#Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

[ricounterwegs]

Down Under – Western Australia Roadtrip - I

Der diesjährige Winterurlaub führte Daniel und mich nach Westaustralien. Nach ca. 24-stündiger Anreise mit Zwischenstopps in Istanbul und Kuala Lumpur erreichten wir am 29.12.2023 Perth.

Nachdem wir aufgrund der sehr hohen Mietwagenpreise lang hin- und herüberlegt hatten, welchen Mietwagen wir nehmen, gingen wir ins Risiko und haben ein vergleichsweises supergünstiges Angebot von Expedia USA genommen. Warum dies ein Risiko war? Naja, zum einen wussten wir nicht, ob wir in diesem Auto auch schlafen können. Zum anderen wussten wir nicht ob wir damit auch abseits befestigter Straßen fahren können, und zu guter Letzt war es auch nicht ganz klar ob wir als EU-Bürger dieses Auto dann auch ohne Probleme vor Ort bekommen können. Ein Online-Check-In ist zum Beispiel an der fehlenden US-Staatsbürgerschaft gescheitert.

Aber unser Risiko wurde komplett belohnt, als wir einen schönen weißen Toyota RAV4 Hybrid mit Allrad erhielten. Er bot genug Platz, um darin zu schlafen, verbrauchte nur 5,5 Liter auf 100 km und die zahlreichen Schotterstraßen und die leichten Ausflüge auf Sand waren durch den Allradantrieb kein Problem. Einzig richtige Sandpisten wie in einigen Nationalparks blieben uns leider verwehrt, da hier ein Auto mit mehr Bodenfreiheit und 4x4 Antrieb notwendig gewesen wäre.

Den ersten Abend holten wir uns noch eine Datenkarte fürs Handy (50 GB für nur rund 30 Euro beim besten Anbieter Telstra) und fanden dann an einem Küstenparkplatz im n��rdlichen Perth einen Platz für die erste ruhige Nacht in Australien.

Die Reise konnte nun richtig beginnen. Erster Stopp war die „Pinnacles Desert“ im Namburg Nationalpark. Hier konnten wir auch den günstigen und für alle Nationalparks Westaustraliens gültigen Monatspass erwerben. In diesem Nationalpark stehen unzählige Kalksteinsäulen, welche vermutlich durch ein Zusammenspiel der damaligen Vegetation und einem erhöhten Wasservorkommen vor mehreren zehntausenden Jahren entstanden sind. Entlang der Küste fuhren wir im ersten Teil der Reise immer nordwärts entlang der Küste. Die Abstände zwischen den Ortschaften wurden dabei immer größer und uns begegneten dabei immer weniger Menschen. Ich liebe solche Landschaften! Wir hielten an verschiedenen landschaftlichen Highlights wie dem Pink Lake. Durch eine höhere Salzkonzentration des Wassers bildet sich dort eine gewisse Algenart, welche das Wasser so wunderschön einfärbt. Auch die Steilküste bei Kalbarri bot ein paar schöne Ausblicke an. Erstes riesiges Highlight der Reise folgte mit dem Kalbarri Nationalpark. Eine Schlucht zieht sich hier durch rotes Gestein und vor ein paar Jahren haben sie einen architektonisch wunderschönen Skywalk über den Rand einer Schlucht gebaut. Hier sind uns nahezu keine Menschen begegnet und am Abend haben wir eine aufgrund von Hitze gesperrte Wanderung joggend unternommen. Einfach nur beeindruckend diese Farben, den Sonnenuntergang und den menschenleeren Canyon zu erleben.

Nach der morgendlichen Fütterung der Pelikane in Kalbarri selbst – der Hauptort der Region – fuhren wir weiter nordwärts nach Danham. Unterwegs bestaunten wir unter anderen den Shell Beach. Hier liegen tatsächlich Millionen von Muscheln aufeinander – die auch aufgrund des besonderen Salzgehaltes dort sehr gut gedeihen und aus denen sich quasi der Strand zusammensetzt. Am nächsten Morgen nahmen wir an der Delphinfütterung in Monkey Island teil. Ein sehr touristischer Ort, bei dem es aber dennoch schön ist, den Rangern etwas bei der Fütterung zuzuschauen und etwas mehr über die dort lebenden Delphinfamilien zu erfahren.

Die gesamte Küstenlandschaft im nördlichen Teil ist beeindruckend. Meist sehr rote Erde trifft auf türkisblaues Meer. Unsere Route führte uns nun weiter nordwärts, vorbei an den Quobba Blow Holes in das Touristendorf Coral Bay. Auch hier wieder ein schöner Strand, aber vergleichsweise doch viele Menschen.

