- Homeward Bound via the South West -

For those who are unfamiliar with Esperance, it is the last largest town heading east along the coast of Western Australia. Its famous for its beautiful pristine beaches and islands dotted out along its coast, it is also a major port and popular tourist destination. After driving 950km's to Esperance in one day, we were exhausted! We found a cheap little cabin to check into so we could sort out the car, do some washing and have a little more comfort for the night. Once all organised the following morning, we set off to explore!

(View from Tankers Jetty.)

Our first stop was taking a walk along the town jetty (aka Tanker Jetty) where we saw some resident seals chasing each other through the water. We picked up a Coffee from the little van at the end of the jetty and it would honestly be the best coffee we have had along our entire trip!! While savouring every drop of our take away coffee we headed off to begin what is known as the tourist drive loop. 32kms of Beaches, Bays and lookouts that are just breath taking! We were especially lucky with the weather! Not too windy and the sun was just right to enhance the magical colours of the coast!

(Sea Lions.)

(The best coffee EVER!)

(It's a hard life...)

(Great Views from the Car)

We would've spent days in and around Esperance exploring the national parks and camping on the glorious beaches. However we hadn't planned on spending too much time in the South West, rather a taste, so we could come back another time. After all we were now back on home soil!After going back to Coffee Cat for a second round (i know, but it really was that good!), we drove on west and made it to Albany for the night. The following morning we took a quick drive out to the Natural Bridge and The Gap along tourist drive for a look before continuing on towards Denmark and Walpole to visit the Red Tingle Trees which make up the Valley of the Giants.

(The Gap)


These trees are exactly that, GIANT!! Some towering over 80 meters into the sky!! The best way to see these amazing trees is to take a walk into the tree tops! The tree top walk is along a steel truss walkway that meanders through the canopy of the trees about 40 metres off the ground! It was quite a strange feeling looking down to the forest floor, especially if there was a movement on the walkway! So with our feet back on mother earth we wandered through the ancient forest walk which was just as spectacular! Some of the trees would be at least 15 meters around the base, just jaw dropping to look at. Some previous fires have hollowed out the trunks of some trees making for some great photo's and even the pathways that lead straight through the tree trunks!



(Giant Tingle Tree...)


(Tree Top Walk)


We finally said goodbye to the Valley of the Giants and admired the scenery of the Karri Forests as we drove towards Pemberton. While calling past we wanted to check out and climb the Gloucester Tree. The Gloucester Tree and others like it in the area were originally fire lookouts, pegs were hammered into the tree's trunk and spiralled all the way to the top to get a better view of fires in the region. The tree is 72 meters tall, but i think to the actual viewing platform is about 60 meters off the ground!



(The Towering Gloucester Tree)

Standing at the base of the tree, we looked up in awe, and almost immediately began to question whether or not we could do it. A couple, were on their way down and if they took any longer on getting down I reckon Bren would've chickened out for good! But eventually it was our turn and began the climb, another couple had also begun the climb behind us... so there was definitely no chickening out now! Our palms were sweaty against the steel rods, our knees went weak as you looked down to see that you were placing your feet correctly on the next rung. Up and Up we spiralled around the tree. It was hard going and often you had to stop calm yourself down and just breathe! Eventually, huffing and puffing we arrived at the top platform, large enough for 6 people to comfortable enjoy the view! It was amazing looking above all the trees, although a little frightening looking down!! Once we got our breath back, we began the trip back down... which is just as thrilling as the way up... back safely on the ground again we looked back up the length of the tree! We had done it!!!

From the Gloucester Tree in Pemberton we enjoyed the drive through tall forest tree's all the way out to Augusta for the night. The next morning we drove out to the Lighthouse and enjoyed the drive along the coast. We pushed on to Margaret River to check out the surf and enjoy a morning coffee. It's such beautiful country and we could have spent days exploring the number of caves, beaches and forests around the South West. However with the region being part of our "Backyard" we pushed on to visit friends at Busselton and to drop into Mandurah for an afternoon coffee with Brendon's Grandparents. We were planning on stopping the night. However with home, so close we decided to make the familiar drive through to Perth.

