We are heading off to Leeman which is situated about 260km north of Perth for another family camping trip. Leeman is our regular destination. I have been camping here with my family since I was about 8 years old when the beach shacks were still homes to many people along the coast. What a shame to have had to of move for all those people and families. Leeman is an amazing little gem with offshore islands to explore. Great fish, diving, and 4-wheel driving through the sand dunes along the coast.
There are sea lion and whale watching tours ( in season ), dive charters and courses. If you are into wild flowers, head up during spring for a lovely walk or perhaps you prefer surfing or wind surfing? All great things to do in Leeman. Beagle Island, north of Leeman, is home to the largest breeding colony of Australian sea lions.
There is plenty of marine life! Over the years I have spotted dolphins, sharks, seals, stingrays. I had a seal come right up to my face and show off doing a loop in the water and swim away. My dad had the experience of one blowing bubbles in his face! The selection of fish is mouth watering! I love spearfishing, diving under the water to chose which fish you would like to eat for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. So we are off again, leaving boxing day and I am thoroughly looking forward to a seafood feast among the dunes!
http://www.leemancaravanpark.com.au/
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/wa/central-west/leeman
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Monday, 26 November 2012
Perth - Kalbarri - Denham: October '12
On our most recent journey, we travelled in the company of a friend and my mother in law. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, spending 1 week in Kalbarri and 1 week at Hamelin Station just out of Denham. The kids came down with some sort of virus, the doctor called it "slapped cheek" syndrome. The poor things screamed every time we put sunscreen on them due to a rash. We were using Banana Boat but once we swapped to the Cancer Council sunscreen their skin stopped stinging. The salt water also caused them pain which was unfortunate seeing as there is not much to do in kalbarri if you cannot go in the sun or water!! Anyway, they slowly over come it and we managed to enjoy the rest of our trip. We did the 9km walk around the Kalbarri NP and went on a boat trip at Monkey Mia aboard the Aristocat 2 which were both well worth the time,money and effort. At a beach just out of Denham, we found the remains of a Loggerhead Turtle - AMAZING!! Of course I kept it!!
Kalbarri *** Over-rated tourist mecca. The river seemed to fished out.. or perhaps it was our rusty fishing techniques? Lovely views of the oceans form the cliffs along the coastline so don't forget the camera! The natural bridge is nice.
Kalbarri NP **** More toilet facilities would be good. Great sights, lovely walks. Great for viewing the flora and fauna. Thoroughly recommend the walk trails, just ensure you have PLENTY of water and sunscreen. A fly net maybe good too! Oh, and be sure to take a dip, it's very refreshing. You can also go fishing in the gorge rivers although I'm not sure how you would go about carting all your fishing gear down there.
Tudor Holiday Park **** Great caravan park. Ablution blocks close to sites, pool, playground with jumping pillow and a talking parrot :)
Hamelin Station ***** OMG amazing. 5 star ablutions blocks, laundry, kitchen ( with fridge for patron use), BBQ area, happy hour 5pm ( everyone gathers for a beer ). There is no dump point for caravans but you are still welcome to stay. Nice country feel. A little difficult to get tent pegs in the ground so make sure you have a mallet! No pool and it does get awfully hot during summer and its about a half an hour to the nearest swimming beach so if you want somewhere closer to the town centre or a close available beach, look elsewhere but if you dont mind a bit of a drive this place is awesome. The kids enjoyed checking out the shearing sheds and found a few animal remains such as skulls. They also saw the station hands mustering the sheep. All great fun and lovely caretakers make you feel very welcome.
Denham **** Lots to explore. Plenty of beaches, good fishing, snorkeling, etc. You can spear fish in some parts as long as you aren't using SCUBA but be sure to check with DEC. http://publocation.com.au/pubs/wa/denham/heritage-resort-shark-bay This is a link to view the nicest pub I've been to :) good company, brilliant views, delicious cocktails, great food, a pool table and so good we went back again! Be sure to visit when your in Denham.
http://www.bluelagoon.com.au/
A good place to take the missus is blue lagoon pearls for that little something special :) Here they sell Gemini Pearls which are only farmed at the pearl farm in Monkey Mia, also a nice place to check out. You can get to the pearl farm via the Aristocat 2. They also educate you on how a pearl is made and you get to taste some of the clam meat. I will pass next time although they say people pay hundreds of dollars just for a small piece of it. Not me, I'll stick to good ol' fish and steak!
