Grey Nomads in Training

Camp at Malcolm Dam

We met our travelling companions in Kalgoorlie, where we had a pub lunch to discuss final plans before hitting the road. While we were in Kal we had another look at the Super Pit where they were blasting. That turned out to be quite anticlimactic. Our journey began with a drive by Ora Banda, where we were truly sad that the pub had burnt down, only a few months ago. We had a look at the abandoned town - Siberia where we watered the bougainvillea, which was planted by a mother for her stillborn son in 1902.

We set up in the dark at Goongarrie Station and camped our first night. We stayed near the old shearers quarters where we could use the toilet and shower. The next morning we went for a walk, looking at the old homestead and other remains. The 100,686ha station is 90km north of Kalgoorlie.

Willie is on guard

From there we took an off-road track (May or may not have been a short cut) along the train line towards Kookinye. Niagara Dam was our lunch spot for the day. There was only a drop of water in the dam, however it was an impressive structure built in the 1890’s. The dam was supposed to provide water for the nearby town of Niagara, however in the time it was built other water sources were found.

At the Grand Hotel Kookinye we were keen for one off the wood, but we had a hard time getting past the sturdy four-legged gate-keeper. The town is pretty much a ghost town with travellers stopping by the pub. The horse has been hanging out there for about six years and he has quite the character, originally being a race horse.

Remains of Gwalia

There was time for a quick look at the Gwalia Museum before we headed to Malcolm Dam to set up camp before dark. We saw lots of roaming animals near camp including cows and camels! The next morning we headed back to Gwalia to look through the old townsite, we were also keen to go back for a coffee and cake from the shop that was closed the day before. We spent time looking at the remains of the town, learning about its history. 

We had our coffee sitting in the veranda of Hoover House overlooking the mine that still operates today. Underground mining began in 1873 and continued until 1963 when the town was mostly abandoned, mining has stopped and started over the years and St Barbara currently run operation. The mine was first managed by Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st President of the United States.

Storms rolling over Lake Ballard

On our way to Lake Ballard we stopped at Granite Creek for lunch. There we walked along the river bed looking at different pieces of quartz. Snake Hill offered us a great view of Lake Ballard and the storm rolling in. As we pulled up to our camp spot the rain began to fall so we were quick to set up before we were drenched. Artist Antony Gormley installed 51 sculptures over an area of 10 square kilometres in 2013.

After we got the fire going we wondered over to the lake and then slipped our way to the closest statue in the mud. We sloshed around the mud with child-like joy, not thinking too much about how to clean ourselves off before bed. That night we watched a Goldfields storm roll in and fortunately we were left unscathed.

Some puddles to splash in!

The next morning we made way towards Mt Elvire Homestead stopping at Ularring Rock for a walk and a few abandoned towns on the way. John Forrest passed through the area in 1869 and named Mt Elvire after his wife. It was a fun little off-road track that slowly climbed towards the top. From there we made our way to the next camp stop via Southern Cross for a fuel stop. We rolled in to Baladjie Rock and set up camp before the sun set.

This was probably the coldest spot and the next morning we were forced to explore on foot as we waited for our awnings to defrost (they were actually frozen). We climbed the mighty rock which overlooked farmland and salt lakes before packing up and moving on to Kellerberrin, our final destination. On our way we checked out the mine at Westonia and had lunch at the Ettamogah Pub (not so much on the way). We stayed at Keller two nights to watch some dirt track speedway action.

Walking back down Ularring Rock (would not recommend Ugg boots)

A Jam Packed Weekend

A year ago we got ourselves tickets to the Bledisloe Cup which we were excited about and we then decided to make the most of the weekend.

We drove up to Perth from Esperance in record time, we left early Friday morning and there was just no traffic on the road. As we arrived so early we had plenty of time for a bit of shopping and a nap before a big night out. We went to Fleetwood Mac and it was awesome. We got the train in and the arena was pumping with people.

A good view

Our seats were pretty good, straight in front and in the first tier so that little people can see! It was one of the best concerts I’ve been to. It opened with The Chain and the crowd went wild. Fleetwood Mac would not be a concert I would normally see, but it was worth every penny. I knew all the songs and I loved the live solos that only old-school bands seem to do. The drum solo went for at least 20 minutes!

