25 May 10 – Hyden (Wave Rock)

By Lou: Wave Rock was cool. Do you like how it looks like I’m really surfing? I don’t think any other visitor would have such a pose.


By Craig: We were visiting Wave Rock on our way through to Perth and our route passed through Hyden. Hyden is a small town with some interesting metal sculptures but the main attraction for us was the rock and Hippo’s Yawn.


Whilst staying at the Wave Rock caravan park I noticed a chap whom I recognised but couldn’t place a name. Then while walking around the rock I noticed the same chap sitting in front of a camera doing a documentary about the rock, then it clicked. It was Monte the weather man. I got a shot from afar to remember my brush with fame.

24 May 10 - Esperance

By Lou: We had hoped to camp at Cape Le Grande for a few days but we would have arrived too late at night so pulled into an Esperance caravan park instead. We were aware that a gale force storm was coming so for the first time in all our travels decided to set up the walls of the annexe for some protection. It was the best call we made because the weather got ugly and we ended up staying 12 nights all up due to protracted car repairs. Of course we would never complain about the rain, what with the drought and all. RACQ were fantastic and they quickly sorted a hire vehicle and covered our accommodation. We tried to pretend we were used to staying in 5 star hotels but the camper trailer gave us away so caravan park it was.

We used the camp kitchen each night (how exciting, an oven!) and befriended a WA couple, Margaret and John, who had also been delayed by car repairs. Margaret fitted me out with knitting needles, wool and a baby jumper pattern, part of a World Vision project to provide African babies with clothing. She also lent a sympathetic ear to my trials with Sam’s schooling. She made up a maths game for him and I appreciated her encouragement of both Sam and me.


We hired some DVDs to fill in our time and in between rain went fishing on the pier but didn’t have much luck. We also had a couple of nice day drives but by the end of our stay we were counting down the hours till we could continue our adventure.

















By Craig: Esperance, known for sun and fun, turned on terrible weather for 7 of the 12 nights we were there. During the sunny days of our stay we took time out to visit Cape Le Grande,

Orleans Bay and drive along the Great Ocean Drive. Taking in all the beautiful scenic bays and ocean landscapes,
watching waves crashing into the distant rocks and walking along boardwalks was both a pleasure and a way to forget the pending car repairs.
A stop here and there on a beach gave Sam a chance to play and Louise an opportunity to contemplate, well actually a chance to zone out from the boys in her life.






I had an opportunity to snap a couple of shots of unique indigenous flora.

Back at camp the wet had caused us to zip on the extension to our camper allowing us to spread out a little and stay dry. Hiring movies and camp kitchen chats kept us from going insane or at least madder than we already are.
The Esperance jetty gave me an opportunity to escape for a little while and throw a line in, not that I had much luck.
In fact with Sammy the sea lion swimming around no one was having any luck.
The vehicle repairs took a little longer than first thought as parts had to be ordered from the East. Once they had arrived A1 Auto spared no time and we were back on the road, thankfully.

12 May 10 – Kalgoorlie

By Craig: Kalgoorlie is a big town with a history of mining, with a claim to have the biggest gold mine in the southern hemisphere, the ‘Super Pit’.

First of all we had to catch up with new friends Tom, Audrey and their two boys Henry & Angus. The following couple of days included a few drinks to say the least, a day touring a couple of local areas with lunch at Ora Banda pub for Mothers Day and a visit to the Broad Arrow pub. We enjoyed great hospitality, many laughs and great friendship with the Leavers and as we parted it was a sad thought that we may not see them for a while but we left feeling like we were a part of the family.

The things we do through life but what can one say about holding $750,000 of gold in your hands? Actually not much as for security reasons we shouldn’t mention names or places. Suffice to say that a certain person in the know (she knows who she is) gave us a golden (pardon the pun) opportunity to see first hand the pouring of a gold bullion. It is a fascinating process to watch and includes white hot temperatures and an acid bath. As I took hold of the product I could only imagine what Robin Hood might do at this point, but I remembered I was lousy at archery so I gave it back. Sam found himself the reciepient of a small 0.7oz piece of gold (lucky boy)

While in Kalgoorlie we visited the Mine Musium and went underground for a tour.


