Innes National Park

Innes National Park
17 – 20 December

Innes National Park is on the tip of the Yorke Peninsula West of Adelaide, and that was all we knew about it, but the lady in the tourist information at Port Broughton said it was lovely. Yes, Port Broughton had to be visited, although the town is named after a different Broughton from our Bro's direct ancestor.

From Spencer Gulf

Our recent string of one night camps was designed to allow us to stop in one place until it was time to pick up Maggie and Millie from Adelaide and Innes National Park was the chosen place. We looped right around the park checking out most of the camps until we reached Browns Beach at the very end of the road. Backed by a large sand dune and situated behind a famous salmon beach, it clinched the deal by being empty save for one campervan. We managed to tuck our camper trailer in between two low Mallee eucalyptus and bunkered down against the blustery wind.

From Innes National park

For the next couple of days, the cruise degenerated into a fishing camp as the weather degenerated into 60kph wind and rain. Firstly an unrewarded effort from the beach the first night, and again next morning but later that day we got a feed of herring from Stenhouse Bay Jetty, teaching the SA locals the WA technique of catching them on a piece of drinking straw.

From Innes National park

The following morning Fabian caught a salmon on a lure from Browns beach and I got a couple of nice squid on Marion Bay jetty. On the next couple of mornings Bro and I also managed to land a couple of Salmon.

From Innes National park

We did take a couple of bushwalks, but mostly it was about the fishing.
After a couple of days, I was surprised to find the car starter battery flat when we went to leave. Luckily the boys were able to get twiggy moving at the snails pace required to successfully bump start it. I thought I must have flattened it by accidentally leaving it connected to the fridge but when it repeatedly failed to start the car after longish drives, I realized something was wrong. A bit of research with the current meter revealed the VSR (the black box which should disconnect the starter battery from all the other things which use power) wasn't working. Then to add insult to injury, I managed to run over the solar panel as we were trying to push start the car on another day.

Whyalla, Fitzgerald Bay, Chinaman Creek

Whyalla, Fitzgerald Bay, Chinaman Creek
14 – 16 December

From Spencer Gulf

After we saw Asher off on the 6am bus to Adelaide, I paid up for a second night at the Caravan Park and set about camp duties – two loads of washing, shopping, and servicing the car. I had notbbeen able to find a mechanic who could service of Twiggy that week, but the Caravan Park Manager agreed to let me use his yard (you can't do mechanical work in caravan parks). I went and got new air, fuel and oil filters, engine oil, a few tools and a sump oil catcher and set about the service. A few hours later, the job was done, and the Manager rewarded with beer and the sump oil catcher to keep. It was free to dispose of the used oil at the local rubbish tip, but I had to pay $1 to tip the empty plastic container I took the oil in! Meanwhile the boys had fun bouncing on the huge air balloon in the playground and riding trikes for which the manager waived the usual hire fee. Although I had paid up for another night, there seemed little point staying in Whyalla as we had done all we needed to do, and were keen to keep moving. Well, except that Bro was keen to have a go at raking for crabs. So we hired some crab rakes (free again) and Bro headed out onto the Whyalla mud while Fabe and I packed up.

From Spencer Gulf

Eventually we all went out and managed to rake up some crabs but even the biggest was just under legal size.

In the late afternoon we drove up to Point Lowly which is a place you can catch snapper from land and is the breeding ground of giant cuttle fish. We were keen to catch snapper but the free camping area was pretty plain and already held a few campers. Heading further up, we checked out a couple of camps at Fitzgerald Bay and found a spot by ourselves on the edge of the bay. By ourselves, that is, until another cruiser and camper trailer arrived. They politely came and inquired if we minded them camping near us and weren't put off by the threat of some trumpet music in the evening. The next carload who arrived even later managed no such niceties and after spending an hour trying and failing to erect first a tent, and then a tarp in the failing light, all six of them piled into their troop carrier for what must have been a fairly uncomfortable night. At least they turned their music off before midnight. The wind was less merciful and kept our tent flapping all night.

Next morning, I was surprised by 4 claws waving at me as I passed our wash basin. The polite campers had departed early and left us the crabs they caught last night!

