Wednesday 28 November 2012

Margaret River - Augusta 22.11.12

The road to Margaret River was through vineyard after vineyard, with imposing cellar doors and formal gardens. Arum Lillies proliforated in gullies and shady spots and Glenn's comment was that they must be feral. How could he think anything so lovely could be feral, not to mention forgetting I had them in my wedding bouquet!

We found our way to the visitor centre and discovered we were just in time for a big food and wine festival featuring famous chefs from around the world, including Sydney siders Kylie Wong and Tetsuya. Margaret R was very busy with the huge influx of tourists for the event.

Glenn's first cousin Denise lives in Margaret R with husband Ron, and Glenn and I spent many hours catching up after too many years. They have a beautiful property surrounded by forest and they own and operate the nearby Stone Cottages, luxury accommodation set in peaceful countryside. We spent four days with them, camped under the trees beside the fountain, sightseeing during the day and eating, drinking and talking at night. We fed the chooks, explored the orchard and garden and walked to the cottages to have a look. They are lovely and together with the house, are set in 115 acres of Jarrah and Marri forests.

Ron generously passed on to us tickets he'd been given for the second day of the Gourmet Escape and we had a great day sampling the famous food and wine of the region. We watched a cooking demonstration by Russell Blaikie and sampled the delicious Arkady Lamb at the end, and sat in on a Q&A session with Andre Chiang from Restaurant Andre, Singapore. We were held up in traffic getting into the venue, Leeuwin Estate, and missed Tetsuya from Sydney in Q&A and demonstrating which was disappointing. All up it was a great day filled with sips and nibbles.

Another day was spent in and out of the galleries looking at superbly hand crafted furniture featuring the local Jarrah and Marri timbers, creative garden sculptures, jewellery, ceramics, glassware, paintings and textiles..... drool, drool !! Our favorite was the huge Boranup gallery in the Karri forrest

We booked the car in for a service and explored the main shopping strip while we waited for it. There is a wonderful bakery which serves delicious food in the most interesting of surroundings. The old house has been decorated with vintage tablecloths, some of which hang at windows and an assortment of non-matching furniture arranged in intimate nooks and crannies. There were Proteas in glass jars, posies of small flowers and hanging baskets, posters and old light fittings. It was crammed with couples and families and the hamburgers we had were the best yet. They also had homemade sweet treats. A unique place staffed with back-packers from next door.

Unfortunately, we were too busy enjoying ourselves to concentrate on victory for the Aussies in the cricket!

The coast line is rugged, dotted with surf breaks and pure white sand and Glenn was keen to revisit the places he surfed on our honeymoon. We turned off the coast road into every beach, stopping at Prevelly where the Margaret R meets the ocean and where a new wife watched anxiously as a new husband surfed a huge break more than forty years ago.

We continued the trip down memory lane, to Hamelyn Bay and its friendly stingrays, eventually arriving at Augusta. Glenn's cousin Frank lives there now in a newly acquired house with fabulous views of the south west's biggest river system, the Blackwood. We sat on his deck with cold beer and wine and then had a guided tour of house and garden and talked about Frank's plans to renovate the old house. We went to dinner at the pub and had time catch up on all the news.

We have loved seeing all the maternal cousins and families and stitching together some of Glenn's family tree. They have all been so warm, welcoming and happy to see us that it's been an absolute pleasure for us.

Augusta is a very pretty coastal/river town with so much development potential. Next morning we looked around the town and sat in the sun and watched the fishermen for awhile.

We then headed off to see the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest on mainland Australia and the meeting place of the Southern and Indian Oceans.

From there we turned east to begin the last leg of our trip. We overnighted in the forest halfway between Augusta and Pemberton and met a young German couple doing the round trip in six months. They now have first hand experience of the enormous distances of this country! We also had RAIN..heavy and continuing!

Katanning, Bunbury. Cape Naturaliste. 19.11.12

We have followed the road inland and south to Katanning and have spent two nights in a row under the trees in the wheat belt. The first was at Crossman and the second between Wagin and Katanning. It's great to be out in the bush again under the stars at night.
Along the way we have admired the stunning roses along the streets and in every garden at Williams, a beautiful town with an op shop which was closed, sadly! Wagin was interesting because of the imaginative junk sculptures along the road into town and the huge emporium carrying everything imaginable from furniture to incense, ladies underwear and dog bowls! Fascinating.

