Xmas 2004

24th December. Xmas Eve involved some partying at the hostel.

 

25th December. Xmas Day was a late start at about 10am. We went over to the Witch's Hat hostel for Champagne and fruit, then a bit of a chill-out before a BBQ lunch, (shrimp on the barbie). At about 3pm about 30 of us went down to Cottesloe beach. The sun had gone in by the time we had arrived but it was still warm so we went into the sea for ages. Big waves and a ball to throw around. We left the beach about 7pm and headed back to the hostel for leftovers and a party. We all ended up dancing on the tables until about midnight.

 

26th December. I headed off south with Brigitta, a German girl from Berlin. We hired a cool Hyundai coupe. We passed through a number of towns like Rockingham and Mandurah on the coastal road before arriving in Bunbury for early evening. We checked in to a hostel called the Wander Inn - nice place. We watched the sun go down, (more photos taken), before going to see Ocean's 12 at the cinema. I did not think it was as good as the first movie but it was ok.

 

27th December. We got up early to visit the dolphin discovery centre in Bunbury which opens at 8am. When we arrived they said we might not see any dolphins as the tide was very strange due to the tsunami. The dolphin centre is in the harbour and the tide was going in and out every 20 minutes. The short tide was amazing to watch but it scared off the dolphins. They said it is vary rare that no dolphins come in and it was one of the few times it the centre's 20 year history. At lunchtime we went to a nice beach town called Busselton that has a two kilometre long jetty. We did not walk down it but swam in the sea for ages. We then went to a town called Margaret River. This is a lovely town with one main road and about 25 vineyards, (wineries), around it. We followed the river down to the sea to a small beach town set in the sand dunes called Gnarabup, (no, really). We stayed at a hostel called Surf Point Lodge and were told it would be full of surfer types, but when we got there it was full of families. We headed down to the river mouth beach to watch the sunset. I have really got into seeing the sunset.

 

28th December. We set off and went to a place called Lake Cave. This is a big hole in the ground with about 250 steps to the bottom before going down another 130 steps to get into the cave. It is amazing inside and when they switched off the lights it was so dark you could not see your hand in front of you face. Hamlin Bay consists of amazing white sandy beaches and an old jetty with only a few posts left. There is a real postcard type of beach with a small area of coral and when we arrived the locals were feeding some manatees, (sea cows or dugongs), which are great to look at. We went into the sea and got some great photos and even touched one - it was soft and rubbery. We then set off to Augusta a small town with not much there other than a lighthouse and the point where the Indian and Southern oceans meet.

 

We had a long drive over to Pemberton. Just before we got into town we stopped at Beedelup waterfall which was not much of a waterfall as there was no water. There was, however, a great bridge to play on. They have this thing that if you tune your radio in they give a commentary about the place before you go in. We went into town and checked in to the Pemberton Backpackers Hostel before going out to the Gloucester Tree as it is free to get in after 6pm. It is a big lookout karri tree not used any more for fire lookout as they now use helicopters. It is 60m high and you climb up using metal bars pushed into the tree. It is quite steep and there is a mesh on the outside to stop you falling off sideways but if you slip you would be in big trouble. There are some amazing views and you can see for miles. We were joined by an Oz couple at the top and it did not move around too much as there was no wind. They only let six people at once at the top. The climb back down was easer.

 

29th December. We went into town to a fine woodcraft gallery. It was fab to walk around with some great things to look at including a clock made completely of wood that costs $8500. Out of town we went to Big Brook Dam. We missed the turning on a gravel road so I performed a big hand-brake turn which Brigitta disapproved of. The dam is only small but has a nice country walk around it, (four kilometres), and a sandy beach so you can swim if you like. There were some big old trees as well. We had lunch at a place called the Lavender and Berry Farm. You can pick your own fruit or buy the great jams and honey. They have a small cafe that does the best pancakes with ice cream and hot berry sauce. They also have a table where the birds eat only about 1.5m from where you are sitting. On the road again back to Bunbury, we stayed at the same hostel and went to see another movie - The Incredibles. What a funny film. Go and see it if you have not already.

 

30th December.() We got to the dolphin discovery centre and there was a dolphin present so we went straight to the beach and into the water. They line you up and the dolphins come in and swim up to you and look at you. This is just amazing. We had two dolphins in at one time and they swam round us for over an hour. I got some good photos but they would have been better with a shorter shutter delay on my digital camera, (not complaining Kes - this thing is just the best - a few marks, but what do you expect for carrying it 24/7). It cost us $2 to be with the dolphins and if you had swimming goggles they take you out deeper and the dolphins swim around you. They come within half a meter of you but you cannot touch as this is not allowed. Most of the people working there are volunteers.

 

On the way back to Perth we stopped at a cheese factory and tasted lots of cheese before buying some and some crackers for lunch. We ate lunch in a small town called Pinjarra (). There was a nice river and wooden road bridge which was relaxing after all the driving. We arrived back in Perth at the hostel to have a big BBQ - as much as you can eat for $5.

 

31st December. I took Brigitta to the airport at 4am as she was going to Adelaide to spend New Year with old friends. I had a lay-in before going over to see Dave at Rovacraft to see if I could wash and vacuum out the hire car. It was in a bad state and if it went back messy they were going to charge $25 to clean it. It took ages to clean and I found a few scratches and a mark on the front bumper. I polished out the scratches and covered the mark with correction tape as the car was white. When I gave the car back they did not notice the mark so I got back my $500 deposit.

 

New Year's Eve was spent on Cottesloe beach () and the trains were free all night everywhere. I was with with some people from the hostel - Mick, Linda, Mer and Frank - and several thousand others. At midnight there was a big cheer and then some flares were let off. We got back to the hostel at 2am and there was a party happening in the kitchen, (where all the best parties happen). We did beers and shots until 4am.

 

1st January. I got up at 8.30am and rang a few people back home as it had just gone midnight with you. Sorry I did not call you all but my phone ran out of money. I spent most of the day in bed as I was so tired and a bit hung-over.

 

2nd January. I had a bit of a cultural day by going to the Art Gallery of Western Australia and found an artist called Samuel Palmer from Redhill.

 

Well after all that I am going to have a break, like you guys reading it. It was long and took time. Be ready for my next instalment soon. Happy New Year.