Monday 7^th May, 2012

Today we slept a bit longer as the tour started not so early in the morning. With a boat we went into the Whitsundays. We sailed to the Hill Inlet and walked up to a lookout. Here we had a wonderful view over the bay and Whitehaven Beach. From far the combination of white beach and turquoise sea looks gorgeous. Now we went there and stayed there for two hours. We used the time to swim, to walk, lay on the beach or to enjoy the lunch prepared by the crew. Attracted by the nice smell came more and more big lizards. Some of the animals were surely about 1.5 meters long. They are not dangerous as long as you do not get too close. Back on the boat we went to a bay where we had some time to snorkel. Unfortunately I had bad goggles and thus often water in the eyes. But I had the opportunity to let Konrad listen to the sound of coral eating fishes. As were back to the hotel just before sunset we could enjoy the last rays from the balcony.

Easter Monday 9^th April, 2012

This morning our way led to the 300 souls village Hyden. I made a short visit at the Peoples Scape Sculptures which are metal sculptures showing people by some kind of activity. Then we drove to the Wave Rock, a 110 m long and 14 m high rock wave. The weather eroded the wave out of the rock. Nice to watch it, but not spectacular. Then we walked the Hyden Rock Walk to see other rock formations. On the hike we saw from time to time Rock Dwelling Dragons (a kind of small lizards) rush away. Then I saw sandalwood which is cultivated here in the region. We got to Hippo's Yawn as I read the plan wrongly. The rock really looked like a hippopotamus with open mouth. After this short hike we drove to the Humps, a nearby rock hill. Here we visited Mulka's Cave, a cave with rock paintings and hand prints from Aboriginals. Then we made two short hikes. The Kalari Trail went at the top of he Humps and beside some more rocks we had a amazing look over the wide Australian country. Again and again I am fascinated by the width of Australia. Back at the bottom we decided to walk also the Gnamma Trail. It lead through the bush and then back to the carpark. It was not as beautiful as the first hike. Then we drove to Hyden and then to Kulin. A bit out of Kulin we saw a few horses made by scrap metal. Here it is a kind of contest between the farmers who creates the most original horse. After a short break in Kulin where we saw an Oldtimer museum from the outside we continued to Wickepin. A bit outside we saw a sign to the camping of Yealering. We decided to go there and, as yesterday, had to pay in the hotel.

Friday 23^th March, 2012

I was awake already at sunrise. I went outside, observed a small rainbow and enjoyed the sunrise. Sandra got awake a little bit later and thus we started early today. We hiked to the Fortescue Falls which is a bit smaller that the one yesterday. But we could climb the rocks at the sides and thus could enjoy from all sides. Then we walked on a venture along a unsigned path. It proved to be right path. We ended up at the Fern Pool, a small pool with a waterfall. We enjoyed a refreshing morning bath and swam a bit. There was a sound I did not recognise. When I saw the bats in the tree I knew the source of it. Back at the start we walked to two lookouts. On the way we often saw grasshoppers flying away. Our destination we reach after a bit more than 30 minutes. From the Cirular Pool Lookout you can see another pool deep in the gorge where already a few people were swimming. We went back on the same way, but it was a bit faster as we had less picture stops. That was our last hike in the National Park and we decided to drive to the south.

The lunch break and refuelling stop was at a road house. Here it was very busy and we a few road trains (trucks with several trailers). During our 600 km long drive we saw a few animals crossing the road. First a dingo, then two big lizards and some cattle. From time to time we met an oversize truck with different load, from big tires to houses. The further we got the more pools where a the side of the road. At one spot we could not help but had to stop to take a picture of them. A bit after 5pm we reached Meekatharra where we found a place on the camping to stay overnight. In the evening it got cool fast and we were glad about a jacket. Now the temperatures got more pleasant and in the morning and in the evening it is already getting cool.

Thursday 22^nd March, 2012

After getting up we heard again a few parrot chicks. Sandra also saw ibises and thus we went to look for the birds to take pictures. After we went to the Visitor Center of the Karijini National Park. There we informed us about the road situation. The gravel roads are open again since some quite a time. In this National Park you first see red rocks which are partially covered with green. In the Park we found a few yellow and violet flowers, but for the wild flowers we are too early. To sea the real beauty of the park we drove to the the Joffre Falls. We enjoyed the view to the falls from above and then started the hike downwards. On the half way I left my hiking sticks at a rock as we now had to climb. During the hike we saw from time to time lizards, red and blue dragonflies, a milliped, many birds, frogs and ants. A lizard and a bird made me stop as I thought it could be a snake. Down at the river bed we had to go a few meters through water reaching the thighs. Our pants got wet and Sandra had to care that her mobile phone did not start to swim. But here you could see the real hight of the falls. The way back made us transpire. Back at the camper we drove to Knox Lookout. Here we had an extreme wide view over the National Park and its deep gorges. At the Junction Pool and at Oxer Lookout we could maze over very deep gorges. Our last lookout for today was (Mount Bruce). Here we could see the two highest points of Western Australia. Then we drove to the Dales Camping to spend a night in the wild nature. We failed in starting the grill of camping and the grill of the camper. So we only had salad and cold chicken. But we could enjoy the sunset and stayed outside until it got dark.

Saturday 3^rd March, 2012

In the morning we went to the Shoalwater Bay. Here we boarded the boat and the safari started. Only about 5 minutes out in the sea we already saw a few dolphins. The next hour we followed and watched them. For me it is the first time I saw dolphins swimming in the sea, but not for Konrad. As I had taken my pills against motion sickness I could stand in the front of the boat and take pictures. Konrad could not believe it as he remembered of the opposite in Island were the pills had not helped and I had been very sick. Our ride was not yet over. The boat went to Bird Island were there are cormorants and pelicans nesting. Then we met again a dolphin which was playing with a ray. Next was Seal Island with its seal colony. As it was very warm, they liked more to sunbath than to move around. We often saw flying pelicans. At the end of the tour we left the boat at Penguin Island. Here every hour a ferry goes back to the mainland. First we enjoyed our pick-nick as there is no shop here. We also observed a few of the local lizards. One just walked over the pick-nick area. Then we went onto the two kilometre long path around the island. First we saw a decayed tractor stand in the middle of the nature. Passing nesting pelicans we went to the beach. We enjoyed the refreshing bath and the waves and then we let us dry by the sun. Back at the start we went to see the feeding of the penguins. A few of them live in the visitor centre. They are not able anymore to live in the wild. Four times a day they get fresh fish. After the feeding we went back to the mainland and from there back to the motel next to the airport. As there was still some time left we went to the centre of Perth and walked a bit in the Kings Park. We heard some parrots in the trees and saw them flying away. The evening we closed with a dinner with sight to the city.