos literally don’t do it any justice. Chris was happy to finally have a fire as well, which was a good thing as the nights are still terribly cold around the area.
The big girls and I snuck off this morning for a beach walk, it wasn’t quite sunrise as that wild have involved a 5am start for them and we don’t mess with kids’ sleep, but 6am was a more natural time for them to get up and jump out of bed.
It was a lovely morning with plenty of magical light and sun rays shining through the clouds. The girls called it the natural spotlight!
We walked along the beach and then along the coastal track that lead up onto the hill. The view was beautiful and there were plenty of people around running and enjoying the morning. We came back just before 7am and found Scarly quietly sitting on the inside of the caravan door waiting for us. Chris had been looking to a morning cuddle in bed with her finally; but was still a mama’s girl without me when there.! Bless her!
After some breakfast followed by work & homework we set off to visit the Granite Skywalk in Porongurup National Park. It was a very long (and in parts steep!) ascent to the lookout and I was very happy that we had brought the carrier for Scarly. There were beautiful species of flora all around and plenty of cool trees on the path up.
Within 40 minutes we were at the top where you could see and climb the incredible skywalk. The boulders at the top of the climb were impressive and we enjoyed the lookout with the view up at the skywalk before venturing up ourselves. It was a bit of a mission with Scarly, but she was so great at listening and following all safety instructions.
The moment you climbed that ladder it felt at least 10C colder and the wind was howling so loudly it was making music through the gaps in the footpath along the granite skywalk… but the view – wow! It was absolutely stunning up there and everyone appreciated it.
We made our way back to the initial platform and grabbed some more photos before starting the track back. What a morning!
Heading out for the skywalk there was another scenic stop along the road, called Tree in a rock. It did just what it said it would do on the tin – the tree was in a giant granite rock and it was hard to imagine how the root system could possibly survive that…
Then it was off to Mount Baker Bakery, not a stop we had planned originally but I had seen the name in multiple recommendations. Since we had come that way we were up for a little detour in search for the perfect pie! Once we had walked it was obvious this would be a hard choice – the pie and lunch menu was incredible and the treats were next level… but first savoury lunch, don’t get distracted. It certainly lived up to its reputation on every level and we had some very happy little and big people in our caravan for the drive home.
We had promised the girls that after our big day of exercise they had absolutely earned some Pool time! Luckily for Chris and I there was also a spa, which was warm and out of the wind. We sat in there for a while whilst the kids were in and out of the pool and the spa. These guys could seriously stay in the water for hours, but luckily we managed to pry them out at a reasonable hour.
We started the day with a family stroll along the beach, which was lovely and helped motivate everyone for the first day back at school. Of course the girls had another play at the playground…
Once we had eaten brekkie back at camp and packed some snacks for the day we were off to explore Frenchman’s Bay, a stunning coastline off Albany. Our first stop along the way was the Gap & Natural Bridge, which are very accurate descriptions for both natural phenomena.
The Gap includes a suspended platform over a very narrow gap in the rocks which forces so much water to shoot up and the sound is quite defeating. This makes the whitewash so strong and it is both mesmerising and terrifying to watch!
The Natural Bridge is a perfect rock formation over an otherwise rocky, washed away gap in the coastline. It’s easy to stare at it for too long, waiting for the next big wave to really blow through and make a big splash…
You can see while so many people lose their lives here if they venture beyond the designated paths!
From there we headed off to the historic Albany whaling station, an important part of history in the area with a very confronting truth. Whilst it hasn’t been working since 1976, during its time it had harpooned some 16,000 whales. On display was the last whaling boat and it was interesting to explore all the different sections.
The interactive audio experience took you through the different sections of the whaling process and talked in detail about how the whales were treated once onshore. I won’t go into detail, but it was very confronting for the big kids and certainly made me feel queasy, Scarly was luckily oblivious. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like for those working here back in the days, the smell would have been awful….
We moved on to more whale education & conservation focused displays and the skeleton room was incredible! To see a Pygmy whale exhibit, meaning that full sized whales would be at least 20% bigger is quite mind-boggling! The girls loved all the interactive questions and learnt so much about whales. I for one am still fascinated that we have Orcas in Australia.
