Early this morning we're present for the men's final surf...but nothing happens and when the organization announce the final is cancelled today...we have another look at the waves , and get on the road back to Trigg. Last ride today, so we enjoy our ride through the Winston hills and it is quite cold, only 18 degrees...so cold that we have to warm us up at the fireplace in the pub where we have lunch... We get jammed in traffic around Perth and arrive with sunset at Katrien's ....and now there is no more doubt..."Katrien" is the global winner that survived the whole trip 24069 km...well done!!!! and if there is a winner there's always a loser, in this case two...lol... Katrien cooked us a lovely Spaghetti Bolognese and Edda made a delicious fruitcake for her son Ben's 19th Birthday...we spent a lovely evening together with heaps of laughs... Tomorrow , some serious business left...in the morning we return the bikes and try to get a good price back for them , in the afternoon we have to say goodbye to our homie "Coco II"....now it is getting really at its end...
World Surf League Margaret River
Quindanning Pub
Cosy at the fireplace
The cast
The winners on"Katrien" with Katrien
The losers on "Edda" with Edda
My 2 lovely nieces Edda&Katrien
but who's the luckiest one????
Ben blowing the candles for his 19th birthday, lovely cake mom...
Nannup - Margaret River Prevelly Surfers point 109 km
Straight to Margaret River today for the women finals World League Surf at Surfers Point...guess what...indeed as we arrive it's already finished....but tomorrow morning ....if the waves are ok men's final... We have a walk at the place where it all happens and some young surfers are showing their tricks and moves .... Time for lunch and what a luxury, first siesta in Australia...followed by a walk along the coast... Sunset at surfers point is gorgeous ...our last dinner in the motorhome...and last night...tomorrow we drive back to Trigg and Friday we return Coco II and the bikes to fly back to Belgium on Saturday...
As on Wednesday the finals of the World Championships Surf are held in Margaret River at Surfers Point and we're here at the right time we would like to see those young surfers trying to be the best on huge waves....so we decide to skip our first idea to go to Denmark. Instead we head along the coastline, with a short stop at Hamelin Bay, for Augusta , Flinders Bay and Cape Leeuwin, Australia's most South West point with it's nice Lighthouse and coastal scenery's... We leave the coast behind us and drive to Pemberton, timberland and gateway to the Karri National Park with it's big trees...In front of us the Gloucester tree , 61 m high and 139 iron steps leading all the way to the top of the tree...Luc and I are so brave and make it to the top with a amazing view over the National Park.... our initials are written forever at the top...back with our 2 feeds on the ground we sign the book of climbers... From Pemberton it goes by little hilly and windy roads to Nannup, our final destination for the day, located 67 km East of Margaret River. During a walk over Blackwood River bridge we see a floater, marking the hight of the river in flood seasons, 1910 the record year with the river that raised more 10 m....Nannup is also well known for its Nannup Totems, originally Aboriginal Totems... And it has a superb tennis court, so Martin and I have another go....
We finished our roundtrip to soon, so we treated ourself with a mini trip to South West Australia... As i speak , the world championships surf are running in Margaret River, so let's have a look ...Fremantle is very quiet , there must have been a big celebration yesterday after they won the derby...coffee break at Mandurah and Mandora Bay...a walk on the 2k long jetty of Busselton and a big walk at Cape Naturaliste to the lookouts Bunker Bay and Eagle Bay, to end the day at Margaret River, a region well known for it,s wines and surf beaches...The countdown has started ...only 5 days left in this beautiful country....
Sunday lazy day starts with a walk on Trigg Beach , a nice autumn day brought all people at the beach, swimming,surfing,sunbathing...whatever...under a blue sky and lovely 26 Celsius... After a good walk, Lawrence picks us up for a tennis game ...Lawrence and me against Luc and Martin...after a 2hours hard game ,Lawrence and me are the official winners ....I guess we were lucky... In the afternoon we're expected at Edda and Andrew to watch the Derby Australian Football between West Coast Eagles, Katrien's favorite team and the Fremantle Dockers,Edda's favorite team....so not easy to choose a side...it takes's 4 quarters of 30 minutes , and a very hard game...Well sorry Katrien, but this time the Fremantle Dockers are the best...Some friends of Edda and drop by, Alan and Julie and Peter and Julie and we all had a nice evening together with a delicious pork shoulder signed cooked by Edda...well done...