(The Augusta Lighthouse.)

(Beautiful drive through the trees.)


(Surf @ Margaret River.)

With the city skyline looming, it was really beginning to hit us that we were back. How we wouldn't be setting up the tent once we stopped, or having to research things to see and do at our next destination. We also began to be reminiscent about the fantastic places and faces we have come across on our travels and the places we would choose to visit again. So you could say there was mixed emotions driving through the city and onto home. HOME, we had made it!

- The Nullarbor Plain -

Imagine a stretch of road over 1200kms long, linking the East to the West. With nothing more than a few conveniently placed roadhouses to help you continue on your way. The country side is remote, barren, almost waterless, windy with very little bushland in sections. If you haven't travelled the Nullarbor before this may only begin to paint the picture. However some find it extremely boring due to its length, but most find it a mix of boring and intriuge, due to the questions you find yourself asking while taking on this driving marathon. Like how can people live out here? or how does anything survive out here? What happens if we breakdown?


We set off from Ceduna, unsure how far we were going to drive on the first day. It was extremely windy and after 2 days on the beach all we really wanted was a shower! We called into Penong first, how ever the wind had turned it into a complete dustbowl and decided to push on a little further. Eventually calling into Nundroo where we fueled up and paid $2 for a shower to freshen up. We thought about stopping here but still the wind was kicking up some dust which would've made a very unpleasant afternoon.






(Nundroo Roadhouse.)


The Kilometers rolled passed and eventually we reached the signage of the treeless plain. The Nullarbor Plain, is the largest single sheet of limestone in the world covering over and area of 200,000 sq kms. It is pretty amazing, the sheer realisation that there is nothing else out there. It also hits you that if you break down, there is a LONG WAY to go to get fixed... But thankfully nothing happened and we enjoyed the wonder of crossing "The Plain".

Further along we called into lookouts of the Great Australian Bight, to get some photo's of the amazing coastline. However a few sites had been closed off as the erosion of the cliffs has been cutting away chunks of the coast all the way into the car parks!We arrived into the WA/SA Border village and pulled up for the night. Our last night in South Australia, we drove just over 600kms and looked forward to crossing over into home territory the following morning.

We rose early.. thinking we were still on SA time, fuelled up, went through the Quarantine check point and crossed into Western Australia. It's a weird feeling seeing "Welcome to Western Australia" and finally the realisation hits, we're coming home! We still had a long way to go and immediately the scenery started to change. We constantly passed road trains in both directions, travellers in their brightly coloured wicked vans, caravans and motor homes. The other thing that sticks in our mind is the road kill, poor kangaroos... too many were getting in the way of the massive trucks which are unable to stop! It was absolute carnage!

(The Border crossing...)



We eventually arrived in Norseman marking the end of the Eyre Highway, the end of the drive across the Nullarbor. We were still making good time and decided to drive the rest of the way into Esperance! That's a total 950kms in one day!!

- Bungle Bungles & Lake Argyle -

On our last day in Kununurra, Bren took a 2hr flight over the Bungle Bungles and Lake Argyle with Alligator Airways.

The Bungle bungles, It is an incredible sight of beehive-shaped sandstone formations, and deep chasms, formed over many millions of years ago.

Lake Argyle certainly impressed him!! He learnt that the "inland sea" covers over 1,000 km2, with water as far as the eye could see, and that's from the air!! With the abundance of water below, the township of Kununurra are on the same water restrictions as Perth!

- Home Valley to Kununurra -

The next day we had to cross the widest river of the Gibb, The Pentecost, complete with it's crocs. Thankfully the water level was only about 30cm, though still flowing fast and we crossed without a problem... or seeing any hungry lizards!

