Leaving all my friends in Dunsborough was really sad and hard, nevertheless a new adventure awaits. After a few pictures with my favourites (minus 3 who had gone off to do other things), I drove away.
Our first stop was Busselton so Richard could get himself a sleeping bag. Strangely enough it was raining when I left, which I thought was funny! I thought it funny because the day before I had told Luca and Marco (as we were listening to it at the time) to be singing when I left the next day "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone."
After Busselton we drove to Mt Barker, it got a little scary at one stage because we could see all the smoke from the bush fire we were attempting to avoid. I have to be honest, I hadn't really thought ahead on this trip, I just count myself lucky that Ivo and Richard are a lot more organised! They've got cooking equipment, food, etc. I brought some sultanas and a bag of doritos mmmm.
We briefly stopped in one town along the way, which was small. We picked up 10l of water and carried on. We managed to miss the road Rich was aiming for and ended up on a red gravel road which we stopped on, near a burnt down shack, to set up camp for the night. We cooked rice with tuna and played a German card game called Hanabi, which is ironically British-Richard's, luckily we have German-Ivo to read the rules.
It was a pretty uncomfortable sleep, clearly I prefer sleeping on my side, but the ground is too hard and my hips are too much of a pressure point, ouchy! On my back it is then. In the morning it was oats and sultanas for breakfast (they did come in useful) before I drove to Albany so we could get supplies.
We had intended to climb Bluff knoll but it was closed due to the fires so we popped to the cafe instead; I got a cup of tea and the guy who served me was from, would you believe it, Bootle(!), of all places! What a small world. He asked me if I was a red or blue and I obviously answered Red - he gave me my tea in an LFC mug - it made my day; not only was it LFC, it was a mug instead of a miniature cup, you know the type you HAVE to stick your pinky out to drink from.
Then we went swimming in the green pool near Denmark (not Europe) before heading to Cosy Corner campsite near the beach. On the way we visited a friend of Ivo's who was shooting a potato gun, as you do; I played fetch with the dog. When we set up camp it was pasta for dinner before more Hanabi and sleep - on my back. After an awful night sleep I had my oats and tried Richard's slack line, I was a bit rubbish and couldn't balance without holding the branch. After this we went to a beach and did part of the Bibbulmun track.
We were walking along a trail that had a snake symbol for guidance, which I originally thought was a warning with a happy snake on it! After a while, and the occasional beautiful view, Ivo headed back to get the car whilst Rich and I continued to the next point. We almost got lost! We intercepted a road from the bunk point (where I wrote my name in the log book) and followed it for what seemed like forever. Having already seen the arse end of a long black snake every rustle became a paranoid head twist. We did come within metres of a Kangaroo hopping along. After an age we eventually saw civilisation; 2 Australian's who didn't appear to give the slightest toss but happily told us it was another 500m to the road, the sweet, sweet gravel road. By now I was covered in dirt, sweaty and running out of water. We reached the gravel road and I saw the most beautiful sight - Ivo with the car! Fantastic! We got back and cooked rice and the eggs we got from the farm shop, it turned in to some kind of mush! Too tired for Hanabi so straight to bed.
The next day we packed up and headed to Albany, I got a free shower and didn't care that it was cold, it was brilliant to have a wash. I was planning on getting something comfier to lie on but it was Sunday and only the IGA was open. I bought a hot dog from the girl scouts (it was nice to have some meat) and some socks and baby wipes (it's so easy to get very dirty) from the IGA. Once we left Albany we headed towards Esperance stopping in Ravensthorpe, well, nearby, closer to the beach at a free campsite [I now recall this place to be Hopetoun]. Thank you Wikicamps! There was a guy there, who had two greyhounds, camping in his car, nice enough bloke. We set up the tents then got to cooking; pasta tonight. Then the guy (I need to ask his name) came back with a few fish he had just caught, he gave us some which we fried and I ate like a caveman, my hands stunk of fish for a while after.
At about 9 the three of us went and lay on the beach looking up at the milky-way and on the lookout for shooting stars. I saw 2! That made 3 in two days - which beats yesterday's record of one in one day.
I got up quite early, even after managing to sleep on my side, kinda, because I was slow roasting myself in the tent; I seem to have a habit of misjudging where the sun comes up. It was fish for breakfast - the Australian guy caught and cooked it for us. Then we popped in to town, got some info and headed to Fitzgerald National Park. Stunning views, just stunning. I walked with Richard and Ivo to the beach, about 2km before heading back to the car. I didn't fancy walking along yet MORE sand to go back across the same sand just to get the car, especially with my dodgy knee tendon at the moment.
I reached the car after a brief stop at the bench with the beautiful view and a bite from a March fly on the ankle (second this trip!). I was sweaty and dirty but the wet wipes worked a treat. Then I drove slowly, taking in the view towards West Beach Headland where I am now sat writing in good old fashioned pen and paper, waiting for the boys, listening to the sea crash on the rocks and looking over the vastness of it.
1 hour to wait...
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