The first two or three days of any roadtrip are wind down days. Leaving Melbourne’s routine and horrid traffic instantly begins the release of calm. Tension eases the further we roll along roads through tiny towns that delight us when we take breaks to walk the main street and peer into shop fronts. The km’s roll by and dreary overcast weather is soon replaced by the blue sky unfolding ahead of us.
Lunch at our first stop is in Dimboola. An iconic town with a charming partially restored main street. So glad to see they have retained the beautiful tiled shop fronts. A very pretty town and well worth the short 3km drive off the highway. Check out the awesome dresses.
First overnight stop is Coonalpyn, one of the silo art towns. We stayed in a council run park alongside a very inviting public pool – super clean and heated to 25 C. The campsite was $15 for 24 hours, power generated by tap of a credit card. Good hot showers are an extra $5 for 5 minutes – also by credit card tap. It was an extremely easy peaceful stop., although there are a lot of cockatoo’s making a racket morning and evening. We would stay here again. Had to hug this magnificent tree.
We woke to a sensational morning but there were signs in the air of the heat wave to come. A long day of driving ahead so we reluctantly packed up and left our peaceful site. Lunch was our regular stop at Port Wakefield SA. The little inlet is a quiet place to sit and relax – with a clean toilet nearby. Afternoon break was pretty Port Germein. We usually bypass this town but were so glad we decided to check it out. It is very pretty and has an awesome super long pier. Lucky to arrive at low tide and catch the beautiful patterns in the sand. We will remember this town for future road trips. The CV Park is right on the beach.
Back on the road we are reminded to beware as emu’s and goats appear at random intervals. We finally arrive at Kimba Roadhouse, another silo art town and home of the giant galah which has been repainted since we were last here. The roadhouse restaurant offers Indian food to weary travellers. The curries smelt wonderful but we decided to make our own dinner due to what was sitting in the bain marie looked a bit tired at the late hour of our arrival. We set up quickly and set to work scrubbing gazillion’s of splattered bugs off our car. Big red juicy critters which left an almighty greasy mess. The amenities are a bit shabby at the roadhouse but water flow in the showers is hot and strong. Seniors discount came to $31.50 for the night.
After a leisurely breakfast we hit the road again, choosing to check out Streaky Bay for lunch as we had never been there. Disappointingly the only bakery in town was closed on a Saturday morning. Have to admit, we were a little underwhelmed. The town and beach front did not inspire me. There is a tiny swimming enclosure at the beach, it feels far to small in such a huge bay. I don’t think i would bother to return, too many other prettier towns have won my heart.
As we approached Penong for our third overnight stop the wind kicked in. Great clouds of dust swirled and danced in dusty barren fields. Fortunately the Penong CV Park is reasonably sheltered and by nightfall it started to settle. We set up quickly so we could take a look at the Pink Lake before it got dark. Sadly the overcast sky meant not a sparkle or colour was visible to delight us. Definitely no pink!
We had a lovely sleep in but it meant we were running late in the morning and i was determined to see the pink lake in the sunshine in the hope it would be a little more impressive. By the time we got there, the sun had clouded over agian and although there were some interesting salt formations, the colours were not happening. Never mind. I’ve seem some brilliant salt lakes. Can’t win ’em all.
The amenities at Penong CV Park are good. Excellent water pressure in the showers and toilets super clean. The huge camp kitchen is a ripper! And we met Blue. Awesome dog. Off we drove after a quick look at the windmill museum.
A quick stop at Ceduna for a break and walk on the pier. I cannot resist a pier. Heaps of feisty crabs were being caught.
I recommend The Head of Bight viewing centre. Even when it is not whale season the view is worth a squizz. It cost $8 each for seniors entry and there are clean drop dunnies and a cafe. The colours of the sea and the cliffs are spectacular. I’ve been lucky to be there twice and see it in full sunlight brilliance – once during whale season which was incredible. There are a few other places to view the Bunda cliffs and we stopped to look from the other direction. It was just as brilliant if you prefer not to pay to view. This area can be extremely windy but we were lucky to have calm weather. It really is stunning. The phone camera cannot capture the detail and colour of the cliffs.