We had heard that Misery Beach had been voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia and so had to see this for ourselves… it was very pretty and I even decided on a quick dip (absolutely freezing!) but the rest of the crew dipped their feet only. It was a very pretty beach, but I think we have been spoilt with so much beauty on this trip that it’s hard not to be judgy these days…
The last of the nature stops for today was the Blowholes and it turned out to be a very long walk down to see them. You could actually hear them before you could see them and I couldn’t seem to time my photos right, but it was cool to explore.
We were also lucky to see a number of humpback whales breaching out of the water. I never get tired of seeing that…
Back at camp and after showers we hit up the games room for some more air hockey, racing car arcade games and a general play. I’m surprised anyone had energy for it after a huge day!
We left relatively early this morning as we had a number of planned stops along the way, the first one being Dinosaur world!
It was incredible how real-life the dinosaurs were and with the movement, sound effects and lighting in the room it made for a very realistic experience, which in turn completely freaked Scarly out who wanted to be held and leave the hall as soon as possible. Poor girl!
Outside, we all got a turn at holding a black cockatoo Molly, who was very curious but also a bit shy. She loved exploring everyone’s arms as she was perched up, but then took a shining to Chris’ eyebrow ring and promptly had to be removed before she tried to rip it out of his head as a souvenir of her time with Chris holding her.
The white cockatoo Sydney on the other hand loved watching everything from a distance and kept shouting “hello darling” to us. So funny!
There were plenty of other birds that we got to hold and admire. What an amazing job they do here with the rescue birds…
Next the girls got to feed some kangaroos and also hold a few snakes. It was a wildlife adventure stop in every way and very fascinating for the girls!
After a little more driving we arrived at Elephant Rocks & Green Pools, a beautiful natural wonder with spectacular ocean views and rocks. It was a lovely and easy walk down and we quickly had a look at Elephant Rocks before deciding that Green Pools would be our swimming spot of choice today. I won’t lie, the water was very fresh but still enjoyable in the sun and the girls had an absolute blast splashing around.
Now that made for hungry work and we decided to stop for lunch at one of the recommended spots. It turns out it was closed on a Monday! The second spot said it was open online but turned out to be closed also when we turned up, but third time lucky it was and bonus points for an onsite playground…
Once we got to Albany we needed to tire the kids out again as Scarly and Jazzy had both had late naps in the car. So we played at the campground playground with the most incredible view I’ve ever seen from a kids’ tower. There was also the campsite jumping pillow and then went for a walk along the beach. As we got to the end of the beach there was another playground and also a fourth one on the way home. Even the girls agreed that 4 playgrounds in the space of a couple of hours was quite extreme, ha ha
This morning we woke up to yet more rain, which was annoying, but at least we had the undercover kitchen and games room to spread out.
I cooked the girls their favourite egg circle and they had two each, they must have been hungry!
I’d heard about the WOW eco cruise as we headed into the region, so this was our morning activity for today. The girls found a cool tree to climb as we waited for the boat.
To jump on the boat we all had to clean our shoes using a special machine with brushes and a stream of water, as we would be disembarking on a stretch of coast that is wild and inaccessible by road or foot otherwise, so it’s important to keep the biodiversity protected.
Gazza the guide had an energy I have never seen before and he was so knowledgeable – painting connections between history, geography, biology and ecology whilst running left to right on the boat to grab yet another photo or show yet another artifact. It was both fascinating and hilarious! A really cool thing he shared was two bottles filled up with different coloured sand from the beach, one normal white sand and the other purple, which was much denser and heavier. Gary explained that a few weeks ago the beach turned completely purple from the natural processes and reactions and then was back to normal within a few days.
I had no idea of the significance of Walpole in so many aspects of life with political and historical events all tying in to the protection of Walpole’s reserve. Frank Skinner Thompson who had fled the UK and had close ties to Leo Tolstoy had build Tinglewood Lodge, which helped rescue a Norwegian boat the Mandalay and later led to a bravery medal from the King of Norway. There were ties to France and other countries, which certainly influenced the geopolitical events in the early 20th century. Throughout the cruise Gary shared so much information that my head was spinning by the end of it and there’s no way I would be able to recall it all, but all I can say is that it was a fascinating journey and his close family ties to the area for over 150 years gave him a knowledge that is unparalleled.
