On our drive home from York a couple of weeks ago we decided to deviate  off the Great Eastern Highway to the south in order to visit the Mundaring Weir, Western Australia.

This huge dam, situated about 70 kilometres north east of Perth city, Western Australia; is one of the main water storage areas for the supply of fresh water to the 1.5 million (approx) residents of Perth.  Mundaring Weir is also the originating point for the water that is pumped via a pipeline some 600 kilometeres to the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie. At the Weir you will find various places which provide information about the fascinating C Y O’Connor pipeline project that was built from Mundaring Weir all the way to Kalgoorlie. An achievement which would be a formidable undertaking in 2009, let alone some 100 plus years ago!

Mundaring Wier dam wall looking north – November 2009

Mundaring Weir looking east; November 2009 – A very pretty place

Mundaring Weir Overflow Wall from southern carpark

Halfway point  along the walkway – Mundaring Weir

Mundaring Weir map – You Are Here is where we were!

Mundaring Weir – Friendly Gecko on the walkway across the Weir

I have visited Mundaring Weir numerous times during the past 4o years. However, it is a long time since I saw water levels high enough whereby water poured over the dam walls into the river region below the dam walls. Fortunately, due to reasonable rainfall during 2009, the dam holds a lot more water than back in 2008 when the dam looked near empty.

To the north of the dam wall is situated a delightful old hotel that was built way back in 1898. After we visited the main weir and enjoyed a walk along the wall to the central point we returned to our car which we had parked in a car park near the southern  entry to the main wall. From there we drove the couple of kilometres north through some delightful heavy bush country to the Mundaring Weir Hotel where we enjoyed a coffee break amongst the cool trees that surround this delightful old hotel.

The delightful Mundaring Weir Hotel. We enjoyed a coffee break under the green umbrella, under the trees  to the right

We arrived at the Mundaring Weir Hotel around 1 pm on a Monday. For that reason the place was not busy and we really enjoyed the fact that we had the place largely to ourselves. Mundaring Weir is a VERY busy destination for Perthites on weekends and public holidays. Try to arrive there during the week if you dont like big crowds of people fighting for a bit of space. The hotel has a main bar where you can buy alcoholic beverages, coffee and counter lunches. Downstairs there is a great casual restuarant where the hotel provides an excellent menu. The downstairs restuarant was not open on the Monday we visited.

There are also a small number of accommodation units, plus a pool and an area where musical shows sometimes take place on weekends. You will usually find a jazz band, or similar,  in operation on weekends or on public holidays.

They were doing an enormous amount of refurbishment of the downstairs restuarant area, pool area, and area surrounding the pool when we arrived. That looks like it will continue for some time to come.

Mundaring is an easy drive from Perth city for a day trip and is well worth the trouble. In fact you will enjoy excellent views of  Perth city and the surrounding coastal regions on your return journey to Perth city as you drive down the very, very steep Darling Escarpment along Great Eastern Highway.

Have fun on a day trip to Mundaring Weir, Western Australia.

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Monday morning kicked off wonderfully with a home cooked country breakfast in the dining room of the Swann Lodge B & B.  The Swann Lodge which is located close to the centre of York; Western Australia; had lived up to our expectations.

Our hosts Di & Bob proved very friendly and helpful. Bob also turned out to be a terrific chef.  Starting with an array of cereals, plates of fresh fruit, then stacks of  bacon, eggs, sausages and toast. Coffee on the sideboard. Perfection. Many thanks to our hosts for a great stay and an excellent breakfast.

While enjoying breakfast we met Cyril and Jan who were doing exactly the same as ourselves. They had also arrived Sunday afternoon. It was from them that we first learnt about an excellent, most informal dining venue in York. The place is called Yorkys and is near the Avon River, almost adjacent to the Castle Hotel, and just east of Avon Terrace. Cyril told us about their terrific steak dinner they had enjoyed at Yorky’s the previous Sunday evening, while we had to make do with take away pizza! Yorkys is also BYO so they had dined under the stars, enjoyed an excellent evening dinner, a bottle of chard,  for a third of the asking price at the Imperial Hotel.

Yorkys of York

After breakfast we packed our belongings, thanked our hosts and went for a drive to have a look at some of the other sights of York. The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. We checked out where Yorkys is and were surpised that it consists of a large railway carriage converted into a cafe with long  bench style tables and seats for guests to enjoy an evening under the stars. Now that would have been the perfect evening out last night. Yorkys was closed Monday, however the menu posted on the wall looked excellent and most affordable. Well, we will know next time wont we!

We then called in for a look at a heritage building called “The Residency”. Unfortunately, being Monday, we discovered this historic building and museum was  closed. Fortunately one of the volunteers was doing some work around the old building and was most kind to let us have a look around inside the building. We paid our entry fee and enjoyed half an hour all to ourselves,  examining the numerous artifacts and treasures dating back to the mid 1800’s when York was first settled. The old Residency has been lovingly restored by numerous volunteers. This old building is full of excellent memoriabilia that truly represents the harsh life as it was 150 years ago in the raw bushland of Western Australia.

The Residency – Only a minute by car from the centre of York Town

After visiting the Residency we drove around York to see some other sights we had heard about during earlier brief visits but were always in too much of a hurry to visit. First on the list was to tour “Bland Town”.  Now Bland Town is anything but bland. In fact this small village area only a short walk south of the centre of York town is a gorgeous place consisting of many fine old cottages fully restored to their earlier glory as they were way back in the late 1800’s. Make sure you visit Bland Town.