Shell beach is worth a visit as is the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, only 5 mins from Hamelin Station Stay. The snorkeling is great although as the name suggests there are alot of sharks. We saw mostly shovel nosed sharks and tonnes of sting rays.
http://oceanpark.com.au/ Ocean Park is definitely worth a visit whether or not you have children. Amazing species of fish including stone fish, lion fish, eels and sea snakes. But the best bit for the kids is the shark pool at feeding time. We actually witnessed a shark eat another shark by mistake! oops. The little fella went for the fish and the big fella took out both of them! As you are driving along Shark Bay Rd you'll come across the cattle grids. I'm pretty sure it the second grid along the road? It's easily recognised by the fence to keeping out the feral animals. If you drive SLOWLY over the cattle grid with your window down you will hear a dog barking!! This is an automated dog that barks every time something crosses the grid. It is designed to frighten feral cats, etc back the way they came.
Monkey Mia - Nice cafes on the beach, The dolphin feeding thing is a tad over-rated although if your a die hard dolphin lover by all means, check it out. Too unnatural for me. We enjoyed watching them from the Aristocat 2 along with dungong and sea turtles. The kids also enjoyed the boom net on the back of the boat. Nice fishing further down the beach, plenty of whiting. If you look closely you can see hundreds of tiny crabs the size of a finger tip along the shoreline, amazing!
Kalbarri *** Over-rated tourist mecca. The river seemed to fished out.. or perhaps it was our rusty fishing techniques? Lovely views of the oceans form the cliffs along the coastline so don't forget the camera! The natural bridge is nice.
Kalbarri NP **** More toilet facilities would be good. Great sights, lovely walks. Great for viewing the flora and fauna. Thoroughly recommend the walk trails, just ensure you have PLENTY of water and sunscreen. A fly net maybe good too! Oh, and be sure to take a dip, it's very refreshing. You can also go fishing in the gorge rivers although I'm not sure how you would go about carting all your fishing gear down there.
Tudor Holiday Park **** Great caravan park. Ablution blocks close to sites, pool, playground with jumping pillow and a talking parrot :)
Hamelin Station ***** OMG amazing. 5 star ablutions blocks, laundry, kitchen ( with fridge for patron use), BBQ area, happy hour 5pm ( everyone gathers for a beer ). There is no dump point for caravans but you are still welcome to stay. Nice country feel. A little difficult to get tent pegs in the ground so make sure you have a mallet! No pool and it does get awfully hot during summer and its about a half an hour to the nearest swimming beach so if you want somewhere closer to the town centre or a close available beach, look elsewhere but if you dont mind a bit of a drive this place is awesome. The kids enjoyed checking out the shearing sheds and found a few animal remains such as skulls. They also saw the station hands mustering the sheep. All great fun and lovely caretakers make you feel very welcome.
Denham **** Lots to explore. Plenty of beaches, good fishing, snorkeling, etc. You can spear fish in some parts as long as you aren't using SCUBA but be sure to check with DEC. http://publocation.com.au/pubs/wa/denham/heritage-resort-shark-bay This is a link to view the nicest pub I've been to :) good company, brilliant views, delicious cocktails, great food, a pool table and so good we went back again! Be sure to visit when your in Denham.
http://www.bluelagoon.com.au/
A good place to take the missus is blue lagoon pearls for that little something special :) Here they sell Gemini Pearls which are only farmed at the pearl farm in Monkey Mia, also a nice place to check out. You can get to the pearl farm via the Aristocat 2. They also educate you on how a pearl is made and you get to taste some of the clam meat. I will pass next time although they say people pay hundreds of dollars just for a small piece of it. Not me, I'll stick to good ol' fish and steak!
