Broome – Day 2

Next morning, we were picked up from our hotel by one of the staff of the Horizontals Falls Adventure group. On our way to the airport, we picked other people. We were briefed about the safety procedure while on the seaplane. It was a tiny plane that did not look like it was capable enough to act like an amphibian! The take-off was smooth. Soon, the city was left behind and we started approaching the famous Kimberleys. There were views of beautiful pristine beaches, ocean waters and lots of greenery beneath us.

As we approached Cape Leveque, the pilot told us he would be doing a round there so the passengers on both sides can catch a glimpse. After this, we headed towards the Horizontal Falls. On our way, we saw the Buccaneer Archipelago – a collection of thousands of small islands. These islands kept us busy because we started mapping their shapes to objects from our everyday lives.

Cape Leveque

Approaching the Archipelago

Soon, the pilot announced that he will do two rounds of the Horizontal Falls so we can admire them twice from that height. These falls aren’t the conventional waterfalls we know of. They have been created by water gushing through gaps between massive rocks and rising high to create a waterfall-like effect.

Horizontal Falls

This was followed by the most exciting part of the seaplane adventure, landing on the water. It was a very smooth landing but the subsequent ride on the waves was a shade bumpy, just enough to cause some excitement but no discomfort. We got off on a house boat and were welcomed by the Seaplane Adventures’ staff. Because the tide was forecast to rise in the next couple of hours, we were asked to hop immediately on to the speed boat for the ride through the horizontal falls. The first and the wider of the two falls were passed through without even a splash of water. For the second, we were asked to hand over our cameras and phones to the crew. Just by what we saw, we did not think it should be such a concern especially because we were going to go with the current. We still listened to their advice of holding on to the bars real tight. So glad we did! The first thing I remember is a huge splash of water coming on my face and into my eyes and the next thing I know, we had crossed the falls! Those couple of seconds through the falls were enough to thrill me to bits and also drench everyone from top to toe! The current had risen so much by that time that there was no way we could have gone back through the falls. So the captain took us further into the wilderness to see mangrove forests and different varieties of birds dwelling on them. It was so peaceful and so pristine. After some time, the captain could judge from the receding sea waters in the mangrove forests that the tide had died down and it would be safe to go back. It was quite an experience since the water flow was so strong that even the speedboat’s powerful engine going full throttle really struggled to take us through. After swaying with the tide for a bit, we finally managed to get through. There were cheers, claps and high fives.

Falls from the speed boat

Back on the houseboat, there was barbecued barramundi for lunch. This was followed by the crew feeding their early morning catch to the sharks. Because they were fed by them every day, they were friendly enough to let us pat them. After lazing around for a while, we headed for our journey back to Broome. It was a fun trip and one I am glad I did not miss just because it was expensive. I will probably not be able to afford it another time but it is probably the only way I would have been able to experience the Kimberleys from the comfort of a seaplane and a houseboat.

Broome – Day 1

They say that sometimes the least planned of the trips turn out to be the most memorable experiences. That’s exactly how I would describe my visit to Broome. One fine day, I just got up feeling really strongly about seeing the Staircase to the Moon. That had been on my mind ever since I came to Perth 2 years back. It did not take a lot of convincing to get my husband involved in this plan. After all, he could not say no when I was asking for this as a birthday present. 🙂 We booked our flights and accommodation first. Luckily for us, the fact that it wasn’t really peak season still towards the end of April made these bookings easier. Once these bookings were made, I began my usual Google search to find out what else there was to see in Broome and around.

A half day trip by the seaplane to the Horizontal Falls in the Kimberley region sounded very interesting but extremely expensive, too. Trip advisor reviews suggested that despite being expensive, it is a once in a lifetime experience which one should not miss for anything. So, we decided to book. The other tour we booked ourselves into was the camel ride on the Cable Beach. In our internet search, it was hard to miss the beautiful pictures of a caravan of camels with the sun setting in the background. There are three groups that run these camel rides there – the Blue, the Red and the Yellow. As far as I can remember, there was no particular reason we could find on trip advisor to prefer one over the other. So going with Blue was basically a random choice. I can’t compare them with the others but they were an awesome group of people. They were happy to click as many pictures as we desired even though they were clicking from their own camera, too for potential buyers from the group.

