Having finished up our last blog entry on very much a downer, it is time to let you know where we’re at.  Unfortunately it is not all what the doctor ordered… 😦

We were advised by the trailer/caravan repair workers that the underneath of The Clam (our caravan) is a shambles.  The metal work has had it.  At first they were reluctant to want to even fix it, as in their opinion it was time to let the old girl RIP.  But I’m guessing the look of despair on our faces & desperation in our voices changed their minds.  They could see how badly we wanted the van fixed, we had come so far, still with so far to go & the wet season creeping upon us.  So amid the to-ing & fro-ing between the repair shop & the insurance company (which by the way is not a fun game!!), they started welding her back together as best they could.

Basically they could only patch up & not reinforce the damage due to the whole chassis being weakened by age & use.  They also said the Gibb River Road would be out of the question.  A VERY hard & bitter pill to swallow.

Well, why not buy a new camper trailer / van?  Number 1) that would be very expensive.  Number 2) we are in Broome & resources are very limited (we have already searched GumTree & local dealers).  And Number 3) we are now racing the seasons, with the build up to the wet season upon us we need to get on the road ASAP, especially if we still want to make it to & explore all the beautiful places we had intended.

The good news ~ The Clam was considered fixable & has been repaired.  Another win for us ~ our insurance company gave us the go ahead, meaning they have covered all costs for the initial tow, the repair, & our accommodation for the past week.  Some advice to fellow nomads making the big journey around Australia; ensure you have insurance!!!

FILLING IN TIME…

Since our last post we have basically stayed in the same region of WA, while we have waited for the caravan to be repaired.  From here in Broome we ventured up to explore Derby, about 200 k’s north.  Also participating in a day tour, flying out to the Horizontal Falls of The Buccaneer Archipelago, on the Kimberley’s coastline.

 On the whole Derby is a bit of a sleepy town.  With quite a bit of history, there are a few galleries & tourist sites to visit.  On the main street into Derby, the Noval Art Gallery is a MUST visit.  Showcasing a wide range of traditional indigenous artwork, as well as some not so traditional.  Everything is by WA locals & with proceeds going directly to the artists, by purchasing a beautiful piece you are directly helping that artist, as well as the community as a whole.  Some of the artists are even painting out the back of the gallery, so if you’re lucky you might get to meet the person behind the stunning work!  See below the piece we purchased of a classic Kimberley Boab tree.

 

Flying from the Derby airport on a tiny seaplane out to the famous Horizontal Falls has definitely been one of the most spectacular things we have seen.  Definitely worth the $$$, see our photos below.

A phenomenon caused by the ridiculously big tides in the region (sometimes as big as 10m every 6hrs).  At this location due to the cliff formations, the salt water is forced through two very narrow gaps.  Making for a very impressive visual!!

 

While in Broome we met a fellow young nomad, also travelling Australia on ‘The Big Lap’.  In case you’re in the dark about this, it isn’t everyday you connect (in person) with another person (that doesn’t have grey hair) that is on a similar journey & has the same sense of adventure as you do.  A BIG shout out & thank you to you Hayley!!  For sharing your journey & stories, & for misbehaving with us at Missy Higgins!!  It was fantastic & we look forward to bumping into both you & your travel partner on the road sometime again in the future.  (Please take a moment to appreciate how small & silly Fred’s head looks posing in the diver Dan get up!).

 

Sooo, with the repair of The Clam complete, & the new springs due to be set today, we will finally be leaving Broome this afternoon.  But we won’t be heading for the Gibb River Road (big sigh).   From now on whenever there is a place we want to go that requires off road driving we will leave The Clam behind & just swag it – a little more effort but easy enough!

Thanks & hope you have enjoyed our chin wag times.

Until next time  Xo

 

 

After leaving pristine Karijini, Perry the patrol has continued rolling north through the red dust.  Passing through the remainder of the Pilbara to our current location, the Kimberley.  With minimal stops along the way, the drive was long & indeed rather boring!  But we needed to get a wriggle on & start making our way north before the humidity & rains come.  Audio books have been treating us well for the big car days, currently playing is Lord of The Rings!  They also do a good job at making us suuuuper tired though so watch out for that!!

