“Surrounded by horizon”

As we travelled from the Northern Territory across the Barkly Tablelands, the comment was made that “we are surrounded by horizon”.  Some may find it boring … but we liked it … I sketched, we stopped at roadhouses for a break, and just kept on heading toward the other side of the country.  Then, almost beyond belief, one week later we are staying in the most amazing accommodation, I can hear the ocean while I type this up.  Fans are keeping the air stirred nicely … thank you … and another walk on the beach is the only thing planned for the day.

The Escape on the Barkly Highway

Getting in tune with nature

This week’s post, is actually a week late.  Blame it on holidays or the fact we were off the 3G grid for much of the time.  Moved onto Derby, intending to connect with a tour going out or over the Horizontal Falls.  What fools we are … wait for a week and it might have been possible.  So here we were in a beautiful location, in less than the best accommodation, so off we went down the famous Gibb River Road to Windjana Gorge.  It was stunning, fabulous, and any other superlative you would like to throw in.  We topped it off with a two-day camp in the amongst the Bungle Bungles.  Just a unique place and we felt so lucky to be able to be there.  Only accessible across a private pastoral lease to 4WDs  … no caravans. So it was “total bliss”.  Except for a very overworked natural toilet it quickly became a highlight of the trip.

Past the half-way point …

Well we have been pulled-up in Broome since Friday night.  Our room and balcony looks-out over Roebuck Bay.  Drinking Cointreau, overlooking the pool and the bay is my idea of a holiday.

Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef, or in my book … Tim Winton country, was so crowded it was a shame.  Exmouth was another bustling town, but at least we could drive out to the National Park, with a couple of thousand other people and nearly have a beach to ourselves.

Staying at Karratha, really only a stop on the way to Broome, proved if you stay long enough somewhere, you will find something unexpected, and often really amazing.  Here it was the abandoned town of Cossack.  It flourished for a while until the pearl trade moved to Broome.

What buildings remain have become part of a 6 km heritage trail.  Check-out the couple of photographs I have put in Flickr.

Cable Beach is long, white and crowded.  Beautiful, but if you want some shade you hire a umbrella.  I have been spoiled, I was looking for some “Mission Beach” type palm trees that come free of charge.

Week four – Moonscape to seascape

Feel so lucky to see some of the sights we have been to this week:

• The Pinnacles.  Just amazing to drive and walk around.  All I can say is to take the opportunity to see them if you ever have the chance.
• The dolphins at Monkey Mia.  There they were so close to the shore, rolling on their sides to eye the people looking at them.
• Finally, got to feel the sun at Geraldton.  Only an overnight stop on our way north, but did we ever appreciate the sun on our shoulders as we walked along the foreshore.
• Today we drove to the coast, just a little northwest of Carnavon.  The coast was spectacular … there wasn’t just one blow-hole on the road to Point Quobba, and we sat and enjoyed morning-tea while watching the Indian Ocean swell create havoc on the shore.

So this afternoon I am sitting in a motel room in Carnarvon, eating fresh oysters and drinking a very nice red, while writing this post, and I am beastly careless if I make any sense.

Week three … and who is counting???

Well, we have just spent 3 days in Perth in a very up-market apartment in East Perth.  The week has flown from Esperance to Denmark, onto Margaret River and finally Perth.  Today we went to Fremantle to visit the both the Maritime Museums located there.  I could remember the Shipwrecks Museum from a visit twenty-years ago because of the impact of seeing the remains of the Batavia.  Twenty years later and the impact was the same.

We had lunch on the Fremantle wharf with what seemed to be like thousands of other people who thought it was a good idea.  The fish and chips were lovely, and so was the sun.

Fremantle Harbour

Doors and doorways

I seem to be taking pictures of doors … whatever!!!  So what to do with them?  Put them together I guess and see what they “open-up” to in the end.  There are a few more in Flickr if you care to look.

Across the Nullarbor

Well from Coffin Bay to Esperance meant a three-day journey on the Eyre Highway across South Australia and into Western Australia.  It was an adventure, inspiring scenery, if you’re into flat horizons that is … I am, there is nothing like this in Tassie.  I loved this old truck at a roadhouse on the Eyre Highway.  It was in one of the only spots where there was a slight incline.  I can imagine this was the fate of many of the travellers  that first tackled the drive from coast to coast.