Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - Streaky Bay, Port Lincoln and Adelaide ~ 21st December - 6th January

What a beautiful location we chose to celebrate Christmas!! A caravan spot 2m from the shore of the magnificent bay and great friends we had met along the way to share our Christmas away from home.

The lead up to Christmas was very exciting with great fun decorating the van with lights and tinsel, as well as putting together our little Christmas Tree and Santa sacks inside. Our Advent calendar had been on the go for all of December (need an incentive like this all year long!!) and adding to it with a bigger variety of decorations was very exciting!!! It was even better when presents started arriving under the tree!!

A small mishap while out 'crabbing' with the other children we were set up with saw an emergency trip to Streaky Bay District Hospital as Zali badly cut her foot on a Razor Fish. We had never heard of such a fish, but after a 'google' search we could understand why Zali was so hysterical. The 4cm cut was deep and should have been stitched, but the Doctor was too concerned about further trauma to the poor chook - who was inconsolable during the syringe washing of the cut to inflict any more pain. With Zali being a drama queen, I am sure you can imagine the sympathy she milked from all for the coming days!!

A visit to the park from Santa was very exciting and created a real positive mood for the impending arrival of the 'real' big man in red!! There were so many other families enjoying a Christmas away from home and there is a lot to be said for the relaxed atmosphere it is..... 4 years worth of warning to both families we would miss the Christmas celebrations of 2010, perhaps not as much warning next time and we might just take off unannounced (it really was such an easy Christmas!!).

Christmas Day saw both kids casually rise at around 9am. Both very excited that Santa had been and left some great presents and even more excited that he had left a note thanking them for cookies and milk they left out. Pancakes for breakfast and a visit from Thalia and David to share the Christmas cheer was a fabulous start to the day. From here, we joined the Bragas, Callum and Santos families - 8 adults and 10 children - each providing our own feast and enjoying each others' company under the shade of a marquee by the waters edge. The adults sat, ate, drank and chatted while the kids rode their scooters, played with Lego and train sets, did their make up and watched a DVD. Before we knew it the clock had already reached 8.30 and most of the exhausted children headed for showers and bed. A highlight for us all was being able to Skype home. Zali could see the bike Santa had delivered to Nanny's house (and can't wait to get home and ride it!!) and we all enjoyed chatting during the day and feeling a part of the celebrations as we saw the unwrapping of the presents, the table set in red and white and all the food Nanny and her helpers had prepared. Of course, we also chatted to the Helsloot side, but by this time Zali was too entrenched in socialising with all her friends. Poor Jaydon didn't even get a Merry Christmas from his big cousin.

Besides Christmas, we also managed to get some site seeing done during our stay. We saw.....

* Sea Lion Colony - a short distance from Streaky Bay where a breeding Sea Lion Colony has been established to increase numbers. Luckily, we got to see some lazying in the sun, others moving around in the sand and a few swimming together in the water.

* Great White Shark replica - located in the tourist centre is a replica of a Great White Shark caught off the bay in 1995 by a 24kg fishing line. It weighed 1520kg!!

* Granites Beach and High Cliff - difficult to find and even more difficult to access, but Pete and Balunn braved the walk down and spent a morning swimming and enjoying this spectacular section of the coast.

* Cape Bauer Loop - amazing cliffs and blowholes. Peter toured this area with Luis, while Tanya and I got ready for Christmas lunch. The photos were great!

* Murphy's Haystack - a collection of rock formations which look like large haystacks in the middle of a wheat field.

From Streaky Bay we made our way around to Port Lincoln - home of the Southern Bluefin Tuna and Makybe Diva. An afternoon trip on a tour boat out to a tuna platform gave us the opportunity to feed and swim with the tuna. This really was a scary experience and Peter was the only one who managed to do both. The tuna grow to about 200kg and are one of the fastest fish in the sea. 95% of the tuna caught out of Port Lincoln is shipped overseas. This town also has the most millionaires per capita within Australia - all making their money in the tuna industry!!

While in Port Lincoln we made a day trip to Coffin Bay followed by a superb dinner at Del Giorno's. Probably one of our best meals out on the trip. Coffin Bay was a quiet, pretty and relaxed town, well worth another visit.

On our way to Adelaide we made an overnight stay at Port Augusta - 40 degrees, so our time was spent in the pool and trying to keep cool. We were last here 159 days ago with Ella in tow.

The into Adelaide where we would be for a week to welcome in the New Year. Here we were joined by Jen (for a flying 4 night visit) and most importantly, according to Zali, by nanny and poppy for the remainder of our trip. Although Zali had spoken to nanny nearly every day we have been away and has 'seen' her on Skype regularly, there was still so much excitement that she was here in person - truly lovely to watch!!

