Travelling back for 7.5 hours

This seems to be the last picture I have of Tanbay in Hopetoun:

He's standing in front of this loo next to the beach:

That's a difference between England and Australia - there are loads more public toilets and showers and water fountains. The toilets aren't minging either.

Our 7.5 hour coach ride started a bit later this time round (10.30am), all in all it was probably worse than the first time round.. although we were pleased to discover that we were going a different way from the first time:



So on the way there we went from East Perth to Ravensthorpe via my favourite Dumbleyung and the 107

But on the way back we went via the 120 and then again on the 30. So it was exciting to know we were seeing more of Australia, but really it all looks the same around here!

All the little villages along the way have really cute creative signs:

Here's another one:

Anyway this bus journey wasn't as good because I felt really car sick so I couldn't read, and then the guy next to us actually was sick.. The bus driver started playing a film that was really bad 'The Basket' (any film with a title like that must be bad) but then the DVD player broke and there were no films which was even worse! 

My trusty year 10 iPod finally broke and as I wanted to save my iPhone battery we had to share Tanbay's iPod. 

but I've been on worse journeys, it was still really pretty: 

We had our customary travel pies, they were yummy. 

We arrived in East Perth about 5.30pm and rushed to the train stop with our massive bags. We were just about to buy a ticket when the best couple ever pointed out that our coach tickets can be used on all trains! So we got a free ride into Perth. Everyone was really smiley and chatty because we look like the teenage mutant ninga turtles (Tbay is Michelangelo, I'm Raphael)

We said goodbye to our favourite couple and walked two blocks to the bus stop. We tried using the coach ticket on the bus too, which was fine! 

So we were very pleased with our train/bus trip after our rubbish coach trip and we were excited to try out couch surfing!

Top things to do in Hopetoun Western Australia

Where are we: Hopetoun Western Australia

We're nearing the end of our time in Hopetoun. It's a beautiful place and very remote. I would definitely recommend it for a relaxing and gorgeous holiday! The last three weeks have gone by really quickly, it's definitely one of the best places we've been in Australia so far.

Anyway here are the top things to do in Hopetoun:

Swim:

 As you can see the sea is crystal clear and pretty much deserted. We walked the dogs on the beach every morning and rarely saw people. The waves weren't rough at all - unlike in Perth.

Bake your own bread:

 Food is pretty expensive here, so I got into baking my own bread! Eat your heart out Delia.

Walk some dogs on the beach:

Luckily our house sit came with two awesome dogs, but if you're here and don't have dogs don't worry! There are loads of dogs walking around here.. we met three different ones who'd just taken themselves for a walk. One day we got stalked by a chihuahua and I didn't want it to get run over so I tried to catch it. A lady asked me if he was mine and when I told her what was going on she helped me, but we still couldn't get it.

The main point is there aren't many people here (1,400 according to wikipedia) but all the ones we met are really friendly and happy to help. No one locks their doors or cars and people wave at other drivers.

Meet the other locals:

We saw a bobtail and a dugite snake, but there is loads more wildlife to see here. There's miles and miles of bush with kangaroos and snakes, but we were always with the dogs so tried to avoid that. 

 Skateboard:

 There are loads of great hills and even a skate park for this. I always think I'm going to die when I skateboard but Tanbay is amazing at it. I actually hurt myself in the skatepark without even skating.. I fell up the ramp and nearly dislocated my shoulder. Apparently it looked really funny.



Drink wine on the beach:

It's actually illegal to drink in public in Australia, so I'm not actually drinking here! A cruise magazine paid to have a photo of me drinking on the beach, so I held it and then walked it home to drink it. 

Make a sandcastle and then become Queen of it:

I don't actually know whose castle this is, I just went ahead and conquered it.



So there you have it, it's along way from anything but if you are in the area (Esperance is only 2 hours away) I would definitely recommend it! It's one of the great things about house sitting, we probably would have never come here otherwise but I'm so glad we did.

A snake and a spider in Western Australia

Where are we: Hopetoun, Western Australia

We haven't seen any snakes or spiders since South Australia, but today we managed to see both!


