New Travel Blog Name

Because of our huge level of frustration with Blogspot, our blog host, Cam has set us up a new blog site which is http://margruss.incoll.org Please use this in the future.

Sorry we had to make the change, but it will allow us to enjoy posting blogs, rather than publishing text and pictures with typos and photos in the wrong place and the whole thing seizing up!

Wave Rock continued

Our overnight stop at Wave Rock came at the right time, with the Magnet Men saying “are we there yet, “are we there yet, “are we there yet?” The only thing wrong was that it was so wet and cold they wouldn’t get out of the car! Therefore, they missed out being in any of the pictures.

Wave Rock is a granite cliff, 15 metres high and 110 metres long. Its shape has been caused by weathering and water erosion, which has undercut the base and left a rounded overhang. Water running down the rock from the springs, during wetter months, dissolve minerals, adding to the colouring of the wave. In 1960, crystals from Hyden Rock were dated as being 2700 million years old, amongst the oldest in Australia. We walked around the base of the amazing rock feature, but we too, were pleased to get back inside.

Our little companions were pleased to have a play in puddles this morning and helped Nanni cook breakfast, after a swing on the clothes line to dry out!!

We are heading north to get warmer mornings and hopefully, less rain. We have traveled through more than 600 kms of wheat belt and canola country, all of which looked very healthy. The roadside and country looks very similar to the Wimmera or SA, heading towards Flinders Ranges. Tonight we are staying at Wangan Hills, on our way to Calbarri, where the car needs servicing.

Some words of the day: (town names) – Wyalkatchem, Benjaberring, Nanetcatchem!

Stopped for a pretty average counter lunch at Wyalkatchem. Not nearly as good as previous lunches, made roadside, with Turkish bread from Esperance – YUM.

Here are some of the previous blogs photos - Cape Arid, Frenchmans Peak and Whistling Rock, all at Cape Arid and around Lucky Bay. What a shame it was so cold and wet!!

Cape Arid, Lucky Bay to Wave Rock

Day 1
We left Esperance, shopped and arrived at Cape Arid at 10am - how good is that!
Unfortunately, due to fire, only one camping area is open - Thomas River Shire Park.
Great site, fireplace and table, loads of space, surrounded by a thicket of Meleulucas.
A short walk to the Thomas River, which is very shallow, but have found a bend that looks promising for fishing. (No permit required for Seniors!)
At last the bikes were unleashed and Russ and I have had loads of fun riding around the park and to the beach, where we had our eyes glued for whales, reported by the Ranger as being in Qokinup Bay. No luck there.
We are in an area were the rare Ground Parrot is found, but they only survive if the bush hasn't been burnt for at least fifteen years, so not much chance of spotting one of them either.
Day 2
Freezing start to the deay, but managed our first bacon and eggs for the trip, being adorned with beanies, scarves and gloves. our campsite has a fireplace aqnd tale, the latter is movable, hence into early morning sun.
Russ went for an hour long ride today, to where he thought the burnt out National Park site would be, but instead was delighted to see a garden of many species of bansias, heaths, kennadias etc. etc. etc.
I tried my hand at fishing, without bait, but my lures were not alluring enough!
We have decided to head for Cape Le Grand National Park, also on the coast.
Day 3
A miserable day, but only had 100kms to travel. Le Grand was right on a point, receiving all the bad weather, so we went a little further to Lucky Bay - absolutely beautiful coastline, rugged granite boulders and mesas striking a stunning conrast to the aquamarine bays they overlook.
Wave Rock
A long day today, heading north to warmer weather.
I'm having trouble with the blog bugs, so will continue with pictures and more info as soon as we get reception again.

Thanks to everyone who has commented. We are having so many problems with the program, we are not able to reply to you. Thanks Kyla, for your comments - tell the kids the magnet men are very, very good and Nanni and Parps will try to remember to be in more of the photos!!

Ceduna to Esperance

We seem to have been in the car the an eternity but in all, the kilos have totalled 3100 in seven days. We are now in Esperance, by the ocean, but only for the night, because tomorrow we have a short trip to Cape Arid National Park, which sounds fabulous.
Now, about the Nullabour. Nullus Arbor, meaning 'no tree', but the aboriginal word for the plain is Oondiri, meaning 'the waterless'. The plain has an average rainfall of only 20cm a year.
The only arduous or boring part of the trip was the straight (and I mean straight) road. We both thought the vegetation beside the road was fantastic, with the Hampton Tableland to the north of us, stretched all the way along from Eucla until we climbed up on to the top of it at Madura. After this we travelled on the longest straight stretch of road in Australia, 146.6 Km without a bend!

