Kwolyin, York

Had a very pleasant lunch with friends at Bruce Rock on Melbourne Cup day - spent $25 and won $44 so that was nice. Not used to drinking at lunch time so of to the van for a nana nap. I had gone back to the sports oval across from the caravan park and parked under the trees so cooler thank goodness.

Off to Kokerbin Rock on Wednesday. No camping there now - it is just a day rest area but there is now a new camp at the deserted township of Kwolyin so I found a spot and stayed for 2 nights. Have decided I could easily become a hermit. No-one there and so peaceful. Played the ukulele and the recorder for a while!!! (it WAS peaceful up until then :)) Excellent new facilities provided by the Bruce Rock Shire - flush toilets, town  water, gas BBQ and a kitchen. Went for a few walks around the town - really nothing left but a few concrete pads and a church. Saw a snake trail but no sign of it thank goodness.

Next stop was York beside the Lowe St park. Council has put in 4 power points and a couple of taps near the toilets. Was only here for an hour when a councillor popped in to say welcome - fancy that. Went up the alley beside the court house and in to the main street. Lots of places to eat, a wonderful Olde Lolly Shoppe, old books and second hand stuff and real estate agents it seems. An IGA and a couple of pubs. Lovely old place.

Denmark, Albany, Stirling Range, Lake Grace, Bruce Rock

Drove through Denmark - pretty spot but will stay another time. Then to Albany - blowing a gale so headed back inland to the Stirling Ranges. Spectacular lumps sprouting out of the wheat fields.

A very small camp at Moingup Springs but a nice ranger who let me park in the day area. Lots of flies. Was damp and cloudy the 2 days I was there. I did drive to Knoll café only to find it was closed and the lookout was covered in rain clouds so back to see Mt Trio. Very pretty alpine shrubs in flower everywhere.

Decided to head to Lake Grace but had trouble starting the ute - lots of smoke and strange knocking noise. Ranger no  help - suggested I rang RAC - they were out in an hour or so. But of course by then the ute was fine. Seems the glow plugs may be a bit slow in the damp and so too much fuel in system at start -up. A relief nothing wrong so on the road again.

Gentle rolling country everywhere and grain being harvested. Stayed at Lake Grace Caravan Park - $20 single. Nice little town. Art gallery, very good coffee shop, clean fresh IGA, a great clothing/bag/shoe shop, and butcher.
The lakes cover around 50km and do have water in them this time of year. Lots of little wild flowers.

Then on to Gorge Pool Rock camp along the Tin Horse Highway via Kulin. What fun that was. Glad it is a long straight bit of road with virtually no traffic - and there are plenty of places to stop and take photos. Very clever horses!
 A pleasant chatty couple at the Gorge pool rock  camp from Perth so nice to have company. We went up to watch the sunset on the rock.

Was going to stay another day but a fellow traveller told me there was a Bush reunion at Bruce Rock for the Vietnam Veterans so I decided to go there.
Well - the sports oval was half covered in vans, buses, tents.....too many for me so I went up the back to park. Some breeze up there also I thought.
 Excellent new facilities for the town. Bowls, tennis and the oval, a bar, big kitchen and a hall, showers and toilets.
The reunion is in its 13th year. Started by some local vets who wanted to raise money for the peace window they had made for the church.

On Saturday I decided to volunteer to help in the kitchen to make the free  dinner for maybe 800 people before the free concert.
 Sunday we did lunch for all the volunteers as well. All the volunteers were presented with a medal from the Shire for our help. Sunday evening entertainment was provided at the Bards Pit by local singers, poets and comedians. I am told there were around 240 vans on the oval so a great muster. The weather was kind this year - even a cool breeze over the weekend.
 Monday was the start of another heatwave so I skittled off to the caravan park for power, aircon and to do washing. Tomorrow I have been invited to go back to the oval for the Melbourne Cup lunch.