Once we had docked we walked across to the other side to see Shelley beach, a beautiful stretch of coast. Gary showed us the purple sand and we walked around admiring the view. Upon our return to the inlet, we got treated to delicious lemon cake, an absolute hit with our girls.
By the time we disembarked it was time for lunch and the local pub had a Chinese buffet with the most delicious sticky, slow cooked pork ribs. Poor Scarly disregarded my request of “no running” yet again only to fall in the most unfortunate way of head meeting metal table leg pole. The huge bruise raised instantly and was purple immediately. It was horrid and honestly I don’t know who cried more – our brave girl or me… the ice helped but it’s huge!
It was good to see her bounce back quickly and enjoy the playground before we headed off to our next stop for the day.
The Valley of the Giants is a beautiful walk along the treetops of the forest with many Karri and jarrah trees showing off the natural beauty of the area. The platform goes up to 40m high and I must say the height bothered me a bit, whilst the kids happily skipped through the whole place.
At the end there was also a forest walk, complete with 4 magical fairy doors and yet more incredible species of trees. It was stunning and we enjoyed seeing these with a bit of sunshine around too!
After a long day the girls had more energy still, so we enjoyed some more Indoor games and the playground at the campsite. These girls honestly don’t stop, ha ha! Scarly has also taught herself how to go down the firewoman’s pole and she is so proud of herself! Bless.
Beefcake and family were back out again and we enjoyed a nice evening and very early bedtime.
There was a bit of drizzle around this morning as we packed up, so we had a quick brekkie and headed out to get coffee from the local coffee roasters. It was a great brew and the kids loved having so many books to read.
We quickly ducked out of town to have a look at the King Jarrah tree, which is estimated to be around 500 years old and is over 40m high! It certainly impressed and it was a pleasant walk around it.
The girls persuaded us to go back to the Manjimup playground again and had a blast on the giant slide, flying fox and Scarly had the little slide pretty much to herself going down every way she could think of.
After burning so much energy it was only fair to grab a bite to eat and much to our delight there was sushi in town – with raw salmon! This honestly made the girls’ day, as we’ve only seen veg sushi for a while and that doesn’t cut it for our sushi snobs…
Then it was on to Walpole, which was a lovely nature campground. There was a games room with air hockey, table tennis and foosball tables. This was great as the weather couldn’t decide what it was going between drizzle and sunshine!
We ventured out for a drive to have a look at The Giant Tingle Tree. The whole forest was incredible with so many huge (and ancient) trees, each more impressive than the other. It’s incredible how the bottom of them can rot away and have gaps, but the tree still stands on for centuries. It was cool to see The Giant Tingle from photos in the 60s when people were parking cars in it and then to stand in it. The rain didn’t stop us from enjoying this incredible place!
Back at camp the kangaroos were out in force, including two mama kangaroos with joeys in their pouches. At one stage the bigger joey hopped out and looked as if it was clapping its paws like an excited kid – so cute! Papa kangaroo on the other hand was rather intimidating with muscles galore, so he got the nickname beefcake. It was hilarious when we walked past him on our way to the camp kitchen and Scarly stopped and shouted “hi beefcake!” to him.
The girls didn’t want to eat our stirfry creation so had leftovers, which meant that by the time we cooked our dinner the girls were playing again and Chris and I actually got to enjoy a dinner for two. Lighter candle included, ha ha
We said our goodbyes to the Douglass family and headed our separate ways. Our day consisted of going inland to check out some of the forest and nature spots.
Our first stop for the day was Pemberton, a quaint old tree mill town surrounded by forests, with a proud history of dedicated people.
As we waited for our turn to go on the train we checked out the local ANZAC memorial, canon and of course – the playground! We should call this the playground lap, we seem to be spending the most time at playgrounds every day…
At lunchtime we headed to Pemberton train station to get on a very old train to take us into the forest and to the cascades. It was a timber train with open windows and lots to see.
