A Watery Day

Left our campsite and headed back into Litchfield without any more trouble with the van. Made lots of stops at waterfalls and plunge pools. The best one was Wangi Falls where we both had a lovely swim and then morning tea of coffee scones, jam and cream.

We also did a few walks and one was a rather small version of Emma Gorge with some scrambling over rocks, but only a little. It was still a bit of a challenge though. We then had some dry biscuits and cheese at another little park and I sat in the water although it wasn't very deep.

Leaving Litchfield we travelled 30 Kms on a Fairly rough dirt track and then back onto the highway. Our last stop was the beautiful Berry Springs which we had visited when we were last in Darwin where we had another beautiful swim in the warm water.

We were really both rather tired and over the van so we decided to stay in a cabin for the last night where we repacked our bags and cleaned the inside of the vehicle ready for return tomorrow. We had dinner in the cabin and watched some TV, a rather rare event lately and then slept in a real bed!

Into Litchfield

Packed up and started car in 2nd gear and headed off up the highway with all fingers and toes crossed. Passed through some very cute towns including Pine Creek which had a wonderful pub and caravan park. Also bought some rolls from a guy at the local market of about 6 stalls in total. Tried cars reverse gear and it worked after an hours drive and warm up.

Next town was Adelaide River which also looked pretty good and had a market at which Tony bought a new book. Then drove on to Batchelor and found out about Litchfield and caravan parks. We booked into the Banyan Tree park and had a quick lunch and then drove short distance into park where the first stop was at the termite mounds. Another short drive brought us to the Buley Rockhole which was a fabulous waterhole with several small rocky rapids. We both had a dip which was lovely. Also saw a small tree snake on the trunk of a tree.

Drove on to the Florence Falls and walked to viewing platform where we could appreciate the waterfalls and then climbed down 135 steps to the rock pool at the bottom of the falls where I again had a lovely swim. It was very beautiful swimming in the clear fresh water that was entering the pool over the falls.

Walked back to car park via different route and then back to camp where we had drinks and a nice chat to the people next door.

Not a good day

Oh dear!

Got up and got ready to head out to Mataranka but thought we would go to the market in town before we left. Pulled into the car park and the van did not quite fit so Tony tried to reverse it but the car would not go into reverse. I pushed it a bit and then we drove down the street and tried again. No success. It wouldn't go into first gear either.

Tony went to a garage to ask where we could find a mechanic but eventually I rang the NTAA and we were told it would be an hours wait. We read our books while we waited and when this guy turned up he tried a couple of times and announced that the gear box was stuffed and he could do nothing. So contacted the owner and he said he would talk to his mechanic. He then rang the NTAA and we waited in the caravan park all afternoon for another assessment.

Unfortunately the same guy turned up and abused Tony for calling him out again and drove off in a huff when Tony did not sign for the visit. More communication with owner and we decided to just try driving tomorrow.

A very stressful day!  No Mataranka!

Short drive today to Katherine Gorge where we looked through the interpretive centre and then booked a boat cruise to the first 2 gorges. I wanted to canoe it but Tony did not think he could manage in the canoe. While we were there Jan Bedson from Loxton came over and said hello.

Walked down to the cruise berth and sat on the lawns for a while and then headed off in the boat. We had the same tour guide as when we were here before I am sure but he was great with a really dry sense of humour. Saw a few crocs on the way but not many as it was cooler out of the water than in. When we got to the end of the first gorge we had to walk about 500 ms and then board another boat for the trip through the second gorge which was even more spectacular. We also saw some cave paintings on the way. When we got back we bought some nice wraps in the cafe to have for a late lunch.

After looking at the caravan park there (which looks really good) we headed back to town stopping on the way at the Katherine Museum which was located on the old airstrip. Didn't have much time but we saw a bit and some footage of the 1996 flood where the Katherine River rose 20 ms and the Main Street was totally covered. Back to the park and collected the washing.