I also wanted to replace the trailer water tanks as stones had rendered the old ones useless. While I was at it I wanted to put a guard in place to protect the new tanks. Tom assisted with this providing ample conveyor belt rubber and more than a few handy tips.

By Lou: The greatest thing about catching up with travel friends Tom, Audrey, Henry and Angus was that Samuel could finally stop asking “Are we going to Kalgoorlie today?” which he had asked every day for a month since parting with the boys in Streaky Bay SA. We reunited as if we had known each other for years and had a wonderful few days together, as detailed by Craig.

At the caravan park Sam caught up with a friend, Bradley, who he had met at Ceduna. Bradley's family were relocating from Qld to take up work in the mine.

5 May 10 – The Nullarbour

By Craig: Ceduna, a diversion to the coast of 20 odd kilometres to Fowlers Bay, Jillah Rockhole and several stops taking in the Great Australian Bight found us across the Nullarbor. After our delay in Port Augusta we were on a fast track to Kalgoolie. Our trip across this vast open plain started in South Australia and ended in Western Australia with a short stop on the boarder for a vehicle inspection. No mate, I said, we don't have any fruit. OK, he said as he lifted the lid to the Waeco fridge. So these oranges are plastic, hey?. Well we did forget to eat them for lunch but thankfully he didn't ask to look in the pantry.
The bight as it suggests was sheer cliffs straight into the sea with the waves crashing into the edge of the Australian coastline with endless ferocity.
In some areas the sheer cliffs receded into a gentle slop but the Southern Ocean did not relent and wind carried salt spray for as far as one could see.







We took a break at the Nullarbour Service Station for fuel and of course an iced coffee (my addiction) and as casual as you like the local dingo paid us a visit.

A quick overnight stop at Jillah Rockhole was due to it being shown in the Camps 5 book as having a toilet. However when we got there I checked out the tin shed signed as ‘Toilet’ and realised I wasn’t seeing things: no door and only 1 & ½ walls with a bowl packed so tight with dunny roll a flee couldn’t get through the gaps.
Yep out with the shovel!!

The final section, or close to it, was the 90 Mile straight. Yep not a bend, literally bloody straight as a dye and by the time you get to the end you’re glad to see a curve in the road.
Finally, we arrived at Norseman, the intersection at the end of the Nullarbor with an easy decision: north, as we were hoping to catch up with some friends in Kalgoorlie.



Getting great family shots is never easy with a 7 year old prankster but thankfully sometimes we’re lucky enough to get one back, thanks Mum!












Norseman also has the unfortunate stigma for me as it provided an opportunity to open an email forwarded to us by the Coroner’s office regarding Kyle’s death. Nothing outside of the norm or different to my original understanding, although the word understanding is a gross overstatement as my status remains in total disbelief. The report did however place a perspective on time lines confirming events leading up to and post incident and provided some insight to Kyle’s state of mind.




By Lou: Although it wasn’t Craig’s preferred route to WA, I was pleased we had the opportunity to travel the Nullarbour, just to tick one more thing off the bucket list. I had anticipated it would be boring and lifeless but again I was mesmerised by the changing landscape. Granted it must get boring for those people who have done upwards of 15 crossings but for a novice it was good. For one night each we stayed at Ceduna, Fowler’s Bay, Jillah Rockhole (roadside stop) and Norseman. By the end of it we were sick and tired of the setting up and packing up each day. Our rig is ideal for a 3 week holiday in one place, but time consuming for the overnight touring.

We stopped in at the whale watching centre at the Head of Bight but knew we were a tad too early for the season and didn’t see any whales but the cliffs were magnificent.