The weather in Adelaide was particularly hot, so lucky we had a 60m swimming pool to enjoy. Our caravans were set up next to each other and this allowed the kids to be in and out visiting all day long....

New Years Eve saw us venture to Glenelg foreshore for a seafood picnic and to watch the family fireworks at 9.30pm. What a spectacular show they were!! We all loved them, but Zali is petrified of fireworks and spent the whole time under a blanket and wrapped snuggly in my arms. A trait picked up here from Aunty Trina, but hopefully she will outgrow this fear by the time she is 12......

Other adventures around Adelaide include:

* a day trip to the city to attend mass at St Francis Xavier Cathedral (presided over by Archbishop Philip Wilson, who was previously Bishop of Wollongong), a walk down to the Torrens River for a picnic lunch and then a paddle on the boats, a tram ride back to the car for some of us to drive home, while nanny and poppy took the kids on the bus (with much excitement).

* a visit to mum and Jen's cousin from Albion Park (have been based in SA for the past 50 years) - Don and Anne King. Apparently I had met them when I was very young (no memory of this) and it was great to share family memories and stories with them during one afternoon and then a bbq lunch. Some of the old photos were hilarious to see!!

* lunch and wine tasting in the McLaren Vale wine region. A large wine region, but we only visited the Woodstock winery and we bought some dessert wine - yummy! A great place for kids to enjoy while the adults tasted!! From here, we made the trip down to Victor Harbour, but it was very cold and very busy. We had a quick look around and then made our way back to Adelaide.

* Pete and I attended a domestic Twenty20 Match between NSW and SA at Adelaide oval. Quick and entertaining - as cricket should be - and much more impressive than the Ashes!!

Now we move onto our last destination in SA - Mt Gambier - and then onto part of the Great Ocean Road, before heading to rural Victoria to visit the family.

Hoping you all had a great Christmas and New Year like we did and looking forward to seeing everyone on our return - Jamberoo on the 20th January and Sydney on the 22nd...... 11 days left :)

Love to all,

The Travelling Helsloots

Busselton to Ceduna via Albany, Esperance and The Nullarbor - 9th December ~ 19th December 2010

As we approached the bottom of WA we knew our time in this most beautiful state was sadly coming to an end.... over 4 months exploring WA from top to bottom and there is still so much we haven't seen. Zali has asked if we could please come back next year to see more.... mmm, perhaps not with a 5 week trip to Europe planned and booked for May/June.

Our last 9 days in WA saw us visit:

Albany - home of the Australian whaling industry. So glad this industry has ceased in Australia, but great to see an original whaling boat and the harbour where the whales were brought once captured and killed in the Southern Ocean. Beautiful coastline off the bottom of Australia, with towering red cliffs and extremely rough ocean below. Albany is where Mara, our friend from Kalgoorlie, grew up and following some hints of where to see we spent our days cruising around the coastline. Visiting The Gap - much smaller than our Sydney version, but just as ferocious and well known for suicide - and Nature's Bridge made us realise how silly some people are to capture the 'perfect' photo. Poor Zali and Balunn were so petrified they clung to us for dear life. Thankfully, there was a railing on a viewing platform so we could all enjoy listening to the waves crash on the rocks. A highlight for the kids at the caravan park was the hot tub and the pool. Balunn, like Ella, is a real fish. Although the weather was a cool 21 - 22 each day, he was in the pool and then in the tub as much as he could. Zali, being much more like me, needs the temperature to be a bit warmer before braving the cooler water, spent her time relaxing in the hot tub. An afternoon at the Games Room of the park was lots of fun, followed by a walk and scooter ride to the park for a play on the equipment. Both so brave with how high they like to go on the swings. I really couldn't watch in fear that we would need to make a trip to the local emergency for a broken bone!!

