Aaron & Lib's Australian Adventure

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Obelisk @ Port Denoson

04/06/2016 Day 8. Well we’ve been on the road for a week now and we are slowly finding our groove. Last night we had torrential rain for all of 10 mins and then steady drizzle after. It’s the first rain we’ve had since leaving Albany.

Sunset @ Oakabella Homestead

We woke late and after breakfast we went for a walk to explore the area. The limestone cliffs in this area are beautiful. The way the erosion makes the coast look is like looking at lots of white exposed tree roots branching in all different directions. It also creates lots of little caves and holes under the cliff.
After lunch I tried installing our new driving light (LED bar) but the wiring harness I bought is too short and doesn’t reach from the battery box to the front of Bess. I supposed it’s designed for the battery being mounted in the engine bay. When we get to Geraldton I’m going to need to find some wire and heat shrink to extended the wiring and install it further up the road.
05/06/2016 Day 9. Today we kept moving north. As we were running low on supplies and needed a couple of specialty stores we drove to Geraldton via Port Denison. It was a lovely place to stop and stretch our legs and snap off a few quick photos.
Geraldton is a big place, though the Info Centre had closed at 1 pm so with modern technology we were able to find our way around easily enough. The grain facility at the port was huge and the children’s playground on the foreshore was new and a very creative use of space. Maybe Albany Council will wake up and do something similar.

Sunset @ Oakabella Homestead

After stocking up on supplies we moved about 30 km’s further north up the highway and have pulled in for the night at Oakabella Homestead. It is circa 1850’s and still has many of the original buildings still standing including the old homestead. The lady that runs the place (Loretta) was very warm, inviting and helpful. It is a beautiful area and highly recommend it. Can’t wait to go for a walk around the property and explore the place tomorrow.
06/06/2016 Day 10. What a lazy morning. I absolutely love being unemployed and touring again. Apparently today is a public holiday but I wouldn’t really know and I don’t really care. To be honest, I am already starting to lose track of the days which is great.

Geraldton Port

We headed back into Geraldton today to buy the paint at Bunnings to complete Bess’ transformation. As we were driving into town it started raining and I went to throw on the wipers but instead the fuel gauge cut out and the battery light came on. We pulled into a car park and after some consideration and inspection I pulled a fuse from the box and voila! Everything worked again. Though it was another Aaron moment, as I realised that last week when we had the electrical issues I had seen a blank fuse spot and had just thrown one in thinking the spot must be for something. Turns out I was right. Putting a fuse there shorted the indicators and the fuel gauge!
We also went for a drive around the port and foreshore and had hot chips for lunch before racing the weather back to Oakabella. A storm has blown in though the rain is on the light side the wind is ferocious. I feel sorry for some of our neighbours out here tonight as they are in tents and this wind is intense. We are expecting a thunderstorm sometime overnight.

Geraldton Foreshore

09/06/2016 Day 13 (Th). So the storm at the homestead was a doozee! And it continued to blow the next day with gusts upwards of 45 km/hr so we decided to sit tight instead of driving our big wind sail down the highway. Instead we had tea and scones for morning tea and watched shows in the afternoon.
Yesterday we continued on up the highway stopping along the way to check out the historical buildings at Northampton and Lynton. We saw the pink lake at Port Gregory where we stopped for lunch overlooking the ocean. We ended up stopping for the evening at Kalbarri where we are catching up on our laundry in a CP. On the way here though we did stop a couple of times to check out the amazing sea cliffs in the area.

Geraldton Foreshore

After checking into the CP we went for a walk along the foreshore to have a look around and check out the fishing possibilities. As we walked out on one of the jetties I saw a fish swim under and lent over to get a better look. That was when my iPhone decided to jump from my shirt pocket and take itself for a swim.
After stripping down to my undies and rescuing the phone we went and found a supermarket to buy rice to try and dry it out but it took a swim in salt water so I reckon its chances of coming out of this one alive are about 15%.
The weather here today is set for sunny and 22C. But I seriously think we brought the cold mornings from Albany with us because they seem to be chasing us up the coast.