Went and had drinks and nibbles with Trevor and Jan and a good chat about Loxton and old times. Bought a Barra burger from the takeaway shop attached to the service station and chatted to the policeman there on duty beside the liquor section. He said there are 5 liquor outlets in town and they all have a police presence all the time!!!

Katherine

Woke later today because with the new time it wasn't light until nearly seven. Poor old Tony didn't get a shower because there was no hot water but I did. Left Timber Creek and headed off towards Katherine with a stop at the Escarpment walk in Gregory National Park. We did not go all of the wY to the top but got a good view over the countryside.

Had to pass a lot of army vehicles on the road as they headed to Katherine too after their training at Timber Creek. Got to Katherine just after 12 and booked into River View park which backs onto the Katherine Hot Springs. Lucky we got there early because by the time we left after lunch to go shopping the signs were up saying they were full.

We walked up and down the Main Street and went to the Tourist Information centre and then bought a bit of food. As we walked back to the car we saw an accident at the main intersection where an army tank had crashed into a normal car - not a good thing for the car. The tank had USMC on it so some US marine obviously got the road rules wrong.

Back to park and then we went for a dip in the hot springs which was very nice. After that we sat and had a drink with the people next door and then cooked tea in the camp kitchen conveniently located about 10 m away.

Katherine isn't too exciting and again there are alcohol restrictions and security men and even police located in all the bottle shops!!

Into the N T

Left Kununurra just after 8.00 am after stocking up on some more food and diesel. Headed off towards the border where we were going to take a photo but there was too much graffiti.

As we neared Timber Creek we saw a cairn dedicated to a Mr Gregory who had explored a lot of the area around Victoria River. We also eventually found a large boab tree next to the river that he had inscribed with the date of 2nd July1856 which was still very easy to see. We then drove into Timber Creek and booked into the caravan park and had lunch after realizing that it wasn't 12:30 but 2:00 pm.

We decided to explore the area so went to the National Parks office and got some maps and we went 56 Kms on a dirt road out to Bullita Station which was working until the late 70's. There was an iron 4 bedroom house, lots of outbuildings and a massive stockyard. Inside the house they had lots of signage and photos of the last people to run the station. It was very interesting to read about their life and amazing to read a letter from the woman recounting her ordeal during the 1977 flood when she had to cling to a tree for 24 hours before the flood subsided.

We then returned to town and viewed the river from a lookout and then went to an other lookout over the town and saw their war memorial to the Nakeroos who were army men and aboriginal helpers who were involved in the surveillance of the north after the attacks on Darwin and Broome. It was a lovely spot for a memorial.

Not much else in this one horse town except lots of 4 wheel drive tracks. The caravan park sure filled up while we were out.

A day on the water

Thank goodness I bought a new jumper!

I know it has been cold down there but last night we had to put jumpers on as we sat outside!!! It was also cool enough to put it on this morning as we waited to be picked up for our day on the water.

First we had about a 40 min drive out to Lake a Argyle with our guide Josh who was very good. He had a degree in zoology and was very entertaining. Our first stop was the Durack homestead which had been taken apart stone by stone and then reassembled in a new location because the old spot is now in the middle of the lake. We only had 20 mins there which was a bit short but it was good to see the house and Josh also showed us a greater bower bird nest in the grounds. It was only a 5 min drive then to the Lake Argyle Resort and caravan park which is where we would stay if we ever came here again. They have a fantastic site overlooking the lake and an infinity pool which was very impressive.

We then were taken to a boat for a 3 hour cruise on Lake Argyle and Josh continued his commentary. We saw quite a few crocs, birds and some wallabies and got some impression of the enormity of the lake. It is the size of 20 Sydney Harbours!!  We stopped on a small island where we were invited to swim in the lake but it really was a bit cool and only 1 man jumped in. We had a beautiful salad lunch with wine and beer and a taste of a new fish, silver cobbler, which was yummy.