Esperance - another pretty seaside town close to the Cape Le Grand NP. Again, the weather was a little too cool and nowhere near hot enough for the water for me. We stayed at a little caravan park in the town where our luck for the trip changed..... not that we are superstitious, but the number 13 really lived up to expectation - we were set up in Site 13, it was the 13th December, our petrol bill on the way into town was $87.87 and our run of very good luck came to an end!!! An early morning wake up call had our neighbour informing us our car had been broken into during the night and our back passenger window had been smashed. Glass everywhere and the kids' DSis nowhere to be seen!! Plans for a day of relaxing along the bays of Cape Le Grand were now gone as it took most of the day to sort out insurance, wait for the police, organise (with Windscreen O'Briens) to have a window brought in from Sydney and then clean up the mess. No, we were not happy. Once all this was done, off we set for the beach. Balunn hops in the car and notices straight away that the DVD remote has also been taken. Of course, the DVD does not work without the remote. Subaru were fantastic and we had one in the next morning. With a taped up window for 2 days, we explored as much as we could. The road noise was deafening and hard to take, but the kids were brilliant. Twilight Bay was absolutely magnificent and Hellfire Bay in Cape Le Grand was also pretty special. Friday saw a morning of fixing up the window (took much longer than anticipated, which delayed our trip to the start of the Nullarbor), but by 1.30pm we were on the road and saddened that our last few nights in WA had been ruined by someone else's greed. Only material items, but items that belonged to our kids.....

The Nullarbor - after a late start, we didn't think our planned trip would be possible, but we made it through to our free camp at Balladonia by 6.00pm the Friday evening. This was Balunn's first experience of free camping and he was a little amazed that I could do it!! Questions such as.... "Angie, how do the lights work?, Where do we shower?" were answered with Zali informing Bay that this is no caravan park!! He coped, if not a little bored that it is bed time at 7.30pm as it is dark!! We did 2 nights of free camping as we crossed The Nullarbor. We had planned more, but the road is so long, straight and boring that we did the 1500km in two and a half days and not 3-4 as we had planned. Our second night on The Nullarbor saw us free camp right above the start of the Great Australian Bight. A little windy, but so close to the cliffs and views which make this part of the Australian coastline so unique. The winds across The Nullarbor were not too bad at all, but some roadhouses really know how to charge for petrol. In the one day we paid $1.90 per litre at one stop and then $1.40 at the next. Not sure how they can justify such a difference in price!!

Ceduna - we were across the Nullarbor and back into the luxury of a caravan park. Swings for the kids to play on and more importantly for some.... toilets and showers!! Not much to do or see in Ceduna, which was disappointing, and once again the weather was a little cool. This stop was more about relaxing after being in the car so much over the past few days. So little to do that we didn't even take a photo during our stay......

And now we are in Streaky Bay for Christmas. A truly beautiful and relaxing part of the world (thanks to the Davidson family for the tip).... we are all set up with tinsel and lights on the van, presents wrapped and Santa sacks out ready for the big red fella to visit in a few days.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. We, especially Zali (who has had a few meltdowns that being away from Nanny for this long is far too hard xxx) are looking forward to meeting up with Jen, mum and dad in Adelaide!!!!!

Four weeks today til we drive back into Jamberoo and our big adventure has come to an end..... a sad, sad thought at how quickly it has all gone, but happiness and excitement at the amazing time we have had and shared as a family!!

Hope Santa is good and see you all soon,

Ange, Pete, Zali and Balunn

xxxxx

Perth to Busselton via Kalgoorlie, Hyden and Collie - 24th November ~ 9th December

We headed out of Perth and through the Hills area to make our way out to Kalgoorlie. After a night of free camping about 180km from our destination, we were up and off to see our friends from Lake Argyle, Mara and Steve.

Along the way, we stopped to help some 'cousins' who had run out of fuel. After filling them up with the 20L of fuel we had in our jerry can and a chat about our holiday and their dream to do the same thing one day, we were back on the road. Before too long, we were waved down again (this time we didn't stop) as they needed more fuel. The flies and the smell of grog the first time was enough to make anyone sick, plus we had no extra fuel on us.

Once in Kalgoorlie, we went to see Mara at work. Steve was away for the night, so with keys in hand we went and set up at their beautiful new home. We were more than willing to stay in a park, but after much convincing we decided to stay with them in their house - a whole level of bedrooms, bathroom, gym, tv room, lounge room and kitchen leading out to the backyard and resort pool area - bliss!! The three nights we stayed in Kal were great. Each afternoon, Steve and Mara's kids and grand kids came over for a swim and a drink, we joined them all in town for the lighting of the Christmas Tree (and fire works, which saw us make a quick departure with a screaming Zali in tow, too scared of the noise), I enjoyed a morning of pampering with a deluxe pedicure (getting ready for my return home) and we helped prepare for Nan Epis' 75th birthday party which was being held on the day we left. It was so lovely to be so welcomed and accepted by such a beautiful and close knit family. The grand kids played so happily and easily with Zali and we were all sad when we had to say good bye. Lucky, we will get to catch up with Steve, Mara, Brooke and Jasper on our first weekend back in Sydney.

