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...
It's hard to say farewell at Lake Argyle , but that's what traveling is all about...exploring, find and see new things... one better than the other but all with it's own beauty ...Lake Argyle is one never to forget!!! Back on the Savannah Way we drive for about 400 km through some magnificent scenery's before arriving in Halls Creek, next campground is 300 km away, so we have to camp here for the night...a lot of aboriginal settlements along the road and when we stopped at a fuel station they arrive in old 4x4 and carry up to 15 people in one car...and all are walking barefoot ... There are alcohol restrictions in this area, beer can have maximum 2,7%, because there are a lot of alcohol abuse problems with the Aborigines...They lost their proud , but being drunk all day will not make it better...it is sad to see
While having breakfast the campground is filling up...a lot of people decided to spend their Eastern holidays at Lake Argyle, one of Western Australia's most spectacular attractions, and one of it's biggest!!! With a surface over 1000 km2 an a shoreline stretching 900 km , Lake Argyle is Australia's largest freshwater Lake and home to an estimated 30000 freshwater crocodiles, fish and wildlife...Between 1969 and 1971 they build a dam to create the Lake as it is today and very important as an irrigation basin for agriculture nearby... As we have plenty of time we walk first down at the Lake and all the way up to the Ord Gorges, back down to the Dam and back to camp , we've been walking for 3 hours so that deserves a swim to cool off, temperatures above 40 degrees...but it is getting dryer and dryer . At 2h15 we board on the Kimberley Durack that'll take us for a sunset cruise on the Lake...Somewhere where the Lake is 17 m deep those who are brave enough to swim between the crocodiles are invited for a dive in the Lake...all of us dive and enjoy a lovely swim...another thing done on the bucket list...lol... on board we have Captain Jess the youngest captain ever, but he's doing a great job...well done Jess!!! Just before sunset another swim, but rather a special one, never done it before ....apero in the Lake with a nice glass of wine...life could be worser!!! While sailing back to the camping we get to see and I speak for myself one of the most beautiful sunset ever.... Our stay at Lake Argyle sure is worth a Big Five place and I can recommend it to everyone .
Fuel up motorhome and bikes and off we are on Victoria HWY also called the Savannah Way... after 100 km it's clear why, the wet green landscapes are changing to savannah landscapes with big Baobab trees, trees that survive in this dry climate by dropping their leaves ...Coffee stop at Victoria River where Martin and I drive with the bikes to the old crossing point of Victoria River, we actually are parked in the River...Lunch at Timber Creek and a visit at the lookout ...Dreaming away while driving through the marvelous Pinkerton Range and getting closer and closer to the Western Australian border, farewell Northern Territory....Once crossed the border we take a left to Lake Argyle, a manmade Lake and gateway to Kimberley. The little road that leads us at Lake Argyle through the Carr Boyd Ranges is breathtaking...this is nature at it's best... Arrived at the campsite we book for 2 nights and a sunset cruise on the Lake tomorrow...a cold beer and an a plunge in the infinity pool with the nicest view upon the Lake, I can tell it's nearly like swimming in the Lake, they have done a great job here. No connexion here, back to the middle ages ...lol...
Roadtrain
Parked in Victoria River
Victoria River Gorges
Welcome at Timber Creek
Welcome to Western Australia, farewell Northern Territory
Batchelor-Litchfield National Park-Katherine 412 km
Today we're going to visit the National Park Litchfield with it's many Falls, Rockhole plunge pools and Termite Mouths.... Entering the Park, first stop at Florence Falls, a nice walk to the Falls and a great swim !!!Next Falls are the Tolmer Falls and the Rockhole plunge pool, a big walk at the Wangi Falls where I save a young Italian girl dying of thirst...I gave her some water and she could walk on...over a walk of 1hour you easily need to drink 1 liter of water in this heat... Back on the road we have a last stop at the Butterfly farm in Batchelor where we met a young French couple , they just arrived and the boy was busy painting a rainbow dragon on a wall...you could tell he's done this before....always amazing to hear people's story's why they ended up here in Australia. A refreshing lemon juice and we get back on Stuart HGW to Pine Creek and Katherine where we stop for the night... 20h00 , Luc and Martin didn't show up yet , we got a message they already had dinner , so we're expecting them soon....