We returned to the resort Harbour and were then taken by bus to the other side of the dam wall to join the next boat for the trip down the Ord River back to Kununurra. This time we were in a boat which could go very fast and was very manoeuverable. The driver and guide again was fantastic and had 30 years experience of the river so his knowledge was awesome. In some spots it was a bit like being in a jet boat but we had to cover 55 Kms in 3 1/2 hours. He knew his birds and plants and all the facts and figures about the river and the Ord irrigation scheme. We had afternoon tea on the bank at one spot which was also very nice and then we watched the sun set over the river before heading back to the Kununurra berth.

It was a great day and thanks Tim and Sarah for contributing to the cost. (We did a more expensive full day trip).

Mirima National Park

Woke to some windy gusts and a cooler day. Only predicted to be 29 today instead of 33!

Really had nothing to do today so went for a short drive to the local lookout over Kununurra. Lots of broken glass and rubbish below lookout and in the distance we could see an aboriginal community with lots of disbanded cars around.

We then went to the local park behind the caravan park and had a couple of very pleasant short walks. The rocks are the same sedimentary rocks of Purnululu with the same colours gas but they are not beehive shaped. There was a very interesting walk with bush tucker signs explaining what the trees and shrubs were used for by the aborigines.

Back to park after some shopping for lunch and a bit of a rest and then we went back into town for a bit more of a look around. Finally found a shop where I could buy a new fleece to wear if it gets cold.

Back to park but no swim today as it feels a little cool.

Purnululu - the beehive domes

Picked up at 8.15 to be taken to airport where we were weighed and briefed for our flight to the Bungle Bungles. 14 seater plane with a very young male pilot who gave a good commentary on the flight although I missed a lot of what he said.

Very interesting to see the irrigation area from the air and also see the expanse of Lake Argyle. It was a very smooth flight and we flew over the edge of the Bungles and then landed  at the airport where we were picked up in a bus by the guide and taken to the southern end of the park. We were all given a lunch pack and then the guide led us into the Bungles on the walk to Cathedral Gorge.

The rock formations were amazing and we were told that the colored bands were a very simple bacteria for the black and oxide for the red. It was a much easier 1 km walk over fairly flat surfaces, unlike the scramble into Emma Gorge. We saw massive holes carved out by swirling water and rocks and lots of termite mounds growing on the rocks. At the end of the walk there was a big cathedral like space with a pool and we had a lovely lunch there before returning to the bus. We were then taken to the bush camp run by the tour company for afternoon tea and then back to airstrip.

On the flight home we flew over lots of the Bungles and then flew over the Argyle mine site which was huge. A great day and another thing to cross off our bucket list.

Wyndham

Decided to go for a drive to Wyndham today as it is only 100 Kms away. Retraced our steps a bit to the Gibb River Road and then new territory. When we got to Wyndham we drove down to the port and wandered up the new jetty built in 2012. Not a lot to recommend this town. We had heard about a great cafe in town called The Rusty Shed so when we found that we went inside and had half a sausage roll (absolutely huge) each and a milkshake. Also talked to the owners parents and found out a few facts about the town.

We then drove to The Bastion, the highest point overlooking the five rivers which converge and enter the sea at this point. It really was an impressive view from the top and gave you a good idea about the tidal movements as the flats were expansive. Drove back into town and saw the Aboriginal Dreamtime statues which were huge and at another spot we took photos with the gigantic crocodile. We also looked through a pioneer cemetery.

We missed the Afghan cemetery as their map was very poor. On the way home we stopped at The Grotto where there was a pool at the bottom of a cliff, filled by a waterfall (not running) and accessed by 140 steps. I changed into my bathers ready to swim but when we got to the top of the steps a group returned and said the pool was stagnant and they did not swim so we didn't bother going down.

Back to Kununurra and the van park for a swim in their nice pool.