We stopped several times and took photos of the Great Australian Bight, believed to be the longest line of sea cliffs in the world, starting from Cape Pasely in the west to Cape Carnot, near Port Lincoln, a distance of 1600kms!We stopped several times and took photos of the Great Australian Bight, believed to be the longest line of sea cliffs in the world, starting from Cape Pasely in the west to Cape Carnot, near Port Lincoln, a distance of 1600kms!

The Big Trek Across the Plains to WA

Sunset and the fire at Kimba



We left the Barossa Valley, passing the distinctive stone houses of this area, through, what looks like, country that has received its share of rain. No barren areas, as was our experience last time we went to the Flinders Ranges - brown land and animal skeletons all the way along.
Headed for Burra, at my request, to once again, buy the now famous 'salt bush hogget'. Maggie Beer has been praising its qualities for some time now. We cooked the Merino cutlets on a wood fire BBQ the same night and they had an excellent flavour and were extremely tender. YUM

While in Burra, we had to sample the Cornish Pastie, also famous for this area, where mining for copper was the livelihood of he town in the mid 1800s.

Rhys and Heath - can you sot the Magnet Men on this huge eucalypt that we saw?

We stopped at Kimba for the night - very run down for a Top Tourist Park, but we were allowed to have that fire BBQ!
Another cold morning, another early start and arrived at Ceduna at 12noon. Lovely site, with views of the bay, the jetty, guys fishing. Quite a large town - bought supplies and oysters from Denial Bay. Ceduna claims to be "The Oyster Capital of Australia"!
Temperatures have ranged from 5-15 degrees.
The road from Kimba to Ceduna was far more interesting than I expected, with with the classic Russell Drysdale depictions of magnificent Mallees - multi-trunked and loads of spindly branches, with clumps of foliage on the ends of the branches, similar to umbrellas! I'd never tire of that scene. Healthy looking crops, the entire distance too!


At Ceduna the magnet men got a bit excited and tried to climb over the fence of the caravan park to get to the playground as soon as we stopped!
The only down side has been the continuing comment about the dire state of the mouth of the Murray River and the Coorong and lower lakes. Scientific opinion is that unless good rains come before October, native fish will be non existent and these areas will die. Frightening.

Hamiliton to Nuriootpa

Started off at 8am and had quite an easy drive through very scenic country. No sign of the drought, with green hills and pastures all the way. Loads of cows and sheep, some of the sheep with twins and triplets.
Visited Mt Monster Conservation Park (approx. 10kms before Keith), for a picnic lunch. A beautiful setting of Ozzie bush, on a granite outcrop, dating back millions of years, when it was once covered in the sea. When the sea receded, sediment was the only thing remaining, covering Mt Monster and today, millions of years later and after sediment has been washed away, the granite outcrops are the feature. A perfect setting for a rest and lunch, though rather cold.
Amongst eucalypts, banksias, correas, we spotted these grass trees with 'attitude'! Rhys and Heath, can you spot the magnet men on the grass trees?

We had a very relaxing start to our holiday, using the Portsea ferry to take us to Queenscliff, cutting out the peak hour rush and tolls. The magnet men were so excited that they wanted to ride on the bonnet of the car!

Russ had a trip down memory lane, as we headed for Wallacedale, where his paternal grandmother, Susan Jaffray lived, over to Russ. We turned off the Hamilton highway at Penshurst and headed to Byaduk where Aunty Reb and Aunty Lou lived (Grandma Incoll's sisters). Reb was married to Vert Kinghorn and in the village of Byaduk (footy ground and hall only) was a memorial to a Corporal Walter Kinghorn, who was killed in the first world war. There was also a memorial to a Private Frank Suttee who was the first Australian soldier killed in the Boar War. Grandma Incoll's sister (I think Mary) was married to John Suttee and no doubt they are related as they lived near the Kinghorns in Byaduk. Photos will be posted when the software decides to let us do this.

We then went to the Jaffray family farm at Wallacedale, sadly little remains except for some old iron and the roof of the scullery intact but on the ground. Even the giant peppercorn tree between the house and the stables was no longer. The farm is on the corner of Jaffrays Rd and Nixons Rd (Swamp Rd is now Nixons Rd). The distance from house site to the main drain seems much longer, but the road at one car wide seems much narrower. I didn't feel like taking a photo of the farm, so we took one of the Jaffrays Rd sign on the corner of the Hamilton - Portland Rd), and the magnet men could not be kept out of another photo opportunity!

Now at Hamilton for overnight stop and got some exercise with the magnet men on the monkey bars - no comments on the big monke

y please!