Geraldton Foreshore

10/06/2016 Day 14 (Fr). Yesterday was a win and a fail. Lib had a nice chilled day relaxing round the van in the CP while I took Charlie for a ride through town and checked out the jetties and the river. After I returned I then tried installing the new LED bar on the front of Bess but I couldn’t get it to work. I tried everything I could think of but it was all to no avail. I spent 5 hrs stuffing around with it (fail) before I chucked it in and went down to the closest jetty for a fish. The first time in weeks (win) and the first time since we started our next chapter. Even though I caught nothing but 2 inch long tailor.
Today we left the CP and headed to the auto electricians who solved our problem in half an hour. Turns out that the cable you’re supposed to connect to the back of the existing headlight circuit really does need to be connected.

Geraldton Foreshore

Then we went and spent 2 hours walking around Rainbow Jungle which is an Australian Parrot breeding centre. It was very informative and very colourful. They even had a few macaws from South America. They had finches, budgies, parrots, galahs and cockatoos. We had a great time. They had 9 separate areas or aviaries with one being a free flight aviary with plenty to see.
By the time we finished there, had lunch and stocked up on supplies it was 4 pm. But we were determined not to spend the night in a CP and headed back out to the highway to spend the night at a rest area called Galena Bridge which is very popular with the grey nomads. There must be about 50 vans here for the night camped along both sides of the river. We took the dogs for a walk down by the river and saw some swans but there was not much water in the river.

Geraldton Foreshore

Kitchen @ Oakabella Homestead

Oakabella Homestead

Playground @ Geraldton Foreshore

Barn @ Oakabella Homestead

Shearing Shed @ Oakabella Homestead

Catholic Church @ Northampton

Willy's Jeep

Cottage @ Northhampton

Oakabella Homestead

Kalbarri Coastline

Oakabella Homestead

Pink Lake @ Port Gregory

Oakabella Homestead Creek

Kalbarri Coastline

Damn You!

Oakabella Homestead Creek

Kalbarri Coastline

Oakabella Homestead

Kalbarri Coastline

Galena Bridge Campground

Travels to Date

Galena Bridge Campground

Rainbow Jungle @ Kalbarri

Galena Bridge Campground

Rainbow Jungle @ Kalbarri

Friday, June 3, 2016

Welcome to the next installment in the adventures of Aaron, Lib, Asha, Charlie and Bess.

28/05/2016 Day 1. Today as we drove out the gate we found we had no indicators. What a great start to our next adventure. We pulled into the tyre fitters to have our tyres checked only to be told we needed four new tyres across the back. While this was happening Lib went into Woollies to do some shopping and when the tyres had been changed, upon further inspection we had no lights at all except for hazards. There were no auto electrician’s open so we headed to Rose Gardens CP, Emu Point to see out the weekend. It was good to relax for a couple of days after all the frantic effort spent cleaning and packing to depart Albany.

Lib's Presents

30/05/2016. Day 3. So we headed to the auto electrician’s this morning and they managed to sort out all our issues, but we didn’t get to depart Albany til 12 pm. We drove as far as Wagin today and pulled up for the night. Today is also Lib’s birthday. It hasn’t been a great one and she even had to cook her own birthday dinner. But she did get a lot of love from all our friends and family.

31/05/16. Day 4. Stupid bloody body clock. I think it’s going to take us a little while to retrain ourselves to not waking so early in the morning. Today we were up at 5 am and it’s freezing at Wagin (5C).

We left Wagin nice and early and took our obligatory photo of Bess with the Big Ram. We followed the hwy up through Lake Grace and then on to Kulin to have a look at the Tin Horse Highway. It is really creative and I can certainly see why it attracts attention. The cockies in the area have really been inventive in their designs.

Hotel Accommodation @ Lake Grace

Tin Horse Highway @ Kulin

Big Ram @ Wagin

Tin Horse Highway @ Kulin

After Kulin we drove out to Hyden and Wave Rock where we are spending the night in the CP. At sunset we went to look at “The Rock” and the colours and the formation were amazing. We stayed to watch the sun go down and it was spectacular. We traversed the top of the rocky outcrop to see the dam and the man-made catchment which feeds it. It really is a special place and we are looking forward to exploring more of the area tomorrow.

