21/1/16 A little bit of York

 Yesterday we left our residence for some different views out the kitchen window , we headed east !!
Not too far east , only 96klms from Perth , to the township of York , with a population of 3,800 . We found a small park out in the country , built beside an airstrip - it is a work in progress , with grand plans . It has a large man made lake ( read dam ) stock with silver perch and marron , and is about half full at the moment . They run a flying school - microlights / trikes , and have a lot of hangars and cabins , and a very new caravan area . It is very far removed from the city & traffic - the loudest things are the birds that woke us this morning - we enjoyed that !!
 Today we drove back into York - White Gums park is about 27klms from town . First stop was Mount Brown lookout for 360 degree views of town and the surrounding wheat fields . We ran into a couple from Geikie Gorge - they were working there on the boat cruises , and we chatted to them for a while before heading into York .

 The information centre is inside the Town Hall building - a grand old building with offices either side of the entry way , a ticket office and a hall with a stage . There is also a section above with tiered seating , above that is a pressed metal ceiling , below a timber floor - if only the floor boards could speak , there would be many a tale to tell - dances , plays , movies and pageants - a very grand old building !!

 Across the road is the Imperial Hotel - now closed - another fine example of the architecture .

 The streetscape here is incredible , with awnings over the footpaths .

  We had lunch down beside the Avon River . Quite a pleasant outlook, and that's where the pleasantries ended - you can't swim , fish , canoe , ride your jetski , nothing , nada , zip !!! There is Amoebic Meningitis in the river - that's  a bit unfriendly - we finally find a river that's flowing above ground , and you still can't swim in it - up north it's crocs , down here it's bugs - you can't win .

  After lunch we headed to the motoring museum - a well renowned  one at that ! $9 entry fee each and away we go . There are many cars and motorbikes here , all in really good condition , some more obscure ones , and others easily recognisable . Here are just a few.

 From here we walked down the street , bought some cheap beer , before going for a walk down to the suspension bridge over the river .

York is really pushing for people to visit , offering 4 sites with power & water for self contained travellers for free !! You can only use these spots for 24 hours , but what a good incentive !!
 We drove around town , looking at all the old houses and buildings , the Catholic Church and the Flour Mill .

  We chose a different road back to the park , going past Greenhill Inn - you can also stay here for free beside the pub , off course if you went in for a beer or a meal that would be good also . There isn't a whole lot else to do out here - it's about 15 klms out of York and beside a railway siding .
 That's your lot again , we headed back to park . A map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kJc-erVbrj6s&usp=sharing

17/1/16 Carnac Island Cruise

 Today we got to go for a sail in a 65ft yacht , not something you get to do everyday - unless you own one !! This was a christmas present , so we organised it and away we went - they only do this cruise on a sunday , the yacht is busy with sunset cruises and other outings for the rest of the week .

  We left from Fremantle Harbour at 9am , motoring out to Carnac Island - the wind wasn't blowing enough to sail , but would be on the way back in . Carnac is south west of Fremantle , above Garden Island and across Cockburn Sound .
 The water is only about 7m deep most of the way until you get to the shipping lane , where it gets deeper to allow for the many ships that come in and fill up with wheat etc . The water is an exquisite green and very clear , getting darker as it gets deeper .
 Before too much longer , we had arrived , our options were to go for a ride to the island and swim at the beach , go for a ride and see some of the seals that live here or just lounge around on the boat and/or go for a swim - we chose the latter . Carnac Island has a reputation as being one of the most dangerous islands - there is a large population of tiger snakes living here , some are blind , as the seagulls have pecked their eyes out , so they are probably a bit angrier than most . We decided we didn't need any snakes , so stayed on board . The yacht was anchored about 70m from the cliff line , and everyone that was going ashore had left , so I got changed and went for a snorkel . The water was a nice temperature , and very clear .

  I swam over to the cliffs , then went along them . The cliffs and islands are made of limestone , below the waterline there are straight drop offs , going down vertically for about 3 to 5m . There is a large amount of seaweed - many types and colours - more than I knew existed , and also many fish , not too many large ones though .

 After checking out much of the cliff line , I swam back to the yacht and climbed on board - good timing , it was nearly lunchtime . The crew had been in for a swim and a few of the others were back on the yacht , jumping into the water from the deck .

 We chatted to one young lady who just happened to know Moss Vale , Bowral & Mittagong - Clare went to school at the Steiner School in Bowral where her mother was a teacher !! Small world !!

 Lunch done & dusted , we hauled up the anchor and set sail back to Fremantle - the wind had picked up and we sailed along quite nicely . The sea and swell had increased , we were surfing down the side of some of the waves - 2m at the biggest . 

 Fremantle got closer & closer , we could see the Maritime Museum and the submarine exhibit , with container cranes in the background .

