- Part 1: The Universe Gives Me A Nudge
- Part 2: Bangkok & Rest & Realisation In Koh Lanta
- Part 3: Singapore Slings & Bali Tranquility
- Follow On Instagram
Western Australia had been on my mind for years, ever since I hadn’t made it over there on my other trip down under.
And finally, I was there. I was in Perth.
I got out and about and saw the countdown clock in Yagan Square displaying 93 days 18 hours and 57 minutes until the start of the first Ashes Test.
I went to King’s Park, a huge inner-city park and cultural heritage site, and spent ages there walking up, down and around, dodging the rain before paying a visit to the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
But I wasn’t really in a city mood. So, I decided to hire a car and head down to the Margaret River region south of Perth.
Simple, eh? Not exactly, no. For the first time in my life, I was presented with an automatic car. Oh hell. Getting those pedals right didn’t come naturally to me. We lurched a little and we hopped – quite appropriately – like a kangaroo.
My mood lightened as I left the city and became more confident-ish with the car.
Surfing, Sunsets and Kangaroos
Margaret River is around 270km – about 168 miles – and a three-hour drive south of Perth with the area known for wineries, surfing and areas of natural beauty.
I got there in time to head down to Redgate Beach for the sunset and the surfers. Information boards told me I was in a coast risk area and warned me of dangerous rips and freak waves and swell.
The waves pounded against huge rocks with a boom, the spray was spectacular and the sky was huge. A few surfers arrived and paddled out to sea. It was all mesmerising.
I’m not sure how long I was there but I headed back to Waterfall Cottages where I was staying and sat outside with coffee listening to the sound of the river and what I presumed were animals all around. I was cold but didn’t want to move because it all felt so beautiful, so right being there.
The first thing I saw in the morning was a kangaroo outside the cottage. They stopped and looked at me as I looked at them and held my breath.
The sky was blue and the sun was warm as I headed to Surfers Point. Some swimmers had taken the plunge and were in the water. The surfers were out with people gathered on the clifftops looking on.
I walked and walked. The wind had whipped up and the rain had started to fall but on I went until it cleared again accompanied by the big noise and unpredictable power of the sea.
There were kangaroos all around when I got back to the cottage, some in groups and others alone. Some were grazing and others hopped away.
It had been a really special day and I’d loved it. I saw how Australians love nature and how connected they are to the water.
Where Two Oceans Collide
Augusta was up next to the south of Margaret River, where the Blackwood River flows into the Flinders Bay. It’s small but it has the most fantastic bakery with views that stretch over the river to the sea.
I stayed a while, alternately looking at the view and reading the local paper, and felt that although Augusta was quiet and small, there was a sense of things going on. Just an intuitive feeling and certainly not a bad one.
I headed towards Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point in Australia, with the road going alongside the coastline. The sea was only feet away so I pulled in to get close. However, I soon had a bad feeling and I almost felt as though I was powerless to stop the sea from coming up and engulfing and swallowing the car.
I moved on immediately to Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, built on the tip of the peninsula.
Cape Leeuwin is where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean and the sea is just wild with huge waves crashing into the shoreline and huge rocky outcrops.
According to the history books, 22 ships were wrecked before the lighthouse was built in 1895 and one since. The waters are treacherous and you can feel the raw force of the sea.
I went on a guided tour of the lighthouse where we could go outside once we’d climbed the 176 steps. I lasted less than a minute because of the power of the wind, I just wanted to be safe inside.
There was a trip to Busselton and its famous jetty on the way back to Perth. At 1,841 metres, it’s the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere.
And that was the end of my few days away south of Perth. I hadn’t been to Rottnest Island or Fremantle but they would have to wait until next time.
Instead, after a couple of days in Perth, I was heading north and starting out on what would be the experience like no other.