It was at Norseman that we got mobile reception for the first time in days and after Sam was tucked into bed we stood gravely in the chilly night in front of the laptop and opened the preliminary Coroner’s report into Kyle’s death. It provided us with a little more detail about the hours before his death but overall our reaction was incredulity that we should be reading such a document. Despite seeing it in black and white it is impossible to accept that we will never see Kyle again.

2 May 10 - Gawler Ranges National Park

By Craig: Our change in plans gave us an opportunity to go into the Gawler Ranges. Lou had expressed an interest in this area but our previous plans had not provided the time to travel this area. I was slightly nonplussed about the area and so was Lou after arriving at camp. My opinion started to change once we started in on the 4wd track to the camping area. This could be alright I thought and the scenery wasn’t that bad either.
Once at the campsite it was a quick set up with an opportunity to have a camp fire. Nothing better I say and with dinner cooking it was time for drinks while we sat back and admired the flickering flares. Flickering what? Was that…? Did that look like…?
Much to our surprise we sighted little grey mice scurrying across the ground, up onto the inside of the vehicle wheel and then up onto the cross member and into the motor. Shit! We quickly remembered a remedy suggested to us by others back at Perlubie Beach
I started dusting baby powder around each wheel and over the inside of each wheel rim, that’ll fix em!
We sat back enjoying the quiet in front of the camp fire and watched the little grey blighter’s run straight through the powder up on to the rim and into the engine bay, bugger but at least we could track them now by following their footprints.
I did come across an interesting sight a little later the next day while looking over an historic dwelling.
Apparently or as best as I could figure one greedy little grey mouse had stuck his head down the centre of the plug hole in an old bath tub and got it stuck, Ha!! I thought sweet justice.
An attraction of the Gawler Rangers is the Organ Pipes. After a short walk through scrub a rocky structure appears depicting, as the name suggests, the pipes of an old church organ.

All in all I think the aea desrves further exploration and possibly after rain.

1 May 10 – Port Augusta again

By Craig: To be back in Port Augusta again via Coober Pedy was not how it was intended to be. The trip back did provide an opportunity to assess the area in which the 'Flash for Cash' had apparently snapped my picture. It turns out the Stuart Hwy starts with a 60 zone and has a tiny road sign depicting the speed limit only on one side of the vehicle. Both Louise and I thought we had entered an 80 zone and therefore $350 later and an Oh-I'm-so-sorry reply to my objection letter we are a little poorer.
However in an attempt to make the best of a bad situation I suggested we complete some maintenance on the vehicle and ordered some new shocks for the front end suspension and booked the vehicle in for the standard oil and filters service.
The chap (whom shall remain nameless) was all obliging over the phone and seemed to have a handle on the requirements of the Toyota. My confidence in him was gone when after delivering the vehicle to him at 8.30am I returned at 10.30 with very little done, parts still needing to be found and needing a time lapse camera to actually capture his work movement. At 2.30pm the bill equalled my frustration however we were a captive audience with no other option, what could we do? That was how I was feeling after a succession of issues but in the chap’s defence we did ask him to work on a Saturday (not his normal working day) and at short notice, so on the other hand we were grateful for his availability.

Not all was bad as after speaking to Peter who sold and installed our HF radio, took immediate steps to rectify the fault (see previous blog note). We were directed to a gentleman who was in his own right a very experienced technician in communication including HF radios. After confirming my thoughts regarding the fault it was established that the terminals within the power connection box had separated enough to arc and short out the channel memory. Very quickly the fault was rectified and a new program was uploaded, all fixed and reassurance that the matter would never be repeated thanks to a couple of cable ties.

Note: Cable ties in various lengths in addition to gaffe tape (grey) are essential items for the traveller’s tool box.


By Lou: Thrilled to be back at our fenced compound of a caravan park…not. While Craig sorted out car repairs, Sam and I did some teeth pulling, er I mean schooling. As a surprise for Sam we took him to the new Iron Man 2 movie, under the guise that we were going for a drive to watch the sunset. He had thought it a bit tough that he had to hurry up eating his dinner just for a boring old sunset but he was so surprised he was close to speechless which is highly unusual.