From Spencer Gulf

We kept the crabs in a bucket in the car and headed off around the Spencer Gulf, through the surprisingly pleasant Port Augusta, and out by mistake past Wilmington thinking we were heading for the campground of Mount Remarkable National Park. Realising our mistake, we backtracked to Wilmington and paid $4 to visit the Toy Museum, the creation of a man who appears to have managed to play with toys (and collect them) for his whole life. On a side track to Hancock's Lookout, we spotted some goannas apparently fighting beside the road. After watching them for a while, we realised it was more like nuptial cuddling.

From Spencer Gulf

Always keen for a fish, we dropped in on Chinaman's Creek which we had been told by a port Augusta Local was a place you could catch King George Whiting. It was deserted but nice enough, and we discovered had a basic camping area. Good enough for us, and while the wind blew and no fish edible fish were caught, there was noone around to disturb with the trumpet playing.

Coffin Bay NP

Coffin Bay
10-12 December

There was a general feeling amongst the troops of wanting to stay put somewhere for a while and Wangi Beach Camp at Coffin Bay National Park looked like the place it would be. We found a secluded spot at the opposite end of the beach from the only other campers and the boys set up camp while I cooked dinner. Wangi Bay itself is small and shallow but the boys managed to wade out and have a swim anyway next morning. Then some volunteer bush regenerators turned up and commenced to cut down all the brightly flowering yellow daisies around camp. When they left after a couple of hours, we continued where they left off removing every plant we could find around the camping area.

From coffin bay NP

That took up most of the rest of the day, although we found time for a short fish from the Coffin Bay Jetty late in the afternoon as showers swept across the bay. I caught a whiting and Bro caught a couple of herring (called Tommy Roughs in South Australia) but that was all.
Next day, Asher drove twiggy up the 4WD track to 7 mile beach as we had heard it was a good place to fish for whiting. Bro insisted we stop at  a nice sand dune along the way.

From coffin bay NP

The boys each caught another whiting as well as some Salmon which we erroneously thought were undersize and threw back. Still, we were able to have a feed of fresh fish that night.
On the way out, we visited Almonta beach where Fabian and Asher enjoyed a body surf in the biggish waves while Bro and I watched from the sand dune.

From coffin bay NP

Then it was off to Whyalla so we could get Asher on the 6am bus to Adelaide the nest morning.

Across the Nullarbor

Across the Nullarbor
8-9 December
Following good Caley tradition, we found a 4wd track , the Baladonia track which is a short cut up to the Nullarbor highway. Thanks to the internet, however, we were able to discover a). that it was open and b) that it had a rockhole which had rolled several cars. We never worked out which of the potholes the warning was about but the Ozziexplorer GPS mapping software on the laptop got us through all the unmarked turn-offs up to the highway (thanks Asher!)

From on the Nullarbor

On the highway, we were surprised to see plenty of trees - Null arbor means no trees right? They did start to thin out after a while and by the end of a long day driving, we counted ourselves lucky to find a nice copse of small trees just after Caiguna where we could drive off the highway and bush camp. Fabian particularly likes a bush camp by ourselves so that he can play trumpet without fear of disturbing others.

From on the Nullarbor

Two more big days of driving (we resorted to guess the model of the next truck level  - hint it's probably a Kenworth) and another bush camp saw us across the Nullabor and heading down the Eyre Peninsular looking for a spot to camp for the few remaining nights Asher had with us. I had only researched Lincoln National Park but that seemed too far away, so I had Fabian googling Coffin Bay National Park as we drove along.

Cape Arid National Park

Cape Arid National Park
5&6 December
It was definitely worth traveling the extra 100km on to Cape Arid, given our predilection for empty campsites. At the Thomas River campground, we opted for closest to the beach and furthest from the only other camper, rather than some of the panoramic views and proximity to nice new camp kitchens.

From Cape Arid

As I prepared the calamari for dinner, Fabian and Asher's trumpet playing wafted up on the sea breeze from the beach. Imagine my surprise when they turned up for dinner carrying a rabbit!

From Cape Arid

Apparently Fabian had shied a stone at it in the dark and got lucky. After a short discussion, we decided to kill it and eat it. After all, they do damage the national park, and it fitted in with our boys own adventure. So Fabian did the deed with a tomahawk. With a bunny hanging up, our camp looked quite rustic.
Next day after an unsuccessful morning fish for tailor, Fabian set about cleaning and skinning the rabbit - we really could have used the Dangerous Book for Boys for guidance but in its absence made it up.

