Monday, 3 June 2013

From Dongara we went north along Coral Coast. We made a quick stop in Geraldton (population 40,000) for groceries, but forgot it was closed due to Western Australia Day. Formerly known as Foundation Day, this holiday honors the date of 1 June 1829. On this date the Western Australia first settlers (British) completed their long journey by sea to the Swan River aboard the ship Pamelia. Other than shops being closed, we didn't find any other ways of celebration.

In Geraldton, there is a beautiful monument for the tragic HMAS Sydney II loss. The HMAS Sydney II lost all 645 sailors in November 1941 near Shark Bay while fighting with a German Raider. We saw the memorial but unfortunately did not stop to take photos. The memorial is designed with a silver dome on top made of 645 metallic seagulls representing each of the fallen sailors.

Northhampton

Later, we stopped in Northhampton (population 2,000), one of the oldest settlements in Western Australia. This area was declared a town in 1864. The beautiful stone St Mary's Catholic Church was built in 1936 by renowned architect and Monsignor, John Hawes.

There is also convent which has been converted to a hotel.

Horrocks

With glorious ocean views along white sandy beaches near the town of Horrocks, this is the part of the trip where I spend the next week talking about the beautiful northern beaches. I can't wait to spend a beautiful day out of the Amarok and in the coral blue waters…even if the water is a bit chilly.

We passed many farms on way to the beach, and the scenery was pretty and peaceful.

Port Gregory

Hutton Lagoon

As we neared Port Gregory, a fishing village surrounded by exposed coral reef, we saw a pink lake! Yes…the lake was pink.

This lake is known as Hutton Lagoon. It is the color of pink because of naturally occurring beta carotene or due to Dunaliella salina, a bacteria trapped in salt granules…not sure. Very intriguing site, especially if your favorite color is pink.

Basf Chemical Company mines the beta carotene. Here is a photo of a portion of their operation.

Hectie hanging at the beach.

Kalbarri (population 2,000)

Our last stop today was outside of Kalbarri to hike along the Bigurda trail. The Bigurda Trail is an 8km walking trail which allows you to discover Kalbarri’s coastal cliffs. It is built high above the ocean and the views are mesmerizing.

Hector and I agreed this trail would make a beautiful run. With the spectacular sights reaching out forever, your legs would never tire. You likely wouldn't even realize you are running, because it is so lovely.

The trail from Natural Bridge to Eagle Gorge gives great views of the rugged cliffs, and there is a chance you might even see some dolphins or whales migrating along the coastline. We saw a number of dolphins swimming below and stopped to watch them for a long time.

Oh and the name Bigurda comes from the Bigurda Kangaroo which can be found in the area.

Ten minutes after leaving the cliffs, we entered Kalbarri and were on the search for an inexpensive motel. We found a room at empty and probably haunted motel, the Palm Resort. It didn't even have a reception desk, so we went next door to a “higher end” resort to collect the keys. We had a few concerns with the empty parking lot and wondered why we were the only ones there, but decided we would stay regardless. On a more positive note, the room was clean and didn't see any bugs!

Pelican at sunset.

Watching a pelican swimming in the bay was a nice way to end the day.

Drove 296 Kilometers.

Hiked 5 kilometers.

Posted with Blogsy

Sunday, 2 June 2013

Perth

After sleeping in, we ended up with a later start than originally planned. But, we still managed a quick 5 kilometer run along the Swan River. We decided breakfast would come later and we started our drive.

Our plan is to drive north and stop in interesting areas along the way. We may or may not make it to Geraldton tonight. It will be a day to just take time to enjoy.

Oh…we finally decided it was time to wash the truck! So Hector told me to don my gum boots and get washing! 🙂

Yanchep National Park

Our first stop was the Yanchep National Park to see koalas. These adorable creatures would be the first for this road trip.

We stopped, but luck was not on our side. No koalas, but there are a lot if trees for them. I can understand why they hang out here.

Nambung National Park

By the time we neared Cervantes, the Gateway to the Pinnacles, it was late afternoon. The pinnacles are located in the Pinnacles Desert, which lies within the Nambung National Park.

This area is spectacular, especially as the sun was setting. The pinnacles are limestone formations made up of beautiful earthy tones and range in so many sizes. We spent over an hour wandering around as the sun fell behind the edge of Earth.

We learned the pinnacles were formed a very long time ago when ancient plants formed cementation of calcite within the dune system. Then, wind shifting the sand exposed these pockets of calcite which form into the lovely pinnancle shapes.

Pinnacles at dusk…many photos…

Dongara (population 4,000)

After our visit to the park, we drove around Cervantes attempting to find a place to sleep. Out of luck! We drove on. We tried Jurien Bay and Eneabba…still no luck. Two hundred kilometers later we found a motel room in Dongara (around 9 p.m.), and went to sleep.

Drove 426 kilometers.

Ran 5 kilometers.

Posted with Blogsy

Saturday, 1 June 2013

Perth (population 1.6 million)

View of Perth along the Swan River. The tall green building is the Bell Tower at Barrack Square. The Bell Tower is an 82.5 meter tower which houses 12 bells (bells of St. Martins-in-the fields in Trafalgar Square)…interesting! http://www.thebelltower.com.au

Today is our day to explore Perth. One of the best ways to explore a new place is on foot, right? So our plan is to take in as much of Perth as we can by running and walking. The morning began with a run along the Swan River.

Our run was beautiful. Hector wanted to run further today, because he was enjoying it so much. Starting from the hotel, we crossed Terrace Avenue and were directly on the path that lead us to the Swan River. For those who know Portland, Perth has a similiar feel too it, great running and cycle paths and people really enjoying them. Grassy parks outline the river that runs parallel to the city's bussle.

On a interesting note, the Nyoongar people drew spiritual significance from the river. According to Nyoongar legend, Wagyi was a winged serpent who created the sacred Swan River.

Oh and even though Perth and Portland possess a similar vibe, I did learn that Perth and San Diego are sister cities (not Portland). How do cities become sisters? A mutual agreement, but why? Something to look into on a rainy day. I guess San Diego works, but from my knowledge San Diego is warmer and probably a bit more geared to runners (lots of running clubs, groups, trails, and events there). I am pretty sure these are not factors used in determining sisters.

After our 10 kilometer run, we took off walking to explore Perth CBD. We stopped at the Dome to share a toastie, then headed to the shops. Most of our driving portion of our trip has been spent listening to Triple J. We have a list of songs to download, but decided to pick up the latest Daft Punk cd at JB HIFI.

We eventually walked back to Barrack Square to take a ferry to Fremantle. Unfortunately, there is no public ferry and the private ferries were done with their cruises for the day. So, we decided we would drive the 30 minute drive to have dinner in Fremantle.

Fremantle

Fremantle is a port city with many museums. I would have loved visiting the shipwreck museum (yes…I have always been fascinated with shipwreck stories), but it was late when we arrived so we'll have to save it for next time. :(. But, Fremantle is a fun town even after dark. We quickly settled on eating at the Mexican Kitchen. http://www.mexicankitchen.com.au/ Great choice! Good Mexican food is hard to find in Australia, and this restaurant was certainly better than any place in Sydney. So, we left satisfied and happy.

The restaurants of Fremantle are located around their cappuccino strip, and Hector needed his 'before bed cappuccino'. So we found a chocolate bar and toasted our warm beverages before heading back to Perth.

Drove 40 kilometers.

Ran 10 kilometers.

Posted with Blogsy