Bremmer Bay, Ravensthorpe, Hyden & Wave Rock.

We moved on to Bremer Bay & stayed at Beaches Caravan Park which is a terrific little shady haven though not within coo-ee of a beach with the nearest one being 1.6km walk away but 8-10km drive. It is a very undeveloped and unspoilt town with nice beaches.

Next we stayed at Ravensthorpe, mainly so we could leave the van and drive up to Hyden and Wave Rock. Wave Rock is smaller than expected and spoilt by a long concrete barrier on top of the rock. One could only get a photo of the rock without the concrete barrier showing if you stood under the wave itself. It even put us off climbing to the top.

I virtually had to stand under the wave to get a photo without the ugly concrete barrier on top

It is pretty obvious why they have named it Hippo's Yawn!

Nearby is a rock formation called Hippo’s Yawn, (right) and yes it does look like a hippo with his big mouth open (no teeth lol). The flies were pretty bad here. We stopped in Hyden itself and we loved that. There is a park with a metal sculpture of recycled materials depicting old days. Just on of them is a truck with a old water tank place sideways on the back as the ‘bus body’ with ‘windows’ cut out and then a profile of kids and people sitting on the bus, etc

We took a dirt road back for most of the return country trip via Newdegate and it was worth it. It was much more pleasant scenery and the dirt road surface was not bad.

That is not snow: Lake Varley is a dried salt lake (wonky photograher!)

It's our Anniversary: 30 years - where have they all gone?.

Last Monday on the 28th March, it was our 30th Wedding Anniversary. 30 years of living with my very best friend. This man of God who has stood by me in the good times and in the hard times. There were some terrible times especially when I suffered depression for 4 years. Looking back I know that God held on to me and Rob held on to God.This hard working, praying, wonderfully supportive husband just happens to make my life complete.

We even had the table number 30 to mark the occassion!

This marriage has brought forth 4 wonderful children who each have their own personality and bring both us much pride and joy. We love each of them dearly. We also have a marvellous daughter in law who obviously loves our son and together with him has given us a delightful granddaughter with another baby on the way.
The years have also seen many people come into our lives and have richly added another dimension to them. We thank God for each and every one of you.

The girls & I - unfortunately I don't have a recent photo of Bob & the boys on the laptop!

We can truly say we have been wonderfully blessed by God. Where did the years go? and more to the point, "who stole my figure"?

Would I do it all again? With great exuberance I can say yep, every second of it.

We great enthusiasm I thank God and thank you Rob. I love you and hope we have many more years together. Our life together just gets better and better all the time.

Albany

The beach at Cozy Corner

Robbiebago in the campsite at Cozy Corner. The beach is just behind that hedge you can see behind the van

The beautiful coastline of Albany and surrounds started for us with a couple of days at a wonderful beach side free camp spot called Cozy Corner just about 15 km east of Shelly Beach and 30 km west of Albany. It is a very popular place for camping and we were lucky to get such a spot.

Looking down on Shelly Beach

We enjoyed some quiet walks and time out in general and of course a swim and as mentioned in the previous blog entry it included the drive to Shelly Beach with its clear blue waters in 2 distinct colours, azure blue and turquoise. Of course the young hunks hang gliding off the top didn’t detract from the scenery at all.

The Robbibago surrounded by roos at Kalgan River, Albany

Bob petting the 2 White faced Kangaroos

After a few days in a semi paradise we moved onto Albany to the Kalgan River Campsite which boasts a 9 hole golf course, direct river access for boats and dozens of kangaroos including some unusual white faced kangaroos. We came here to meet up with friends, Helen & Tony whom we had met back in Bunbury. Lo and behold their next door neighbour at the park are Sandra and Laurie whom we had met back at the Big Brook Arboretum near Pemberton. Tony offered to teach Bob how to fish. So when the guys went off for a day of fishing in Tony’s boat, us girls went shopping as most of us needing warmer clothes for the approaching winter. Well Bob caught the first fish and then the last one , which was a poisonous blow fish, and nothing in between. He is very good at feeding the bait to the fish rather than hooking them. Still Tony & Laurie shared their spoils with us at dinner at night that Helen and Sandra cooked up for us all.

We attended the Church of Living Water in nearby Oyster Bay with another couple from the caravan park whom we had befriended. It was a very friendly contemporary Anglican Church though they still follow a modern Prayer Book service and the minister dressed up in the robes. We were made to feel very welcome there and were invited to stay for coffee afterwards. They have a very healthy attendance though there is still a bit of a gap of youth age kids but not completely absent. They have a very talented worship leader who led on acoustic guitar and a keyboard and a bass player too! (There is a drum kit in the background but no player this morning!)

The waves pounding at The Gap

Almost next door to The Gap is the Natural Bridge

We also did some sightseeing trips around Albany including the Gap and the Natural Bridge and some beaches in the vicinity. The blowhole was a disappointment; it was a lot of noise but no spray. Tthe rocks surrounding it were not even damp. I kindly called it Puff, however Bob had a more impolite name for it that I can’t mention here. The Dog Rock is visible anytime you go into town. We finished with a visit to the War Memorial on top of a hill which is also a great place as a lookout over the town.

