Blog

Thursday, 4th February, 2021

The Premier’s press conference brought good news. Day 4 of the lockdown and day 4 of zero cases. Yet another “doughnut day”, as was yesterday. The number of people getting tested has dropped to just over 7,000 with a call for as many people who are feeling symptoms to go and get tested.

Scraping the barrel for news

By now, I am scraping the barrel of what to update you on. Pottering from room to room soon loses its lustre. The most exciting thing that happened was the ramen noodle bowl I had for lunch. Priced at $1.50 each, I bought two in Woolworths, but am not sure I will be able to eat the second. My mouth still feels on fire hours after I had it for lunch. When it says “hot” on the side I didn’t think this meant, “blow your head off”, hot.

The evening got a little more interesting, with another press conference from the Premier. The good news is that “subject to no new cases overnight” we are on track to come out of lockdown. Businesses are now on alert and ready to throw open their doors to a very eager public.

Friday, 5th February, 2021

Day 5 of the lockdown. And to be honest, it has been ok. Working from home again, which was easy enough to adapt to, after the experience of the last year. When I reflect on the week, one thing I have been mindfully aware of is, I have felt an increase in cognitive fatigue. The impact of constant video calls does take its toll mentally and I have been sharing some hints and tips with work on how we might better manage this.

The good news

Today’s press conference from the Premier was almost on time, unlike earlier in the week when we had quite lengthy delays. To me that suggests that the issues are getting clearer and this was borne out by the update from Mark McGowan today.

Once again, we have zero local transmission cases of COVID from 8307 tests. We have achieved our goal, and the big dog confirmed that this means that we will transition out of lockdown from 6pm this evening. Great news for the whole of Perth, Peel, and the South West region. I had to smile when the Premier was asked where he would be at 6pm. “At my desk, probably”, was his quick response.

Transition Measures

Yesterday I hinted at the transition measures that might remain and we now know what these will be. Once the lockdown lifts at 6pm, and until Sunday 14th February, mask wearing outside remains mandatory. Even when we are in gyms, pubs, cafes, and bars. When asked how people could be expected to wear a mask whilst enjoying a meal, the official advice is “use common sense”.

We will also see a brief introduction of the 4sq metre rule for numbers of people allowed on business premises. This will have a large impact on small businesses that just don’t have the room to make that viable. Thankfully it is only for a week.

Lunch update

Being Friday, we decided to treat ourselves to lunch from an excellent local Indonesian cafe, Chinta. I am very pleased to report that the “express lunch” takeaway offering of Nasi Goreng was much better than yesterday’s budget noodles.

Today, we heard that the bushfires claimed 5 more houses overnight but in better news the fires do seem to be coming under control through the tireless work of the firies. Let’s hope this good news continues through the weekend. With heavy rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday things should only get better.

As the clock ticks around to 6pm I can already see increased foot traffic outside. I can sense the anticipation. People must be heading to the village and the re-opened restaurants. We will just have a chilled evening at home but will raise a glass to all West Australians who have come together this week and collectively got us through this.

Cheers, fellow sandgropers!

Wednesday, 3rd February, 2021

Hello again my friends, and welcome to the Perth lockdown diaries for Wednesday. You can catch up on days 1 and 2 here. Read along as we navigate the snap lockdown in Perth.

Groundhog Day

For those of you that have been in lockdown for a long time, what does it feel like? Seriously, what are you doing to stay sane? Please share your tips and advice. We are in day 3 and already it is starting to feel like groundhog day. I can only imagine what you must be feeling after an extended period.

In today’s press conference, we got more good news from the Premier. Big Dog McGowan told us that there had been in excess of 12,000 COVID tests, which resulted in another day of zero local transmission. Another doughnut day. The sceptical amongst you may be wondering how this is even possible. 

Patient 903

Patient 903, which is what the government is now affectionately calling the hotel security guard that triggered the lockdown, was in close contact with quite a lot of people. From the contact tracing we can see that he had also visited many locations. He seems to be partial to KFC. And he has the UK variant which we are told is much more highly transmissible than other variants. Yet, all the close and casual contacts are currently returning negative COVID test results. It is a mystery. But a happy one for the people of Perth.