Delightful two story cottage – Bland Town

Old Cottage – Bland Town

We walked around this very old “suburb” of York. I think it’s only from walking such areas that you can achieve some true feeling for these beautifully restored and well maintained buildings that date back to the late 1800’s.

Next we went for a drive around the small suburban area of York looking for some original cottages. There are quite a few dotted around and we sincerely trust none of these fine old places are ever bulldozed!

Old cottage near Swann Lodge

The Old York Hospital. Now privately owned and used as a private residence.

Beautiful old cottage to north of York town centre

We also enjoyed seeing a variety of bird life in and around York. I managed to snap a couple of photos of a few very friendly birds.

Twenty Eight Parrot enjoying our company in a York cafe

Someone told me this bird is a Butcher Bird? Maybe any bird lover’s out there could comment?

About midday we decided we had better head for home. We had thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay in York, Western Australia and thoroughly recommend you place York on your must see list. Our stay at Swann Lodge was great. The Lodge is not spectacular. However it was comfy, close to the town centre and reasonably priced. I strongly recommend visiting York on days other than a Saturday or Sunday or a public holiday. In earlier years we used to visit York on those days and the place was always jam packed with tourists. Much better as from late Sunday afternoon and during the working week.

See you on our next trip to somewhere in Western Australia.

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Earlier this year I wrote an article about a most enjoyable day my wife and myself spent kyaking up the Moore River. Actually, the paddling did not get very far due to strong easterly winds which drove us backwards instead  of forwards. Anyway our excursion along the pristine environment of the Moore River was, as always, a wonderful experience.

The Author enjoying the pristine Moore River earlier in 2009

I mentioned in that earlier post that Moore River was now one of the last remaining environmentally untouched regions in South Western Australia. I added that I certainly trusted the big developers would never get their $ hungry hands on the land surrounding the river region. We already suffer more than sufficient green algae bloom in the Swan River!  Currently we are told not to even eat the shell fish from the Swan river or the Peel Estuary because they are diseased and may make us very ill? Surely we should dread repeating those errors of judgement in the Moore River!

Cormorant Colony – South Bank of the Moore River!!!!!

Firstly I need to make the following point strongly. This blog is not a political comment blog. However, when I sense that one of the most gorgeous river regions is in danger of developmental vandalism, comment must be made!

Unbeknown to me at the time I made that post my worst fears were already on the way to becoming reality. My first warning that this picture perfect river was already under major threat from developers was when the comment (below) appeared under the relevant post  on this travel blog:

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Dear Ross,
I have just read your lovely description of Guilderton/Moore River. Sorry to hear the fish did not stay attached. I would like you to know that there is a large development proposal planned for an area on the south side of the river just up from the boat ramp. There is a group of concerned individuals known as FOMRE (Friends of Moore River Estuary) fighting (a long and protracted) battle to stop this happening. You may wish to visit  http://www.savemooreriver.org or contact me so I can talk to you. This is a serious threat to the last near pristine estuary that WA has. It needs as much support as possible. Your photos are beautiful and evocative of the great place it is. And the fact that you like to share your WA experiences may enlist further support to protecting the river. Thank you. Diana Papenfus

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Firstly I apologise to Diana for not seeing her post earlier. However for a number of reasons I was off the air for a few months. When I restarted my blog the first thing I ran into was the comment from Diana awaiting my approval.

Why on earth would any government approve such a massive development adjacent to such a pristine wilderness region? I guess it’s related to the never ending need for profits by developers. These days one never understands which political party in power will prove the most dangerous as relates to unbridled development.

Unfortunately, the current Liberal government seems to have adopted an attitude since Mr C Barnett took the reigns that a large percentage of the people responsible for voting him and his people into power now have limited say in what the general public need and require from a 21st century government. Thank goodness Mr Barnett disliked day light saving as much as I did, otherwise we well may have had daylight saving again for the current year by some form of administrative order…as he is currently trying to do with extended trading hours? I doubt that Mr Barnett will ever reseek re-election. For that reason that makes him a bit of a worry as he may not have to face the people he upsets at the next election?

I only included the aforegoing paragraph as an example of how the current government seems prepared to ride roughshod over the wishes of the majority of voters in order to get their own way. I would fear that the planned development of the Moore River region will proceed irrespective of the voices of ordinary citizens like those currently trying to see that reason prevails before yet another environmental trashing takes place in the pristine Moore River region.

This blog will provide support to the the people fighting to stop this  development. For anyone who has enjoyed, and wishes to continue to enjoy the wonderful pristine beauty of the Moore River region head over  to http://www.savemooreriver.org

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York is a delightful  country town situated amongst the folds of the Darling Ranges some 95 kilometres east of Perth, Western Australia. Over the years we have made a number of short visits to York. Usually with family and friends to enjoy a BBQ picnic in one of the parks. A brief look around the town and then we would be gone.

Last week we decided to book into a B & B in York for Sunday night in order to spend more time in the town to enjoy an indepth experience of York, Western Australia. I realise there is maybe no such thing as having an indepth experience of a country town in two days, however that would be better than only a half a day!

