Just Trip'in around : Margaret River area and back to Perth

· Hamelin Bay

· Margaret river

· Busselton

· Manniyup P.O.W camp

· Rockingham Ski club

· Lake Karrinyup

It’s been a little while since I have updated the blog – lack of power and data issues. As mention in the previous blog we had 2 weeks to fill in prior to me starting work so after Windy Harbour we headed to Hamelin Bay. The weather was not to favourable so our stay was short but managed to see the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin Naturaliste on the south western corner of WA . We moved on to the Big Valley Farm stay just out of Margaret River. Nice rural sheep farm that have set up a C.P., very rustic appeal . From this spot we did day trips around out the area , nice coast line, very diverse agriculture region with cheese , wine, breweries , chocolate makers etc.

At Busselton we happened to get a site for just a donation at a Christian Camp that was closed for the season (whilst they were doing renovations). We did the touristy stuff until the weather turned again.

To keep costs down and also whilst the weather was ordinary, we headed off to a freebie in the state forest at Manniyup. This turned out to be a WW2 POW camp that held 3500 Italian and German prisoners. The remnants of the camp were slowly being consumed by the bush. This place was off the grid a bit. Others camping there were living a very alternative life style. Living in make shift tepee’s and alike - and I thought we were living a nomadic life! They were a happy lot serenading us into the night with the bongos, ah the serenity!

3000 POW's lived here

Heading back to civilisation we stopped at a water ski club that have a few sites for caravans just west of Rockingham.

Here we are at Lake Karrinyup Resort in the northern suburbs of Perth. 14km from center of Perth. I have been lucky with a short walk to the golf club. The first week took some adjusting to the 4:30am alarm and lunch at 10:30am but it’s been a great opportunity to see a large crew of 20 staff go about their business. It’s a very international collection of workers, American, Canadian, Kiwis, South African, Irish and English oh and a Bendigonian.

A bit different than Bendigo Golf Club workshop!

First day cutting fairways, 4 machines cutting fairways. Rainbow! ,yep got wet

Weather during the week has been very nice but on the weekends we seem to have rain, rain and more rain. We’ve had the hottest day in September for 90 years (32 degrees) followed by the wettest day ever recorded in September (32.5mm). We have been to the Kings Park Botanical Gardens – probably one of the best displays in a botanical garden we’ve seen - Canberra and Katoomba would come in second.