The new normal, again

Whilst we keep getting “doughnut days”, the Premier says that we will come out of lockdown as planned at 6pm on Friday. Interestingly, the narrative is subtly changing with talk now of not returning to the normality we had, prior to last Sunday, but to a normal that includes new COVID restrictions. We wait with anticipation to hear what these restrictions are.

The bushfires continue to rage across parts of Perth and thankfully there has been no loss of life. This is in large part thanks to the extraordinary job the emergency services are doing. The firies continue to work relentlessly, with assistance from the east coast who have flown over additional aerial tankers for dousing the flames. Sadly, the number of properties lost to the fires has jumped up to 81. We pray for good weather conditions overnight and that the situation starts to improve.

In more positive news, the wine remains in the bottle and my willpower continues to hold out. Two more days of lockdown. We can, and will, do this.

We were chatting yesterday about the abrupt shift to lockdown in Perth, and how we have had to adapt to a new situation. Again. The new, new, normal? Or just something different for a short while? Time will tell, but these bloody masks are uncomfortable. The current Perth lockdown runs through to Friday at 6pm, COVID situation permitting, and this is the story of days 1 and 2.

Monday, 1st February, 2021

Pinch, punch, first of the month. February already. Wasn’t it just Xmas? The start of the week is always a work from home day for me. For months we have both been working a mix of the office and at home, and Monday always finds me easing into the working week from the comfort of home. So in many respects the day started normal. Hybrid normal.

The first signs of anything being different, as well as us having to put our masks on to leave the house, was when the local coffee shop refused to take my reusable coffee cup. Back to paper cups from the cafe for the next week. Small sacrifices and I am grateful that the cafes are remaining open for takeaway so I am able to pick up a coffee as I get my daily exercise.

Exercising in lockdown

In keeping with lockdowns that have happened across the world, we are able to leave home for only four specific reasons. Exercise is one of those reasons and we are doing our best to make sure we take advantage of the allotted 1 hour by taking extended walks through the neighbourhood.

As the gym is closed for the week we are also adding some mat work at home. A short burst of core work for the abdominals, and a yoga class to keep our bodies moving. We are currently using the “Glo” app which is proving to be excellent. Thousands of classes spanning yoga, pilates, and meditation. I would highly recommend it if you are looking to add to your self care routine at home.

Laid on my yoga mat, staring at the large collection of wine in the kitchen is sending subliminal messages to my brain. But, Monday is an alcohol free day, so I must resist. I must.

Tuesday, 2nd February, 2021

Day 2 of lockdown and I am pleased to report that we did resist the wine. A small win for us.

Bush Fires

The day started with the unmistakable smell of smoke. The bush fires north of Perth have doubled overnight with the changing weather conditions. The update from the Premier tells us that 56 houses have so far been destroyed by the raging fires. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.

This means the government is currently fighting two emergencies side by side. Following the bush fire update at Mark McGowan’s morning press conference, he then went on to give a COVID19 update that provided a first glimmer of hope.

Testing Times

There were over 16,000 COVID19 tests done across Perth yesterday and for the second consecutive day we have zero new cases of local transmission of the virus. We saw first hand just how long people are waiting for the tests to be done as the cars were queuing around the block from the nearby testing centre. Queues of up to 6 hours had been reported at some testing centres.

Contact tracing continues for the hotel security guard that has triggered this 5 day lockdown. There is an ongoing investigation into how the virus managed to leave the hotel and early findings suggest that the security guard had delivered medicine to the room of a person who was quarantining in the hotel, and who had tested positive for COVID19.

Mental Fatigue

For the last few months I have been in the office on Tuesdays, as had the majority of my colleagues. It was a little strange once again transitioning from a large, in person meeting, to all being remote and on a video call. You will have no doubt read of the impact of mental fatigue from the various video technologies, and how the brain reacts in a specific way to seeing yourself and your colleagues on a little screen all day. This is how I am starting to feel again after only two days of being back to full remote. I know many of you still haven’t returned to the office from the initial outbreak of COVID and I can only imagine how you must be feeling.