Another loooong day of driving meant arriving at Cocklebiddy just in time to order a meal at the restaurant. Lamb chops and veggies for me and fish and chips for him. He got the better deal. My lamb chops were all fat with about a teaspoon of edible meat. The Fish & Chips came with a fresh salad that even included a boiled egg! My veggies were a little – a lot actually – overcooked and washed down with a mini bottle of acetone labelled as white wine. Ah well, so it goes with travel. You never know what you will get. Just a couple of little hints about Cocklebiddy roadhouse, don’t park close to the amenities or near Samantha and Bruce the rescue eagles. The generator ain’t quiet, and you need $2 coins for the showers @$4.
Back on the road for another six and a half hours drive to Kalgoorlie. Although it is an iconic and exciting drive, it does get tiring. Balladonia Roadhouse for lunch. An interesting experience. The ladies serving were soooo rude and foul tempered. They had all of us travellers creeping around apologetically even though we hadn’t done anything to to annoy them other than order food and drink. They muffed up our sandwich order but we just shut up and meekly ate what we were given. I saw another couple stare suspiciously at the two rolls dumped on their table with great force. So funny. They must have trained at Fawlty Towers. Diesel here was $2.30 per Ltr. We saw $2.44 somewhere else, i can’t remember where so fill up whenever you see a ‘reasonable’ price.
The Nullarbor Wave. If you can’t beat ’em. Join ’em. It’s nice to be friendly.
We finally hit Norseman. Too hot to even consider a walk we had a wee, bought an ice cream and jumped back into the air conditioned car to arrive at Kalgoorlie and a balmy 39 C just as the sun was setting. Thank goodness the Penguin has a good air conditioner. It was appallingly hot outside. We cooled off for a couple of hours before heading to Woolies to do a shop, tip toeing around a bunch of boozers lounging on the pavement outside the bottle shop right next to the supermarket entrance. A bit unnerving but they kept to themselves. Over homemade burgers and an ice cold zero beer back in the blessed air conditioning, we searched desperately through all of the CV Park’s in Perth. We had totally missed the fact it was a long weekend in WA. We couldn’t find anywhere to sleep for the three nights we intended to stay in Perth. In desperation we tried motels but only dubious rooms were available at exorbitant prices and we had to find one which had space to park the van. It was late and things were looking dire so with travellers optimism we went to bed with the aircon blowing hoping the issue would resolve itself in the morning. Happy to say the amenities at Kalgoorlie CV Park are extremely good. Hot, steady water flow. Very clean. Very thankful.
Morning in Kalgoorlie – 7.48am – 28 C. It’s going to be a scorcher. No morning walk. We pack up, sweating as the heat steadily increases and head out of town. First stop is Southern Cross. It is already 36 C before midday. We did not expect these temperatures. Our very short walk was helped by the blasts of cool air escaping from shop doorways, as cold as a knife slice on our sweating skin. Quickly in the car and onto the Great Eastern Highway – which goes on and on and on…and on. We do indeed live in a big country.
As a result of the impossibility of acquiring three nights in Perth (we managed to get two) we had to make an unexpected halfway stop at Bruce Rock. What a great decision to stop at this pristine little town. I skipped with glee on our arrival. Patches of lush green grass, palm trees and rows of tidy newly built little cabins. Everything is immaculate. Amenities are sparkling clean individual ensuites, a real luxury on the road. There is a large camp kitchen and it is set alongside a very nice public pool. It is super quiet and peaceful. The main street of town is clean and fresh. The newly built supermarket is terrific and stocked with all manner of things as well as food. At $34 per night i couldn’t recommend it more highly as a great overnight stop. It is a bit off the beaten track but if you are heading to Perth and want a rest it is worth the little detour.