Saturday was rugby night. We got the train in again and had a beer in the sun in the beer garden set up outside the stadium. We went inside and watched the women’s game before the national anthems, the Hakka and then kick off for the main event. We were front row of the top tier where we could see the whole game. The sound and effects in the stadium were incredible and well worth going to see something. I was excited to see my first live rugby game and I had no qualms with the unexpected result!

A birds eye view

To wrap up our action packed weekend we went for a game of golf before bussing it to the stadium for West Coast vs Adelaide. Again, this was an awesome game. We were in line with where we were for the rugby, but second row from the turf where you can hear the grunts and whistles. The only issue with sitting here was the sun was in our eyes for half the game. However, we left happily with a win. From this weekend, we were off on a week long camping expedition.

A close up view

A Sunny Holiday

I was very pleased to have a lovely family holiday away in Bali. We really needed a holiday to just chill out so that's what we did.

We spent some time by the pool, getting massages, eating amazing food, drinking, shopping and in true fashion we couldn't stay too still so we went on a few adventures too. This time we stayed in a villa and visited many places we had not seen before. We checked out Matahari Shopping Centre, Discovery Shopping Mall and ate at places like Strawberry Farm, Ling Ling and Potato Head (well just a drink there!)

Potato Head was all about sustainability, we weren't allowed to take in our disposable plastic bottles! The building was designed by Indonesian architect Andra Matin, it features colourful antique shutters salvaged from across Indonesia, and a display featuring salvaged thongs from the ocean.

Potato Head was swanky

The villa would have been very fancy when it was built, but it looked a little worn when we were there, never the less it was still lovely. The pool was very cold, however, there was a giant bath to plunge in.

We watched the sunset over a busy Kuta Beach, it was fun to watch all the people bustling around, but it had nothing on an Esperance sunset!

Lifeguards keeping watch at Tanah Lot

We hired a driver for a day and a half to take us to several places, some were a lengthy drive and there was alot of traffic. We went to Tanah Lot, an ancient Hindu temple in Tabanan. It was strange to walk through markets with shops like Polo Ralph Lauren and Quicksilver plonked in between them, and then to walk into the holy grounds. When we visited, the tide was high, so the temple itself was completely surrounded by the ocean. It was incredible to watch the waves crash against the temple. We were told that fresh water is found inside the temple and it is one of seven sea temples along coast where each temple is in eyesight of the next to form a chain.

The driver asked us if we wanted to see the 'Big Statue' so he took us to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Badung. The park was only opened in August last year and it was very busy. It is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu, and  Garuda. The Vishnu statue is 120 metres high and is the  15th tallest statue in the world, nearly double the height of the Statue of Liberty!

Garuda Statue

Big swing!

We stopped at a Bali Swing and surprisingly mum had a go on it with me! There, we also tried the different Balinese coffee and teas (something we have done many times). At Tegallalang Rice Terrace we walked down to the bottom and along where the rice was growing, it was a great opportunity to have a close up look.

At the Elephant Temple (Goa Gajah) in Ubud we were conned into buying sarongs. You have to cover your knees going into the temple, however, they provide ones to borrow when you pay to go in. It was built as spiritual place for meditation and has Hindu and Buddhist artwork.

All that rice!

With our sarongs 

The Tegenungan Waterfall was one of the busiest places we visited. It was a difficult walk down because we had already done lots of walking for the day and there were probably a thousand steps. It was nice to see and I enjoyed putting my feet in the cool water, but it was just so busy!

Three of our five travelers took a bike tour where we rode through a bamboo forrest, a traditional village and along rice fields. We began the day with breakfast on Mount Kintimani over looking Mount Batur, it is incredible that you can still see the lava scar from an erruption in the 60s.

Mount Batur

The ride was mostly downhill which proved very difficult for me as the bike I ended up with had almost no brakes! The ride finished at a secret waterfall which was truly spectacular. It was tucked away and we where the only ones there. Again there were many steps, but we could go all the way to the bottom where the river ran by.

