Sunday 23^rd February, 2025

We had a relaxing second day at East Bay Campground. It started out still and clear, but by about 10.00 a.m. the wind had picked up and it was really strong for the rest of the day. In the evening we even shut the overhead hatch as the strong wind was lifting it slightly. The Starlink had come in first, then the hatch shut. But, the Starlink still works perched on the hatch blind, but protected from the worst. The hatch has little holes on the back area to allow for ventilation even when it’s shut, so we still had some airflow.

We were sad, as usual, to leave East Bay Campground the next day, but it was cloudy and windy, which certainly made it easier. We took the Chester Pass Road through the ranges and stopped at our favourite viewing place for morning tea. This time it did not disappoint, and we had a good view of the Stirlings, with a bit of a view to the Perongerups.

Stephen drove part of the way, but I found the day of travel tiring and was glad to arrive in Katanning. We met up with Lesley and David again.

It was their first night of free camping without plugging into power. They have two fridges which use a lot of power overnight, otherwise they found it quite comfortable and used their kettle a few times using their inverter. Lesley watched, from a distance, as I emptied our toilet as their first time will be when they leave. I hope it goes well.

They walk their little dog Ollie lots, so were able to get out and explore a bit before we arrived. Then, we walked out and had an evening meal at the Chinese café. We secured a table outside so that we could eat there with Ollie. Unfortunately the lovely Dome café does not have a dog friendly area where we could sit. It’s verandah is completely enclosed.

Tuesday 25 February 2025

After a cool overnight we compared notes on battery usage. I gave our figure, but am aware that it doesn’t reflect the correct battery status because our fridge and the Anderson plug supplying power to the Starlink are not included. I’ve just run Ken Peachey to see if we can get an appointment have it done, otherwise, I might have to resort to going to an auto electrician.

Lesley and David and Ollie were going to travel home, but Stephen and I had chosen a camping spot about 150kms away, so felt quite relaxed about leaving. We had breakfast at home, then went over to the Dome for hot drinks and, for Stephen, reading the paper. I wrote some of this final blog for the trip.

At Pumphrey’s Bridge we set up on the old oval, not too far from the flushing toilets. We didn’t have a phone signal, but were able to pay using our Starlink internet. Stephen scanned a QR code to pay.

At about 6.00 p.m. we rang Matt and he stayed with us during the cooking. But signed off before we ate.

After dark we realised one of the downsides of being in nature! Insects, including tiny ones that had no difficulty getting inside the van. I was using the SeeStar ouside and found it almost impossible to cope with the insects invading my screen, as well as the potential for being bitten. We had, of course, used insect repellent.

The SeeStar was also not cooperating as it didn’t seem to be able to work out our position and therefore it couldn’t locate any objects. Very frustrating. I took a few photos on my phone. But, Stephen was able to enjoy a good night of stargazing with binoculars. We could see the Milky Way very clearly.

I’ve run the SeeStar again at home last night and there are no issues with finding location data. I’m very thankful that it isn’t faulty. I will use an iPad with a GPS chip next time we are out.

We managed to reduce the number of insects inside by putting on our insect repellent machine and closing the van windows. The insect screens don’t work particularly well. As it was cool overnight we were able to have a very comfortable night.

In the morning we hung around for a while. I got a photo of the roof of the Sherwood with the drone which will be useful when deciding where to place the Starlink. We can’t actually see the roof and have to do it by feel. We get a good signal on the roof and don’t have to worry about it getting run over or stolen.

As we were a bit low on fuel we ended up on Albany Highway, going backwards to the roadhouse. It was very expensive, so we just put in about 30 litres to get us home. I had a very tasty pasty and we had hot drinks. When we pulled in a truck was being pulled over by a policecar. Some truck drivers really do push the limits, and as other trucks went past I hoped the drivers were taking note. With so many overtaking lanes on the highway there is no need to take chances.

We had lunch at a rest area on the way home. I was feeling slightly unwell and we had a good break which refreshed me. In fact, when we got home I had quite good energy and unpacked and cooked tea. After that I was very tired indeed and slept well overnight.

