Tender to SY Poco Andante – Betty (Registration Number BT 161)
… and some camping equipment for our journey into the Outback
All packed and ready for the road.
We stayed with Tom & Sue from SY Nechtan who we last met while cruising Spain in 2003!
Their beautiful back garden in Stoneville, Perth
Perth City viewed from Kings Park, Jacaranda tree in bloom and Perth’s great beaches.
Typical Australians enjoying Melbourne Cup Day
The town of New Norcia was built by the Catholic Church as a mission for the aborigines.
The town of New Norcia was built by the Catholic Church as a mission for the aborigines.
The town of New Norcia was built by the Catholic Church as a mission for the aborigines.
The goldmining town of Mt Magnet with its magnificent old pub.
The start of the outback…
Our ‘fly screen’ room which was the envy of other campers!
Jim & Val from Queensland who prospect for gold – very successfully (see sample)!
The red earth of WA – endless nothingness…
Walga Rock is the third largest monolith in Australia, and has aboriginal paintings in its caves.
Walga Rock is the third largest monolith in Australia, and has aboriginal paintings in its caves.
Walga Rock. This aboriginal painting records their encounter with early explorers who were shipwrecked on the coast.
This huge outcrop of granite boulders are sacred to the aborigines.
This huge outcrop of granite boulders are sacred to the aborigines.
A vast salt lake – the air temperature was about 40°C in the shade.
A willi-waw building up.
Keith (a Capricorn) crosses the Tropic of Capricorn – this time on land so there is a sign to mark the occasion!
In Newman, we took a tour of the BHP Billiton mine – the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world.
‘Betty’ is dwarfed by the 300 ton truck! Apparently they prefer women drivers for these monsters!
The 300ton truck look tiny in the pit.
They say the mine has about another 20 years life (after 40 years of mining) and will be left to fill up with the underground water.
The Karijini National Park is full of gorges carved through the red earth by the Fortescue River.
Karijini National Park with stunning pools! Although at 45°C it was too hot for us to climb down – but not for the young and foolish!
Karijini National Park – just wonderful!
Karijini National Park with stunning pools!
Fern Pool in the Karijini National Park is sacred to the aborigines – a really magical place.
Fabulous sunset in the Karijini National Park – but the flies were unbelievable!
And our first tyre blowout – in the intense heat, brand new tyres just burst at the slightest nick….
Notice the fly net over Keith’s hat to keep the flies out of his mouth, nose, eyes and ears!
This python is hauling a dead kangaroo out of the pool onto the ledge. Amazing!
The road trains are huge and move at 100km per hour. To overtake one requires about 3km of road visibility.
The Flat Back turtles were coming up to lay their eggs at 80 Mile Beach – their tracks clearly visible on the beach.
The eggs are carefully covered with warm sand but are then left to hatch on their own about a month later.
After laying about 40 eggs, the mother heads back to sea.
Spectacular Gantheaume Point at Broome.
Spectacular Gantheaume Point at Broome.
Broome started out as a pearling town and had a lot of Chinese and Japanese workers.
Broome started out as a pearling town and had a lot of Chinese and Japanese workers.
Broome started out as a pearling town and had a lot of Chinese and Japanese workers.
Cable Beach, Broome is the furthest north we got in WA – and is full of dangerous creatures!
But the Caravan Park at Cable Beach had a fantastic pool to provide some relief from the heat and sun.
A group of kids enjoying their ‘gap year’ – and having a great time.
The ore train was 243 trucks long – about 2.5Km.
The Millstream Chichester National Park – further down the Fortescue River from the Karijini National Park.
Python Pool in The Millstream Chichester National Park.
View of the Pilbara geology from the Millstream Chichester National Park.
The Crossing Pool on the Fortescue River.
The original Millstream Homestead.
Pannawonica – with its amusing weather barometer.
On the shores of the Indian Ocean – only 5,000 kms back to the Pacific!
The mighty Gascoyne River – after 2 years of drought…
In Carnavon on Australian Election Day (the Labour Party defeated the sitting Liberal/National coalition).
Just a couple of the every-day hazards in Outback Australia…
Thanks to these lumps of ‘rock’, life on earth began! Stromatolites are amazingly boring but fascinating.
More fantastic gorges at Kalbarri, where the Murchison River reaches the coast.
We enjoyed a fun night and a great meal with Wayne & Michelle who were on holiday from the UK.
Red Bluff at Kalbarri.
More fantastic coastline.
The historic town of Northampton – a sleepy little place these days.
An amazing area called the Pinnacles – they look like coral ‘bombies’ which are now above sea level.
Our first attempt at ‘real’ 4WD – a rocky road!
The magnificent coastline between Cervantes and Lancelin.
Lost in the sand dunes…
Rottnest Island, just off Perth, began as a prison island for aborigines. Now a favourite day trip destination.
‘Leavers Week’ when the high school graduates chill out for a week or so after exams – party time on Rottnest!
Royal Perth Yacht Club – lovely to see everyone out sailing in the sunset races.
Point Walter with Joan Blakeway (and the nesting Fairy Terns).
Bravely eating Witchetty Grubs at the Old Mahogany Inn with Tom & Sue after our ‘shakedown’ cruise of 6,000km!
Cape Leeuwin, Augusta, Western Australia
Cape Leeuwin – where the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean and Blackwood River meet.
Cape Leeuwin, Augusta, Western Australia
Petrified water wheel at Cape Leeuwin, Augusta, WA
Emus and kangaroos!
Grass Tree, South West Western Australia
Pretty South West Western Australia
Pretty South West Western Australia
Pretty South West Western Australia
An amusing front gate…
Amongst the tall trees of the South West of Western Australia.
Tall trees in South West Western Australia
On the ‘tree top walk’ up high in the Tingle Trees.
Yabbi – a freshwater crayfish
Coastline, South West Western Australia
Black Swans – State emblem for Western Australia.
Albany, Western Australia
A replica of an old whaling ship at Albany.
And the town gaol…
The Porongorup Ranges stand out in the middle of the vast plains of WA.
The vast wheat plains – and the silos full of grain…
Wave Rock – in the middle of nowhere!
Coolgardie – an historic gold mining town
Coolgardie – an historic gold mining town
Coolgardie – an historic gold mining town
The goldmining town of Kalgoorlie.
And one of its many pubs!
The largest open cast gold mine in the world…
Kalgoorlie – still a gold mining town
Kalgoorlie – still a gold mining town
We did a tour of an old gold mine
Pouring the gold…
And the very heavy ingot!
Laverton – the start of The Great Central Road – and Dr Laverton who cycled the 400Km from Kalgoorlie.
