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Tag Archives: Cervantes
Australia day 83 – Cervantes to Yanchep, WA
Last night was a bitterly cold and even at 8am the temperature is still only 8 degrees. It is proving hard to keep warm at night even sleeping fully clothed and with the additional blankets. We re-light the fire this morning and have breakfast huddled round the flames for warmth. Cows and sheep can be heard grazing somewhere nearby and galahs are calling in the trees as the sun filters through the leaves. Despite the cold start we are in for another gloriously sunny day and even at this time of year (winter) the temperatures are in the 20s when the sun is out.
Cervantes – which is not full of people tilting at windmills – is a small sleepy town where little opens on a Sunday apart from the general store. The main attraction in this area is the Pinacles Desert in Nambung National Park a few kilometres outside town. Lonely Planet describe it as ‘other worldly’ and the large limestone obelisks rising out of a golden desert create a surreal landscape that could well be a set from Star Wars or Star Trek. Thousands of naturally occurring limestone pillars some as tall at 5m weathered by the elements into some intricate shapes, are scattered across an area of 400 hectares. There is a short walking trail as well as a 4 km loop road which winds through the formations, for those, like us, too lazy to walk round.
From here we travel further south to Yanchep about 70km of Perth. We are now within striking distance of our goal and the end of what has been an amazing 10,000 kilometre road trip. We can hardly believe that we have been on the road for two months! As we approach Perth there is less bush and more rolling farmland. Trees are much more in evidence, traffic is on the increase and sheep and cattle graze alongside the highway. We camp a Willanga Grove Rest Area. This rather noisy site on the roadside is not our first choice, that seems to have been decommissioned. So we have to make do. This, unsurprisingly, is not a popular site judging by the absence of any other vans and the abundance of firewood.
Posted in Australia, Western Australia
Tagged Australia, Cervantes, Western Australia, Yanchep
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Australia day 82 – Eneabba Bush Camp to Cervantes, WA
Blue sky and sunshine greet us this morning and by mid morning it is lovely and warm. We are making our way down the coast to Cevantes to visit the Pinancles Desert National Park and along the way stop a Leeman Green Head and Jurien. Leeman is a tiny fishing village (population 680) with an old wooden jetty jutting out into a picturesque bay. A large grassy area fronts the ocean edged by small, single storey houses. The few people about are drawn to the jetty like us, curious to see what might be swimming by. A young boy is fishing. And we are in luck as two massive sting rays glide under the jetty posts; each with a wingspan of at least 5′. Leeman might well specialise in large creatures as we come across a monster ant which must be at least an inch long, it’s massive pincers clearly visible; a nip from those and you would know about it.
Green Head is a similar kind of place, but seems to be slightly more popular with the boating set if the number of 4wd and boat trailers are any indication. The focal point here is the boat ramp.
Jurien is another lovely, unspoilt bay with a white sand beach strewn with washed up seaweed. But as well as the debriis, seaweed grows along the waters edge clinging to the sand and preventing it from being washed away. This gives the impression of miniature cliffs along the waters edge. This sleepy ‘resort’ seems to shut up shop at the weekend; the visitor’s centre is closed, as is the only internet cafe and the ‘bottle-o’ and indeed most of the few other shops. Only the general store and the petrol station are serving customers. So we push on to Cervantes and stop overnight at Tuarts Reserve, a delightfully secluded camping area shaded by large Tuart trees. We are now becoming expert at foraging for firewood – essential for keeping warm in the evening.
As the weather gets progressively cooler and the sun rises later so our sleeping habits are returning to a more normal pattern – going to bed later providing the firewood lasts, and getting up later once the sun’s begun to take the chill out of the air. Andy still rises early, but now lights a fire in the morning to keep us warm while we eat breakfast. A fire is definitely one of the pleasures of rough camping in Australia and – despite the lack of facilities – gives it the edge over staying at caravan parks where fires are strictly prohibited.
Posted in Australia, Western Australia
Tagged Australia, Cervantes, Eanabba Bush Camp, Western Australia
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