Western Australia

This is it, our final state in Australia and last few weeks. Luckily we met up with friends in Perth for our first night and were taken out for dinner in some style. Tasted snow crab, and you'll see from the size of it that 1 can feed four.

Snow Crab

Perth is a laid back city, quite small but with quite some character in its green fields, coast line and new skyscrapers. It feels like spring again, temperatures are soaring in the 20s and we (well Simon) are basking in the sun with nothing but shorts on. The skyscrapers are replacing the old buildings excepting a very touristic arcade made to look like it's an old london street, in some cases only the old building facade has been preserved.

Coastal Field Tree

On our quick trip around the south west we've managed to spot whales in Albany, try wine, beer and chocolate in Margaret River and of course drive another 2000 km. The south west is full of huge trees, known as the valley of the giants, and these trees are massive. When first discovered people were parking their cars inside the trunks, which although hollowed out somewhat doesn't mean the tree is dead. The trees are known as tingle trees or somewhat less exciting karri. Around this coast the beaches are pristine, with clear waters and wild waves crashing into the few rocks. Coming back up to Perth we stopped at lake Clifton to spot some strombolites which are living rocks growing at 1mm a year, pretty far out.

Old facade

We met a new friend from the Reunion, spoke of rum, cheese and other food, and she promptly invited us back to her place in Freemantle just south of Perth for our last few days. Raphaelle just left us to make use of her house and we did, cooking up some mussels for 6 and getting up when we felt like it instead of checkouts at 10am in all the hostels.

View from Botanic Gardens

Pretty Flower

Balancing Rock

Natural Granite Bridge Albany

A la Plage Albany

Inside Tingle Tree

Tall Tingle

View of Dunsborough Lake

Posum in the Backpackers

Strombolite

Dunsborough Beach

Dom and Raf

Another Facade