I am taking a slightly early mark today, switching the video off, and reverting to analogue for a while. I need to recharge my brain.

The second full day of lockdown ended and the wine is still trying to tempt me to the dark side. In the remaining days of lockdown, what will go first, my willpower or the wine?

Sunday, 31 January 2021

The news came through as we were preparing for our second attempt to get out on the Swan River. Bought in December as a birthday gift, we had turned up at Mayland’s jetty to take ourselves boating, courtesy of Nauti Picnics. Self piloted boats that you can take out without a boat licence.

Just as we arrived at the jetty on that clear December day, the heavens opened, the wind suddenly became cyclonic, and it became very clear, very quickly that we wouldn’t be boating any time soon. Drenched, in t-shirts and shorts, with the cardboard box holding our picnic quickly collapsing, we ordered an Uber and headed home.

Take two. We had booked for today and both smiled outwardly when we woke to glorious blue skies and not a whisper of a wind. Once again, the picnic was booked for 1.30pm from the excellent Chinta cafe, and we were almost ready to set off when the phone rang.

Best Laid Plans

Judging by Victoria’s expression, and the way the conversation seemed to be going, I sensed immediately that something was awry. I couldn’t have predicted what was to transpire, yet now, the inevitability of it all is starting to sink in.

After 10 months of no community transmission in West Australia, we now have our first new case of COVID19 that is not safely contained in a quarantine hotel. In fact, it has somehow escaped from one of these dedicated hotels, with a hotel worker testing positive for COVID19 overnight.

You could never accuse our Premier of being faint hearted and in a midday press conference he announced that the whole of Perth would enter a full lockdown from 6pm. Lasting for 5 days, it would run through to next Friday at 6pm. Perfect timing to celebrate with a pint in the local pub if you ask me. I am not sure Mark McGowan is feeling quite as confident.

Toilet Roll Tales

Rather predictably, but a sad indictment of how humanity sometimes behaves, panic buying immediately ensued. The queues for Woolworths were like we had seen in the first throes of the pandemic, back in March last year. What do people do with all that toilet roll?

Rather more pressing for us, as we had done our big shop that morning and had already bought toilet roll for the week, we needed to buy a couple of face masks as they had been made mandatory for the lockdown period. The first time this has happened in Perth.

Both local pharmacies had sold out, and there was no chance of us getting into Woolworths any time soon. Without a mask we would be unable to leave the house for my morning coffee, or for the designated 1 hour daily exercise. This was one occasion that social media proved useful. A member of a local Facebook group indicated quite late in the evening that the local IGA now had some in stock. I have never changed out of my pyjamas as fast, and by 9pm we had a supply of masks, albeit at an exorbitant mark up. 

What Happens Next?

We had negotiated the start of the lockdown, but what would the rest of the week bring, we wondered?

It is not all about the wine

Producing some of the worlds best wines for decades, Margaret River has rightly gained a fantastic reputation amongst wine lovers around the globe. With top class restaurants at many of the cellar doors, the Margaret River region has become a mecca for foodies and wine lovers alike.  I have previously written about why you should be adding Margaret River to your “must visit” list.

Whilst some may say it is never too early for wine, (didn’t Jimmy Buffet sing ‘It is 5 o’clock somewhere’?), the best way to spend the hours between breakfast and wine is undoubtedly coffee.

There are now places in Margaret River pumping out coffee that stands up there with the best wines in terms of quality. Yeah, I am being totally serious. Wine tasting connoisseurs will be interested to read that coffee has a taste profile often more complex than wine.

If you love a great cup of coffee, and are looking for the best coffee in Margaret River, here are a few coffee shops to add to your must visit list:

The Best Coffee with a View – The White Elephant Cafe

Looking for the best coffee in Margaret River with a view? Occupying a prime piece of real estate, hugging the beach in Gnarabup, is the White Elephant cafe. Known to the locals as “The Elie”, the owners of this local institution have been feeding hungry swimmers and surfers since 2010. With a location as stunning as this it wasn’t long before the secret got out, and now The Elie serves up quality coffee to tourists and locals alike between the summer hours of 7am to 3pm.

