We can’t stop this narrative without wrapping up our latest walkabout into the monstrous state of Western Australia. The quip “bigger ‘n Texas” is particularly true when you realize that 3.5 Texas’s would fit in WA. Despite driving over 9,000 kms (5,400 miles or an average of 100 miles a day) we barely covered ¼ of the state. To see a map of our journey, go to

http://www.travellerspoint.com/member_map.cfm?user=usvellas&tripid=779752

If you know us, you know that we are stats freaks…we love statistics and have a few to share here:

During our 50 days on the road (averaging $25 per night), we used an app called Wikicamps to help us find caravan parks and campgrounds (FYI, this app works in other countries as well). There are lots of “free camps” along the way but they are usually next to the road and we were never that desperate. However, the one time we did stay at a free camp it was right next to the sea!  The National Park camps were $13 and with their scenic aspect these were our favorites, as we liked being off the grid. Our van had a toilet and shower (which we didn’t use since caravan parks have ablutions as they are termed) and our toilet was oh-so-handy, especially on cold nights and first thing every morning.

Living in a motor home is a bit like living in a boat; just more confining. We had to make the bed every day (simply rolling the bedding up against the back doors) in order to function reasonably well. This space became our living/sitting room and kitchen. The pullout barbecue/grill on the side of the unit was a feature we really liked and we did most of our cooking on it.  We ate “in” most of the time except when we were in the town of Margaret River, where restaurants and wineries rule.  We didn’t have any trouble coming up with meal ideas but we had to grocery shop just about every day since the fridge wasn’t very big. We had a decent set of cookware and only a few utensils that made us realize we don’t need all that much to produce highly edible fare.

We travelled in May/June because it was getting pretty chilly in Melbourne in late autumn. WA was a bit warmer in the south at the start of the trip and as we headed north of Perth it got downright hot a few days. School holidays begin the end of June and prices rise and accommodation becomes scarce when the kidlets are taking to the road with the family. The problem with travelling in May/June/July is the days are getting shorter. Even though we would wake up at dawn we are pretty lazy in our morning routine and didn’t usually get on the road before 9 unless we had to.  And since we weren’t keen to drive our rig after dark due to the wildlife on the road, we had to be parked by 5:30. We rarely managed to finish dinner before 8:30; imagine how we would have fared if the sun set at 8pm.

One of the smartest things we did was procure bicycles. The one we bought for Mary and borrowed for Joe were really convenient for short trips to grocers or to check out a town or get a bit of exercise. According to the odometer on Mary’s bike we rode 250 miles…no Tour de France but at least it added variety to our day.

In the evenings we found that we got a lot of pleasure out of listening to music on our iPad or listening to local radio when available. Community radio stations are common in the countryside and some stations were truly gems.  Augusta WA had a local station that truly rocked, playing a fantastic mix of old and current music. Mary also worked on her journal and writing posts and we both culled thousands of photos.

Following our departure from the Margaret River region, we heard that the best surfing conditions in 10 years had hit and was drawing surfers from around the world. Mary was tempted to turn around just to try to catch a good photo of this phenomenon.

We didn’t feel particularly rushed but after the fact we felt we would have liked a bit more down time. The area along the south coast was probably our favorite with its rugged coast and timbered mountains in close proximity. We would like to experience this section during spring summer as the wildflowers are touted as exceptional at this time. Mary forgets that most trees in this country remain green year-round and so autumn doesn’t have the same impact as it does in America.

We have now spent a part of 2 winters travelling 2 distinctly different areas of Australia.  We still want to explore northwest WA, known as the Kimberley’s; this is mountainous outback as well as coastal and must be seen in a 4WD.  Whenever we finally get there, you will probably hear about it.  So…stay tuned.