Week 511 - Quindanning, Western Australia

Our blog comes to you from the last week of 2018.

We have now completed a little more than 10 years on the road, but it seems like yesterday that we left Bushy's place at Chandler to start our travels.  Everyday is an adventure with a bonus of our lovely Shitzu, Rusti.

The Swan River viewed from Melville

We have now completed our visit to Perth and caught up with some wonderful people including Red Light, our old friends Ivan and Del from Kelmscott, fellow travellers Rob and Maxine, Will and Leigh, Steve and Louise, Phil and Connie to name a few.

A couple of vintage hot rods - 
We were lucky enough to do a tour 
around the south of Perth in these
 vintage vehicles.

See no evil, hear no evil, do no evil, think no evil - 
A sad day in our world of travelling.  
We will not see these folks on the road again.  
We have enjoyed their company immensely 
and await an invitation to the "house warming" 
at their penthouse on the 14th floor overlooking 
Fremantle and Perth.

Horror, Wanger and Red Light

Spaghetti Highways - the highways and biways
 of Perth are a pot of spaghetti.  
Miss one turn off and you are stuffed!!

Perth city pictured from Kings Park

Since our last visit to Perth, the roads, the roundabouts and freeways have changed quite a bit. Perth is growing up!! Some of our haunts of 2011-12, were were unrecognisable. Things have changed and we were not so comfortable in our surroundings.

Vintage 1928 - and it ran like clockwork.

St Bonaface Church, Quindanning - 

this church was built one year after I was born.

Our initial departure took us back to Boddington. The place was packed and we were 
uncomfortable, so after a couple of hours we decided to push on to one of our favourite 
pubs, Quindanning Hotel.

A couple of pints of Little Creatures Rogers and I managed to clear my head and plan 

our migration from Western Australia to the East.

We wish you a Happy New Year from our motorhome (On On Home). Jo, Horror and Rusti.

Week 510 - Wandi, Western Australia

We apologise for the lack of  any blogs for the last couple of weeks.

Our last few days on the road, as such, were at Jarrahdale.  A convenient concrete slab in the middle of the forest with dump point and free running water.  This was just 25 km from Armadale on the outskirts of Perth.  Although so close to our final destination, we enjoyed three days exploring and were made welcome by the small population of locals.

Last Drop Brewery, Elizabethan Village - 
The Last Drop Bewery now owners of 
the Elizabethan.  We were disappointed when 
we revisited the Elizabethan Hotel.  
Alas, Horror only had one beer.

Pressing on to our Christmas destination at Wandi, Steve, Louise and BJ have a comfortable 5 acres of land on the edge of the city, yet still in the country side with enough room to park  20 or so motorhomes easily.

Koala  Country

Airstream - Steve and Louise's motorhome

On the Sunday we had a Highway Wanderers, WA chapter get together of 16 people.  Quite remarkable when you consider that Western Australia is on the other side of the world. 

Highway Wanderers, WA Style L-R - Peter, Judi, 
(dog - Rufus) Horror, David, Rob,
 Lynne, Maxine, Ronita, Rob, 
Leigh (dog - Jigger), Jo, (dog - Rusti), 
Willem, Connie, Phil, Louise and Steve

It was a good catch up and I believe a good time was had by all.

Wandi is a convenient location, just across the road is acres of parkland for Rusti the dog to chase balls and socialise with her mates and we have had many an early morning stroll in the parklands.

The proximity of our campsite has several shopping centres just a stone's throw away and with Rockingham just a few km's away.  So Jo was in her element with shopping and getting ready for Christmas.

Hold tight, fares please!!

Our plans are to depart Wandi on 28 December, head south to Esperance and then cross the Nullabor.  Our adventures continue.  

We enjoy sending you our blogs and look forward to your comments.  It's the best way that we can keep in touch with you all.

Xmas festivities

We wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very happy new year.  We hope that all your wishes come true.

Comments

Lynne and David Hateley-James
2018-12-24

have a great day tomorrow we will wave on the way thru

Graham
2018-12-24

Merry Christmas. Have a nice day.Always good to read about your travels

Lesley & Bill... Best Wishes for
2018-12-25

Derek must be a bit sick... the top is still on the stubbie!

Jennine & Graham
2018-12-25

Merry Christmas Kids. Play HARD. The big red bus is about all Horror should derive lol. Have a great Christmas and New Year. Safe travels back East, and look forward to catching up in Casino. Cheers Kids

Lizzie Mellick
2018-12-25

Merry Christmas to you both and I hope 2019 is a wonderful year.

Week 508 to 509 - Pinjarra, Western Australia

Last week we departed Boddington and crept just a few miles up the road to Pinjarra on the Murray River, WA.

Boddington - another town hidden in the 
forests, south east of Perth.
The heritage of these bridges is a 
legacy to the timber cutters.

Black Beauty - The horse is kept in 
a paddock next to the pub,
obviously been drinking far too much beer.

dot
2018-12-08

Derek, Black Beauty was a girl not a boy :) (bet you are jealous) :)

Mandurah -  is a concrete jungle of coffee shops,
 bridges, canals and roundabouts. It seems to have lost its
identity as a seaside town.