We flew to Broome early in the morning and checked in our hotel by afternoon. We were immediately ready to hit the Cable beach which was just 10 minutes’ walk from the hotel. After cooling off for a while, we were ready for the camel ride. We were introduced to our camels and also briefed about the etiquette to follow in dealing with them. People started sitting on them starting from the first camel in the caravan to the last. Finally, the camels set out on an hour-long journey. The weather that day wasn’t the best with clouds masking the setting sun. Still, it was an experience worth having at least once. Admiring the beauty of the white sand of the beach and the clear waters from that height was unique. On our way back, the sun decided to peep from within the clouds. We finally got to see some spectacular colours in the sky. That also made our pictures a little less spooky! Just before taking leave of the camels, we were given a carrot each to feed them which they gobbled up in a flash. A few pictures of the experience:

Soon after the camel ride, we left for witnessing a wonderful natural phenomenon, the Staircase to the Moon. During the season of the Staircase (April to October), on full moon and low tide nights, the moonlight reflects off the mud flats and looks like a staircase leading to the moon. There is special bus service on full moon nights that takes people from the Cable beach side of the city to the best viewing locations for the Staircase to the Moon before the moonrise and after it. Roebuck Bay is one of the best viewing locations and is also home to the night markets. Thanks to the cloudy weather, we weren’t really upbeat about our chances to witness it that night. We grabbed a quick bite and went to the beach and settled there along with hundreds of other people. The time of the moonrise struck and there were no still signs of the clouds clearing up. Soon, the excitement and anticipation in the atmosphere died down and people started heading back home. We were disappointed but positive about our second chance the following night.

Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool

After visiting the Valley of the Giants, we resumed our journey towards Albany. Just 40-50 km before Albany, we made our next halt at the Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks in Denmark. As the name suggests, the Greens Pool is a beautiful beach with waters of varied colour combinations. The Elephant Rocks actually look like a herd of elephants! One could sit there for hours and admire the beauty of the nature. Photos fall so short of describing what that place actually looks like, nevertheless, here are a few of them:

Valley of the Giants

On our way to Albany from Augusta, we stopped by in Walpole to visit the Valley of the Giants. The Tree Top Walk here is more famous than the Ancient Empire (a walk trail that takes you through giant tingle trees). They can both be done together by buying a combined pass. I liked the Ancient Empire better for no particular reason. It could be just my love for nature more than man-made marvels. 🙂

Tree Top Walk might be a challenge for the people having fear of heights. It is 60 meters elevated from the ground at its highest point. Because of the height, there is an element of adventure involved in this 600-meter walk and that makes it quite exciting. Here are a few pictures from the visit:

 

The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is truly a man-made marvel. Having read a lot about it, we finally decided to experience it. After a bit of internet surfing, we found that guided tours that take tourists from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles are quite exorbitantly priced. So, we hired a car from Melbourne downtown and set out for our drive to the 12 Apostles in Port Campbell National Park, around 280 odd kilometres away. It does not sound like an awful lot distance-wise but not only are there just two lanes once you pass Geelong but also it is quite a winding road. And yes, since we had just one day for this, we did not take too many stops on our way. The experience of driving on this road cannot really be described in words. I am going to let pictures do the talking. It was quite overcast that day and you will see that the snaps aren’t the brightest or the best quality. Also, we took a shorter route on our way back as suggested by the lady at the Geelong info center. It was a good decision since not only did we save time but also saw some beautiful countryside scenes, very different from our Great Ocean Road experience, which we had a taste of anyway. The alternate route is definitely worth considering, especially if you are visiting during spring.