Besides socialising, we did also manage to see some of the magnificent sites around Kalgoorlie:

* As Kal is a huge gold mining town, we went and explored the look out at the Super Pit (very different to the mining techniques and way of life I studied with my class before we left of the original Kalgoorlie Gold Rush). We also spent the afternoon at the Mining Museum where we watched a gold pour, toured an original gold camp set up and had the opportunity to pan for gold. It was a bit hot and too many flies for us to stay too long to see what we could find!!

* We toured Boulder and saw all the damage to the old buildings caused by the earthquake earlier in the year. So many original and historical buildings completely fenced in and most beyond repair.

* Peter and I were lucky Mara had time to take us on a tour of Kalgoorlie (Zali was too busy in the pool with the grand kids). This saw us checking out the impressive new golf course, Hammond Park, where peacocks, emus and kangaroos roam freely through the picnic areas and the town lookout above the water pipeline. Kalgoorlie was much bigger and more beautiful than we had imagined!!

* Steve (Tinny) took us on a tour of the Fire Station where he used to work before going into a management position with FESA. Zali loved getting up close to the fire truck and climbing aboard. Not brave enough, however, for the sirens and the lights to be turned on. She also came away with a heap of stickers, tattoos and a work booklet to remember this great opportunity.

Following on from our farewells, we made our way to Hyden - home of Wave Rock and Hippo's Yawn. Yes, both places were good to see, but will not hit the list of places we need to see again. Too hot, too many flies and not near as impressive as we had imagined......

The next morning we hit the road for a visit to the town of Collie - the only coal mining town in WA. Also, the town where Michael used to work about 5 years ago before getting a job back closer to home. Michael had always spoken about a town with nothing to do and no one around, but it was actually much bigger than his description had ever eluded to. I thought he would have been happy with the 4 pubs, the variety of shops and the multicultural eateries available... perhaps he was too busy working long days at the open cut mine about 20km from the town!!

We took a drive out to the mining area (tours no longer available after a terror threat in 2006) to see where he was based. A very hot, dusty and dirty work place, but so glad I could explore an area where Michael learnt so much for a job he loved......

From here, it was a short trip into Busselton. I was only here for a few nights before making the trek back to Perth for my flight home to Jamberoo for the weekend. In the few days I had, it was great to see the development and improvements made to the town since we were there in 2007. Their jetty (the longest in the world) is still breathtaking and magical. An afternoon of relaxing on the beach saw us meet some locals who invited us along to the bowling club to enjoy a few drinks and a sausage sizzle (for Pete and Zali) as the local barefoot bowls comp took place. It was then onto packing and having everything sorted before our early morning departure back to Perth - had learnt from Leigh's experience and was not missing the plane!!

The next 5 days saw parallel adventures......

* Pete and Zali - picked up John from Perth and brought him back down to Busselton so he could compete in Iron Man 2010. With John visiting and getting ready for the big race, Zali and Pete went for a drive to the wineries, fudge factory and chocolate factory of the Margaret River. They watched John race, had the car serviced (and went to the movies and strolled around Bunbury for the 5 hours this took) and got everything ready for my arrival back with Balunn in tow.

* Angela - had a long trip back as I was ill. Loved flying business class, just a pity I couldn't enjoy the perks that came with the Qantas Club and sitting at the front of the plane. The reason for my trip was to see my family and spend time with Michael's family and friends for the first anniversary since his passing - hard to believe just how quickly the year has gone..... A special and moving day was had at the Michael Condon Memorial Day - incorporating a blessing over his new headstone, a bowls and golf afternoon in the Inaugural Michael Condon Memorial Golf Challenge, and a dinner for those who could attend. I was so lucky I had the opportunity to be able to attend. I know Pete and Zali were disappointed they weren't there, but the 2011 celebrations will be bigger and better. While at home (it certainly wasn't a rest and the 3 hour time difference became a real killer)..... I had my hair done, went out for dinner with my school friends, booked all the internal flights for our Europe adventure and attended the Graduation Dinner for my Year 6 2010 class - they were thrilled to see me and many wanted to know if my tan was real or fake!!

After a night of family time and a dinner with Mum and Katrina at Darling Harbour, it was time to head back to Perth. I certainly haven't missed the chaos of Sydney traffic - when did peak hour start to 6.50am? The stress of the new Qantas check in procedures will see me try and avoid flying Qantas again after we nearly didn't get all our luggage on the flight (and then the first bag checked in didn't make it to Perth, anyway!!), but Balunn and I were eventually relaxed on the flight on our way back for the last 7 weeks of our adventure.....

Back in Perth (minus all our clothes, Christmas presents and toiletries - but the car seat arrived!!), we were on our way back to Busselton to get ready for the pack up and move to Albany the next morning. The screaming and excitement in the car, by both Zali and Balunn, was enough to do anyone's head in!!