Kununurra

What a sleep!  Tony did not wake up all night after his rocky scramble yesterday. Don't think he has slept that well for 20 years. Set out to look at Kununurra this morning. Went to tourist office and booked all day trip to Lake Argyle (thanks Tim and Sarah) and picked up some other brochures. Wandered through some of the shops but my favorite was Nina's, the Argyle diamond shop. The young girl in there told us that they only find half a champagne glass of pink diamonds a year. She also showed me the $65,000 ring with pink diamonds but I decided not to buy it!!!

Came back to park for lunch and then drove out to the sandalwood shop and Tony was most interested in learning about how they grow sandalwood in the Ord Irrigation area. The trees are actually parasitic and need to be planted between host trees. They had lots of lovely beauty products for sale made from sandalwood oil. We then drove up the road to The Hoochery, an old distillery which is now legal and had a quick look but didn't try anything.

Drove through some of the irrigation area and thought we were back in Loxton in the 70's with huge open channels and water wheels.  We then went to an art studio where they carved the beautiful zebra rock so we bought a small piece in the shape of a fish.

Back to the park and a swim in the pool which is very nice.

Dinner at the park again with lots more of their very tasty watermelon.

A Real test of the knee

Left El Questro station and negotiated the dirt road back to the Gibb River Road and then headed into Emma Gorge, the more upmarket part of the property.  We were a bit naive about the walk to the gorge but found out it was 3 Kms in over Rocky and uneven ground. We were told to take lots of water and wear good shoes and that the walk in would take about an hour.

So off we headed with quite a bit of trepidation as to how Tonys knee would hold up. Well it was certainly a challenge as there were sections where you were climbing over rocks and balancing on stepping stones through water. I think it took us a bit more than an hour as Tony went very slowly and carefully. When we got near the end there was a lovely pool where we cooled off. The main pool and little waterfall was about another 200 metres over some very steep rocks so I went on alone while Tony stayed at the first pool. It was certainly worth the effort though as it was really lush and beautiful.

On the way back a bloke asked us if we could escort his mother back too and so she walked with us from about the half way Mark. She was 77 years old and quite the mountain goat.

As it was after one o'clock we went to Emma's place at the resort for some lunch and had some Turkish bread and hummus.

We returned to the van and drove the 55 Kms to Kununurra where we booked into a lovely green caravan park. Did some food shopping and some washing and Tony was ready for bed at 6.30!!!  Cooked some sausages and veggies for dinner and boy they tasted good.

Don't know if we will be able to walk tomorrow.

A lazy Day

Up early again. It's hard to sleep in in a caravan park!  After breakfast we set off on a short walk to the top of Telegraph Hill where we had a good look over the valley where the El Questro station is located. Tony had a good look at some of the plants on the way.

We then drove to Zebedee Springs where we lazed about in the hot thermal pools after a very rocky and difficult entry. The pools were in the most amazing palm filled valley and the water was about 32 degrees. We should have taken our water shoes as that would have made life much easier.

On our return to the station we headed in the other direction and saw Chamberlain Gorge which was also very pretty. Back to our site for lunch and a bit of a snooze and then we headed to the swimming hole next to the caravan park and had another swim. The water here was much cooler and we remembered the water shoes.

Headed over to the bar for happy hour drinks and sat with another couple and had a good chat about traveling. We thought we would buy dinner there again but they were only selling hot chips because lots of people were watching the Rugby. So dinner consisted of a bowl of hot chips followed by a pie from the shop.

Tony has wandered back to the bar to see what is happening with the Rugby.

El Questro

Up early and on the road by 8:00. About 380 Kms to do. We passed some very varied countryside and also went over the Ord River. Tony and I got excited about that because that was a big deal when we were at school and everyone learnt about this irrigation scheme in the far north.

We stopped at Warnum, otherwise known as Turkey Creek and were surprised to find a lovely shop and a very green, tree covered small caravan park. The only other stop was at Doon Doon, another roadhouse on the way. We were surprised to see a big plantation of some sort of fruit trees before the turn off to Kununurra. The last 16 Kms into El Questro were dirt with a couple of water crossings.