Die kommenden drei Tage verbrachten wir dann im Highlight der Reise, dem Cape Range Nationalpark in der Nähe von Exmouth. Die Stadt selbst ist zwar superruhig und hat eigentlich nichts besonders zu bieten, ist aber eine super Basis für die wunderschöne Umgebung. Der Cape Range Nationalpark mit dem bis an die Küste reichenden Ningallo Reef ist absolut eine Reise wert! Man kann dort Wanderungen entlang verschiedener Canyons unternehmen, Schildkröten beim Legen ihrer Eier in der Abenddämmerung beobachten und besonders tagsüber ewig über dem Rief schnorcheln und ganz entspannt die Unterwasserwelt beobachten.

Besonders der Strand „Turquoise Bay“ hat es uns angetan. Man läuft etwas den Strand herunter, schwimmt ein paar Meter vom Strand raus aufs Meer und kann sich dann von einer stetigen Strömung entlang des Riefs treiben lassen. Von Schildkröten über Haie und diverse Fische war hier einiges zu entdecken.

Interessant ist auch die Geschichte der Region, da hier bis vor ein paar Jahrzehnten eigentlich niemand lebte. Erst als die Amerikaner nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg eine große Radarstation bauten, blühte Exmouth langsam auf und wurde mit einer asphaltieren Straße an das restliche Australien angeschlossen. Wie an so vielen Ort gibt es auch in Exmouth wieder super angelegte öffentliche Parks mit Grillstellen und Wasserspendern. Ein kurzer Tastendruck und die Heizplatten laden zum kostenlosen Grillen ein. Erstaunlicherweise sind diese Anlagen keinem Vandalismus ausgesetzt und immer recht sauber. Das würde in Deutschland wahrscheinlich so nicht funktionieren.

[laimelady]

Milky Way at Vlamingh Head Lighthouse - Exmouth, Western Australia by Trevor Dobson Via Flickr: Nikon d810a 85mm ISO 6400 f/2.5 Foreground: 32 x 30 seconds Sky: 62 x 30 seconds iOptron SkyTracker Hoya Starscape filter This is a 94 shot panorama of the Milky Way above Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, just north of Exmouth in Western Australia. The lighthouse is not active and sits on top of a small bluff at the tip of the Exmouth peninsula, so the horizon is a little bit below me as you can see on the right with some of the Indian Ocean visible. Also being 1300km further north than where I normally do my astro the Milky Way looks a little lower and not so arched while the Magellanic Clouds are also quite a bit lower in the sky, in fact the SMC here is completely hidden behind the bluff and the LMC I believe is behind either the lighthouse or the small hut to its right. This was taken a few nights before the eclipse

[jontycrane]

Cape Range National Park and around

Along the western coast of Australia from Exmouth, Cape Range National Park is a great place for wildlife spotting and home to some amazing beaches. Yardie Creek The only inland water source in the area, though it’s just an extension of the sea, so salt rather than fresh water. Getting off the Yardie Gorge Walk path is a must to really see much wildlife as they live in the cracks of the sides of…

[westernaustraliavisitorcentre]

Places to Visit in Wa - Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, Exmouth

Explore our must visit destinations for your next trip to Western Australia

#western australia tours #western australia attractions #travel western australia #explore wa #places to visit in wa

https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/explore/our-must-visit-locations

[lindoig8]

Wednesday-Friday, 15-17 September

I mentioned going to dinner at the Beach Club when we arrived in Onslow last Sunday and the fact that Heather had seen an advertisement on the drink coasters. It was for a regular 3-day excursion to the Mackerel Islands that we had never heard about. It sounded interesting so we did some research and got very enthusiastic about going there. After quite a bit of reorganisation, we booked and are now going out there next week. Not sure if there are any Mackerel Islands, but we will be on Thevenard Island, one of about 8 in the group. We suspect that Mackerel Islands is just a trading name used by the company that leases at least some of them.

The ferry leaves from Onslow, but we have a few days in Exmouth before that so will come back to Onslow for a couple more days and leave our van connected to power in the van park here while we are out on the island. We have become quite excited about it and it is probably the final straw that will see us cancel our proposed Ningaloo expedition next year. This will probably substitute for it and we may even visit the Abrolhos Islands next month as well - we are still looking at other options too.

