Kadadu du du, push pineapple, shake a tree

Last weekend we did as many Perthites do and escaped the city for the beautiful area around Margaret River. Mike's cousin Emma, who is currently living and working in Perth, very kindly used her free weekend in a house for us all to enjoy. It was such a luxury to cook in a properly equipped kitchen and without other people getting in the way. Lasagne, mmm.

Despite the rain (yes it does actually rain in Australia), we managed to take in the sights of Margaret River and around. A major attraction of the area is the presence of countless vineyards and wineries. With Mike as 'skipper' -because he is lovely- we visted a number of cellar doors for tastings. Clearly we had no intention of buying the $60 wine but no-one seemed to mind us trying it.

Whilst driving around, we finally saw some Kangaroos! They hop hop hopped right in front the car. We hopped into the bush after them but they were long gone. Kangaroos are amazing- the embryos enter the pouch only 35 days after fertilisation! After this they are reliant on suckling, with little or no placental attachment. Additionally, fully grown kangaroos use only 1/5th the energy of a mammal of the same size. Hopping is blatantly the way forward.

Since flying from Perth on Tuesday, Mike and I have been soaking up the sun of the Northern Territories. Darwin is smaller than I expected but has a lively atmosphere due to the numerous restaurants and bars that line the main street. We have spent the last few days in Kakadu National Park, one of Australia's largest. Having opted for the cheaper option of getting a bus to the park, we had to rely on hitching to get around. This was a bit hit-and-miss, as ever, but we successfully got to a number of the major attractions.


The main draws to the park are the wildlife, of which there is an abundance, and the Aboriginal culture. The countless crocodile warning signs kept us well away from the water but we did see one sleepy croc having a nap on the bank. We were almost constantly serenaded by the raucous birds and also got friendly with a range of different ant species. The park really was teeming with wildlife.


It was also very interesting to learn a bit about the Aboriginal people who own the land. It is thought that they have lived there for about 50,000 years and the Rock Art that we saw has been dated back 20,000 years. It is quite amazing how they adapted as the environment underwent its dramatic changes, always maintaining their laws and partnership with nature. Unfortunately, the destruction of their culture and land in the last few hundred years has completely wiped out many of the clans and left many more in terrible poverty. Sometimes I hate being European.

In search of outback WA

Mike and I are now back in Perth having spent a week driving part way up the West coast and back. We realised that it would be very difficult to access many of the sights without being on a stupidly expensive tour bus or getting our own wheels. No contest. We hired a very nippy Toyota Corolla in which the miles flew by, even when faced with crazy outback roads.

The West coast consists of a long string of beautiful beaches which quickly changes to bush when you go inland. We were both amazed by how much 'nothing' we drove through. Much of our driving time was spent on Kangaroo watch, our eyes scanning the bush hopefully. Unfortunately, the countless Kangaroos we saw were all dead- they seriuosly need to learn some road crossing skills! Our various stops included The Pinnacles desert which was created by columns of resistant rock that were left standing when the surrounding rock was weathered away. We also saw the sights of Kalbarri National Park, a place of red rock and gorges.

One of the highlights for me was our trip to Coral Bay from where the Ningaloo reef can be easily accessed. I went on a glass-bottomed boat and snorkelling trip of the reef. The minute I got in the water I was compeletly surrounded by fish of all colours. It was amazing. To top it off, we swam a bit further out and found oursleves hanging out with a couple of sharks. They were only about my size, and completely uninterested in us, but it was still a little scary when one swam directly underneath me, only two metres away. Pretty damn cool.

For the most part, our free camping was successful and we found oursleves cooking and drinking wine on deserted beaches or in the bush. We weren't quite so lucky in Coral Bay, however, as camping was prohibited. We didn't think anyone would notice if we pitched after dark at the foot of the dunes. What we hadn't anticipated was that some crazy folk think it normal to go fishing at 3am so we found oursleves in the headlights of a 4X4. We had to pack up and run the hell away to avoid a possible fine. Ah well. Sleeping in a car is not so bad.

We now plan to head south of Perth for a few days where we will find some vineyards and more beaches.

BTW- I have now changed the settings on this blog to allow people to post comments without signing in as I know it has been frustrating a couple of you. Big love to all xxxxxxxxxxxx

The only Kangaroo we've seen was roadkill

I now find myself in sunny Perth. It is a pretty crazy distance from Auckland but I have only stopped in a couple of places along the way. Matt and I flew into Melbourne a week ago where we met up with Mike again. Melbourne itself looked like a pretty cool city to spend time in if you have the money- Australia seriously eats cash even before you indulge in the many shops, bars and cafes. We decided to hire a car to drive The Great Ocean Road which is said to be 'one of the most beautiful in the world'. An evening's drive took us to Warnambool at the far end of the route where we cheekily camped in a car park near the sea. This left us until 5pm the next day to wend our way along the coastal road. Our days studying GCSE geography were happily brought back as we gazed upon the limestone cliffs, complete with caves, arches, stacks and stumps.

After Melbourne, Mike and I boarded a bus to Adelaide and left little bro to begin his trip up the East coast. The highlights of Adelaide included a well needed catch up on sleep, a trip to Australia's Museum of Wine, and being entertained over lunch on the beach by a gaggle/herd of seagulls.

We were due to ride the Indian Pacific train across to Perth. The two and a half day trip journeys right across the outback and includes the longest section of straight track in the world. Unfortunately there had been a freight train de-railment so we were hastily shoved onto an aeroplane instead. We therefore arrived in Perth a little earlier than anticipated. From here, we are heading up the coast in search of Australia.