After seven months in Western Australia, the time came to hit the road again. Enjoying a picnic along the banks of the Swan River near Bassendean during our last weekend in Perth, gave us the opportunity to farewell family and friends.

Goodbye Perth

Jack’s woolclassing trail

Departing Perth, early morning we arrived in Katanning just after ten o’clock. Reminiscing about his early woolclassing days, Jack was delighted to take in the streetscape around the King George Hostel where he briefly lodged during the winter of 1983.

Just seventy kilometres further east is the town and shire of Gnowangerup, where Jack worked his last woolclassing season before moving on to other things. Fond memories being rekindled as we passed through this prime sheep breeding and wool growing district.

A couple of days later we would travel through the Esperance district, where Jack also classed wool during the mid 1980s.

Hopetoun by the sea

Jack’s memory lane led us to Hopetoun on the south coast of Western Australia where we camped two nights at the free RV campground along the beach just a few hundred metres from the town centre.

The highlight of our stay was visiting our sister-in-law Tracy at her home located within fairly close proximity of the beach and Port Hotel.

Kumarl Campground, north of Salmon Gums

Sheltering for the morning in the relative cool of the coast, we awaited the southerly wind to head north to our overnight stay in the large free campground just off the Coolgardie – Esperance Highway.

Norseman, Western Australia

Departing early and arriving in Norseman to refuel just after seven-thirty in the morning, we were astonished to learn the Eyre Highway was closed due to a bushfire. Fortunately, the generous community of Norseman provide a free RV campground, where we sought refuge awaiting the reopening of the highway to the eastern states of Australia. A short Youtube video of the Norseman RV campground is below.

Although gold is still mined in a big way around Norseman, shopping in town is practically limited to the IGA supermarket, a couple of cafes, service stations and the “seen much better days” Norseman Hotel.

Night Escort through the bushfires

After waiting in vain for a day and a half for the road to reopen, we decided to join the evening convoy to be escorted to the other side of the Balladonia, clear of the still burning bushfires.

Four hours later we had covered just over two hundred kilometres and were very grateful to the workers who made it all possible. An overnight parking area was welcomed sight indeed, as the time was approaching ten o’clock.

The Great Australian Bight

Departing quite early and resolutely pressing on through the day, we crossed into South Australia mid afternoon. About fifty kilometre east of the border we set up camp on the cliff facing the Great Australian Bight.

A short Youtube video of the campsite:

Ceduna, a welcomed sight

Sleeping through a very windy night we began the final leg to of our journey from Perth to Ceduna. Covering 2100 kilometre in one week, a few days of rest and rejuvenation at Ceduna is very much on the cards!

Coming soon: Broken Hill, New South Wales