From Cape Arid

Once he finished we had a body surf, then packed a lunch and took twiggy for a drive along the beach to the Mt Arid walking track. After the 30km drive to the start of the walk, it was slightly disappointing to find a sign informing us the track was closed to prevent the spread of die-back (a root disease which kills plants). Still, it was a nice drive.

From 2010-12-07

Back at camp, Fabian stretched out the rabbit skin to dry - even more rustic.

That afternoon we tried again for tailor then switched to herring. Herring feed on maggots (which hatch in the weed washed up on beaches). We had been told a small piece of drinking straw on a hook looked enough like a maggot to fool most herring so we gave it a try. Sure enough, almost every cast of the drinking-straw-on-a-hook rig caught a fish. I quickly made up a couple more rigs and the boys spent the rest of daylight hours catching herring.

From Cape Arid

Good fun. They paid for it that night though, filleting fish until 10.30pm.

From Cape Arid

Overall, the stay was quite a hunting gathering experience.

Esperance - Picking up Asher

Esperance and Cape Le Grande
5-6 December

Fabian and I got up early for a final fish at Waychinicup, but there wasn't much happening. Bro took over from me when he turned up at the fishing spot while I started packing. Then I checked the distance to Esperance - 450km – and called the fishing to a halt. Back through Waychinicup National Park and along the highway through hectare after hectare of blue gum plantations

From Esperance

. We took a scenic detour via Hopetoun but didn't have have time to stop anywhere. Lots left for another trip.
In Esperance, I checked into the Caravan park, successfully arguing that Broughton was not an adult, and left the boys to set up camp while I did a quick shop and picked up my Nephew Asher Caley from the bus stop. He had caught the bus down from Perth to join the cruise from Esperance to Wyalla.
Next morning we packed quickly and I sat down to do some work while the boys tried their luck fishing off the tanker jetty.

From Esperance

Bro quickly came back to tell me there was a seal lion lazing on the beach under the Jetty. When I returned from stocking up on fuel and food, Broughton had caught two squid. I set about the messy business of cleaning them at the cleaning table on the jetty. Unfortunately, unfamiliar as I was with the trigger spray nozzle provided, the first jet of water from the trigger hose sprayed my shirt front, and the second flushed the first squid tube down the pipe to the water below where it was claimed by a waiting pacific gull. I was much more careful with the second sqid, although the sealion which had swum out to catch whatever else fell through the hole looked so imploring I was temped to through it a large piece.

From Esperance

Loaded up with squid, we drove out to Cape LeGrande National Park, home of Lucky Bay, the third most beautiful beach in the world according to some authority. We drove there for lunch just in case there was a vacant campsite but found the place not to our liking. Instead we picnicked at Hellfire Bay then climbed Frenchman's Cap past some beautiful wildflowers for some great views of the cape.

From Esperance

Then we left Cape Le Grande and headed on to the less visited Cape Arid National Park.

Waychinicup NP

Waychincup NP
3rd and 4th December
As I checked out of Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, the proprietor told me there was a whale on the beach so we drove down to have a look. It was a small sperm whale and seemed to have been dead for awhile.

From Waychincup

I had been disappointed we didn't make Waychinicup Inlet the day before, but didn't want to move camp every night, so we planned to head next to Fitzgerald National Park. Nevertheless I wanted to drop in a have a look at Waychincup Inlet on the way. What we found is a beautiful spot with the southern ocean surging through a small opening between granite boulder hills into a stream-fed inlet.

From Waychincup

The campsites were almost all full and both the remaining ones sloping and tight, but it didn't take us long to opt for two days here rather than in Fitzgerald NP. A bird in the hand and all that, plus campers we talked to who had been to both rated Waychinicup as better. To seal the deal, they told us they had caught a couple of King George whiting that morning. We just loved the look and feel of the place. So we pitched the tent as best we could and the boys headed down to fish in the inlet. That's where they stayed until dark and a rain shower drove us all back to camp with a couple of whiting, herring, a skippy trevally and a big squid.

From Waychincup

Bro fell asleep within seconds of getting to bed after dinner.
The night was squally – the tent flapped and the wind whooshed – not a good sleeping night, but the tent kept most of the rain out.