Few of the 12 Apostles

A couple of Apostles on the other side

Loch Ard Gorge – not very far away from the 12 Apostles

Beautiful scenery on our way back

Beds of yellow flowers all along the way

Melbourne – Exploring the city in a day

Most travelers to Melbourne had suggested in their blog posts that the city is best explored by combining tram rides with a lot of walking. We decided to walk to all the attractions and then take the tram on our way back. We started from our hotel on Spencer Street to the Federation Square via China Town. Coming from Perth, which is much more peaceful and should I say, laid-back, we were quite confused/shocked to be surrounded by trams and buses and people in all directions. It took us some time to recover but once we did, we started liking the hustle and bustle of the city. There is St. Paul’s Cathedral at the square which we spent some time looking from inside. Then there is Flinders Street Station right there at the Fed square which we had on our must-see list. You would wonder why people in their blogs make such a big deal about a railway station. You have to see it to agree with me that it has quite an attractive architecture from outside. It looks like one of the old European buildings. We just couldn’t stop looking at it and ended up clicking it from every possible angle 🙂

Fliders Street Station

After a quick lunch in the CBD, we decided to walk towards Royal Botanic Gardens via the Shrine of Remembrance. On our way, there were lush green gardens all along to out left.

Spotted this on our way to the Shrine of Remembrance

As we reached the Shrine, we stopped there to have a look at their museum. We climbed up and were treated to some quite beautiful views of the city, the ocean and the Royal Botanic gardens. The gardens themselves are very attractive, too. I reckon the fact that we went during the spring also helped enhance our experience of seeing amazing flowers of such different varieties. Next time we go, we will make sure we have some time to visit their herbarium, too. We walked all the way up to the other end of the gardens. From there, one can see Yarra River and on the other side of it, Rod Laver Arena and the MCG. We headed to the Rod Laver Arena from here. We did a self-guided a walk through the corridors and saw some memorable pictures of the Australian Open champions. We also got a chance to visit one of the practice courts. Both of us are huge tennis fans and it felt quite special to be there.

On one of the practice courts in the Rod Laver Arena

The day we visited Melbourne was the day of the AFL final. As we walked from Rod Laver Arena to the MCG, we sensed that the match had gotten over. Being big fans of Cricket, too we wanted to be able to catch a glimpse of the ground. There was some post match party for which there was free entry. We got in and were simply awestruck by the grandeur of the MCG. For us, it was totally worth visiting it and it lived up to every bit of praise that is showered upon it. We climbed up to the highest balcony to soak in the MCG feeling from there and what felt like a good day until then suddenly felt like an unforgettable one.

At the MCG

Penguin Island

We went to Penguin Island just before it was going to close for winters. The day was slightly cold but quite sunny – perfect for an outing. So, we got up in the morning and decided to go – just packed lunch and took a train followed by a bus to reach a place close to Penguin Island. The bus driver told us to not walk to the Penguin Island as some people do. He said an Indian even lost his life in doing so. Not sure if he was serious or just trying to scare us. We had to walk just 200 meters from where the bus dropped us to get to the info centre. There, we bought tickets to the island and boarded a ferry which took us there.

From the island, we took a glass-bottom sea lion cruise. It took us very close to one end of the Penguin Island where we could spot different species of birds including sea gulls and pelicans. It also took us close to one of the smaller islands where we saw quite a few sea lions sun bathing but we saw none through the glass bottom itself. There was way too much plant vegetation in the water for us to be able to see anything. The cruise takes about 45 minutes and should be done only if you haven’t seen sea lions before. For those who are still wondering why the island is called Penguin Island not the Sea Lion Island or something similar, this island is home to the world’s smallest penguins. After returning from the cruise, we went to the Penguin discovery centre to see the world’s smallest penguins. The place was jam packed in anticipation of the penguin feeding show. The show was quite informative. The caretaker demonstrated how she mimicked the way penguins are fed by their mothers in order to feed a penguin having an injured beak. She threw food in the nearby pond to let the fit ones ‘fish’ for it.