We left our home on the northern coastal beaches late morning, enjoyed a picnic lunch in a park in the village atmosphere of Mundaring, and were in York by 1.30pm. The drive from Perth to York is very pleasant. Pleasant, I should add once we had left the chaotic traffic of Midland behind. Once east of Midland the road ascends rapidly up the western escarpment of the Darling Ranges, along  Great Eastern Highway, which is surrounded on both sides of the road by heavy bushland.

About 50 kilometres along the Great Eastern Highway from Perth you have to be careful not to miss the signage to deviate off the main highway, south east to York. The drive along the last 45 k’s from the Lake’s Garage turnoff to York is through a mixture of native bushlands and cleared farming properties. Before we knew it we were on the outskirts of York.

Zoom photo of York Town Centre from the top of Mt Brown

According to the travel brochure York has a population of 3,200. As we drove along Avon Terrace,  the main road through the centre of town,  looking for our B & B, I was convinced the population must have left town as it was so quiet and peaceful. I would add that was the main reason we had decided to arrive on a Sunday afternoon and spend Sunday night in York. Most of the day trippers from Perth would be returning to the city and most of the locals were probably out visiting other regions.

Realising we had missed our turn off to the Swann Lodge we back tracked south to Balladong Street, turned left, across the bridge over the Avon River, and within a minute we had arrived at Swann Lodge.  That should give you some impression that York is not a large town. The Swann Lodge is a comfy B & B motel style setup consisting of five motel  rooms, each with a Queen size bed, and sufficient space to move around. They boast a large dining room as they provide a country cooked breakfast. One of our hosts, Dianne (better know as Di) was there to greet us and get us into our room. We had the Rose Room. Di’s husband, Bob, was out filling in for someone at a Bowling game.

Swann Lodge in Suburban Road, York

We settled into our room, enjoyed a bit of a rest and then walked into the town centre across the Swinging Bridge over the Avon River. That was a major reason we had selected the Swann Lodge. It is just a five minute walk from the middle of town. The walk is an easy one, just down the road a bit, then over the swinging bridge.

The Author crossing the Swinging Bridge. The Swann Lodge is to the rear of this lovely bush country.

We strolled along Avon Terrace admiring the beautifully refurbished old world post office, court house and hotels, looking for somewhere we could settle in for a while to enjoy a coffee.  Surprise of surprises, even though it was only 3 pm, the coffee shops were shutting their doors, as were most other retail outlets.

York Post Office Building

Looking south along Avon Terrace

I did say we were hoping the town would be peaceful, however not that peaceful. Anyway we found the fantastic old York Hotel’s bar and brasserie raring for our business.

Now when I say old, yes the York Hotel does date back to the late 1800’s, however the owners have carried out a first rate task of reburbishing the building, both inside and outside. The building is a beauty. Very much worth looking at is a display of a number of excellent art works painted by a local artist which are housed in the main function room . I am sorry to say the artist’s name escapes me at this time. Very fine paintings depicting the history of York.

York Hotel, Avon Terrace, York

I am delighted to add that the service from the staff was superb, equally matching the excellence of the building in which they worked. Our coffees were excellent. We would  liked to have returned to the York Hotel that evening for dinner. However, in tandem with most other dining establishments in York,  they close at 4 pm on a Sunday.

We then walked back to the Swann Lodge to retrieve our car for a drive into the hills to the east of York. The drive to the top of Mt Brown takes only a few minutes and the view is well worth the short drive. When we arrived we had the mountain (well, really a high hill?) to ourselves. Mt Brown has an easy walkway from the car park to the peak. The views to the west over York town, to the north over exquisite hills and escarpments,  and to the east over farmland and more hills made the trip well worth the small amount of effort required.

A monument stands at the peak as well as a direction compass. When you visit York make sure you visit Mt Brown.

View of country to the east of Mt brown

The Author at the top of Mt Brown with view to the north in background

After our trip to Mt Brown we returned to the town centre to find somewhere for dinner that evening as it was now getting round to 5 pm.  Unfortunately almost everything had closed up for the day. The only places we could find open were a Chinese Restaurant, a Pizza shop and the Imperial Hotel. We did not feel like chinese so we went to the Imperial Hotel.

Now, the Imperial Hotel is a superb establishment, only surpassed by it’s exhorbitant prices. One glass of chardonay and a pint of beer (I had actually ordered a small middy, but a pint turned up) cost $18. When we asked for the menu we decided that it looked like we were having pizza for our evening meal. The reason being that a steak dinner at the Imperial would cost $44 per person and other items were equally over the top in price.

We are not misers by any means. However $44 is a real stretch for a main course at a hotel! Maybe at a top of the line  five star restuarant on the Swan River but not in York.

Imperial Hotel -Avon Terrace – York

Suffice to say that the Pizza shop in the main street of York town sure serves up a delicious pizza! We enjoyed the feast along with a bottle of chardonay on the comfortable terrace outside our room at the Swann Lodge. All in all a most enjoyable day of travelling through the Darling Ranges and getting to know York a little bit in depth.

Next morning while enjoying our full, country style breakfast we were to discover we had missed one of life’s events by not finding a dining spot with a real difference; Yorkys!

Famous Yorkey’s of York

However;  more of that in the next post about day two in York.