Next morning the boys were back fishing while I put silicon goop on a few pin-holes in the floor and rigged up the awning top fit around the tree in front of the tent. It turned out most of the other campers had come to Waychinicup together and they all left together leaving the place to ourselves. As the last ones left, the brought out a Joey to feed. Bro volunteered for the job.

From Waychincup

It was going to a wildlife refuge later that day.
We ended up with more whiting plus two good squid which we prepared and marinaded in milk for later.

Albany

Albany
2nd December

Driving into Albany, we spotted a sign saying strawberries $3/kg. Concious of the need to keep up our supply of vitamen C, we drove out along a dirt road to the strawberry farm where scores of pickers were walking in for lunch. The strawberries were B grade but looked and tasted perfect to us although the odd one had a bit scooped out. So we continued in to Albany for supplies happily devouring a kg of strawberries.
Once stocked up with food and fuel, we drove around Frenchman's Bay and through Torndirrup National Park to Whale World at what was from 1952 to 1978 the Cheyne Beach Whaling Station. The loss of the whaling station still seemed very raw. As we walked from the flensing deck to the top deck and then down to the boilers, the tour guide spoke in the present tense about how the whale was processed.

From Albany

Unlike most historical museums, there was colour video footage of the whaling station in action. We all learnt a lot about whaling and how steam power and harpoon guns led to rapid depletion of the resource. Same story as we had heard about sheep on the Darling, pink snapper in Shark Bay, trees in the south west – rapid exploitation of a resource followed by economic collapse.
We drove to the dramatic Gap and Stone Arch

From Albany

on the way back through Torndirrup NP, and took a scenic route round the picturesque part of Albany town and a less scenic route through the suburbs to get us back on the coast road towards Esperence. We had hoped to get to Waychicup Inlet but after after taking one wrong track in the fading light (there is no signage to it), we piked and headed on to the Cheyne Beach Caravan Park. We were all very tired and the hot showers very welcome.

Stirling Ranges

Stirling Ranges NP
30 November & 1st December

For the first time in the trip, Fabian took over the navigation. He guided us to another forest drive - this time through Shannon National Park, passing the site of Shannon township which had built up around a sawmill only to disappear when the resource was quickly exhausted with a few decades, and then on along the coast past Mandalay Beach and through the Valley of the Giants and lots of other places we could have visited ... With his help, we found the western end of Stirling Range Drive, a dirt road which traverses the length of the western section of the park.

From Stirling Ranges

Rising up from such a flat plain, they provide a dramatic backdrop visible from many kilometers in many directions. As in much of south west WA, everywhere in the park there is signage about preventing the spread of die-back, a fungal root disease which has devastated large areas of the park.
We set up camp at Moingup Spring which is a bit too close to the main road for my liking but the road trains trucking out the wheat harvest stopped rumbling past before midnight so it was fine. Camping has become much cheaper without the girls. Just $11 per night for the three of us in WA national parks. That night we enjoyed a delicious fish curry of feral Redfin. Yum!
In the morning, we drove to the start of nearby Mt Toolbrunup which is shorter than the popular Bluff Knoll by 50 meters but a harder climb and affords views over the rest of the parks peaks. Well it does when there is no cloud. As we scrambled up the rocks to the last shoulder, we caught a few glimpses of the side of the mountain before all we could see was white.

From Stirling Ranges

Although there was no rain, water was dripping off all the bushes as they caught the mist from the cloud racing up the mountain-side. We sat on top eating our morning tea and a bit longer, but no break in the cloud, so we turned to face the wind and headed back down. As Sod's law would decree, the top of the mountain emerged from cloud once we were three quarters down.

From Stirling Ranges

Ah -well you can't win them all. We drove over to bluff knoll lookout to eat our lunch but spared our legs from another 3 hour climb with a white out view at the top. We'll have to come back to the Stirlings another time.

On the drive out next day, we detoured slightly to the start of the Castle Rock walk at the Porongurup Ranges. Unfortunately it was closed for trackwork and the other walks didn't appeal in the time we had available another one to come back for.