 BROOME

The home of pearl farming, red dirt greeting long white beaches, epic sunsets & the world’s largest tides.  A tourist driven town, we spent almost a week exploring the area.  With no shortage of things to do, we had minimal troubles finding places to explore, as well as delicious food & drink to treat the taste buds.  Fellow travellers: M & J’s Wood fire Pizza is a must try!!

Beautiful beaches surround Broome.  And we found ourselves making the most of the sand & sea while we still can.  One of the bigger towns we’ve visited lately, with a population of around 15’000.  Due to it being a larger town we were able to book The Clam (our caravan) in for some much needed TLC before we head off for the infamous Gibb River Road.  The last thing we ever wanted to discover was cracks in the chassis (the framing the whole caravan is built upon).  And guess what, before we left Exmouth a few weeks ago Fred stuck his head underneath to give it a once over… cracks in the chassis 😦 .  Very disappointing.  But even more so than finding the cracks ~ the very, VERY last thing we would want is for it to fall to pieces!!  So welding the cracks back together seemed a good idea!!

The Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Farm & Rescue center gave a really good insight into the Australian salt & fresh water crocs, and their plight.  Particularly the fresh water crocodile; of which is in grave danger of extinction (currently listed as endangered) due to Australia’s increasing infestation of cane toads.  Cane toads are lethal to nearly all animals that ingest them, & unfortunately it is believed that fresh water croc populations have fallen by greater than 70 % because of them (according to our guide).

The park also hosts dingos, American alligators & a range of different Australian bird life.  We really weren’t too sure about supporting the farming of the crocodiles.  They are farmed for their skin (used to make belts, wallets & other souvenirs), & also for their meat (it is available to eat in many places throughout northern Australia).  We support the rescue & rehabilitation of wildlife, not necessarily the farming of such great animals for human profit & pleasure.  Crocodiles are protected in the wild throughout Australia, to sustain healthy populations.  So at least the farming of salt water crocodiles is not endangering the species – though I think we will be inclined to skip any future wildlife parks (where animals are kept purely for human convenience) & instead put our money toward eco tourism, seeing the animals in their natural environment & better supporting their education & conservation.

The weekend courthouse market was a great way to fill in our Sunday morning.  It’s not the biggest of markets, but non-the less worth a gander.  Fred was stoked to stock up on some more home made chutney, while I was happy to find some beautiful home made scented candles to keep the calm vibes brewing in our van.   Definitely give the market crepes a go, they were pure mouthgasims!  There is also Thursday evening markets at Town Beach, worth a look!

Broome is home to Cable Beach, apparently the #3 best in the world.  We don’t really understand how you can rate a beach like that; every beach is unique & has its own special qualities, either way it did not disappoint. It did prove hard to find a patch of sand away from the crowds, having the most amount of cars on a beach that either of us have ever seen!! Buuuut when the seas are warm, calm & blue as ever, & the sand is white & the sun is shining, well you can’t complain can you!?!

A few companies run camel tours along the beach every afternoon during sunset.  It is a pretty spectacular thing to see, & makes for some stunning photos.  It has to be “The thing” to do here.  We thought about participating in one of the tours, though reconsidered… You can park your car on the beach, set up an afternoon throw rug on the sand with your beer & nibbles & simply watch & enjoy the camels & sunset while skipping the expensive cost.  As well as keeping our pockets fuller, this also meant Barney boy could sit with us & enjoy the sunset too.  Though I think he was more interested in the unusual smell of the big strange creatures with humps on their backs than the sunset….

Out off Gantheaume Point at low tide we went in search of the 130 million year old dinosaur footprints embedded in the foreshore.  They proved very tricky to find, hiding amongst the slippery weedy rocks.  With the help of some other friendly tourists we were pointed in the right direction.  Definitely the oldest piece of history either of us have laid eyes on!!

 

CAPE LEVEQUE

Once The Clam had finished getting its work done we were off headed directly north.  Wiki-camps & fellow campers had warned us about the state of the dirt road to Cape Leveque, but we are always weary of trusting wiki-camps as some people are just sooks.  This time tough, the reports of “horrible road”, “VERY corrugated” & “worse than The Gibb” were seemingly true.  It was shithouse.  And the cracks in the chassis were back (waaa).  But we made it!!  And the Clam hasn’t fallen to pieces so there is still hope.  Good vibes & positive energy WILL push us through!!  Well I’ll keep on telling myself this for now anyway.