One of the many beaches around Albany

Another one of the many beaches around Albany

Sandra taught me how to crochet. I am starting a lap rug for my first project. I can’t make any more explosion boxes as I have no more room to store them in the Robbiebago. So this is what I will be doing whilst Bob does the driving from now on.

View from the Albany War Memorial over Albany's Port

View from the Albany War Memorial over Albany's beach

This is the life

Hang Glider over Shelly Beach

I am so fortunate. I am sitting out on a sand dune top lookout, about 20 km from Albany, while I catch up on the internet. (There is no internet reception at our campsite on the beach.) It is amazing here. Bob is watching the hang gliders who are about 15m away while I type away. There are 5 guys hang gliding down to the lovely azure blue waters and sandy beach below called Shelly Beach. The sun is nice & warm but it is not hot as there is a lovely gentle breeze and we are both healthy, relaxed and as happy as Larry!

One of the hang gliders at Shelly Beach near Albany

The days are getting cooler now about 24-26 (The perfect temperature in my opinion!) and nights actually starting to get cooler. It was just 7 degrees the other morning but usually it is about 18 in the mornings...

I like to get up early to sit and read or do crafts. Sometimes I even go for a walk and take my sunrise photos. When it is a bit too cool  then I rug up and sit in my track suit with Bob's quilted flannel shirt over it. On the  really cold mornings I even have Bob's big wool coat over all that too. I might even have soxs on my feet tucked inside ugg boots and a hat on to keep my head warm. I know I look ridiculous but no one can see me hidden away in my Robbiebago and anyway who cares. At least I am warm and happy! I hope you are all warm, happy and healthy too! Do drop a comment to let me know someone at least is reading my blog!

The morning mist rising over Cozy Beach near Albany

The Valley of the Giants

This place is so wonderful that it deserves a blog entry all of its own. It is certainly the biggest highlight of our time here. It is the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. It would rate in my top 10 places of interest on this trip so far! The walk is not for those scared of heights, but it is oh so exciting and it is absolutely fantastic to be up at tree top height. Don't be alarmed as the whole bridge sways as you walk, it is meant to help you be aware that you are at tree top height!

 If you or your partner want to take the walk but the other can’t handle it, then go for a lovely stroll through the Tingle Forest walk at the same place. It is great too! The Tingle Trees are a type of Eucalypt that are indigenous to this very small area where they are susceptible to having a hollow interior mainly through bush fires but still growing healthily to extreme heights.

 Go there. I promise it is well worth the visit.

Big Brook Arboretum, Pemberton & the tall Karri & Tingle trees

The view from the front of the car as we drive through the forest trails - just gorgeous

The Gloucester Tree

We stayed at the camp grounds at Big Brook Arboretum just outside Pemberton in amongst many trees. From here we were able to visit the tall Karri trees. A drive through the forest trails is a beaut way to see the beauty of the area. We also visited the Gloucester Tree and the Bicentennial Tree, both of which one can climb. I did climb a bit of the Gloucester Tree just enough to get a photo. At least with the Gloucester Tree you climb almost upright. I didn't get far with the Bicentennial Tree – the gaps between the rungs are too wide and forward so you have to climb leaning forward and using your hands. It leaves you in a position where you are looking down constantly and it feels like you are going to fall through the rungs, and I don't generally get too scared of heights, so imagine how it would be for some people who do!

the lovely gentle Cascades

The mouth of a sucking lamprey fish - the middle is like a borer - urgh!

We also visited the Circular Pools, the Warren River and the Cascades which were still running even though it is quite low at present. This is one of the breeding places for the lamprey fish which is a sucking fish that bores and devours the flesh of other bigger fish... is this Australia’s answer to the piranhas??? We could see the baby lamprey fish but no way am I going in these waters....Scary!

The quiet reflections in the Warren River - can you see the dinosaur head?

The Western Rosella

A trip down memory lane

All of us have times occassionlly when we get the opportunity to revisit something from the past. For us it happened on a day trip whilst we were still based at Gracetown. We went on longer drive to down the the south eastern most point of Australia to the quaint little town of Augusta. Here we took in a visit to a few places that we had visited shortly after we were married with our good friends, Henry & Liz, when we all came to Perth for a youth camp. Yes kids, we were young once and did spur of the moment things too! After camp we hired a campervan together with Henry & Liz and took a week or so to visit some places together. The Augusta Lighthouse and the water wheel were 2 such places.

Something new we did on this day trip was that we took a tour of the Lakes Caves nearby. We had visited a cave or 2 with Henry & Liz all those years ago but I doubt it was the Lakes Caves. We chose the Lakes Cave today as it was the only one with water in the caves at this time of the year. It was a lovely day all up and Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed rehashing our youth days. Oh to be young again!...but then I would have to start all over again... nah... this is a good time of life to be living... I just wish my body was as young as my mind!

Just a early taste of the tall Karri tree forests