We were anticipating a long drive today (actually only 420 kilometres so not really huge) so we planned to get away a little early - but with one thing and another, it was after 11 am before we started out and we needed to get some fuel. That turned out to be cheaper than expected because I think someone else paid our bill and we paid theirs. We bought 111 litres but only got billed for 106. I suspect the woman taking our money had billed the guy ahead of us for our fuel and we got his slightly smaller bill. We drew it to the woman’s attention, but she said she couldn’t change it so we got almost $10 of fuel for nothing.

Then it was basically a long hot drive east, back to the highway at Nanutarra, south past Yannarie, west to Bullara, north to Exmouth and back south-west to Yardie Creek where we are camped. It was basically a big (square) circle to bring us back to only 106 kilometres as the crow/raven flies from where we started.

Thursday

It was a very wild night with extremely strong winds and I had to get up at 3 am to roll in the awning. The wind kept up until early afternoon, but surprisingly, it didn’t seem to make a huge difference to the sea – it still seemed rather benign despite the gale blowing.

There are quite a few places between Yardie Creek Station and Exmouth where you can access the beach so we explored most of them on our way back to Exmouth. One of the first we called in at was Bauden beach - probably the most interesting one. There was some beach there, but there was a broad fringe of rocks and we spent some time exploring them. The tide was coming in so we eventually had to retreat, but the rocks had an interesting array of shells, corals and other rocks embedded in them – actually now part of the rock itself. There were other intricate imprints of elaborate sponges and other marine creatures on the surface of the rocks, but how the rocks had captured the shells and other items and grown around them was quite a puzzle. They were obviously not ancient fossils: rather they seemed to be quite recent developments – probably in years rather than centuries ago.

We called in at quite a few of the other beaches, but none were as interesting. The whole coastline is called the Jurabi Coast after the three species of turtles that nest there – and we were only a week or two early or we probably could have seen them. There is a turtle display at one place and we walked in to see it – but we explored this area pretty well 4 years ago so were more interested in the few birds and interesting flowers than the turtles this time.

We drove up to the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse that affords fantastic views across the ocean and back to Exmouth – probably at least 300 degrees. We ate our lunch there and reread many of the interpretive signs there – about turtles, World War II, the North-West Cape Communication site and other items of possible interest. Last time we were there, we saw dozens of whales a long way out to sea (you can see for many miles so high up on the headland) but this time, we didn’t see any.

We drove out to the wreck of the Mildura, quite a lot of which is still visible and quite close to land. That was interesting and one thing we read was that it has the distinction of having been fired on more times than any other ship in history – although there was not a lot of detail about that. For me though, it was also interesting in that I saw 4 more bird species on the beach to add to our trip-list.

We ended up in Exmouth town (about 40 kilometres from Yardie Homestead) where we bought a few groceries (there are two IGA supermarkets almost immediately opposite each other across a narrow mall – odd that they are competing so close together) and we took our purchases back to the car. It was very hot and I had seen a craft brewery a little further along the mall so we left our groceries to cook in the car while we enjoyed a very cold drink at the bar. The beer didn’t have a lot to recommend it apart from being icy cold, but Heather had a cider that really was nice.

Friday

It was very windy again and I had to wind the awning in at 2 am. Getting up to do this disturbs my sleep, but it is still preferable to laying awake waiting for the next gust to crash the frame into the bracket on the van or flap the canvas loud enough to wake people 4 or 5 caravans away.

We decided to do something similar to yesterday’s explorations, but in a southerly direction today. Before we started though, we drove a little way north to where there were a couple of tracks towards the hills (away from the ocean). We drove in on a very narrow winding track that just got worse and worse until we could see ahead to more than half a continuous kilometre of very rough rocks that really didn’t warrant the risk. Next trick was to find a place to turn around – I think it was a 9-point turn before we were eventually heading back to the main road.

We turned south and paid our entry fee and drove into the National Park and checked out a few of the ocean access points as we ventured 50 or more kilometres, but nothing really appealed to us. They were all essentially surfing spots with the carparks crammed with free-campers and surfers’ utes and wagons. We got out and looked at the beach a couple of times, but long sandy stretches with nothing to see just don’t excite us. We did find one track that headed away from the beach into a gorge and ate our lunch before exploring the area further. I then found a sign that persuaded us not to attempt to go into the gorge itself. I can’t recall the exact details, but it warned of steep rocky climbs with a high degree of difficulty and I think it was about an 8 kilometre trek taking 4 to 5 hours – definitely not something we wanted to tackle in close to 40 degree temperatures.