Our secret waterfall

When we returned to Perth we had just enough time to catch up with all the cousins before heading back to Esperance. It was lovely to have us all gathered together, and hopefully, I could host a catch up in Esperance! Our next holiday has already been booked!

Albany Part Two

We made another trip to Albany for a full on weekend of car racing on the June long weekend. The Albany Classic is a re-enactment and celebration of the 1936 Albany Tourist Trophy where people drive all sorts of classic and vintage vehicles.  There was a record number of 150 cars for the event which took place on most of the Sunday, where there was also live music and markets. We found a lovely grassy, shady spot to watch for most of the day.

Perfect viewing spot

They held the Mount Clarence Hill Climb the day before which was a time trial to the top of the hill and there were also time trials around the industrial area on the Monday.

We went to Boston Brewing Co in Denmark for lunch. I really liked the ginger beer, the food was great and I was very impressed with this giant outdoor drinking water dispenser with crisp ice cold water. I enjoyed looking at all the nice cars over the weekend and I even had the chance to catch up with a good mate from uni who works in radio in Albany.

For my birthday this year my sister came down again, but this time it was no secret, instead all my mates secretly conspired for my birthday present (the best kind of conspiracy!) They got me a bike which is awesome. I really wanted a nice shiny new one for a while and I've already ridden it 50% of the time to and from work. We also went out to the Gibson Soak, which I had really wanted to go to for a while, and we timed it well because it caught fire a few days later. Hopefully it can open again soon because the chicken parmy was the best I've ever had (from a pub - mum's is better).

Just before my sister flew home we went out to Cape Le Grand because she's been itching to see some kangaroos out there. The tide was high and the weather was incredibly windy so I warned her there probably wouldn't be any - but there were! She was very happy with that! I had an awesome birthday and couldn't ask for better family or friends!

Catching a bit of sunshine

A few shows, some family visits and a wedding

Observatory Lookout at Sunset

We went to a rather different sort of show - The Big Hoo Ha and if you ever get the opportunity, you should go! It was in the style of Thank God you're Here with two teams battling it out in different games. There was song, dance, mime and lots of laughs!

We also went along to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow which visits Esperance every year. This was a good night, a group of mates went along and it was full of laughs.

Toni Childs was another show we went to - a busy month for us attending the Civic Centre! She put on a fantastic show and performed for nearly three hours which did surprise me. It was so nice to go to a show where I didn't have any expectations - I only knew a few of her songs. She told quite a few stories of how she would write music and get inspiration and it sounds like she has a lot planned for the future too.

Showing Nanna Lucky bay

Nanna and her friend got the bus down to visit me and we managed to cram in quite a bit in the time that they were here. We did the Tourist Loop, the Kepwari Walk Trail, Stonehenge, Cape le Grand and went out for dinner..lots. That was the first time I had been to Stonehenge and it was certainly worth a look, its construction was quite a feat and there is a serene feeling when you stand in the middle. It was also the first time I actually saw kangaroos on the beach at Lucky Bay. They are very tame and friendly and will hop on to the next group to say hello, or see what food they have. I was so disappointed to see a car pull up beside us and call the roos over with food.

I made a quick trip to Perth for my sister's Birthday. We had a lovely evening spending it at Crown, gambling and eating. Our dinner venue had a set menu as there was a show on, but that made it easier for us to decide and the food was yummy! It was great to catch up with the family and the dog!

Look at that cutie!

We also went to a wedding - a very different one at that! My best mate decided to get married on the top of Frenchman's Peak and although some were not excited about the difficult hike, we all made it up there and the ceremony was lovely. They did it in the little cave with everyone gathered around, then they went off for some more photos in glorious locations and later we all went off to the Taylor Street Quarters to celebrate the day.

Managed to get a photo of us

Family Reunion

We’ve been keeping ourselves quite busy this past month. Esperance hosted an Outta the Shed event where people have the opportunity to show off their cars and included a 1/8th Mile Single Car Sprint & Go To Whoa. It was definitely worth a look!

