Challenges

Dinosaur Footprints, Broome

The journey between Broome and Darwin was met by at least three challenges, two of which were our new companions (just kidding Joanne and Kevin... but honestly...). On the first night, Kent's bag was soaked again. Being at the bottom of the pile, it is susceptible to sponging up any leaked fluids, this was no exception. But, unlike previous inundations, this one was fueled by icewater, not our slow leaking water can. On closer inspection, the eskie (cooler) was the culprit, and nothing inside was cold despite the remaining ice. As it turns out, eskies only work if they're sealed, and ours had a big crack in the bottom from overpacking it. It was already dark, but we decided to ask some fellow campers to see if we could muster up enough supplies to get our eskie back on track. Luckily, the first people we came upon happened to have a tube of silicon. After a quick caulk job, some plastic and tape, the eskie was set to keep food chilled for days to come.

 Our next day, we had a mission off the beaten track towards Wolfe Creek meteorite crater, whose name is chillingly similar to an aussie backpacker horror movie. The trip was a demanding 3 hours round trip by corrugated dirt road, but the Subo drank it in. After a night of camping, we were ready for more dirt roads, and the one leading to the World Heritage Bungle Bungles was tempting us. It called for 4WD, so subo switched into gear. Unfortunately, all day she wasn't idling, just cutting out at low revs. Tampering with the "carbie" didn't set her straight, so we decided to push on full throttle. The road was a winding track through hills, deep sand and ravines, but at 45 minutes in, the subo had to back off from a challenge, she hesitated at a knee deep (Louis' knees at that) rocky river; the engine cut out. Other 4 wheel drivers seemed to agree, she wasn't going to make it through. Tail between her legs, she reved high and 3 point turned back, back to bitumen. She took the road back like a champ, and by the time we saw the visitors sign again, she was idling fine, problem solved. We crossed into the Northern Territory to Katherine. Gas is always a bit more in smaller towns, so we've gotten in the habit of estimating just the right amount we'll need to get us to a cheaper stop. In Victoria River, the gas station (under change of ow... wife) charged dearly, so we picked up 10L even (about 80kms with stuff on the roof) for a buffer to reach Katherine. Unfortunately, the subo was sputtering just 15 clicks out of Katherine, and that's when we found out the 60L tank was really a 50L tank and the gas gage wasn't hiding those 10L below the "E" that whole time as we had thought, or wishfully imagined. Within minutes, Kent was in a ute headed to town with our jerry can. Louis welcomed the break with some Hemingway, and in just over 20 minutes a big work truck dropped Kent off with a full can of gas, the cheapest gas so far. Sure we ran out but we still saved a few bucks!  If brought us into Katherine, where we enjoyed their warm springs with some local aboriginal kids who taught us how to ride their two-wheeled skateboard-like contraption.

Now we are in the namesake of our favourite naturalist and looking for two more game for the journey to the Great Barrier Reef.

Broome bound

The Cape Range National Park was a good change of pace from Coral Bay, somehow managing to be more relaxing than ever. Snorkeling at Turquoise Bay, Louis found a sea turtle and we watched it swim around for bit avoiding jelly fish like in the underwater levels in Donkey Kong Country or Mario Bros. We stayed to watch the sunset and were the last people on the beach, the drive to our camp would have been lonely were it not for all the Wallabies and Kangaroos darting across the road back. We met up again with the usual suspects at our camp making for a good evening. Leaving the coast wasn't as difficult as it would have been were we not heading towards Kent's old stomping grounds, Tom Price, and the Karijini National Park. The benefit was twofold, free camping at my old work mate Dave's back yard, and the park which was sure to surprise us. After patching a slow leak in one of the tires (tyres), a last minute decision took us on a mine tour through Tom Price; Dave met us at the lookout where we were lucky enough to watch a blast from. That afternoon we took a dip in the Fern pool in the scenic Dale's Gorge. The next Day, the Circular Pool proved even more picturesque, something we would not have believed were we told it.