This morning Luc and Martin drive of to Joondalup West Motors to pick up "Edda" , at 11.00 am Katrien Luc and me have a appointment with Phil the Chiropractor for some little adjustments in the back and neck... Back home chez Katrien, we have a lovely sunny lunch and in the afternoon Katrien is so kind to give us her car to drive to Perth, where we have a big walk in Kings Park, visit Bells Tower and some nice views over the mighty Swan River, called the Dreaming Snake... On special request from Katrien, so everybody is sure and there is no confusion...."Katrien is the winner" ole, ole ole.... Martin our master cook surprises us again with a super BBQ....hmmmm
Yep, Luc and I did it and may official name us best Aussie card players...lol... A last stroll at Jurien Bay and it's Jetty and ready for our last run to Trigg, where it all started mid february... We follow the Indian Ocean Drive along a brilliant coastline with stunning views on Ronsard Bay, Cervantes,Thirsty Point....all recent new towns where I can feel it , within 10 years you will not recognize it anymore...so much potential...this is a perfect investment area... Driving through Nambung National Park with it's large white dunes and major attraction "the Pinnacles desert", limestone rocks in odd forms like fingers,some with a height over 4m, raising out of the yellow sanded desert...the Aboriginal story says , one day 2 boy's said they were going to play in the big sanded area and they never came back, the tribe went looking for them , but never found them...they believed they were swallowed by the desert and were somewhere underground and the pinnacles are their little fingers sticking out for help... Driving through the Pinnacles with the motorbike was awesome!!! a perfect last highlight to end our Aussie trip. Some nice view lookouts on the road as Cervantes, Thirsty Point(what a name!!!!), Did Bay and Lancelin where my eye dropped on a lovely little house right at the beach....this could be it... Once passed Two Rocks you can smell and feel Perth and its suburbs...and finally driving up Bailey Street 23, Trigg we've done it, the roundtrip is a fact and I can wipe it out on my bucket list....22732 km took us through all parts in Australia and it has been a wonderful experience to all of us, never to forget... Katrien(the only and real one) is waiting for us and so nice to see her back...when she hears that"Katrien" is the only one to survive the trip, as "Edda" is in the workshop getting changed chain and sprockets...and Coco I has been changed in Alice Springs for Coco II... she wants a victory picture , Katrien on "Katrien"... A friend of Myee, Katrien's daughter is singing in a pub tonight, so we all go and meet up with Edda and Andrew and Lawrence...it feels good to see them all again...
We almost went around Australia so it's nearly a must to visit Kalbarri National Park with it's Window to Nature, Z-Bend,the Loop and some fascinating lookouts...but hey look and judge!!!! Leaving Kalbarri National Park behind us , the Coral Coast also come's at his end and the Batavia Coast takes over all the way to Geraldton with some stunning views of the Indian Ocean fighting against the cliff's , surfers against huge waves...who's ever going to win this fight... The Horrock Way leads us through the hilly marvelous landscape to Dongara, one of the oldest settlements in the area , and guess why??? exactly....gold...Probably one of the nicest scenery's seen in Australia...write it down, don't miss it... Batavia Coast ends just at Coolimba where Turquoise Coast takes over with equal beauty... Tomorrow we're back in Trigg where our round trip started....last highlight tomorrow, "the Pinnacles"... Ausralia has been good to us...not one drop of rain during our journey.... We camp at Jurien Bay and end the day with a game of tennis, sunset @ Jurien Beach and tonight's Championship of the Championships Cards, the final game...who won, check it out tomorrow!!!