Our window blinds and screens are causing lots of problems, and one of them we can’t actually use. I contacted CaravansWA who are a Suncamper Dealer in Maddington and had a phone call back. She confirmed that we can replace the inner cassettes with blinds and screens, without having to replace the windows. We made a booking for next month to have the windows measured up, after that she will order the blinds/screens and we can make a time to have them fitted. Fantastic!

We are also contemplating going to a dark sky event in Gingin on Friday and Saturday nights, but are awaiting confirmation of whether we are allowed to camp there in the Sherwood. It says tents only, no towed vehicles, but what about our truck camper? We could camp nearby if we want to go. It looks like it will be hot during the day, so we could go for one night only.

Friday 21^st February, 2025

On Wednesday Stephen and I went out to Two Peoples Bay (an ungrammatical translation from the French), which is on the other side of the bay from East Bay Campground. Kim had told us that it was worth visiting. We were initially a bit disappointed that we didn’t have a view of the beach from the parking area, but then realised the key to enjoying ourselves was to go for one of the walks.

There were flushing toilets there, but no water for flushing, so not useful after all. After a bit of a walk around we had lunch and a rest. Stephen had worked out a trail for us to follow that lead up to a couple of lookouts, then back along the beach. The climb up to the first lookout wasn’t particularly steep, easy for us anyway. The second lookout had bushes hiding the view.

There was a steep flight of log steps down to the beach. The path back to the main picnic area, which a low tide can probably be done on sand, was a bit of a challenge through dry seaweed. I thought I would end up very dirty from pushing through the bush, then the tramping through seaweed, but my shoes were only slightly wet and not at all dirty.

After a cup of tea and a rest we drove back to the caravan park. They have a food truck three nights of the week and we took advantage of that to order a couple of small meals.

Yesterday morning, Thursday, we were due to check out of the caravan park, with a plan to go and stay at East Bay Campground for a couple of nights. We were feeling a bit tired from the previous day and I checked with reception to see if we could stay for an extra couple of nights. They were fully booked, which made our choice easy.

After we arrived at East Bay and waited for a family to leave we were able to camp right next to the beach, with views over the bay, perfect! The camping area is packed, with far more vans than we’ve seen previously. We are in what we thought was the day area, but the camp host hasn’t stopped people camping here and we like the fact that the edge is reinforced with a stone embankment, unlike where we have parked previously with a crumbling sand bank down to the water. The tide was up when we arrived and we had to walk through water to go for a walk.

It’s as breathtakingly lovely as we remembered from previous visits. Yesterday was sunny with a cool breeze. We woke up to sunshine, but have had a couple of squally showers so far this morning.

We shopped and refuelled on our way here yesterday which means we are well set up for the two night stay.

Tuesday 18^th February, 2025

We took advantage of not having to leave by 10.00 a.m. yesterday to get a few things done, such as writing this blog. It was about 12.00 by the time we drove back into town and went to the IGA. Afterwards we had a coffee, but not lunch as we had just bought some salads and nice bread.

As we were booked into the Rose Gardens Caravan Park at Emu Point we thought it would be a good idea to be nearby for lunch. We spent the afternoon either reading or going for short walks. At one point a rabbit came out of a hole right next to the sea. It allowed me to take some photos and they look quite good when the images are cropped.

We didn’t realise how late it was until Lesley contacted us after 5.00 p.m. to say that they had arrived and booked us in. They had our key to the entry gate as the office was closing. Lesley came to the gate when we arrived to give us the key.

We all spent time setting up camp when we arrived. We had drinks sitting outside their van, and then our cooked meal, whilst Lesley and David took advantage of the food truck to have an easy meal. They were tired as they had driven all the way from Perth yesterday.

We were tired as well and went to bed quite early.

This morning we decided to have a quiet day, just walking down to the Emu Point Café for lunch. We can sit outside with Ollie, their little dog.

Monday 17^th February, 2025

On Saturday we had to move to another location in the caravan park. Our fault for not booking two nights as part of the original booking. We spent the rest of the day there as we felt under pressure regarding getting out to the Whaling Station on time in the evening. Stephen had to be ready dressed in his suit and tie when we left.

