Tans in a Van

Our journey continued to the Wooramel River Retreat, a bushy setting nestled slightly inland. The main allure of this location was its natural artesian bore baths, which sounded lovely. However, arriving on a scorching 45-degree day had somewhat dampened our excitement for them. After setting up camp, we explored the property, where we were told that, despite the heat, the baths would remain delightful. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the shade and swaying gently in a hammock under the cool breeze. As evening descended, we ventured to the baths area, a bustling hub where guests gathered on a grassy area where we had dinner while a singer played some golden oldies. We then divided our time between the melodic tunes and the soothing baths which we found to be a truly delightful evening. The kids ran free, enjoyed playing giant lawn games and Lily jumped on stage for the last few songs for a dance. The next day gave us milder temperatures, allowing us to indulge in more frequent visits to the baths.

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We embarked on our journey from Kalbarri and headed towards Monkey Mia, a destination renowned for its daily dolphin feedings right from the beach. However, it offers so much more than that. The four-hour drive seemed to vanish from our minds upon arrival. The caravan park we stayed at felt more like a resort, complete with pools, restaurants, and bars, making it a refreshing change—a holiday within our holiday. After setting up, we immediately ventured to the beach, where we spotted dolphins playing just 10 meters offshore. The warm water invited us to spend the afternoon lazily alternating between the beach and the pool. As the day wound down, we indulged in happy hour at one of the restaurant bars, savouring delicious bacon fries before dinner. Later, we tried our hand at fishing on the beach, where Lily caught her first blowfish with some squid bait, an exciting moment even though it wasn’t fit for eating.

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After a lot of relatively short drives after crossing the Nullarbor, the drive to Kalbarri from Sandy Cape was a much longer 4 hour trip. Initially, Google said it would be an even longer journey due to a fire blocking the freeway, but to our pleasant surprise the road had reopened that morning. Once we arrived in Kalbarri, we set up camp allowing the children to enjoy the pool while Robyn and I attended to some much-needed laundry. That evening, we prepared dinner in the camp kitchen and a fellow camper generously shared with us a couple dozen crayfish legs from his day’s haul of ten crayfish, having run out of space in his freezer. They remain in ours, eagerly awaiting to be cooked!

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The morning after our incredible day in Rottnest, we packed up and encountered our first significant mishap of the trip. I accidentally left one of the caravan support legs unfolded, and as we pulled away from the campsite, it bent beyond repair. Fortunately, this happened while we were still in Perth, allowing us to find a replacement at a caravan supply store on our way out of town. A quick swap, and we were back on track, heading north.

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We departed from Mandurah and made our way to Perth. Along our journey, we paused to catch up with old colleagues (for anyone from work reading along, it was Brad and Chloe White), who had just returned to the area. It was wonderful to reconnect and see some familiar faces over breakfast. After our reunion, we set off for the caravan park, which boasted two inviting pools and a large spa that the kids immediately enjoyed. Refreshed and cool, we ventured into town to witness the last of the Giants, which was all the way up here. We also grabbed a few supplies in anticipation of the next day’s adventure to Rottnest Island.

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After a wonderful time in Margaret River, we ventured inland to Collie, eager to discover its renowned blue lakes, natural pools, and vibrant town artwork. We parked in a free campsite alongside the Clarke family, whom we befriended in Margaret River. Their two children clicked instantly with Ollie and Lily, making for great companionship.

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After leaving the cozy confines of our tiny house for the final time, we set off to explore a few remaining beaches in Albany that we hadn’t yet visited. Our first stop was Emu Point, followed by the scenic Middleton Beach. There, we paused for a coffee—milkshakes for the kids—while they enjoyed themselves on the playground. Our time in Albany was memorable.

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After wrapping up our adventures at Cape Le Grand, our journey led us to Albany. We initially returned to Esperance to explore a few beaches we had missed, but the weather initially had other plans as we got caught in a torrential downpour. We patiently waited out the storm while replenishing our supplies and enjoying a leisurely lunch. By the time we reached the iconic Twilight Beach, the rain had cleared and we got some lovely sunshine. We spent a few hours there before heading off to find a place to park up for the night.

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After our adventure across the Nullarbor, we made a stop in Esperance to replenish our supplies. Having crossed two state borders with strict quarantine rules, we found ourselves missing fresh fruit and vegetables. However, the steep prices—some as high as $12.99 per kilogram for bananas and apples—limited our choices. Despite these challenges, we did our best to restock before heading to our first caravan park, located an hour east of Esperance. Our main reason for visiting was to experience Wharton Beach, celebrated as one of Australia’s finest.

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