Okay I have had very little sleep due to early mornings, freezing in swags, being rained on while kipping on the beach and serious drinking... you can tell I am in Oz now. In summary the tour was awsome, and I am travelling with a great bunch of people, there are about 20 of us.
Our tour guide is called Alistair or Al for short. He's a really nice guy, looks a little like dennis quasid, but skinnier and curly hair. He drinks himself to sleep on cans of rum and coke.
He knows lots about the bush, and is a bit of a laugh and ladies man as you will discover the night in broom, but he is driving the van all the time, and some of it is long, tiring, straight roads, and he has to stay awake. Also he has to cope with us who are generally sleeping on the bus, so I don't know how he does it.
On top of that every night, he has to think of what we are going to eat, and cater for 20 of us, on a basic 3 ringed stove attached to the trailer, with all the food is eske's and some basic pots and untensils. So far we had, tacho's, thai curry of sorts, tuna pasta, spagetti, beef stew, barbequed stake and sausages, chicken curry. It's not bad and after treking you are hungry enough.
How it works is, a few of us chop up the veg, then he cooks it with a few helping, then the rest wash and dry. Sounds simple, but when you are in a park with no facilies, and its freezing, and I mean cold, cold dirty washing up water is no fun.
Also the lunches... process meat, cheese and tuna.... tins of sweet corn and white bread, as the brown ran out quick. What can I say, I never want to look at another cheese and beetroot sandwich ever again.
Every night we crack open beers, or the cartons of wine from the eske (cool box), and drink while we prepare the food and camp. We get the bags out the back and swags, lay our ruck sacks on the tarpaulin and swags on another tarpaulin sheet. We sleep, or try, and the next morning it all goes back on the bus.
It was great fun and such a laugh!
Day 1
Arrive at the bus stop and load the van. Al gets us all to right our names on a window, and then we are supposed to move around seats every day and learn every ones names. He has a microphone at the front to tell us all info.
Its a nice group... mainly women which is good for Al. I will tell you the backpacker rumour of the tour guides, which I think is on the money after the broome night (not involving me). The guides hook up with one or more females depending on who is most likely to put out. By the last night, if it hasn't already, they hook up with someone. Then they pass on the name of that person to the next tour/guide so he can make a play for the easy one. Hence, most of us sensible ones keep our nickers on. Yep they are players, even the female guides.
Nambung National Park to see the Pinnacles.
1st stop was the Pinnacles. The colours were amazing, fields of the giant natural sand formations that appear as the sand around is eroded around them leaving these mounds of bright yellow sticking up. Of course, Deborah had to hug one that looked like a nob! Well someone had to, and yes I do have a photo of me doing it. Amazing sight though.
Valley of the blown over trees.
On route we stopped at a valley where trees were growing horizontal. By this time the group is starting to get to know one another. There is mark and shelly (michelle). A couple from norwhich who are nurses (dealing with dialasis mainly), and are working in perth for a couple of years 'til they settle down back home. This is their 2 week holiday and they are absolutely ace and such a good laugh. Hope to stay friends with them for a long while as she's my kind of person and great sense of humour, plus my age. Next Beck and Clare from near wales, but not actually welsh. They are great fun as well, and again would like to keep in touch.. Becky is 24 and clare 29 and have been friends for ages.
Katrina - german who always smiles is so lovely, and boy can she do head stands.
A group of three austrians, a brother and sister and her boyfriend/husband. Bit weird, they share rooms together, but they are ok! Theresa who follows ben From brisbane everywhere. It's quite sweet, but not sure he is intersted, well he is very young.
Two dutch girls catherine (can't remeber her name). Deborah from England 41 and only went to Exmouth with us. Will save those stories for my journal. Also Patricia from Holland who is an aeronautical engineer... well just finished studying for it, and does chanel swimming.
Natural Bridge (sea cliff)
Beautiful Cliff costal line like the west coast of scotland. Great pics I hope.
Caradan Park
Again coastal. Great pics and views.