Find more information about  York

Copyright (C) November 2009

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Incredible as this may seem, even though I have resided in Perth, Western Australia all my life, I had never driven further north than Kalbarri. Now Kalbarri is only about 600 k’s north of Perth, travelling up the Brand Highway. While I had visited north west towns such as Broome,  Port Hedland, Mt Tom Price,  Karratha and other north western regional centers over the years my trips were all made by air travel.

Earlier in 2009 my wife and myself decided the time had come to broaden our road travel horizons and drive as far north as Exmouth via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Shark Bay and Coral Bay. The total return distance of that trip is some 3,500 k’s taking into account the fact that in order to visit Shark Bay the drive  in from the North West Highway to the coast  is a couple of hundred k’s each way. All those kilometres  add up very quickly.

We had already enjoyed an excellent holiday back in April, 2009 to Kalbarri (see earlier post under “Kalbarri”). That trip really whetted our appetite to head further north as soon as possible. We made plans to do the trip in June, 2009 which is about the best time of the year to visit north western regions. Not too hot and not too cold. We decided to pre-book our accommodation as we are  fussy types, enjoy comfortable places to stay, and for that reason did not wish to take pot luck and then discover we might have to sleep in our car.

That turned out to be an excellent decision as quality accommodation in places such as Denham and Coral Bay were booked out and we would have developed kinked backs from sleeping in our car.

In early June we packed our new Mazda sedan with all our gear, including 6 litres of drinking water, and drove north to Geraldton on our first day. Now, as I have covered the trip from Perth to Geraldton in an earlier post I wont repeat that performance. Suffice to say that we find the 450, or so k’s to Geraldton enough for a pleasant half days drive. We stayed at a comfy Best Western motel on the southern side of Geraldton city. I have never had a bad experience with Best Western from Perth to New Zealand. Rooms are always comfortable, clean and excellent dining services are available.

On day two we headed off in the early morning to cover the 900 k (aprox), drive from Geraldton to Carnarvon. We filled the fuel tank to the brim at a petrol station on the northern limits of Geraldton. A word of warning about driving around the northwest. Fuel stop facilities north of North Hampton are few and far between. My motto is to always fill up whenever possible. Believe me, you dont want to run short of fuel in the north west a hundred k’s or more from the nearest fuel stop!

The road from North Hampton to Carnarvon is across mainly  flattish,  arid, red dirt plains, covered with low scrub. Desolate looking country frequented by kangaroos, wild cattle and wild goats, all of which managed to stop us on the road at various times! Who wants to bet their car against a one tonne bull! Certainly not a place to wreck your engine by hitting a roo, or for your car to choose to break down. Travelling in a highly reliable newish vehicle would always be my preference in that country.

We drove straight through to Carnarvon with just two short stops along the 900 or so k’s. One at a roadhouse about at the half way mark, and again to go off road for a bit, up a steep hill, in order to get a view of the surrounding country. We always take a thermos of coffee and sandwiches with us which we enjoyed while we viewed this rugged, wild country from the hilltop looking across the plains to the Shark Bay region. About that time a huge storm decided to roll in from the Indian Ocean in our direction. What a fascinating sight to see massive dark grey storm clouds driving across the plains. Amazingly that wild, dark storm blew across us and disappeared as quickly as it had come.

We arrived on the outskirts of Carnarvon around 3 pm. My initial impression of Carnarvon was that it was not the tropical banana tree covered region I had pictured in my mind all my life. In fact it looked very dry, flat and not overly inviting. However I was to find out that Carnarvon has a lot to offer if one bothers to spend a couple of days there to get to know the town and surrounds. One of the prettiest views is of  the entrance to Carnarvon which unortunately is on the way out of Carnarvon going north. Pity they did not have a similar blaze of colour for visitors arriving from the south.

Entrance into Carnarvon from the North – Beautiful Bougainvillia

Another fascinating landmark which really amazed us was the huge radio dish that stands on the highest hill to the east of Carnarvon which is visible for some distance from the town. This dish was used to assist with communications for the first moon landings. The dish and facilities are long defunct, however;  as we found it is well worth a visit.

Radio Dish used for tracking the moon landing. Situated on the highest hill in East Carnarvon

We drove through the medium sized town of Carnarvon in a few minutes. First we checked into our Best Western Motel out near the Fishing Boat Harbour, about a kilometre west of the main shopping precinct. Once again the motel accommodation was roomy, spotless and we were made most welcome. After settling in we went for a stroll into the town centre, just a ten minute walk from the motel, via the walkway along the Fitzroy river inlet.

Towards sunset we drove out to have a look at the famous One Mile Jetty. I am sorry to report we did not do the walk out to the end of this famous old jetty. Maybe next time. This old jetty has a long history and is well worth the visit. There is also a museum which was well worth checking out.

The famous One Mile Jetty a short drive from Carnarvon town centre

On day two we went for a drive along the North West Highway to the north west of Carnarvon to visit the famous Quobba Station Blow Holes. That is quite a long drive so make sure you have a full tank of fuel as there are no supplies once you leave the Carnarvon region and head back in to the coast. Now the blow holes are fantastic. While it took us around 45 minutes to reach the blowholes the trip was more than worth the effort. The road is excellent all the way until the last short section which is unsealed but quite suitable for ordinary sedans such as our Mazda.

One of the amazing Quobba Blowholes giving vent – Carnarvon region

We stayed out at the blowholes for the morning as the region offers lots of different scenic sights. Make sure you take your cameras! We hardly saw another vehicle on the road on the drive in, so we were surprised to find a few dozen other vehicles already there enjoying the views.