After a stop at Quairading for coffee we finally hit the busy streets of Perth and checked in at Karrinyup Waters Resort. The driving has got to us and we are in desperate need of still time. We are super tired. This is one enormous park. A caravan village. Rows and rows of vans. A giant van car park. It has a very peculiar feel. People sitting tucked under their awnings in tiny little spaces staring at nothing. I found it a bit spooky. Despite the nice gardens and planted borders it is soulless. It had an intense ‘trailer park’ vibe. It is so huge we couldn’t even find the pool and had to resort to the map to find it. I am a bit dumbfounded as to why people holiday here. There is a pool and cafe but most are sitting beside their vans and that’s all they seem to do. There are not sufficient amenities for the numbers of sites. The few cubicles of unisex ensuites grossed me out even though they were quite modern and new. Too many people sharing them. I did have a swim which was quite nice. The pool area is large. Dinner was with our Perth cousins. So nice to see them again. The family connection is strong even though years go by between visits. Lots of chat, two glasses of a nice red and a steak dinner and Zzzzzz….
Pic is of the pool i paddled in, there is also a big lap/play pool. Love the Poo Rules. Today is a day of laundry, rest and booking accomodation for the rest of our trip. It feels so good to stop still, read and not drive. We are however still struggling to find vacancies over the long weekend.
Dinner was at the home of friends originally from Warrandyte in Melbourne. We were spoilt with a delicious home cooked meal and even had a little song and play with Jo’s guitars. It was so nice to catch up. Then it was straight to bed and more Zzzzzz’s ready to hit the road again in the morning. Check out the beautiful flowers at Bunnings Balcatta. Couldn’t resist snapping a few pics.
Up early and packed to head out of Perth and finally down along the south coast. We stopped in Mandurah to have lunch with my lovely niece and her partner at the marina. Lo and behold we were delighted by a dolphin swimming right past our table. It did a leisurely traverse through the marina, the soft grey colours of its body were so pretty. What a delightful addition to a delightful lunch. So many delightfuls because it was, delightful.
A short stop at Busselton to walk the jetty was a must for me, even though we had to dodge the gazillion other tourists and the train. But what a great beach. I would have loved to go for a swim but time does not permit. The water looks sooo good and was super warm. At least i got to walk in it.
The road from Busselton to Manjimup is insane. The traffic is intense. We are staying with relatives who kindly offered us their front yard as we were unable to find accomodation anywhere over the long weekend. Lifesavers. We are grateful and will forever appreciate their generosity. We arrived late and after hugs and greetings we set up and had an early night. Tired.
Breakfast with the Manjimup crew at a local cafe was a real delight. We compared family similarities as we got to know each other and shared our stories. Nicki and and Melissa have awesome husbands and gorgeous kids. Such a pleasure to meet them.
We couldn’t leave the area without visiting Hamelin Bay and Margaret River. Hamelin Bay was very pretty but incredibly busy. The beach was jam packed with day trippers (like ourselves) looking at the stingrays. It was high tide and the waves soaked most of us as we gazed into the water looking for rays. The water is so warm and delicious. I would have loved a swim but there are a lot of rocks below the surface and i was seriously concerned about the big fella’s swimming about. It was quite a unique experience to see them actually swimming up to people who put their hands in to pat them. We didn’t touch. There are signs requesting people not touch but it didn’t stop anyone. It was a bit of a shame the long weekend had brought so many people out. It was impossible to enjoy the beautiful bay. It would be so brilliant when the crowds are less.
Margaret River left me confused. What is the big hullaboo about this town? I understand it is a ‘hub’ a place where you go to experience things but why does it get so much attention as a destination? I couldn’t find anything to capture me. The town has no personality or ambiance.
Is this all there is to Margaret River?
We caught up with the Manjimup family again over dinner. Indian/Italian cuisine was served at the restaurant and my fish curry was delish. More stories were shared and i loved the family connection that made us feel so comfortable together. We are intrigued by the farming stories and the fact bulls get agro enough to toss each other over fences! And to top it off an old Bunnings truck resides in Manjimup!
As we bid Manjimup farewell i have to say i will miss you guys. It was such a joy to meet you and get to know you.
Melissa and Garry kindly invited us to visit their farm and gave us some samples of what they grow. Beautiful. And much appreciated. Pop into the Bridgetown market to pick up some fresh produce from Garry and Maggie if you are down this way. Sensational. Happy memories.