Cormorant - The wildlife take advantage 
of a concrete pylon for safety.

Murray River, Pinjarra - the weir, the bridge

 and the water make a tranquil setting

Anglican Church, Pinjarra - A picturesque

 church on the Murray River (WA)

We put the facilities of this camp to good use. We thoroughly cleaned the bus getting rid of all the dust from the dirt roads that we were forced to travel on last week and did a few repair jobs. We made several excursions into Mandurah and on one occasion caught up with Leigh, Will and Jigger and wined and dined at the Dome franchise situated on the man made canals of Mandurah.

Iron Horses - A steam engine and an early diesel share the
graveyard at Pinjarra Railway siding.

Trans WA - A modern diesel plies the track between
Perth and Bunbury.

Jo knitting - Jo has always got a project on the go. 

Here she is cutting out material for her handbags.

Pinjarra is a convenient campground close to shops with an easy scenic walk to the township. However, it is only a 24 hour stopover. Not enough time to swing a bat. Alas, we headed onto a Member stopover near Mandurah.

Another quiet stop surrounded by suburbia bushlands. Our hosts Doug and Anne made us most welcome.

The Thursday departure brought us back to pretty Pinjarra for an overnighter and dump point before we move on to Jarrahdale.

Comments

Gill
2018-12-07

As always amazing photos

Week 507 - Boddington, Western Australia

A leisurely departure from Kojonup on the Sunday morning took us just 84 kms north east to Wagin Showground.  A comfortable RV stopover with power and water.  Power for the heater, believe it or not.  The temperature at night has plummeted down to single figures and days have been in their teens.

A painter's nightmare

Waiting for the storm - Wagin

Gary
2018-12-01

You are parked nearly in the same spot as we were when we visited

Wagin is an old railway town.  It did have three huge sprawling pubs but only one operating at the moment and the town is sleepy with not many shops at all.  Alarmingly, there seems to be too many coffee shops, clambering for the coffee bean dollar.  

A relaxing three days at Wagin, we headed on to the Quindanning Hotel and for some reason we ended up on 25 kms of dirt road.  Fortunately, the road was in good condition, but the toad and the bus was covered in desert dust.

Quindanning Hotel - A revisit to the Quindanning 
Hotel, didn't replicate the first.

We last visited the Quindanning Hotel back in 2012, however, it has lost its atmosphere and now only stocks mundane, run of the mill beers.

Boddington Airstrip - the town of Boddington 
has hundeds of sculptures, probably too 
many for a small sleepy town.

From the Q Hotel, we headed to Boddington a successful mining town in the middle of the wheat belt.  The injection of money was evident throughout the town but alas, the Boddington Hotel is another failure, although it did sell 50 lashes - that's the best they could do.

Common Bronzewing - this little critter whoop 
whoops all day as it breaths out.

2018-12-01

Dot - not like you Derek, you whoop whoop when you lease expect it???

For those of you that are uninitiated - "Boddingtons" is a great english beer brewed in Manchester, next to Strangeways prison.  Boddingtons has been my beer of choice for over 25 years. I always had a supply of it at Bulimba and often received a carton or two for my birthday.  Very much appreciated, and funny enough, the coffee shop sold cans of Boddingtons.

Bridge over Hotham River, Boddington

We are camped by the river between the weir and the highway bridge.  The bird life is in abundance.  It is quiet and peaceful and we have had a few days of warm sunshine which makes a difference.

Our mileage this week was 317 kms and our budget was $145 under. Things couldn't be sweeter.

Comments

Gill
2018-12-07

As always amazing photos

Week 506 - Kojonup, Western Australia

The last time we were in Albany (founded 1801) was back in 2012.  The weather was shocking and this time around it is no different.

We have had day time temperatures of 14 degrees (feels like 6 degrees) with gale force cold winds and to add to the excitement, throw in a few rain storms.  Not very nice.  So reluctantly we have started heading north to warmer climes.

Our base camp in Albany was at the rear of a funeral parlour.  The owner being a fellow motorhomer who just happened to be the manager of the Albany Rally back in 2015.  That event was also affected by bad weather.

Field of Light: Avenue of Honour - 
A homage to the Anzacs with 16 000 shining 
spheres, marking the last sight from home 
for 41 000 troops who departed from Albany for WW1. 
The lights are shining in the whites, yellows and greens 
of the wattle and the kowhai.

So in Albany we managed to do a few jobs around the bus and then set sail in a northerly direction to Mount Barker, just 50 kms up the road, an RV parking spot on solid ground.  More rain.

North was the direction of choice and we found another RV spot at Kojonup.  A disused railway yard at the end of the line.

The local government has landscaped the area and made the RV travellers very welcome.  We will be here for approximately three days and will do some excursions in our economical "toad".

Wool Wagon, Kojonup - 1.5 times replica wool wagon

Kojonup Railway Station 

We must add whilst we were in Albany we did a fair few excursions, exploring the coast and sightseeing with the other tourists including The Gap and Natural Bridge, the Wind Farm and the Brig Amity (1826).  I would be amiss not to visit the oldest pub in town, The Albany Hotel (1835).

