Final Days - Ningaloo Reef

The vastness of the Western Australian landscape was punctuated by the lacking internet facilities up the striking West Coast. Consequently, this blog encountered a slight stagnation, so here are a few belated highlights:

CUTE little puffer fish!

Final Days - Perth up to the Ningaloo Reef.

The vastness of the Western Australian landscape was punctuated by the lacking internet facilities up the striking West Coast. Consequently, this blog encountered a slight stagnation, so here are a few belated highlights:

The Pinnacles Desert, Cervantes

 

Kalbarri Gorge

Swimming in Kalbarri Gorge. It is usually crystal  blue but there had been flooding the previous week.

Kayaking through Kalbarri gorge

Day 10: Esperance - Perth

Today we embarked upon the long drive to Perth. Not much to report. Lovely countryside. Lots of windmills to be spotted for the 'windmill' game. Delicious dinner when we arrived at the Collinsons house. (We also now have clean laundry!!!)

The big wave in Hyden. Not such a big thrill :-p

Not just child sized...

Who can resist a choo-choo train!

Day 9: Lucky Bay - Esperance

We started the day with a morning run along Lucky Bay beach. We didn't quite realise it was 6km return (phew!) so our pancake breakfast was definitely well deserved afterwards!

We then went and climbed Frenchmans Peak which had stunning 360 degree views of the area, before having a dip at Hellfire Bay and moving on to Esperance.

Rolly watching over his Pride.

Clifftop workout!

Word of the day: Mansuetudo - Mildness, gentleness.
Song of the day: 'I Gotta Feelin' David Guetta

Day 8: Caiguna - Lucky Bay.

Today we drove along Australia's longest, straightest stretch of road, 146.6km's of it. Feeling like true rebels, we pushed the car to see what it could, and boy has that baby got gusto. Without openly admitting we should have our licenses revoked, the speeds got kind of crazy!

All the time in the world.

Naughty Rolly...

Having conquered the Nullabor, we decided to spend the night in Cape Le Grand National park. After camping out in the desert for a few days, arriving at Lucky Bay, voted the beach with 'Australia's whitest sand' was a welcome relief.

Lucky Bay: 'Whitest sand in Australia'

Ants making friends with the wildlife!

Album of the day: Rock'n'Roller

Word of the day: Escrow (a contract, deed, bond, or other written agreement deposited with a third person, by whom  it is to be delivered to the grantee or promisee on the fulfillment of some condition).

Day 7: Ceduna - Caiguna

THE NULLABOR!!!!
For those of you who don't know, the Nullabor is the long stretch of road through Central Australia that connects the East and West coasts. It basically runs along the Great Australian Bite, 2 days of driving through the desert.

Bear Grylls Style

Driving, driving, driving. I did experience something new though, canned casserole. Seriously, add some extra chilly and perhaps a few herbs and it's actually really tasty. Especially if you pour it back into the can it came from and eat it out of that to save on the washing up. Good Bushman's tip for ya!

Album of the day: The Waifs

Day 6: Port Augusta - Ceduna

Failing at the see-saw

On the cliffs of the Nullabor

Taking on the Nullabor.

The distances Rolly covered

Song of the day: The Beatles 'I Wanna Hold your Hand'

Day 5: Adelaide - Port Augusta

The most exciting part of the trip to Port Augusta: driving through Iron Knob (teehee).

We couldn't resist - the town was called Iron Knob!

Once we arrived in Port Augusta we decided to go on a team workout session. I think we at least provided a bit of amusement to the bewildered looking locals. Unfortunately this workout didn't tire us out enough to sleep through the blaring base and tunes pumping beneath us in the local pub that night.
Lesson learnt: Never rent a room above a country pub on a Saturday night. Especially the ONLY pub in town. Fail.

Team workout session :-)

Song: Bruno Mars Marry You

Days 1-5 Melbourne (again)

Okay. It's true, I couldn't stay away. Perhaps it's the wafting aroma of freshly brewed coffee that drifts around each street corner of Melbourne, or the oh-so-friendly sales assistants who assure you that you look fabulous in whatever outfit you come out of the changeroom in, or perhaps it's even the allure of a Parma-and-Pot. But, once the thought was in our heads, another trip to Melbourne was decided upon.

Coffee on Degraves St.

Touristy pic at Flinders St. Station

As it was Antonia's first trip to Melbourne, we thought it only best that we ticked off a number of tourist highlights; coffee in Degraves street, shopping on Flinders lane, watching street performances in Federation Square, and even a lazy afternoon on St. Kilda beach.

 

Nonetheless, we still managed to explore the delights of Melbourne's nightlife. Whilst some places lacked the usual Melbourne charm, who could resist a club boasting an R'n'B' room, a house room and most importantly, a room with cheesy pop - re-living first year of university... why not!?

Speak no evil.

See no evil.



Hear no evil.



Shopping!

Partying it up in Melbourne

The elbow dance. What..?



Add caption

Words of the Melbourne section: 
Katzenjammer - the discomfort and illness experienced as the aftereffects of excessive drinking; hangover. (Fitting right? :-p)
Antidisestablishmentarianism- (Longest word in the English language) Opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, especially the Anglican Church in 19th-Century England.

Songs:
'We are the Champions' Queen.
'F* You' Cee Lo Green.
And, slightly shamefully: The Macarena!