Monday we left Cheyne beach (I should note that I saw a bandicoot at the camp-site there the night before – at least I think it was a bandicoot. Jen can't tell you, because she didn't see it...!) and did a little tour of the local coastline. Two Peoples Bay National Park was very pretty, in particular Little Beach.
We stopped off at Nanarup and watched the surf near the inlet for a little bit before heading up to the Porongurup National Park for lunch. We did a little circular walk through the karri trees (huge eucalypts) and saw the Tree-in-the-Rock, then continued further north to the Stirling Range National Park to camp at Moingup Springs Campground. This area is lauded for its wildflowers in springtime – we were 5 months too early! Linda and Brendan in the Bushcamper turned up here this evening as well. It seems we can't escape each other! With that in mind, we exchanged numbers and agreed to meet up to do a little off-roading together through the D'Entrecasteaux National Park.
On Tuesday, spurred on by the talk from our Welsh host at the campground, as well as the grey nomad determination to climb whatever is put in front of them, we made a fairly weak attempt at climbing Bluff Knoll. It was pretty steep, and we got some lovely views even part way up, but the fact is, we're lazy and just not fit enough to climb a real hill! Great spot though. (Kathryn and Katie, you'd have loved this section, and been terribly disappointed in us!) We later met a very capable pair of grey nomads, who I'd guess were in their mid to late 60s, who told us they had completed the Bluff Knoll return climb – they noted that the books said it took 2-3 hours and boasted it took them 7.5 hours! Fantastic effort!
We continued on around the Stirling National Park by our preferred mode of transport (who needs to walk when you have a Priscilla?!) getting some nice views on route. Then we headed south again through Mount Barker to Albany. We camped the night at Albany after stocking up on food in the local shopping centre.
On Wednesday we did the tourist drive around Torndirrup National Park (just south of Albany). Note the number of National Parks in WA – each one has an entry fee of $11 – unless you buy a 12 month pass for $80 as we have!) Torrndirrup is very pretty. We stopped at a great snorkeling location near Mistaken Island, then carried on round to Jimmy Newhills Harbour, where the steep cliffs drop into a small natural harbour (named after a fisherman or convict who saved himself there, depending on which story you believe).
We used the bbqs at Frenchman's Bay for snag lunch (finally found a good sausage – WA seems to do English and Irish style pork sausages, first time we've found a decent sausage in Australia!!) finishing up with the beautiful Gap Bridge. The Blowholes here were also impressive.
We ventured on around the coast hoping to free camp at Cosy Corner, but discovered it was full. So we were forced to carry on into West Cape Howe National Park, where we found a fantastic camp at Shelley Beach – my favourite yet. And free. Our neighbours were largely locals fishing for salmon (they caught a few too). We were as close as you can get to the most Southerly point in Western Australia. Great spot.
Oh, and we also had para-gliders landing on the beach just in front of us!
The next morning we decided (well, I decided!) that Priscilla was missing a little 4wd action. She's particularly fond of sand, and West Cape Howe's track to Dunsky Beach has plenty of that, so we dropped the tire pressures and set off. The track is lined with conveyor belt in places to make it easier across soft sand patches, but a lot of this has been torn up by other drivers, so it was frequently more of an obstacle! Priscilla (of course) performed perfectly – we were a little concerned when,not long after we'd set off, we came across a guy in an old Toyota Hilux who took three attempts to get up a bit of a sandy climb. We needn't have worried, for Priscilla it was a breeze (you can pretty much hear her sighing, “Really. Is that the best you can throw at me?”)
After our little off-road excursion, we carried on round to William Bay National Park and Greens Pool, which people rave about, but the weather wasn't really putting it in its best light when we were there. We camped that night at Parry Beach, $7 a night so pretty cheap, and we had our first fire in ages ($5 for a barrow load from the caretaker of the site).
I should note that Jennie lost our small wooden brush (known affectionately as Brushy Brush) in West Cape Howe. While I was using the compressor to inflate the tires after our trip to Dunsky Beach, she decided to brush out the sand from Priscilla's crooks and crevices. It seems she then left Brushy Brush on one of the side steps. Brushy Brush of course did not make it as far as Parry Beach. Jen was worryingly distressed by this, but I suppose she's given to odd attachments to brushes.
We decided to stay on for a second night at Parry Beach, mainly because it was so cheap, but also because we could have another fire. And, I had a little surf – started very badly, but once I'd found a nice little left break, I was finally catching my first unbroken waves. Lots of fun. Linda and Brendan in the bushcamper arrived that evening as well, and joined us for dinner around the fire. It was less than successful for us though, as the rain started just when we put our food on the grill, so we had to finish it off on the stove under umbrellas! In the morning though, we were much more successful, and had a full mashings breakfast, cooked partly on the grill over the fire. Lovely.
On Saturday we drove around the Walpole wilderness area seeing lots of very tall karri trees (all very pretty). We then met up with Linda and Brendan at Shannon camp ground, from where we planned to set off for a little off-road trip together.
On Sunday we wound around the Shannon tourist drive around the forests with Linda and Brendan, then headed down to Windy Harbour and Salmon Beach. On route we tried rather unsuccessfully to find out more about the 4wd tracks in the D'Entrecasteaux National Park, which runs along the south-west corner of the south-west of WA. We visited the famous Pemberton trees, which have prongs hammered into them as a form of ladder, and used to be used as fire look-outs to spot bush-fires. I attempted to climb the Bicentennial tree, but found a sense of mortality has finally caught up with me, and only made it halfway!
We free-camped at Big Brook Arboretum that night with Linda and Brendan, planning on a little off-road trip to the D'Entrecasteaux National Park the next day.
Love to all, especially Big Al, get well soon Mr T.
Claire, of Jen and Claire Fame
OMG that tree looks amazing! S xx
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