Swines and Wines

Shopping mall pigs are a pain in the arse.

They sneak up on you and try to stare you down.

While you're transfixed outstaring them - they steal your lunch.


Luckily I had my anti-pig stare sunnies on and absolutely hammered the swine.

I hate shopping mall pigs that's for sure.

Across the Nullarbor to South Australia

What are the odds of this.............

A black camel chasing a black wombat chasing a black kangaroo for 88km.

The Nullarbor was nearly 1,196km.

However we did see 18 dead and bloated wombats and lost count of the kangaroo roadkill.

We read a report that there are 3/4 million wild camels roaming the desert. We didn't see one.

 The Great Australian Bight.

NOW we are talking landscapes.

The wind was so vicious and intense it inflated my tyres.

 Point Labatt at Streaky Bay South Australia.
There is a large colony of sea lions residing here and even on a quiet day the ocean just roars and roars.

Note the collapse of the cliff face below.

 Look hard, they are there sunning themselves. Huge and lumpy sea lions looking like flat lumps of meat roasting in the sun.

Near Streaky Bay, South Australia

 I was watching this massive combine harvester (near Point Lablatt) on our drive back to Streaky Bay Caravan Park. I started to take a few photos of this amazing machine when the machine stopped and the driver got out and ran towards me. In panic I lay down amongst the weeds and pretended I was dead.
Next minute he yells "C'mon mate get in and come for a drive."
Michele and I had THE BEST thirty minutes of our life with this fantastic young farmer.

 The inside of the harvester is fully automated, airconditioned and was a total buzz; it was faaaantastic.
The crop (barley) has to be harvested as quickly as possible owing to the fragile degree of moisture that is allowable in the seed. Rain was predicted  so 16 hour shifts are not uncommon to get the crop in.
His crops are headed for the Middle East.The harvester costs $1/2 mill. and he buys a new one every four years.

If Jesus was a carpenter then He has his work cut out for Him.

Streaky Bay Caravan Park South Australia.

 Business wasn't brisk at my market stand that day. The seagull soup wasn't a crowd pleaser except for a random seagull checking the menu.

This area is noted for it's oysters. Michele mastered the fine art of "Shucking" which complimented my skill in rhyming slang.
These succulent oysters were a staggering $7.00 per dozen.

It was a wonderful night.

The rock walls that abound this area were built by prisoner labour. They were paid 1 shilling per chain and could lay two chains a day.

Mmmm what's a chain?

We were late for church on Sunday but there was ample parking. Thank you Jesus.

The Spectacular Coast of WA

This is one of a series of giant Kauri Trees in the national park used during the last century as a 'eagles nest' lookout for potential bushfires. This tree is a towering 63 metres high to the observation platform. The fire fighting volunteer would climb every day and stay perched there for a long tediously boring shift -UNLESS! you spotted a swirl of smoke in the distance and then in the excitement you would drop your cigarette and radio in the location of the distant fire, not the one that is now swirling around the base of your tree.

I won't confess how far up we are in this photo but owing to an ingrown toenail I had to retreat and let Michele scamper up a few more steel spikes.

The area is called Pemberton.

 One of the last whaling ships to use the seas around Albany to hunt several species of whale. Fortunately the government of the day banned this trade in the 1970's after a few of the whale species were killed close to extinction.

There were four of these ships, Cheynes 1 - 1V

 These harpoons were equipped with powerheads that allegedly killed the whale almost instantly which was considered humane as opposed to spearing the beast.

I got one shot off and hit a kombi van full of dope smokin', guitar pluckin', motherf%##in junkie greenies. A humane shot.

 Looking like a set of giant elephant tusks these curved structures are nearly five metres long and are the lower jaw bone of the massive blue whale.

This is the entrance to one of the best tours we've enjoyed - the whaling museum.

Try sneaking those puppies through customs.

 A complete skeleton of the behemoth that is the blue whale. This one is measured at 36.7 metres and in its natural environment is the length of a Jumbo 747 or one of the massive road trains that roar around the highways here.

 The Gap at Albany. These waterways are ferocious and according to the tourist platforms nearby, the coastline is a massive graveyard of sailing ships from centuries past.

 Natural Bridge near Albany.

 Naturally beautiful and every time you turned around there was another breathtaking scene.

 The coastline around Esperance now ranks as the most dramatic and staggeringly beautiful I have seen. I don't do it justice with these few shots and simple words. The water is impossibly blue/green, the sands are beyond white and the rocky coastline is indescribable.

 This is Sammy the Seal, truly, that's the thought provoking name the locals have given him.
 He swims along the jetty at Esperance at the same time of day hoping to get a belly full of fish guts or bait.

Like a tooth cavity, a massive section of mountain appears to have sunk within itself.

Near Esperance

This is Mt Franklin in the Cape Le Grande National Park. If you're up to it, there is a four hour climb to the top.

 Another shot of Natural Bridge on the Albany coastline.

A cracker of a day on the harbour for some Esperance locals.

An impressive sight. This is the windmill 'farm' near Albany. At the top of the structures sits a 50 tonne generator. When the blades are at their maximum allowable speed the tip of the blade is travelling at 290kph.

The windmill is shut down in excessive wind for safety reasons. On this barren escarpment near Albany there are only 7 non windy days per year. When we took these photos these babies were pumping it out.

The combined power generated by the towers provides 80% of power for Albany.

Along The Beautiful Western Australian Coastline

Whats' more frustrating then walking three kilometres to the only toilet in the national park?

Someone else in the bloody toilet.

Look closely and you will see what has been sneaking around under our caravan.
We were in the Cape Range National Park near Exmouth where these shots were taken. An unbelievably beautiful place but crawling with creepy crawlies.

A dramatic gorge near Exmouth.

Camped at Osprey Point in the Cape Range National Park.

In Bunnings - 2 cents
In Shark Bay - $40.00

After it was removed from the tyre.

We were in a place called the Pinnacles which is a
huge area covered in unusual rock formations.

Suddenly were were swarmed by a plague of Japanese tourists.

The Pinnacles

After the two metre goanna decided to leave we were then attacked by a man eating kangaroo.

After I strangled the kangaroo I went for a swim in the national park and ended being chased by a land shark.

The worst kind of shark.

 More of the unusual lunar landscape of the Pinnacles near Cervantees.

 A fantastic maritime museum in Freemantle houses the original Australia II, the winner of the America's Cup in the mid 80's.

There is the famous winged keel.

Disclaimer: This is not the actual crew.

One of the mega huge choppers in Exmouth that transports the offshore rig workers to and from the mainland. This one is in for repair and maintenance. Each massive blade on the rotor costs a staggering $250,000.

Snorkelling at the exquisite Torquoise Bay in Cape Range National Park. This area is noted for  'drift snorkelling' as the strong current takes you along the reefs over the coral and tropical fish and if your not careful, slowly out to Indonesia.

The plane our son Christopher flew over the Ningaloo Reef region. His job was to locate the massive Whale Sharks and relay their location to the tourist boats.

A tasty witchety grub sandwich. This mongrel wouldn't lay down dead and kept eating the dressing before he was chomped down on.

Smart bastard - take that witchety grub.

 How would these go in the front yard.

A before 'roadkill' shot.
This snake is quite a dangerous adder and was photographed near the lighthouse at Albany.

 As I couldn't get Michele to grab the 'harmless' snake for a photo op. we decided on wrestling an innocent tortoise off the roadway.

 The stately and beautiful Kaurri Forests near Pemberton.