Shell beach is worth a visit as is the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, only 5 mins from Hamelin Station Stay. The snorkeling is great although as the name suggests there are alot of sharks. We saw mostly shovel nosed sharks and tonnes of sting rays.
http://oceanpark.com.au/ Ocean Park is definitely worth a visit whether or not you have children. Amazing species of fish including stone fish, lion fish, eels and sea snakes. But the best bit for the kids is the shark pool at feeding time. We actually witnessed a shark eat another shark by mistake! oops. The little fella went for the fish and the big fella took out both of them! As you are driving along Shark Bay Rd you'll come across the cattle grids. I'm pretty sure it the second grid along the road? It's easily recognised by the fence to keeping out the feral animals. If you drive SLOWLY over the cattle grid with your window down you will hear a dog barking!! This is an automated dog that barks every time something crosses the grid. It is designed to frighten feral cats, etc back the way they came.
Monkey Mia - Nice cafes on the beach, The dolphin feeding thing is a tad over-rated although if your a die hard dolphin lover by all means, check it out. Too unnatural for me. We enjoyed watching them from the Aristocat 2 along with dungong and sea turtles. The kids also enjoyed the boom net on the back of the boat. Nice fishing further down the beach, plenty of whiting. If you look closely you can see hundreds of tiny crabs the size of a finger tip along the shoreline, amazing!
Sunday, 18 March 2012
METTAMS POOL, TRIGG WA
Well I went back to Mettams Pool today, 8:30ish I got there. I wanted to check to see if it was suitable for my 9yr old to snorkell. I can say that I will definitely take him but will get there at about 7ish next time. The water was a tad murky from the waves but you could still see tonnes of fish which was lovely. The reef was teaming with life. The kids would love it! However to make the most of it, I really recommend getting there early to beat the waves, currents, rips and murky water. Well worth a look at though! Just remember not to take souvernires from the reef and keep it clean and beautiful :) Also keep in mind this is a marine reserve and spear fishing is not allowed. Happy snorkelling!!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Day Trip - Guilderton, Moore River.
Guilderton ***** Well worth the trip!
We arrived at Guilderton, where the Moore river meets the sea, at 9:30am. First stop was the lighthouse. You can't go in but great for a pic :) There are a few sandy tracks that set off from the lighthouse which made for brilliant sandy 4x4 fun! Be sure to let your tyre pressure down, it gets very boggy.The beaches were lovely and scattered along the shore were some gorgeous rocky outcrops and little carverns. The kids had a blast climbing in and around the rocks. It was quite windy and getting close to lunch so we decided to look for a park to eat at, away from the wind.
The GABBADAH PARK was lovely. The kids played with daddy while I got lunch ready. We had tomato and cheese sandwiches and the bubs had kiwi fruit and yoghurt mmmmm. The kids had fun rolling down the grassy hills at the park and played on the playground. There were some lovely statues throughout the park also.
After lunch we headed to the look out over the Moore River estuary. The view was lovely and we took some amazing pics for the album. There is a plaque at the look out which speaks of the ships that became shipwrecked here, one of which has since disappeared. The river looked very inviting so we headed down for a dip.
The kids enjoyed playing in the water and building sand castles. It was a little too cold for me!! There are also canoes for hire, so if you like you can make your way up the river via canoe which would be lovely. We will definitely come back and go canoeing. Unfortunately it was time for us to leave as we wanted to stop at two rocks on the way through.
TWO ROCKS was quite nice. There is a huge statue of posiedon and a smaller statue of dolphins, both made great pics. We visited "The Spot" halfway between Two Rocks and Yanchep. A nice little beach situated next to a UXO site, unexplored for ammunition. There are toilets at this beach which aren't to shabby. Jayden and daddy did some fishing and caught a huge bundle of seaweed lol. Meanwhile, Carter enjoyed looking for crabs in the holes scattered along the beach. This beach is also good for a surf if your keen :)
We left "The Spot" and headed home. We saw a construction site, great for some 4x4 action. Others had the same idea out there on motorbikes. Was great fun... but shhhhh, dont tell the council haha :)
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Nature Therapy
Camping is not only good for family bonding and a time for dads to gun the 4x4, but a time to relax a unwind. Many may not realise, it's not only the mums and dads that need an opportunity to unwind. Kids are put under alot of pressure these days through peers, school, work and social media. Perhaps your children are being bullied? Perhaps they have hours of homework? Perhaps the house hold chores are also too much. What happened to kids just getting outside and running a muck? Getting away from it all IS theraputic.