1st night and Al doesn't want us to camp it, so we share a mobile home. 5 of us to a home. Have a fire and the first of the big beer sessions start. Tacho night which was ace. Surprised by how much fresh fruit and veg there is on the tours, and always a veggie option.
The guy who owns the park comes over pissed, and starts talking about vaginas. A conversation I will never forget, but, although he was harmelss enough, deborah patronised him to death. Shared the van with deborah and the japenese girls.
Day 2
Nature's window
A short walk although hills are still killing me. We see loads of cockatoos, mountain goats and parrots. The scenery is awesome... a huge red rock gorge with a river below.
Merchanson Gorge.
same same but different.
Portshead
Cant' remeber but know I have photos.
Shell Beach (Stromatolites)
A beautiful white sandy beach with stromatolites, which if you remeber david attenbouroughs opening shot of the living planet it's how ife began. These are rock formations in the water that breath oxagen and the first organisms originate from here. You can even see little bubbles appear from them. If you touch them they die, so there is a little pier that you walk on to look at them.
Surrounding it is shark bay which is a natural protection for the stromatolites, as star fish and other creatures can't get near, so they are protected. The national park is protected, like all national parks. The national parks are leased to the park commission by the Aboriginies.
Sea Eagle. One of the last great birds around in autrailia and we saw one on a telegraph pole.
Camped in swag on beach for first night.
Al explains to us as we prepare for dinner that we can sleep on the beach, just take a swag and your sleeping bag, and after dinner (again more beer) take it down to the beach and in the morning get back for 7, as we can then watch the dolphins at monkey mia.
At this point some have slept in swags on previous tours. Al is completely shit faced at this point, so its only fair we get him to demo how to use a swag. A swag is basically a giant canvas bag with two zips and a flat hood. On the bottom is attached a red plastic matress, so you have all in one. It rolls up and you attach straps to do it up. The pissed demo is the funniest thing I have ever seen, and since then we tried to get him to do one every night.
Well, all the brits decide to go to the beech to sleep under the stars. We drag our swags past the youth hostel, to where it is quiet and unroll our swags, as its cold we are all sleeping in a form of day wear.
Starts off great, sleeping while looking at a semi clouded sky and a few stars. Then at about 2 the heavens open, its cold, so I have to put the hood of the swag up over my face and try and sleep, because I am too lazy and cold to move. Am just contemplating is this too much rain, then the shower stops. I then go to sleep and it happens again... another shower... same thing goes on several times till it gets to 5.30, and finally all the girls (as the boys mark, ben and of course theresa are further down the beach) we move back to camp, to see, with pleasure, a warm fire and everyone else drying off.
I was lucky only my alarm clock, and all my geer including trainers that was outside the swag, got wet. However clare wasn't as lucky, as she forgot to zip hers up.
Day 3
Monkey Mia Dolphin Feeding.
There are a group of dolphins that come in for feeding. The amount of food is restricted so that it doesn't effect thier natural behaviour. There are 3 morning feeding sessions a day, and they start about 8 til the dolphins get fed up and decide to come back again. I personally don't agree with this, as I think they should be left completely to their own devices, but it is used as a study centre.
Well we queue in a long line along the beach (you are not allowed to swim near the dolphins) and the feeding starts early, as there is a new baby in the pack. There was a strange woman from england, who spends most of her time following dolphins everywhere, and tries to work with them. She was weird and one of the dolphins called nicki comes up close as the wardens bring buckets and she went beserk... imagine a very thick strong cockney accent "oh nikki, babe, my love I'm there for you" Nutter... you had to be there really. Show was over, and I did think amazing, and the baby cute, but the mad woman I could of done without.
Boat trip to see sharks and turtles.
I was the only one of the group to do the boat trip. You can do different activities... everyone just chilled. It's a catamran that goes off really to see wildlife, although its sold as a sailing trip... my arse, no wind and full of tourists kids, and captain bob! Blond sterotype of an aussie sailor. Did see the dolphins up close which was great, and in natural habitat plus saw the heads of turtles, which I thought was great... if they were turtles and not cormorants.