Our driver Adam shared about the history of the area and the Mill that operated from 1913 to 2016 producing sleepers for the Trans-Australian Railway, by 1939 making it the largest mill in Australia.
The forest had huge trees surrounding the train tracks and it was easy to see how some of the Karri trees grow to 90m. As it turns out, they first grow up and once they grow to their full length they will start to grow out.
When we got to the cascades we got to walk around and enjoy some of the beautiful sights of the area. A firm favourite was the hugging tree, which the girls replicated with their sister trio.
Then back on the train we headed back to town and enjoyed our favourite staple – hot roast chicken wraps out of the back of the car.
There was a quick stop at Diamond Tree – a huge tree used to survey the area for bushfires and other dangers. You used to be able to climb these until recently (not that I ever would!) but it is now boarded up and just stands there to show off a slice of history and the incredible natural wonder that it is.
We still had a bit further to go for the night, a town called Manjimup which claims to have the tallest slide in the Southern Hemisphere with the starting platform being 17m high. Now that’s seriously tall!
Chris for a tyre leak plugged and we all had a great time at the infamous playground which definitely lived up to its claim to fame. The slide was tall, it was a bit daunting climbing up the tower, but it was super fun and the whole family enjoyed a turn going down it… but even the rest of the park had so much fun stuff on offer.
This morning the girls finally got to catch up with their friends, the Douglass boys and they were super happy about it!
The rope swing was a particular hit and it seemed like they would have been happy just staying there the entire day, ha ha. We walked down to the beach if we might be any luckier in spotting stingrays today, but it was the same windy, overcast and seaweed heavy beach as yesterday. The only excitement was a rescue helicopter flying overhead.
Instead we ventured out past Augusta and to Cape Lleuwin Lighthouse. It was a scenic drive, first through the forest and then along the coast. What’s special about this area is that it’s where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. The current at the two meeting points is very noticeable!
The big kids had a lighthouse tour booked, but sadly Scarly was too little to go, much to her disappointment! So we dropped the big kids and dads off and went for a walk around. We admired the view out to the water and looked for whales, but didn’t see any on this occasion. From here, the whales head to Antarctica which is only about 3,500 kilometres away…
Soon enough we saw the gang at the top of the lighthouse and as we waved to each other Scarly couldn’t believe how high they had climbed. From the photos Chris took and what they shared, it was an incredible view. No one shared anything about the history of the lighthouse from the tour, so I can’t comment on that.
Back on land, we had a further look at some of the different vantage points and admired the views. Then it was off to the museum to explore how the lighthouse keepers lived and worked. Scarly particularly liked listening to the radio signals, while the big kids loved seeing the footage about how signals worked and the slow automation of the process.
After a busy morning it was off to the bakery for a well-earned lunch and treat. With full bellies we started driving back to camp, but as Scarly fell asleep the rest of us decided on a new plan and instead drove to Mammoth Cave. It is a self-guided tour, which was a big hit with the kids and we all said how incredible it is that the caves can look so different to each other.
There were some incredible stalagmites, stalactites, columns, straws and other formations here too. The other difference was the water! Whilst Jewel cave has completely dried out over the years, there was plenty of water in Mammoth Cave.
It was also cool to see all the specimen of fish bones, jaws and other fossils in the rocks. It’s incredible to think how long these have been preserved so well.
The way out of the cave included 160 stairs up and of course that was the time she needed only mama to carry her. Lucky me 🤪
Then it was a beautiful walk through some lush vegetation. Izzy’s hay fever was getting real by the end of the walk though, so we got through there quickly and headed back to camp.
We had a fire with Ben & Hannah, while the kids did some colouring in and tried to befriend a beautiful bird – no idea what it is, but it’s smart!
Another day, another early meeting, but at least it meant that there was still plenty of time to pack up and get ready to move sites.
The weather was pretty cold and dreary again, which really puts a downer on the mood and makes it hard to enjoy some of the natural wonders around the area… but we persevered and set off to Hamelin Bay.