New birds – Golden Whistler, Scarlet Honeyeater

Southern Forests

Southern Forests
29th November
The southwest corner of Australia is famous for it's forests and we were keen to see some more. After leaving our overnight camp at grass tree hollow, we drove to Beedleup Falls which are in a beautiful setting but to be fair were not at their best with little water flowing over them.

Next we headed around a section of the Forest Drive to view a few particularly large Karri,

From Southern Forests

but got off the route and drove along some other narrow bush track. When we did rejoin the route, we discovered we were heading the wrong way on a one way loop. So much for that.
Continuing on the forest theme, we visited the Dale Evans Bicentennial memorial tree which you can climb on steel spikes stuck into the trunk and then 5 storeys of ladders till you are standing above the canopy and 75 meters above the ground. It is not in fact an old fire spotting tower but a new tower built to commemorate the past. Still, it is a fun climb and not for those prone to vertigo. Photos do not do it justice.

From Southern Forests

With plenty of time left in the day, we drove another forest loop to Warren Campground beside the Warren River which Broughton's research told him was full of redfin. This is an introduced feral fish species which are OK eating and fairly easy to catch on spinning lures.

From Southern Forests

The boys immediately rigged up a couple of spinners and determinedly worked their way along the river casting at any likely looking snaggy hole but to no avail until fairly late in the afternoon when Broughton emerged successful with a small redfin.

From Southern Forests

Before long he caught another larger version as the fish finally came on the bite. Encouraged, they fished on until the light faded but no more redfin were hooked. Fabian especially was keen to get one and next morning at first light, he slipped out of the tent only to return triumphant with an even larger fish. The boys could have stayed another day at Warren fishing but we were on a timeline so we took our fish and headed for the Stirling Ranges.

D'Entrecasteaux National Park

D'Entrecasteaux NP
28 November
After seeing the girls off on the bus the boys and I had our first taste of packing up without their help – no worries there it seems.

From Black Point

Then after a quick shop and fuel up, we hit the road to Black Point. I didn't bother letting the tyres down when we hit the soft sand – it takes too much time - but when Twiggy stopped progressing on a steeper section, we had no choice. Low tyre pressure worked it's magic and we slogged our way along the narrow sandy track and out to the west side of the point at a place called the Stepping Stones.

From Black Point

The campsites looked a bit dubious but we had a nice body surf and another fruitless fish after lunch.
A surfer had recommended heading along the 4wd track towards Lake Jasper and trying for some tailor in the surf gutters of the beaches along that way. The track was still deep sandy wheel ruts winding over the scrubby sand dunes and after less than 1km, Twiggy again couldn't pull the trailer up the hill. It wasn't particularly steep, just too steep for the landcruiser to pull the 4 ton combined weight of the rig. A little bit of backing down the wheel tracks and some zig-zagging across the track with the trailer (10 point turn) got us heading back out the way we came in.

I went a bit too fast along the sandy track trying to make up time, and realised my mistake when I felt Twiggy unable to accelerate back on the pavement. With a sense of deja vu, I inspected the trailer brake cable – tight - and the older trailer spring – snapped! Kicking myself for driving too fast, I set about replacing the spring. Even though we knew exactly how to do it second time around, by the time we had coaxed the nuts off the dirty dinted bolts and put the slightly stronger spring in, two hours had passed before Fabian and I completed the repair.

From Black Point

It was already late so I was keen to camp fairly soon, and a campsite turned up at Grass Tree Hollow a few km before Beedleup Falls. As usual and in spite of not having help from Maggie and Millie, we made camp in no time flat. Again we had the place to ourselves for the night and even better, we were allowed to light a fire to cook on. Never has kangaroo steak and potatoes tasted so good.

Augusta

Augusta
27- 28 November
Augusta got added to the itinerary to fit in with the timetables of buses back to Perth for Maggie and Millie. So we were pleasantly surprised with the lovely campground there. Apart from the wind. It was really blowing hard but luckily the campground was quite sheltered and we were located near to the camp kitchen with large windows.
The narrow timber jetty where Bro and Fabian went fishing had no protection from the wind gusting down the river. Unfortunately luck was not with them, and hours of fishing in the River and at Skippy Rock on the west side of the Cape yielded only one little herring. A recurring tale, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. At Leeuwin Lighthouse we skipped the tour and instead had a picnic lunch beside the old water wheel which once pumped fresh water to the lighthouse from the spring which turned it but ironically now has fresh water trickled over it by and electric pump to stop the timbers from drying and cracking.

