The Big City again

Hello Peeps!

How u doing?? I'm in the civilised world again...and I prefer the nice and quite of camping. :P We (Shelly, John and me) got to Perth yesterday around dinnertime. Means we're almost at the final destination of our road trip: Broome. But first I have 1 week Perth ahead and another week or so to drive there. In Broome I will meet up with Richard who will accompagny my till Sydney.

But, what have I done this month. Don't recall all the details, but here's a short summery:

After leaving Mildura and having picked up Shelly, we headed towards the Barossa Valley, a wine region. In Barossa we did some walks and visited a sculpture park. Didn't stay to long though, something with the weather.

So we drove (meaning I drove since the Irish have no licence) to Yorke Peninsula. Can't remember al the details, but I know it was cold and windy. That's why, when we visited Innes NP, my tent broke (it just went flat on the ground) and John and Shelly bough a new one to sleep in. Also there were some ruins (about 100 years old) with a ghost in one of the cottages...at least, so Shelly claims... Also there was a wreck/boat somewhere near a beach where we walked and I climed on it.

After Yorke, we went to Eyre Peninsula. Weather was the same: cold and wet. And also the activities were the same: drive, visit info centre, walk, eat, drink and camp. :P We did walk the longest jetti in Oz in Port Germein (although later another town claimed that title). And we got soaked during a 8hrs walk in Wilpena NP (Flinders Range). But was worth it, beautiful views on the top, after real climing. Downsite was a car expensive repair aftert coming down from the Flinders. :( But, that's life.
Remember we also did a day of shopping in some port. And I managed to actually sell something in the shopping mall in stead of buying (alhough I did buy as well).
Ow yeah, here was also the adventure with 4WD from my last update. We did some of road tracks and one time (on a beach) I managed to get stuck. Took me 2,5hrs to get out. And John and Shelly needed about the same amount of time to get a towing truck. :P Expensive joke, but funny story afterwards the same.

Next region was the Nullarbor. Basicly the outback from South and West Oz. From Ceduna to Norseman was about 1300 km, which we drove in 3 days. No towns bigger than 8 people in between and some distances of 200km's without petrol stations. And also the longest straight road of Oz: 90 miles (146,6km). And I can tell you: that's a long loooong way! Owy yeah, we did see some southern whales on a view point, one with cups. By the time we got to Albany, I'd driving 2000km in 4 days and was wacked. So a day of hanging around in town, walking on the beach where some whales were about 100m away and having a cappuccino in a cafe.

Rest from the time in South West Australia was more sunny (but still lot's of showers) and more diverse then the nullarbor and peninsula's. We did forest walks in the forest of the Giants, beach walks, sat on rocks where waves crushed on to them, eaten fast food, did a wine tour in Margareth River and even climed a tree of 75 meters. And that means really climing!

And yesterday we got to Fremantle then. South of Perth, where we just stroled around and drove to the city centre in the city.

See foto's on facebook for the real experience of this all. I'm gonna see if I can find the Irish (they're in town) and get some lunch. :)

Miss ya all big time!!

Hughug, kisskiss

Ralf


My Trip
17/03/10 Flight from Dusseldorf
19/03/10 Arrival at Christchurch
26/03/10 Arrival at Mt Cook Village/Aokari
28/03/10 Arrival at Queenstown
02/04/10 Arrival at Dunedin
05/04/10 Queenstown
06/04/10 One day trip Millford Sounds
08/04/10 Wanaka
12/04/10 Franz Josef
16/04/10 Hokitika (glow worm caves)
17/04/10 Arthur's Pass
19/04/10 Christchurch
21/04/10 Flight to Sydney
04/05/10 Blue Mountains
07/05/10 Road trip Snowy Mountains - Gillsland - Melbourne
12/05/10 Melbourne
19/05/10 Roadtrip Great Ocean Road
21/05/10 Adelaide
27/06/10 Adelaide Hills & Fleurieu Peninsula
28/06/10 Kangaroo Island
29/06/10 Mildura (working & new Rego)
16/08/10 Roadtrip Perth (Barossa Valley, Yorke Peninsula, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Nullarbor, Western Australia's Outback, South Western Australia, Margareth River Wine Region)
08/09/10 Fremantle & Perth

Planning:
16/09/10 Roadtrip Broome
30/09/10 Broome (working?)
31/10/10 Roadtrip Darwin*
14/10/10 Darwin*
21/10/10 Alice Springs/Uluru*
31/10/10 Cape York*
07/11/10 Cairns (work?)*
14/11/10 Townsville*
21/11/10 Fraser Island*
28/11/10 Brisbane*
04/12/10 New Castle*
07/12/10 Sydney*
05/01/11 NZ South Island**
20/01/11 NZ North Island**
31/01/11 Java, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodja**
01/04/11 Back in NL*

* Can be a month earlier if I'm not working
** can be skipped or a lot earlier if I don't work and wanna come home