As it was, we arrived before the busload of other choristers. They had been given a sort of ‘green room’, open to wind, and it became pretty cold later. They did at least get a hot meal. Stephen was able to come back to the Sherwood a couple of times during the evening as we were parked close by. The main carpark isn’t very large and that meant that the choir and guests coming by buses was a good idea, if you were quite a good bus driver and able to negotiate the turns.

I had an evening meal of left over curry. It was very comfy for me being in the van. I had a view of the ocean in the distance.  I could hear the choir and other singers, but not really well, so eventually I went up to the entrance that the choir used and was able to see and hear them for their last segment. There was entertainment throughout the evening, young singers from WAPPA as well as the choir.

Afterwards we waited for the buses to leave before driving back to the caravan park, about 22kms. I went a bit slowly as whilst I was watching the concert a little possum type creature came to watch as well. I didn’t want to hit a kangaroo or one of those little ones on the journey.

Yesterday (Sunday) we took our time packing up and left the caravan park at about 10.30 a.m. We went to Middleton Beach for a swim and lunch. Stephen was game enough to try nachos, we shared a bowl, followed by an affogato, a first in both cases. I like nachos, but always end up with dry chips at the end, so sharing a bowl worked out well.

We had planned to do some shopping, but I was feeling tired so we just picked up some milk on the Frenchmans Bay Road and then went to the Frenchmans Bay beach. It was quite warm and it was more comfortable sitting outside than inside.

On arrival we were greeted warmly by a fellow motorhome owner who turned out to be quite manic and a little drunk. He had a portable speaker placed outside with loud music playing. After an hour or so when he settled in and light a fire we packed it in and went in search of a better place. I wanted quiet for our Facetime session with Matt and also wanted to cook a risotto for our tea.

Eventually we found a good spot at Goode Beach, not far from our previous park up, with a good view over a white sandy beach with the sound of waves. Frenchmans Bay is very sheltered, a good spot on a windy day, but it good to have the sound of waved. We were a bit late contacting Matt, but he stayed with us during the cooking and the meal and we didn’t hang up until about 7.15. p.m.

On the way out we had booked into the public golf course. We are the only campers and had a very peaceful night, feeling safe. It’s only $15 and just a spot to stay, with a little toilet block about 200 metres away, which is for the golfers. This place got increasing busy when it was on Wikicamps, which I suspect is why they took it off. Now, it’s just people like us who are bold enough to go and ask who stay here.

Saturday 15^th February, 2025

We took our time yesterday morning as there is no requirement to leave at 10.00 a.m. We bypassed Mt Barker to do our shopping in Albany. The drive took about ½ an hour longer than it should because of a delay due to roadworks. It was such a relief to get moving again.

We did make a short stop at Gilberts Winery to buy some of the wine we liked so much last time we were in Albany.

By the time we reached Albany it was lunch time. After shopping at Woollies we shared a plate of chicken and noodles at Jin’s Chinese Takeway. As it was getting late by then, about 2.00 p.m. we didn’t want to have too much food as we were going out to dinner with Stephen’s choir in the evening.

We are staying at the Tasman Caravan Park on Albany Highway. It is fairly central to Albany and we are staying here two nights so that Stephen has the best conditions for getting ready for the concert tonight. We will be driving out to the ampitheatre at about 3.30 as there is a sound check, followed by a rehearsal starting at 4.30 p.m.

We drove down to the Rustlers Steakhouse for the meal. There were about 60 of us, plus the restaurant was busy with other customers. I’ve never had such a good experience of catering for a large group. We have a short menu to choose from with garlic bread and bread dip as starters, and shared bowls of salad to go with our mains. The staff were incredibly efficient at managing the orders, with food arriving at the same time at each table. I would highly recommend them if you are going out with a group. We could also each pay individually, which was helpful as drinks and desert were charged separately.

We headed home at about 9.30 p.m. when most of the others were leaving or had left. It was a good social event for the choir, allowing them to connect with people in a way that they can’t when focussing on singing.