From Leeunwin Naturalist NP

Early on the last morning, Bro and I saw Maggie and Millie off on the 6.10am bus to Perth. From now till Kangaroo Island, it will be a boys only tour.

Point Rd

Point Road Campground

23- 25 November
Unsure of quite where to camp in the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, we turned onto Borranup Drive aiming for Borranup Campground, but decided to head down the narrow Bumpy Love Spring Rd which is just a 4wd track to the Point Rd Campground. This leafy campsite is set amongst large peppermint trees (Agonis flexuosa).

We enjoyed the seclusion and quiet – no-one else camped there for two of the three nights although a few walkers on the Cape-to-Cape track did pass through.
On the first day we explored the Point (Cape Freycinet) where Fabian got accused by the National Parks Ranger of camping there illegally, while getting his swimmers from the car.

From Leeunwin Naturalist NP

The ranger didn't believe his story until he saw our camp at the Point rd Campground later on in the day. Then we drove to Conto springs for a body surf out beyond all the wrack on the beach.
On the second day, we visited Giant's cave which is one of the many limestone caves along this part of the coast.

From Leeunwin Naturalist NP

It is a self guided cave and not especially spectacular as caves go, but nicely developed for our needs with enough ladders and track markings to get you through the sometimes small openings between caverns. After that, we actually drove along Borranup Drive through the Karri regrowth forrest

From Leeunwin Naturalist NP

and succeeded in finding the longest bumpiest 4WD track out to Borranup Beach for a swim in the fairly challenging surf.

Yallingup

Yallingup
21st and 22nd November

The freeway south took us down the coast to Bunbury with alarmingly speed, but that was the plan.
We took the Tuart forest drive to get our first taste of the south west forests. That left us enough time to get to Yallingup and set up camp overlooking the picturesque lagoon and with the sound of the Yallingup reef break booming in the background.

Next day we drove to Meelup and walked through the beautiful coastal heath to Castle Rock where we spotted a whale and her calf not far out.

From Yallingup

We also visited Cape Naturaliste but baulked at the cost of a lighthouse tour and instead contented ourselves with a bushwalk around the headland.

From Yallingup

That night, the shouts and squeals of schoolies revellers was finally curtailed by a ranger or the police moving them on. Despite the beautiful backdrop, we judged it prudent not to risk another noisy night there plus it was relatively expensive.

On the way out, detoured to Canal Rock which we had read held a great snorkelling spot called 'The Aquarium' by locals.

From Canal Rocks to Point Road

We braved the cold water in what we judged the most likely looking spot and were rewarded with an underwater scene of massed seaweed completely obscuring the rocky sides of a deep clear channel dotted with beautiful fish. We probably missed the bit called the aquarium but it was still beautiful. On the way back to the car, we joined other sightseers watching an even closer Whale and calf frolicking nearby.

From Canal Rocks to Point Road

Just north of Margaret River, we stopped for lunch at a forest reserve and ended up going on a fairly long bushwalk through Karri forest and past some huge old pine trees from a 1933 plantation which were not harvested for reasons unknown. Then after restocking our food supplies, we continued on to the the Leuwin Naturaliste national park where we found the narrow and at times bumpy 4wd track in to the Point Road campground. The kids decided to ride on top of the camper trailer dodging the underbrush as it bumped very slowly down the track.

From Canal Rocks to Point Road

Perth

Perth
16th - 20th November
Civilisation! It was lovely to spread out into a separate bedroom from the kids on a real bed with fresh sheets. I even had my own office and duly set to work to finish some work, while Ben, my nephew was dispatched to take Milly and Bro to the beach. Part of the reason for that was to remove distraction from Asher who was just beginning his end of yr 10 exams.

From Perth

We managed quite a few trips to the beach during our Perth sojourn as well as a visit to the Perth Botanic Gardens. David took a day off work for the visit to Freemantle shipwreck museum and then the next day we loaded up 4 of his kayaks and went for a paddle at Freshwater bay.

From Perth

It was also great just spending some time with David and Bette, Sarah Ben and Asher at home. I banned the playstation after the first day but there was plenty of table soccer and Fabian and Asher sight read some great trumpet duets.