The Mitchells on the Move: Kalgoorlie WA 6th February

The Boys and their first fire of the trip - 15kms north of Norseman WA

After a fun night bush camping and having our first camp fire, we travelled to Kalgoorlie - via Coolgardie where we stopped for morning tea at a beautiful grassy, green park in the 'main' street where the kids had the chance to run around and have a "crapa dapa' in the nice public toilets . We took a scenic drive around Coolgardie looking at some of the old local buildings and ruins before continuing on to Kalgoorlie. We arrived about 11.30am, set up, had a swim in the pool then headed of to the Royal Flying Doctors Service Base at the airport.

Taine using the old pedal radio at the RFDS base in Kalgoorlie WA

RFDS Ambulance

We saw an interesting DVD and presentation and the kids got to ask alot of interesting question of the PR lady. She then took us out to the hanger to see one of the planes based in Kalgoorlie.

That just left us a short amount of time to get the groceries done and back to the park before we went out to tea. It was our first dinner out since we have been away and stupidly i ordered the Fishermans Basket. What was i thinking! After a free crayfish on the clifftops and the beautiful fresh seafood we had in Ceduna it is going to be very difficult to top so i should have had a schnitzel! The salads were nice i guess! I havent been to "Kal" since i was about DArcys age and all i could remember about it was Hay Street and the ladies of the night sitting outside their doors waiting for business. Well im sure if you ask DArcy and Taine about Kal that is probably what they will remember. Especially the girls waving to them as we cruised past, the first, second, third, fourth time. Riley well she was just embarrassed and kept her head down. Kym was surprised that they really are just tin sheds in the middle of a street with all other kinds of businesses around them.

Saturday we went for a walk down the main street of Kalgoorlie saw the statue of Paddy Hannan and we were back to the park early as both Riley and DArcy weren't feeling great. I went with Taine to the pool and the others had a sleep which really is a rarity. Both were fine the next day so dont really know what was up.

Riley and Paddy Hannan in the main street of Kalgoorlie WA.

Sunday gave us the chance to have bacon and eggs for breakfast followed by a visit to the old gold museum in town. We also got a call that we had won a raffle at the pub on Friday night so we went to Boulder to pick up our Jack Daniels prize. Monday morning we were up early to get a couple of hours of work done, then a game of cricket and 'whats the time Mr Wolf', before we headed off into town to go on the Super Pit tour. The Super Pit is the biggest open cut mine in Australia and is huge. It was great for the kids to see the types of places where daddy goes to work, and dress in the hard hat and vest of the site. Kym, well he fell asleep on the bus tour!

Taine and DArcy all set for the Tour. Riley looking over the SuperPit
Kalgoorlie WA.

Tuesday we headed off early, leaving Kalgoorlie by 8am. The kids wrote in their journals, i read and we were in Norseman in no time at all.

Playtime at the Norseman WA park

We picked up our mail that had been forwarded on, had lunch, played then headed on to Cape La Grand National Park via a quick stop in Esperance. The kids watched a DVD in the car so again the time just flew. Somehow i got us a bit lost going out to Cape La Grand, but we made it just in time to get one of the last sites at Lucky Bay. It was packed and the camp host closed the gates not long after we arrived. Lucky Bay is a beautiful camp with toilets, water, BBQs and solar showers. There are kangaroos everywhere and the beach and via is truly amazing.

Cape La Grand National Park - Lucky Bay

After a couple of hours school work we went for a walk to Thistle Cove - got phone reception, saw a goanna - DArcy pooed himself - and we all wet ourselves laughing at him. I guess you had to be there but it was soooo funny to see him move with his knees up around his chin!

Lunch followed then we organised ourselves to head down to the rocks to go fishing. It was very very blowy but we still managed a couple of little fish which we planned to use for bait the next day. Pasta for tea, a family game of poker for entertainment, then off to bed with the wind still howling.

We got up early (7am) with the plan to fish again in Lucky Bay. We had some success and Kym was very pleased with his first double header of the trip. They were ugly fish but apparently good eating. We filleted the fish and put them away for dinner before sitting down to a couple more hours school. In the afternoon we headed off for a drive around the National Park then stopped off at Frenchmans Peak. Frenchmans Peak (3kms walk) was a hard climb for me, hot, steep and windy, but the little boys climbed it like they were mountain goats. It really was worth it as you had wonderful views of the whole park. Riley nearly made the top but decided to 'rest' in the cool of the cave. We then headed to the cool of the coast and had a drive along the beach followed by a swim. We were all starving so after an early tea of the fish, crumbed and cooked on the BBQ we were buggered so we were all in bed by 8.15pm and asleep by 8.30pm!

View from the top of Frenchmans Peak Lucky Bay Beach

We were up again early on Friday for a fish at Hellfire Bay. Not a fish to be seen as a pod of eight dolphins played in the bay all morning. All we managed to do was to loose bait, sinkers and hooks. We went for a walk around the bay and found a fresh water creek leading into the salt water. Back again for more school then another big walk in the late afternoon right along to the end of Lucky Bay. Again another early night again.

Saturday we packed up at our own pace and headed 65kms into Esperance to book into the Seafront Caravan Park after spending $300 on groceries at the local Woolies and filling up our caravan gas bottle. After we set up camp Kym washed the van and it looks brand new again while i did loads of washing. While we were in town the kids all got to choose a new video so our Valentines night was spent with pizza for tea and The Bee Movie!!

Today, Sunday 15th, we headed off to the local markets - very average and then for a drive further West along the coast. It is very very blowy here at the moment but the cool is a wonderful change from the heat of the past few weeks. We are having roast lamb for dinner with all the trimmings, cooked in the frying pan so must get prepared.

We are leaving Esperance tomorrow morning heading west to Mungilup Beach to bush camp then onto Hopetoun, Hyden to see Wave Rock and then into Perth on the 20th. Kym has to fly to Brisbane for a week, then to Adelaide for a week then back to Perth before heading up to Karratha for a day!

That will give us the time to catch up on school work and spend lots of time with all the family while we are in Perth. The kids are really excited about getting to Perth and catching up with everyone.

School is still causing me some distress as i try to balance the large amount of work to be done, without it impacting tooo much on the fun and experience of the trip. Ill keep on trying to get the balance right i guess! There is so much to see and do and the kids are having such a great time i have to some how mix both school and the travel together.