On warm summer days, sit out on the wide, expansive timber deck, and listen to the waves lapping the shore as your eye is drawn up the beautiful coastline, towards Prevelly beach.

When the weather turns, and the cold sets in, have your coffee inside, in front of the fire, enjoying one of the simple delicious breakfasts. You may not want to leave.

The Best Coffee with Character – Yardbyrd

Just a few minutes south from Margaret River town, in Witchcliffe, is this hidden gem. Producing the best coffee in Margaret River with character, Yardbyrd is entered through a colourful, leafy courtyard that has plenty of seats. There is also an option to sit inside amongst lots of little quirky paraphernalia. Touches that may remind you of being sat in your Grandma’s lounge. So much character in such a small space.

The service here is pleasantly quick and the coffee served up is excellent. The double shot latte is as good as you will taste in WA. So good in fact that, like me, you are likely to find yourself returning again and again. 

Order coffee, and the excellent poached eggs on sourdough, whiling away the morning until you are ready for your first wine tasting of the day at the nearby Redgate Wines. You will not be disappointed. 

The Best Coffee with a Shot of Nature – Commonage Coffee Co.

A relatively new addition to the coffee scene in Margaret River, Commonage Coffee Co is quickly gaining a reputation as the go to place for your morning brew. Situated on Commonage Road, this family run business is entered via a short walk that makes you really feel as though you are having a walk in the woods. Bordered by vineyards, this is the quintessential Margaret River location. The best coffee in Margaret River amongst nature.

A large outdoor deck is perfect for the warmer months, with plenty of indoor seating options. Even an oversize sofa that is not quite as comfortable as it looks. But try it for yourself.

Every coffee lover’s taste is catered for here and you can evidently see the love of coffee these guys have. I can vouch for the strong latte, which is excellent. And there are a range of batch brews available if you prefer your coffee filtered.

The Best Coffee with the Cows – Two Cracks Coffee

What have cows got to do with coffee, you ask? Welcome to the village of Cowaramup, where cows come with the territory. And not all real cows either. Ten minutes north of Margaret River town, Cowaramup has embraced our bovine friends, with many painted examples lining both sides of the street. There is even a golden one, at the top of a large water feature, a tongue in cheek nod to the nearby Robert Oatley vineyard.

Two Cracks Coffee & Roastery is a welcome addition to Cowaramup. Pumping out great shots of espresso, resulting in very good strong lattes, call here before it is acceptable to head to Cowaramup Brewing Company for one of their excellent beer paddles.

Where is your best coffee in Margaret River?

Coffee lovers, where are your “go to” places whilst down in the Margaret River region? Where should I visit for my next cup of coffee in Margaret River? In your opinion, where is the best coffee in Margaret River?

Saturday – Day 1 – Perth to Cervantes (211kms)

Excited, we woke early and after a light breakfast we got an Uber out towards the airport. No, we weren’t flying today. We were headed to Apollo campervan rentals, on the outskirts of the airport. Being confined to the state of West Australia for the whole year, it was obvious many locals, known as sandgropers in these parts, had the same idea as us, and we all patiently waited our turn to get out and hit the wide open spaces.

On previous road trips we had always booked the “hi top” campervan. Small, but with enough room for two people. When I saw the van we booked this time I thought “good lord”. It looked much bigger than I imagined. Much bigger. It turns out we had booked a motorhome. 

The first day was one of our shortest in terms of driving distance, yet we managed to break it up as we eased into the holiday. Cruising up the Indian Ocean Road we had a stop in Lancelin for lunch. Apparently, Lancelin is “addictive” if the local tourism board is to be believed. I’m not sure I’d agree. After lunch at the Lobbster cafe (spelling intended) of a lobster wrap each which cost as much as a small deposit on a house, we were back on the road, headed to the fabled Pinnacles.

It wouldn’t take us many more days to understand that every National Park we entered would cost us $15. It was no different at the Namburg National Park, home of the Pinnacles. And it was worth every cent. A must visit on any road trip from Perth to Exmouth.

