We headed out early to Porongarup National Park and walked the route to the Skywalk. It was a gradual climb up the mountain for about 2.2 kms to the Skywalk. Climbing over rocks at the top and then up a 6 metre ladder, we walked around the top of a rock on a skywalk. There were views 360 degrees. On one side you could see to the coast and the other to the Stirling Ranges. Very beautiful, but not for the faint hearted!!
LMD
Only 80 Kim’s west of Esperance, there is Stokes Inlet which is the deepest inlet in WA and varies in depth from 2 to 13 m. It was formed by ice carving out the ground about 15 million years ago. There has been a lagoon here for 4000 years with a sand bar forming around this time. It has quite a high sand bar and the earth if made up of limestone and crushed shells.
It is a great spot for fishing and bird watching. The camp hosts are friendly and look after us very nicely. Their names are Des and Tanya (Tuyet Nga). Tanya took us to a big rock on the Young River where we caught 14 black bream. Lots of fun and yummy for dinner with just a bit of lemon.
Birds: wedged tail eagle, great egret, pelican, grey fantail, Silvereye, Variegated Fairy- wren.
LMD
Just outside Esperance there is a small Yabby Processing Farm. Yabbies are small crustaceans and they can live for 6 years. They live in fresh water and are native to Eastern Australia. They were brought over and live in dams and then the farmers bring them to this farm.
We also saw a snake -small tiger snake. The owner was very calm about it and shooed it away with a broom.
The farm had 6 big round tanks which they fill with water, but only 3 were filled with water for the 3 different sized yabbies they sell. They did not have much stock currently and we got the last half kilogram. They were yummy for dinner on BBQ.
They also had 3 pet Marline which is a native crustacean to WA. It grows to about 30 cm in length and is black.
JGD
Mum found it interesting that the yabbies shed their shells as they grow. To prepare they put their calcium in sacks and their shells gets soft. Then they can shed their current shell. They grow a new shell and it takes about 48 hours to get hard. They will be larger in size. Whilst their shell is soft, they are vulnerable to be eaten by others creatures including other yabbies!!
They will eat each other!!
A highlight of Esperance was the Miniature Train ride through the foreshore park at Esperance. it went around 2 ponds and through a tunnel. LAD found this great fun!!
On 1st of November (20 days to JGD birthday and 19 to Dad’s) we went fishing and when we were fishing we saw 5 divers returning from a swim. We found a pink squid jig in the water and Mum dived down and brought it back to the surface. JGD and JWD went snorkelling. It was cold, beautiful and we saw a red star fish. It was delightful to swim in the ocean.
JGD finished the 52 storey tree house book by Andy Griffiths. It was funny and I liked it very much.
JGD
Blog from Mum
This beach has the whitest sand that we have seen. The water sparkles and is so blue. We have walked on the beach and sand dunes, seen kangaroos up very close and snorkelled in the bay. It has been a good rest and holiday here.
Birds that we have spotted are New Holland Honey eater, pigeon, Pacific Heron, Sooty Oyster catcher, little Wattlebirds and a black and white robin or strike.
We have also made friends with Neville and Kerry and Phil. Camp hosts are Carol and Don. These people have been friendly and helpful. The kids even did school with Neville and Kerry – what a blessing.
LMD
Visit to Port Willunga
12th October to 17th October
The girls returned to Adelaide and we all headed down to Port Willunga. It was a nice caravan park with a giant chess set that we had fun playing and a tennis court.
The beach was beautiful with clay formations and giant hills to run up and down. The rocks near the water contained shells and a shark tooth was even found.
The skate park, op shop and adventure playground were another highlight that the kids enjoyed.
The Onkaparinga River National Park was also visited with 2 bushwalks. The Onkaparinga River is the second longest river in SA with lots of wildlife. We spotted many birds and even kangaroos. We did the Wetland Walk (not so much of a swamp, but there was water in the main river) and also Sundew Ridge Hike to the lookout. It was a lovely gorge with grapes growing on the opposite hillside.
LD
Day 16 to 19
Wilpenia Pound to Warren Gorge – 2 hrs
After expending our energy walking, we are back onto the bikes. The boys find a fabulous bike jump and then we head out of Wilpenia on our bikes, spotting an emu and many more “sleepy lizards” unfortunately as road kills. The bike is a lovely way to travel to see the countryside, but hotter days prevent us from longer trips.
Picking up supplies in Quorn we headed out out of town about 20kms to find a beautiful gorge, again made from ABC Range Quartize.
It was the October long weekend and the first car park held about 10 campers already, so it looked like it might NOT be the best spot to stop. The group was from a football club in Whyalla that had been travelling there for over 45 years. They have made a golf course and cricket pitch in the scrub and play for the trophy (not sure quite what that was!).