Booked a cruise today with ARISTOCAT2 leaving from Monkey Mia..before boarding dolphin feeding at the beach...nice... Once boarded we first visit the Blue Lagoon Pearl Farm, the only pearl farm in the world that uses gold and opal gems in their pearls...Back on board of the catamaran, the skipper sails the boat in full sea ...we see dolphins, turtles, and some dugongs (seacow) ,they eat 75 kg of seagrass a day and every 4 minutes they come to take a breath of air...Back in Monkey Mia we start our engines and drive to Kalbarri National Park where we stay for the night...only 2 days to go and our tour around Australia is a fact and no longer a dream...
Today Shark Bay is scheduled...a 3 hours drive from Carnarvon... First stop at Yaringa lookout ...and some further at the Hamelin Pool and its Stromatolites, ancient structures that are examples what life on Earth was like 3,5 billion years ago...they are considered living fossils...the reason Stromatolites live so well in this area is because the water is 2 1/2 time more salty(hyper saline) than the normal seawater in Shark Bay. Just back on the road and a sign for Shell Beach appears...let's have a look. Shell Beach is formed by 4000 cockles a square meter in the hypersalinated water of L'Haridon Bight in Shark Bay and covered for a 60 km long stetch to a depth of 7 to 10 m with cockles...it is one of only two shell beaches like it in the world and I was there A lovely swim but a bit salty and time to see Eagle Bluff, a stunning lookout, Ocean Park where we see a sharks being fed , turtles, seasnakes etc.... The road ends today at Denham , Australia's most Western Town and gateway to Monkey Mia and Franois Peron National Park , a window in time.... Just in time to watch the sunset at the little lagoon with some kiters in the background... Tomorrow morning we're off again on a cruise to spot sharks, dolphins, dugongs,rays and turtles...goodnight mates
Last snorkling spot at Ningaloo Reef today , Coral Bay ...no words, the coral garden lays only 50 m from the beach... The game of colors of the sea is spectacular and you could spent hours on the beach , just look at it...but time to move on to Carnarvon, as we are expected back in Trigg at Katrien and Edda, my lovely aussi cousins... We drive for the fourth time over the Tropic of Capricorne, first time in Rockhampton , second and third time Alice Springs and now just before Carnarvon....and you can feel it's getting cooler...
A big day again is waiting for us... before plunging in the Ningaloo Reef we got to hire our snorkeling gear.... We get some inside information where the best snorkeling spots are located...so first snorkeling stop at beautiful Turqoise Bay ... Imagine a big Aquarium and you're swimming in the middle of it...awesome!!!! Once back in the car we drive to the end of the road , at Yardie Creek and Gorges where we do a 2hours walk through the Gorges...all sweaty ...time for some other snorkeling sessions in Sandy Bay and South Mandu and we save the best spot for the end of the day , Oyster Stacks...Wooooooow.... It was a though job to get me out of the water...lol...driving back to our campground , we stop at Jurabi Turtle Beach, well known to observe turtles during their hatching season, and the most North West point of Australia where the SS Mildura shipwreck lay's. Back at the caravan park, some time left for a little tennis match revenge and aero @Vlaming Head Lighthouse to watch sunset....
Early in the morning we leave Onslow for what it is and drive to Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef, a well protected reef known for it's whalesharks, and coral fishes in all colours and sizes...After lunch we arrive at the Vlaming Head Lighthouse, gateway ti Cape Range National Park and the Ningaloo Reef. We camp there an will spend all day tomorrow exploring the Ningaloo Reef... Martin and me play a game of tennis while Luc goes for a run...have to keep ourselves in shape... We now crossed 20000km of traveling in Australia...
I ,d say for anyone that's considering a trip in Western Australia, avoid this piece....unless you love mines and industry... Dampier and Karratha are 2 towns that live and survive on the mining business...once the machines stop, they'll change into ghost towns. Arriving in Onslow (Salt Mines) we find a caravan park where all the employees of a Belgium dredging company Jan De Nul stayed while they operated there....a little village for them alone and all they can desire...bar,diner,fitness, ...as the contract is finished the village is a good as empty and they changed it into a caravan park, trying to make some money...