Cape Leveque is an exquisite place.  Fluro-orange red dirt meets bright green mangroves, white sand & turquoise waters.  We spent our time visiting a number of different Aboriginal communities, exploring their beaches & land.  The way it works around here is that you drive into the community for a day trip, pay at the communities visitor centre & then you’re given a map & allowed to respectfully explore the area.  At One Arm Point they run a Trochus shell hatchery & have educational tours, which we found great.  The scenery, especially the views we captured with our drone, blew us away.  Watching the tide rip through the channel at Round Rock lookout was pretty epic.  See below!

Dog Owners: We found both Broome & Cape Leveque to be very ‘dog friendly’ places.  (The PCYC camp ground is the only place that allow dogs during ‘peak season’, it’s ok – very basic).  We were able to walk Barney on a few beaches in Broome, & most at Cape Leveque no worries.  There is always somewhere you can find or make shade, & most days a bit of a breeze to help your pooch stay cool too.  In saying that it has been 30 – 35 degrees most days up here & if your dog has long hair like ours daily grooming & swims are a must!

We also visited Australia’s oldest Pearl Farm in at Cygnet Bay.  The tour was very well presented, showing us around the farm, giving the history of pearl farming in Australia.  Even letting us shuck one of their oysters & finding a pearl inside!!  Unfortunately they didn’t let us keep it, darn it!  Still well worth a looksee.

A few paragraphs ago I stated how positive energy & good vibes would get The Clam through & keep the chassis from cracking further…. Mm yeah, not the case (big sigh & sad face).  On our way out from Cape Leveque the cracks grew bigger, to the point where we didn’t feel it safe or wise to continue.  Fred’s face after climbing out from checking it’s underneath said it all.  If the cracks were to go right through the chassis it would mean the whole framing of the caravan would snap (basically The Clam would likely break in half!!!).

We pulled over off the dusty red road & for a few minutes we just sat there.  Thinking.  WTF do we do now…?!  Though I can’t say it came as a total surprise that something like this has happened.  The Clam is over 30 years old & not officially built for the off-road conditions we have been putting her through.  Then we waited…  For 4 hours.  In the dusty heat for the tow truck to come & collect the caravan & take it back into Broome to the local caravan repair place.

So I’m currently sitting in a very dust free hotel room that our insurance company has kindly granted us, writing this post contemplating with Fred all of the possible scenarios for the rest of our adventure around this great country…  Will the caravan be fixable..?  Will we be able to take it on The Gibb River Road..?  Should we look at buying something new..?  What about our swag, leave the van behind on the rough tracks from now on..?  The options are endless.  Exploring options & staying positive is what we are trying to do.

Stay tuned for what happens next & how this little disaster pans out!!

 

Hello again dear readers!

Apologies for the great delay between posts ~ I got a bit busy during Fred’s last swing at work.  He went back to sea at the end of July through mid August & I stayed on in Exmouth.  Shout out to my dear sea goddess friend Nadia, who magically swindled me a volunteer position aboard one of the whale shark tour boats for the month.  I am beyond grateful to the Captain, Owner & crew for having me on board & showing me the ropes.  It was an unreal experience, helping out 3-4 days a week, learning about the magnificent creatures that are whale sharks, the Ningaloo & about the eco tourism industry surrounding them.

I was swimming with the biggest fish in the sea on a daily basis, helping out the crew & organizing punters.  They were big, tiring days, but boy oh boy did I ever count my lucky stars… Between the whale sharks, migrating humpback whales, dugongs, turtles, dolphins, sea snakes, jellies, reef fish & sharks… the stoke didn’t leave me.  I have always loved & respected the ocean, always.  But having these past few months out on the Ningaloo, in the ocean for all ours of the day, with the shear amount of sea life & learning new facts everyday from the knowledgeable crew, my respect & connection has grown.  And I must say it is such a special feeling.  (Photos above & below were taken by the boat’s professional photographer Jess Hadden, thanking you Jess!!).