 Arriving back at the dock we were supposed to be getting off at was a chore , there were a lot of other boats tied up there that shouldn't have been - they obviously couldn't read the signs that read No Mooring - they were probably having a beer at Little Creatures Brewery , or fish & chips at one of the many restaurants . Anyway , they dropped us off at another dock opposite - just meant a longer walk back to the car . 

 That's it day done , back to the RV for a bit more relaxing !!

A map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kuYCZfyJqGr0&usp=sharing

13/1/16 Update time

 We haven't forgotten everyone , we've just been a bit busy .
We finally left Emma & Mike & Pepper to their new house , and headed back to Mundijong for a week or two .
  It was time to catch up with some of the people that we've met along the way , who live in and around Perth .
 Nigel and Kim live in the northern suburbs , we met in Kakadu when we had to borrow their generator . We organised to go round for an afternoon catch up , 4pm was a good time , we prepared for a quick visit - we left at 9:30pm - we all had a great time catching up , talking all things travel and life on the road - something that people who haven't , don't really understand . It's the little things , modifications , tips & tricks and places to stay , go and see .
 Next on the list were Terry & Robyn , who live in the eastern suburbs near the Perth Hills . Sunday was the day , 10 am , and away we went .  We met at Denham and got on quite well there . We had a cuppa & some lovely cake & biscuits and carried on chatting like we hadn't been apart . We decided we'd better head off - it was 4:30 pm - another great catch up - so good we have arranged another .
 Tomorrow we'll be visiting another couple - Len & Jane - we met at Kununurra , Sandfire Roadhouse, Degrey River and a wave as we drove past each other at Port Hedland . They live at Mandurah .
 There have been massive bushfires to the south of us , with towns decimated , homes burnt down and a lot of angry residents . The day that one kicked off ( by a lightning strike ) we were having breakfast watching the thunderstorms roll in , lightning & thunder and very little rain . The lightning started off another 2 fires - one about 20 klms south of us and another about 15klms north - we were sitting down having tea with towering smoke clouds either side of us - a little unnerving !!! Those 2 fires were under control reasonably quickly , thanks to the good work of the bush fire brigades - they deserve more praise for the great job they've done !!!
 The weather has been great , some days extremely hot - in the 40's , and some days cooler - in the low 20's , but generally between 28 & 36 .
  We managed to celebrate 31 years of marriage yesterday , with a delightful lunch at Dolphin Quays Marina .

Tied up at the dock was a small motor cruiser about 25m long , it was so clean you could have eaten your lunch from it , leather day beds on the rear deck - part of the outside entertaining area .

 Dolphin Quays is also linked by a pedestrian bridge - a small unassuming structure !!

 One thing over here , there seems to be many , many sculptures , in lots of different places and suburbs - and they look pretty good too !!

 We went for a drive up into the hills today , from Byford there is a scenic drive that takes you down to Jarrahdale . The drive takes you up into the hills and then back down again , the native bush looks great , there are 1,000's of grass trees ,making the landscape look really good . We stopped at Serpentine for lunch , before heading back to the park . Another bushfire had started along the way , but the fire brigades had it under control already .

  Next week will see us heading off for a few weeks , before doing 2 weeks house sitting for Emma & Mike , before heading off to who knows where ???

 Stay tuned !!

3/1/16 New year another start

 Hello people , hope you had a wonderful christmas & new years , we had a great one - busy , but a great time with family .
 We moved Emma & Mike into their new house , assembled furniture & assisted landscaping & cleaning up . We are still there at the moment .
 We celebrated Lyn's birthday with a cruise down the Swan River from Fremantle to Perth , it was an awesome day . We drove to Fremantle and walked around to the dock , getting on our ferry & heading in along the river . There are some amazing houses - one of them sold for $56.4 million - making it the most expensive house sale at the time !!

 The house next door wasn't too bad either .

 The others , although small in comparison , would do us as well .



  Here's a photo of us on the ferry - it's been a while since we had a family shot .

  After the cruise , we wandered into the city for lunch , then caught the train back to Fremantle and headed for home . We picked up Pepper and headed round to Mandurah for a swim in the ocean to cool down .

Fun for the whole family !!
 Justin And I went for a game of golf at Secret Harbour Golf Club , lunch first then out onto the course . Both of us enjoyed the game and company !! This is one of the par 3 holes .

Another beach visit to cool down and then a sunset or two , the temperature from before christmas & over new year has been anywhere from30 to 41 degrees , toasty to say the least !!
 We are easing into our rest stop , and getting ready to head of again to investigate WA further - there is a lot left to do !!

  These photos are from Singleton Beach , only about 1.5klms from Emma's place .
 That's it for the moment , back soon !!

20/12/15 We have resurfaced

 Hi there , we are just entering a busy week , Emma gets the keys to their house tomorrow , so we will be assisting with the move . Sightseeing has taken a back seat for the time being - our apologies !
  Our apologies also go to the people we didn't get to catch up with on our flying trip to Moss Vale .
 The funeral went as well as can be expected , it was good to catch up with family & friends . The changes in town were quite noticeable - even though we'd only been gone for 10 months .
We flew in last Sunday and flew back on Wednesday , even had the tornado in Sydney to delay our flight back by one & a half hours - we haven't seen the airport that busy before - and probably don't want to again .
 We arrived safely back in Perth , and have been helping pack Emma & Mike's things .
This Christmas will be special for us - first one at Emma's , and all of us together in the one place and at the same time .