We eventually drove back to Exmouth to check out where we had to go tomorrow (more on that later) and found a sign to Pebble Beach on the outskirts. We drove in there and the whole beach is composed of small, white rounded stones, interspersed with patches of sand that runs for at least a few kilometres in both directions. We drove several kilometres along the beach and it was quite fascinating. We arrived at a place where the track became very sandy and there was an area of water just inland from the track. It really isn’t a formed track – just an whole series of wheel-tracks showing where previous drivers had felt offered the safest way through – and we didn’t think it likely that the next corner would offer anything more interesting so we turned back again. We added one more species to our bird list along the way – a Crested Tern, not uncommon, but surprisingly, the first we had seen since leaving home.

Driving back through Exmouth, we saw a Caravan Shop and called in and made a couple of small purchases – the main one being a new door handle assembly that we have been looking for during the past couple of weeks. I also got a little tutorial on how to replace it so that is scheduled to be a priority once we return to Onslow after our Island adventure.

The first thing I did when we got back to the caravan was to roll in the awning. I definitely didn’t want to get up in the middle of the night to do that! Needless to say, it was a wonderfully calm night with hardly a breath of wind from dusk to dawn and after.

[leanpick]

Forrest-backed Ningaloo Lighthouse resort to put Exmouth on ‘world map’, include family-friendly options

Forrest-backed Ningaloo Lighthouse resort to put Exmouth on ‘world map’, include family-friendly options

The proposed Ningaloo Resort, located at the foot of Vlamingh Head, would see the Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park transformed into a sustainable world class resort.

[charlesandmartine]

Saturday 17th February 2018

40 degrees again today, very hot. If any of you have heard on the news that cyclone Kelvin is operating in WA, well at the risk of a Michael Fish moment, it won't come our way. It is affecting Broome 1300kms north of us where we have seen reports of severe flooding but all is quiet here. Last night there was a strange red dust cloud that came inland caused by low pressure that sucks the red earth up into a mist. Tonight we can see sheet lightening in the north. The lady at the fish and chip shop (and you can believe people in F&C shops, very reliable people) said that on average they get about three days of rain here A YEAR. They love the stuff when it comes and they all go out and enjoy it. We told them they could have some of ours. It remains very warm outside now at 8.30 pm.

After spending much of the morning and lunch with Martine in the pool and me on the hotel room balcony reading, we thought we ought to venture out this afternoon. I am reading a terrible book about San Salvador and an anti-terrorist group trying to get the truth out of terrorists. I really don't know why I am reading it at all. The morning had started well as the hotel informed us we had already paid for breakfast, so go fill your boots as it were. We had $28 each to spend however we liked, so we managed to spend the whole budget of $56 and therefore wanted for nothing for the rest of the day. Happily I had already been to the gym and worked on the running machine, so I felt particularly sanctimonious. Anyway we were determined to tick 2 of the 3 top ten attractions of the area. Number one was the Vlamingh Head lighthouse, so in good Virginia Wolfe style it was off 'To the Lighthouse'. Lonely Planet described it as hard to miss, because it was the only lighthouse in the area and it is on top of the only hill. They were not wrong. There it was. It was built and subsequently first lit in 1912 to ensure there was no repetition of the wrecking of the SS Mildura cattle ship (1394 tons) in 1907 in a cyclone. She was lost as she floundered on rocks on the North West Cape. All hands were saved, but sadly 381 head of cattle were lost. So they built the lighthouse which sadly was damaged in 1999 by a cyclone and is no longer open to the public, however the views are of the Cape are spectacular. In 1943 a radar tower was built next to the lighthouse to watch for enemy aircraft in ww2. This was subsequently destroyed not by enemy fire but by cyclone in 1953. (you get a lot of cyclones around these parts) They built a bit of a replica tower in 2001 and happily this is still standing. The other of the top ten was the SS Mildura which some 110 years on is still visible on the self same rocks that it perished on all those years ago, despite the cyclones! I expect it is on somebody's things to do list to clear it away, but it clearly hasn't reached anywhere near to the top yet. It's a bit rusty now, so scrap metal value is not what it might have been. The other item on the top ten that we have kept in reserve is of course the turtles and also the Jurabi Turtle Centre. We shall endeavour to meet them tomorrow. We had to rush back to Exmouth and the IGA to get a rubbery chicken. Bad news on that front; we were too late, they had run out and a cold chicken had to do. Nice though, and it is after-all only 12 hours now to another $56 of free breakfast.

ps. As a footnote, we have just been down to the harbour to watch the fishing fleet return, followed by a colony of gulls all hoping for an easy feed. Sadly, government legislation prevents the sale of fish direct from the fleet.     

pps. We watched another episode of I Love Lucy, 1951-1957. Australian TV has all the latest stuff on it.     