Latest update... as text messages between our phones didn't come through Luc and Martin stayed waiting for us in the pub at Pine Creek, finally they arrived around 21h00 ... all together again...no worries
Termite Mouth
Termite Mouth as old as I am 50 years...wow...
Plunge pool Florence Falls...cool...
Rockhole Plunge pool
Tolmer Falls
Wangi Falls
Wangi Falls
Young French painter at work Butterfly Farm Batchelor
Needed to drop off "Coco II" at the Branch in Darwin, where we received a 4x4 , "JessieII" for the day...handy to visit Darwin. Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory is a vibrant modern city that has been rebuilt after cyclone Tracy destroyed the complete city on Christmas Eve in 1974, it is also a very important tourist destination from where the National Parks Kakadu and Litchfield are easy to reach. Interesting fact is that during World War II Japanese bombers dropped more bombs on Darwin than they did on Pearl Harbour , evidences can still be seen today... Stoke Hill Wharf is the place where the big cruise ships come and in the evening all restaurants and bars are filled with people enjoying a great view upon the Timor Sea , another interesting place to hang around are the Mindel Beach markets, for food, crafts and entertainment... Cooling off after a stinking hot day...Darwin Waterfront is the place to be with a large big waves swimming pool and a little beach...just what we needed... Around 16h00 we get a call from the Branch that"Coco II' is all fixed and ready to go...gives us just the time to pick it up and to leave Darwin, the most Northern point of our journey , behind us driving to the Litchfield National Park... At Batchelor ...what a name... the road train stops for the night... Thanks Beth for the wonderful service at your Branch, you did a terrific job...good on you!!!!!
Darwin
Darwin Waterfront
Cooling off
Jessie II
Sitting at the most Northern Point of my Australia road trip 2015
Waking up with a blue sky and already hot hot hot... but this is better then rain, as I heard in Belgium this weekend they had heaps of it. Riding out of Pine Creek my eye fall's on a new project...see photo below...isn't it lovely, I can see a lot of potential... Entering the National Park Kakadu we notice a lot of lookouts are closed because of the passage from our buddy "cyclone Nathan" ...somehow he keeps tracking us...lo's of flooded roads and a big risk and danger for crocodiles!!!! We visit the Bukbukluc lookout with a view over the swamps, a steap walk at the Mirrai lookout where while enjoying the sights a young man all sweaty come's up with a load of camera stuff, he works for SBS and is making a documentary about Kakadu on crocodiles and the Kakadu Plum, the fruit with the highest amount of vitamine C, but somehow a American company took a patent on that plum , so everyone that wants to sell it as a product has to pass that company and pay, so it doesn't get out of Australia...strange world...we say goodbye to the chap and walk down again in a bloody heat sun... Next stop at Nourlangie Rock and Nurwalandja also very important places for the Aborigines and back on the road to Jabiru, heart of Kakadu... After a coffee break high time to drive to Darwin, where we find a holiday park at Howard Springs , 28 km left to Darwin. Tomorrow "Coco II" needs to enter the workshop in Darwin...oillamp lighted up , airco needs to be checked and some small other things. From this occasion we will profit to visit Darwin, our most North destination in Australia... Last picture shows a map of Australia with our progress so far , 16400 km .
What do you think about my new little project, isn't it wonderful...
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
Warmun fuel stop
A new hat at the hat tree
Baobab tree
Ord River
Lake Argyle Dam
Lake Argyle
Our boat Kimberley Durack
Captain Jess
Crew
Apero 
Sunset
Roadtrain
Parked in Victoria River
Victoria River Gorges
Welcome at Timber Creek
Welcome to Western Australia, farewell Northern Territory
Infinity pool
Lake Argyle
Ord River
Termite Mouth
Termite Mouth as old as I am 50 years...wow...
Plunge pool Florence Falls...cool...
Rockhole Plunge pool
Tolmer Falls
Wangi Falls
Wangi Falls
Young French painter at work Butterfly Farm Batchelor
Darwin
Darwin Waterfront
Cooling off
Jessie II
Sitting at the most Northern Point of my Australia road trip 2015
My guardian angel
Stoke Hill Wharf
What do you think about my new little project, isn't it wonderful...
Gateway to Kakadu National Park
Nurwalandja
Nourlangie Rock
Martin challenging the crocodiles
Progress Map 16400 km