Boyup Brook, Pemberton, Shannon, Walpole

What a beautiful part of the country this is especially after all the rain they have had. Stunning rolling hills and so much bush, fat cattle and sheep - reminds me of home!
Spent a couple of hours in Pinjarra getting the computer finalized - silly little things that I needed sorting. Then a muddly sort of a day trying to decide where to go next. Thought about the coast - Herron Point etc but decided too much swamp around there and seeing signs warning of mosquito born Ross River virus...... So down to the Conservation area (Leschenault?) but after 5km of dirt road and no obvious camping area gave up as soon as I could turn around and headed back to the highway. Took a lovely drive over the hill to Collie and to the Stockton Lake camp. Another delightful spot but after rain on Friday night decided to move to a CP at Boyup Brook. Spent a couple of days there enjoying having power for a heater, ensuite shower etc. Drove out into the country - really good dirt roads. Quaint little town with very undulating streets.

On down to Manjinup and then to Pemberton for a couple of nights.Saw a stunning field of bright red on the way in so went back to take a photo. Had to be some exotic flower I thought. Mmmmm - afraid not - talking to a local - just red shade cloth over apple trees - so why red I have to wonder!

 So many of the camps around this area say 'small vehicles only' so back to a CP. Bit tricky here - the place needs reorganizing. Gave up trying to get in to my allotted site and told the office which one I could get in to!!!! Tight little road also. Three old orange tractors with caravans here - WA tractor club raising money for the Flying Doctor.
Did the Karri Explorer drive - lovely way to spend a few hours. Quite a lot of oneway roads through the forest which is great. Stunning big trees - Karri and Marri. Lots of dirt road and some of it one way. Glad I didn't decide to go to the Arboretum camp - definitely for small vehicles and a big wet puddle to get in there.
Went in to the Beedelup Waterfall then to the Bicentennial tree. Amazing - but NO WAY I am climbing up that - 60m of pegs!!!! Highest climbable tree in the world I am told.

Would be great if I knew how to make portrait photos stay portrait in this blog!!!!

 Many avocados and vineyards around here. Big timber mill - passed an old logging truck with a load very big logs - creeping down the hill in to town.
Camped at Shannon  after a rather nervous drive from Northcliffe via Middleton Road. VERY narrow although it is sealed but nowhere to even move over off the edge. Then meeting a tanker and a tour bus in a hurry..... Still - made it OK.
Shannon is a great camp with old and new amenity blocks complete with hot water showers! Set among tall trees and very quiet. Park fees apply.




OK - so if the original is portrait is works - but not if I turn it. But that doesnt always work either - need to check the camera setting again!

Headed off to Walpole - once again a surprisingly narrow road for a 'highway'. Not too much traffic fortunately. Decided to stay at a CP and 'do' the tourist thing today. Walked to the tingle tree, Circular pool,  had a wonderful lunch at the Herb garden, walked the art in the forest thing. Loved the massive mirror, but the rest - mmmmm? Then along Bridge road to the Treetop walk. Decided not to do that today as it was getting late so headed off to Conspicuous Cliffs instead - or tried to. Road closed for burn-off. Pity there wasn't a sign at the turn off - ah well - another 5km of dirt roads.
So now I have lots of photos of absolutely magnificent trees with interesting varieties of bark, many with perfectly straight trunks - will have to get creative one day and put them all together. I just wish the camera gave a true feeling of just how grand these trees really are.

Pinjarra, Dwellingup

Decided to leave Yanchep last week and start south. Got as far as Dwellingup - the camp at Marrinup POW in amongst beautiful tall East Grey Gums (I think) that Alcoa has planted on their old mine site. Interesting getting in there on Grey Road. Had been wet and many pot-holes full of water. Then in to 4x4 to get up the water scoured track to the camp site. A few there including a very noisy mother who insisted on yelling at the kids and telling them not to get dirty!!!!! Hey - we are camping and it is raining and they were having a great time making a fire outside their tent etc.