Mum isn't yelling at the kids to pick up their mess. The kids aren't frustrated by mum yelling to pick up their mess lol. Dad isn't stressed from work. The kids aren't being bullied. There is no huge house to clean. Not to mention that being on a computer or in front of the gaming consoles can cause people to disconnect from their family and may also cause aggression. You may be suprised, but once you take these stresses and distractions away you may find your family actually getting along and enjoying the pleasure of each others company.
You may also be feeling overwhelmed and run down. Don't forget that kids can also feel this way although they may not say. They may be teens and feel mum and dad have no clue or they may be young and not have the vocabulary to voice their concerns and express their frustrations through behaviour. If you or your kids seem to be heading off the rails, I thoroughly recommend hitting the road for a week or so...... and PLEASE leave the laptop and DS at home!! There is nothing like a good old family board game :D
Mum isn't yelling at the kids to pick up their mess. The kids aren't frustrated by mum yelling to pick up their mess lol. Dad isn't stressed from work. The kids aren't being bullied. There is no huge house to clean. Not to mention that being on a computer or in front of the gaming consoles can cause people to disconnect from their family and may also cause aggression. You may be suprised, but once you take these stresses and distractions away you may find your family actually getting along and enjoying the pleasure of each others company.
You may also be feeling overwhelmed and run down. Don't forget that kids can also feel this way although they may not say. They may be teens and feel mum and dad have no clue or they may be young and not have the vocabulary to voice their concerns and express their frustrations through behaviour. If you or your kids seem to be heading off the rails, I thoroughly recommend hitting the road for a week or so...... and PLEASE leave the laptop and DS at home!! There is nothing like a good old family board game :D
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Mettams Pool, TRIGG WA - Day Trip.
Now although we didn't camp here I felt the need to comment. After reading on the internet about this lovely pool sheltered by a reef that is great for families I thought we could spend the day there. My eldest has been nagging me to take him snorkelling again. So we head off with high hopes only to be disappointed :( Surrounded by reef...sheltered maybe not. My son went in the water and complained of rocks, i said "yes, well there is a reef so I suppose there would be a few". Next thing I know he is struggling to get up after being hit by a wave! So off with the skirt I run for the water, only to realise the entire beach floor was sharp rock so no wonder he couldn't get a footing. The rips were terrible.
We got out safely, although my son had a cut knee from the rocks. The water was rough, no good for snorkelling. No good for kids. A big disappointment. So we decided to leave. However, we ( my eldest and I ) have decided to head there one day next week very early..say half 7am to try again for a snorkel. We got there at about lunch time this time round so the wind had set in. We are hoping that if we get in early it will be nice.
PS : The part they claim is sheltered and great for families is about 10m long along the shore line. So i suppose if you get in early and enjoy being crammed in like a sardine it may work for you. I dont recommend walking a further 10m down the shore as we did. So the verdict.... stay with the sardines or don't go! Oh, and arrive early and leave by lunch.
Will update next week on the early swim. Fingers crossed!
We got out safely, although my son had a cut knee from the rocks. The water was rough, no good for snorkelling. No good for kids. A big disappointment. So we decided to leave. However, we ( my eldest and I ) have decided to head there one day next week very early..say half 7am to try again for a snorkel. We got there at about lunch time this time round so the wind had set in. We are hoping that if we get in early it will be nice.
PS : The part they claim is sheltered and great for families is about 10m long along the shore line. So i suppose if you get in early and enjoy being crammed in like a sardine it may work for you. I dont recommend walking a further 10m down the shore as we did. So the verdict.... stay with the sardines or don't go! Oh, and arrive early and leave by lunch.
Will update next week on the early swim. Fingers crossed!
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Wellington Dam to Esperance dec 23/11 to jan 2/12
Our family of 5 went on another lovely camping trip. Tenting is what we love! The 3 boys aged 9, 4 and 13 months are our priority and we aim to make it as much fun for them. So mapping out an interesting route that is family friendly is our aim. I have rated the sites out of five which you can see next to the camp name using (*) The ratings refer to the fun we had and the quality of the camp ground. Our trip starts from Wellington Dam.