You should have seen the stork things on the beach... huge. Got a photo everything reminds me of finding nemo at the moment.
Long drive stopped at another shell beach, longest beach in Western Austrailia
Coral Bay
Another beautiful beach.
Played Pool after another pissed dinner (well Al drunk). Went to the local pub, where there were some really anoying young swedish backpackers breakdancing. Al, mark, shell and clare played pool. Becks and I, because we are crap at pool, went to have a practice game. These swedish guys joined in, and were so bloody patronsing, we wanted the game to be over. Deborah decided to leave, I think in a bit pissed off, because she was slaughtered, and didn't want to play pool. She wanted to really dance, and on the tables, but no one was really up for it, except becks and i did shake our shoulders a bit. So she left, and I went to look for her, and found her in a panic as she couldn't find her way back... bit impossible actually.
Day 4
Annoying Kids woke us early. All their teacher said was stop swearing, but I could have taken to them with a base ball bat very easily.
Went snorkerling.
Taught mia how to snorkel, who was very nervous. Fantastic beach and very hot, had to watch the sun. But the water when you got in was freezing. We left our bags on the beach and had to walk up further, as the current was taking you quite fast. Great fish, and I kept ducking under the water chasing some huge fish.
Diving
Mark, shell and I did some diving. To be honest it was really dissapointing. We had to walk to the beech and unload all the diving gear from a truck, including trunks and everything. Did have a great lunch though an aussie steak and onion pie.
The Dive master, or actually instructor, wasn't helpful and didn't show much, just did his own thing in a very arrogant way. Met another DMT, who was nice and sounded like she enjoyed her training.
Went on those rubber dinghys. Cramped, they didn't tell you about having drink on board, and was very un organised compared to koh tao.
Anyway, the first dive was shit. This japenese guy just got really annoying, and in your way, so did some of the other divers. It got frustrating. Plus there was nothing to see. Sandy bottoms with a few formations. He did the typical christmas tree coral thing... snap fingers and they close. There was a school of big fish swimming around. Anyway, not much considering this is ningaloo reef some of the best in the world, better than cairns.
We got on the boat and it was freezing. Shell din't want to do anymore, so mark and I did. I put on an extra wet suit and couldn't sink to the bottm, so was pissed at that and had to get another weight.
The second dive was a lot better. The coral formations over 130 species were amazing, and we saw a shark. The rest was dissapointing though in the way of fish.
After that, it was back quick unloading the stuff. Shell and I both had a stop, cos we couldn't get a coffee after 4.30. Back to the boat to go on the long drive to Exmouth.
Exmouth
Barby and disco. We get there late at night well its dark. We have dorms tonight ... I nab a top bunk, god knows why, thought it made sense at the time. Mark, becks, shell and myself are sharing and we start on our cartons of red.
Al has made an excellent job, plates napkins serviettes and its feel like royalty so far. We have steak and sausages on the barby! Ace... I wasn't to keen on the curry the night before.
Well the photos start and cara turns up. Cara is the loudest shortest aussie sterotype tour guide I have met and such a good laugh. You can hear her from miles away and her tour group is here. What she doesn't have in size she makes up in stature.
Well the photos begin and dinner was great we are all pissed.
Al goes to bed early, as another big drive, and so do some of the others, but becks and I have joined the disco and are going for it, dance wise. I mean we are doing the stupidest dance moves we can think of, and having just a great laugh. Fantastic night and very funny and a very late night.
Day 5
Kelgory National Park
Road House (flies)
Walk to waterfall (Ben Swam)
Freezing Night in swags
Day 6
1st walk back to gorge and waterfall
2nd walk miracle mile (freeclimb)
Visitor Centre
Then back other way (rope)
Day 7
Geoffry Falls
Knox Gorge (pool)
Road stop and stay at Indee Sation Farm
Red Rock
Day 8
Drive back to broom
Shell beach (yes another)
Broome and local disco and night club