Wave Rock @ Hyden

01/06/2016 Day 5. Today we woke up a little later at 7 am but we were still slow to start and didn’t get out the gate of the CP til 10am. We parked in the car park at Wave Rock and walked the loop trail out to see the Hippo’s Yawn.

After jumping back in Bess we drove out a short way to Mulka’s Cave where we were amazed to see our first ever sight of Aboriginal rock art. What a great experience. We look forward to seeing much more on this trip.

We said goodbye to Hyden and traveled today through Merriden where we saw the longest grain storage shed in the southern hemisphere and on up to Nungarin where we are spending the night in the shire CP. It is a very new facility at the local sports oval and is cheap as chips at $16.50 a night.

Tomorrow we now head for the coast.

Hippo's Yawn @ Hyden

Mulka's Cave @ Hyden

03/06/2016 Day 7. Yesterday we departed Nungarin and made our way westwards. We traveled through Northam and spent the night at the Bindoon Oval where we paid $20 to plug into power at the town post office. It was a quiet night with only one other van there. When it got dark there were no street lights on in the town and the array of stars in the sky was amazing. It was a great spot next to the oval and Charlie was able to get out and chase his ball.

It was a long way out to Hyden to see Wave Rock and when we totaled our kilometers we found we had traveled 1200 km’s to be 90 km’s north of Perth.

Today we kept making for the coast. When we arrived at Lancelin we discovered that the return spring on the accelerator cable had snapped. Luckily it was right at the connection and not half way up. I was able to make a new join by bending one of the coils and then re-attaching it and it was right as rain. But in true Aaron fashion in fixing that problem I caused another by tearing out the speaker cable from the plug for the external speaker of our CB. It should be a cheap fix though as it was only an extension cable and we should be able to source one in Geraldton.

Nungarin CP

Bindoon Oval

Tonight we are camped at our first free camp at a little spot called Billy Goat Bay which is about 30 km’s north of Jurien Bay. It’s a 48 hr stop over so we are going to take advantage of it and relax after 5 days driving. Also we saw our first sunset go down over the Indian Ocean. There will be many more to come.

Jetty @ Lancelin

1000's of Blackboys on the highway

Billy Goat Bay

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Our Two "Puppies"

Early Misty Morning @ Middleton Beach

04/11/2012 Sunday This update is for those of you who live vaingloriously through our lives. We have been in Albany since April. My job with Cleanaway is going extremely well. The fact that I injured myself and went on workers comp has been a blessing in disguise. Firstly, because it gave me an opportunity to learn all the runs as an observer so that when I was allowed to drive again as I am now, I had a head start. And secondly, when I first started with the company I was told I would get 20 hours a week but being on workers comp means that for the duration of my healing process I am on full time hours. I am not supposed to see the specialist again until December when he is expected to sign me off. I have full use of my thumb and all the strength has returned however, it looks slightly munted and I am still awaiting the sensation (feeling) to return fully.

Lib’s job is also going well however, with all the walking up hills her knees are getting increasingly worse. She has been to the doctor and had a number of tests done, but has now been referred to a specialist. We are awaiting their call to arrange an appointment. Lib is very reluctant to take chemicals to relieve her pain so we are researching and trialling a Tens Machine.

My New Toy

We have had one weekend away since we’ve been here. It was mainly to give Bess a run to keep her fluids moving. We went to Cosy Corner, approximately 20 km’s west. It was still pretty chilly as it was in August but we still had a good time. Didn’t catch any fish though.

Xavier Rudd at Albany Entertainment Centre

Native Orchid at Albany Wildflower Show

That doesn’t mean to say we have been idle. We have been fishing almost every weekend, weather permitting, and catching plenty of Black Bream. Up until today the biggest was 29cm. They are very good eating and Lib is becoming a deft hand at filleting. We have also been checking out the local beaches and rivers. Looking for fishing spots primarily but also to get out and about and take the dogs for a run. Last weekend we drove to Katanning which is north of here by approximately two hours. We went there to see their Ag show. We had a good time seeing the various exhibits and displays. But as it was a very hot day we didn’t stay into the night and missed the fireworks. When we left the show we had a plan to find Maria, whom we had met in Kalgoolie. She is working at one of the hotels there. She was working so she couldn’t socialise much so we stayed for one beer, made our farewells and headed home.