(The mighty Pentecost River... )

Our next stop was El Questro Station, now wilderness park,on a million acre property. We booked in for a night and set off to explore. Moonshine Gorge walk, 4km return, was beautiful with creek crossings, palm trees and red rugged cliff faces. At the end was Sprung Hole, a perfect spot for a swim, although a little cold!!

(Sprung Hole, at Moonshine Gorge... was so peaceful)

Next we walked into El Questro Gorge, a 6.8km return walk. This was more challenging than we expected with the gorge fairly narrow with large boulders and a lot of rock hopping. Part way along is a little water hole with big boulders Bren had to put me up!! Ferns lined the walls of the gorge and finally at the end we reached a deep plunge pool with a little waterfall called "Mac Micking Pool" It was amazing and well worth the effort! We then headed back to camp for a bite to eat & headed off on 4wd track to Branko's Lookout for sunset. Crossing creeks etc to get there!! It was awesome looking out over the gorge cutting through the escarpment...

(Branko's Lookout, El Questro.)

The next morning we rested our exhausted bodies in Zebadee Springs, a series of thermal pools fed by an underground spring. It was total heaven, with the water temp around 34 degrees... which made it rather cold when we jumped out! We pushed on to Amalia Gorge for a walk in to a slightly more open gorge to a large plunge pool at the end. However the waterfall had almost dried up, otherwise it would've been even more inviting to jump in!

(Bren & I, in Amalia Gorge...)

Next was Emma Gorge, a 1.6km walk into narrow escarpment cutting into the Cockburn Ranges. A little challenging in sections, though well worth it when you reach the end. A large pool of water, complete with waterfall... however the cliffs are so narrow the water would only receive 1 1/2hrs of sunlight making the water a VERY freezing 12 - 15 degrees!! I swam to the little waterfall.. though couldn't stay in for long!






Emma Gorge marks the end of the Gibb River Road, which we completed in 2 weeks. Driving just under 2000km of gravel , corrugated roads, creek crossings and exploring all the wonderful places along the way. It was everything and more than we expected. We definitely recommend it to anyone, with El Questro, McGowan's Beach and Manning Falls among our favourites!

We're now in Kununurra, staying a few nights to clean out the dust & explore....

- Manning Falls to Home Valley Station -

After a wonderful swim & look around at Manning Falls we headed off to our next stop, Drysdale River Station, situated 60km up the Kalumburu Rd. The station is famous for its outback hospitality with the "Kimberley North Bar and Restaurant" and we were looking forward to splashing out on a few drinks, catching up on laundry etc. We spent two nights there, exploring nearby Miners Pool during the day.

We set off early the next morning towards the Mitchell Plateau. The road was very rocky & we seemed to be climbing hills higher into the surrounding escarpment. We finally reached the turn off into Mitchell Falls and about 2.4km along is the King Edward River crossing! Which was an estimated 80cm-100cm deep and much wider & faster flowing than any crossing we had come across!! With our hearts racing a little we crossed without a problem! From the crossing it was a long 80km trek to the Mitchell Falls campground, over loose gravel, tight corners and steep inclines averaging 50km p/h!

(King Eward River Crossing...)

That afternoon we made a short walk down to Little Merten's Falls to cool off and check out some of the Aboriginal Rock Art found just beneath the falls. It was awesome! We woke early the next morning to get a head start on the 3.3km walk trail to the Mitchell Falls. On the way we saw more Rock Art and got an awesome view of Merten's Gorge cutting narrowly through the sandstone plateau. We finally arrived at the Falls and it was in every way IMPRESSIVE! The size and sound of the water cascading over the 3 separate levels was unbelievable!!

(Bren sitting in the rapids at the top of Little Merten's Falls)

(Some of the Rock Art we found on the walk to the Mitchell Falls)

(The mighty Mitchell Falls... It was an awesome sight!)