The Brig Amity - Replica of the original vessel which 
brought the first white settlers to Albany 

Natural Bridge, Torndirrup National Park - 
All natural, converted by the raging Southern Ocean 

Bay of torquoise - Outstanding views of the 
Southern Ocean and the coast from Bald Head to 
West Cape Howe 

As we write, the sun is beginning to shine.  We can feel the warmth already.

Comments

Rick & Celia
2018-11-29

All your photos are great...enjoy looking at them all.

Week 505 - Mount Barker, Western Australia

It has been a relatively short week this week.  Not because our days have been shorter, but because our blog was delayed last week.

The highlight of our week was an expedition up to the Granite Skywalk at the Porongurup National Park.  Having Rusti the dog, we had to plan our trip down to the last minute.  Being a National Park, Rusti was not allowed in, however, we left her on the bus for 2-1/2 hours in the carpark on the edge of the National Park.  

Granite Skywalk - Jo does her Edmund 
Hilary look perched atop the Skywalk

Bus well ventilated, we headed off into the pristine bush, steadily climbing 2.2 km to reach a dizzying height of just over 2000 feet.  The climb was arduous, difficult and on uneven  ground.  At the 1 km mark, our muscles were beginning to ache, we were out of breath because we were out of condition.  We rested regularly and plodded on towards the summit.  The last 30 feet catered for mountain climbers, not elderly bush walkers. Jo was at a disadvantage because of her short legs and found the rock climbing very difficult.

The last 15 feet was up a fireman's ladder onto a delicately perched sight seeing platform.  The views were magnificent in all directions.  The structure balanced around the granite, was intriguingly clever.

Balancing Rock

Framed views - The Stirling Ranges can be 
seen in the distance through the granite rocks. 

Kauri Tree - Hundreds and possibly 
thousands of years old 

Our difficult climb was well rewarded.  My photographs on this trip were a bit ordinary, so we have included a 'Youtube video link' from the WA Parks and Wildlife website - (copy this URL and paste into your browser) https://youtube/63SgKkMoaOc

Plantagenet District Hall - 
camp spot was behind this building

On our return to the carpark, Rusti was rested and we were knackered.  Our next stop Albany.

Comments

Russ & Sandra
2018-11-17

Well done guys, just added it on our bucket list, maybe one day we'll get over there

Helen
2018-11-17

Great achievement but not sure about “elderly bushwalkers” You’re still in your prime! Looks like you were well rewarded for your efforts as the photos are excellent!

Week 504 - Tonebridge, Western Australia

We apologise for our blog being late this week, but we have been busy, busy, busy.
Eight days ago, our first stop was Herron Point, a very crowded popular campground, just south of Mandurah.  We were on our journey from Wandi to Bridgetown.

Our second stop, Peter and Judi's place just south of Bunbury.  We were made very welcome by these West Australian Highway Wanderers.

A camp spot through the looking glass - 
Fellow Highway Wanderers, Peter and Judi 
gave us a warm welcome at Bunbury on the 
way to the Blues at Bridgtown Festival.

Our third stop was a rendezvous with Maxine and Rob at Greenbushes.  We then convoyed to arrive at the Showgrounds at Bridgetown.  We were the first ones there and eventually became surrounded by hundreds of campers.

Greenbushes Cricket Pavilion - 
A lovely free camp spot 

The Bridgetown Blues - This is just one of the 
campgrounds at the Blue at Bridgetown Festival.

The Blues at Bridgetown Festival was full on.  There was half a dozen or so venues, all pumping out a mixture of bluesy, energetic rock music.  Some good, some absolutely excellent. The musicians were very talented and sometimes very entertaining with their antics on stage, of course, all musically based.  The music was loud and sometimes absolutely deafening.

Lest we forget! - We were honoured to be 
visitors at the Bridgetown Cenotaph. 
The proceedings were very emotional.

We volunteered at the ticket office for the first two days and had to juggle babysitting the dog as officially dogs were not allowed.  Rusti was well behaved and kept a low profile by not barking.

Electricity is the future - In our travels around 
South West Australia, we have come 
across several of these electric car chargers.

A message from the community of 23 - 
The rest area at Tonebridge on the Tone River, 
has been established and maintained 
since 1982 by the residents of Tonebridge. 
Population 23 (2016) 

We have now parted ways with our boozy festival comrades and headed south east to a very quiet, very pretty and very lonely (we are the only ones here) Tonebridge.

Comments

Maxine
2018-11-12

Haha You might have only gone into half a dozen or so but there were many more venues than that.
It was an awesome weekend Uber & thanks for enjoying it with us haha

Jan Mbl
2018-11-12

Sounds Great better than dealing with the HW Shit Fight

one stick 
2018-11-13

keep trying to leave comments but they never show so I'm trying again. Not a lot to say from here.
I actually have friends who live in Bridgetown, lovely little town, can't imagine it with music blaring out!
Let's see if this comment takes Cheers

Leigh
2018-11-13

Lucky you would love to have gone.