Turned the computer on the next morning - and couldn't log in!!!! Ouch! Decided to go to Dwelling up and after chatting to the lovely ladies in the Info centre headed back to Pinjarra to the computer shop. A virus they said - and a bad one! Went back the next day to be told the hard drive had died which was a relief in a way, so spent 2 full days waiting for it to be repaired. Fortunately no-one seemed worried about me camping near the dump point for 3 nights. Was far too late on Friday to leave - rain - traffic!
Several campers there last night - local club on a mystery tour.
So - am back at Yanchep for 3 nights mainly as I have so much to re-set on the computer, and to download again. Seem to have lost a few activation codes which is most annoying. Also back to the osteo on Monday - hopefully the last tweak on my 'driving arm' problem.
Then on the road again......

Mt Magnet to Kalgoorlie to Perth

Camped between Yalgoo and Mt Magnet - found an area behind a rest spot around a large rock. Not many wild flowers - mostly lilac bushes along the edge of the road.

Another camp  after Mt Magnet then on to Sandstone on Saturday in time for a  sausage sizzle. What was the grocery store is now an art gallery. We headed off to the London Bridge but I gave up at the 'Brewery' - too many corrugations for me. The sign said the bridge was 34km but it is in fact only a couple of km past the brewery - darn.

Stopped in Leinster Caravan Park for 2 nights. Only $15. Also had dinner at the mess - another $15 for all you can eat. The miners are well fed.










Next stop was Malcolm Dam 11 km from Leonora then 3km dirt. Amazing colour with the tiny yellow pompom flower. Not much water but lots of birds. Spent 2 nights there - so peaceful A few others camped but plenty of room. Nasty cold wind one day - ended up in the van reading most of the day. Went for a walk in the tiny yellow pompom flowers.




On to Menzies and after a great coffee and cakes, and checking at the info centre headed off to Lake Ballard. Good camp there - new toilets, water and a dump point. Another 2 days enjoying the quiet. Did walk around some of the 52 statues but.....
Decided not to stop in Kalgoorlie - the races are on and town is really busy. Got fuel and on to a camp between Coolgardie and Southern Cross. Another very windy day so not much fun driving.
 Coolgardie was gearing up fo a big celebration day on Sunday.
Great French bakery in Merriden - and cheap coffee and cakes also. I so enjoy a little luxury after 'caravan' food for weeks.
Stopped at the Memorial park in Meckering and read about the earthquake there.  Such power the earth can release! Very windy and heavy rain overnight.

Decided to make a run for Yanchep on Sunday - so over driving in this wind! Shocking heavy rain on the run down to Midland - had to stop for 5 minutes and wait for it to clear as I couldn't see the road.
Was going to sleep in the van that night but once again some awful violent wind so crept over to the house and in to the spare bed instead.

Looking forward to a week catching up with all the relatives who are over for a nephew's wedding. PLEASE stop raining and blowing this weekend!!!!!

Wildflowers, Geraldton

Decided to hit the road again and look for wildflowers after getting the van serviced and a few jobs on the ute. Also repacked it once I got rid of the second spare wheel out of the back. So much more room now.
 Not so good this year for flowers - too dry I gather - all the rain must have fallen in Yanchep in the past month by the feel of it. Not used to cold and wet but was tucked up in a house!
Called in to see a friend who is renovating the pub at Miling - amazing job. Just hope he can get permission to open it soon.
Met up with friends at Perenjori and went through Coalseam Park. Heading to Mullewa when my idler bearing collapsed so the trip has been halted for a couple of days. Tow truck trip to Geraldton and a couple of nights in a CP while the ute fixed. Extremely windy here - not much fun at all. Heading of to catch up with the friends then off towards Mt Magnet tomorrow. Will spend the next 2 weeks via Leinster, Kalgoorlie and back to Perth.

Perth

Back in Perth for a couple of months - staying with my brother so proably wont post for a while.
Am experiencing COLD and RAIN - most unusally - for me anyway. Have had 15 months on the road with mostly lovely sunny days. Still - spring is in the air.