We camped the night back at the King Edward River, and pushed on the next morning to Kalumburu.To enter the town and surrounding areas we needed an access permit, $40 valid for a week. We decided to stay at McGowan's Beach about 30mins out of town. With campsites right on the beach, lawn, all amenities we had found our little oasis! We claimed a site closest to the beach nestled under a boab tree. PERFECT!

(Sunset from our campsite at McGowan's Beach, Kalumburu)

We spent 2 nights at McGowan's, fishing (with no luck) and exploring nearby Pago and Honeymoon Beach. On the way out we stopped to visit the Mission Museum, which is rich in history about the war, mission and local aboriginal culture. Well worth the visit. We pushed on with a full day of driving to arrive at Home Valley Station, which was made famous as the setting for the movie "AUSTRALIA". We spoiled ourselves with dinner at the "Dusty Bar & Grill".

- Just Lately -

(The Great Escape pulled up alongside King Cascade's...Isn't she beautiful?)

Well I've just returned from another trip and again it was fantastic. However this time i was on the larger and newer of the company's boats.. The Great Escape... Its only slightly longer than the other and a catamaran.. providing more room and comfort complete with en suite bathrooms for the guests and a spa on the front deck! The passengers were great making it an enjoyable experience.

(Me taking a break while away on the trip)

While i was away Noddy was busy fishing with a friend and both managed to land meter plus Spanish Mackerels. Pretty impressive huh?? So the freezer is on overload!!

(Noddy and Brock with their catch!)

My Cousin Katy has also arrived from the UK while i was away. And she'll be staying with us for a couple of months. Which is great! We introduced her to some of the locals at the Crocodile park on the weekend which was a load of fun.

(Katy up close and personal with this youngster saltwater croc!)

- Dream Job -

(Raft Point, picture taken on walk back from an aboriginal art site.)

I’ve just returned from the first 2 week trip of my new job and it was bloody Amazing!! I am now a deckhand for the Great Escape Charter Company. They run 2 boats that cruise to the Kimberley on 2 week adventure trips, running between Broome and Wyndam.

I was really lucky to have such a wonderful first group of guests on board… and a fantastic crew to work with. They taught me so much and already I was taking guests out in the dinghies on fishing trips etc during my first week. Sometimes we travel overnight and therefore I’m required to watch keep, usually for only 2 hours, depending on how far we have to go. Its fairly easy just monitoring the radar, making sure we stay on course and have no risk of collision. The days are quite long… beginning most by 5am and finishing around 10pm.

(At Twin Falls on the Berkley River)

I’ve always wanted to explore the Kimberley, mainly due to its remoteness, history and beautiful scenery. And I found it was all that and more! Fishing a plenty, waterfalls, fresh water swimming holes and numerous aboriginal rock art sites… Places we visit include the Berkley, Drysdale, Prince Regent Rivers, King Cascades, Ruby Falls, Montgomery Reef etc. All are rich in wildlife, history and paintings making each day very different to the next.

Towards the end of the year we then charter out to the Rowley Shoals on diving, fishing and snorkelling trips. I can’t wait!

(Enjoying a fresh water waterhole at the back of King Cascades)

- An Update...

I know its been a while since you've seen a new addition to my blog...

Things have been fairly busy settling into the unit, going for drinks at sunset on the beach, playing beach volleyball on wednesday nights and of course working.

Noddy is doing very well having been appointed fleet sales coordinator at Shinju Nissan!
I have scored a new job on a cruise boat called the Great Escape, which ventures up the coast through the kimberley on 2 week voyages! Unbelievable opportunity deck hand and tour guide in one. I head out this friday. 2 weeks on and 1 off. and later in the year we visit the rowley shoals! Cant wait!!

So all is well here. have my cousin coming out from England for a couple of months which is goping to be great.. will update with photo's shortly... just thought i'd fill you all in on my lunch break.

Hope you are well and hope to hear from you soon.