The Drive to Winter from Denham to Perth.

Driving from Denham down to Perth was like four seasons in one day ending in winter. From low lying scrub we popped out into the wheat belt and couldn't believe our eyes- there were houses, roads of bitumen leading off the highway and letterboxes. The isolation of northern Australia was definitely, quite suddenly behind us.

Coronation Beach Sunset.

 We did a few overnighters on the 800+ kilometre drive from Denham to Perth; the first at Coronation Beach. It was only a few dollars a night, being a council provided campground, which gives you somewhere to camp and toilets. There were a few strange occupants; we were certainly very mindful of where the kids were, but the little lagoon and beach were quite lovely. The water was still very clear and we all had a swim- the last one in Western Australia for the Uyshuis, the last time we all felt warm enough to get in.

Marguerite refusing to get out of my sunset shot at Coronation Beach...
the scene of our final swim in Western Australia.

The next day we did a quick stop and drive through Geraldton, a big  civil centre with lots of shops,  historical buildings and parks.

We stayed the night at Cevantes, and for the first time in almost a year, it felt like winter was on its way.  We'd had lots of cold nights and reached for the odd jumper, but I hadn't worn jeans in the 6 months we'd been in this camper trailer. That was all about to change.

The Pinnacles near Cevantes.

Cevantes is nothing more than a fishing village with two major attractions: crayfish and the Pinnacles. I'm sure the beach front is lovely too, but it was really windy and a bit rainy when we were there, so we headed out to the Pinnacles,  a rock formation which is apparently mesmerising, especially during a full moon, dawn or dusk.

More Pinnacles.

Meh. It was alright. We were there at dusk, maybe you needed one of those florescent sun rises or sets to get the full effect. Fiela thought it was pretty cool but then he also thought Broome's Staircase to the Moon was awesome and that Crocs are an anytime kind of footwear so there you go.

... and more.

Back at camp we tucked into crayfish fresh off the boat. Sigh, life on the road is so tough at times..

... and more plus some dirty travellers.

And suddenly it was the 31st of August, the McGarys would be touching down in Perth in the afternoon and I'm not ashamed to admit that every time I thought about it I almost cried.(Or maybe it was just the cold and wind making my eyes water.) Apart from the fact that they are great friends, the idea of tucking into a little slice of the life we'd left behind was overwhelming.

So I hurried Fiela along (he loves it when I do that, one of my most endearing traits he reckons) all the way to Perth with a quick stop at a South African shop in Joondalup (hundreds of dollars and calories later... I stopped myself at the koeksisters- deep fried doughy goodness dipped in a sugared syrup- but oh my they looked amazing!). We set up at a caravan park in the Swan Valley with some dodgy looking permanent caravans and made for the reunion...

Check out our guest blogger on the next post who'll be espousing the Margaret River with a healthy dose of muckraking thrown in....