I’ve been a bit lazy about taking photos, so am relying on a few from Stephen for this blog. I’m hoping we had a good sunset tonight which might inspire me to take the camera out.

Friday 14^th February, 2025

It’s time to confess! When I was in the IGA on Wednesday I bought some instant coffee. It can be a bit messy to use the French Press in the van and if we are trying to conserve water we hate wasting on the clean up. It’s a very nice instant coffee with intense flavour and I must admit I cannot tell the difference between it and coffee made in the French Press. Expresso coffee is different, of course. So, I’m climbing down from my high horse about having ‘real’ coffee rather than instant.

We punctuated our trip south with a stop in Woodanilling to dump our toilet. There is a free camp at the recreation centre, so it was an opportunity to check it out. We realised that we have not been to this tiny village before, though have often passed through. It’s quite sweet and does have it’s own school.

Next up was Katanning, where we fuelled up the Hilux, then went to the Dome Café for lunch. We shared a breakfast, not our usual full breakfast, but one of their specials with spicy baked beans, bubble and squeak and eggs, with a slice of sourdough toast on the side and our usual hot drinks.

On the way to Kendenup we took a side road hoping for a good view of the Stirling Ranges. Nothing showed up, but we were able to do a circuit to get back onto Albany Highway.

We have our usual spot at the Kendenup Caravan Park, unpowered for $20 per night, with 24hrs, rather than 20 as you get in a conventional caravan park. It’s only $5 more to be on power, but we like this spot with views over bush and farmland.

I set up the Starlink on a tripod as we have trees to the south and the roof of the Sherwood wasn’t a good spot for it. It was quite a faff, but it was interesting to see how it works. The tripod provides quite a stable stand for the Starlink and I looped the cord around the side mirror and under the step. We have a hole to put the cord through from inside. I was using a new power source, a little Cowfish step up converter with an on/off switch. The step up converter is needed for using the 15m cord. When we put the Starlink on the roof we are using a much shorter cord and it works to just plug it into the Anderson plug.

This morning we are taking our time doing tasks as we can’t access our caravan site until 2.00 p.m. We will do some shopping in Mt Barker on the way. We are going to stay at a caravan park so that Stephen can have a shower on Saturday morning as he is performing that night. And also because we are joining the rest of the choir for dinner in Albany tonight.

Thursday February 13^th, 2025

“the Mock Turtle said: `no wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise. ‘Wouldn’t it really?’ said Alice in a tone of great surprise. Of course not,’ said the Mock Turtle: `why, if a fish came to me, and told me he was going a journey, I should say “With what porpoise?’ ‘Don’t you mean “purpose”?’ said Alice. ‘I mean what I say,’ the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone.”

Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 1865

I’m with Alice here, but also with the Mock Turtle. The purpose of our trip is to go to Albany so that Stephen can sing with the WASO Chorus at a special event. We’ve added on a few days to spend with his sister and husband at a caravan park, plus we are hoping to have a couple of nights at East Bay.

Although we thought we had done a lot of the preparation on Tuesday it still took us a long time to get ready yesterday morning. Stephen wanted to return some library books and I wanted to do some shopping for essential supplies at the IGA, so we split up and I drove to the IGA (easier parking than at the main shopping centre) and Stephen met me there once he was ready. It worked out well because he arrived just as I had finished packing away the food.

Leaving at 12.00 was late, even for us. We had decided to go the long way to Albany to save the stress of Albany Highway. This meant travelling on the Brookton Highway to the York/Williams Road, then south on that, into Narrogin and then on to the tiny village of Highbury. Stephen drove the last part from the beginning of the York/Williams Road, which was very relaxing for me, though he ended up with the foot cramp. We need to start using the cruise control.

We made two stops, at Christmas Tree Well for lunch, and a stop to visit toilets and swap drivers in Narrogin. We could have stayed at Narrogin, but they lock the toilets overnight and don’t open them until about 8.00 a.m. at one of the camping places, the one in the centre of town feels a bit dodgy, and we didn’t need power, so the nice caravan park wasn’t necessary.

