Link zur vorherigen Seite corina frustration-e 
Adieu „Corina“ – we are off again
What was that again? – „Oh God, the 26th is coming far too quickly again. What do I take with me, what do we put away, what do we give away?“
Giving away was once again not an option. Postponed until: when we get back. Gerhard doesn’t want to part with his favourite crockery just yet, so we packed it up and took it with us. We’ll also have to see what it looks like in 2 months‘ time.
The camper is great, very small but thoughtfully equipped. Everything you need is there, plenty of space for your own stuff and still very cosy. And super clean and everything in order. Almost everything. Except for the water inlet, which doesn’t close well and we needed more towels than we had to collect the water.
So yesterday lunchtime (29.07.20) we set off after a good breakfast. What a feeling, at last out in the open again, not directly in the outback, but almost. And our little one rides like on clouds.
Here we show you our route through Western Australia’s interior and the most important places. Our route is marked in blue and the places where we stopped for one or more days are underlined or marked in red.
We ended up on a lonely road, with only the kangaroos shot at the side of the road as evidence that the occasional car had driven past.
We actually wanted to get to Geraldton, but it would have been too far and after the man managed to put his foot on the brake in time and with our little one there were no excuses (many women know the problem according to Pearson) we were able to spend the night in a beautiful place in a hollow in the open countryside and the next morning there was a short hike on which we learnt that the cockatoos that fly around here are 50 years old and older.
It rained all night and our clothes were all a bit damp, but surprisingly that didn’t bother us at all on the road. And after a cosy breakfast in the sun, we continued on to Geraldton.
Geraldton cold. Fortunately, our little one is designed for 3 people, so we have enough duvets. Our little one also keeps us physically fit, because getting in and out of the car is quite a gymnastic challenge and has already caused Mrs a few bruises.
(unfortunately you can see from this video that the camera didn’t do so well when travelling and it also got „bruises“ -G.)
Landed in Kalbarri. Know this route to the north or in the opposite direction, but the main thing is warm. It’s very cold at night, but up to 27° during the day. We were also lucky to find a pitch here after we had read that they had been fully booked for weeks because of the school holidays.
Were at the „Blue Holes“, natural pools formed by deposits and washouts in the sea. They are only visible at low tide and the remaining water in them is a deep blue colour and you can spot some small sea creatures in them. A mussel that was in there was also grit blue inside. Couldn’t find out why.
Today we went to the national park to admire the Skywalk, which was not yet open last time and can now be admired after 7 years of construction. An architectural tour de force.
When I think of what we’ve already climbed and walked here. But my husband has a few problems with one foot at the moment. ( Well, luckily I have a second one with me ;-)) -G.)
We had an extra night to go snorkelling in the Blue Holes, Gerhard even bought himself a pair of water shoes, it’s impossible to get over the deposits without them, but unfortunately it was cold again today.
So we had to stay overnight twice until Carnarvon. We topped up our water supplies again but failed to buy another canister. Water becomes increasingly scarce the further north you go. Our tank only held almost 45 litres as opposed to our large one, which held 90 litres and also had a drinking water filter. After stocking up on fruit and vegetables directly from the farmers in Carnarvon, we set off again, later than expected.
Normally we don’t let ourselves go crazy, but this time we did and as it’s a considerable distance to Coral Bay we left it to one side, as we also got a tip that there was a camp 15 kilometres further on, somewhat hidden. So we went there first. We luckily found the access road and then a sign: 4WD and camper toilet only. That was it. What now? Should we try Coral Bay? Or continue to Exmouth? What if everything is fully booked there? No mobile phone connection. How much longer will our water last? It’s still quite a long way, it’s already late and there’s nothing on the road there, that was where we had our flat tyre last year with the big one. What to do ? Then we discovered a place towards the outback, only 6 km (this information only refers to the junction and after that it can sometimes be very far). We are allowed to drive a maximum of 12 km on a dirt road to a camp site with our little one.
At least we were able to use the app to find out that you can also get there by normal car. That’s already worth a lot.
Bullara Station
This camp site was originally a cattle station. The gates are all still there and the huts, stables and other facilities have been converted (?) into showers, toilets, launderettes and accommodation. It has something very original, but also flair. The site has about 140 ! pitches and we actually got one, although we were warned again that everything was full. Yesterday evening there was one of the rare open-air concerts and after checking our water supply again and thanks to our EM (again) preparation we extended our stay to 3 days. There’s just something about this place. The showers with iron doors and heavy locks and the best thing: the hot water, produced by wood firing, comes out of the shower immediately warm. The biggest surprise, you almost have to laugh, and the only new thing: rain showers that flood everything and make it impossible to find a dry place for your slippers, which then hang full of lumps of red earth together with your freshly showered feet until you are back in your van, which you have to laboriously scrape off your feet to get to bed reasonably clean.
