Perth to Exmouth to Perth

Hey Everyone! I have been very busy this last week. I took a tour from Perth to Exmouth then back to Perth. It was 7 days and jam packed with activities. I even took notes so that I would remember what day I did things so that my blog was accurate. So here goes the story of my week.

I was up bright and early on Saturday morning. Robyn and Kent dropped me off at the tourist coach stand in Perth. I was there about 7am and the bus arrived around 7:20am. There were so many people there I am sure Robyn and Kent were worried I would get lost in the crowd. But I got myself to the right place and got on the right bus. Instantly I met Vanessa who was on my tour. I could tell she was a Canadian because she had Lulu Lemon pants on. She is so fun and we hit it off instantly. Vanessa is from Toronto and has been living in Brisbane the last two and a half years. She has just finished her schooling to become a physio therapist. She is moving back to Canada the beginning of February. Vanessa and I spent most of the morning chatting on the bus. We also met Martin from Germany as well as Vincent from the Netherlands. There was another German guy who didn't speak much as well as two Italian couples who were not your typical backpacker age. They were retired and travelling Australia. Only one of them spoke English. There was also Ben from England who is currently living in Melbourne. Our tour guide/ driver's name is Pete. It was an interesting combination that turned into loads of fun. Our first stop was the Pinnacle Desert. I have never seen anything like it. They are these strange looking rocks out in the middle of the desert. We jumped on the bus again and drove a very long way. It was pretty hot on the bus and it didn't feel like there was any air conditioning. I was hoping we weren't in for a long trip on a hot bus. We decided to skip the sand boarding we were supposed to do in Geraldton but will stop on the way back to do it. We also stopped at the pink lake. The water is pink from the algae in the water. Strange, but true. We stopped for bathroom breaks along the way. At one point I asked Pete if the vents on the roof were just there to tease us. Turns out he didn't put the air on in the back only in the front. He felt pretty bad, I could tell by the way he laughed. lol. For the night we stopped in Kalbarri. Vanessa, Martin, Vincent, Ben and the other German which I now know as T-bone all stayed in a room together every night. The guys, Martin, Vinnie, and T-Bone cooked our diner that night. It was very good! We had rice and teryaki chicken as well as noodles with a stir fry. While the guys were preparing supper Ben, Vanessa and I went and watched the sunset on the water. After supper we went to check out the stars to see if we could spot the Southern Cross which is the constellation on the Australian flag. The stars were awesome, just like at home. I feel bad from people who live in big cities and never end up seeing them. It was a great way to end the day.

Day 2 started pretty early. We were up and bags packed and ate breaky and on the road by 8am. Our first stop was the Kalbarri National Park. We hiked down to this gorge to see the Murchison River. It was a big hike and it was very hot!! The way down was much harder than the way up, but I did just fine. We then stopped at the Billabong roadhouse for lunch. It was so stinking hot it was hard to breath outside. I would have guessed it was about 40 - 45 degrees. In the little roadhouse they had pictures of peoples tattoos on the wall. I asked if I could get my picture taken and be placed on the wall as well. Pete was pretty excited to now be able to say he knows those two tattoos. Next we went to Shark Bay. There I saw two small sharks and a sting ray. The water is so blue and clear it is easy to spot things. It was so beautiful and calm. I wanted to just stand there and take it all in for hours. After Shark Bay we headed to Monkey Mia where we stayed for the night. Monkey Mia is very nice, but not much there. In fact after leave Perth the only city you come across in Geraldton. After Geraldton it is all small towns, but very beautiful. It was a real hot day so we went for a dip in the water as soon as we got in. We have a habit of eating late so after swimming we team commonwealth started on supper. While we were swimming Martin found some beautiful shells and gave me one. I called it the love shell. Unfortunately the guys convinced me to throw it back since there was something living in it. Team commonwealth BBQ'd for our meal. We had sausages and steak which Ben BBQ'd. Vanessa and I cut up veggies to grill on the barbie and made a salad. It was all very delicious. Of course, the boys who cooked the night before said it was almost as good as theirs. After Ben, Vanessa and I cleaned up we grabbed a few drinks and went down to sit on the beach and enjoy the stars and good conversation. Martin, Timo (T-bone), Vinnie, Ben, Vanessa, Pete and I had a great time just laughing and enjoying the moment.

