18th March 09 - April 3rd 09 SW Western Australia

Time has really flown and all of a sudden it is April and Easter is around the corner. It really has been a while since i update the blogg but i put that down to lack of internet service over the last week!

We were excited to get on the road again after three weeks in one place even though we had a fantastic time in Perth.

We headed South towards the coast but had plans for three nights of bush camping on the way. Our first night out saw us stopping at the Borden Recreation Ground giving us our own personal soccer pitch, playground, perfectly manicured football oval and cricket pitch. The kids had a great time using all the sports equipment and even had a few of the local kids come in and join in on a game of soccer. We had Internet access so spent the morning of the 19th on the net for school before heading to the Stirling Ranges National Park. We set up camp in the afternoon in the camp grounds and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening chatting to a couple who have been on the road for 3 years after selling their yacht they had lived on for 25 years. They had lots of recommendations of places to see and free camp sites as well as lots of interesting stories from their years on the sea. The kids loved it!

The scenery is different in this area of WA and is beautiful, green, lush and cool and they even have creeks and rivers that run!

Although it was overcast and rainy we still got out and had a good look around on foot and by car.

Bluff Knoll - Stirling National Park

We then travelled South to Albany a place i havent visited since 1977ish. Its amazing how things change in 30+years isnt it. Our first stop was the information centre where we got the low down on all the parks in town. The kids had been told about a park that has all the extras that the kids love but the cost and the tight fit of the sites put us off and we all settled for the Emu Point Caravan Park for 5 nights giving us heaps of time to see the sites as well as get some school work done.

The weather according to other travellers had been up and down over the past week so when Sunday was a fine and warm day, we headed out early to see the produce market, some of the natural land marks and then to the well known Whale World museum.

The Blow Holes - Albany WA
The Natural Bridge - Albany WA

Albany WA

Whale World - Albany WA

Riley, Taine and DArcy - Whale World - Albany WA - Pygmy Blue whale skeleton

Whale World was a wonderful place to visit and well worth it. We all found it very interesting and the volunteers have done a wonderful job of creating all the shows, exhibitions and tours. The last time i visited Albany as a kid they were still hunting and processing whales so it was very different this time for me but the smell of whale blubber and oil is still there.

Marnie, Taine and DArcy on one of the Naval guns at the forts - Albany WA

The following few days were spent around town and the beaches. We did a little bit of shopping and bought a light weight 6 man tent with the idea of using it up North at a couple of places that we want to see but cant take the van. The kids thought it would be fun to set it up on our site, so set about putting it up together without our help as a test of their teamwork. They did a great job and had a fun night sleeping it together too!

Riley and DArcy putting the new tent .Good team work guys.

We headed off late again after doing our online lessons - towards Parry Beach. But after a quick chat to another couple we headed instead to Shelly Beach and we all loved it so much we ended up staying two nights, parked up right on the beach front.

TAINE fishing early (sunrise) KYM

DARCY Our Camp Site at Shelly Beach WA

26/27th March 09

We had fish (Tommies and Bream) for dinner caught from the beach, a drop toilet and a natural running creek for water, what more could you want for free!

The Boys with some of their catch at Shelly Beach - WA

Saturday (28th Happy Birthday Ella Bird) we left Shelly Beach to make tracks to our original destination of Parry Beach - stayed five minutes, hated it - looked like a shanty town to us so we got back in the car and headed to Peaceful Bay where we parked up for the night, did some washing, had a shower and recharged the caravan batteries and filled the water tanks before heading out to bush camp again.

However on our way to Parry Beach we went via Denmark. Denmark was beautiful and with the local school having its annual fete or (feet according to the kids) we spent a lovely few hours in town and spent a couple of hundred dollars (groceries included) befroe heading off to Peaceful Bay for the night.

Sunday we headed into Wapole to do the Tree Top Walk and we loved it. There was hardly anyone around, it was a clear day and the walk is fantastic. It is soo easy and the rise is so gradual that you hardly feel as if you are 40 metres off the ground, until you notice the trees and bridges beginning to sway in the breeze.

On top of the Tree Top Walk - Walpole - WA

The hollowed out section of the trees in the area are so large that people would reverse their cars in for a photo opportunity until one of the trees fell over !, so now they have a tree and car cut out instead!

Sunday night was spent hiding in the car park at Mandalay Beach in the National Park. The site we had intended to camp in was a bit tight for the caravan and the carpark was just perfect for the van so we stayed. I was nervous most of the night thinking i could hear the ranger coming to move us on, but really what are the chances of that happening on a Sunday night in the middle of the bush! Any way i had us all up early (7am) on Monday ready to head into town (Walpole) to have breakfast and pick up some mail that we had to sign in regards to the sale of our house. We parked up in the visitor centre car park, cooked some toast, and started on the school work meanwhile Kym headed over to collect the mail. Surprisingly the Post Office wasnt open yet and it was already 9.30am, but we just put it down to it being a country town. As it turned out we had not realised that Day light savings was finished here so it was infact 6am when i had everyone up and on the road and the Post office did infact open at 9am as expected!!!. The only problem we had then was that the mail didnt come until after 3pm, so we headed out to our next bush camp to get set up then we planned to come back into town to get the mail.

Fern Brook falls in the National Park was only 30 kms out of town, so we headed out, found the only site big enough for the van - vans are not actually allowed as it is a camp ground, but with some good driving and some excellent directions we set up, had a look around then headed back into town to get the documents. They were there, we signed them and posted them off so all was good.