I am (reluctantly) informing you of the card score at Glenn's request ..... GLENN 25. Jenni 24.

In Katanning we went to visit Ron, (second cousin) and his wife Ruth, wonderfully welcoming people who parked us in their driveway, plugged us into power and fed us dinner and breakfast. We talked our heads off piecing family history together for Glenn and hearing about their very busy lives spent donating time to community projects. Ron was instrumental in setting up the Men's Shed and is an active voice in local government affairs while Ruth devotes time and energy to church affairs, local hospital cooking to raise funds, and to feed elderly neighbours and grandsons. Ron gave us a guided tour of the town they have spent most their lives in. They are amazing people and we loved spending time with them.

Next stop was Bunbury to see the childhood home of Glenn's mum Laurel. Unfortunately, there was no one home but we spoke to a neighbour whose son lives next door and will pass on information of our visit. We took lots of photos of the house and garden.

We followed the coast road south looking for a place for the night. Eventually we found a spot in the Tuart Forest which already had quite a few vans. We were joined by a Wicked van with a bunch of German kids in tents who squeezed in behind us. We spent a pleasant time having a drink with two other couples, one of which had been on the road in a small motor home for six years. The Tuart trees have a beautifully patterned bark, a bit like paving and most had moss on the southern side. They smelled spicy.

Next day we drove into Yallingup to check out the beach. The sand is pure white as we remembered from 41 years ago when we came here on our honeymoon but the town has grown of course.

Then to The Cape Naturaliste NP, well known for its working lighthouse which offers panoramic views of the formidable coastline. We walked the tracks around the headland, spotted several sun baking lizards which were loath to move off the track for us and enjoyed the bush flowers. The vegetation became scrubber as we got closer to the windswept coast and we spent some time at the Whale Lookout spotting whales migrating to the Southern Ocean for the summer. This is the starting point for the CapeTo Cape walk which ends at Cape Leeuwin, south of Augusta. It would be a great walk to do.

 

Perth and Freemantle. 9.11.12 - 18.11.12

The drive through the outskirts of Perth, through Freemantle and a bit further south to Coogee Beach C'van Park was stress free with the phone on navigator. The park is very pleasant, on the beach and not far from all of the city attractions so we will stay a week or so.

Day 1. Went to the Fremantle market for terrific fresh fruit, veg, salami, cheeses etc. wonderful. This very exotic butterfly on stilts was there for the enjoyment of all the shoppers!

Then to meet Joan at Ange Crisp's house in Cottesloe for lunch and to meet new babe Joni who is a petite, pretty, fine featured little girl of 3weeeks. Had several wonderful cuddles and then we were off to get Heidi. We had a photo shoot there with 6 mth Scarlett and her parents. Then we left her with dad Mark and we five girls, including Joni, went to the Hyatt for high tea. We had a busy time eating everything and drinking the constant stream of wine... Joan and I that is, as the girls are nursing mothers so only had a small amount of champagne!

Day 2. Glenn and I went to the Shed market which wasn't as interesting as the Fremantle market the day before... Smaller and without the wonderful gourmet food. Nearby, we discovered people sitting all along the harbourside so investigated. To our surprise, we had stumbled onto the start of the Fremantle Classic Yacht Race so spent the next three hours watching and learning what was involved.

At one stage I left to explore the vintage market in the warehouse just behind and bought a dress for the immense sum of $5 and a gorgeous handbag. I was amazed at the large number of young and not so young women there all decked out in vintage attire. They were so interesting, individual and beautiful. How I love such flair and creativity in clothing.. each person making a statement of their own, rather being decked out in chain store uniformity!

We finished the day with the Crisp family again for a delicious baked lamb dinner, a few reds and more cuddles of the babies. It was a wonderful day with exciting happenings and old friends.

Day 3. An interesting day exploring the city of Fremantle on foot, admiring the gracious old buildings, small houses beautifully renovated and the street sculptures. We thought it had a vibrant sense of history and a European flavor with narrow, winding streets, corner cafes with tiny tables and umbrellas on the pavement, and a lot of trees featured in small squares with old lampposts and bench seats.

