Lake Cave, WA

Posted on November 16, 2017 by kenwehner

14 November 2017

Caves Road runs about 90 km from Dunsborough in the north to Augusta in the south. It was constructed to provide access to the areas many caves, an early tourist destination for the region. After a lunch stop in Margaret River, we took a portion of the scenic drive to Lake Cave. True to its namesake, Lake Cave has a pool of water that provides stunning reflections. It was a fun stop on our road trip. The Margaret River area has plenty to offer but we had to keep moving if we were going to make it to Albany tonight.

Pic 2017-1114 04 Lake Cave (5) Edit

View of cave entrance from overlook

Pic 2017-1114 04 Lake Cave (11) Edit

View looking up from the mouth of Lake Cave

Pic 2017-1114 04 Lake Cave (15) Edit

Inside Lake Cave

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Busselton, WA

Posted on November 15, 2017 by kenwehner

14 November 2017

Pic 2017-1114 01 Busselton Jetty (6) Edit

We continued south along the coast from Bunbury to our first stop, Busselton. Busselton sits on the gorgeous white sands of Geographe Bay. The town was buzzing with activity. I immediately regretted staying in Bunbury the past few nights.

Busselton’s Jetty is an iconic pier that is almost 2 km (1.25 miles) long. So long in fact that it has a railroad with three stops! We opted to walk.

Busselton Jetty

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Bunbury, WA

Posted on November 14, 2017 by kenwehner

11 to 13 November 2017

Pic 2017-1113 01 Bunbury (21) Edit

We drove south from Fremantle to Bunbury for a three night stop. We stayed in a holiday park just a 10 minute walk south of Bunbury’s center and directly across from Koombana Beach and the Dolphin Discovery Center. We enjoyed our stay however it did not go as well as planned. Koombana Beach is under construction. The beach is still accessible and the Dolphin Discovery Center is open but both are nearly abandoned due to construction. What seemed like the perfect location when planning this trip will be the perfect location next year.

We spent time in Gnomesville, Donnybrook – the Australian apple capital, Peppermint Grove Beach, and Bunbury. Unlike the go-go-go pace of the first week, we were less ambitious and more relaxed while here.

Bunbury

Pic 2017-1112 02 Peppermint Grove Beach (1) Edit

Peppermint Grove Beach

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Gnomesville

Posted on November 13, 2017 by kenwehner

11 & 13 November 2017

Pic 2017-1111 03 Gnomesville (11) Edit

After a fantastic week in Perth, we started south along the Western Australia coastline. Along to way we found Gnomesville, a quirky gathering of thousands of gnomes. The extent of the gnomes was hard to capture in pictures. We enjoyed the novelty so much we went on a search for our very own garden gnome. We returned two days later to add our contribution.

My only regret is I did not know about this place before we left the States. I wish I had commissioned my friend and talented artist, Robert Tatters, to create one of his handmade gnomes for this display. Gnomesville, a truly unique roadside attraction.

Gnomes, gnomes, and more gnomes!

Our addition

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Penguin Island, WA

Posted on November 13, 2017 by kenwehner

10 November 2017

Pic 2017-1110 02 Penguin Island (54) Edit

Penguin Island is a small island included in the Shoalwater Islands off the coast of Rockingham. It hosts a small colony of Little Penguins, also known as Blue Penguins. The Discovery Center cares for rescued penguins and provides an up close look at the notoriously shy bird. The island is also home to a variety of sea birds. So many birds in fact, the island has heavily stained boardwalks and a distinct smell.

We took an adventure cruise that included a tour of the Shoalwater Islands and views of wildlife including dolphins and sea lions. The dolphins enjoyed swimming in the wake of the boat, jumping with the waves. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed seeing them in the wild.

The cruise dropped us off on the island where we spent time snorkeling, swimming and walking the island’s boardwalks and beaches.

Dolphins

Wildlife including Sea Lions, Pelicans and Osprey

Pic 2017-1110 02 Penguin Island (26) Edit

Little Penguins also known as Blue or Fairy Penguins

Shoalwater Islands

Penguin Island Beaches

Pic 2017-1110 02 Penguin Island (78) Edit

Birds, birds, and more birds

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Joondalup Kaleidoscope Festival

Posted on November 12, 2017 by kenwehner

9 November 2017

Pic 2017-1109 06 Joondalup Festival (2) Edit

Joondalup is a suburban town north of Perth. We were lucky enough to be here during their second annual Kaleidoscope Festival. It was an amazing free festival with a variety of light art installations, activities, food, music and live performances. We became interested when we heard Fantastic Planet would be on display.