Fred returned to Exmouth mid August.  We squeezed in a tour day with the whale sharks before skipping town, (I couldn’t live with myself if he didn’t get to experience what I had been experiencing all month!).  Check out our previous post of our latest video edit for a better insight into the awesome size & unparalleled beauty of whale sharks & the Ningaloo Reef. (Photos below taken by the marine biologist on board ~ sea queen Jess Smith).

 

From Exmouth we hit the road due east: on route to the middle of the Pilbara, a dusty red mining town by the name of Tom Price.  Along the drive it happened – our first flat tire, & on most likely the best-conditioned dirt road we have travelled to date!!!  This meant stopping over in Tom Price until the working week recommenced & we could get the tire repaired.

For a small town we hadn’t planned on staying more than half a day, we were given quite the surprise after we set up at the caravan park & bumped right into our old friends from Shark Bay Sharna & Byron!!  Turns out we had come to town at a good time.  The apparently prestigious (according to Sharna) Tom Price Fair was on, complete with show rides, delicious food, music & fireworks!!

Mount Nameless is the backdrop for the town.  A beautiful big, red mountain, that does actually have a name though it seems not many refer to it, it’s original Aboriginal title – Jarndunmunha.  A 2hr return hike, giving stunning views over the town, the mine & further Pilbara Ranges.  We all (including Barney boy) enjoyed getting our heart rates up to take in the views one morning.

After getting the tire repaired, hugging & kissing Barney boy goodbye at the kennel, we were off on the short one-hour drive to Karijini National Park.

Karijini blew us away.  We had heard of how wonderful it was & had seen pictures, but it still didn’t prepare us.  It’s a national park full of very deep, winding gorges.  Contrast to the scenery above of very dry, dusty rolling hills: inside the gorges are full with countless streams, waterfalls, swimming pools & greenery.  It is a significant & sacred place to the Aboriginal Australians, with it’s unique, towering beauty it isn’t hard to see why.

There are 2 main gorges at either end of the park, Weano Gorge & Dales Gorge, with all others crisscrossing between & campsites near by.  The hiking tracks at each site lead you along the top of the gorges to some jaw dropping lookouts.   They then lead down steep rocky tracks to the bottom of the gorge & along the riverbeds.  With a range of deeper swimming pools scattered along the way, or greeting you at the end of the hike ready for the much needed cool off!  We made a point of swimming in every pool, not wanting to miss out.  Fred even perfecting his Pocahontas dive at Knox Gorge, see below!

We took 2 days to walk every gorge entirely & swim in every pool.  In classic Bear & Fred style, go go go.  A big effort, considering we were walking for around 6 hrs each day, but with plenty of rest stops for catching our breath, taking photos & soaking in the special atmosphere, it was fantastic.

Most of the walks were class 4-5 (5 is as high as you go, so basically that means hard).  Though they aren’t that bad.  A little challenge is always good right?!!  The signage is very generous on average times for each walk; usually allowing for double the amount of time it actually took us (including stopping for swims, rests & photos).  It is a very popular spot too.  Each morning we made a point of getting up & at ‘em early so we could score some gorge time to ourselves (we would highly recommend doing this, most people don’t start rolling out of their little cocoons until 8.30-9am).  It is hard to say if we had a favourite gorge, they are all so spectacularly beautiful in their own way.  Our advice would be to make the time to walk, see & experience them all!

Our last day at Karijini was spent climbing Punarunnha, aka Mount Bruce ~ Western Australia’s second highest mountain at 1235m above sea level.  A 10 kilometer return hike!  I had to push this one on Fred, he wasn’t so keen.  But once we started & he realised how good the view was going to be, he soon became as excited as me to get to the summit & experience the amazing panoramic views of Karijini & the broader Pilbara.

 

And so now we are leaving Karijini & the Pilbara with slightly sore legs & wobbly knees, & most definitely with some of the most epic hiking memories so far on the trip.  As well as with about 3 hundred million photos of red cliff faces, rocks & water to sort through!!!

Stay tuned, next stop ~ Broome & The Kimberly !

Thanks again for reading, hope you have enjoyed our story time. Xo

Our latest video edit of our travels up the coast of WA.  Lots of ocean time in this one, with bulk marine life 🙂

Enjoy Xo