Blue Remembered Hills

Had a good few days in Sydney with Chris at the conference (mostly) and Judy doing the tourist bits we didn't do last time we were here in 2008. Had a great apartment right in the centre by Chinatown, so good cheap food nearby. Visited the Maritime Museum and saw a boat made of beer cans (empty of course) which they race at Darwin and a replica of Cook's Endeavour.

Managed a walk from Bondi Beach along the coast which was very pleasant.

In 2008 we had a day in the Blue Mountains and said we had to come back, so here we are for 5 days, after dealing with the worst car hire company ever (East Coast Rentals). Anyway, it's fabulous walking country and stunning scenery. It was cool and cloudy when we arrived but walked for a couple of hours from the Three Sisters.

Does this remind you of anyone?

Next day was sunny and warm when we did their 'Grand Canyon'...

… but had a good excuse to rest on the way back up to watch a pair of lyre birds scratching about in the undergrowth. We liked the scenery here in the Grose valley better then the rest. Then had a great meal at the Katoomba RSL – highly recommended if you ever get here.

Sunday Chris did National Pass, along one of the cliff faces and almost got back before the thunderstorms while Judy did a shorter walk to the best waterfall (although Chris did lots!), saving herself for Monday.

Monday dawned cold and grey and eventually turned into a typical (bad) Dartmoor day. But we were taken on a guided bush walk by an 'aboriginal' and had a lot of culture to absorb. Judy even tried her hand at ethnic painting. Very interesting and absorbing.

Still unseasonally cold but still had a good day's walking. Great memories of cliffs and waterfalls.

Now off to Mackay to stay with Donna and Jacko, and help them move house (again) but not 1000km this time!

North of Perth

Spent the first night at Cervantes, a small fishing/holiday village then went to the Pinnacles Desert National Park. Surreal landscape of thousands of limestone pillars. Saw emus and a Western Blue-tongue lizard which tried to see Chris off its patch.

Then went up to Kalbarri for three nights. Rented a small house for the same price as a caravan. Did a 3-hour walk through the Murchison River Gorge – stunning. Explored the coast as well but spent both afternoons on the beach.

Then continued north to Carnarvon with the idea of heading inland to Mount Augustus, stopping on the way at Gascoyne Junction. Fortunately we stopped in the information centre in Carnarvon who told us that Gascoyne Junction had been badly damaged in the floods three years ago and there was nowhere to stay – so we overnighted in Carnarvon. Then it was a 1000km round-trip to Mount Augustus, mostly on dirt roads and no town for the middle 600km, only Mount Augustus Station which had sort-of cabins in which to sleep. We were carrying food and water for 3 days, so no problem. Then up at 4:15 am to start walking up the mountain at first light. It was 25 degrees when we set off and 35 degrees when we got back down 5 hours later! But we had climbed the biggest rock in the world and the highest point in Western Australia.

Then we drove back to Carnarvon, but about 250km away we came across an Aborigine family who had broken down. We were the first car to pass and they'd been there 2 hours. Took mother and kids to Gascoyne Junction to get help, then on to Carnarvon – civilisation!

Next stop was Coral Bay where we lazed on the beach and booked a snorkelling trip to the Ningaloo Reef for the next day. Fantastic! Coral, amazing fish, sharks, turtles and the highlight, swimming above a manta ray and watching it feed. Never seen anything like it. It was a 7-hour trip with 3 hours of snorkelling – better then the Great Barrier Reef, partly because it's so close inshore, but also because of the marine life. Unforgettable, but no photos, sorry.

Then to Shark Bay where Judy brought her hat home – when we were staying with Jill and Andy in Malaysia we visited the Cameron Highlands. Judy had lost her hat, but hanging on a bush in the jungle was a hat saying “Shark Bay Australia”. Didn't have a clue where it was, but we do now! Stayed in Denham, the most westerly town on Australia, for 3 days.

Went to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins that come and visit almost every day. Never been so close to wild dolphins, and the real treat was they were two mothers with calves.

Next day was a long 4-wheel drive up to Cape Peron in the Francois Peron National park. Deflated the tires for lots of sand, but got a bit bogged with only about 15km to go, so reversed out. Met a very helpful ranger who checked our tyre pressures – still too high! Let more air out then almost floated over the deep sand all the way to the end. Watched a group of about 10 manta rays in the water below Skipjack Point, and, we think, a big old dugong.

Third day we visited the church in Denham, made out of blocks of compressed shells cut out of a quarry with a saw.

Then to a wonderful aquarium where we learned a lot about fish, turtles and especially sharks – very appropriate for Shark Bay. Then to Eagle Bluff where we watched sharks swimming below, before a long afternoon on a beach all to ourselves.

Have just done a long day's drive back to Perth to spend one last night with our friends Brian and Ann, then off to Sydney tomorrow so that Chris can attend a conference.