Next destination is Peaceful Bay. A short two hour drive through a forest of impressive very tall tall trees. We stopped in Walpole for lunch and then set up at Peaceful Bay cooking Manjimup piperki for dinner. They smell amazing and taste even better. Charred, peeled, salted with a splash of olive oil. Yummo.
We had a little rain overnight and this morning feels fresh but is overcast. I hope we get some sunshine in the afternoon so i can see the beaches in all their blue/green glory. We spent the morning having a clean up and a quiet read until the clouds began to pull apart and glimmers of blue sky appeared. Thongs on we walked down to check out Peaceful Bay and it was amazing. Beautiful beach. White sand, clear water and amazing colours. It was so worth the long drive to get here. The water sparkled in the sun, shades of jade, turquoise and pale blue. Exquisite. What the eye feasted on the camera could not fully capture. I am overjoyed. And once again the water is so warm.
Peaceful Bay fish and chips made and sold at the CV Park cafe are the best i have ever eaten.
Lordy, lordy, lordy. What can i say about Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks? Stunning. Crystal clear warm water. Beautiful colours that are too perfect to be true. Amazing rocks that you just want to caress. Soft white sand. Wow. This incredible coastline has guaranteed i will force myself to drive that bloomin’ long road to get here again. I am totally awestruck. And lucky us, with the long weekend over the crowds have disappeared. Easy parking and only a few people around. Oh my. I am so delighted. A picture paints a thousand words, yes, cliched but true.
Greens Pool
Elephant Rocks
Our daughter had recommended a wander through Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. It was a bit wobbly walking through the canopy. Some super cool trees but the park was generally too clinical and organised to actually feel the forest. It felt like a tree zoo. It was okay but i wouldn’t do it twice even though the ticket allowed all day access.
Last day in Peaceful Bay. The sun is hot. The water warm. I can’t get enough of the colours and clarity of the water and the white sand. We enjoyed the bay before having to jump back in the car and do a shop in Denmark. The supermarket has very good quality produce. Recommend regardless of the longer drive than Walpole. The CV Park offered free dinner of pork rolls for park people and a chap played guitar at the cafe tonight. Many took up the offer, a huge crowd rocked up but we opted for our own cooking and a quiet evening.
I’ll be sorry to leave Peaceful Bay. It has exceeded my expectations. So beautiful. I won’t be sad however, to leave the gazillion millipedes in the showers. They are everywhere and are grossing me out.
Just a little note regarding the Hamelin Pool stromatolites – the boardwalk was wiped out by a cyclone in 2021 and it is still not repaired so it can’t be accessed. Shame.
During the inland drive from Peaceful Bay to Bremer Bay we hit 42 C. HOT! The aircon worked a treat but it actually was quite scary. As we neared the coast the temperature dropped and the caravan park this evening is a comfortable 28 C. Bremer Bay park is nice. Most sites are shady due to lots of trees but there are a few dodgy ones near the front – good thick grass. The huge amenities block is clean and fresh. A very nice environment for the next four days. We are enjoying the longer stays immensely after all the driving and overnight stops. First impressions of Bremer River at low tide – a huge estuary completely dry with crunchy but super soft white sand that is full of 4WD’s. The sea is quite rough today so the water is not enticing. There is a lot of seaweed swirling in the waves. The wind is pretty intense. I hope the weather clears so we can see it at it’s best.
When the sun broke through the clouds we were once again delighted by the colours of the water and the whiteness of the sand. At the risk of repeating myself – white white sand and blue blue water. WA you are amazing.
Blossoms Beach is definitely worth a visit. Spectacular. The surrounding sand dunes add to the beauty.
The good weather bubble has burst. Overnight rain fell in buckets and this morning the air feels clean and fresh although not cold. It is wet, wet, wet. When the sun came out it was HOT. Lovely in the shade. Clouds blow gently by in a blue sky. The weather is unpredictable but it is wonderful. The park has emptied considerably this morning. Running north away from the weather I am guessing. Unfortunately heading south means we are going straight into more rain. I hope we don’t get fully rained out for the rest of our trip. A few hours of sunshine would be nice for my first time to Esperance.