And of course there are also „wild animals“ in the outback….
……. and a cow that walked as elegantly as a horse.
Here is a riddle: in which pictures are not only wild „animals“ to be seen ???
…and unlike this long-term parker, we left the unusual site again after 3 nights…
Exmouth – Cape Range Nationalpark
So now on to Exmouth, we want to spend the night in the national park. Last year it didn’t work out because a place to stay literally fell through due to the weather, including the car and campervan. Big eyes in the tourist information centre: everything was fully booked, for weeks already and for the next few weeks. Ha, and we thought we could always find something. What’s more, free parking is prohibited here in the region and is punishable by a $100 fine. It turned out that there is an overflow area, which are spaces provided by the city when there is demand. So we booked one night, still hoping for the national park.
The next day back to the visitor centre of the national park, big eyes, nothing. Now the overflow again. Normally you should book everything online, but there is no access in the national park. Near the tourist information centre it worked after all: Overflow – everything fully booked. But we don’t let ourselves be discouraged so quickly, it can only be a mistake. So we go back to where we were yesterday. Everything is indeed fully booked, absolutely no possibility. For 14 years, the nice guy who looks after things has never seen it before. Then we got a tip, a large meadow area near the information centre, actually for self-catering as an overflow, but there were toilets and showers nearby. Somehow you will be able to pay there without having to pay $100 because you haven’t pre-booked. We stand there for a moment, it’s already pitch dark – there’s a knock and the supervisor is there. As soon as we ask if we can pay at his place or tomorrow at the information desk: „You’re German, aren’t you? We have to stick together, you can stay like this and come back tomorrow. We were flabbergasted. The $ 42 is borderline for an Oberflow anyway. In the morning he also said goodbye with a: see you tonight.
And then: Visitor centre in the national park: maybe we’re lucky and someone has cancelled? No, searched, looked, consulted, maybe we did, phoned. YES IT HAS !!!!! Make it quick, you can book over there on the screen, but quickly otherwise it’s gone —- and it worked!
And we have the best place in a wonderful camp site with lots of space, no cramped vehicles or tents. Enjoyed 3 days here. Wonderful swimming and snorkelling opportunity. Salt water rinsed off with a bottle of water, works great.
We drove almost to the end of the national park, at least as far as you can get without a 4WD, and did a hike to the gorge. When we were here last year, my wife sat here (I had twisted my knee) and waited for my husband, today it was the other way round. ( not the one with the knee. -G. )
We did our climbing and running instincts proud again, but I think if I had known THAT beforehand…….. We weren’t used to it any more. 3 quite enormous mountains, not only steeply up, but also steeply down. The next one was a bit more moderate and the last one was a walk. It also worked. But we were also rewarded by 3 rock wallabies, which are quite rare, very shy, usually stay in caves between the rocks and can reach an enormous speed, which is why we didn’t manage to capture one in the picture. Then there were 4 euros (we don`t know why they called Euros) and 2 red kangaroos, which can reach up to 2 metres. Satisfied, we returned to our little one.
We said goodbye to this beautiful place today with a heavy heart. The holidays are coming to an end, but now the „old people“ are coming and it’s still fully booked for months, but the likelihood of it being cancelled is perhaps greater now. So off we go without breakfast: come back in an hour, we’re sure to have something, I think we have something, but only for one night (better than nothing, then we’ll just come back), make it quick, otherwise it’s gone – it was already gone, wait 5 minutes, but nothing, I think I have something, but only for one night and just as we’re about to finalise the booking there’s a shout: wait, something’s come in for 3 nights —— and it worked. Somehow we must have struck the right note to be helped like that, because all we kept hearing was: no chance, fully booked for months. We left overjoyed. Even the soaking wet interior of our little one couldn’t have helped. We had left the skylight open and it was pouring with rain in the meantime, but we couldn’t leave because of the booking and consoled ourselves with the fact that the skylight was right above the corridor and could just be wiped open. But that wasn’t quite the case, it was also storming and the rain was spread all over the car and it was dripping everywhere, but we had our booking and that was the main thing.
During the always impressive journey through the national park, we are always watched with interest
Now it was back to Exmouth, 50 km there, 50 km back, a stone’s throw for the Aussies. We filled up with water, bought a few things, Austr. banana prawns were on sale, we treated ourselves to them, probably the freshest thing you can think of and you could taste it. Not a long way from China, like most things here.
We were excited about our new campsite and pleasantly surprised. Only 29 pitches, between bush and dunes. No sea view, but the path to the ocean is hardly any further than before. It’s quite cold at the moment anyway and nobody goes into the water except for fishing, and the Aussis don’t have bad weather, bad times of day or temperatures that are too cold, so they dress warmly and get into the water.
There are countless shells everywhere in the rock formations.