On our way, we stopped at Boranup Forest to admire some of the amazing Karri trees of the area. They can grow up to 90m high (third highest tree in the world apparently) and they need a lot of moisture to thrive. The girls loved getting into all the tree hollows, walking the fallen tree trunks, pretending to lift them. It really reminded me of some of the beautiful forests I got to explore and see growing up in Russia.
Then we headed off to our camp site and set up. The water at the jetty was rough, so we didn’t even attempt to see the sting rays that frequent that bay. Plus the seaweed was out of control and apart from the obvious stink it created, it also meant that our chances of seeing a stingray would be non-existent. What a shame!
The girls of course had to try out the playground and then it was time to check out Jewel Cave. Chris and I had previously been (well and even Izzy at 13 months), but it is such a spectacular place that we wanted the girls to experience it.
Going down it was fascinating to see the difference between the original entrance (hole in the ground/ceiling of the cave that the explorers came down through) and the blasted entrance we used.
The stalagmites and stalactites were incredible and we got to see them in a beautiful golden light as well as other colours at times. There were also columns (when stalactite and stalagmite meet and form into each other) and straws, which look like long hanging string and that’s because the water is able to trickle through them unlike a stalactite, where the water has nowhere to flow and it grows outwards.
Some formations looked like coral, others like waterfalls, others still like trees and many animals as well. However the mind-boggling thought is that they grow at one tenth of a mm a year, so if you come back in 100 years then visually it will not look any different.
We explored the many chambers of the cave, got to learn more about its history and even had all the lights turned off and silence for a minute to explore what the pitch black and absolute quiet looks & sounds like. I’ll tell you – after 5 months on the road with kids – it’s bliss! 😅🤭
It turns out they had previously discovered remains of the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger, which is pretty incredible. A magic place to visit and so much to admire, even the girls loved it and were impressed.
Then there was the obligatory souvenir shopping, but we got off lightly this time with a special rock each. Not that we need any more rocks or shells in our van…
Back at camp the girls were eager to catch up with the Douglass boys, but sadly Harry was too sick and the others hadn’t returned from their fishing trip. So we had a quick dinner and everyone was happy with an early night after a big action day.
It was an early start for me as I had forgotten that WA don’t do daylight savings and so my 9amSydney meeting was actually at 6am! Yikes However a perk was that by breakfast time in WA it was already Sydney lunchtime and a great time for a break. So we headed out to Gnarabup to check out the beach & views. Sadly it was another dreary and freezing day, so after a few quick snaps we warmed up with some coffees and babycinos.
Chris and I remembered that we actually stayed nearby when Izzy was around 13 months, it was just a lot warmer that time of year as it was around Easter.
We headed back and made lunch, I did a few more meetings and emails and the girls made the most of the campsite playground.
After lunch we went to a mini golf course, which got everyone’s competitive streaks out and soon enough ended up with meltdowns, fights and stress. However, we tried to turn things around and got the game back on track… everyone is learning to support each other with big feelings and we are definitely getting better and faster at working through them.
Once we were done we also had fun with the hula hoops and hanging around in the gardens and playground. Then it was time for a bit of fun for the adults (or Chris in this instance) as we headed to a few wineries for some wine tastings.
We only had time for three today, Voyager, Lleuwin and Xanadu. Each had some delicious wines and the girls did well busying themselves while Chris tried a few samples and I opted for designated driver today.
The gardens and estate at Voyager were next level and Scarly very much enjoyed drinking from a “fancy” water cup there.
Lleuwin estate was our favourite for the day, as it had some great Shiraz wines, our favourite. The lady pouring the tastings for Chris asked if we were locals as apparently our kids looked like “surfer kids”. I had to break the news to the poor lady that we were simply disheveled caravaners 😂🤭
Then Xanadu was a lucky one as we snuck in 10 minutes before they closed and the lovely was so kind and friendly, entertaining Scarly whilst having all the time in the world to share her knowledge about wine with Chris. We came away with another delicious wines accompaniment for tonight’s steak.
Thierings on Tour 