There are nice picnic areas on the island and of course there are clean beaches to swim and relax. The island is much smaller compared to Rottnest and that means one can just explore the island on foot. We just lazed around and enjoyed the winter sun. Overall, it is a nice place to spend your day with family and friends.

Araluen and Serpentine

Spring is here and with it, the season of wildflowers in Western Australia. To make the most of the pleasant weather and to experience natural beauty, we decided to visit the Araluen Botanical Gardens and the Serpentine National Park. We asked our friends and they were more than willing to join. In preparation to the one-day trip, we booked online for a car-hire, decided our lunch menu, printed out a few maps and we were all set to go.

As planned, we started out at 8 from home. The car hire took a bit of time and so, we could only start from the city at about 8.45. The Araluen botanical garden is about 40 km from the city and took as many minutes to reach. After paying a meagre 4 bucks per person for entry, we were let inside the garden. It is a very well kept place and is lush green. There were beautiful looking tulips of so many colours all around the garden. Before this, we had only seen them in movies. After clicking loads of pictures, we decided to take the train which goes to higher areas in the gardens in case one doesn’t want to walk all the way up there. It is a rewarding experience because one gets treated to quite amazing views from there.

Train – Well, not really! Notice how it is being driven on the road.

After spending a couple of hours at Araluen, we decided to head to our next destination, the Serpentine waterfalls, about 40 km from here. We were fairly well equipped with junk food to temporarily fill our stomachs before we could reach Serpentine and settle down there to pounce upon the much discussed and hyped lunch menu. It took us about an hour to reach there. An entry fee of 11 bucks per vehicle is dirt cheap considering how well they have maintained the place. From the falls car park, we walked about 200 meters to reach the actual waterfalls. To be honest, I had expected more water, considering some of the pictures I had seen and the fact that it is still raining in Perth. Anyhow, they looked pretty. There were lots of people swimming there and we wished we had come prepared, too, given how hot it was. We then walked back to the car park and from there drove to the picnic/barbecue area close by. There were kangaroos roaming around there. We managed to get some really good pictures of an adult kangaroo having in its pouch, a joey poking its head out.

Serpentine Falls

After settling down, it was time for lunch. We started with very tasty salads that my friend made. I made chicken biryani and raita for main course. And the best part of the meal was banana bread for dessert, again made by my friend. Here is a link to her blog in case you want to check out these recipes: http://tantalizing-treats.blogspot.com.au/

Who would have guessed we wanted to go on a 6 km return walk trail after eating so much! Nevertheless, after relaxing for a while, we embarked upon our walk to the Baldwins Bluff nature trail.

It is not an easy walk by any means because one, it is quite steep and two, it has loose rocks and gravel all along the way. It won’t be wise to believe one can do it without having proper footwear on. The experience was nice because of the variety of wildflowers we got to see along the way.

White wildflowers all along the walk trail

As we reached half way, we could start seeing the Perth skyline – the Bankwest, Amcom towers etc. It took us exactly one hour to reach the top of the walk trail. From there, on one side we could see the waterfalls and the dense vegetation surrounding them. On the other side we could see vast expanse of farm lands and beyond that, the Indian Ocean. Bright sunshine made the ocean waters look shiny and quite spectacular. After a round of photographs at the top, we began our descent. Personally, I found this harder than the climbing-up part. Each one of us slipped on more than one occasions because we couldn’t get proper grip even with shoes on. On our way back, I collected a sample each of the different varieties of wildflowers. How could I not get clicked with them! Just as we were about to reach, and could even see the car park, we took a wrong turn. It was for good though since there was a whole family of kangaroos there waiting to welcome us!

View from the top

Could see the Indian Ocean from there

Wildflowers – Souvenir from the bushwalk experience

Overall, it was a very nice experience but it could have been even better if it wasn’t so hot. It was more than compensated, though, by the great company, the food and the beautiful sceneries we got to see.

Margaret River – The Caves and Hamelin Bay

Margaret River is known for its natural beauty – caves, rivers, aquatic life, pristine beaches and the greenery. That is what we set out to explore on our trip there.