What a sight the Pinnacles are. Reaching up, out of the ground, like soldiers erect in the face of the blazing sun. Opting for the walk amongst them, we were able to get up and close to these limestone wonders that have been here for over 25000 years.

The town of Cervantes (population 527) is named after a ship that came to grief off the coast. The ship itself is said to have been named after the legendary Spanish author, which cleared up my confusion upon being greeted by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on arrival. There are nods to Spain all across this small town with streets named after cities and rivers from the Iberian peninsular.

We stayed the night at the RAC Cervantes camp site. With a perfect beach front location, we ended our first day with a cold beer, sat on the beach as the sun slowly set on a great first day of the long road trip ahead.

Sunday – Day 2 – Cervantes to Kalbarri (378kms)

After a simple breakfast of Weetbix and a strong coffee, we were back on the road. A short time later we pulled into Jurien Bay (population 1761). Another little town that hugs the coast. We had a walk along the new jetty, completed in 2011 to replace the old jetty that was destroyed in the storms of 2003.

Leaving Jurien Bay, en route to Kalbarri, we drove past Pink Lake in Port Gregory. We had been hoodwinked into visiting a “pink” lake previously, in Esperance. That particular lake had not been pink for a long time, if at all. This was very different. Spotting the bright pink water through the bush we pulled over, following the lead of some other travellers and took a few pictures.

Some four hours after leaving Cervantes I was spotting as Victoria backed up the motorhome on the Murchison River Camp Site. A site that sits right on the Murchison river, with views across to the ocean. After plugging the van into the power, the first order of business was to get a cold pint and our thirst was slaked at the Kalbarri Hotel. A pub typical of small Australian towns. A front bar with a great choice of cold beers and a back “bistro” selling everything from “gourmet pizza”, to steak, seafood, and even a selection of Asian cuisine. These small towns must have a disproportionately high number of quality chefs. 

Dinner for us was at Finlay’s Fish restaurant. Thankfully, Victoria had the foresight to book ahead as we were greeted with a hand drawn sign at the door telling new arrivals that they were “fully booked” for the evening. Rustic and down to earth, Finlay’s is a fully outdoor restaurant. I use the term restaurant lightly as country pub is more the vibe. Live music rocking you through the Sunday Session and an “order yourself at the bar” kind of service.

And what would you eat being this close to the ocean? The fish and chips were quite possibly the largest I have ever seen. I had the fish basket which included some of the same battered fish, but also some giant prawns and calamari. With a bottle of Larrikin Chenin Blanc from Margaret River, we had a very good evening.

Monday – Day 3 – Kalbarri

A good sleep, breakfast, and coffee, and we were soon on the 30 minute drive to the new Kalbarri Skywalk, opened in 2020. The park entry fee is $15 (what did I tell you?) and on paying I was advised to drink lots of water as “it is expected to get up to 50 degrees out there today.” What we weren’t warned about, but soon learned, was how many flies there would be, and how insistent they would be that they set up home in your ears and nostrils. The cheap fly nets we had purchased some weeks earlier were a god send.

The new Skywalk comprises of two platforms that jut out imperiously across the gorge. Looking down upon what has taken millions of years to create is quite a humbling experience. Reminding us how short our visit on this earth is. No road trip from Perth to Exmouth would be complete without a visit here.

For those walkers amongst you there is “The Loop”. A walk that you must start before 7am due to the heat, and you have to carry at least 4 litres of water each. People have sadly perished on this hike so it is to be taken very seriously.

A  5 minute drive from the Skywalk car park is the entry point for “Nature’s Window”. Walking the 800 or so metres, down a fairly precarious path, I can only imagine the line of “instagrammers” had we been living in a COVID free world. This is the kind of sight I have seen people queue a long time for, just for their chance to get the perfect shot for the ‘gram. Today, we were able to walk down and plonk ourselves right in the window for the perfect shot. 

Back at the campsite, sitting under the awning of the van, we had a simple lunch of pasta and wine. With the warm breeze, the sounds of birds all around, and the ocean lapping the shore not far from here, life couldn’t get much better.

