Travelling Tassie

VIC corner of Oz - with corners thrown in!!

Adelaide and into Victoria

Girls guide to Adelaide...

Having a girls look around Adelaide while Nigel was in NZ meant shopping, shopping oh and did I say shopping!! We even managed to catch the bus and the tram, return (most importantly!) and visited the German village of Hahndorf and the Adelaide Zoo. And it was great to catch up with some friends; and make new ones! With the weather variable from cold and stormy to early 30s, we managed the beach, pool, jumping pillow at the campground and shopping (in case I forgot to mention it!) Just because we dressed up and went into David Jones at Rundle Mall to have our photo taken with Santa, didn't mean it was going to all go to plan! The queue was over 45 minutes and with a parking space of only 60 (parking for cars with a roofbox in Adelaide is just impossible) we didn't get to see Santa but played in the Santa Cave/Grotto. So of course, when we had just jumped out of the pool and into our play clothes for a quick trip to Westfield Marion, that was the day there wasn't any queues and Charlotte was keen to get up close to Santa. Typical! Still we got our photo for 2010... And, we got to console Charlotte because she didn't get the Cuddly toy she asked Santa for - who said anything about waiting... I told Santa I wanted it so I expected it now!! Best go for now, gotta keep counting down till Christmas..

Making Tracks in South Australia...

The Nullarbor

South Western corner, WA

Fremantle and Williams

Perth Mint and Fairy Princess Reanna

Federation Walkway and DNA Tower, Kings Park, Perth

Perth skyline and Fremantle Prison

Some interesting Statistics:
23,919 km on the clock
2 kangaroos hit with 1 causing damage
1991 the year the Fremantle Prison closed
8 degrees overnight at Williams
$2,363,296 price of the kids in Gold weight at the Perth Mint
(lucky it's a good day or would consider Trade!)
1.27 diesel price in Perth
6.00pm the time shops inc. supermarkets shut in Perth
105 steps to the top of DNA tower at Kings Park, Perth

Perth; too busy shopping to take photos!

With Reuben & Annabel
Wicked Hummer
Swan Bell Tower

West Coast Splendour...

Week 15 - Half time!!

Kimberley - Broome - Port Hedland WA

Some interesting Statistics:
1 - Yes Broome does have a McDonald's in case you were wondering
22km long - Cable Beach in Broome
17,400km - driven so far
42 degrees - it is so hot in the Kimberley's
80 mile - beach between Broome & Port Hedland
404km we missed by not completing the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley's - it's just way too hot!
642 carriages on the BHP Iron Ore train from Newman to Port Hedland
34 degrees - the more comfortable weather on the Coast below Broome

Holidays on the Holiday

Kimberley Region

Where do I start..... There has certainly been a lot to see and do in this corner of Oz. After coming across the State border from Katherine and into W A, we stopped at Kununurra and hired a Kamper Trailer for the next 4WD part of the trip.... the Gibb River Road. We left our caravan comforts behind (including the Air con!) and headed for Kalumburu - the northern most Aboriginal community you are free to access. After 600+ kms of corrurgated roads and river crossings, we visited the gorgeous beaches of Honeymoon and McGowan, before heading back down Kalumburu Road to the Mitchell Plateau and Falls, ElQestro Wilderness Park and Home Valley Station, before returning to Kununurra. Road corrugations, red dust, no phone/internet service, endless changing scenery, no cars passing for hours and hours on end, crocs, red dust, 40degrees + heat, flies, red dust.... did I mention red dust?! We loved it!

Back in Kununurra, we drove through the Ivanhoe Crossing again (once wasn't obviously enough!), visited Lake Argyle and flew over the Argyle Diamond Mine, Ord River Irrigation Farming, Diversion Dam, Lake Argyle and onto the Bungle Bungles.

We still have more of the Gibb River Road to visit having only been about half way on it before hitting the Kalumburu Road. We hope to complete the rest (or most of it) after Nige returns from the States. By then the girls and I should be tired of the pool and playground at the campground at Kununurra and forgotten how the red dust gets into everything!!

Kimberley - Kununurra

Gibb River Road - Kimberley