Arrived and paid for our two nights - $82 per night for a powered site!!  Lovely site under tall trees and plenty of room. Had a quick lunch and the looked around and found the swimming hole behind the campsite so went for a dip - bit cool but very refreshing. Lazed on lawns for a while and relaxed. Went to bar for happy hour and stayed for dinner of stock mans stew. It was great to have some veggies. We were entertained by a country and western singer.

To a Halls Creek

Better nights sleep at Fitzroy Crossing as no rodeo. Pleasant breakfast in the sun although it was very cold overnight. Only travelled 288 Kms today but we struggled a bit with Tonys bum going to sleep and me just generally nodding off.

Arrived in Halls Creek about lunch time and found that there was a big festival for Naidoc week going on. We saw lots of aborigines gathered together and there were traditional dances by men in loin cloths and paint and an older guy playing his didgeridoo and two others playing music sticks. It was quite lucky to stumble across this.

Booked into caravan park (pretty dry and dusty) and then had lunch. Afterwards we drove to the China Wall, an area where there was a big outcrop of white quartz. Tony suggested that the aborigines had built the structure!!! We then went to Caroline's pool which was quite lovely and I even braved the water, although it was a bit cold.

We then went to the site of the old Halls Creek and saw the remnants of the post office and the old cemetery which was quite interesting.

Back to the park for wine and dip. Just as well we had the wine on board because this is another town where you can only buy light alcohol for takeaway.

Geike Gorge

Did a bit of shopping and bought some diesel at Fitzroy Crossing. Not much here and the shops all have huge grilles and padlocks for when they are shut. Doesn't make you feel too safe!!

Drove 18 Kms to Geike Gorge where we found out we had to wait 4 1/2 hours for the next boat tour so we went for a walk and eventually found the huge Fitzroy River and a massive sand bar. Read all the information boards and then had a leisurely lunch under the trees and I laid down on the grass and nodded off. There were some international backpackers on the grass too and the woman entertained us with her guitar playing which was very nice.

Eventually got on the boat and had a slow and beautiful trip down the gorge with commentary from the ranger. Saw quite a few crocs and some very stunning cliffs with beautiful colours. The cliffs are two colours indicating the level to which the river rises during the wet.

Drove back to Fitzroy a Crossing and did a tour of the town - nothing here at all to see - so went back to caravan park and booked in again.

Can not believe the width of the rivers around here and the extent to which they flood.

All in all a very relaxing day.

Part Gibb River Road

Up at 6:00 and very pleasant having breakfast under the trees. Left Derby at 7:45 and headed off along the first part of the Gibb River Road. Thankfully the first 2 hours was mostly bitumen with the width varying between 2 lanes and only one. We didn't ever have to straddle the dirt because every time we passed someone we were on the 2 lanes. Finally we turned off and headed on some dirt into Widjana Gorge where we paid the park fee and then headed off on the walking trail into the gorge.

This gorge is noted for being of the Devonian period which meant the cliffs were remnants of an ancient coral reef and we did see one crustacean shell in a rock but most of the lower ones have been eroded away by the rushing flood waters. It is also a great place to see fresh water crocs basking in the sun and we saw plenty. We walked about half way through the gorge and then returned to the van.

Another 35 Kms on the dirt to Tunnel Creek where we had some sandwiches under the trees and then grabbed our torch - totally inadequate - put on our water shoes and tackled the rocks, water and darkness to walk the 750 metres through the tunnel carved out by the river. This was a challenge as the surface was Rocky and often you were in pitch blackness but we finally got to the end where there was a lovely creek. The tunnel was good too but a bit of a challenge for Tony.

From there we headed towards Fitzroy Crossing on the Fairfield Leopold Downs Road which was a real dirt track with plenty of corrugations. We can't understand why some people like 4 wheel driving as it is just very uncomfortable. We saw one 2 wheel drive car broken down on the side of the road and then saw the breakdown truck heading out to rescue them. Tony chatted to them at our small park and discovered that they were Germans who were originally going to tackle the Tanami Track to get to Uluru!!  Their plans have now changed and they will have a huge towing bill.