Wellington Dam, honeymoon pool. ( 2 hrs from perth ) ***** Flushing loos, swimming, canoeing, walking trails.
Our drive to Wellington Dam was lovely. We stopped in Harvey for an ice-cream at the G-spot ice-creamery which is part of the Harvey Cheese building. I had the passionfruit sorbet, scrumptious! They had a lovely selection of cheeses, olives etc as well as organic bug repellants and candles. A varied range of goods all made in Harvey. A must stop on the way through!
Once we got to Wellington Dam the kids were very excited to find a lovely river with a platform to jump off :) We pitched our 12 person, 3 room tent. Kids in one room, us in the other and the kitchen in the middle. The kids fit perfectly with a camp stretcher each for the older boys and the porta-cot for the bub. We sat at a park bench near our tent to have our well deserved lunch before heading to the river for a dip, which was about 10m from our camp site.
The water was like ice! But it didnt stop any of us, except the bub... Our eldest enjoyed jumping from the platform, as did us grown-ups :) We also enjoyed a few lovely walks through the bush seeing rapids, wildlife and wild flowers. Ther are also lots of large tree trunks on the ground for the kids to climb. Overall the place was lovely, not alot of mozzies or marchflies. Thoroughly recommended.
Ferhook Falls, Mount Frankland NP. *** Mountain climbing, some walk trails are wheelchair accessable as is half the mountain climb although i'd reccomend a motorised wheel chair, long drop dunnys, wild flowers.
We drove through Collie then Boyup Brook (lovely drive) before stopping at Bridgetown for lunch on the blackwood river. We picked up some sausages form the local IGA and had a bbq there which was lovely. The kids had a ball on the playground. The toilets and bbq had just finished being cleaned when we got there. bonus!
We got to Fernhook Falls and about 2:30pm. The place was lovely and quiet. Long drop loos wheren't too bad, i've smelt worse! There were a few mozzies and march flies so bring repellant! We also hang up one of those mozzies coil cages from the hooks in the centre of the tent to keep them out of the tent so the kids dont get eaten. The bush walks were nice. They advertise a lovely river and falls although when we were there it wasn't flowing much and the water was horrible so no swimming this time! Plenty of wildlife such as the Bung Arrow.
We Climbed Mount Frankland the next day which was just brilliant. The perfect climb for anyone carrying a baby! My 4 year old almost got taken out by a kangaroo trying to make its way down the mountain so take care and keep the kids close at all times! The veiw at the top was nice - minus the fire watch tower.
Parry Beach, Denmark. ***** Beach swimming but be careful of rips, fishing, walking trails, flushing loos, solar showers, caravans welcome.
Deciding to take the 4-wheel drive route through walpole was a little confusing as the roads were blocked by gates, so perhaps stick to the main drag as these gates aren't shown on the maps! We grabbed supplies in Walpole before going to Parry beach. One of our fave camp spots, although it gets VERY full in the holidays, especially xmas so make sure you have a back up plan. Parry is close to William Bay NP which is a must see. Greens pool is lovely for the kids to swim in and my hubby and I even had a snorkel there. Elephant rocks is beautiful too, also a must see. If Parry Beach is full and you must stay at a caravn park dont stay at the big 4 caravan park in Denamrk. The big 4 had no baby change facilities in the family shower rooms so I had to dry my bub in the sink! There is no swimming pool which is a big 4 requirement apparently and the playground was pretty poor. Hopefully you get a spot at Parry Beach!! It's just lovely. The last time we stayed there, they even had a country band playing. Nothing better than relaxing with a cold beer and a country band by the beach!
Cape Riche ***** Swimming, flushing loos, cold showers, drinking water available ( boil first ), fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, mountain trails and bush walks.
