photographyperthwa

On our last evening at Cosy Corner we talk a short walk along the beach to sit on a bench overlooking the bay. A feature of the evening was several couples cuddling, etc. in our field of view. Plus we saw an unusual bird that we weren’t able to identify. The sea was relatively calm after quite a warm and humid day. Possible rain was forecast and the clouds looked as though a storm might be brewing. We wandered home and had our evening meal quite late. I used our camping stove outside once more.

We woke up to a bit of rain in the night and I was worried enough to go outside and put the camp stove cardboard box up on my camping chair. Later we had heavy rain and lightning and thunder. In the morning we went out to inspect the damage, as it were. Our washing was really damp and the camp stove needed wiping down. We took our time with breakfast, washes and other things before tackling the outside area. Fortunately the rain had stopped.

It means we put away the camping mat and our chairs a bit damp and had to find spaces inside to hang the washing. Did I mention that we both did some hand washing in the morning on our last day. We thought it would be dry by evening as it was certainly warm enough and they were in the sun, but the humidity was a problem.

We finally finished our packing up at about 11.30 and headed into Albany to empty and fill tanks, once again. Stephen wanted a shower so we parked in the IGA parking lot. I had a coffee and did a small amount of shopping whilst he was showering. He had to wait as there are only two stalls at the Women’s Rest Centre and it was busy. The Women’s Rest Centre is no longer a Women’s Rest Centre, but public toilets with hot showers, which is why the men can go there too. Just in case you were wondering.

We headed out to Frenchman Bay to see if our camping spot was free, and it was. After lunch and a rest it was off to the little settlement on Goode Beach where a friend has a house. We had been in touch over choir matters and she noted we were in Albany, so suggested meeting for coffee. In the end, since we are both in Frenchman Bay, she invited us over. The house is large, but she has four adult children, plus grandkids, and it is a family house that they can all share. She has had the block of land for many years, but the house was built recently and only completed six months ago. She loves the area as her parents used to bring them there when she was a child. Her house has a wonderful view across the bay. We chatted for ages, rambling over many topics. Eventually we headed off to see if our camping spot was still free, and it was.

We enjoyed a peaceful evening. We don’t have to put up the privacy blinds at the front of the van here and could enjoy the view as long as there was light and also first thing this morning. Our plan for the day is writing, editing photos and going for walks.

Of course, we went to the Denmark Bakery first. I think we weren’t quite hungry enough for our pies to taste as good as they probably were, plus it was very busy and the temperature probably in the low 30’s. We only stayed for about half an hour. Good things were getting nice fresh bread and rolls and a busker nearby who was playing music that was calming, helping us to cope with being around so many people.

Our other problem was that we had run out of beer, the nice Single Fin beer that Eversley introduced us to. I was able to drop in to pick up some cider on the way back to the van. We then spent a minimum of time in the IGA, which was also busy with lots of people. They didn’t have the SafeWA QR code or any sort of sign in available, which is probably illegal. The Bakery and bottle shop both had the QR codes.

We needed somewhere cool for the afternoon and drove down to the lookout at Ocean Beach. The cool wind was a blessing and we could park in the sun without the van getting hot.

Afterwards, we went to the slow water tap in Denmark and whilst filling our tank and water bottles I used the 10amp plug with adapter to charge our batteries. It was therefore quite handy that it was a slow process.

Back home we set up camp again as we had two more nights. We have parked the van a little bit forward on our campsite so that we get sun in the afternoon. It will be hot, but we are relying on the normally constant breeze to keep us comfortable. And we could always go for a swim.

Last night we had a paddle and enjoyed the evening light over the water before coming back to have tea. We had a leftover meal that was easy to prepare, plus one of our new fresh rolls from the bakery. Fresh fruit and yogurt completed the meal.

The last two days we have basically spent at camp here, with walks along the Bibulmun Track in the evenings. We’ve been clocking at least 5kms, my phone says up to 7kms for the day. Even going on long slopes uphill has become easier. Saturday evening we started on the beach and last night we started by going up towards the Cosy Corner Cafe, then taking Coombes Road to the left, then finding the track again, ending the walk along the beach.

So much for the 7 day challenge. Stephen is nearly out of lemon ginger teas and we have decided to take a day trip to Denmark where we will attempt for get some water (the water available there are taps set up with slow flow holding down the top). Apparently, the dump point is pretty disgusting too. So, not really for that reason. We had planned to move the van anyway because we are not getting enough solar charging in our spot. If we move about 1.5 metres forward we will have less shade, but more solar. It’s been difficult with all of our gear, including cameras, to manage.

So, we would be putting the awning in anyway even to move a short distance, so why not have the fun of a change of scene! See, we have some pretty good excuses.

I have lots of photos from our walks to process, plus we have video recorded on our GoPros (his and hers, of course).

The photos up top are of our tea last night. A fish van came to the campsite and I asked for fish that would fry up well for our tea. A 230gram pack of whiting was her suggestion and they were really lovely, coated in flour and fried up in a combination of butter and olive oil. I was using the camp stove which we set up yesterday for the first time on this trip. This meant that Stephen had room to serve up salads and drinks whilst I was occupied outside. We used the soapy water test on both connections (connection to the stove and connection to the van) to test for leaks before cooking.

We had a Facetime session with Matt, which might be the last for this trip, but I didn’t want to promise we would be back in case we don’t quite make it in time.

Photos to follow in a separate blog.