Problem with the gas cooker so cold  wrap for dinner. Very noisy night as there was a rodeo in town and lots of country music blasting out. Left cases outside van during night and found mine open in the morning but they only took my fleece jacket. After all it was a bit cool overnight and they only took what they needed to keep warm. Will have to buy a new jacket before heading home to Adelaide.

Broome to Derby

Breakfast outside in pleasant morning air. Cliff from next door came over to tell us about Phil Walsh. Went back into Broome to buy diesel and a few other things then hit the road.

Drove 220 Kms to Derby with one break to change drivers. Saw lots of different vegetation on way and some Brahmin cows wandering through bush as well as termite mounds. Arrived in Derby about 1.30 pm and booked into park. Not as nice as Broome but only for one night. Drove down to wharf and saw the tidal flats and mangroves. The town is on a very long peninsular surrounded by tidal flats.

Went to Info Centre and bought a locally made carved boab seed made by an aboriginal man. Derby was having its Mardi Gras parade at 4:00 but we thought a beer was more important so headed back to van.

Horizontal Falls via seaplane

It was very cosy in the van last night and not terribly comfortable. Hope we work out a better system. Poor sleep was exacerbated by the need to get up at 4:45 for pick up at 5:20 am. I hate early starts!!!

We took off in the float plane just after 6:00 am and the flight was just over an hour to Talbot Bay. First part of flight was fairly uninteresting as the landscape was pretty flat and we also flew above the clouds but as we neared our destination and descended there were spectacular views of the sea, islands and reefs. We landed on the water in Talbot Bay and taxied to the houseboat complex where 4 float planes could dock, 2 jet boats were moored and 3 helicopters were perched on the roof. Had a cup of coffee and some cereal and then we went and fed the resident sharks and a couple of people went in the shark proof cage but it was pretty cool at about 8.30 in the morning.

We then had a breakfast of bacon and eggs and a roll before heading off in the jet boat to tour around the inlets and then it was off to the falls. The first falls are 20 metres wide and there was about a 1.5 meter difference in height as the water rushed through. Our driver then sped through the falls with a big bump and lots of skillful driving and then repeated the exercise which was quite thrilling. The second falls are through a gap of only 7 metres and obviously a bigger height difference but we could not navigate them but got really close to take photos.

About 11:00 we reboarded the plane and flew for another half hour over the most spectacular bays and islands to One Arm Point where we landed on the dirt runway and were met by our big truck/bus which also acted as the refueling wagon for the planes. Meanwhile we all waited in the "terminal" aka under a tin roof until we boarded the truck.

First stop was an indigenous fish hatchery where we were shown lots of different fish in tanks by a young aboriginal girl. Another short drive to Cape Leveque where we had a beautiful barramundi lunch and drove down to a white beach surrounded by very red sedimentary rocks. Passed through a couple of aboriginal settlements and then stopped at Beagle Bay to look at Catholic Church beautifully decorated with lots of shells. Bit of a bumpy ride home over 90 Kms of dirt road. A great day though.

Baked beans and toast for dinner then early to bed.

Broome and the Van!

Set off at 7.30 to walk to pick up van. Whole pick up took about an hour with instructions and paying. Tony drove us into town where we had coffee and a croissant each for breakfast because by this time we were starving.  Drove back to motel and picked up our gear and booked out.

Oh dear, the van is very cosy and there isn't much storage room either. Drove down to Town Beach area where we looked at some old graves. Bought some supplies  and then went to find the caravan park and booked in. Drove to Cable Beach and wandered along beach for a bit and had a drink in Zander's Bar. Quite a while till sunset so went back into town and wandered past all the pearl shops but didn't go in. Also read about the history of Broome in Jimmy Chi's lane and found site of original jetty for pearling luggers.