A last swim and ready to go at Port Hedland, used to be a very important cattle harbour, nowadays iron ore shipments. Nothing much to see so we continue after lunch on the Marlu way to Roebourne, one of the oldest settlements in the area with the Old Gaol (prison) as the attraction....Another stop at Cossack lookout and it's museum of Oyster Culture...and Wickam a typical miners village. The day ends at Point Samson...after some live music at the local coffee shop in Roebourne....one man,one guitar, one song and 3 people...yeah right ....us with a lemon tea...sometimes life can be though...
A boring ride today from Broome direction Port Hedland via the Warlu Way or Great Northern HGW, no other roads accessible with "Coco II"... but we read 19000 km on the dashboard ,see map below...Temperatures rise till 43 degrees and around 14h00 enough is enough , so we get off the road and drive to Wallow Downs on a gravel road...Wallow Downs lays at the 80 miles beach...compare it with twice Belgium's Coastline without wave breakers or so what...just sand, dunes ,heaps of shells and Ocean as far you can see left and right and you've got it all for yourself...wonderfull !!!! We walk for 2 hours , Dorine collects shells, we men plunge in the Ocean, nice... This evening we'll have another walk on the beach as the place is known for turtles and it is the end of the hatching season, so maybe we get to spot some baby turtles having their run for life at the sea...
The day started with a 16 km walk along Cable Beach to Gantheaume Point ...lucky for us we had the Indian Ocean on our side to cool down from time to time... After lunch we split up...Martin,Dorine and Luc want to visit a pearl farm...I've seen enough pearl farms in French Polynesia...so I get into town, do some shopping...but beside the Old Town and Chinatown , Broome is as good as dead. Another stop at Roebuck Bay and the Broome Jetty with a lovely coffee at the Wharf Cafe...hurry back to Cable Beach for sunset and camels on the beach...where we get all together again.
This morning Martin and Luc played a early morning set of tennis....I enjoyed an hour more in bed. Today the road leads us to Derby, located on King Sound and it has the highest tides in Australia with peak differential between low and high tide up to 11,8 m. We see along the road a bushfire,not sure if the fire started by accident or not....quite scary. Arriving in Derby we get a message from Luc and Dorine, after having a coffee at a parking they drove back to Fitzroy Crossing instead of driving to Derby...it took them a while to see their mistake and than they had to go all the way back to Fitzroy,because they would run out of diesel...no more beers for Luc!!! Meanwhile me and Martin had a ride around Derby, and besides the Baob Prison Tree and the Derby Jetty, nothing else to see or do...it is a dead town...so we call Luc and Martin to meet each other this evening in Broome. We have Lunch at a Roadhouse and in the late afternoon we arrive at Cable Beach in Broome, it is nice to see the Ocean again after days and days of desert...we look for a caravan park and have a ride to the Gantheaume Point. Around 17h30 the two lost one's are back in town and we meet them at the caravan park, just in time for a lovely sunset at Cable Beach... Night fall's over Broome and we play our daily game of cards outside with a nice cool breeze...
Happy Easter to everyone...we had eggs for brekkie and a chocolate basket, surprise from Dorine and Martin!!! A easy day today, 290 km at Fitzroy Crossing...so we're not in a hurry and around 9h00 we start the engines and get back on the Savannah Way with a first stop just out of Halls Creek , the China Wall... Back on the road I notice that nature is changing all the time, savannah to rocks, rocks to sandy desert and back to rocks... Fitzroy Crossing used to be famous outback town for its bars and pubs but not anymore...Crossing Inn built in 1897 as a trade store and shanty inn for long distance travelers is the only evidence left and today it's a normal bar and caravan park... We have lunch at Geiki Gorge, a spectacular waterway with soaring weathered cliffs... While Luc, Dorine and Martin are walking at the Geiki Gorge , I drive good old " Coco II" to a lovely caravan park "Fitzroy Lodges" and I enjoy a afternoon at the pool, taking a nap...just what I needed... When they return from their walk Martin challenges me for a game of tennis ...followed by another swim and dinner...yummie Tomorrow we are heading further to the West direction Broome...