Just after we bought a parking ticket for two hours, a generous girl gave us one with five hours remaining. We thanked her and then gave our ticket to another family. When we returned to the car we still had almost an hour left so passed it on again. Great system!! All parking in the city is metered and policed and there are enough places to make access very convenient. Most parking is reasonable... $1.50 ph .. so people use it.

We spent hours in the Japingka Indigenous Fine Art Gallery where we saw the work of Alma Nungarrayi Granites which depicts the star dreaming of her Walpiri people from the Tanami Desert. Her "Seven Sisters Dreaming" paintings are utterly amazing. They represent the 'sisters' in the night sky with star-lit luminosity, movement and vibrancy. They are exceptionally beautiful. A second exhibition of small works by twenty leading Central Desert artists captured the burnished colours of the desert heartland. The gallery itself was a handsome building with WA jarrah floors and balustrades.

Day 4. This was our 'gaol' day at the Fremantle prison, built by convict labour in the 1950s. It is a heritage listed site which has been restored to its original condition. Firstly we did a tour and were treated as newly arrived convicts, going through the process of admission until finally arriving in our cells! We were spared the indignity of stripping, showering and donning prison garb and escaped the shackles.. We saw the exercise yards, the kitchens, and the single cells no bigger than our toilet. We shut ourselves in the solitary confinement cells, with a bucket for company and had some sense of what apalling conditions prisoners endured.

Unlike our modern prisons of cold steel, the Fremantle prison is a thing of beauty, constructed from handcut limestone blocks with WA Jarrah doors and ceilings and flagstone floors. it is four storeys high with cells lining both sides of a central passage. It is perfectly symmetrical and well proportioned.

Unfortunately, Glenn had to be flogged with a cat-o-nine-tails for his crimes over the last few months!

After going to 'capacino alley' for lunch, we returned for an afternoon extreme adventure tour of the tunnels under the prison. We watched the video, filled in the waiver form and were breath tested to determine our level of sobriety. Glenn and I both scored zero! We then were kitted out with overalls, gum boots, helmets and headlamps, life jackets and harnesses and again asked if we were claustrophobic or afraid of heights. Then the adventure began with each of us being locked on by a gadget on our harness, to runners which followed the rungs of the ladder down 20 metres to the tunnels below. There were small platforms below each section of ladder where we had to negotiate a change of direction which was tricky. At the bottom we unhitched from the runners and began the walking section. It was very dark and wet underfoot and mostly we moved in a bent position because of the lack of height. This is where the helmets came into their own, protecting heads from the roof of the tunnels. We saw shells in the walls and fine tree roots growing through the ceilings as well as casts where tree roots had died and rotted away leaving holes in the roof.

The next section was negotiated by boat, two of us to a boat. They were very sturdy and we had a paddle each but often used hands against the walls of the tunnel where it narrowed, to move the boat along. The water was crystal clear and provided drinking water for the entire colony for a period of time. Without that supply, the colony would not have survived its infancy. Interestingly, Fremantle was not a penal colony originally, but settled by free man and women. It was only when it became obvious that there was not sufficient manpower to build necessary infrastructure that convicts were sent from England to provide a labour force. The prison was condemned and closed in 1991, largely due to the fact that modern fire engines could not pass through the entry which was designed for horse and cart vehicles.

The 2.5hr tour ended with a steep climb back up the ladders, a photo opportunity and a return of gear. We were each given a certificate of achievement and signed a piece of paper to say we'd returned to the surface unharmed! It was an excellent tour with an informative guide with a sense of humour.

Looking down into the 20 mtr shaft

After the tour we looked at Humaninside, an exhibition in the prison gallery which looks at the past but also has photographs of contemporary aboriginal people in cells and urges viewers to listen to how their lives are affected now. These people stand side by side with their children, parents and aboriginal advocates of human rights. It aims to have us consider the fact that our system of punishment is not working as numbers of aboriginal people in custody are increasing. " Why is this the case? Is it because we remain in pursuit of the idea that the role of 'justice' is primarily punishment?"