[frankiegoesroundoz]

2nd June. Vlamingh Head

At the exit to Cape Range National park sits the Vlamingh Head lighthouse and one of four radio stations established on the northeast cape during WW2. Their purpose was to provide early warning of Japanese air attacks on the allied bases in the area, including a U.S. submarine refueling station. The men who were posted there lived in and around the lighthouse keeper’s cottage, leading a lonely and often boring life in very harsh conditions.

The Yinggarda people spoke of the snake living in the water at Padjarimanu called Kaljura and also of Padjara, meaning hill kangaroo.

During the Dreamtime when the world was new and soft, Kaljura and the hill kangaroo Padjara travelled across the land together moulding the landscape as they moved. They started their travels in the Kennedy range and headed northwest towards Vlamingh Head, sculpting gorges and pushing up hills on their journey. However when they arrived at Birdrong Mill on Middalya station (Station, if you remember, is Australian for enormous farm), the snake swallowed Padjara and later regurgitated the kangaroo to form a spring which has beautiful clear water to this day.

Kaljura then headed for the coast eventually reaching Cape Range, forming its plunging canyons.

The Yinggarda say his head rests in the ocean at Vlamingh Head even today, while his tail is in the Gascoyne river in the Kennedy range where the journey began.

[seeker372011]

Western Australia’s Coral Coast

Road Trip Day 6

A relaxed final day in Exmouth. Most others have churned- a couple of nights seems to be the norm but we were happy to have another chilled day

Thanks to Vodafail we have no mobile reception and no internet. Once a day we make our way to the Ningaloo Visitors Centre for an hour of internet access (but rarely spend more than 15-20 minutes)

Another glorious day in Western Australia- for the first time since we got here, winds dropped below 14 kmph. Temperatures too dropped from the 38 and 39 of the last couple of days to a very reasonable 27 by sundown

It was the perfect day to spend in different sections of the Cape Range National Park.

We started by driving up the Charles Knife Road, stopping when the tarmac ran out and it became a gravel road. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the views were gob smacking. This gorge is - um err- gorgeous. A deep sculpted gorge framed in the background by the light blue of the lagoon and the dark blue of the sea separated by Ningaloo Reef- this is one very underrated attraction in Exmouth and one I’d urge anyone visiting to come and have a butchers.

We then decided we’d go back to the other section of the National Park- keeping the swimmers dry as it were for Coral Bay, our next stop- and revisited the lovely Yardie Creek Gorge and then hung out for a bit at Turquoise Beach before - predictably heading to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse for the sunset.

No green flash but a weird optical illusion- if you can, watch the video. The sun didn’t simply duck into the sea as is usual but appeared to flatten into a bar; and stayed that way for an unusually long time. I am sure someone somewhere has described this phenomenon but I certainly have never seen anything like this. If you have got this far, please do watch the video and let me know what you think of this phenomenon

[australia-wanderlust]

Stormy sunset / Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

[apelafas-blog]

Day 5&6 Snorkeling, Singing, & LOTS of Driving

Day 5 we woke up at the camp site and we're headed to Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia. We were given free snorkel gear and we're allowed to hop in the bed and check out all of the reef and other creatures in the water. It was a very very hot day and unlike the ladies who wanted to lay out on the beach and get a tan, my white skin wasn't having it. I decided to snorkel the reef the entire time we were at the beach. This reef was just off the beach so you just walked out into the water and started to snorkel, unlike the reef I experienced before I went whale sharking in deeper waters. It was nice because the water was more calm and I could see lots of different kinds of fish including some rainbow looking fish some very colorful fish and even saw one stingray, but he got spooked from me and swam off fast. Lots of people did not want to snorkel because the more north you go on the West Coast the higher chance you have of getting stung by a jellyfish. Everyone was freaking out about a jellyfish call the eriganji. It is a very small translucent jellyfish that you cannot see and it is so small you would never see it before stung you. It also causes pain so bad that people are hospitalized from it. I could've laid on the beach all day and took no chances, but I swam in the water where I did see multiple jellyfish floating around me, however, it was very easy to avoid them because they aren't fast swimmers LOL We spent the majority of the afternoon at the beach, but we went back to the campsite so we could go to the grocery store to get food to prepare our meal for dinner. After the grocery store we went to the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, which is one of the only places in Australia where you can see the sun both rise and set. We all sat on the ledge together and watch the sunset. It was another one of those moments where I realized how lucky I was and I was very happy at that moment in time. Once we got back we made another giant family dinner and had a feast. After the dinner it was round two with the fire pit. This time a couple more people stayed awake and for some reason we started doing sing-alongs. Where each person would Sing-a-Song they new or a song from their country. Our Japanese friend sing us a song and his language and it was very neat! I think I could see you every single star out in the sky, we were out in the outback of Australia so there wasn't much light. The following morning we got up pretty early because we were going to be on the bus the majority of the day driving to our next destination, Karijini National Park. We spent about 10 hours in the bus that day and I couldn't remember listening to music and sleeping the majority of the bus ride. We passed through a couple mining towns where our tour guide used to live because he went straight into morning after high school for a couple of years. These towns were isolated in the middle of nowhere and I would struggle to find myself to want to live in a place like that, however some people like it I guess. Finally that evening we arrived to The next campsite in the dark. It was also raining heavily and I am no raincoat or anything to protect me from the water. I quickly shoved all of my stuff into a tent and got underneath some cover. Then we got ready to prepare dinner. Luckily the rain stopped and it turned into a mist or light drizzle so we proceeded with making dinner because we had a couple big days ahead of us.

