Wrapping up

Posted by efloow on January 21, 2016 in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

 

After seven months on the road, 32000 kilometres, and 6000 litres of diesel we have finally made it home to rejoin the real world. We have had so many varied experiences and learning opportunities, each with its own thrill and unique memory that it seems almost impossible to distil it all down to a final blog!

 

 

We have been treated to the most incredible, remote, diverse and expansive landscapes along the way and it has been so difficult to do justice to the enormity of it with words or the camera. We have been awed by the vivid and contrasting colours of the Indian Ocean around Cape Leveque, Exmouth and Shark Bay, as well as the Southern Ocean around Esperance and Cape Arid, and by the drama of the mountain landscapes around the Kimberly and West MacDonell Ranges.

 

 

Everywhere we went was rich with wildlife and we have had opportunities to get close to so many different birds, reptiles, marine creatures and animals. The whale shark swim around Exmouth was the obvious highlight of this, but also there was also the encounters with manta rays, turtles, sea lions, sharks and bird life, both wild and captive.

 

 

We have been given the tiniest glimpse of the depth and breadth of Aboriginal history and culture. The stories behind the rock art and the aboriginal sites in Arnhemland were fascinating and set us up to appreciate what we would see later. The few opportunities that we had to learn of indigenous culture and lifestyle with our guides in Cape Leveque and Shark Bay, gave us some insight into their knowledge, the bonds they have with the land and the challenges that contemporary communities have in amalgamating this rich history into our version of Australia.

 

The pastoral life of Bullo River Cattle Station gave us some idea of an iconic Australian lifestyle. It seemed like such a tough and consuming life trying to make a living in the harsh environment of the Kimberly, but everyone there shared with us how rewarding it can be being so close to such an amazing landscape. Not to mention the practical experience gained: quad biking for the kids and how to castrate a bull with a pocket knife!

 

 

We have come to appreciate the remoteness of this continent and the beauty and rewards that come from this. Once you get away from he east coast the distances between places are massive and it becomes relatively easy to feel very isolated and alone. Of course there is also the terrain that we have had to cross to get there. For us our trip to Bachsten Bush Camp was the best illustration of this, a challenging ten hour drive to cover just 150 kilometres to arrive at a truly remote bush camp. This was in stark contrast to the equally remote Kimberley Costal Camp that was only accessible by helicopter. The ability to construct, maintain, and run the camp in the most isolated and stunning part of the Kimberley is incredible, but also to do it to such a high standard. There cannot be too many resorts in the world where you can enjoy catching or foraging for your own gourmet dinner while avoiding the local crocodiles, sharks and snakes!

 

It has been fascinating learning more about the continent. Seeing the magnitude and extent of mining has been mind boggling and we have come to appreciate how much it shapes the landscape and life in many parts of Australia. We were aware of the scarcity of water, but to see the efforts to ensure a stable water supply, like Lake Argyle or Kalgoorlie pipeline, was really interesting. We also came to appreciate the size and significance of the wheat industry, but saw how the extensive land clearing has altered a delicate balance and lead to excessive salination of the the water table. Another aspect of this was the efforts to restore the status quo through expanding national parks, and organisations like the Mornington Widerness Conservancy that protect vast swaths of land to give native fauna a better chance at survival through the removal feral animals and more frequent controlled burns.

 

Almost everyone who has heard our story, travelling for 7 months living in a 7 x 2 meter camper has asked 'are you still talking?' The reality is it has been a very special time. All the things we have seen and done have given us a basis to interact in such a positive way without any of the distractions of our day to day lives. We are all much better friends, communicators and have a better understanding of each other. This is especially true for Holly and Alex who are inseparable.

 

 

After 'are you talking?', the next question is 'have the kids changed?'. There's the physical stuff – taller, blonder, more tanned, more cheeky. Alex left with two baby front teeth and now has two shiny adult ones. They have become voracious readers, to the point that we had to get them Kindles because we couldn't find enough books! Through Mummy school, times tables have moved on from stumbling halted affairs to something that nearly rolls off the tongue. Holly has become so much more confident in herself and her interactions. Alex's appetite for knowledge is bottomless, questions on everything, along with “what can we talk about?”

 

 

We carried surf boards and stand up paddle boards for the whole trip, but have really had little use of them. There is the usual list of excuses with a few original ones – too gnarly, crocodiles, irukandji, too many rips, too cold, and too much reef. However, from Margaret River onwards we have given it a good go, and Alex and I are significantly better ‘surfers’ than when we started. Fishing has been the real surprise and engaging pastime of the trip. From tentative, supervised beginnings with barramundi and jew fish up north (including a heli-fishing outing), to charters for sport fish in the north west and then finding our own way down the coast with many hours and dollars spent. We seem to be finding our feet and enjoying some catching, rather than just fishing!

 

Bad experiences? In terms of camping we have been incredibly fortunate. Of all the places we have stayed, the only sites that didn't work for us were Derby (too many permanent campers watching and interested in our business) and Monkey Mia (overcrowded and noisy neighbours). We have also struggled a little with the school holiday crowds. When you are on the road for a while you switch to a traveller mode and not the late night reveller mode that goes with short term holiday camping. Both are not really compatible in the same camp ground! We will be glad not to see pit toilets agains, there are 'good' ones, but there is a distinctive aroma that we won't miss.

 

Our route took us straight thought the centre to the top end and then down the west coast before skirting around the bottom of Australia. The plan was to follow the perfect weather and in general we got it right. Warm days, cool nights were the order of the day. The only bit that we missed in our planning was the winds that batter the west coast in summer, but this was remedied by our investment in a gazebo for more shelter. We were also a little unfortunate that summer arrived late to the southwest and we made an unplanned investment in some warmer clothing, but eventually the sun caught up with us. We also managed to avoid rain, only getting really getting drenched on one soggy occasion in Hopetoun.

 

 

Our setup, the pop-top camper and the Discovery worked really well for our needs. It gave us the flexibility we needed to get off the beaten track whilst giving us a reasonable level of comfort, adequate storage, and the freedom to move easily every few days. Our camp setup time became pretty fast with a well choreographed ballet developing early on in the trip. We could go up to 7 days without provisioning as long as we had some access to water for washing, although pesto pasta became the meal of last resort! We appreciated the ability to indulge every 3 or 4 weeks and move out of the camper to regroup and we planned these breaks around houses in Broome and Fremantle or the incredible experiences in places like Arnhemland, Bullo River and KCC.

 

 

For an Irishman and Englishwoman with 35 years in Australia it was a real treat to have the opportunity to see so much of our adopted country. There was rarely a day that passed that we did not encounter some amazing spectacle or learn something new, and it was great to be able to share the wonder of this adventure with the kids. We have only scratched the surface, there are still many more places yet to visit… time to plan the next trip!