Fantastic Planet is a light art installation that includes two 40 foot tall humanoid figures. It was designed by an Australian artist, Amanda Parer with a studio in Tasmania. We were fortunate to see Intrude in 2016 at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Intrude was comprised of 5 large rabbit figures. We enjoyed her work then and enjoyed it again today.

The festival was our second impressive light art experience in Australia. Earlier this year we saw Field of Light near Ayers Rock.

My amateur photography could not capture the amazing displays of light, but here are a few attempts.

Kaleidoscope Festival 2017

Fantastic Planet 2017

Intrude at NC Museum of Art 2016

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Quokka

Posted on November 11, 2017 by kenwehner

 

7 November 2017

Pic 2017-1107 08 Rottnest Quokka (22) Edit

Quokkas are marsupials, similar to kangaroos and wallabies, about the size of a cat. They can only be found in small quantities in Western Australia and on a few islands off the coast. They are classified as a vulnerable species so it is illegal to touch or feed them. Rottnest Island is well known for these little guys and added to the enjoyment of the day.

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Rottnest Island, WA

Posted on November 11, 2017 by kenwehner

7 November 2017

Pic 2017-1107 04 Rottnest Porpoise Bay (0) Edit

Rottnest Island is a popular tourist destination off the coast of Fremantle. The ferry from Fremantle only takes 30 minutes. We rented bicycles to explore the island. After our Great Barrier Reef trip last month we did not expect beaches that could compete with Northern Queensland. The white sand beaches and crystal clear water of Rottnest might be the best we’ve experienced yet. Everywhere we looked was a postcard view. In addition to scenic beaches, lakes, and lighthouses, Rottnest Island also has the unique and incredibly cute Quokka.

Rottnest Island has one problem that is not apparent in pictures and is somehow never mentioned in brochures… flies, lots of flies. When we first arrived, the flies swarmed us to the point it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. Once I biked back to the General Store and bought the strongest insect repellant I could find, the beauty of the island became obvious and we greatly enjoyed our time.

Rottnest Beaches

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Bathurst Lighthouse

Pic 2017-1107 13 Rottnest Bathrust Lighthouse (4) Edit

Bicycle – the favorite mode of transportation

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Perth – Day 2

Posted on November 11, 2017 by kenwehner

8 November 2017

We returned to Perth, this time to walk the west side. It was a terribly long walk but the views from Kings Park and various places we found did not disappoint. Our walk took us on a giant loop from Perth’s center to Perth Arena, Parliament House, Jacob’s Ladder, Kings Park, University of Western Australia, and back through the suburb of Subiaco (“Subi”) to West Perth.

Parliament House

Jacob’s Ladder – All 242 steps

Memorials in Kings Park

Kings Park with Skyline Lookouts

University of Western Australia

West Perth

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Perth – Day 1

Posted on November 10, 2017 by kenwehner

6 November 2017

Pic 2017-1108 08 Perth War Memorial (4) Edit 2

Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. With a population over 2 million, it is the fourth largest Australian city and roughly equal to Houston, Texas. Perth is the only major city on the west coast. While it is a large metropolitan area, it is isolated from the other major cities. It would take 28 hours of driving to reach the next closest major city, Adelaide. We took a 5 hour flight from Brisbane on the east coast. We could have flown to New Zealand in only 3 hours. Despite the isolation, the city is growing quickly. The skyline is filled with construction cranes.

Perth might be our favorite capital city Australia. On our first full day in Western Australia, we took the train from Fremantle to the city center. We took a walking tour of the central business district, Elizabeth Quay, Langley Park, St. Georges and Adelaide Terrace, and the Cultural Centre. The city is well planned despite the Swan River snaking through its heart. The commuter train system is excellent, clean and easy to navigate.

St. Georges Terrace Area

Elizabeth Quay featuring the Bell Tower

East Perth

Pic 2017-1106 09 Perth Nostalgia Box (5) Edit

Playing Pong! at Nostalgia Box Museum

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