Tuesday – Day 4 – Kalbarri to Carnarvon (448kms)

Tuesday started with the pelican feeding on the Kalbarri foreshore. The pelicans have been coming to this spot since the 1970s when a local fisherman used to throw his leftover catch to the waiting birds. As if they all synchronised their watches, the pelicans waddle over at bang on 8.45am each day.

Following a short, very interesting talk about the pelicans by one of the volunteers, who knew they had hollow bones and could fly for 24 hours, they were rewarded with small fish, thrown by an eager line of children.

Our destination today was Carnarvon. A very long drive, on very long straight roads, was broken up with a stop at the famed Billabong roadhouse, taking advantage of some of the cheapest diesel we had seen, $1.17 per litre. Also, I must confess that I have a thing for roadhouses. Maybe gleaned from my very first backpacking trip when I traversed the country on the long distance Greyhound buses that pulled into roadhouses at some ungodly hour. Whatever time of the morning it was I always found myself hungry and hankering after a meat pie. Not much has changed, but it was a bacon and egg roll this time. 

My love of roadhouses is not shared by Victoria, so once both the van and I were refuelled, we were back on the road to Carnarvon. 

Sometimes, you just need the simple things in life. Woolworths, a bottle shop, and a big banana. Thankfully, Carnarvon had each of these, as it didn’t have much else. Described as the fruit bowl of Australia, it is a sadly uninspiring town.

Using the town simply as a place to break up two long travel days, we stayed at the Winter Sun Caravan Park. A large site but relatively empty, we pitched and spent a relaxing day reading and sharing a cold bottle of wine.

Wednesday – Day 5 – Carnarvon to Exmouth (365kms)

The best way to start the day on a road trip? A homemade bacon, sausage and egg butty. Delicious. A couple of coffees and we were on our way. A fairly short drive today, just 3 and a half hours. Refuelling in Carnarvon, at $1.27 a litre, we drove to Exmouth in one shot, apart from switching drivers.

When I travel and finally arrive somewhere, places never look how I imagined them. First impressions are a big thing, and sometimes, like Kalbarri, I am immediately charmed. More often, I feel like I felt on arrival in Exmouth. An undercurrent of disappointment after looking forward to being here for so long. 

I envisioned a small, bustling town. Somewhere nestled amongst would be the RAC Exmouth campground. Exmouth is on a peninsular with the town side on the east. This does protect the town from the worst of the wind that rattles towns up and down the west coast. The camp site had been impressively upgraded in recent times. A brand new, large camp kitchen and a lagoon style swimming pool. I can imagine that it will be even better in a few years when the newly planted trees have grown large enough to provide some shade from the unrelenting Exmouth sun.

In the absence of trees we decided our best option for shade would be the Froth Brewery. A great choice as it turns out. A short 10 minute walk from the campsite, albeit in intense tropical heat, we were soon sat with one of the many craft beers brewed onsite, swiftly followed by a tasting paddle each. Lunch at Froth was Spanish mackerel and chips. Mine beer battered, Victoria’s grilled. Both delicious. 

The afternoon heat saw us taking a swim in the new pool on the campsite. This was going well, until someone’s mother turned up, complaining that someone had deposited a turd in the pool. With thoughts of the water that had gone into my mouth as I had been swimming, we beat a hasty retreat.

Pushing thoughts of turd infested swimming pools aside, in the evening we headed to Adrift Cafe. Such is the power of Instagram, despite being over 13 hours drive from home, I already felt I had been to Adrift. I had been following their posts for a while and was looking forward to trying it out for ourselves.

Sharing a few entrees, we had the tempura battered prawns, the calamari with a nam jim sauce, and a bruschetta. A bottle of Pinot Grigio and lemon meringue for dessert completed a great evening.

Thursday – Day 6 – Exmouth (124kms)

After breakfast in the van we drove the 45 minutes to Turquoise Bay, paying $15 to enter the National Park (sound familiar?). As you would expect on Ningaloo Reef, the snorkelling was excellent but despite spying a turtles head popping up for air we were unable to locate her in the water.

Lunch was on the beach, Victoria popping back to the van to make us a picnic of a ham and cheese sandwich. Simple pleasures. Simple life. Very enjoyable.