The Author at Quobba Blowholes showing the massive wave surges in the background. (Please ignore the date. The camera went mad. This was June, 2009, not March, 2066 )

That night we decided to enjoy a seafood dinner at a fish restuarant out on the Fisherman’s Wharf. This was highly recommended by the Motel Manager. Wow….that dinner was delicious. I dont think I have ever seen such a mountain of delectable fish food selections before. Giant prawns, crumbed squid, delicious local whiting fillets, local scallops served with an excellent salad. What a gourmets delight. Make sure you visit that fish food restuarant when in Carnarvon.

I was initially surprised that Carnarvon does not consist of one continuous landscape of banana plantations because that’s what Carnarvon is famous for…bananas. Well they do exist but on a somewhat sparser basis than I thought.

Banana Plantation on the North West Highway just to the north of Carnarvon

We spent two nights and two days touring Carnarvon and thoroughly enjoyed the stay. Specially the seafood which is all local and which we enjoyed both evenings. The seafood we thoroughly enjoyed in Carnarvon is no doubt due to the fact it is all locally caught by the Carnarvon fishing fleet…or so we were told. Guess that must be correct as it was absolutely delicious.

Another important fact about Carnarvon. Everyone we ran into from the lady in the Good Guys electrical store to the owner of the fish food restuarant went out of there way to make us welcome. Thanks  for that.

So that was Carnarvon. The next day we had a longish drive north  to reach our next destination…Coral Bay. The next post will be about the drive to Coral Bay and gorgeous Coral Bay itself.

Copyright November 2009 No part of this article , nor any photos may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright owner Facts4You.Net

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North Hampton is the next small town north of Geraldton. Historically famous, Northhampton still retains most of the original buildings & is well worth a stop. The remaining 100 or so k’s to Kalbarri is through rolling hill country with a few amazing pyramid shaped hills to relieve the otherwise non-spectacular scenery.

Some 70 k’s from Kalbarri I had to turn left off the northern highway which continues onto Carnarvon. Now driving west through  low, scrubby,  flat bushland, the remaining trip passes the various turnoffs into the famous Murchison River Gorges. More about those later. Several k’s east of Kalbarri the road ascends a very high hill from the top of which Kalbarri & the shimmering blue Indian Ocean suddenly hoves into sight.

Kalbarri, Murchison River & Indian Ocean – From Eastern Approach

Similar view at sunset

Kalbarri was quite busy. This was the last day or so of the school holidays so the holiday makers were still in abundance. We drove along the main street of Kalbarri which runs alongside the banks of the Murchison River & located our apartment accomodation. We received a bit of a shock on seeing the place we would be staying at for the next week. Now I realised why the advertising for the apartments on the internet had not shown any photos of the front of the apartments.  There had been plenty of photos of the inside of the apartment which looked okay.

This was Sunday afternoon (late), & the apartment Manager had left a note on the office door for us. The key to our apartment was in the door. Well that was a new one for us. Must be very honest folk living in Kalbarri. We parked in the appointed parking bay & then with some concern about what we would find entered the apartment.

Delightful…two large bedrooms, laundry, bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs a very roomy family room/lounge area, large kitchen supplying all necessities & a balcony with fantastic views over the Murchison River, the northern beaches & the entrance to the Murchison. Now while from the front the apartments were not enticing whatsoever, internally they were excellent. A classic case of “dont judge a book by it’s cover”!

And I should add  that this accommodation was only $110 per day…..!

View of Murchison River & northern Kalbarri beaches  from our Sunseas Villas apartment balcony – fabulous

Lounge/Dining area Sunsea Villas Apartment

Sunseas Villas Kitchen – Roomy & everything to be self sufficient.

We unpacked our bags & gear & were settled in within the hour. Next it was time for a walk across the road to the Murchison River banks to see what goes on at sunset. There were lots of families enjoying fishing from either the river banks, jetties & the rocky formations that occupy the southern river banks near the entrance into the Indian Ocean.

It was now around 6 pm & sunset was rapidly aproaching. We had decided on the famous “take away” Kalbarri  fish & chips for dinner so it was time for a couple of sunset photos then back to the apartment & then to the fish & chip shop.

Sunset over the Murchison River Entrance – Kalbarri

The skies were now a brilliant mix of pinks & pastels as the sun dipped into the Indian Ocean. What a perfect scene to conclude a perfect day’s travelling.

Please revisit shortly. Part Three will be all about what to do in & around Kalbarri with lots of photos.

See you soon.

Copyright May 2009

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Hi everyone out there in our big wide world. Here’s a bit of an “aside non related travel  story” to relieve the pressure us folks who love to travel suffer from …ha ha ha…joking of course. How can “voluntary” travel ever be pressure!

This weekend, a great win occurred for West Aussies, that cheered me up hugely. This win was achieved by the “no” vote section of the voting community of the huge state of Western Australia. The “yes” voters in yesterday’s referendum on day light saving received their dues.  The  “yes” voting guys & gals were thrashed! Hooray!

However, before I amplify on the big win, here’s why I needed a win to cheer me up!