We’ve had a lovely time here, walking on the ‘back beach’ towards the Whaling Station last night, walking that way again this morning to visit the cafe (again, as in the past, finding it disappointingly noisy and uncomfortable, but the walk was worth it). Our last walk for our stay here was this evening on our main beach. We found a little spring and some children also pointed out a stingray that was gliding fairly close into shore.

It was cloudy again this morning when we woke up, but then we’ve had sunshine for the rest of the day. It was chilly overnight last night and may be even colder tonight as it is clear. We enjoy snuggling together under the doona.

We have a couple of near neighbours. One is a man and dog in a van who camped in the clear space to our left. This evening another van arrived with people from Victoria. They assured us that they have completed the quarantine and had negative tests before being allowed to travel to Albany from Perth. I’ve suggested that they have our space tomorrow as we need to leave to get our new tyres put on the front of the van.

We have a few other tasks, I want to go to a laundromat to wash a good load of clothes and our towels and face flannels. I have to add my shoes to that list as a sea gull shat on one of them whilst I was taking video of the stingray. Very naughty of it, but if it had to be anywhere I prefer it on a shoe that can be washed in a washing machine. I washed it in the sea at the time.

We have run out of salads and food for evening meals and must go to a supermarket again. Plus normal stuff of emptying tanks and filling up with water. The plan is to head towards Denmark tomorrow after everything is done. We will try for a spot at Cosy Corner on the way, but it is a designated camping area with limited places, so we are not sure if we will get a spot. If not, we will travel on to Denmark.

The movie, The Dry, was really, really good. It is based on a novel, with a complex storyline and everything winding up with everything explained at the end. There was strong acting and a number of sympathetic characters. Very well worthwhile. We were able to spend time in the cafe before the movie which meant most of the afternoon in airconditioning.

I was feeling uplifted at the end and proposed that we go down to Emu Point before heading back to where we are staying. The sunset was worth waiting for and we had our meal there before heading back to our campsite. We had left all of the hoses/cords to be reattached to the van to make it a bit easier. Not something you would do at a caravan park, but it felt safe on private property.

I did the dishes whilst Stephen worked outside, then did some handwashing to hang on our hosts’ clothesline. Although it was cloudy and cool overnight things still dried quite well and were ready by the time we left. Our host said we could leave as late as we wished in the morning.

By the time we were ready to leave I was having thinking that living in our campervan was quite hard work. In addition, we went to the dump point near the cinema as I am wanting the toilet to last a couple of days before I need to empty it again. There are public toilets close to where we are camping which takes the pressure off.

We’ve come back to Frenchman’s Bay, this time to spend the night. By the time we spent the afternoon relaxing with our books/videos I realised that all the work was worth it. The van is parked in the same position overlooking the bay and we have a wonderful view. There are a few other vans around as well which is fairly comforting, it seems a normal thing to do to stay overnight.

About 4.30 we went for a walk towards the Whaling Station which is less than 2 kms away. There are steps down to the beach, then a lovely walk around the bay. If we get tired of being in the van tomorrow we could walk over there for a coffee.

Today has been cloudy and occasionally rainy, but I would much rather have the cooler weather even if it means clouds and rain after the hot weather we had for a couple of days. Our batteries are well charged and I hope we get enough sun tomorrow to keep them charged up. It would be nice to have a second night here.

I’ve put the details in the title so I know what I’m doing!

On Thursday in the evening the wind died down a bit for the first time on this trip. We enjoyed a walk on the boardwalk and from above Middleton Beach looks as lovely as ever. When we returned it was nearly 7.00 p.m. and I didn’t feel like cooking. We went into town to check out food options. There were a number of rather expensive looking bar/restaurants open, very busy, and not what we wanted. As we walked around the block we came to a modest Chinese restaurant with takeaway options.

After placing an order we walked around the block, then back to Stirling Terrace where we were parked. Stephen went off to pick up our order of ginger beef and special fried rice and I set up the table for the meal. With one of our nice downlights on we were able to have a lovely meal with the hot and delicious food. Afterwards it was home to the golf links for the night.

Friday and Saturday were forcast to be hot in Albany, at least 32 degrees, but we think it was hotter. Sitting it out at Emu Point yesterday afternoon seemed a good option and later in the day I moved the van to a shady spot. Most of the time sitting under a tree we felt like we were in airconditioning because of the cool wind, but there was an hour or so when the wind changed direction and we were feeling quite hot. An iced coffee helped.

Our berth for the next two nights includes power, water and sullage. It’s called ‘driveway camping’ offered by a local business just out of town off the Chester Pass Road. The owners live onsite and we have a spot next to their house. I managed to get our meal of Thai Chicken Curry cooked in the cool of the evening. We had gone shopping, mainly for some fly spray, but actually bought lots of other stuff and forgot the flyspray and our host was kind enough to lend us some.

We were able to keep our fan on all night plugged into 230v power and it was great to have running water, normal power, and sullage. To empty our toilet and get rid of rubbish our hosts recommended a local dump point on Albany Highway, very close to the cinema. Going to a movie is another way of dealing with a hot day, though I must say that it hasn’t been hot so far, as of about 12.30.

Another exciting thing to happen is that Stephen realised one of our front tyres is ball in the centre. The other one is also on the way out. We took the van to a tyre place to have the spare tyre put on, but are now going with the option of having them install two new front tyres on Tuesday next week. They have to come from Perth and are due to arrive then.

Saturday: We are presently sitting in a Coles parking lot next door to the cinema complex. The flyspray has been bought and I’m getting the blog up to date. We are hoping the cafe at the cinema opens soon so we can be in airconditioning.