[icekish90]

4400 'CLICKS’ TO BROOME

14.02.2017 - 23.02.2017

For the next 10 days, I had booked myself on adventure tour with 18 travelling companions, who would become my tour family during the trip! After an early start to the morning, I travelled from Fremantle to Perth City via the train and walked to the YHA Hostel where we would be picked up by Dane, our tour guide. We would be travelling in an all-terrain bus with our bags loaded in the back of the vehicle. Time to set off on our adventurous journey! I knew one person on the bus, Mathieu, from France. He stayed at the first hostel I stayed at in Perth, Bambu Backpackers Hostel. There were others that knew each other too, however initially it was little quiet. That was soon to change, as Dane informed us we would be taking part in a game he called ‘speed dating’ as it was Valentine’s Day. The bus had two seats on either side and 5 seats at the back. The aim of the game was for everyone to get to know each other. Those who sat in the middle-isled seats moved onto the next seat every 5 minutes. I was sat in the middle isle so I was moving from seat to seat. It was funny for everyone trying to weave past each other, and a great way to get to know my tour family!

My tour family included;

Dane – Australia

Nori – The Netherlands

Lydia – The Netherlands

Sophie – Canada

Sarah – France

Lilou – France

Andree – France

Mathieu – France

Bernie (Roger) – Switzerland

James – UK

Eva – Germany

Nicole – Germany

Marcia – Germany

Ines – Germany

Evgenia - Russia

Faye – UK

Amanda - Australia

Elicia – UK

DAY 1: Perth/ Kalbarri

We ventured north to Nambung National Park near the town of Cervantes to explore the Pinnacles, which are ancient rock formations that rise out of the desert. After walking around exploring and taking pictures of these interesting rock formations, we continued to Sandy Cape, north of Jurien Bay, where we experienced the awesomeness of Sandboarding down the crisp white sand Junes. I had a few goes, however never managed to stand on the board. Instead, I sat on the board and made my way down, which everyone else pretty much did. We arrived in Kalbarri just in time to see the sunset, where we would be staying for the night. We had covered around 7 hours of travelling, and finished the evening with a view of the sunset and a fiery BBQ with crisp beers.

DAY 2: KALBARRI NATIONAL PARK TO SHARK BAY

Today we started early in the morning to drive to Kalbarri National Park which wasn’t too far from our location. We hiked through the park to see Murchison River, Z Bend Gorge, the Loop Walk and Nature’s Window. Throughout the day, we were ‘attacked’ by flies and mosquitos flying around the area. The temperature increased to around 40 degrees due to the surrounding rocks consuming and insulating the air around us. Some of the group, including myself, experienced the rush of abseiling down a 25m cliff hang close to the Merchasin River. I was the lucky one to go first, and it was an exhilarating feeling indeed. Next, we took a short stop at the Billabong Roadhouse where some of us would purchase fly nets to ‘protect’ us from the annoying flies, and where we would have time for lunch. In the Shark Bay region, we stopped at Shell Beach. A beach covered with shells for 60km and one of only two beaches in the world made entirely from shells. Another 45 km drive and we arrived in Denham to crash for the night in a hostel.

DAY 3: SHARK BAY TO CORAL BAY

Another early start to the day and a short drive across the Peron Peninsula to visit Monkey Mia, a visiting location for Wild Dolphins. I had the opportunity to see two Dolphin feeds, conducted by RAC Parks & Resorts. I was one of the lucky ones to experience feeding one of the Dolphins myself. Unfortunately, the Dolphin I was feeding was either not hungry or teasing me as she didn’t take the small fish from me. We moved on to visit Carnarvon to see Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, which are Earth’s oldest living fossils. As we continued along the longest national road in the world, we past a sign stating we had entered the Tropic of Capricorn. In Coral Bay, we caught another beautiful sunset along the beach and managed to see a Stingray swimming close to coast. A quick game of run-around ping pong at the hostel finished off the day in fantastic style!