A busy privately owned campsite, but a lovely spot for the kiddies. We spent most of our time on the beach in our screen dome tent. If you have a bub, forget a beach shelter. Get a screen dome so you can plonk bubs in it so he/she stay out of the sun when they have had enough. The campsite here was cheap at $10 p/n for all of us. Great snorkelling, the eldest isn't terribly strong at swimming but here we were able to take him on a reef which is part of the shore line! He loved it The 4 yr old spent his time riging the waves in his swimming vest and the bubs played in the smaller waves on the shore. There a lots of Kangaroos that hop through the camp so that kept the kiddies happy too.
We also climbed Mount Melville. I dont recommend taking the 4km walk though as the path is degraded and hard to follow. We saw a Bobtail Goanna on our walk and some lovely wildflowers. A lovely view of the beach, Cheyne Island and river from the top. Cheyne Island offers great diving so bring a boat!
Cape Le Grand, Esperance. ** Swimming, Walks, wildlife. Free if camping at Dunn Rock. The other sites require a fee.
While the beach was beautiful and pristine, the camp spot was as small as our city back yard with about 10 tents crammed on it. This was at Lucky Bay. The Cape Le Grand site looked to be better with designated camp sites but it was very full this time of year. We camped at Dunn Rock, a lovely spot but VERY windy. You need to be 100% self sufficint here. No toilets, no drinking water, no bbqs. So bring your dunny shovel, bog roll, water and a camp stove! The water is absolutely lovely and we had fun climbing up the big rocks on the shoreline. Look out for snakes though.
Twighlight bay was a nice stop although there a large waves and rips so be careful with the kids. Jax Snax fish and chips is great and a well deserved treat after eating camp food for a week and a half.
Quagi Beach, between Stokes NP and Esperance. ** Swimming, good stop over. flushing loos, cold shower.
Nice little campspot only $2 per person. Honesty box. Lovely swimming but be careful of rips, sheltered campsites. Not alot for the kids other than swimming
Stopped back at Cape Riche because we loved it so much and the kids wanted to go back! Then on our way home we passed the Stirling Ranges. A beautiful sight. Then stopped in Wagin for some lunch at the Giant Ram. It is worth stopping for a pic, but keep driving! We were absolutely eaten alive by mozzies so the only pic I got is of us legging it!
So Overall the kids fave spots were Honeymoon Pool at Wellington Dam, Parry Beach and Cape Riche.
Wellington Dam, honeymoon pool. ( 2 hrs from perth ) ***** Flushing loos, swimming, canoeing, walking trails.
Our drive to Wellington Dam was lovely. We stopped in Harvey for an ice-cream at the G-spot ice-creamery which is part of the Harvey Cheese building. I had the passionfruit sorbet, scrumptious! They had a lovely selection of cheeses, olives etc as well as organic bug repellants and candles. A varied range of goods all made in Harvey. A must stop on the way through!
Once we got to Wellington Dam the kids were very excited to find a lovely river with a platform to jump off :) We pitched our 12 person, 3 room tent. Kids in one room, us in the other and the kitchen in the middle. The kids fit perfectly with a camp stretcher each for the older boys and the porta-cot for the bub. We sat at a park bench near our tent to have our well deserved lunch before heading to the river for a dip, which was about 10m from our camp site.
The water was like ice! But it didnt stop any of us, except the bub... Our eldest enjoyed jumping from the platform, as did us grown-ups :) We also enjoyed a few lovely walks through the bush seeing rapids, wildlife and wild flowers. Ther are also lots of large tree trunks on the ground for the kids to climb. Overall the place was lovely, not alot of mozzies or marchflies. Thoroughly recommended.
Ferhook Falls, Mount Frankland NP. *** Mountain climbing, some walk trails are wheelchair accessable as is half the mountain climb although i'd reccomend a motorised wheel chair, long drop dunnys, wild flowers.
We drove through Collie then Boyup Brook (lovely drive) before stopping at Bridgetown for lunch on the blackwood river. We picked up some sausages form the local IGA and had a bbq there which was lovely. The kids had a ball on the playground. The toilets and bbq had just finished being cleaned when we got there. bonus!
