BootsnAll Travel Blogs

The trip out of the national park and into the Gibson, Simpson and Great Victoria deserts, isnt half as bad as I thought it would be …though of course in my case all went well – I had no mechanical breakdowns, so in reality, maybe I was just lucky!
the roads are fairly hard packed so keeping speed up to 100kmh isnt so hard – and theres almost no traffic, so dust isnt too great a problem nor are potholes etc.
I passed Dingo’s, camels, goats and wild horses, but they were all pretty few and far between.

My first stop was the Wilkuna ROadhouse, where – after posing for photo with a frozen kangaroos tail

– I booked into their backpackers hostel (tin shacks, with electricity, air-con 🙂 and spiders. I ate some chips and drank a coke (bluddy hot day today) then I drove more or less around the corner to the Giles weather station, where I had a mini tour around and then watched them set the 2pm (in whatever timezone we were in) weather balloon off. Back at the hostel, I photoshopped ome photos, checked the car and revelled in the air-con …until the power cut :'( It lasted a couple of hours and then miraculously came back on again…just in time for sleep 🙂
Next morning, I set off early and headed west…. the Great Central Road still the same as before – hardpacked sand/gravel. I enjoyed the drive so much I videod the car at one point …just for the hell of it.
TOnight I’m staying at the Tjukiyarla Roadhouse….after eating a toastie and coffee. I was the only person camping overnight so had the run of the place …with its Billabong room with Layzee Boy armchairs and TV !! …very nice it was ….I enjoyed the break 🙂
Early start again and this time driving on to Laverton …where there wasnt anything, so I carried on to Leinster …again nothing…so I carroed on to Sandstone: one of the original gold mining outposts. I stayed in a campsite here and popped into the National Hotel for a couple of Ted’s (Teweys Extra Dry lager) I met an austrian guy here who was panning for gold in the area – he showed me some of his finds ….not a lot and mostly samd grain sized …but wth gold prices the way they are, its worth a canny bit of dosh!
I decided to stay here for a couple of nights, so did a bit of touring around – London Bridge and the old brewery amongst other things …I also collected a lot of rocks…..to see if there was gold in them thar hills!
……there wasnt. Was nice chattin to Pete (the Austrian) and aI had a couple of beers with him and another old timer in the hotel that night ….then a travelling dutch couple arrived, so I had a few beers with them too 🙂
Next morning I packed and headed West to the WA coast at Drummond Cove, via Mount Magnet (with its HUGE population of wedge tailed eagles) and Yalgo where I managed to get fuel (after a struggle with my Visa card!)
I was nice to see the ocean again ….and its a great view from the campsite. I had a bit of a swim in the site pool to cool down after another long day n the saddle.
I had a brief sorte into Geraldton …but it was as crap as I remembered and after gettign ripped off for a burger and then at MacD for coffee, I got outta there!…pronto!!
After a great nights sleep I headed South down the Indian Ocean Highway to Jurien Bay where I did a deal for a nights camping. Lovely place …really liked ot here – plenty of facilities, great beach and swimming. I got a few beers and drank them to accompany my salad tea. Lovely evening with a great sunset too.
FInally I headed southi in the morning, to the Pinnacles again and various litle beachy towns, until I eventually landed back at Shaun and Maria’s new pad in Perth

he next 3 weeks were spend dining, sleeping, exercising and cleaning cars.
I managed to sellthe Surf to a guy on my 2nd day of advertising it – well, sitting at some traffic lights with a baner on the car. I got more for the car than I bought it for …and that was after completing 12000 miles in 12 weeks of driving (not including the NZ portion of the trip)

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