A few nights on the road later we are in Broome, after visiting the famed Marble Bar and Marble Bar's famed Ironclad Bar, as well as the 80 mile beach, ending the first leg of our trip. We dropped off our fellow travellers at their respective hostel and campground and now we will look for others to do the journey to Darwin with us. Broome, except for the amazing beaches and lack of nightlife, seems out of place in Australia. It is a tropical town with a gritty feel. If the weather ever clears up we'll get the chance to visit one of the southern hemisphere's most coveted beaches.

Historical note: the best beach here is called Cable Beach and is thus named because it is here that a telegraph cable lain along the ocean floor reached Australia from Eurasia, connecting it to the rest of the world. Also, Broome was developped largely for pearling from the end of the XIXth century.

Coral Bay and the Ningaloo

The Francois Peron NP turned out to be a hot tub in the outback, which was a perfect compliment to the overcast weather. We decided to make a start on our journey to Canarvon instead of laying tracks in the 4WD accesss park. The Subo's spirit is willing, but the clearance is lacking. We made a stop at Hamelin pool on our way out of shark bay to see the worlds oldest living fossils, Stromatolites. Free from predation, stumpy and the rest of his gang hang out in the brackish waters of WA, selflessly potosynthesising in their 3.5 Ga pursuit to eliminate carbon dioxide from this planet. Infact, the whole stop was a little lackluster, but we enjoyed in nonetheless. That night, much to louis' excitement, we camped on top of the only hill between Kalbarri and Canarvon, a little messa with an ocean view. Packing the car the next day was by the book, our Tetris practice paying off, and we made our way through Canarvon for fuel and food and a little farmers market, right to coral bay. Since we got here last night, we have made friends with a few other groups of travelers doing the usual camping stuff: cooking, sitting around, drinking beer and sharing stories. We just now bumped into a group we met in Kalbarri (who we gave a few CDs to since they didn't have any and their radio didn't work), who told us they managed to roll their big ute while swerving for a kangaroo. Now they're beach bums untill the bus comes to pick them up. At the toe of the Ningaloo Reef, which i hear rivals only the Great Barrier Reef, today has been the best snorkeling i've done. Tonight will be more of the same, although we'll try to camp for free on the beach with some of Aurelie's French friends...

Day 5: Francois Peron NP and Shark Bay

Somehow I think that the first few days of driving will be the most trying. After our first night sleep, well sortof sleep, in Lancelin just off the dunes where our unwisely chosen tent sites provided new terrain for sand dunes to form, we set off on a 4WD track. The Subo performed and performed some more, the Low-4 sent us through a labyrinth of sand dunes, beaches and outcrop between Lancelin and Cervantes, 5 hours to cover 80km. Luckily we found some guidance along the way in the form of a helpful local who laid some tracks for us along the soft beach. We unwound in a calm place to spend our second night just north of Jurien Bay. 

We splurged on a campsite with showers the next night to wash off the sand from our hair and our ears. 

The next nights were spent on the leeside of bushes and hills near the ocean. Kent and I have been learning constellations with our glow-in-the-dark chart to the sound of crashing waves and of wine beeing poured from a goon (bag of wine from box) into tin cups.

This morning Kent was selected among a small crowd to feed dolphins in Monkey Mia in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shark Bay. We're currently in Dunham, which will springboard us into the Francois Peron National Park and onto the famous stromatolites of Shark Bay.

Preparation

Recently, the trip around Australia has been promoted from figment-of-our-imagination to a-reality status. Jacta alea est, thoughts and ideas are becoming plans and destinations, and the packing has started. Packing is not my strong point, and it is usually marginalised, made secondary to goodbyes and last minute projects (kinda like this Web Log). But there is a deadline which we must meet; our two co-travelers, Aurelie and Sara, will be waiting for a pick up on monday morning. From Freo, we'll head through Northbridge and then northwards via the Mitchell freeway towards Cervantes and the Pinnacles to satisfy our geological interest in all things mineral. Please keep up to date with this blog, we will update it often.