The weather forecast for today predicted cloudy weather and showers but when we woke at 5:30 the sky was cloud free and the sun shining with the van interior temperature at eighteen degrees. We are heading further west today and after 40 kms we passed through Coolgardie before stopping at Southern Cross to refuel. The cloud increased the further west we drove, then the rain started and was quite heavy at times and it continued until we arrived in Merredin where we lunched at the local cafe with burgers and hot chocolate. We continued on towards Kellerberrin to camp at the showgrounds. We entered the Camps 7 number into our Garmin GPS but on arriving, there was no camping available. Backtracking we found a sign to a new caravan park. The park looks like it had just been completed with all new facilities , and best of all just $16.50 per site per night.
Distance today 388 kms.
October 10:
A very cool morning with just ten degrees inside the van and just cool enough to crank up the diesel heater. The forecast for today was for showers but we woke to another day with beautiful blue skies. We left at 8:30 heading towards Perth. Today we were having all our batteries replaced at Alco Batteries in Belmont. Bushtracker are now fitting the Discover D27A 100 AH batteries as standard in their new vans, so that's what we installed. After that we headed north up the freeway to Karrinyup Waters Resort caravan park in Gwelup where we are booked in until the 17th October.
Distance today 252 kms.
October 11:
Seventeen degrees at 6:30 this morning. Today was cleaning day with the van exterior having a spruce up after travelling over two thousand five hundred kms of dirt roads. Then all the sheets, doona covers, and clothes were washed and dried just before lunchtime when the day turned cloudy with some light shower's that remained till the next morning.
October 12:
We were leaving the van for the next five days while we stayed with our very good friends who live in Menora which is a lovely suburb not far from the city. We were taken sightseeing today and we started at Hillary's Boat Harbour before heading south along the West Coast Highway and passing Trigg Beach, Scarborough Beach, Floreat Beach, City Beach, Sawanbourne and Cottesloe Beaches and finally stopping in Fremantle to have a seafood lunch at Fisherman's Wharf at the Kallis Brothers Restaurant and after we stopped in at the Little Creatures Brewery to sample some of their beer and purchase some merchandise.
October 13:
Today was a rest day. After lunch we visited my Godson and his fiancee who are renovating their home.
Distance today 25 kms.
Today we were being taken west, into the Perth Hills. We stopped at Kalamanda for morning tea. The town is several hundred metres above sea level and the soils in the area are ideal for growing stone fruits, apples, and vines for wine production. Mundaring Weir is the name of the dam that is the major water supply for Perth and it also provides water to Kaloorglie and Coolgardie. The water to these towns in the goldfields is pumped via a pipeline that was constructed and officially opened in 1903.
October 15:
Toured the city which included London Court, the Hay Street and Murray Street Malls and before leaving we had a beer at the Print Hall Bar that is located on the ground floor of the new BHP Building.
October 16:
Our wonderful tour director, Alan was taking us to the Swan Valley today. First on our list was the Margaret Valley Chocolate Factory, where we purchased some of their lovely merchandise before heading to Cape Lavender for a Devonshire morning tea. We then visited Talijancich who are renowned for their Verdelho, Shiraz and Aged Liqueurs, of which we brought several bottles of. Next was the House Of Honey where Ros bought wildflower honey and some honey shampoo and conditioner.
Lunch was at Taylor's Art and Coffee House before we visited Mondo Nougat and Chocolate, where we purchased more items. We visited Houghtorns Winery where Ros and I tasted there Classic White which they sell for $15.00 a bottle but can be bought at Dan Murphy's for $8.55 per bottle. We limited our winery visits as we are off to Margaret River next week. We topped off a lovely five days visiting our friends by dining out at the Nepalese and Himalayan Restaurant in Mt Lawley for dinner.
October 17:
After saying goodbye to our friends this morning we returned to our van. We grocery shopped at the local shopping centre at Gwelup and prepared the van for our trip south tomorrow.
Loving description and scenery. But the temperatures you have experienced has gone from one extreme to the other - overly hot in the centre but then the heater on in Margaret River! Dorothea Mackellar described our great country well.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you both in the next few days. Love and hugs - tworobs