Trip to South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales #7

#7

Mon 22^nd.  We were packed up and ready to depart by 9.30am.  We saw several of our friends depart by 8am and decided that was way too early :D.  We returned up through Mount Barker onto highway 80 before turning off towards Wagin and onto highway 120.  We stopped at HIGHBURY for a coffee and then the shop owner took us into his yard to show us his Kangaroo paw plants.  He had red, yellow, orange, black, white and the red and green ones also.  A beautiful display of these natives.

We travelled on to the town of Beverley, where they have a donation camp in town opposite the river park where there are amenities.  We set up the van and then wandered into town and had a coffee before walking up the streets and checking out the murals and the old buildings throughout the town.  We then went back to the van and had a quite night.

Tues 23^rd.  We set off at about 9.30 and headed up the 120 towards York.  There were hay sculptures here at the beginning of the month, but we missed them.  We continued on and arrived at the Karrinyup Waters Resort at Gwelup at about 1pm.  We were driven around the park to check it out and then we could select our own site.  We set up on the wood chip down the back and then had some lunch before heading out to visit Julie and Alan.  We spent until 9.30pm with them before heading back to the van.

Wed 24^th. I did some washing and put it through the dryer due to the misty rain showers that we were having and then to Hilary’s to check it out and find out about the ferries to Rottnest Island.

We had lunch and then went to Julie and Alan’s and then headed out to visit their son Michael and his family.  We had a few great hours with them all before heading back to Julie and Alan’s for dinner.

Thurs 25^th. We put the car in for a service not far from Alan’s home and then we waited for most of the morning peak hour to ease before heading to Bunbury to visit Erin and her family.  It is a two-hour drive to Bunbury, so we stopped about halfway there for a pit stop, coffee and lunch.

We had a great afternoon with Erin, Max and Leo. Once Erin’s husband Michael arrived home we had a visit with him before getting in the car for the 2-hour drive back to Perth.  As our car was still at the mechanics, Julie and Alan dropped us at the caravan park before heading to their home.  We really appreciated Julie and Alan driving us all that way to visit with the grandchildren.

Fri 26^th.  Alan came and picked us up and took us to pick up the car.  What a surprise when we arrived to find they had washed the car, vacuumed it and blacked the tyres.  They even left us a packet of tissues, a packet of mints and a garbage bag for the car.

We then travelled to the south of Perth to Mount Pleasant and visited our friends Lynne and David Wilson, whom we met last year in Tassie.  We had a very pleasant day in their company and hopefully we will meet up with them again.

Sat 27^th.  We were thinking of going to Rottnest today, but the winds sprang up again, so we went to the Westfields Whitford City.  Whilst here we got some scripts filled, but need to go back on Monday afternoon to get the rest of Darryl’s as they ran out :C.  Back to the van and Happy Hour with a friend, Banjo from Victoria, before adjourning for dinner.

Sun 28^th. Twenty years ago, we said farewell to Darryl’s Dad – Alan Walker.

We went to Warwick train station and met Julie and Alan and went into Perth City for the day.  Today is free parking at the train station.  We got off at the Perth station and walked up to the Horseshoe and then into Yagan Square.  Yagan was an Aboriginal leader, born c.1795 and died 1833, from the Perth area who was killed by the government at the time, as he was a very powerful man in the tribe.  His body was buried in separate areas and his head was taken to England and put on display.  It took years for the local people to get him returned to home country, and his head was buried on Noongar land in 2010.

We then caught the free bus to Elizabeth Quay and heard the Bell Tower ring.  We had a coffee at the Brewery on the Island before catching the free bus back to Nelson Street.  Had lunch in the Old Shanghai food court and walked back up to the mall and caught the train back to Warwick.  Said farewell to Julie and Alan and back to the van to update the blog……..