Day 3... Happy Australia Day! We were up at about 6:30am to go see the dolphins of Monkey Mia. Every morning the dolphins come up near the beach to be feed. They also enjoy the human interaction and stick around for a couple hours. We counted about a dozen at one point. We stood out and watched until about 8am, then went into have breaky. After that we went on a catamaran to look for dugongs. They let us go behind the boat on a net and told us it would be like a hot tub. Well it was full on scary. Both Vanessa and I were hanging on to our bottoms so tightly, it was awful. Of course the boys laughed because they weren't having the issues we were having. Once we got outta there the rest of the boat ride was much better. We saw about four dugongs and a couple Germans acting like gay lovers. Martin and T-bone posed for me a few times just to make the trip even more interesting. While on the boat I was goofing off showing Vanessa something and I fell on the boat. I slipped into this net onto the front of the boat and hurt my wrist. It was so funny I could hardly get up from laughing so hard. Once we got back to our hostel we packed up our things and went to Denham for morning coffee. Once there we put on a few Aussie tattoos, to celebrate Australia day. We did this while we drove to see the stromatolites. They are very old rock looking things that create oxygen. It was really interesting to see. We also had a our lunch there, but it was very hot, so it wasn't very enjoyable. After lunch we went to Shell beach. It is a very beautiful white beach with shin deep water for about a kilometer. The beach is made up of little tiny white shells. It was so cool, but very painful to walk on with bare feet. I walked a fair distance out in the water and had some tender feet by the time I got back. While I was walking in the water I lost my toe ring. I have been wearing that ring for 12 years so I was a little sad. We got back on the bus and drove for a couple of hours. One of the Italian men was complaining (in Italian) that he had arthritis in his toe and hurt. It predicted it would rain. Well it did rain so we ended up stopping the bus and dancing in it. It was such a nice relief from the hot weather we had been getting. It was so fun to dance on the side of the road in the red dirt! We got back on the bus for a long trip. We didn't arrive in Coral Bay until about 8:30pm. Vanessa and I had a shower and then went downstairs to join the guys for dinner. The hostel provided the meal for us that night so no one had to cook or do dishes. Martin, T-bone, Vinnie, Ben, Pete, Vanessa and I had a good night just chatting and laughing. Most of the talk was about Borat so as you can imagine it was tons of laughs.

Day 4. I got up early this morning because I was having trouble sleeping. The room was very cold with the air conditioning on. Vanessa also claims she didn't sleep well since Martin was yelling in German throughout the night. I helped out with dishes in the morning and then got myself signed up for a snorkeling tour where we also go see sea turtles on a glass bottom boat. We got our snorkel gear early and headed out to the beach to see what we could find. I was having trouble getting my goggles to fit my face without leaking water so I didn't do well. It was also a very windy day and a bit cold. It turns out there was threat of a cyclone in Exmouth so we were feeling a bit of weather from that. Luckily the cyclone missed Exmouth and we still were able to get there. But Coral Bay was not very nice weather. Once I got on my boat tour you could see how close the Ningaloo reef was to the shore. It was very cool to see it from the glass bottom boat. I was expecting the coral to be a lot more colorful, but the fish were colorful so I wasn't disappointed. We then went looking for turtles and ending up spotting a lot of them. About 10 of them swam under the glass bottom of the boat and they were easy to spot off the boat since the water was such a clear blue. We then stopped and went snorkeling. Since I am not a very good swimmer I asked one of the guides to help me. She helped fit my mask and gave me some great hints. It was so rough out there so I decided to take a noodle just to be safe. They also had a rope off the back of the boat that I hung onto. Everyone else was a great swimmer and didn't seem to need it so I would swim all around with comfort of knowing I could always get back to the boat. I got to see lots of fish and it was really cool. I enjoyed it. As we were getting off the boat it started raining and it was very cold. We got back to the hostel and I went for a swim in the pool instead of taking a shower. The shower water was salt water so I figured it was the same thing. After my swim I got changed and ate a late lunch. We then drove to Exmouth. We got there around 6pm. It was the Italians night to cook, so we were all looking forward to it. They made us spaghetti with tomato sauce with tuna in it. And a chicken mushroom dish with garlic toast. It was wonderful! Not too much talking around the dinner table since we were all enjoying so much. The cyclone had passed Exmouth so it was nice but not too hot.
