Life Is A Highway and Kangaroo's Are Stupid

I know this is the 1st email in months but really not had much to say. I know that is shocking. I've flown to the other side of the world to not having anything to write about...... Well until now

Well my time in Perth hasn't been a total picnic, I have a job as a waitress at an Itatalian Resturant where I have met some awsome people it's busy but great fun. I have also met some one pretty special he's called Kevin and he's the cousin of one of my good friends in Leeds. He's a great guy a bit of a lad sometimes his family are great, his dad has a very high opinion of Keighley girls although i'm not too sure why but when i was talking to my dad last night he did day that he's seen Grimsby girls so he can see where he's coming from but then again he's my dad he has to be nice to. So all in all I'm very happy here in Perth, technically Fremantle is where I live but it's a suburb of Perth.

So I've had a bit of an adventure I've taken a road trip up the West Coast of Australia. There were 5 of us in a camper van designed for 4. I went with 2 girls that I worked with at the restaurant, Gregor who was one of the girls friends from Germany and Mike a French/Spanish guy who responded to an ad that Steph had placed on the internet, we was a find and a half. He provided us with entertainment and he cooked us food every night on a tiny stove in the back of our camper van he was amazing.

So it took us 11 days of driving well not constant driving and 4000km (2480 miles to you and me) to get from Perth to Broome as you can imagine there were tears and laughter all they way but me made it with only some slight misshaps taking a corner too fast and almost coming off the road, a close encounter with a kangaroo...... They really are stupid they see you you see them you slow down to see what it's gonna do, just as you think this one's got some common sense it jumps out in front of you. You only have a split second to think do I swerve and end up in a ditch or hit it and write off the van? We swerved but fortunatly avoided the ditch like I said kangaroo's are stupid.... What else yes we drove into a bottle shop and hit the height thing and damaged the top of the van, that's ok tho the girls are blaming the company saying they never checked it. Somewhere along the line i'd gone from being called Yvonne to Gaga to Gags got to admit it was so random it took me a few days to realise it was me that they were calling Gaga and I still don't know where it came from.

Our 1st stop on the adventure was the Swan Valley, it's just outside of Perth and is a major wine growing area so there was a bit of wine tasting which I must say was pretty nice wine too, there was some chocolate tasting too now i've been complaining about the chocolate state of affairs here in Australia the chocolate is very bitter and not as nice as it is back home but at this chocolate factory the cocolate was to die for we would try a bit from the sample bowl walk around a bit then find ourselves back at the samples it really was good chocolate would give Galaxy chocolate a run for it's money. Oh and Cheese being a bit of a cheese finde i loved the cheese tasting too. After spending far too much time in Swan Valley he had a race against time to make it to the Pinnicles desert before sunset, time was against us and the sun had already set but it wasn't dark yet so we had about 20 minuets to take some photo's which was fun.

Australia is a huge country and you have your cities but there isn't really a lot in between but it's not until you get on the road that you fully begin to appriciate the size of this country and just how much of nothing is in between. You can thinnk right this is 3 hours driving but by the time you get there it is usually double that and you have nothing but road in front of you, kangaroos sadly more dead than alive the odd car or road train passing in the opposite direction. Greasy little roadhouses where the staff live out the back because the closest town in 100km away.

We spent 2 nights sleeping in national parks. Kalbarri was the 1st I was in complete owe of it gorges of red rock dry rivers but some beautiful and I'd heard that karajini was the better of the 2 and couldn't wait to see how spectacular this one was and I wasn't disapointed at all. There was water in the rivers here beatiful waterfalls and some great walking trails really was amazing. Even saw a snake here, well the term snake leaves alot to be desired even me a snake o phobe would call this a worm, very pleased that I didn't freak out too much. Did become a bit OCD with the van doors when the brochures said that pythons lived on the park even offered to sleep on the top bunk just to make sure I was safe glad I didn't know about the hole in the vent from the accident at the bottle shop lol

Monkey Mia was supposed to be our first beach stop but sadly the weather was against us it rained all day. But the real highlight here was the wild dolphins that come into shore every day to be fed fish it's something that been happening for about 14 years and the dolphins are really the only locals there was a bit of a tourist hot spot but really not one to be missed.

Coral bay was our next stop another beach and again rain rain rain. We booked a day trip to go out diving and then swimming with manta rays, the sun came out for our day trip which was nice the manta rays were awesome and the dives well the 2nd dive more than the 1st was out of this world there were sharks having their teeth cleaned, for those people that have seen sharks tail the movies it really was just like the car wash bit INCREDIBLE. The diving day was also the end of the rain for the trip which was a bonus.

Exmouth was a bit of a let down tiny and the town beaches were a bit grubby be we did venture out to Turquoise bay where the sand was white and the water yes you've guessed it turquoise. Got photos of Kangaroos at the side of the road. Although we'd seen so many an our way we never has the chance to take any photos because they were gone too quick. Even saw an emu the only one i've seen in Oz so far.

We spent quite a bit of time in caravan parks and like i said they were 5 of us in a van designed for 4 and Aussies really do take their camping very seroious. Their caravans are like a home away from home, shower, sky Tv, pure luxury then we park next to then. I found it amusing every time we stoped somewhere 2 people would get out the neighbours would be like hi how are you third person out a confusing look fourth person a dazed look the the fifth it was like how many people you got in there like i said amusing. And it was EVERY TIME.

Broome was the final destination a holiday at the end of 11 days on the road and it was a nice spot for a rest. The beach was awesome. Even did a camel sunset ride on the beach. I was bored after 10 minuets and by backside numb after half hour but glad I did it, watching the sunset on top of a camel was better sinking an iced cold beer when I got back to the van. Broome nightlife did leave alot to be desired tho defo not the same as here in Freo but like they say it's not where you are but who your with that matter and I was with my great friends that i'd spent the lat 11 days with. Broome is also a good spot to buy pearls as they are grown there would never put myself as a pearl girl but some of the designs were do beautiful I even came back with 2 pearls.

So all in all a great time was had by all and as they say "All good things have to come to an end" I'm now back in Fremantle my "home" where I will remain until my next adventure which will be fruit picking so I can get my 2nd year visa. Check out my photo's below and you'll see how much of a good time I'm having and just how beautiful Australia is.... So until the next time take care and be happy

Von xxxxxxxxxxx