Watching the Cars fly by

We also did a bit of op shopping to attend a Beer & Skittles night at the Cascade Community Hall. This was such a fun night, there were yummy slushies, delicious roast beef rolls, and the live music was exceptional.

On another night we went to the Museum Village Night Markets, normally these are held on a Sunday but they decided to host a few in the evenings. It was packed and there was a great atmosphere, unfortunately by the time we arrived there wasn’t much food left, but live music and Lucky Bay Brewing on tap made it worthwhile. We attended a Bush Fire Fighting course which is very relevant to living in an area like Esperance. We’ve had quite a few fires burning this year, one was even burning for nearly three months!

Surf Club is done and dusted for the season with the windup wrapping things up. I’m not crazy enough to do the swims through winter! We had quite a busy season running all sorts of education courses.

Looking back towards Thistle Cove

We enjoyed a hike with the social club from Lucky Bay to Hellfire Bay. It did rain a little which made some sections challenging as the rocks do get slippery, but otherwise, the weather was great. It was cool and overcast for most of the walk and then the sun came out towards the end in perfect timing to then conclude the walk with a swim. It was a really nice scenic walk, the first half to Thistle Cove was fairly easy. We stopped there for lunch and then made the much more difficult walk to Hellfire Bay. It was much steeper and slippery in spots but it was the only way to see some amazing coastline.

Making the most of the great weather!

Mum, Dad, and my sister came down for Easter and we went camping, although I’m not sure my sister will ever come camping again. We spent a few days doing things in town with the wet and windy weather and then made our way to Mason’s Beach when the weather was meant to fine up. However, it did not. We set up in the rain and mud and eventually, the rain stopped!

We had the perfect site overlooking the ocean which was somewhat sheltered by trees. The next day we explored our way along the coastline to Hopetoun and then into the Fitzgerald National Park. We also fit in a bit of canoeing too. It was great to be able to catch up with them and that we could all go camping. We have now been making some modifications to the camper to make it even better for the next trip!

Prime Position

A quick getaway and some jumping dogs

We managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Albany with a group of mates. We hoped to stay for the week but only had time for the weekend. It took quite a bit of arranging for us to all be available the same weekend but we managed it. We didn't have long and will be back, but wanted to make sure we could see the Field of Lights before the exhibit packed up. The lights were definitely worth the look as well as listening to the story on your device as you walk along.

A close up

We stayed at Emu Point Caravan Park which was a very nice spot, especially because we could take a nice stroll along the beach and then chill at our campsite. We checked out the GAP and Natural Bridge where we got very wet. We watched the clouds roll in off the ocean and then got drenched. We were surprised at how fast the clouds moved. We also explored the town-we got an awesome view from Mount Merrivale, we stopped by the sweets store,  the gelato shop and a whiskey and gin distillery

I still wouldn't cross this bridge

We went to the Condingup Community Fair which the P&C put on as a fundraiser for the school. We decided to make a day of it and took the camper out so we could stay late and listen to the live music. It was a fun day with all sorts of stalls and competitions, my highlights were watching the loudest car in the Beaut Ute competition, the team tractor pulling competition, the dog high jump and listening to the live music at the end of the day. My little feet were tired, but I look forward to the next one!

These dogs can jump higher than me

A Crackin' Good Time

All to ourselves!

We’ve been making sure to put our camper to good use and have been making some little tweaks to it along the way-like installing some shelves and adding solar panels. 

We spent a weekend out at Alexander Bay which is just over an hour’s drive from town. The campsite is lovely and there's plenty of spots to camp on the beach too. It was very windy, but we managed to tie ourselves down! There were so many secluded beaches to explore where we had it all to ourselves!

The place to be

We even rescued some people who had been bogged for two hours trying to get off the beach with their boat. They were very appreciative and threw us some beer and fresh fish they had caught (which we turned into fish and chips!) Whilst we didn't need the reward, its always the right thing to do to help someone out. You'd want help if you were stuck! We were surprised that several people would have driven past them and didn't stop to help.


We'll definitely be back to explore more out east of town, we checked out Cape Arid National Park and Thomas River and maybe this will be the spot to stay next time.