It was good to be back with my little family and continue this amazing adventure... still so much to see in our last 7 weeks!!

Out and About in Perth ~ 12th November - 24th November 2010

We arrived in Perth to weather which was much cooler than we were used to. Hot weather was predicted during our stay, but the nights and early mornings were chilly.

A well kept secret was sussed out the night before the surprise - Leigh was coming to visit us for 5 days while we were there. This was very exciting!!!

Not so exciting was the vomiting Zali on the freeway on the way to pick Leigh up from the airport. Wrapped in a red blanket, I made my way into the terminal to wipe the chunky bits off the poor chook before we could see Leigh. Some kind lady asked me was Zali feeling the cold - no, completely naked underneath as her clothes were covered!! Not much better on the way home with another projectile. Leigh was quite restrained and strong (can't stand vomit on her own children), but was certainly happy to be out of the car as quickly as she could when we reached our set up. The vomiting happened on and off for the next 4 days and then Pete went down with the 'bug', too. So lucky at the moment that I am managing to avoid any illness the others have picked up!!

So what did we do with Leigh visiting:

* Rottnest Island - we spent the day exploring the beauty of Rottnest. Much colder water than we were used to and Zali and I enjoyed watching Leigh and Pete brave the water from the warmth of the sand. We didn't hire bikes (far too much hard work), but opted for the hop on and hop off bus which tours the islands. More tips about the best places to visit would have been handy. We were all concerned when we were the only people who hopped of the bus at the first stop. Lucky it was only for a short stop, as there wasn't much to see at the bay except seaweed. The highlight of this stop was the screaming that came from Leigh when she stopped for a bush wee and disturbed a resting quokka. Not sure who was more frightened..... Our next few stops really highlighted the beauty of Rottnest Island..... white sand, crystal clear water and unique rock formations.

* Shopping - following my successful renal check up at Royal Perth Hospital at 7.30 one morning (results were so good I don't think I should go back to work....), we hit the Harbour Town shopping complex. Zali had to come with us to make it a girls' day and had just as much fun choosing her own new clothes and shoes. There were some real bargains to be had.... of course, shopping happened on and off for the 5 days Leigh visited. It had been quite a while since any decent shopping had been available!!! So what didn't we buy.... among the collection we had purchased - hand bags, wallets, shoes, belts, adult clothes, children clothes, books, stickers and a diary. One small factor was omitted from my thoughts - where were they all going to fit in the van????

* Swan River Cruise - we spent an afternoon cruising the Swan River to Fremantle. There is just sooo much money in WA. The mansions along the river were amazing, but seriously, who can afford to pay nearly $60 million dollars for a property? And, why would you want to?? Zali loved the attention Leigh gave her and the painting of the nails with the newly purchased hot pink and gold glitter nail polish was a real hit!! They did look a treat!!! Most annoying was the company on our cruise. A group of Japanese tourists that had no interest in looking at what was being discussed, but rather playing a card game that was very noisy and speaking over each other. We stuck it out and we were most relieved they were only travelling one way on the cruise, others were not as resilient and bailed to other areas of the boat within minutes of departing Perth. Once we were off the boat, we headed to Hillary's boat harbour for a cocktail at the pub. Superb location and drink!!

* Lunch at Cottesloe Beach - what a beautiful part of the world Cottesloe is!!! Besides the great food, the views from Indiana Restaurant (much like Bathers at Balmoral) were just to die for. We were given our own little area for the 4 of us and we all just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed each others' company (while checking out who was on the beach - no famous people spotted, unfortunately). The sun was shining and the three different styles of home made pasta we ordered were delicious.

The next morning was the last Liddy was having with us. After some pancakes for breakfast, the girls headed to Fremantle markets for a look and to buy some fresh produce. The coffee, cake and chat at the end probably should have been left as when Leigh got to the airport with 40 minutes before her flight departed, they would not let her on. Poor thing then sat at the airport for 10 hours (Zali and I joined her for 3 hours to try and take some boredom away). Qantas have a lot to answer for. All tickets say check in 30 minutes prior to departure - not the case this day!!

Once Leigh had headed home, we spent some time relaxing around the park and catching up with some friends we had met along the way. Zali was thrilled to be able to play with Bianca again while Pete and I had a great catch up with Tash and Paul. Two little friends for life xxxx We also caught up with Tanya, Thalia and David, whom we had met just before coming to Perth. Lovely to just sit and chat about life and some of the difficulties it throws at us.....

