Anna's Aussie trip, Post 7: WA, Day 6

On Sunday, November 20th, Mum, Dad and I went to a nearby meeting and then had lunch back at the caravan park.  After lunch, they took me into Perth to show me some of the sights in Western Australia's capital city.

First we saw The Bell Tower, Home of the Swan Bells...

Then we walked out onto a pier on the Swan River and watched a tour boat pull in...

Next we drove up to Kings Park and Botanic Garden, which has an incredible location overlooking Perth city and the Swan River, but which was so full of Sunday afternoon picnickers that finding a park was almost impossible!  We found one eventually though, and spent a while enjoying the view before continuing on our way.

The Bell Tower and pier from another angle

Grass trees

Red kangaroo paw

Jacaranda tree

Next we headed to Fremantle, where we stopped at a hilltop memorial overlooking the coastal city...

...And then we drove into Fremantle and wandered through the streets, where we came across a street market with a "sticky maze"!  I really liked Fremantle - it had interesting architecture and a fun vibe.

That evening I took Mum and Dad out for dinner at Miss Maud Swedish Restaurant to thank them for a wonderful 6-day caravan trip.  This smorgasbord restaurant was recommended to me by one of our blog readers (thanks Jac!), and has been open 365 days a year without exception since 1973.  Not a bad effort, eh?!  We all enjoyed our delicious dinner at Miss Maud's, and I thoroughly recommend a visit if you're ever in Perth!

Later that night, Mum and Dad took me to the airport for my flight back to Brisbane.  Thanks, Mum and Dad, for a great trip!

Anna's Aussie trip, Post 3: WA, Day 1-2

I flew into Perth, Western Australia, around midnight on Monday, November 14th. As well as getting to spend 6 days road tripping with my "grey nomad" parents, I was also excited to be seeing WA for the first time - the far opposite side of Australia to where I grew up!

That night we stayed in the Perth caravan park where Mum and Dad had been based for a while. Then, the next morning we set off for Albany, a port city 400kms south-east of Perth. From Albany, we would spend the rest of the trip making our way back to Perth along Western Australia's south-west coastline, enjoying the sights en route.

The car and van...

More Aussie food I had been craving...

Most of Tuesday was spent driving to Albany on an inland road. Here are a few photos taken when we stopped for lunch...




And some from when we reached Albany that afternoon...







After staying Tuesday night at the Rose Gardens Caravan Park, the next morning we went for a van-free drive around Albany before it was time to check out of the park. We stopped to watch two tugs go out to meet a ship...





...And visited a war memorial that marked the place from where the first ANZAC convoy set off for WWI. Note the Harley riders - we saw them in every town and at every tourist attraction for days - 2500 of them were making their way to Margaret River for the 21st National H.O.G. Rally that weekend!














Some sights in Albany...



After collecting the van, our first stop was Cable Beach in Torndirrup National Park. These photos are an accurate depiction of the ocean's colour that day... it was stunning!










Our next stop was West Cape Howe National Park, where we saw The Gap...






...and The Natural Bridge.







A few photos from the beach where we stopped for lunch...







...and driving through some cattle country.

We stopped in the town of Denmark to visit the Tourist Info Centre and do some shopping at IGA so that I could cook dinner that night.
An afternoon walk along the beach at Peaceful Bay...




That night we stayed in a free roadside camp near the entrance to the Valley of the Giants (our first destination the next day). Here's a photo of Mum and Dad enjoying (well, hopefully!) the dinner I cooked in the caravan kitchen...

To be continued!