We got to Fernhook Falls and about 2:30pm. The place was lovely and quiet. Long drop loos wheren't too bad, i've smelt worse! There were a few mozzies and march flies so bring repellant! We also hang up one of those mozzies coil cages from the hooks in the centre of the tent to keep them out of the tent so the kids dont get eaten. The bush walks were nice. They advertise a lovely river and falls although when we were there it wasn't flowing much and the water was horrible so no swimming this time! Plenty of wildlife such as the Bung Arrow.
We Climbed Mount Frankland the next day which was just brilliant. The perfect climb for anyone carrying a baby! My 4 year old almost got taken out by a kangaroo trying to make its way down the mountain so take care and keep the kids close at all times! The veiw at the top was nice - minus the fire watch tower.
Parry Beach, Denmark. ***** Beach swimming but be careful of rips, fishing, walking trails, flushing loos, solar showers, caravans welcome.
Deciding to take the 4-wheel drive route through walpole was a little confusing as the roads were blocked by gates, so perhaps stick to the main drag as these gates aren't shown on the maps! We grabbed supplies in Walpole before going to Parry beach. One of our fave camp spots, although it gets VERY full in the holidays, especially xmas so make sure you have a back up plan. Parry is close to William Bay NP which is a must see. Greens pool is lovely for the kids to swim in and my hubby and I even had a snorkel there. Elephant rocks is beautiful too, also a must see. If Parry Beach is full and you must stay at a caravn park dont stay at the big 4 caravan park in Denamrk. The big 4 had no baby change facilities in the family shower rooms so I had to dry my bub in the sink! There is no swimming pool which is a big 4 requirement apparently and the playground was pretty poor. Hopefully you get a spot at Parry Beach!! It's just lovely. The last time we stayed there, they even had a country band playing. Nothing better than relaxing with a cold beer and a country band by the beach!
Cape Riche ***** Swimming, flushing loos, cold showers, drinking water available ( boil first ), fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, mountain trails and bush walks.
A busy privately owned campsite, but a lovely spot for the kiddies. We spent most of our time on the beach in our screen dome tent. If you have a bub, forget a beach shelter. Get a screen dome so you can plonk bubs in it so he/she stay out of the sun when they have had enough. The campsite here was cheap at $10 p/n for all of us. Great snorkelling, the eldest isn't terribly strong at swimming but here we were able to take him on a reef which is part of the shore line! He loved it The 4 yr old spent his time riging the waves in his swimming vest and the bubs played in the smaller waves on the shore. There a lots of Kangaroos that hop through the camp so that kept the kiddies happy too.
We also climbed Mount Melville. I dont recommend taking the 4km walk though as the path is degraded and hard to follow. We saw a Bobtail Goanna on our walk and some lovely wildflowers. A lovely view of the beach, Cheyne Island and river from the top. Cheyne Island offers great diving so bring a boat!
Cape Le Grand, Esperance. ** Swimming, Walks, wildlife. Free if camping at Dunn Rock. The other sites require a fee.
While the beach was beautiful and pristine, the camp spot was as small as our city back yard with about 10 tents crammed on it. This was at Lucky Bay. The Cape Le Grand site looked to be better with designated camp sites but it was very full this time of year. We camped at Dunn Rock, a lovely spot but VERY windy. You need to be 100% self sufficint here. No toilets, no drinking water, no bbqs. So bring your dunny shovel, bog roll, water and a camp stove! The water is absolutely lovely and we had fun climbing up the big rocks on the shoreline. Look out for snakes though.
Twighlight bay was a nice stop although there a large waves and rips so be careful with the kids. Jax Snax fish and chips is great and a well deserved treat after eating camp food for a week and a half.
Quagi Beach, between Stokes NP and Esperance. ** Swimming, good stop over. flushing loos, cold shower.
Nice little campspot only $2 per person. Honesty box. Lovely swimming but be careful of rips, sheltered campsites. Not alot for the kids other than swimming
Stopped back at Cape Riche because we loved it so much and the kids wanted to go back! Then on our way home we passed the Stirling Ranges. A beautiful sight. Then stopped in Wagin for some lunch at the Giant Ram. It is worth stopping for a pic, but keep driving! We were absolutely eaten alive by mozzies so the only pic I got is of us legging it!
So Overall the kids fave spots were Honeymoon Pool at Wellington Dam, Parry Beach and Cape Riche.
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