6 Jan (Day 323) - Perth to Herron Point (start of south-west 2 week trip)

 

95km

Wednesday 6 January 2021

Today we started out trip down south. Our original plan when we crossed the border back in November was to go along the south coast and make our way up to Perth but the quarantine time totally changed that plan. We had also hoped to do this part of the state on our last trip but Jude was on crutches after having broken his leg so it would have been too difficult.

The plan for this two week leg of our trip God willing, is to head along the south coast to Albany, along to Esperance and then back inland to Perth via Wave Rock and the Wheatbelt.

We are calling this 'Day 323' of our trip as far as it relates to travelling. Since we've been landed for a couple of weeks we'll just exclude those days in the official 'days of travel' count.

Anyway we headed off after having some morning tea at Dad & Mum's and made our way to fill up with fuel. Our first stop was about 200m away at the Thornlie Library for some essential reading material for the kids!

As we were travelling down the Freeway we remembered we needed to replace one of the gas bottles so stopped at Bunnings Baldivis. As we pulled up, the kids and I spotted an op-shop nearby so we all went to the op-shop while Greg exchanged the gas bottle. 

The Op Shop Team!

We have had some great fun in the last couple of weeks going to various op-shops getting some bigger sized clothes (particularly Matt as he's grown heaps on this trip) but also for the others and Greg & myself if we see something we really like and it's a bargain.

Greg had to make some modifications for the gas bottle clamps on the caravan. Most of the gas bottles are almost too large for the adjustable clamps which hold the gas bottles onto the van, and this new bottle was simply too large. Unfortunately Bunnings were out of stock of the proper part so he made up some extension pieces to cater for larger gas bottles from some screws and nuts.

 We didn't want to travel heaps today as we were both feeling pretty tired so I looked up a place that would have somewhere to swim as it's quite warm today and also have some sort of amenties. I found a spot called Herron Point just south of Mandurah. It was a paid site, but $17 for the night wasn't too bad.

Our camp at Herron Point

It's quite a small little spot just near a water inlet from the ocean called Collins Pool. We set up and then headed for the water to cool off. It wasn't very cool but it was cool enough to refresh and a lovely sea breeze came just enough to make it that little bit more pleasant.

We even had the pleasure of seeing some horses come down for a trot along the beach and a swim much to Bek's delight. The white horse was particularly elegant.

Swimming in shallow Collins Lake

Edit Feb 2021: It was interesting while we were here that the boys were off playing, but Bek was sitting in the water with the two of us. It was the sort of behaviour which indicated she wanted to ask us something but she didn't - she just seemed more comfortable with us than playing with the boys. It was the first of several little incidents over the rest of this trip where Bek seemed to have just grown up a touch and, in some cases, has preferred adult company to that of the boys.

-- Greg

Horses having their afternoon stroll in Collins Lake

The metal gasket was upside down.
The hole in this gasket (on the left) is
supposed to sit over the opening you
can just see under the solid portion of
the plate (on the right)

When we came back from our swim the kids did a bit of school work while Greg did a bit of work on the car to try and work out what the little noise was when we were driving down the Freeway. It turns out that a gasket was put in back to front by accident and needed cleaning and spinning around.  

We enjoyed eating dinner outside and watched yet another beautiful sunset. I don't think I'll ever get sick of sunsets.

-- Mim