World Surf League Margaret River
Quindanning Pub
Cosy at the fireplace
The cast
The winners on"Katrien" with Katrien
The losers on "Edda" with Edda
My 2 lovely nieces Edda&Katrien
but who's the luckiest one????
Ben blowing the candles for his 19th birthday, lovely cake mom...
It has been a great trip
Surfer on a big wave
South West Coastline
Just love it
Rough sea
Main break
Sunset @Surfers Point
Last dinner
Hamelin Bay
Water Wheel Cape Leeuwin
Lighthouse Cape Leeuwin
Riding on the rocks@Cape Leeuwin
Flinders Bay
Climbing to the top 89 steps to go...
@the top of Gloucester Tree 61m
Our initials forever at the top
On a Karri Tree
Whinston Hills
Welcome Pemberton Karri Country
Beedleup swingbridge
Nannup Floodtree
Nannup Totems
Mandora Bay
Mandurah
Catching up with the locals
Busselton Jetty
2 km is a long way!!!!
Cape Naturaliste
Autumn Sunday @ Trigg Beach
Enjoying a zip of wine with Edda and Julie
and Katrien
Katrien loves "Katrien"
Kings Park
Perth Skyline
And the winner is Katrien
Lake Thetis and stromatolites
The Pinnacles
Sausy Beach
Lancelin Beach
This is it!!!!!!
I wouldn't mind a drink...
Nambung National Park and white dunes
Jurien Bay beach and Jetty
Window to Nature
Murchison River kalbarri
Ross head Kalbarri
Kalbarri National Park meets Indian Ocean
Red Head
Lake Magenta
Green Head Turquoise Coast
Pro@work...lol...
Monkey Mia Beach and jetty
Aristocat2
Bottlenose dolphins
Dolphin playing with our boat
Find the Dugong
It's been good!!!!!
Dorine and Martin enjoying the cruise
Kids jumping off the jetty
Hamelin Pool Stromatolites
Shelly Beach
Loggerhead Turtle
Tiger shark flossing it,s teeth
Goulet Bluff
Eagle Bluff
Sunset @little lagoon Denham
Coral Bay
It's getting more busy...
Lovely game of colors
Turquoise Beach
Two men down
Snorkling Turquoise Beach
Yardie Creek
South Mandu Beach
Oyster Stacks
Shipwreck SS Mildura
Sunset Mauritius Beach
Ashburton River
Exmouth Beach
Ningaloo Coast
Exhausted after tennis
The tennis players
Dampier Beach
Train with Iron Ore
Onslow Beach
Sunset
Bar and dining Onslow village
Rooms for the employees
Welcome Port Hedland
Salt mining industry
Settlers Beach Cossach
Lookout Cossach
Nice little truck
Local music
and public....
Progress Map 19000 km
Sandfire Roadhouse
80 miles Beach
At the Beach
Who is who
1000 shells
Wallow Downs Caravanpark
Gantheaume Point
Three boy's on a row
It feel's good
Ready to take off
and down in the Indian Ocean
Looking for Belgium!!!!
Broome Jetty
Camels on Cable Beach
Camels and ????? on Cable Beach
Bushfire along the Savannah Way
The Baob Prison Tree Derby
Look who say's hello
Derby Wharf Jetty
Lunch at the Roadhouse
Cable Beach Broome
Gantheaume Point Broome
Sunset Cable Beach Broome
China Wall Halls Creek
Dirt roads
Look who I met in the bush
Nature at its best
Aborigines swimming in Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River
Geikie Gorges
Relaxing after a hot day