DAY 4: CORAL BAY TO YARDI CREEK

The Ningaloo Reef was our exploration location for today, where we snorkelled around to view the beautiful reef and fish swimming in the ocean. During the drive towards Exmouth we stopped on the side of the road as we saw a Thorny Devil reptile just off the road. These are Australian reptiles known as the mountain devil, and are hard to see as they blend in with the sandy desert colour. Our accommodation for the evening were 2 man tents which were set up prior to arriving to the campsite. Unfortunately, one of the tents had a small rip, and later in the evening Nori and Lydia saw a large Huntsman Spider staring at them from the top of the tent. As well as incredible storms lightening up the atmosphere, it was going to be an uneasy sleep for the night.

DAY 5: EXMOUTH AND CAPE RANGE NATIONAL PARK

On day five we headed to Cape Range National Park where we hike around along the Yardie Gorge Trail which would take us around 2 hours to complete. The walk took us high above Yardie Creek with views of the Ningaloo Reef. We managed to see many different species of birds and a couple of western grey kangaroos. Later in the afternoon we relaxed on the pristine beach at Turquoise Bay and snorkel 40m offshore. I caught a glimpse of a turtle, even with the strong waves pushing me back and forth. In the evening, we visited Vlamingh Head Lighthouse where we would witness an amazing sunset in the distance over the ocean.

DAY 6: 12 HOURS TO KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK

Day six consisted of a 12 hour journey inland through the vast cattle stations of the Pilbara region. We were to cover 900km, stopping at various roadhouses, passing Ashburn Shire, the Pilbara (containing the oldest rocks in the world), RFDS air service area air strip, the famous Nanutarra Roadhouse and stop at the liquor store at Tom Price (to purchase… liquorJ). We arrived at Karijini National Park Camp where we would be sleeping in a 6 man tents for the next 3 nights. We split into three groups and settled into our tents. The tent featured zip-window features, with a fly net guard, providing a view of the stars above us when we all went to sleep. This would be my first time experiencing sleeping in a single ‘swag’. A ‘swag’ is essentially a sleeping bag made from canvas, and usually sleeps one to two people.

DAY 7: KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK

Over the next two days we would explore the amazing gorges of Karijini National Park. We hiked deep into the gorges, saw cascading waterfalls and fresh waterholes where we would take a swim in to cool down from the heat of the sun. The three gorges we explored were Circular Pool, Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool (Jubaru – Indigenous name), located on the east side of the park. Jubaru Pool was a sacred area and Dane informed us it was a tradition to take some water in our hand, put it in our mouth, and spit it back into the pool. There were also Garra rufa fish (fish which eat dead skin) swimming in the pool, and some of us experienced a natural fish pedicure.

DAY 8: KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK

We headed back into gorges of the west side of Karijini National Park to explore Hancock Gorge, Red Gorge (Deepest Gorge) and Weano Gorge. We were walking through waist high water when hiking towards the Red Gorge, the ups and downs of the spider walk to Hancock Gorge, and the dangerous challenge of walking down a fast flowing stream of water to get to Handrail Pool at Weano Gorge. In certain areas, we needed to leave our bags as we would be swimming in the pools to arrive at the gorges. The most dangerous gorge to get to was Weano Gorge, as the ground was slippy with the fast flowing water running down the rocks, and the handrail was the only apparatus to hold on to. Lastly, some of us also walked around Junction Point to catch a glimpse of Joffre Gorge, which was directly behind the camp site. Tonight, we dined Italian style with Chicken Carbonara and Vegetable Pasta for dinner… YummyJ!

DAY 9: PILBARA REGION

The last two days of the tour were less intense than the last couple of days, as we travelled north towards to coast towards Pardoo Cattle Station. Along the journey, we spotted a couple of large road trains at Auskie Roadhouse and a railway carriage which was 4 km long… Unbelievable… Yet believable! At Pardoo Station, we caught another beautiful sunset illuminating the atmosphere deep red. We chilled in the pool, had fun dancing to karaoke music and played card games throughout the evening.