It rained and stormed all night, but the little one stands firmly on the rocks, our big one would have rocked quite a bit.
The sun is shining again today, but the wind is quite cold and there were no people to be seen on my morning walk and the dunes were still completely untouched.
I haven’t seen a mirror for 3 weeks, not even on the passenger seat, and there are none in the toilets in AUS either, not even a completely blind one. Gerhard now takes a photo of me from time to time so that I don’t become a complete stranger. ( But the camera must have suffered a bit beforehand -G.)
An exit to the sea, which we only discovered today, borders directly on the reef and it was wonderful to snorkel there today. The corals and the incredibly colourful fish of all sizes were indescribable and we want to treat ourselves to the pleasure again tomorrow, even if you only have to balance on sharp stones/rocks to reach the water.
We then took a walk past the mangrove forest. It was quite something: the sea with the mangrove forest in front of you and the dry scrubland behind you.
21. July 2020
My husband wanted to spend the day there, but my wife managed to convince him that she really wanted to go swimming and snorkelling again. We went back to the information centre today, you can always ask, but we weren’t the only ones and we weren’t given much hope. A young girl who had got hold of a place for one night offered to take us with her, 3 people are allowed on one place and it is not paid per place but per person, so that wouldn’t be a problem. But the pitch was at the very end of the park and only for one night – although that was very nice, we cancelled.
What’s going on? Everyone thought that when the holidays were over, all the places would be empty, but the opposite was the case. And when we got to the reef, it was already so full and more and more people were coming. No, we didn’t want that after all and drove to another spot. And to our greatest surprise, you could snorkel quite well here too, not quite as spectacular, but less crowded.
…and the cockatoos that had settled down for a chat were amazed….
Today we wanted to go for a nice coffee, City too far and too late, when we noticed a fancy restaurant ? snack bar ? Cafe ? not too far, a bit out of the way, but already full in the morning. So we went there — and it was closed, no, what’s going on, that is blasted today ?
Ha, what the heck. Only the place was closed, the beautiful view of the sea was still there after all, the cushions on the seats hadn’t been cleared away, napkins were still lying on a table along with the salt and pepper shakers. And we were able to choose the most beautiful spot.
We had the „kitchen“ with us, quickly made iced coffee, served chocolate chip cookies, sat back and enjoyed.
We then quickly booked the Oberflow in Exmouth (my husband preferred it). We went to the pub in the evening and after a starter we must have waited too long, because in the meantime people were queuing (you always pay in advance and order at the till) and no orders could be taken at the moment, the kitchen was totally overwhelmed for the next 2 hours.
Who knows what it was good for. We also found something tasty in our fridge.
The next day we set off towards the coast, where there are sure to be plenty of opportunities to get to the water.
Again we passed termite settlements, which look incredibly interesting and fascinating. Who taught them how to build such a structure and why doesn’t it sink into the hole from which the earth was taken??? And everything sticks only with spit?
On the way we were also interested in these rock formations…
…and of course the first harbingers of spring that can be discovered along the roadside – and even stone paintings.
But most of all we are happy about our great flower that we have had with us since Perth and that has been blooming continuously for over 3 months now!!!
Onslow
The first opportunity we wanted to take was Onslow. We couldn’t find any information anywhere, not even Loneley Planet even mentioned Onslow and it made us curious. On the way we found big boards about the region and the place and it didn’t sound bad. We were also curious about a place that is literally at the end of the world. ( Onslow is an important salt producer and we drive past the lakes where the salt is extracted into the town. -G. )
Who goes there? There are actually 2 renowned RV parks there. First to one and then to the other? Have a cosy look first? Not at all. At the information centre we were immediately told in an unfriendly manner that everything was fully booked! Well, one of them still has an Oberflow without toilets: you have one there, don’t you? N o o o ? Well then – conversation over. Let’s go, something will work out. First seat, charming smile on my face, no, we’re fully booked. Well, there’s nothing we can do.
When the woman is at the door: wait, I have another place that we don’t really rent out because it’s very loud, but have a look at it and let me know. We’ll have to think about it, put some cotton wool in my ears and it worked. First, as so often: no, we don’t like it tomorrow, no view of the sea, no beach far and wide. The place lives from salt and gas extraction. At some point we did get that certain atmosphere and decided to stay two more days after the manager offered us a better place for tomorrow.
We’ve been back in fly territory for a few days now and sometimes it’s a bit annoying. What helps? Garlic helps with vampires, well why not with flies and they are even smaller. No sooner said than done and, oh wonder, all the flies are gone in no time. Super.
Now we have moved to Cleaverville under close observation to finalise this blog page in a somewhat picturesque location by the sea….
….and computing until late in the evening.
View out of our window
So after living fly-free for a few days – here it’s either other flies or other garlic. We have to find something else.