2012, Sept 23 / 30 - Perth to Bunbury

Awwww....jeez Dad, can I have a dog
(Luke with Helen and Kim's pet jack russell)

Trip Meter Reading Start –  5991

Interim Trip Meter Reading –  6222 (Buffalo Rest Area)
Trip Meter Reading Finish –  6795
Total km travelled this week – 804 km

Filled Up Woolworths Petrol Bunbury

LPG $0.689 / litre $40.32
ULP  $ ??? / litre  $41.01

Accommodation

Free camp, Buffalo Rest Area – 25 km north of Bunbury (x1 night)
Big 4 Koombana Bay, Bunbury (x1 night)
Kim and Helen Blythe, Gerlorup (friends we made in Broome) (x6 nights)

Comments – Luke

Sun – Today we stopped and set up camp at a free camp at night a friend of ours named Scott came over with his friend and we had cake and tea.
Mon – Today Scott showed us a few caravan parks and we set up in one.  After that Scott showed us around town and had lunch at a pub.  We also went Scott’s friend’s place and had tea and cake.  We also did a bit of shopping then went back to the caravan park.

Uncle Scottie, Mum and Dad enjoy a drink at the Prince of Wales hotel

Tue – Today we went and stayed at friends of ours house that we met at Broome named Hellen and Kim.  After that we went four wheel driving with another friend of ours Max.  We went to River it was really fun on our way out of the bush a ford ranger was stuck in the mud so we towed it out I also lost my last tooth.  After that we went back to Kim and Hellen’s house.

Wellington National Park

Wed – Sun - We met up with Jake and Erin again wich is definetly the last time we played with dogs named Buzz, Gerry and Ollie.  Ollie was the funest.  We also went out and walked the 2 mile jetty it killed but I saw heaps of bullrays.  I also got a cold. 

Luke at Kim and Helen's at Gelorup

Comments – Mum and Dad
We had a full day after packing up camp in Perth venturing south into Rockingham (20kms of Freemantle) and Mandurah (74kms from Perth)  As it was Sunday we were unable to book into any caravan parks as they close from 12 noon.  We had a lovely lunch overlooking the esplanade at Rockingham.  Very busy but pretty place for families; they have a great foreshores area with plenty of facilities including a nice protected beach area.  Further onwards we travelled through Mandurah which is a large industrial fast growing city then to a free camp Big Buffalo Rest area approx 25kms north of Bunbury.  Our mate Scotty(of 20 years) rocked up and we had a few beers in the van and decided to meet up the next day.


Foreshores & jetty at Rockingham

Monday we met up with Scott and spent the day setting up camp at a Big 4 before heading into town for lunch at a popular hotel (Scott’s shout, on ya brother).  Scott was keen for us to meet the locals.  We met Max and Glyness.  Max (a FIFO) was back for a week and keen to take us out 4wdriving in his prized V8 landy.  We met Max and took a drive up to Collie which is 57kms east of Bunbury and tripped around Wellington Dam and National Park including Honeymoon Pool which had a fantastic bush camp right on a pretty river.  After a cooked lunch and a few wines with Glyness and Max (and their neighbours) we drove out to Gelorup to meet up with Kim and Helen Blythe (our friends we met camping in Broome) to set up camp.  Unbeknown to us we ended up staying the rest of the week (what great hosts!). 

The wildflowers in the park

 As Luke became unwell we kept quiet for a few days and did some day trips into Dunsborough and Bussellton.  We had lunch with the owners of the Esplanade Hotel, Glyness and Lance who are relatives of our neighbours back home in Coffs.  The sunny day we had in Busselton was a blessing and it was amazing to see how beautiful a place becomes after a couple of days of windy rainy weather.  The jetty was amazing and we did the 2km walk out and back despite Luke feeling a little under the weather.  This place was full of families picnicking and enjoying the community facilities on a beautiful foreshore.

Looking from the jetty to the foreshores, Bussellton

At the end of the Busselton Jetty - 2km

Lunch at the Esplanade Hotel with Lance and

Helen and I convinced the Tarplees (Scott (Yap), Al, Erin and Jake) to drive back up from Margaret River, where they had been staying for over a week and join us for a weekend of AFL and NRL grand finals.  There was no effort convincing Yap with the promise of reception on a large flat screen and comfy sofa to watch the footy.

The kids were happy to see each other again despite the fact we told them Perth would be the last time.  The kids were happy to ride around the 3 acres where we were staying and play with the 3 dogs who just loved chasing balls.