If you are the owner of a “computer printer”, & that surely covers around 30% of the Earth’s human population, make sure you dont do the “stoopid” thing I did earlier last week. I purchased a new photo printer…a little beauty called a Cannon IP4600. The Cannon printer it was to replace obviously required removal. I picked up the old printer from it’s resting place for the past few years. Then carried it through my office out to the garage at the rear of the house via the family room, etc.

When I arrived  back at my office, to my absolute horror, what did I see on the “beige” carpet of my office….little circles of a blue black substance. You got it right….ink had leaked from the ink cartridge inside the printer, which muggins me had not thought to remove prior to moving the printer. Panic…panic…I was going to get murdered for this stupidity.  Then I thought….if it’s fallen on this carpet it must also be on the carpet through the rest of the house where I had trecked with the printer.  I sprinted back through the house.

Fortunately a miracle had happened. The ink spots stopped just at the edge of the kitchen tiles & did not restart until I had reached the rear patio which is a painted concrete surface…Phewwww…what a relief. Anyway I retained the presence of mind to let the ink dry, otherwise it would have spread. A few hours later I attacked the ink stains with an ink stain remover & eliminated the worst offenders. However the carpet will never be quite the same in a home which is still new! Anyone out there with a miracle cure to completely remove ink stains from carpet; please…your comments will be most welcome.

Anyway that’s why I needed a morale booster. And Saturday the 16th May, 2009 provided that morale booster.

Since 1975, a period of 34 years, Western Australians have been subjected to three referendums on the question :

“Do you or do you not want daylight savings?” in various formats.

And in the first 3 referendums the NO vote demolished the YES vote. Amazingly our politicians who evidently work on the theory of  “lets grind the bastards down”, arbitrarily legislated in a three year trial daylight savings period in late 2005, or thereabouts, despite the obvious fact that the voting public had already, on three previous referendums told them they could stick daylight savings you know where! At the conclusion of the trial daylight saving period in March 2009, fortunately the politicians were forced to provide yet another referendum. Thank goodness. No wonder most folks dont trust politicians! No is NO!

The three year trial period expired at the end of March, 2009, much to the relief of practically everyone I know. You see, in Western Australia we get boodles & boodles of sunlight. In fact we get too much sunlight. As a result we get too much skin cancer & melanoma…killers! Our summers are blisteringly hot & awfully humid during this period of rapidly increasing global warming. So the last thing most west Aussies need was to be forced to have their hot, humid days extended artificially by playing around with the clock.

Now, when I resided in Victoria where they have permanent summer daylight saving the idea was great & widely accepted. Why? Because good old Melbourne is a fair way south of where the  Western Australian capital city of Perth is situated. Melbourne needs all the sunlight it can get! Perth & West Aussie in general dont need mucking around with clocks!

Undoubtedly the business lobby of Perth were the big movers on the YES vote due to Perth’s 3,000 K,  plus distance from the major eastern states capital cities, & the fact Perth is 2 hours behind the eastern states. Well guys dont inconvenience the rest of  the West Aussie population.. you guys & gals just need to get up an hour earlier when the eastern states turn their clocks back! You guys & gals dont object to forcing thousands of people who work in retail to work weekends & late week day hours….. so  you can do your bit!

Anyway I am delighted to report that on Saturday the 16th May, 2009, the NO vote romped in with around 56% of the voting population voting a resounding “NO”…for the fourth time in 34 years! And with the biggest winning margin of all four referendums.  Hope you politicians take the hint once & for all. This has cost the public millions of dollars for nix return!

Hopefully that’s the end of the question on daylight saving forever in the state of “sunlight aplenty”! What a relief that come this October our clocks wont be forcibly moved backwards that ruddy hour!

Copyright May 2009  No part of this article can be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright owner Facts4You.Net

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Sunday the 26th April was a perfect Autumn day for a long drive north.  Clear blue skies, no wind….excellent. We had packed our bags the day before. All we had to do was load our gear into our new Mazda 3 sedan,  & head north on our 600 kilometre drive north to the fun holiday coastal town of  Kalbarri.  We had 7 exciting nights accommodation booked in Kalbarri…& we were really looking forward to the holiday.

We got away a bit late; 9.15 a.m.  instead of the planned 8.15. However we were in no great rush & intended enjoying the drive north along the Brand Highway.

From our home in the northern beach suburbs of Perth,  in order to connect with the major road artery to get to our north west, we drive north along Wanneroo road to just north of Moore River. We then take a crossover road to the east which joins up with the Brand Highway. The Brand is an excellent major road artery  that leads to the midlands city of  Geraldton & is suited to fast travelling…with great care at all times.

Now we have undertaken this journey numerous times. This trip we fell for a trap. On our last trip upto Lancelin we noticed a road that headed east just south of Lancelin. Being in an adventurous mood I decided we would drive north past our usual turnoff just past Moore River. Big mistake. We travelled an extra 40 k’s north past our usual turnoff, only to discover the more northerly turnoff actually ended up heading back south for a similar distance. We ended up back on the road we normally would have taken.

Lesson …..check the map prior to wandering off onto unknown country roads!

Having wasted the best part of an hour driving on one of the loneliest roads on the planet, we eventually connected with the Brand Highway & headed northwards. The Brand Hwy passes through several extremely isolated, very small townships.  Cataby, Badjingarra & Eneabba are the main road stops on the way north that finally culiminates in the city of Geraldton.  These  road stops contain just one or two road houses & very small populations. Out here you really get familiar with “isolation in the great Australian outback”.