In the evening we called at Whalebone Brewery, a short walk from the RAC Exmouth camp site. On the way there Victoria made me smile by saying, “I hope they have aircon”. When we got there she discovered it was just a large converted shed with nothing but outdoor seating areas, some of which were thankfully in the shade. 

A very rustic place, but again so very enjoyable. We each had a couple of very cold beers. I tried an excellent NEIPA and a pale ale. Victoria quaffed a couple of the Lighthouse Lagers.

A short walk from Whalebone and we were at Whalers for my much anticipated birthday dinner. And what a success it was. A lovely outdoor restaurant, part of a resort, serving great food. Chilli mussels were followed by an excellent seafood spaghetti. Delicious. 

Victoria had scallops to start and “reef and beef” for main, enjoying them both. Having started the meal with a glass of bubbles we soon moved onto a bottle of Riesling. 

An amazing evening was put to bed with the last of the whisky I had brought from Perth in my hip flask. I drifted off to sleep wondering how Santa would get into the van in the night, and what he might leave for us.

Friday – Day 7 – Exmouth (Xmas Day)

Celebrating my birthday somewhere new has almost become a tradition. And with it comes the happy ritual of Victoria cooking up an excellent bacon, egg, and mushroom butty for breakfast. Who knew good black pudding would be so hard to come by in Australia?

Following happy video calls with family, and after opening a couple of birthday presents, we had another ritual to complete. The “beer on the beach” picture we always take on Xmas day.

For this we drove to Bundegi beach, a long stretch of sparsely populated sand. Hats on, Emu Export at the ready, and smile! Emus are obviously a thing in Exmouth and they became a common sight for us around town. There was even a family that casually strolled through the camp site each day.

Knowing all would be closed on Xmas day we had stocked up and had plenty of food and drink for us to while away a pleasant day. Grazing on food. Drinking cold beers. And cooling down with dips in the, newly cleaned, pool.

After a dinner of steak and halloumi cooked on the camp BBQ, I had my new birthday whisky to enjoy. A customary nightcap preceded an early night, ending a perfect birthday.

Saturday – Day 8 – Exmouth to Coral Bay (153kms)

An early start, and a quick refuel of the van and we were back on the road for the one and half hour drive to Coral Bay. Sadly, we were now on the return journey, heading back south.

On arrival, I was immediately charmed. Coral Bay is the kind of place you dream about. The kind of place that lots of places were like before becoming “discovered”. A single road in and out, passing the one pub as you slowly make your way into a coastal settlement with a population of 207. Yes, 207. I must have met most of them through daily visits to the bottle shop, bakery and small supermarket that make up the “town”.

Coral Bay is what I expected Exmouth to be, but wasn’t. Despite hearing from people how great Exmouth was, Coral Bay is the place we would definitely return to.

A wide, pristine beach slowly meets the sea that has colours that have to be seen to be believed. Even more impressive than Turquoise Bay. We spent the afternoon snorkelling. Walking in from the beach, side stepping the sting rays lazily resting in the shallow waters, we were immediately immersed in a living aquarium. As the sandbank falls away, and pockets of both cold and warm water wash over you, you are immediately snorkelling over the nearby coral, with an abundance of marine life. 

Sunday – Day 9 – Coral Bay

After a simple breakfast of Weetbix and coffee at the van, we had another day in the water. Choosing to snorkel in a different location on the beach we found more coral, and even more fish. The GoPro performs very well in the water but a lot of the photos do not capture the majesty, and colour of everything you see under the water.

Being by the seaside means fish for lunch. At Fin’s cafe I had an excellent battered snapper burger and Victoria had battered snapper and chips. As Fin’s is BYO we took a couple of cold beers from the van. Simple and heavenly.

With an early start on the road in the morning we enjoyed another glorious sunset, had a BBQ on the camp for dinner, complemented with a few glasses of Riesling. Over my whisky nightcap, Limeburners Peated Cask, I contemplated what a great couple of days we had in a paradise called Coral Bay.