Then it was time to pack up and get ready for the next leg of our journey - Kalgoorlie, Collie (to see where Michael used to work) and then onto Busselton. From here, I am flying home for 5 days to see everyone and to be with my family for the first anniversary of Michael's death. A hard one, but one that needs to be done. Pete and Zali will stay in Busselton and John is joining them to compete in the Iron Man series here on the weekend. I am certainly going home at the right time!!

To those I will not see on my short trip home to the east, I hope you are all well. To those I will see, looking forward to catching up and seeing you all!!

Love to everyone,

The Travelling Helsloots

Carnarvon to Perth ~ 31st October - 12th November

Leaving the beauty of Coral Bay was hard, but the drive down the coast was lovely.

We had planned the trip out and knew what we wanted to see and do as we made our way into Perth. There were many stops along the way.

Carnarvon - so lovely to see all the fresh produce growing as we drove into the town. Many along the way spoke poorly of the town, so we only booked in for one night. On further exploration, the town and its surrounds really were much more than we had expected. After a much needed shop (where prices were much more appropriate), a high pressure wash of the car and setting up the van, we headed off to see Quobba - where rustic and harsh cliff faces meet the Indian Ocean. The blowholes were fascinating to watch and we could have spent hours sitting and watching each explosion through the variety of holes where the water blows through. Further up the coast we stopped to have a look at the monument marking the location of HMAS Sydney, our Navy boat and the 645 people who lost their lives fighting in WW2 when their boat was sunk by the Japanese.

Monkey Mia - the drive into Monkey Mia was the most picturesque and divine view we had seen so close to the main road. WA certainly has its fair share of magnificent water colour!! Monkey Mia did not live up to my expectation, but Peter was thrilled with the place. I thought the 'resort' was very run down and for the price they charge it certainly wasn't value for money. Peter's time was much more memorable (I didn't even get in the water), but he enjoyed his opportunity (or rather Zali's, who screamed and wouldn't participate) when asked to feed the wild dolphins. That afternoon while he was out swimming with some other people, he also loved the wild dolphin who came and swam with them and the fact the dolphin was not at all worried about humans being in the water. An afternoon trip to Denham was great. Zali made friends with some kids from Avalon, while Pete and I sat with their parents enjoying the show a dugong was putting on for us about 5m from the shoreline. On the way out of Monkey Mia, we stopped in the extreme heat for a walk to see the oldest stromatolites on earth. Stromatolites are bacteria which live on rocks and provide a large amount of oxygen for the Earth. It was amazing to see their 'breathing' bubbles in the water. It was a pity that you could not swim in the whole area as it was soooo hot!! The walk to and from the car in the heat saw an upset child and two very frustrated parents!!

Kalbarri - and more visits to see gorges and rock formations in the national park. To be honest, it gets a bit like castles and abbeys in the UK and Europe after a while!! Exploring the coast line was great and an afternoon trip saw lots of whales and their calves happily playing in their pool below us. The noise they make when they flop back into the ocean after a jump out of the water was so loud. The weather was not as warm as we were used to (only a mild 27 - 28 deg each day) and I really did find this quite cool. A jumper was required outside and a doona at night - a LONG time since any of these items had been used!! The sites to see in the National Park were pretty spectacular, but the flies were a killer. Zali was most taken by 'Nature's Window' and 'Z Bend'.

Geraldton - we stayed in a little caravan park just out of the 'city'. Here we saw our first set of traffic lights in nearly 90 days!! Geraldton is a very pretty town. A beautiful walking path right along the foreshore and one of the biggest kids' playground and water park I have ever seen. Zali was in heaven!! The highlight of our stay in Geraldton was the time we spent at the memorial to HMAS Sydney. The memorial was built before the boat was found in 2008, but is in memory of the 645 people on board who perished when the boat sank. It is a dome made of 645 metal doves and looks right out over the ocean. Truly spectacular. The information surrounding the monument was so well put together and we were so glad we got to explore such an important part of our war history.

Jurien Bay and Cervantes - two tiny coastal, fishing towns with magnificent water views. We stayed in Jurien Bay for the 3 nights (especially after Zali made friends with Thalia, a beautiful little girl from Port Macquarie). Again, a great park area for the kids and a 6km walking track along the beach front so Pete and I could keep up the exercise. Our day trip to the Pinnacles was the highlight of our time in this area. Trying to figure out what they reminded us of was tricky - space (as we imagine it) or a cemetery with thousands of headstones!! Rock formations, as far as the eye can see, of all different sizes and shapes. There certainly were some interesting ones, I assure you!!