DAY 10: BROOME

Today was a sad day as it would be end of an amazing journey together! Our drive along the 80 Mile Beach was awesome, and we stopped off at the Marine Park in the morning to have some breakfast. We stopped at Sandfire Roadhouse for fuel, and saw a colourful Peacock walking around the area. In Broome, we visited Cable Beach to take some pictures and take in the breath-taking views of the ocean. Many of us were staying in different locations of the town, however we organised to meet up in the evening at Matso’s Brewery for dinner. After the meal, we went out to the only bar open in the town, where we had many drinks and danced throughout the night. It was an awesome way to finish off the tour with everyone and a slightly emotional feeling when we all went our separate ways.

An amazing experience travelling up the west coast with an awesome tour family who made the trip an unforgettable experience! All the best to all my travel companions and I hope to see you all soon!

[dbamountaineer]

Are you wondering if its worth to visit Rottnest Island as your next holiday vacation? My visit in the island was considered a once in a lifetime, because the world is so big, and it’s really hard to say if I will get a chance for a second time. My tour in Rottnest was one of the awesome holidays that I had even though I spent less than a day in the island.

Being able to explore almost the whole island, was my reference to say that if you are into island adventure all in one, Rottnest is indeed a perfect holiday destination. Whether you are adventure seeker or stay-cation enthusiast, there is definitely something for you. Whether you are solo traveler like me or you are with family, the island has lots of things to offer for yourself, your friends, for your love one or for your family.

Without further ado, below are the reasons why you must consider Rottnest Island as your next holiday destination.

1. Lovely Bays, Beaches & Pool

Rottnest Island is “One of the Most Luxurious Snorkelling Spots in the World” according to Expedia’s Listopedia. Rottnest has 63 beaches and what I saw were just some part of it. Some bays and beaches to mention are : Thomson Bay, Henrietta Rocks & The Shark Wreck, Parker Point and Purpoise Bay, Jeannies Pool, Little Salmon Bay, Salmon Bay, Fish Hook Bay, Cape Vlamingh, Cathedral Rocks, Rocky Bay, Stark Bay, Ricey Beach, Catherine Bay Beach and Geordie Bay.

2. Historical and Mighty Hills

Rottnest has significant participation in defending a part of Australia through Oliver Hill with colourful history. The hill features the military defense of the island by protecting and defending port of Perth and Fremantle. The 9.2 inch battery remains can still be seen and enjoyed through tunnel tour. Not far from Oliver Hill, the Wadjemup Hill and Lighthouse can be seen. The lighthouse itself protects the boats that approaches the island.

3. Scenic Lakes

During the island exploration, Rottnest does not have only beaches and bays, it has scenic lakes to enjoy through bus tour, biking or even walking and trekking. The lakes to enjoy are : Lake Vincent, Herschel Lake and Government House Lake.

4. Green Technology – Rottnest Wind Turbine

As part of environmental protection of the island, Rottnest built a wind turbine to both fulfill the electricity needs of the island as holiday destination and to reduce diesel / greenhouse emission.

5. Hearty Historical Place – Thomson Bay Settlement

The island has a heartfelt and deep history that needs to be learned by visitors of the island to appreciate what it has been through and why it is a holiday destination nowadays. Thomson Bay Settlement area witnessed this part of history.

Notes : 1. Plan to visit Rottnest Island ? Please check latest information here. 2. Location : Rottnest Island, WA 6161, Australia 3. Directions to Rottnest Island : Transportation : a. Join Day Tours from Perth or b. Go to Barrack Street Jetty Elizabeth Quay terminal and take Rottnest Express ferry c. Go to Hillarys Ferry Terminal and take Rottnest Fast Ferries boat d. Go to Northport Rous Head Harbour or  B Shed Victoria Quay in Fremantle and take Rottnest Express ferry or e. Go to B Shed Victoria Quay in Fremantle and take Sealink Rottnest Island ferry Official Website : Rottnest Island

  5 Reasons Why Rottnest Island Is Your Next Perfect Holiday Destination? Are you wondering if its worth to visit Rottnest Island as your next holiday vacation? My visit in the island was considered a once in a lifetime, because the world is so big, and it's really hard to say if I will get a chance for a second time.

[westernaustraliavisitorcentre]

Places to Visit in Wa - Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, Exmouth

Explore our must visit destinations for your next trip to Western Australia

#western australia tours #western australia attractions #travel western australia #explore wa #places to visit in wa

https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/explore/our-must-visit-locations

[capture--the-moment]

[westernaustraliavisitorcentre]

Places to Visit in Wa - Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, Exmouth

Explore our must visit destinations for your next trip to Western Australia

#western australia tours #western australia attractions #travel western australia #explore wa #places to visit in wa

https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/explore/our-must-visit-locations