I can see for miles & miles…. Driving north along the Brand Hwy around Eneabba

Wind Farms – Badgingarra region – Approx 205 kilometres north of Perth

To the west of the Brand hwy, in the Badgingarra region,  I was amazed to see numerous wind mills on the hills, forming part of an enormous wind farm that extends for many kilometres towards the coast.  I dont recall seeing this on our last visit north to Geraldton. We were to fully experience the enormity of this wind farm project on our return journey along the coastal road.

We decided to push on north until we reached Eneabba where we would stop at the one & only roadhouse for lunch. Normally the Brand hwy is very busy with lots of articulated semi trailers, numerous grey nomads holding the traffic up with their slower caravans, & sadly, some crazy drivers trying to break the sound barrier.  However on this Sunday morning the road was very quiet.

Wow…there are other people out here! Typical country around the Brand Hwy on the trip north to Geraldton. Eneabba region

We pulled into the Eneabba road house around 12.15. Now there is not much of much whatsoever in the little township of Enabba. I think the town mainly services some mining facilities further inland. The first thing I noticed when getting out of the Mazda was the temperature was somewhat higher than back down south, even though we were now only some  280 kilometres north of Perth. In addition the flies were numerous!

After enjoying an excellent egg & bacon roll & coffee we continued north, feeling much refreshed. The drive north of Badginarra & the Eneabba region, while mainly somewhat flat & boring, does contain some spectacular high, flat topped “Messa” style ridges. Otherwise the country is harsh & dry. Not an area to break down in or wander off the main road without plenty of water. Because out there you wont find any H2O…& that can be fatal due to the average very high temps.

Travelling the Brand the maximum speed limit is 110 KPH. We sat on our 110 KPH which feels like one is crawling along after half an hour or so.  Within another hour or so we passed through the large town of Dongara. Now from the Brand Hwy the impression one gets is that there is not much to Dongara. However, if you have time to deviate off the Brand into Dongara, you will find a most pleasant town. And only a few k’s  to the southwest there is the delightful town of Port Dennison. In fact Dongara & Port Dennison are top places to enjoy a quiet holiday by the sea!

We didn’t have time for too much sight seeing on the way north. We still had some 250 k’s to Kalbarri. On the way home we did deviate into Port Dennison. More of that later.

Finally, after passing through Dongara & seeing the strange horizontal growing trees between Dongara & Geraldton, we by-passed the city via the ring road system. Trees grow almost horizontal in the region due to the constant, strong westerly winds that blast the Geraldton region most of the year round.

Geraldton is a delightful, large town on the coast, designated a city. We reached Geraldton around 2.30 pm. We still had another 170 k’s to Kalbarri. We wanted to be there by late afternoon so we pushed through Geraldton, refueled some 15 k’s north of the city & continued on our way through the very scenic hilly country to North Hampton.

Fuel stops are few & far between in the northern regions. For that reason it is always wise to top up the fuel tank regularly!

That’s it for now. The next part of the story will be about Kalbarri & surrounds as we found things. Fantastic scenic photos. Great place. Great fun!  If you are thinking about enjoying your own holiday to Kalbarri dont miss the next segment. See you shortly.

Copyright C 2009 . Facts4You.Net  is the copyright owner of this article & all photographs. No part of this article, or any photo may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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I dont know about the country you live in as to what your petrol prices are like compared to ours down here in Western Australia. However, if you live in a country that maintains low, stable petrol prices, you need to be made aware that our system is crazy, before you deposit yourself down under for your holiday with your hire car.

Travelling by car around Western Australia means you are likely to cover huge distances. For example I am off on a holiday up north next weekend for a week in Kalbarri (Paradise on Earth!),  & also driving further north to visit Carnarvon, Monkey Mia & a few other spectacular places. During that trip I will drive close to 3,000 kilometres by the time we complete our scenic wanderings! Based upon current ULP prices, at around an average of Au$1.50 a litre in the remote regional areas, the fuel cost alone will be around Au$450 +!! That’s a whack of dollars just for the fuel bill!

Here’s an example of how upsy daisy our petrol prices can be from one day to the next in the Perth metropolitan area. A week prior to the Easter break unleaded petrol was averaging Au$1.08. The Thursday prior to the Easter break prices suddenly rocketed up to around Au$1.30. Now that’s a general increase of 22 cents a litre. If your vehicle averages around 10 kilometres per litre then that extra 22 cents/litre X 3,000/10 = an extra Au$66 for petrol. And the situation becomes much worse outside the metropolitan area!!

Now I realise that an extra $70 will not bust the bank for the average traveller. However you should also be aware that petrol prices rise sharply in Western Australia as soon as you drive outside of the metropolitan area of Perth. For example, once into the remote regions, you could easily end up paying Au$1.70 + per litre! Last year down around the Albany region, fuel prices were close to Au$2 per litre at various times of the year.

The trip from Perth to Albany is some 550 kilometres (approx), which means you are forced to refill your tank in the Albany region on arrival. If your fuel tank holds say 80 litres the fill will cost around Au$160 if fuel is around the Au$2 mark.

The cost of fuel at that pricing level takes on a whole new meaning when you have to cover large distances doesn’t it, as a component of your holiday costs in the remoter regions of Western Australia.

The important thing is to make sure you are aware that if you intend touring by hire car around Western Australia that the fuel cost will rip a sizable hole in your wallet. You need to plan your travel budget accordingly.