This weekend has proven to be outstanding amongst the rest for fishing. We met a man in the caravan park some time ago who came down from Brisbane for a family reunion and has since stayed on at his grandfather’s house. He came by a few weeks ago with two of the biggest river fish I had ever seen. They were both Mulloway, or Jew fish as they are known on the eastern side of the country. The little one was 60 something centimetres while the bigger one was 84 cm. I was very intrigued and when he asked me if I wanted to go with him the next time he went out I couldn’t help but say yes. Which was why I was very pleased to see him when he came by on Friday afternoon. He had returned a few days previously from a camping trip with his grandfather but I hadn’t had the opportunity to catch up with him. He came by and asked if I was still keen to go for the big fish. I was and still am. I didn’t even baulk when he told me he was going to pick me up at 4.30am.

Catch of the Day

Off we drove into the predawn darkness, out of town, to a secret location which I shall never disclose but will visit frequently in the future. I was using 30lb line and when I hooked one I had the biggest fight of my life. It took 10 minutes to reel the brute in. Cameron jumped in the water to pull him in and grabbed the line when he thought the fish was done in but alas, he still had one run left in him and as Cameron was holding the line taught, it snapped in his hand and away the mighty fish swam. I had plenty of bites the rest of the morning but I didn’t hook any more. I spent most of my time untangling birds nest which was what my line resembled when it became tangled. Damn mono. Cameron was using braid and hooked the biggest fish I have ever seen come out of a river. It was the only fish we landed yesterday and it truly was a monster. It was 96 cm long and weighed a whopping 17 lb or almost 8 kg’s.

Mmmmmm - Dinner

My Bushy Look

I was hooked, pardon the pun. In the afternoon I went down to the jetty to catch more bait fish. Mulloway like skippy and yellow tails. I had limited success and was then washed out and came home soaked to the skin for a hot shower. When the rain cleared Jason, another inhabitant of the caravan park, Cameron and I went back to the jetty at about 5 pm to catch more bait fish and we had plenty of luck and caught a total of 15 or so. It was decided then and there that Cameron and I were definitely going out at 4.30am this morning to have another go.

Monster Mulloway

15 Minutes Of Fame in the local rag

Off we went with warmth in our hearts and a gleam in our eyes to catch the mother of all Mulloway. But alas, that tale is for another day. Instead we came home with two Mulloway measuring 65 cm and 66cm respectively and three Bream. Cameron caught the Mulloway and I caught the Bream. In consolation the first Bream I caught was 37cm which for me is the biggest I have ever caught and the biggest I have seen come out of the Kalgan River to date. The other two were 30cm and 25cm. I also learnt a two hundred dollar lesson today – Leave the bail arm open when fishing for Mulloway if the rod is not in your hands. At one point instead of playing with the bait it grabbed it and ran. I made a rookie mistake and left the bail arm closed and as the fish took off with the bait it also took off with my rod. In the heat of the moment I chased it into the river only to watch as it disappeared below the water, gone I thought. Moments later the rod surfaced, floating on the top. But the fish was gone. The rod must have gotten snagged on the bottom and the fish had snapped the line. So it was all good because I had gotten my rod back which yesterday afternoon I had respooled with $60 worth of braided line. It wasn’t til I got back to the bank to climb out that I realised that I still had my wallet and $200 phone in my pockets. Doh! I have tried to dry it out but it is stuffed.

Kalgan River

I suppose the lesson for today is that you live and learn. I won’t make the same mistake again in a hurry.

Mutton Bird Beach

We have also made new friends with an American couple who are of similar age to us. They have been in the country for approximately 6 months and have a four year old son. Their names are Casey, Nikol and Loagan. They moved here because of the dire financial status of the US and are planning on living here and becoming residents. They are nice people and we get along well.

We have also been out a few times. We went to the Albany Entertainment Centre to see Xavier Rudd and we went to a local pub to see Seth Sentry.

Bye for now.