Driving on we found a beautiful spot perched beside the creek bed. The kids found water in the creek, but much more exciting was the life that was found there: tapoles, froglets and frogs. It was lusher than previous camping spots with green surrounds and clear water.
At dusk, grey western kangaroos and yellow footed rock wallabies were seen. A walking excursion was made up the creek and Mum continued on the 5km loop track to the peak of the hilltop. There were great views of the surrounds.
Other wildlife spotted was the Adeliade Rosella and a small black snake.
Days 23 to 26
10th of October
The team forms two groups: girls and boys teams. The girls head back to Sydney for a Festival of Choir performance at none other than Syndey’s Opera House. A great weekend was had with an exciting performance.
The boys team with a new member Nona head to Port Willunga for more adventures by the sea.
Day 13 to 15
Wilpenia Pound “Resort”
Day 13
We drove from Brachina Gorge to Wilpenia and set up camp closer to the Pound itself with facilities like showers, laundry and a swimming pool. On the drive over the Hucks Lookout was spectacular. You are likely to get frost bite from the pool but it was refreshing to be in it.
Day 14
St Mary’s Peak Hike, 1171m high
We split into Team A (Mum and JW) and Team B (Pa JG and LAD). Team A goal’s was the Peak, a 14km hike with long strenuous climbs and rewarding views of surroundings. Amazing flora with lots of wild flowers in bloom and a few different reptiles to see, but the climb to the top was not without difficulty and complaint. A great sense of achievement and definitely ticked off the “bucket list”. The view from the top was 360 degrees and we could even see Lake Torrens to the West.
Team B walked 6km around the outside of the Pound and went over bridges and climbed on overhanging branches. They spotted kangaroos, played the echo game and standing statues.
Day 15
Hills Homestead Walk 6km
This was a beautiful walk along a dry creek bed until we came to a pond from the natural spring at Wilpenia. We spotted rufous whistler, white browed fantail and striated thornbill. There were rocks to climb for the younger members of the crew. Next the walk continued past a large rock and bridge over the river where a blue tongue lizard was seen and followed across the bridge. The Hiils Homestead dates back to early 1800s where they tried to farm the Pound. Overstocking and drought caused the end to some of this expansion from the south and eventually became a park in 1920s. The homestead was originally pug and pine but now boasts pressed metal ceilings and architraves and 2 fireplaces. The National Parks Service have maintained these well with new metal roofs and a water tank attached.
Starting the walk up to the lookout, we came across a father emu with 5 stripy chicks and a lace monitor!!! It was very impressive to see these within a couple of metres and up close. There were 2 lookouts, one at .1km up the Pound and a second .5km up where you could look into the Pound. Walking home required more games and singing. There was a lot of energy when jumping over the hurdles which were the bright safety cones on the cracks in the road. The only surviving small animal was a dunnart which made homes in the fallen over trees. In 1980s there was a bush fire followed by a flood and many of the Red River Gum Trees were knocked over creating a great habitat for these animals.
A final reward was a large shingle back lizard was in the scrub close to home. Another swim to refresh was undertaken and yummy dinner make by all. A very enjoyable day.
Day 12
Day trip to Koolamon Springs, Aroona and Trezona Campground 42km approx. 2 hours From Brackina Gorge mum rode and the others drove we went to Koolamon Springs and we had a snack and went to look at the river. I don’t know why but we found a place that some kids had made 30 centimetre high walls with river stones. We built it up to make one metre. We put the floor in and a table and four seats, so someone had to miss out.
Next we went to Aroona where there was “pine and pug” house. We walk up to the lookout where there was the ruins of the original Hayward house. We met a man that was finishing the Heysen Trail – he had walked 500 km in one month.
We drove to Trezona Campground where we met two interesting people who were volunteering as hosts. They had crossed the Nulabor on push bikes.
We went back to Brackina Gorge where we saw about 10 Yellow Footed Rock Walabies at dusk.=
Day 11
Stayed at Brachina Gorge and did a bike ride It was the first day in the Flinders Ranges and mum decided to go on a bike rider. We went along the river “bed”. JW decided to go up the rocks and mum said “what does the view look like up there”? JW said to come up so the others came up and now walking, now bike riding/walking we went up the hill and look at Hayward Bluff, the mountain. On the way back to camp JW, JG and L rode up the other side of the creek/road where we were camping we found a water course where JW made into a bike track going in and out of the courses.=
Day 1088km = 4 hours with a 1 hour lunch stop
>> Day 10 we left Hawker at12:30pm and arrived at the Flinders Rangers at
Brachia Gorge camp site and 4:00pm. We stop for lunch at Arkaroo and mummy walked to the Aboriginal rock paintings and we walked a quarter of the way and then we mucked about. Brachia is very red and JW found a bike track that had been made by the rain and water.