(C) Copyright April 2009 No part of this article either whole or in part may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright owner Facts4You.Net

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The author kyak fishing for Bream – Moore River – 18th April 2009

For the past week my Wife & myself have been really looking forward to driving up to one of our favourite water spots north of Perth, Western Australia….Guilderton; better known as Moore River. This idylic small coastal holiday town, situated right on the mouth of Moore river where the river meets the Indian Ocean,  is usually a very quiet, old fashioned style holiday spot; outside of school holidays.

Guilderton is situated at the mouth of the Moore River, where the river runs into the Indian Ocean. At this time of year;  Autumn,  a large sand bar cuts the river off from the ocean. Now when I say old fashioned, what I mean is that Guilderton has not been ruined by the construction of palatial homes, high cost resorts & mile after mile of man made canals, which debar folk who enjoy simple things like caravan parks, & low cost rental holiday homes, from being able to stay at gorgeous holiday spots like Guilderton on Moore River.

We left our home on Perth’s northern beach region at 9.15 am, & covered the 63 k’s  in an easy 45 minutes, arriving at Guilderton at 10 am. Unfortunately, as you can see from the photos, the weather decided that today would be an excellent date for some stormy, wet weather. Anyway, being hardy folk we were determined not to let some rain, thunder & lightning ruin our day out on the river. When we arrived, Guilderton was busy with lots of family’s enjoying a back to nature style holiday, kyaking, fishing & swimming, this being the Autumn school holidays.

Our two kyaks in the trailer on arrival at Moore River

Due to the fact that I have not been able to locate a suitable roof rack to carry both kyaks on the car roof we have been using a trailer for carriage. So we had towed the trailer with both our kyaks to Moore River. Talking to some fellow kyakers at Moore River who had roof bars to carry their two kyaks, we now know where to get ours from.

Anyway, we drove into the car park & boat launch ramp area which is very roomy, “FREE”, & right next to the river. We unloaded our kyaks & within minutes were paddling eastwards inland, our intention being to find a pleasant, peaceful spot in this wilderness region, to stop & enjoy our picnic lunch & coffee. Then do some fishing from my kyak.

Sand bar in the distance, viewed as we paddled downriver back to Guilderton

As we paddled up river we kept to the northern shoreline as the easterly winds were very strong which slowed our progress. After 15 minutes we decided it was pointless trying to paddle further up river due to the gathering dark clouds, strong wind & occasional lightning. We turned downriver & headed back towards the river mouth & Guilderton. I had a great time just drifting & casting my lure close in to the shore line which is thick with trees, shrubs, grass & lots of rocks & caves. The shoreline is so thick with bush, that the only way to fish these waters is from a boat. A kyak is ideal to fish from as it is noiseless.

I had a couple of solid strikes, no doubt a couple of reasonable sized bream from the power of the hits. Sadly the strikes did not result in any fish. Anyway it was exciting to be out on the river in the stormy weather tackling some fish. The weather was getting a bit wet so we paddled back to our start point at the Guilderton boat ramp.

Another view towards the river mouth. Guilderton township, the boat ramps & car park are not far off to the right of the photo

We beached our kyaks.  The rain had let up for a bit,  so we made ourselves comfy on the river bank to tuck into our picnic lunch & coffee, & enjoyed seeing lots of  children having a ball, swimming, fishing & paddling. Children are never put off by some adverse weather conditions are they!

And kids love the simple things of life…if us adults will let them! Guilderton has no shopping centres, shopping malls, cinemas;  fun game parks; etc.  Kids can really enjoy a week or two of not being dragged around endless shops by their parents, or wasting their lives playing computer games. Instead they have tremendous fun enjoying the natural, fun aspects of living on a pristine river system, snow white beaches &  crystal clear green ocean waters! Fishing is great both from the nearby beaches or in the river. You can catch tailor, herring, bream varieties & more.

Near the boat ramp there are large grassy picnic areas, toilets, & not far off is the only cafe & general store in Guilderton. The cafe/ general store is of the old fashioned variety where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch overlooking pleasant river views, or purchase your vitals. What more could you ask for!

Paddling eastwards along Moore River we encountered this “gaggle” (?) of Cormorants

The weather did not look like improving, in fact the thunder & lightning became more intense. We decided it was time to pack up & head for home. I would have loved to have headed out for some more fishing but it was getting a bit unpleasant.

Guilderton is  one of the last pristine coastal wilderness  frontiers within easy driving distance of Perth city where one is not smothered by huge crowds of tourists, ugly modern piles of concrete, & high priced cafes & restuarants & accommodation.  Mandurah was very similar not all that long ago. However Mandurah was ruined by development.

I sincerely trust Guilderton remains under the property developers radar for many years to come. However I guess I am living in the pleasant past thinking the money guys have not already laid their sights on Moore River;  & sleepy, peaceful Guilderton. Lets live in hope that Guilderton will escape modernisation!

Make sure you visit Moore River. If you enjoy fishing, swimming, surfing, kyaking or boating in simple but exquisite natural  surroundings you will love Moore River. I trust your first visit enjoys perfect, sunny weather which is almost always the case except for today!

Copright C April 2009. The copyright owner is  Facts4you.net. No part of this article or photos may be reproduced by any manner or method whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright onwer.

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