Day 1
We arrived at Perth extremely early in the morning. On a random note, the Netherlands beat Mexico in Round 16!! Ever since we went to New Zealand last year, my family had been loyal YHA members.
We set out to the north along the Indian Ocean Drive, heading towards Nambung National Park. Along the way, we stopped at several places, one being Lancelin. It is a small town famous for sandboarding. My virgin sandboarding experience was in 2007, and ever since, I've always wanted to sandboard again. After 7 years, my dream finally came true!
Ah so much memories. The view from on top the sandune was so pretty.
It literally takes forever to climb up the hill and five seconds to slide down.
We continued up north to the Pinnacles. It was such a gloomy day that it is almost impossible to get nice pictures. The second disappointment is that I was expecting the Pinnacles to be bigger in size than what I saw.
Yeap, this was it. I was expecting something more spectacular. But oh well. I managed to see a pretty sunset at the Indian Ocean though. And that marks the end of day 1.
Day 2
Today is gonna be a long day. We have at least 10 hours of driving to do. It started off with a nice, short trail walk up to the foot of Lesmurdie Falls. Based on the amount of water at just the foot, I reckon that it will be something quite majestic up at the cascade. Sadly, we didn't have enough time to trail up to the head of the falls.
We stopped by at the historical town of York on our way. The place is so small that the flour mill, which was once a big thing back then, had closed down. Even the cafe and gallery, even the toilets! LOL. But it was a pretty place, quiet and peaceful. The buildings along the Main Street make the town all the more worth visiting.
Next stop, Hyden. This is where the famous Wave Rock is located. Upon arriving, we realized that there are so many more places to see around that area. We stopped at Mulka's cave, which has legend behind it. There was the Hippo's Yawn, of which I didn't manage to get a picture of because I was too busy with my brother's camera.
Behold, this is the Wave Rock. Ah how dashing it is.
The view from the top is simply spectacular.
It feels like the dessert from the top.
We managed to stop by Lake Magic on our way out. It is so clear it reminded me of Mirror Lake in New Zealand.
Sometimes I really wish I can take pictures with just my eyes. Somebody's gotta invent that technology soon. The stars in the sky were so pretty. My brother taught me how to distinct a few horoscopes.
On a side note, this is the first time I drove in Australia. The feeling of driving after being car-deprived (I totally just made that word up) for four months is the best!
Day 3
100% chance of rain, says the weather forecast. I don't usually check the weather forecast, but this, definitely isn't good news. And indeed, it rained. We headed up to Mount Melville that oversees Albany. The view will definitely be better if it wasn't raining. So this was all we saw.
My brother was too smart that he decided to take a different route back to the carpark. We ended up getting further and further into the forest, not forgetting the pouring rain, and came out at the opposite side of the mountain. Soaking wet, we sought for help from an employee of the only workshop in sight. Such a Good Samaritan he was to give us a ride back to our car.
Off we went to Torndirrup National Park. It was indeed a blessing to be able to witness such natural wonders. And the sky cleared up right when we got there. Perfect timing! The pictures below are The Gap and Natural Bridge respectively. We also went to a blowhole, but sadly, the waves weren't high enough for a picture.
Up next, Williams Bay it is. The wind was so strong that I really felt like I was being blown away. It even made walking a huge challenge. There was the Elephant Rock and the Greens Pool. Goodness overload in a day.
A walk in the Ancient Empire and Valley of the Giants, in the rain again, to end the day. There were some pretty cool-looking trees that were burnt down in a huge fire yet still survived till today.
Day 4
Six centigrade. Climbing the 63m Gloucester Tree on metal pegs with bare hands. Not be the best thing to do early in the morning when the wind is strong, but we made it to the top! Initially the height looked so intimidating, but once we were on our way, we just kept going on (also because there wasn't an option for us to chicken out halfway through).
We stopped by Beedelup Falls on our way. Bibbulman Trail seems to be everywhere. It is a 1000km trail from Albany all the way to Perth. 1000km, that's insane. One must really have a lot of stamina and determination to complete the entire trail. It always amazes me how people discover these trails, when technology was yet to be so advanced back then.
The day just got more exciting. We headed to Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point in Australia. I'm glad we actually did the tour up the lighthouse, it was really informative. It never dawned on me that a lighthouse keeper's role is that significant. Being a soon-to-be engineer, it got me thinking about how these people came across the idea to build a sophisticated lighthouse back in the 1890s.
This is the cape that separates the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Or I should say, this is where the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. I think I can stay out all day watching the ocean.
We went to Mammoth Cave next, since my brother said we've seen too much of the ocean this trip. Caves always marvels me, it's the most fantastic and brilliant display of nature's works. Stalactites and stalagmites, straws and columns, never fails to amaze me.
And also, I love the sun (very much) if you haven't known yet. Especially sunsets and sunrises. They are the best.
All today, my brother and I have been talking about my sister. How we used to tease her and how she would respond to all our annoyance. We concluded that trips without her are so different. Oh how I miss that little kid.
At night, we had fish and chips for dinner at Cicerello's in Fremantle. To be honest, I personally find the food there rather mediocre. After dinner, we took a stroll down the main streets of Fremantle, as well as along the beach. It indeed is a nice place to be.
Day 5
Usually people leave the best for the last, but after a whole strand of scenic tours back to back, I find Perth city itself rather boring. There really isn't much that interest me here, no offense. We headed to the cultural centre where the state library, state theatre, art gallery and museum are located.
Sometimes, I don't understand art.
But at the same time, there were some displays that are really worth the visit.
I noticed that parents or schools bring a lot of the children to visit the cultural centre, be it the museum, library or art gallery. It was a rather comforting sight, but at the same time, it got me thinking about what parents and schools back home do with the kids during holidays or free time. Nowadays, majority from the younger generation are so engrossed with techy stuff that they don't appreciate good knowledge anymore. I'm speaking for myself too, and it's time for a paradigm shift.
There was an exhibition hall in the museum that displays the history of aborigines in Western Australia. This is not the first time I've seen stories about aborigines or initial inhabitants of the land being oppressed by colonists. In fact, almost every museums I've been to have such displays, regardless of which country it was. It's really heart-breaking to see such violence, cruelty and discrimination. Many a time, it just highlights how strong and form these aborigines stand on their own culture and beliefs, refusing to succumb to unwelcomed authorities. I'm glad that today, such injustice has been reduced all around the world, but also sad to see evil transforming to other forms, such as child abuse and human trafficking.
Although there weren't as much million-dollar scenery to see in the city, I indeed learned a lot today. Good information/knowledge that gets me thinking.
We caught a bus to the University of Western Australia for a tour around the campus. Nothing beats the University of Queensland. Yet. Proud to be a UQ student. The historical buildings on this campus are remarkable, but other than that, it looks rather old.
Sadly, they had an antique exhibition in the Winthrop Hall, or else we could have gone in and up the clock tower. They said the architecture on the inside is spendid.
It just had to rain on our way up to King's Park. They say it's the best place to get a view of the entire Perth CBD. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to see that due to the thick clouds. Even the night view wasn't that great, but at least, it was better than nothing.
Today, while I was in the museum, I overheard the conversation of two Italians. The younger lady was translating the explanation on the displays to an older lady, while the older lady repeats whatever the former said. Also, at King's Park, I also encountered another two Italian talking about the rainy weather and about the locations of several buildings in the city. I'm glad that I can still catch part of the conversations, but I reckon it is time for me to polish up my rusty Italian. Note to self.
This marks the end of our Western Australia trip. So long, for now. I will definitely come back one day. There are just so many places yet to be explored in this beautiful state.
Till the next time!
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