UPDATE: Western Australia Adventure Part II has just been released!
Before jumping in to this post, I would like to re-greet everyone as I dust off some of the cob webs from my Steemit blog, which I haven't opened in forever. I've been doing some juggling recently, busy with life, motherhood, and a bit of traveling. Speaking of traveling, I'm very happy to be back and excited to share our recent travels in Western Australia.
Me and @starthere chose to go to WA for our family vacation because it's one of the "shortest" flights (still about 7 hours each way!) we thought we could bear flying with a toddler to a destination that would still be somewhere new for everyone. In 2016, we traveled to New Zealand and fell in love with the experience of exploring, road-tripping, and camping. We were hoping to somehow recreate that adventure, this time with our little plus one.
We flew from Bangkok past midnight and were greeted by the morning sun down under in Perth. We made Perth our entry and exit point and planned to set out north up the coast of WA.
Perth wasted no time in charming us. It had all the perks of city life but felt very laid back at the same time. We went to King's Park where we could see the beautiful cityscape of Perth from above.
We explored the neighborhood around our hotel and found a splash pad in the heart of the city surrounded by cafes and restaurants. Our boy had a blast - it did not go well trying to explain to a happy wet toddler that it is time to go!
The next day we picked up our sweet ride and home for the next 2 weeks. A 4WD pick up truck with a built in tent on top. We found it on www.shareacamper.com, like an air bnb for camping vehicles. To help guide our trip we used an app called Campermate to find campsites along the way (we used this in New Zealand too). Oh, before I forget, I have to mention that the tent on top of the car was automatic! Push a button and in 30 seconds our room for the night was all set up. Easiest camping we've ever done!
First night we camped at Sandy Cape (north of Cervantes). Our campsite was just a short walk away from a deserted beautiful white sand beach with tons of sand dunes to play on.
The next day, after a long day of driving, we settled into Gladstone Campground for the night. We had a site fronting the beach, great view for sunset and sunrise.
My boys and their breakfast before we hit the road heading North to Karijini National Park.
They say that part of the outback adventure is seeing these massive 42 wheeled trucks on the road with you. Road trains!
Australia is massive and sometimes we find ourselves the only one driving on the road. Some of these roads are also used as emergency airstrips.
We ended our Day 4 at a campsite on the road to Karijini with a pit toilet and we camped there for free. The campsite comes with free pesky flies that will drive you insane. You will definitely know that you are in the outback because of these flies. However, in the morning we were greeted with the chirping of loads of friendly birds which we all enjoyed a lot more than the flies.
We finally arrived at Karijini National Park. After securing our campsite at Dales Gorge, we wasted no time exploring.
That first afternoon, we hiked down to see the beautiful Fern Pool, where @starthere took a dip in the cold water. The tropical girl in me just could not take the coldness of the water.
You will see a lot of eucalyptus tree in Australia. A lot a lot. As I'm putting together this blog entry I just read that they even have their own National Day in Australia on March 23!
Just before the crowd arrives, we were able to enjoy Fortescue falls and even took a dip in the water. It was cold but @starthere was able to convince me to jump in - I'm glad I went in, it was beautiful...and warmer near the falls!
We also saw some gorges around the park from various view points. This view was from Geoffrey Gorge, which to me was the most beautiful gorge in the park.
There are also a lot of massive termite houses all over the park. We heard that they are at least three times bigger underneath than what is visible on the surface.
On the second night at Karijini National Park, we camped at Karijini Eco Retreat. If you're feeling adventurous, their restaurant serves emu, kangaroo, and crocodile sausages - although we did not have the nerve to try!
We stayed 2 nights at Karijini and after retraced our steps for a while before heading to Coral Bay. I will continue our road adventures on my next post. I hope you enjoyed reading and seeing the photos from our trip. Let me know if you have any questions regarding the journey and I will be happy to answer them.
The journey continues with Western Australia Adventure Part II!