Day 5. Today we just toured around Exmouth. We had breakfast and headed off around 8:30am. Vanessa and I prepared potato salad for our supper and a pasta salad for our lunch before we ate our breakfast. It was a busy morning, but the pancakes Pete made for breaky made up for it. Our first stop was to the edge of the peninsula to a look out. Then we went to a discovery centre where I bought a few gifts and post cards. Next we went on a hike to see a river in the Yardie Creek Gorge. I was happy it was cooler out since I hate hiking when it is too hot. It was a very pretty and easy hike. We then went to Sandy Bay. We rented some snorkel gear the day before when we first arrived in Exmouth. I also bought an underwater camera. I let Martin take it since I wanted to take my time and get used to this snorkel gear after all the trouble I had had the day before. It was instantly better. I was out snorkeling in no time. Since the reef was a little farther from there I didn't get see much because I was worried my swimming wasn't strong enough. But it was such a beautiful beach I had a great time with what I did see as well as sitting on the beach and taking in the moment. After lunch we went to Turquoise Bay. WOW!! This is the place you see in pictures but don't actually think exists. I got out and went snorkeling right away. I took a few pictures then gave my camera to T-bone to take a few of what he saw. I saw so much and loved that the reef was so close. The fish were so colorful and I really enjoyed myself. I was really excited that I saw a sting ray. I came back in a sat on the beach for awhile. I heard that T-Bone, and Pete saw a turtle so Ben and I decided to go check it out. But while I was sitting on the beach I could see a big sting ray in the very clear water. I watched in swim all along the shore, it was so cool. Ben and I headed out and after about 20 minutes of just floating around and watching I finally spotted a turtle. It was so amazing. I flagged down Ben and we ended up following the turtle for about 15 minutes. It saw us and just kept on doing its thing. It was really special that I saw it. We left the beach around 4pm and went back to see a ship wreck. It was close to the shore and you could see the ship above the water. After that we headed back to the hostel. Martin had a lovely burn from falling asleep on the beach so we all had a good laugh at his expense. Of course shortly after I realized I burnt my bum and back of my legs, although it wasn't nearly as bad as Martin. For dinner Pete hooked us up with some fresh fish. He grilled it up and the Italians made us some french fries. Vanessa and I made a potato salad. The clean up was a little intense since Martin's mom called and he didn't help. He was on the shit list for his laziness. lol. We had planned to watch Borat that night but were unable to find a DVD player. So we ended up just sitting around talking and having a few drinks.

Day 6. The morning was tense. Martin once again refused to help out so we gave up on him. I didn't sleep well since someone in the room was snoring, so I was already a bit grumpy. We all got on the bus and were quiet because of the lack of team work. Today is mostly driving, but we are stopping at Coral Bay to drop off Vinnie and Martin. I was uncomfortable most of the day from my sun burn and my feet were puffy from riding on the bus. I sat near the front and put them up which helped. I eventually ended up sitting in the front since I don't sleep much on the bus and I figured Pete must be bored with no one to talk to. We stopped for lunch at 1 mile Jetty in Carnarvon. We picked some fresh mango's before so we had burritos and mango's. It was delicious. After lunch was just more driving. I enjoyed sitting with Pete and hearing his stories of his travels. We stopped at the Billabong roadhouse again and I checked out my tattoo pictures on the wall. While we were driving I told Pete about Marley and how I was bringing her with me on my trip and what it meant to her family and how she was such a special girl. He must have felt really touched by my story because about an hour later we stopped at this place near Shark Bay. It had piles of rocks with writing on them. He told us to find a rock and grab a marker and write whatever you want to your loved one. I wrote one for Marley and got a picture of her picture with it. I also wrote one for dad. It was so beautiful, I had to go have a tear because it was so special to leave a piece of both of them in such a beautiful place. There were also some shoes in the pile and Pete told us it was for the lost souls. Before we got on the bus we took a group picture with Marley and the whole bus gave me a big hug. It was very special. That night we stayed