From our family to yours , please have a Wonderful Christmas and New Year , most of all stay safe and be happy - life is too short - ENJOY !!

 We will resume our travels in the new year briefly before dog sitting in February , and then we are off again !!
 Till then , bye for 2015 !!!

11/12/15 Still here

Hi folks , we are still here , at the moment we are back near Rockingham , having moved today from north of Perth .
 The last few days have been cool to cold with a cool wind blowing in off the ocean .
Lyn dropped me at the Hammersley golf course yesterday for some overdue practice for a couple of hours . They have great practice facilities and a great golf course - very busy though .

 We had lunch south of North Beach , above a secluded little beach in between rock outcrops . The beach is not what you would normally expect , it is mainly limestone reef and would be an excellent snorkelling area . It is in an area 500m long , that has the reef & very little wave action .

 Our lunch spot was a seat beside the bike track , about 20 m above the beach . We were quite cool , it was hard to understand the two girls who were sunbaking topless down below . Lyn picked our lunch spot today !! We went for a short walk , but the wind was getting stronger and cutting right through us , so we pulled the pin on that and headed back to the park - at least we could go for a swim & a spa in warm water !!

  Holiday Alert :-- the blog is going to have a rest for a week or so , but never fear , we will be back !!

Tune back in in a week or so and catch up !!!!

7 & 8/12/15 Swanning around

 Monday 7th , weather not overly nice , showers & windy and cold - only got to 19 degrees - definitely not to our liking !!!
 Time to get away from the RV for a while , so we headed back out to the coast and drove down to North Fremantle via the coast road . There are some very impressive houses all the way down the coast , most have spectacular views of the ocean and out to Rottnest Island - needless to say the price tag would be right up there as well !!
 We stopped and had lunch at City Beach , sitting on a bench in the sun , trying to stay warm !! City Beach would have to be one of the larger beaches , having a wide sand area , large car park and promenade , and a large surf club with cafes & restaurants .
 Continuing on we stopped at Cottesloe Beach - one of Perth's more famous beaches - it also has a large 3 storey surf club , with restaurants etc .

   The weather started to close in again , so we headed for home to get the washing in before it got wet again . The day was a bit damp , so we ended it by having a swim in the heated pools and then a spa .
 Tuesday 8/12/15
  Today we spent a lot of the morning organising airfares etc for our quick trip back east , then we headed into Perth to go for a 13klm ride around the Swan River . We drove into Perth & over the Narrows Bridge and turned off to South Perth . There are large expanses of grassed areas beside the river , with a bike only track and a separate one for pedestrians !! There are of course restaurants beside the water , catamaran hire , playgrounds and exercise areas . One area was being set up for a horse show jumping type event  .
 The city was just across the water , not as grand as Sydney's or Melbourne's skyline , but has it's own character .

 Continuing on , we passed Burswood Crown Casino and the new Super Stadium that's in the process of being built - it will be huge - there are 10 cranes set up to build it .




  Crossing to the city side of the river , we rode on the side and below the main roadway of the bridge keeping us away from the traffic .

  We had some lunch at one of the landscaped areas beside the river , before riding past lots of apartment buildings and a small marina type area , with 4 storey buildings and the city skyline in the background .

 We rode past the WACA , and found a stiff breeze to ride into - the next 2 klms were a bit of a struggle as we rode into the wind . We stopped at Barrack Square near the Bell Tower and the Elizabeth Quays project that was supposed to be finished by January - not sure whether they specified the year though - it's running behind time - quite a bit !! The Bell Tower is beside the Barrack St Jetty where you can get ferries to Fremantle and around the Swan River . There is an interesting structure - an arbour , where the plants will eventually be trained over it , providing shade and a nice cool area . It's a bit bare at the moment , but still interesting .

 Because of all the construction work at the Quay , we had to ride around the Entertainment Centre and Bus Exchange , before we found our way again , and up onto the Narrows Bridge . Kings Park was on our right and the old Swan Brewery with it's red roof was beside the road out toward Fremantle .

  We crossed over the bridge and turned back under it , to find cars parked under the bridge - an interesting car park - you either have to walk into the city or ride your bike if you park here .Arriving back at the ute , we loaded the bikes up and then had a sit down beside the river across from the city .

 While I was down taking a photo with my wife , someone snapped off a couple of photos - wonder who that could have been ???

 Back to the ute and back to the RV - we are about 13klms from the city , and it only took about 15mins to get back there . After a little bit of food shopping , we jumped in for a swim & spa , before having a beer and finishing of the salsa .
 Day done , here's a map :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kdkDV_qd_04w&usp=sharing