So, Highbury it is. We are parked by the side of the highway, but it quietens down overnight and it was really peaceful. The toilets are as clean as usual. I would like to visit the historical pub sometime, but as we had food and are not much into drinking we didn’t go there. The lights were on earlier, but it was all dark by 8.30 p.m. There were no cars parked outside, perhaps they didn’t have any customers.

There was a strong wind overnight and I moved our Starlink mini from the roof to just under the hatch, held up by the blind. It still works, though it isn’t at the correct tilt and not facing the correct direction. The internet is slower, but still usable.

It was sunny yesterday, but with a cool breeze during the day. Which, as I’ve mentioned, became a strong and gusty wind overnight. This morning is cloudy, with a gusty wind. It’s not too cold, however. A big change from our last trip to Albany when it was hot.

Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd February, 2025

Even an overnight trip means a lot of packing up. It’s been too hot to leave our electrical gear in the Sherwood, so the electric frying pan and kettle had to be put in as well. But, apart from getting some fresh bread, we didn’t have very much else to do on Saturday beyond getting ready.

We left home at about 5.00 p.m. and arrived at Pinaroo Point by 5.45 p.m. The parking area was pretty full, but someone in a Toyota Hiace van offered us his spot, with a view down the path to the sea.

We took a walk along the beach and back on the path before heating up a pre cooked meal and making some salad.

On the way down the beach we encountered a large group of people who appeared to be having a religious ceremony. It is a celebration of Yemanja, Queen of the Sea, a Brazilian and other South American ceremony which incorporates Catholicism, African and Indigenous elements. It would normally happen on February 2nd.

Both Stephen and I spoke with the people and I was told that it would have been OK to have taken photos, as it was I felt I didn’t want to intrude. Most people had dressed in white and some were walking into the sea. There was an altar with a blue statue of a woman in the middle of the circle of people.

It was pretty noisy during the evening due to the Hillarys Beach Club Restaurant. Eventually the car park began to empty and we decided it was time for us to move. We are not allowed to stay overnight in this carpark so we move to another carpark closer to Hillarys Boat Harbour.

Before leaving we took our chairs down to the beach to watch the moon set. The planet Venus was slightly to the right of the moon and really bright. Our view was degraded at times as there were lots of people fishing off the beach using bright headlamps. Stephen had forgotten to bring a jumper. I lent him my jacket and wrapped myself in a shawl. It wasn’t really cold, but would have been unpleasant without some protection.

Although we have spent the night at the other car park a few times now I was still an bit anxious that we might be asked to move on. There were a few other vans and cars there, but nothing as obvious as the Sherwood. However, it was a mostly peaceful night and cool enough in our loft bed to get a good sleep.

As soon as the alarm when off we packed up and moved back to Pinaroo Point. We were early enought to get a fully shaded position and the shade lasted until we left at about 11.30 a.m. We had a cup of tea, then went down for a dip in the sea. There were quite a few people already there and the car park had been filling up whilst we had our tea.

Then it was showers, followed by breakfast at the restaurant. We had a good table outside and shared a big breakfast. Stephen had forgotten his Airpods which he uses to listen to pod casts, so I lent him my copy of Eversley’s book.

It was about six degrees hotter in Victoria Park when we got home. We did a quick unloading of everything we needed, followed by a few trips at various times in the afternoon to bring in the rest of our stuff.

Matt came to tea in the evening. He’s been a bit serious lately, but this time he was in a very happy mood. He ate well and even allowed me to try on his new hat for a photo. As he normally hates hats and won’t wear them this is quite a breakthrough.

Last year I had a strange health scare, with very bad pain travelling up my arm and up the side of my head. We called an ambulance and they took me into Sir Charles Gardiner even though the pain had subsided. After being fully checked out with blood tests confirming that it wasn’t a heart attack, and observations confirming it wasn’t a stroke, I was discharged.

This happened in the evening and I was home by about 5.00 a.m. Anyway, the doctor had suggested I have a heart stress test, which duly happened. I didn’t hear from my GP and assumed that all was well. However, I had to see her recently and asked about the test results. Apparently my heart health is very good for my age. I think she realised that I should be advised of test results in a timely manner because I got the test result from this visit within a few days. Again, an all clear.