on a farm for the night. Pete took me into Northampton, his home, and introduced me to the owner of the local pub. He is trying to hook me up with a job if I decide to come back to WA. I think I will be back since I want to go to Broome. Plus living in a place like Northampton, you can work lots and save money easily. Once we got back to the farm, we enjoyed a delicious roast lamb and veggie dinner. We cleaned up and the owner of the farm thanked Vanessa and I by telling us he wanted to bottle us up. It was a strange compliment, but normal saying around these parts. The plan for the rest of the night was to get drunk and play ping pong. We started drinking and there was just Ben, T-Bone, Vanessa and I. We had some drinks and were playing ping pong when we realized how the scene of the whole farm was very much like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We weren't scared until we started hearing some strange noises coming from the building. They were so weird and the owner Reg said he was going to bed around the same time everyone else did. It was pretty creepy. Then I noticed a tripod out in the middle of the yard and I was convinced it was a video camera watching us. At that moment Vanessa mentioned the comment about Reg wanting to "bottle us up". Well we were freaking out. Then one of the boys farted and we both screamed and jumped. Of course they just laughed at us. We went into the bathroom and as I was coming out I saw two mice. Well anyone who knows me well knows how I feel about mice. I was locked in the stall standing on the toilet crying. Vanessa wasn't sure what was going on so she was also locked in the stall. Once I calmed down we came out and checked for more mice. This put us over the edge and we decided to go to bed. The boys didn't even hear us screaming in the bathroom. They decided to stay up and keep drinking and playing ping pong. We finally got settled int he room and agreed on an escape plan if something should happen. We slept with the lights on until the guys got there. They came into the room about 2am. After that both of us ended up sleeping fairly well. We had threatened to jump into bed with the boys if they tried to scare us. They weren't too keen on the idea.
Day 7. I woke up and looked at Vanessa. The first thing I said was "we are alive!!" we both had a good laugh and got ready to go. Over the coarse of the morning I told Pete about our evening and he couldn't stop laughing. He has now decided to tell Reg, the owner of the farm our story and make it a scary part of the tour. Everyone got a good laugh at Vanessa and I. Pete was actually laughing so hard he missed two turns while he was driving to The Hutt River Province.
This is a principality within Australia. It is its own country so I got my passport checked for authenticity as well as stamped. I got to meet Prince Lenord and Princess Shirley. I also purchased some money from them and a pen and post cards. I was sold on the pen when Prince Lenord told me it had a computer in it which allowed it to write in different languages. This was a really cool place. They have their own licence plates and currency and passports and everything. It was also a very interesting story. Goggle it if your interested in knowing more. I am sure there is alot of info on there. We then made our way back into Australia and headed to Geraldton. We hoped on our sand boards and slid down the sand hill a few time. It was like tobogganing without snow. It was so sandy and I still have sand in my ears. We then went to an animal sactuary. We got to feed kangaroo and camels and horses and emu and donkeys. It was really great. T-bone and Ben also held some snakes. We had our lunch there and then headed back on the bus for the final leg of our journey. I was the first to get dropped off. We pulled over and unloaded all the bags off the top of the bus and I said my goodbyes to everyone. Robyn and Kent picked me up about 10 minutes later. We then went to the markets for their weekly dinner with their friends. I really enjoy thier friends and had a good time telling them about my trip. When we got home I showed Robyn and Kent all my pictures.
Today. I have spend the day doing laundry and I went shopping with Robyn. I didn't get any reception with my phone while on my trip so I switched networks so that I would have a phone that worked while I was living in Southern Cross. I ended up getting a new phone and a new mobile broadband stick. So I am now set for the outback for 6 weeks of work. Tomorrow night Robyn and Kent are having a goodbye bbq for me. I am looking forward, yet sad that I am leaving on Monday.
Sorry this was such a long one, but I didn't get a chance to update while I was on my tour.
Until next time,
Cindy