We took the dogs for a walk on the beach in the morning and luckily they were still on the lead when I spotted this:

 We didn't have our camera on us so we had to use Tanbay's iPod (hence the shit picture) but here's a better picture courtesy of google:

We think it's a dugite. They aren't aggressive but they are poisonous and potentially lethal. I guess if you tread on them / are a dog and chase them they're going to defend themselves. 

But we got off that beach and onto a different one and everyone was fine. 

Then in the evening we saw a massive beetle and nearly trod on a spider! 

It was a wolf spider which are poisonous but not lethal. 

So all in all a creepy day.  

Sunny days on the beach in Western Australia

Where are we: Hopetoun Western Australia 

Today we have been in Hopetoun for two weeks, it's pretty much paradise: 

Most days are the same, we walk the dogs in the morning on the beach and walk them in the evening at the park. 

Some days are a bit different though, like on Sunday the 10th of November when we saw this BOBTAIL: 

As you should know by now, I love lizards. We had to be careful with this one because we didn't want the dogs to eat it. So Tanbay distracted them and I took some photos. He was trying to climb up a sand hill, but it was pretty much vertical and he wasn't doing very well. So I just picked him up and put him at the top of the hill. 

He's king of the castle.

We've done a bit of skateboarding, which Tanbay is amazing at and I'm not.

On this day I was posing on this rock (as you do)

 and without me asking Wendy got up on the rock! What a poser.

Rodney wanted to get on it too. 

I love these dogs.

 we found this bug, but we don't know what it is.

 I love this photo

We picked some tomatoes from the garden, they're the best. 

All in all, we're really enjoying our time in Hopetoun, it's sunny, it's beautiful, it's pretty much paradise every day :) 

Day two in Hopetoun Western Australia

Where are we: Hopetoun, Western Australia

Today we said goodbye to our chalet: 

and moved into Kerry and Jarrad's.

We said goodbye to them (they are going back to England to show off their gorgeous baby Henry) and took the dogs for a walk 

I really really love these dogs 

Day one in Hopetoun Western Australia

Where are we: Hopetoun Western Australia

Last night we stayed in this chalet:

We got up and met Kerry's husband Jarrad, he's an ozzie and she's British and they're both really nice. We got to meet the dogs too, Rodney is an English Pointer and Wendy is a Kelpie Doberman cross. 

We walked them on the beach and it was great fun. 

In the evening we went round to Kerry and Jarrad's for a proper roast. I've missed them a lot since we left England and Kerry's didn't disappoint! 

7.5 hour coach ride from Perth to Ravensthorpe Western Australia

Where are we: travelling from Perth to Hopetoun Western Australia 

Today we woke up at 5.45am and Pauline very kindly made us croissants, then Pieter very kindly took us on the bus to Warwick station, the train into Perth and then another train to East Perth. We got the coach from there. 

The coach was a lot fuller than expected. I started reading ‘rabbit proof fence’ but it was too sad so I’ll have to read it a bit at a time.

The journey was really really long (seven and a half hours) but again it didn’t seem that bad. The scenery was really gorgeous. Mountains, bush and really red dirt. It looked very Ozzie. 

We stopped in Williams and we bought a pie, it wasn’t as good as Brian’s pie but it was still pretty good. The pies here are really good.

We also stopped in Dumbleyung where Dumbledore was when he was young. I bet.

This photo has a girl on a horse with some sheep and Tanbay said ‘haha that’s the whole population of this town, why would you live here there’s nothing here not even water’ and the I pointed out the massive lake behind his head. Lol.

We passed these big lakes that had evaporated and left the salt behind, people had stopped and left their names in stone:

The driver played “nice weather for a wedding” and “rise of the guardians” I dunno if it was just because I was excited but rise of the guardians was really good!!

Anyway, we finally got there and Kerry was right on time and she brought her baby Henry too. He is the cutest happiest baby I have ever met.

We went to IGA to get food, it was expensive! Food in Australia is expensive in general but it was loads more expensive here: $2.99 for a loaf of plastic bread (that’s like £1.80). It’s because it’s very remote here.

But it is really beautiful and Kerry is really nice. She took us to our chalet which is 1 minute walk from the beach.

Can’t believe how beautiful it is here! We knew it was going to be remote but we didn't expect it to be so gorgeous :)