Loaded up the beer and Pringles and headed back to Cable Beach for sunset drinks. Pretty nice but Carrickalinga is nearly as good with a lot less people but no camels. Cooked some barramundi for dinner which was very nice. The local grey nomads are very helpful with one lending us a lamp to use on the table and another lady lending me her I pad cord because mine somehow broke.  Off to bed quite early, snuggled up together on very small bed.

Off to Broome

Caught the normal bus to airport via the suburbs - very cheap $1.70 each. Tony had the once over again with his beeping knee. Two and a quarter hour flight to Broome on Qantas. We had forgotten what it was like to fly domestically and get food, drinks and movies included!

Quite a wait at Broome for the luggage to be unloaded by manual means. Short drive to Mercure hotel which was pretty ordinary, probably because I had booked a basic room. We then walked into Broome and had a bit of a look around the Main Street. The original Sun Picture Theatre was fascinating - nearly a hundred years old but we did not go to the movies at night because we had already seen what was showing.

Had a drink and shared a muffin in town for a rest and then walked back to motel. Had dinner in an Irish Pub attached to the hotel and then back to room for night.

Rotto

Back to the train station and off to Freo on the very efficient train and then a short walk to the dock where we bought our tickets for the ferry ride to Rottnest Island. We could not believe how many people were going across but we eventually departed about 20 mins late. Only a short trip but it was a little bumpy so I was glad it didn't go on too long.

We both actually remembered the view of Rotto from the jetty despite the fact that  it had been over 40 years since we had been there, separately. Looked around the settlement a bit and saw our first quokkas and then caught the tourist bus which drives around the island. The bus was really crowded with lots of people standing but thankfully we had arrived early so had seats. We had intended to hop on and off a bit but the bus took an hour and a quarter to return and there did not seem to be too much to do at most of the stops so we just completed the whole circuit. Went to the bakery to get lunch but at 12.30 most of the food had gone but we did have a pie each.

Walked around some more of the settlement and read a lot about the history of the place and patted some lovely friendly quokkas.  Beautiful sunny day and we sat at a beach for a while and then walked back to Thompsons Bay and met up with a local guide who took us to the salt lake and talked about quokkas and showed us where they hang out. Took a very nice photo of the lake with great reflections. Back to main centre and ice cream before returning to the ferry for the trip back to Freo and then on the train to Perth.

Sunny Perth

3 hour flight  to Perth was beautifully smooth. Took taxi to hotel and were surprised by the beautiful expanses of parklands and trees everywhere. Lovely spacious apartment with simple cooking facilities. Bought some supplies in local supermarket and then had dinner in hotel's dining room where the one guy had to do the lot - serve drinks, take orders, run the public bar and serve meals.

It was a rather long day as we wound our clocks back 1 1/2 hours.

King's Park and Freo

Walked short distance up St George Street and Mount Street to get to King's Park. Should have realized that Mount probably was a give away!!  Still lovely lush geen parklands leading into the Botanic Gardens. Tony was very happy there surrounded by trees and plants. We walked quite a distance and ended walking back via the Lotterywest  overhead walkway which was rather spectacular. Lots of lovely views over the city and of the Swan River.  Wandered through a lovely arty shop in the park and saw lots of things we could have bought but didn't.  Caught a bus back to our hotel. (All buses in the CBD are free for everyone)

Set off on another walk to the Barrack Street ferry terminal to see about catching a boat to Fremantle but the wait was way too long so retraced our steps and went to Perth train station where we caught a train for $1.70.   Fremantle was a real surprise and delight. They have preserved all the old buildings and there is a real buzz and big cafe culture. Walked around several streets and saw the Round House and tunnel which was built by the whalers in 1800's. Ended up at the Fremantle Pier where there were lots of people, expensive boats and evidence of money. Pity Pt Adelaide can't do what Fremantle has. Caught train back to city and back to hotel. We both have very sore feet but Tony's knee has held up well.