We went to a pretty different sort of show! Nathan 'Whippy Griggs' came to perform in Esperance and it was definitely worth a look. I've seen a bit of whip cracking at markets up north, but never a full show. He had a lovable, sometimes cringe worthy personality and put on an awesome show. Make sure you check it out if you have the chance. 

On fire!

I also had a very awesome patrol. Seven of my buddies came down to have lunch with me. They asked me to save them a spot on the beach, so I put cones out! We had such a lovely time and I hope they come and visit me next time!

I went for a scenic flight up the coast too! It pays who you know! We flew along from 11 Mile Beach up to Cape Le Grand and spotted a lovely little pod of dolphins and it was a beautiful day.

Over Lucky Bay

In-tents Holidaying

What a whirlwind of exploring and celebrations! The Christmas festivities started in Esperance with the Christmas Pageant followed by Edge of the Bay which included a music festival, skate competiton and much more! From there we went for a drive to look at Christmas lights this was filled with Christmas music, hot chocolate and child-like wonder. 

I then flew to Perth where it was all hands on deck with the annual Darge family Christmas party and then attended a few more parities, and then the celebrations continued on the big day with lots of cooking, eating and drinking. 

The weather was hot and I was appreciative of cold cocktails and a refreshing swim in the pool. We even braved the shops on Boxing Day (I found lots of things on sale!)

House on wheels - Simple set up, A+

Then, the other half returned from celebrating with his family in NZ and we headed for Dunsborough to play with our new camper trailer (I gave him the right half for Christmas, and I got the left!) 

It was a bit of a pain that we couldn’t fit in to the same caravan park as mum and dad and my cousin, but we made it work most days and then managed to stay with them for New Year’s Eve. We went four-wheel driving near Hamelin Bay (which proved a little treacherous for the eggs in the fridge – lesson learned, although only one broke!) and went round to Three Bears near Yallingup. 

We bought lots of champagne, chocolate, cheese, a yummy chocolate liqueur and a passionfruit curd which we are very excited to make scones for! We ate ice cream, ate at breweries, paddled at Meelup and snorkled at Dad’s Secret snorkelling spot near Bunker Bay.

Injidup Beach, Yallingup

 After Dunsborough we farewelled the family and camped our way back to Esperance. We stayed at Black Point and gave the car and off-road camper a real work out. This was a really nice spot, there was a big surf break where the waves formed below the cliff face (alleged surf break, we could not work out how to get down there) and around the other side of the headland were stepping stones which looked like dried, cracked lava. There, we relaxed in a small rock pool while we watched the surf crash in front of us. I was amazed by the sand here, it was very fine and very yellow, almost like ochre.

As we left Black Point we drove down to check out Jasper Beach, it proved to be difficult, but we made it out without tears or killing each other. We explored Beedelup Falls and the Cascades before setting up for the night at a little caravan park just outside Walpole. The next morning, we got pies and cakes from a little European bakery (possibly the best sausage roll I’ve ever had) and did the Tree Top Walk. Then we made a stop at the BCF in Albany before heading home to Esperance. We had loads of fun and have a few little tweaks to make to the camper before our next adventure!

Surfers Cove, Black Point

Little Adventures

Another wedding for the year! It was a quiet little one in a backyard and we had a great time with our whole family on the dance floor. 

Before the scratching!

We went on a 4wd adventure off 11 Mile beach. We drove along the beach, through dunes and along bush tracks (which definately scratched the car) and had great fun. We stopped at some new beaches and explored rock pools. I even drove for a bit which was a good experience.

We’ve had a few rainy days to explore, even though it’s supposed to start getting sunny! We have driven around Munglinup and explored some bushland with old sheep yards. There was a creek and the remains of fences, sheds and cars with the bush taking over again.

Not quite roadworthy...

On another rainy day went for a drive and decided to see where we would end up. We ended up in Hopetoun! Driving right along the coast (and sometimes on the beach) along the way. We found some great camp spots we would like to come back to and explored bush tracks to barely explored lakes. We spent some time in Fitzgerald National Park too, and decided we would have to come back to thoroughly explore it. We have some amazing spots to go for an adventure not too far from home.

Fitzgerald River meeting the sea