It was wet, wet, wet but we were dry and the camp site was lovely. The previous day on our walk we had gone to Rowells Pool and we had mentioned to the kids that there may be yabbies in the pool. That got their attention so Tuesday morning was spent with a stick, fishing line and a chunk of meat fishing for yabbies. Well DArcy had the first bite and from then on Kym was kept busy with the net pulling the yabbies in. It was so much fun and the kids and Kym had a ball. Our plan at first was to throw them back, but once we had enough for a snack we decided to keep them. We put the yabbies in a small bucket and put them in the freezer to sleep, hitched up the van and headed off towards Shannon National Park.

Kym showing Taine how he used to do it in the 'olden days' at Sturt Creek

We then took the yabbies out of the freezer, cooked them inside the van and ate them for lunch. The kids enjoyed shelling them and playing with them but werent so keen on eating them. We loved them though.

DArcy doing his 'Mr Bean" impression Taine caught the two biggest yabbies

Shannon NP is a beautiful spot and we found a great site on a concrete slab - it was raining most of the day off and on, had flushing toilets and a shower. The shower water however was only hot if you lit a fire under the special hot water system using the timber and axe provided. Kym did the chopping and got the fire going, the boys collected more wood and also got a fire going to cook dinner on. We had a beautiful dinner of chicken and vegies all done in the fire as well as a damper for dessert. That was our first dinner of the trip done on the open fire and we all enjoyed it very much. Dinner was followed by a very warm shower in the middle of the national park and we were all very happy campers!!!!!

April Fools day saw the kids play tricks on both Kym and me. At the crack of dawn Riley faked a big vomit which had Kym running around in the dark and in the nuddy trying to find something, anything for her to vomit in so as not to get it on her bunk. He was greeted by a lot of laughing and giggling on behalf of all the kids and me who was in on the prank. They then got me at breakfast time with salt instead of sugar in my morning cup of tea. Thanks Riley.

The morning was damp so we packed up, jumped in the car heading for Windy Harbour on the coast. We passed through Pemberton only to be greeted by 2000+ bike riders on a Ride the South West tour, doubling the population of the town, so we kept on going directly to Windy Harbour with plans of coming back through in two days when the riders had moved on.

Taine sorting his cuttle fish into size order - Windy Harbour WA

Another Maths lesson - Taine 'measuring' a log - Windy Harbour WA

Windy Harbour is a fishing settlement built around the Salmon fisherman and the camp ground is fantastic. It is grassed, there is fireplaces and they supply the wood. The showers were hot, we had kangaroos jumping through our campsite and we stayed two nights instead of one. Its a site i would recommend to anyone. We did some school work under the awning while it rained then headed out to check out the views along the coastline and had a big walk along the beautiful Salmon Beach collecting cuttle fish.

Today, Friday 3rd (Happy Birthday Randal Mitchell) we headed back into Pemberton - minus the bikeriders - and headed off to climb the Gloucester Tree. It is a 60m high Karri tree that was used previously as a fire look out for the area. Long lengths of 20mm reo bar have been put into the tree as rungs to use to climb, and up you go. We picked a perfect day as the weather was clear and there was next to no one around. We all went up and we all made it although i must admit climbing something like this with your own kids is a little more scary. I guess you worry about them and if they fall they are stuffed as there is no real safety measures. I think it was hard for Mr Safety having the boys truncing up the tree ahead of him without a harness!!

Heading up the Gloucester Tree Then heading down!!

We stopped for lunch at the Pemberton Bakery - much to the delight of the kids and Kym as that meant no dry biscuits with vegemite and cheese today - then headed back north towards Manjimup. As we were heading out of Pemberton there was a road sign that said Albany 235kms, so in real terms, although it feels as if we have seen heaps and been to alot of places over the past week or so , we really have not gone far in KMs terms at all. Today we made camp in a park at Fontys Pool just out of Manjimup and it is a real find. Its an inderpendant park built around Fontys Pool. The pool is a famous local landmark and consists of nearly an acre of fresh spring water and the kids had a ball this afternoon swimming and floating on old car tubes. They said it wasnt that cold but i find that hard to believe as it is pretty cold here.

We listen to the footy on the radio tonight - disappointing, although DArcy was pretty happy as he was the only one to pick the Saints to win so he won the $1.00 jackpot. (we all had to bet 20 cents to play!!)

The weather is much much cooler in this area and we have had to put away some of our Summer clothes and bring out some warm stuff as im certain we will need it even more over Easter.

Our plans for the next few days are pretty fluid as our next due date is not until the 8th April at Augusta. Augusta is near Margaret River right on the SW coast so we have a few days to drift before we get there. We are camping there for the Easter week with Sheridan and Kelly and kids as well as our Western Australian cousins and their families. It will be great fun and we look forward to catching up with them all.

Life for us continues to be pretty relaxed and although we have our 'times' we are all getting on great guns. Kym continues to keep us safe on the road and to create great camps each stop we make. The kids are fantastic and each day seem to be having more and more fun together. Dont get me wrong, they still complain at school time, and still enjoy causing trouble for eachother but generally they are doing very very well. Im proud of them.

Hope you continue to enjoy our travels.

Love to you all.

TheMitchellonTheMove xxx