There is a true story about an orphan boy brought out from England under the child migrant plan, who, as an adult, meets an aboriginal woman and several children are born. The father leaves his young family in search of work as many men did and the young mother doesn't cope. When welfare come, her children are taken into care. The eldest boy Grahame is 5 and his brothers just toddlers. They are moved several times and run away trying to get back home. They are severely punished and shifted from one institution to another, including juvenile reformatories. Finally, after a series of court charges for absconding and a small crime, Grahame is made a ward of the state. At sixteen he does his first stint in Fremantle Prison, where he'll spend most of the next nine years and where he secretly begins to write in his cell.

PRISON Grahame Dixon (extract)

There must be another way

To punish

Penalize

Those of us


Who stray

And break

The rules

That protect the taxpayers

From us

The reef of humanity's

Wrecks.

Day 5.


We went to Fremantle to the Shipwreck Gallery which features a comprehensive display relating to The Batavia, it's cargo, structure, artifacts and written records. It was the most notorious of the many wrecks strewn along the Ningaloo Reef coastline.

Then a short walk to The Roundhouse, which is set high overlooking Fremantle Port and surrounding coastline. it was built to house the first prisoners of the colony and is partially restored. Like most buildings here, it is constructed from local limestone and is beautiful.



We ate local seafood at 'Lucious Lips' on the waterfront.

That evening we were guests of Glenn's cousin Rex and his wife Debbie at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. We had a delicious dinner and filled in many gaps in the family history. It was wonderful to see Rex after forty years and to meet Debbie.

Day 6

We started the day with a swim in the ocean, just over the sand from our camp ground, followed by a short lie on the beach to soak up some sun. The wind has a edge to it as we move south and the water is cooler. Grandson Alex skyped us so we had a chat to him and then 'played' with our computers.

That evening we drove around the southern part of Perth to Cannington, to have dinner with another of Glenn's cousins, Denise, her husband Steve and sister Elaine.

Day 7

We spent a great day in the beautiful King's Park and the Botanic Garden! The park is the result of the vision of Andrew(?) Forrest, the first member of parliament for WA. who wanted following generations of Australians to see the area in its original state. An enormous amount of work has been done to stabilize the banks and eradicate feral species of plants.

The day was sunny and the views over the city spectacular. We wandered along all the trails lined with an astonishing variety of native trees and flowers, many of which we'd never seen before. The iconic Kangaroo Paw grows from miniature to very tall and was striking in mass plantings and the flowering gums shaded the pathways. There were Boabs and grass trees and banksias and tiny bush flowers. All the way along the walking paths are explanations of how the indigenous people used the plants for food, medicine, tools and shelter. At the war memorial on Mt. Eliza there were hedges of rosemary for remembrance and lavender to signify the battlefields of France.

On an open, sloping, grassed area known as 'The Green', workers were setting up for an open air concert that night. The venue is roped off and concert goers sit on low chairs or blankets. It is similar to the Twilight Concerts at Taronga Zoo except the viewing area in Perth is much larger and is a perfect auditorium. I may sound parochial, but it lacks the 'Wow' factor of the Sydney Harbour views!

Day 8.

Glenn's cousin Rex and wife Debbie invited us to their home for a birthday celebration for Rex, where we met Debbie's family, children and grandchildren, first cousins Denise and Frank and families. All these welcoming relatives are on the maternal side .... Glenn's mother Laurel. There was lots of talk about the family history and the cameras worked overtime! We were sorry Glenn's mum and sister Denise weren't there to enjoy it too.

 

 

 

Monday 19 November 2012

Geraldton 31.10.12 to Perth.

We've had a busy time so far in Geraldton and you'll all be delighted to know we have a new broom purchased from IGA which has a comprehensive supply of Asian goods. At last!

We caught up with my nephew Jason and had a delicious dinner at 'Tides' overlooking the harbour. We continued the chat the next night when he came to sample Glenn's chicken curry. It was great to see him so well and happy here.

Behind the Visitor's Centre is the old goal with beautiful thick, white-washed walls, small cells and a terrific collection of stones, many of them presented as highly polished spheres. The colours and patterns in the rocks were really amazing. Most of the cells are rented by artists and craftsmen who display and sell their work there. Each cells has the original heavy door with some of the original locks still in place.

From there we drove up to the HMAS Sydney II Memorial which overlooks the harbour. We had an informative and enthusiastic guide who explained the various features and the significance of each one as we walked around. The silver dome made of 645 seagulls, represents each sailor lost and the wall of remembrance lists each man. With the discovery of the wreck, the final part of the memorial has been installed.. a pool of remembrance.

