North from Perth

We had flown to Perth (no not in Scotland) and our plan was  to visit the Pinnacles and then go on to Geraldton  before heading  to Monkey Mia and the dolphins and dugongs. Geraldton is the main town on the coast about 400k (250 miles) north of Perth (although going via the Pinnacles makes it about 508k – 315 miles).  We headed out through the Swan Valley where we spotted five black swans flying overhead. We stopped at Bullsbrook for a pie and drink. We had frequent stops to admire the flora including the smokebush (conospermum) which from a distance looks like a smoky haze, and the Western Australian Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda) which is a parasitic tree which has bright yellow flowers at Christmas time. It was good to see the endangered rose mallee (eucalyptus rhodantha) in flower.

In the footsteps of Captain Cook?

We are in Queensland north of Cairns and at 8.20 one Friday morning we are picked up by a twelve seater six wheel drive Landcruiser. The driver introduces himself . ”G’day, my name’s Michael”  and we head up the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas on our way to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation.

Beyond the black stump

We are off to Cobar and Mount Grenfell today. We head out from Narromine along the Mitchell Highway. The roads are incredibly straight and the countryside is totally flat through Trangie and Nevertire on the way to Nyngan. Part of the way we run close to the railway track but the only trains we see are roadtrains – artic units with two or three trailers. Not surprisingly it is easier for you to avoid them than it is for them to avoid you! Every so often there is a lay-by with the wheelie bins for rubbish looking a tad incongruous, I am so used to seeing them lined up in our street on a Monday morning. We stop for petrol and snacks at Trangie – the next fuel is at Cobar a couple of hundred kilometres away.