RAC Esperance is a huge but slightly better version of the the Perth RAC park. And i am so glad the amenities are good. In fact much better. It is quite windy but the sky is blue. I cross my fingers we get some dry weather to explore as it will be a long time before i return. We set up and do a shop as our fridge is empty.
We woke to the split splot of rain drops which evaporated instantly in the 37 C heat. I did three loads of laundry hoping it would dry before the forecast heavy rains. The sun began to bake and my laundry dried in a blink so we set off to explore some beaches from the air conditioned comfort of the car. As hot as it was i had to get out and explore the once again ridiculously stunning beaches that surround Esperance. WA has stolen my heart. More crazy white sand and clear clear sea water. Lusciously smooth rocks, white sand dunes and blue blue water. Never ending bliss for the eyes and soul. Twilight Beach is gob smacking and the lagoon leading to it is not too shabby either.
After lunch we checked out Wylie Beach as the storm clouds rolled in. What a magnificent beach. If only the sun had been shining, it would have been dazzling. Regardless, even in overcast conditions it was beautiful. Check out that sky! The colours are so unreal and yet totally real.
Heavy rain hit. The humidity was intense. As the rain cleared and the humidity increased even more we did a Bunnings and Woolies shop and had a bit of a stroll down the main street of Esperance. Sadly Esperance shops are looking quite tired. Bunnings nursery was noticeably empty with lots of dried out plants. Quite unusual for a Bunnings store. The main drag of Esperance was disappointing. My expectations were rather more of tourist hub feel with cafes and boutique shops and judging by the large number of travellers milling about we weren’t the only one’s feeling this way. The only bakery in town was chock full. We didn’t even attempt to push through the crowd. I don’t recall seeing another cafe but i may not have looked hard enough. Perhaps the everpresent coffee vans at most beaches have poached business from the town centre. A bit sad as cafes definitely provide a vibe and personality and this is very much missing from Esperance town centre.
The afternoon promised to be dry and a weak sun peaked through the clouds. We took the opportunity to drive to Cape Le Grand which is less than an hour away. This short visit was only a taste for a much longer return and stay in this beautiful national park. The Lucky Bay camp ground is situated in an excellant position and is very comfortably set out. The beach is every bit as amazing as we expected. Even with the overcast weather it is extraordinary. If only we had a little bit of sunshine to highlight the incredible colours. The rocky outcrops are majestic. It is indescribably beautiful. Every bay and cove sparkles and shines in splendor.
The whistling rock was actually doing a gentle whistle, well, more of a blowy airy sound as the wind was not strong. It was a very peaceful quite spiritual feel.
We couldn’t resist Mantooboornup (Frenchmans Peak) even though it was getting late and the sun had begun to set. We climbed about three quarters of the way up but I was wearing a dress and the last part of the peak meant scrambling over a very steep rock. However, we had climbed high enough to gaze at the amazing views of distant coves and the rocky islands enshrouded in the mist that enveloped them as the sun fell. Stunning, but impossible to photograph with the phone.
It was quite a climb in parts and it got quite a bit more difficult the higher we went. There were a surprising number of wildflowers along the track and heaps of lizards. We were thoroughly captivated by this National Park.
The rain fell again this morning. I am doing some painting and crotchet, happy to sit still. It isn’t windy thank goodness as the rain is super heavy. It is still warm and kid from around the park are loving the flooded areas. They have spent all morning riding bikes and scooters through the puddles. More fun than the pool. Fortunately we were on a high spot just at the start of this flooded area and kept dry.
The afternoon once again brought out the sun so we went for a walk along the Esperance shoreline. The park is well maintained. The pier a nice little addition to our walk.
Another muggy morning as we pack up and start the drive to Cocklebiddy. An uneventful drive and we arrive in time to have Cocklebiddy take away fish and chips for dinner after pit stops in Norseman, Mundrabilla and along the Nullabor.
