Our first road trip started on Saturday morning when we headed north with Bok in his car. We were off to visit the Pinnacles. Our accommodation was in Jurien Bay, not too far from the Pinnacles, but significantly cheaper than in Cevantes, which is even closer to the Pinnacles.
We stopped at the Pinnacles to have a look on our way to Jurien Bay. The ticket was good for the whole day, so we could go back later when the sun was going down. But first, we had a look around. How the pinnacles came to be is a mystery, but it doesn’t matter. Exploring the area is a good way to spend a few hours.
Too soon it was time to go to our motel and check-in. But after dinner, we went back for another look with the sun going down. Unfortunately, by the time we got back, the weather wasn’t so good; we had a bit of rain and no sunset. But it was fun anyway.
In the morning we went down to the beach to get some photos with sunrise, then had breakfast and packed up to return to Perth. On the return journey, we stopped off at Lancelin to have a look at the town before going to the Lancelin Sand Dunes. There was a strong wind there, with the sand being blown around. But that wasn’t stopping several people from various tour buses doing sandboarding. We didn’t bother, but we did enjoy the large dunes, despite the wind.
From there we continued south, stopping off at a town called Seabird, named after one of several local shipwrecks, for a not-very-good lunch. Then it was straight to Perth, where we picked up our rental car which would take us south. Bok went home; someone has to work.
Once in our car, our second road trip began by driving to Busselton, where we had accommodation booked. The area south of Perth is a very popular holiday destination, especially around the town of Margaret River. This is reflected in the cost of accommodation. We looked at staying in a cabin at a campground. The cheapest cabin, without a bathroom, was $90 a night (double that in high season)! So we stayed in Busselton. Busselton was nice. It is the proud home of the longest wooden piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, 1,841 metres long.
We were there in time to watch the sun go down from the beach before going to our motel for the night. The motel’s manager was German, so he and Kraut were able to have a good natter in Deutsch.
In the morning we drove to Cape Naturaliste to see the lighthouse. We got there just before opening time, but they let us in. The lighthouse was nice, but not spectacular. But we did enjoy the walk we did afterwards. This took us to the coast (the lighthouse is some distance from the seashore) where we were able to see the big waves crashing against the rocks. The wind was very strong and was causing a good swell on the ocean.
From Cape Naturaliste, we drove to the Canal Rocks. There we could really see the power of the ocean as it pounded the shore. It was just as we like it; dramatic. There was some drizzle, but the sea spray got us wetter than the rain did. Moving on, we went to Gracetown. This is a village which appeared to be mostly holiday homes. Nearby there was some good surf, and the surfers were out in numbers taking advantage of the conditions.
We also visited Prevelly where there weren’t any surfers. We wondered why until we found several bluebottle jellyfish on the beach. But the beach was nice, and again we could watch the sea pummelling the coast. After enjoying that for a while, we drove inland to the town of Margaret River, where we visited the information centre, before driving back to Busselton for the sunset. The conditions were much calmer in Busselton, being sheltered from the wind. However, the beach at Busselton is buried in seaweed. This is an annual feature; it is carried ashore by the sea during storms each Winter, but by Summer the sea has reclaimed it.
The next morning Kiwi got up early to see the sunrise at the beach, but again the weather wasn’t the best. After breakfast, we drove back to the jetty. We had decided we should walk to the end and back. So we did. It was a nice stroll, the weather improved, and we chatted to some of the people fishing off the jetty. Unfortunately, the car had to be back by 1400, so we had to leave. Once back in Perth, we dropped off our stuff at Bok’s place before returning the car. We then used the local train to get back to Bok’s place.
We enjoyed our road trips and would like to have had more time to see the South West. More money would also have helped; Australia is not cheap for accommodation or eating. What we did see and do was fun, and we would like to go back one day and spend more time. We shall see…
Wednesday was a nice lazy day, sorting through photos and doing laundry. On Thursday we packed, and in the afternoon Bok drove us to the airport for our flight home to Auckland. That is our travels done, well this lot anyway. All we can do now is go back to work and save for the next trip.
Thanks to everyone who has followed our travels. Especially thanks to Doug for your comments. We might add to this as we feel like it, maybe we will do some fun stuff in New Zealand we want to share. We shall see.
Thanks to everyone who is looking at our website. You can follow us on Instagram too.
If anyone has any questions about travelling in Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, or Western Australia feel free to contact us at thekiwiandthekraut@gmail.com
The Kiwi & The Kraut 
The pinnacles seem quite interesting. I wonder how many of these rock formations have names. I never made it out to Margaret River. It was a very popular destination for the backpackers I met it Perth. I think they were hoping to work at some of the wineries in the area.
Well, all things must eventually come to an end. I will miss your travelogues. For the past few months I feel as if I have taken a journey myself. Thank you both for sharing your travels. I eagerly await your next adventure! (Thanks for the shout out).
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