From here it was onto Perth. 12 days to see as much as we can of this beautiful city - so well designed and set out compared to Sydney!! Also, time for a much needed renal check up (been shaking for weeks) and time to hit the shops and boutiques of Perth.

Hope everyone is well and until the Perth update.... good bye from us!!

The Coral Coast - Ningaloo Reef - 17th October ~ 31st October

We based ourselves in Exmouth for 3 nights to spend time exploring places close to the town - Bundegi Beach, HMS Mildura shipwreck and the Lighthouse. These day trips saw us in and out during the day and cooling off in the refreshing clear waters around Exmouth - divine!

I also celebrated my birthday while in Exmouth and had one of my best birthdays yet...... home cooked pancakes for breakfast, a day of snorkelling in beautiful Turquoise Bay and then a dinner with my loving family at Whalers Seafood Restaurant (the food was so good, we later went back for a lunch!!). It was also lovely to be in a phone service area so that I could speak to my family and friends during the day. It also came with the realisation that 35 now rounds to 40 and this isn't so good!!!!

Our third night was an early one, as Pete had to get up at 5.45 the next morning to line up for a camp site in The Cape Range National Park. It is a matter of first in, first served and we didn't want to miss this opportunity to be camped by the Ningaloo Reef for a few nights and to have such close access to so many wonderful places.

Our plan worked and after his early morning set off, Pete arrived back with the news that we had been allocated a spot in Ned's Camp ground. A site that has 6 generated spots and the rest no modern technology at all. Many, including myself, are very surprised that I survived (and loved) our 6 nights without power or running water!! We also barely used our generator (except for boiling the kettle to wash up and warm the water for our 'bath') and loved the atmosphere of where we were. We were surrounded by amazing families and couples, who all gelled and loved each others' company.

Some of our highlights during this week were:

* Turquoise Bay - snorkelling with a huge array of fish (colours and sizes), swimming with turtles and reef sharks the same sizer as me.

* Oyster Stacks - difficult to get in and out of, but well worth it with the magnificent colour of the coral and marine life.

* Sandy Bay - the clearest and longest stretch of turquoise water you will ever see. An added bonus to be able to see the kite surfers set up and take off.

* The wildlife.....

~ Kangaroos abundant and drinking our grey water bucket each night (including a territorial battle one night between two kangaroos who wanted the lot for themselves. So noisy, that it woke us fro our sleep!!

~ Emus roaming everywhere and trying to drink the bore water when we were stocking up our 'bath' water supply.

~ An echidna walking along the beach with us as we explored the waters off Lakeside and the goanna on the way into Lakeside.

* Happy Hour - a gathering of all at the camp site each night for a drink and a chat. So many families doing what we are and lots of retired (but not old) couples just taking their time exploring this great country of ours. A highlight of one social gathering was meeting a Dutch family who were friends and colleagues of Stef and Anna - such a small world!!

From Exmouth it was onto Coral Bay. We had planned to stay here 3 nights, but with the relaxed small town atmosphere we extended our stay to 6 nights (with drama at the caravan park....). After our problem was sorted, and we had unhappily moved from our ocean front site (bed ends out, roof out and hooked up to the car for the 20m move), we settled down and got back into enjoying the beauty of the area. It truly is an untouched area and we were not prepared for the size (and the expense of the place). Had we known 1L of milk would cost $3.45 and a 2L bottle of soft drink would come in at $6.10 we would have made the effort to restock the fridge and cupboard in Exmouth on the way out. These matters became trivial as we met up and spent time with the great people we had seen on our previous travels. That said, we depart in the morning with milk, cheese and marg in the fridge and weetbix and the odd bit of canned food in the cupboard.

Some highlights around Coral Bay include:

* Zali finally being brave enough to take on a snorkel in the bay and the joy on her face seeing the colourful fish. Bribery of a t-shirt stating "I had the best snorkel in Coral Bay' was incentive enough for this to happen.

* Pete and Marty snorkelling at the wharf with a 2m groper. I would have loved to have joined them, but with blister on blister between my toes, from trying to be 'fit', has caused havoc with my walking. Was even advised to stay out of the water as the bacteria from the reef is not good for open skin wounds.

* Taking the 1 1/2 hour walk to the reef shark sanctuary/breeding ground to see the sharks hunting for their food.

* 3.30 fish feeding in the bay every afternoon. Zali was not at all a fan of 1m fish swimming between her legs and nipping at her ankles. The view from dad's shoulder was more enjoyable for all trying to take in the experience!!

* Having our caravan full of girls enjoying each others' company. The squeals and noise they made would not have been a hit with the 'grey nomads' around us.

So now its back to packing up again as we make our way south for more fun in the sun.