Next was the Museum which kept us interested for the next few hours. It has a permanent exhibit presenting the history of the Batavia shipwrecked near the Abrolhos Islands, insights into the Aboriginal history as well as some smaller exhibitions. I particularly liked the one showing dolls made by local people, hand stitched and naive.

There was also an exhibition featuring the work of Max Dupain, one of Australia's most renowned photographers, with over 80 striking images from the 1940s to the 1970s. He was famous for his modernist, documentary style of photography and his images of post-World War II Australia are widely regarded as important records of a changing society. The photos of steel girders and other architectural features were superb.

We went to the Byzantine style St Francis Zavier Cathedral where the Bishop was saying Mass and a relic of the saint was on display. We took a guided tour of the crypt, unusual in an Australian church, which had displays of early vestments, and historic memorabilia. The architect was a Monsignor Hawes, a man of many talents who designed other buildings in the town as well. He felt that a Byzantine style church was more suited to the Meditterean climate of the area than a Gothic cathedral.

My nephew Jason, works in a caravan supplier/repair business and offered us a great price on a new fridge for the van. Ours has been struggling on gas and is showing its age in other ways. The fact that the door jumped off on the atrocious road from Drysdale station didn't help!! The 3-way fridge had to come from Perth so we headed out of Geraldton to look around the local area while we waited for the delivery.

Firstly we headed north to the recommended Coronation Bay but the wind was almost gale force. The kite surfers were loving the conditions but they were unpleasant for campers so and we opted to go south and inland to Greenough and Walkaway.

Just before Greenough we saw the bizarre sight of trees growing horizontally. They are an icon of the area and opinions differ as to the cause of their surreal appearance. Some say it is the result of prevailing winds but others say the roots hit a chemical layer in the soil which effects the trunk structure. The village of Greenough is renowned for its restored heritage buildings which are charming. There are eleven stone buildings, remnants of a thriving 19th century pioneer community, and a lovely cafe.

After we left the village we saw windmills on the horizon and gradually approached a wind farm with 54 giant turbines dominating the surrounding rolling hills. They pump massive amounts of electricity into the grid and pay for the cost of construction, maintenance and decommission in three to six years, of a twenty five year life. They have no carbon emissions after construction.

We drove through back lanes looking for Ellendale Pool, recommended as a great campsite. True enough, it is a scenic, well treed area on the edge of a long pool with cliffs across the water. There are flush toilets, water, cold showers and a swimming hole, all for $5 pn. We were welcomed into the established group for happy hour and are at the moment spending our second day here. The heavens opened in the night and we have our first rain since Melbourne. over six dry months. It's now quite muddy and cold and we don't like it but the land does. We are enjoying the peace and the bird watching.

 

Four days later we were back in Geraldton to pick up our new fridge. Jason got us a trade price which we were very grateful for and he and Glenn installed it. Jase was great and even managed a front for the fridge to match our decor! Our thanks Jason.. Wonderful nephew.

We went back to Ellendale Pool for the night and the next day drove south along the Indian Ocean Road which follows the coast closely. We drove through Dongara and Port Denison to Jurien Bay and then stopped on a deserted beach for lunch and soaked up some sun out of the wind. The coast is sparsely populated and sparsely vegetated and the wind is a constant at this time of the year. The reef is visible a few hundred metres off shore and the sand blindingly white against the deep blue ocean

We stayed at the caravan park at Cervantes and had to unearth our woollies as it was so cold. Next day we drove a bit further south to The Pinnacles in the Nambung NP. We had to unhitch the van and leave it in the car park as the track between the limestone pillars was narrow. It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of pillars of differing heights dotted over the undulating landscape. I loved the soft yellow ochre colour of the sand against the sky and dark blue sea. While we were there Glenn had an overwhelming urge to do a 'Billy Connelly' streak!!!

The sandhills at Cervances were the whitest we have ever seen and they often just rose above the horizon as we drove towards Perth.
We headed south, ducking in and out of the small places along the coast. We ate our sandwiches on the pretty beach at Lancelin and watched a lone dolphin cruising under the wharf where the fisherman were, and along the beach in front of us. It was a joy to watch as it moved with incredible ease and grace. They are beautiful creatures.