Australia is big. I mean, really big. Take Europe for example, and then add some. Stuck in this continent over the Christmas period due to mandatory leave at the most expensive time of the year Cindy and I decide to head as far away as we can get without heading in to tropical wet-season in the top-end. We decide to head to Western Australia (WA).
Draw a line about a third of the way though Australia (that’s about half the size of Europe) and you have the state of WA on one side (and only 2.5m people), and everything else on the other (about 20m people).
via MAPfrappe
Perth
Perth, population 1.8m. 75% of the population of WA lives in this one city, the rest are spread out across that continental span I showed you in the above image. All in all, it’s a pretty empty place. Somewhere half the size of Europe yet today The London Underground will have twice as many passengers than there are people in this entire state.
As the digital tourists we are we were reliant on Google Maps from the airport to our hostel, a small and easy city to navigate we don’t fret getting lost. Some friendly statuesque kangaroos give us some selfie photo ops as we walk to our hostel.
First impressions were of a laid-back and pretty city with lots of sculptures and beautiful buildings. Plenty of Japanese and Korean restaurants fill the streets, leaving little opportunities to deviate but after delicious kare-age and sushi-train we don’t mind.
For the day we head to Fremantle (or Freo as the locals call it) for the day. Fremantle is about 30 minutes away by train from Perth Central. We didn’t expect much to be going on during Boxing Day but found the market and most of the shops to be open and selling all sorts of food and curios. As the afternoon crept in and we started to feel the tiredness from the early morning flight (and two hours jetlag) we crash out on the lawn near the esplanade and eventually move on to the Little Creatures brewery for a complimentary beer tasting.
Rottnest
The next day we took the ferry down the Swan River to Rotto (Rottnest Island). About 45-50 minutes later we’re pulling into harbour, we grab our bikes, load up on sandwiches from the Subway shop in town and head out west. Mmm… I can smell them sammiches now.
On such a hot day we’re burning through water and calories. The frequent stops to refresh in the pristine beaches and crystalline waters are a cool relief.
The west end of the island has a lookout but no beaches to swim and is about 2 hour bike-ride away, we should have just stayed at the last spot. The one saving grace was that it does have the only shade on the entire island as we sit in the bus shelter eating our sandwiches with the company of a large, black lizard whom no doubt smelled the food.
Refreshed we start our cycle back to the beaches, by the early afternoon they’ve cleared out, the waters have warmed a little and we enjoy the refreshing dip and swim without all the people. The waters were so incredibly clear, such an unreal blue like something out of a cartoon.
OMQUOKKAS!!!
On our ride back we spot some quokkas chilling out by the side of the road. We pull up and have these friendly visitors jump up to us and investigate the smells of us and our bags (sorry guys, you don’t get any people food). Posing for the required #QuokkaSelfie makes the day, and my life, complete.
South and Margaret River
We’ve hired a Wicked Camper again, the same one we had in Cairns a few months back. Leaving midday Monday we drive south through Mandurah and Bunbury towards Dunsborough and Margaret River. We stop outside Mandurah at a place called Silver Sands for lunch and a swim. A small dog comes to bark at us at the water’s edge, a little too afraid to brave the breach himself.
I can’t believe how busy this area is, actually it’s xmas time in the biggest tourist spot in WA; yes, yes I can believe. As we head into the Margaret River/Dunsborough area every beach, every car-park and every town is just packed with slow moving traffic, double-parked cars and thousands of people. The Perthians have all flocked south for Winter (and wine).
It’s Christmas time and there’s no room at the inn. The places we’re trying to camp or park are all full. We decide to spend the day in the area but head somewhere remote for the night. So we let tonights problem slip away from our minds and enjoy the vineyards and wine tasting, some more beautiful beaches for swimming, stock up on food and head south and inland to the Giant Karri Forests, saying goodbye to the beaches for now.
Pemberton and Walpole
So we arrive into Pemberton late afternoon. Everything is closing up and we haven’t sorted our nights stay. I’d been on the phone to the local hostel who said they had a bed, but when we arrive he lets us know there’s a camp spot down the road nestled in the forest - sounds awesome. It’s a short drive, but we constantly feel like we’re heading into unknown territory, no sign posts, we pass a golf course and a field full of wallabies. Cindy mentions that Wolf Creek is set in WA, probably not far from where we are. She’s not a reassuring girlfriend.
Our car is on its own surrounded by swarms of mosquitos, we’re the only ones here and we feel like we shouldn’t be here. We set up our sleeping arrangements, hunch over our dinner and eat. It gets dark. We try to go to sleep. Every slight sound we hear, worrying for that eventful tap on the window from a ranger, still with that fear of dread that we shouldn’t be here despite the local advice, but we’re tired and we drift off to sleep.
Next morning we check out the national parks, the large Karri, we climb the world’s second largest fire-lookout tree and paint the car red off-roading to rock formations, pools and the world’s largest eucalyptus tree (so big you can park a car inside the trunk).
Today has been cold and wet, so when we make it to the town of Denmark, famous for it’s amazing beaches and coastline we’re a little underwhelmed. We ask in the information centre what to do in the rain and are met with blank stares.
Have ya seen the trees?
Awesome.
So we decide to fill up the tank and make a dash back to Pemberton, 8 degrees and freezing cold down south but closer to Perth is a balmy 32.
New Year
New Years eve, we’re awake at 6am again after one of the coldest nights. We stayed the night, again, in Pemberton but due to the rain and winds the temperature had dropped drastically and we had to wrap ourselves in beach towels and huddle together for warmth; shivering ourselves awake several times throughout the night.
We start the long drive back to Perth. We rest in Bunbury where the temperatures are now back to an awesome 34. We swim, bathe and bake.
Returning to Perth and blue skies, after a long and tiring day and little sleep. New Years has never seen less appealing. Cindy and I stare at each other, blank faced over a Shark Bay Prawn Burger from Jus’ Burgers, our minds now empty from tiredness.
Is it wrong to just want to sleep through New Year? I feel like we should do something.
But instead we do nothing. We eat dinner, stroll through the park, head to bed around 10pm and nap through it all.
The next morning we head back to Fremantle, we get caught up in the excitement of the markets again and end up running late, so late, to the beach to meet friends. We manage to get a quick swim in to cool down and then race to the airport for check-in. A flight back to Melbourne and, once again, soon to be back at work.