The first thing we did upon entering Margaret River was to buy a combo pass for the three caves (Jewel, Lake and Mammoth) and the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. We were told by the lady at the information centre that it is not practical to do the three caves and the lighthouse in one day. From our experience, we can say that if you are short on time, you can still do all of them in a day by starting slightly early. I must add that staying in Augusta helped us catch the very first tour of the day to the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse.

After an amazing experience at Cape Leeuwin, we visited the Jewel and the Lake caves. I have been to the Bora Caves in India before but that experience comes nowhere close to this one simply because of the unbelievable intricacy of the stalactite-stalagmite formations here. The best part about visiting these caves is that you can let your imagination run wild and find something new in every limestone formation you see. One can spend hours here and not get bored. Funnily, after a few minutes of gazing, I started noticing idols of Indian Gods, too, among those formations! The guide told us about the process of limestone formation and how much time it takes for a millimetre of limestone to form. We got a sense of time when he pointed to a meter-long needle-like stalactite formation to tell us it must have been formed over a period of several hundred years. While Jewel Cave is now dormant because of the absence of water inside, Lake Cave is still active. Hence, I recommend seeing both. In the Lake Caves, the suspended table formation and its reflection in the lake is quite unique. It is quite spectacular to see hundreds of kilograms of limestone defying gravity. Here are a few pictures from these caves:

Coral reef-like formation in Jewel Cave

Caramalized shawl-like formation in Jewel Cave

The suspended table in the Lake Cave

We tried to visit Mammoth Caves, too, but due to power outage, they were shut. We took this opportunity to explore the nearby Karri tree walk trail. We could not remember the last time we had just trees and birds for company. Other than the chirping of the birds and creaking of the insects, there was nothing else we could hear.

By this time, it was late in the afternoon and we were quite tired. We decided to head to Hamelin Bay for relaxation. Hamelin Bay is one of those beaches which simply cannot be described in words. I am just going to let the pictures of the blue-green sea waters and the white sand talk about our experience there.

Just a word for our accommodation – Best Western Georgiana Molloy was our home in Augusta for two days. It is a nicely kept place, close to a few eating joints and a couple of convenience stores. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast at the Augusta Bakery and dinner at a Thai restaurant. But THE reason why we loved the place was because of its proximity to Blackwood River which is one of the cleanest I have seen – so clean that we spotted sting rays, colonies of several kinds of fish and even dolphins!

Best Western Hotel

River Blackwood on a cloudy evening

Cape-Leeuwin Lighthouse @Augusta

Early morning, we started out on our way to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. It is the most south-westerly point of Australia. The drive from Augusta to Cape Leeuwin is the most amazing driving experience we have ever had. Some of our friends have told us that the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. We will have to wait till October to figure that out but this one was truly an experience of a lifetime. There was the Southern Ocean all the way along to our left. The weather was amazing and just as we thought life couldn’t get better than this a big, bright rainbow appeared right behind the lighthouse – truly a photographer’s delight.

We made it just in time for an early morning guided tour inside the lighthouse.

Our guide, Paul, a 65-year old man, was lovely and told us about the history associated with the lighthouse. He spoke about it with such pride and fondness like a father would do about his son’s achievements. The view from the top of the lighthouse was surreal! The physical meeting point of the Southern and the Indian oceans, the blue-green waters, the water hitting the rocks – the view was to die for!

View from the top of the lighthouse

Where the Indian and Southern oceans meet

Just a few hundred meters from the lighthouse is an old waterwheel. The water from the wheel was supplied to the builders of the lighthouse and later to the keepers. This water came from a natural spring located in a nearby wetland. Over the years, the water in the spring has dwindled but an electric motor has been set up to prevent the water wheel from drying and cracking. We spent most of our time there climbing the rocks, and wetting our feet in the water while the sun was out. But very soon, a thick cloud cover developed and suddenly, the sea started looking quite rough. To add to our anxiety, there was a strong wind. We instantly knew it was time for us to leave the place.