A good nights sleep despite the never ending trucks that stop at Cocklebiddy. We set off back to Penong. Another loooong drive. Driving conditions today are a bit scary. The wind is super strong and the trucks are constant. The wind pressure created by passing trucks is immense and its been a white knuckle drive with quite a bit of squealing. It is not a fun day and arrival at Penong was a relief.
We chose Quorn as our next stop on the way home. Lunch stop at Wudinna. The bakery was brilliant. My pasty was delicious, full of nicely diced veggies. We shared a vanilla slice. It wasn’t the best i’ve ever had. Easy to cut as the pastry was thin and a little undercooked and soft. The custard creamy but a little too solid. Never the less, a great town to stop and i highly recommend the hot pastries.
Weather has been good for driving but the hike across the Eyre Peninsula is a long one. If we had time we would definitely take the long route along the coast. So much nicer. The Quorn CV Park is lovely when we arrive and the lead up to it through the range was pretty spectacular. A peaceful end to the day. Huge beautiful gums in the CV Park have been preserved and raucous birds are everywhere. Beware of the many kanga’s on the road. They like the Ritchi Pitchi rail track that winds in and out along the road to Quorn. and pop up everywhere. I had forgotten how beautiful the Flinders Ranges are and plan to return. It has been a long time since we were last here.
Quorn silo art is a little different to the norm. They project changing images at night from sunset. We watched for a while but soon headed to the Transcontinental Hotel for dinner. The pub was strange. It had a seriously weird vibe. I definitely got the impression locals dislike strangers in their space. We literally had to elbow our way to the dining room through drinkers in the bar who refused to move an inch to let us pass. We were showered with frosty glares rather than the smiles and g’day’s usually exchanged in country pubs. Very awkward. The menu read a lot more upmarket than the victuals received. The steaks were not good and the salad bar questionable. Yeah? Nah.
Driving out of Quorn double inspired us to return to the Flinders Ranges sooner rather than later. The surrounding range is so beautiful.
Tonights stop is Victor Harbour after a lunch break at Crystal Brook which has an awesome bakery and ‘yay’ they make fresh sandwiches to order with a smile! The cakes all look delicious. A great selection. I chose a mini kitchener (cream donut) The donut was actually sensational. So good. The mock cream not so good but the donut more than made up for it. A very pretty town to stop at. Full of seniors. The street was very busy but everyone was quite elderly. A bit of a giant retirement town perhaps. HIghly recommend for a walk and lunch.
Victor Harbour holiday park has grassy well spaced sites. The amenities are a little dated but huge and clean. It was a horrible drive to get here through peak hour traffic around Adelaide. We timed it badly so had to set up quickly and take off for a walk around Granite Rock while it was still daylight. The walk was exactly what we needed after days of driving. We inhaled the fresh air and enjoyed the walk immensely, watching the sun set as we strolled back across the bridge to dinner at The Victor. The Prawn Pizza was delicious. Awesome crust. A cool local white wine complimented it perfectly. It put me in a very happy place. A delightful evening in Victor Harbour.
Last overnight stop before hitting home turf is Mt Gambier. The weather is warm and the wind light making it an easy drive. We drove through the Coorong, feasting on the beauty that once again could not be caught by the phone’s camera. It is a majestic lagoon. Thank goodness people are kept off most of it. We decided to drive the loop and although it was awesome to revisit the salt lakes the road was very corrugated and pot holed. It was a long slow drive. Last time we did this is it was not so difficult. The salt lakes were much prettier last time we saw them too, i think there may have been a little more water in them and the colours were quite intense then compared to today.
We arrived at the Pine Country CV Park in Mt Gambier once again just in time for a quick set up before sunset and took off to see the Blue Lake before it got dark. We were pleased to catch it while we could still enjoy the intense blue of the water. I have only been here out of blue season so this was a first for me and it was quite amazing. It really is quite an extraordinary blue even though the pics may not look impressive.
Daylight quickly disappeared and dinner was calling us so we took ourselves to The G – The Mt Gambier Hotel. Dinner was excellant and we went to bed satisfied. Although sad to be at the end of our road trip we are somewhat glad to have only one day of driving left.
Can’t wait for out next road trip!
simplethingstraveller 