Missing everyone and hope you are all well,

Ange, Pete and Zali

xxx

The Pilbara Region ~ 3rd October - 16th October 2010

After leaving Broome we headed south to Eighty Mile beach for the night. The weather was hot and when we stopped for a fuel refill we were in the hottest temperature we have encountered so far - 46 degrees.... thank go we were moving on!!!

Eightly Mile Beach was very pretty. No swimming as there are too many sea snakes and reef sharks too close to the shoreline. Zali loved collecting shells as we walked along the beach and we had a great time back at the van polishing them up so they don't lose their shine. This was a tip from Colleen, a grandma from Tasmania, who took a sudden liking to Zali as she was the same age as her own grandchildren back at home.

From Eighty Mile Beach we headed further south to Port Hedland. After being turned away from our first choice of the Big 4, we ended up in a park in South Hedland for the first of our two night stay. Luckily for Zali, we were camped for the night next to Colleen, who shared with Zali many of the thousands of shells she has collected on her travels over the past 20 months and Zali came away with an even bigger stash of shells to store in our van.... great!! It was lovely to see the interaction Zali had with Colleen and the amazement and belief in her eyes in everything she was told about the types of shells she was looking at and where they came from. Who would have thought shells could be so interesting!!! While in Port Hedland, we took a tour of BHP's Iron Ore processing facility. The facility is in the town centre and is massive. After overcoming the shock we had to be completely covered up for the tour in the extreme heat (in case we got left at the plant during the tour, they didn't want us to get sunburnt, but don't worry about heat stroke!!). Everything is on such a grand scale...... trains that range from 3.66km to 7.353km (world record), they fill boats (mainly from Asia) with 200 tonnes of iron ore in less than 12 hours before they send them on their way and they export 178 million tonnes out of the port per year. We all found the tour fascinating!! We also found the cost of housing in the area extreme - $2500 per week for your average 3 bedroom house..... and we thought Sydney was expensive!!

Karratha was the next stop on our tour. After a look around Dampier and Point Samson, we settled for an afternoon of snorkelling and relaxing at Honeymoon Cove before a late lunch and some refreshments at the local tavern. We were disappointed not be to get close enough to the port, as it is a restricted access area.

The next day of our trip saw us head back towards Port Hedland as we joined the road to Newman. To break up the 600km trip we stayed half way at Auski Road House. This saw us arrive in Newman at lunchtime on the Sunday. This inland mining town is home to BHP's Mt Whaleback - the biggest iron ore mine in the world and provides BHP's Port Hedland facility with all the iron ore. We had planned to complete a tour of the mine, but we were told at the Visitor's Centre that Zali was too young to join the tour, so Pete did the tour on his own the next morning. The size of the trucks, the mine, the workforce and the cost of the whole operation really is astronomical. Amongst other amazing facts, the cost of each tyre on the huge trucks (like Pete is sitting in during the slideshow) is $30000 and they only last 9-12 months!!

From Newman we headed to Karijini National Park. We spent two nights in Dales Gorge campground and visited the magnificent and refreshing Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. Peter also took the more difficult walk down to the spectacular Circular Pool and then the next day we drove the 'smooth' dirt road 100 kilometre round trip into Weano Gorge to view where the gorges converge at the amazing Oxer and Junction Pool lookouts.

After that it was on to Tom Price the 'top town in WA' due to the highest peak - Mount Newman. The mountain is only accessible by 4WD so instead we drove again on a very 'smooth' dirt road to visit the superb winding gorge and swimming area at Hamersley Gorge. We loved Karijini NP and will definitely be back in the future.

From Tom Price we drove 350 km to a roadhouse at Nanutarra for an overnight rest only and then it was off for the final 280 km into Exmouth. This will be home for the next eight to ten nights as we relax and swim in the majestic turquoise waters of the soon to be World Heritage Listed Ningaloo Reef in the Cape Range National Park. If the snorkelling and pristine waters at the close to Exmouth Bundegi Beach are anything to go by it should be very tough to take! We just have to make sure that we evade hitting the native and wild emus that roam the streets of Exmouth and keep our eyes peeled for Western Brown snakes (one of the world's most venomous) that prevail in the area and we should have a great time... a 'whale of a time' so to speak as we have already spotted humpbacks moving along the coast and turtles wading close to the shoreline in our first two days........

We have hit the half way mark of our trip. In this time, we have travelled over 15000km, have stayed under budget (though I am yet to hit the shops in Perth) and have only had one major disagreement. Not a bad effort!!!!

Love to all and hope everyone is well,

Ange, Pete and Zali

xxx