Moving on through Mandurah, Bunbury and Collie

 

Friday 20^th September

We left the Caravan Park this morning to head south. The weather is still crappy with no immediate plans to improve!

We went to Karrinyup Shopping Centre to gather final supplies (and to get me a banana, creamed cheese and honey bagel – yummo!!!) and then we set off for Mandurah. The sun was valiantly trying to shine and Helen (that’s our GPS) took us on the cook’s tour of Perth suburbs (so as to avoid the City central) until we emerged at Fremantle. Immediately upon our arrival it started raining. Why does Freo hate us? We skirted Fremantle and drove through to Mandurah.

Mandurah is very much a seaside holiday town. We walked along the boardwalk and had a bit of a look around and headed off towards Bunbury.

We camped at  John Tognela Rest Area (W) The ‘W’ stands for Wikicamps – a web site that list free spots. This is our first free camp for ages and it was incredibly busy with people stopping all night to wee. But we were the only ones camping. We both felt a bit uneasy but it was all OK.

Saturday 21^st September

This morning we headed into Bunbury, gathered maps and instructions and headed off past the giant chess game and up to the beach front.

 

The wind was still gale force as we headed up to the light house and lookout.

 

 

 

Then we came down into town, found a convenient little coffee house and indulged ourselves in muffins and scones before more grocery shopping and restocking of the wine cellar.

 

 

As we drove off towards Collie, there was much banging and crashing as another of our bowls suicided from the top cupboard, exploding into a thousand pieces all over Indie’s floor. Fortunately the other three bowls which plummeted to earth with it, escaped unscathed but we also lost two plastic bowls as well. It would appear that we had not prepared Indie for the road as well as we thought we had after our two week break!

We continued bravely on, through Collie and parked up at (175) Stockton Lake Recreation Area – West Entrance. The lake was formed when the disused open cut mine filled up with water. The incessant noise across the lake from the Motor Cross Championships being held here over this Queens Birthday Holiday long weekend have not made it the most pleasant of stops but on a fine, warm, windless, quiet day it would be fabulous.

 

 

 

The sound of the motor bikes finally ceased about 5.00pm; it was replaced by the doof, doof, doof of rock music which continued well into the night. Oh joy! Finally, after several hours of fierce competition between the sounds of music and howling winds and rain, I fell asleep.

Sunday 22^nd September

This morning did not bring much joy weather wise so we decided to up stakes and flee to relative comfort, by backtracking to Collie, and partaking of a McDonalds breakfast.

 

 

It seems we just escaped in time as we later heard that Collie had some localised flooding a couple of days later.

From Maccas we did another bit of a drive by of the township, stopping briefly to look at the trains and digger at the local Info Centre (which was of course closed because they don’t expect visitors on Sundays!!!)

 

 

 

Finally, we headed off to the town of Wagin by way of a huge open cut mine. It was quite one of the largest we have seen so far.(The photo only shows a tiny bit of it.)

 

Don’t be fooled by the blue skies. They only ever last a few minutes at a time!!!!