Monday – Day 10 – Coral Bay to Shark Bay (Denham) (556kms)

Up and off for 7.15am, refuelling and getting the 6 hour plus drive underway. Victoria started the day as skipper as I finished my second coffee of the morning. After a couple of hours we switched drivers, refuelling at the BP service station in Carnarvon, not far from the camp site we stayed on not too many days earlier.

A final switch of driver just 90kms from our home for the night, saw Victoria driving us into Denham, population 754. A small, cute, seaside town, right on the seafront. The campsite was in a great location, as was our pitch, even if the van seemed a little too big for where they put us. It could be fun driving in and out, amongst all the tents and utes parked around us.

With our tummies telling us we needed lunch, we took ourselves off to the Waterfront Hotel, securing a couple of well needed cold beers. We would need to make alternative arrangements for lunch as we had missed the kitchen by 6 minutes, getting there at 2.36pm. A packet of Nobby’s nuts and a ham and beetroot wrap (minus ham) from the service station next door had to suffice.

The evening saw us with cold beer, a takeaway pizza and a prime spot on the beach for the sunset. We sadly contemplated how close we were to the end of a great trip, but talked about things that we were grateful for. We have a daily gratitude practice and even reflecting on things that may seem insignificant helps with our overall well being. 

Tuesday – Day 11 – Denham (50kms)

If you have heard of Shark Bay, you will have heard of Monkey Mia. We woke early with a sense of anticipation, driving the 25 minutes to Monkey Mia National Park, ($15 EACH this time), for the dolphin experience. Along with over 200 others we were there for the first feeding at 7.45am.

There we were, quietly hoping for a morning of oohing and ahhing over lots of frisky dolphins. Then, we waited. And waited. And waited some more. At 10.30am, with no dolphins in sight we called it a day and headed back into Denham.

Whilst at Monkey Mia we discovered that the dolphins had been rather elusive recently, with only one turning up the day before, and a run of 3 days without any being spotted.

I am not sure how they calculate the 99% success rate of dolphin “attendance”.

The evening made up for the disappointment, with a fabulous dinner at The Old Pearler restaurant. Of the places you eat on your road trip from Perth to Exmouth, this is a must visit. The only restaurant in the world made from coquina shell, it also has an interesting booking policy. No website. No booking app. Just Wayne’s phone number that you have to call and see if he has room for you. We even saw a lot of people speculatively walk in and ask for a booking on future nights. 

“Call Wayne”, was the stock response for everyone.

Thankfully, Victoria had called Wayne the day before and we had a great evening of seafood and BYO cold wine from the bottle shop conveniently located just across the street.

As Wayne came out to help clear some of the tables in the small restaurant he was asked, “do you make everything yourself, Wayne?”

“I do,” he proudly replied.

“Do you?”, said the daughter. “I thought you bought the cheesecake.”

Wednesday – Day 12 – Denham to Geraldton (420kms)

Our penultimate day of holiday, and one that we knew wouldn’t hit the heights of the ones that had gone before. Nothing against Geraldton, I am sure it has a lot to offer, but we were just using it as a stop over to break the long journey back to Perth up.

Heading out of Denham we made a very short detour to Hamelin Bay, home of the stromatolites. The oldest fossils in the world, dating back some 3.5 billion years, Hamelin Bay is one of only two places in the world to see these living marine fossils. I would recommend a visit as you are in the area.

We were soon back on the road and when we finally got to Geraldton, it wasn’t just the van that needed refuelling. Walking through the heart of Geraldton we came across Cafe Fleur, and had a fabulous lunch.

Our home for the night was the Double Beach camp site, slightly out of town, in Cape Burney.

Thursday – Day 13 – Geraldton to Perth (420kms)

After a breakfast of a muffin, hash brown and a strong coffee we were on the road for the final time. 

Our drive was just over 4 and half hours, and by lunchtime we were back at Apollo Motorhomes near Perth airport. It certainly was strange being back amongst city traffic. For long stretches of time over the last 2 weeks there was no one ahead of us, or behind us on long, dusty stretches of road. On the wide, often empty stretches of road up north, you often forget how big the motorhome is.

With a tinge of melancholy we bid farewell to Bessie and promised we would be back in the future to take her on another long road trip.