Firstly the Quobba blowhole. Just north and west of Carnarvon and I could have sat and watched it for hours. Stacks and stacks of photos of course (and we stopped there twice) but none of them truly convey the power and noise each time it blows. And what you really can't see in the pictures (tho' in one or two I capture them) are the 3 whales that were cruising along out to sea and utilising their own blowholes (causing a fair bit of confusion for poor Jude). Up the coast slightly and a couple of nights spent at Quobba Station which is right on the beach and while there we got to watch a bit of mustering of their sheep and some drafting too as well as making friends with the 3 horses we had to pass on our way down the beach.

Jude also made immediate friends with the 2 fellas next door who were there on a serious fishing trip and good thing too cos on day 2 the heavens opened up and they kindly offered to share their very large annexe which saved us from having to wait out 4 hours of rain stuck inside the van.

Back through Carnarvon and to a little spot called Hamelin Pool, a huge lagoon on the way to Monkey Mia where you can see the Stromatolites - apparently very rare 'living rocks' but I am sure I have seen the same thing often before but a beautiful spot to spend the night before our big day and night at Monkey Mia to see the dolphins.

We arrived about midday and spent the arvo wandering around the resort and along the beach and out to the jetty and spotted dolphins frolicking offshore all as a teaser for the next morning when we awoke at dawn and walked along the beach to watch the sunrise and wait for the dolphins to arrive.

Unfortunately there are laws that say the dolphins aren't allowed to be fed before 8am and the dolphins obviously know this so it was a cold wait for them to arrive but once you have your feet in the water and the dolphins are cruising past at not much more than arm's length you forget all about the cold (except Jude who headed back to the beach to make sand-trucks).

No we didn't get to feed them and no there is no touching or swimming with them but you know what? Who cares!!! It was AWESOME just being that close to them IN THE WILD. Happy dolphins, free dolphins, come whenever they choose dolphins, not dependant on the 3 or 4 fish they are given to survive dolphins. And still they come in and swim back and forth along the line of humans looking up at us as much as we are looking at them and then letting the rangers know when they have had enough by making 'cranky' noises that basically mean, 'give us our fish now please we have seen enough'.

This was all repeated again a couple of hours later but with only one dolphin until the buckets (with fish) showed up and then 3 more arrived. But proving their independence they didn't come in for the 'allowed' 3rd feed of the day even though we could see a few swimming back and forth out where the boats were moored.

That night we went into Denham and immediately ran into Pam & Claire that we had met at Bullara Station and after a long afternoon of playing in the park we had dinner with them in their motorhome which was a very civilized affair and much appreciated.

The next day we did a couple of touristy things before heading out of town and into our first official, stuck-on-the-side-of-the-road car problem when a large 'bang' (about 10kms out of town) and the instant lighting up of the brake and charge lights led me to suspect that something had occurred.

Pulling over when it was safe to do so I did what every girl who pays hundreds of dollars for top cover with RACQ does and called my big brother in South Australia to ask him what he thought it could be.

Instant diagnosis: fan belt. Fortunately I had a spare one with me (2 actually) but after a quick description of what was required to put the new one on, and remembering that I was on the side of a very busy road with a 3 year old to look after I decided that ringing the RAC would by far be the wiser choice.

Less than an hour later we were on our way again and soon pulling in to Nanga Bay Resort, still on the same peninsula but about 50km south and on the opposite side to Monkey Mia. A gem of a find and ended up staying 2 nights just so we could have a day wandering along the beach.

There are so many places like this along here and Jude literally wants to stay at every one of them and he always wants to stay at least 5 nights (everything is five at the moment tho cos he thinks that by holding up one hand with all his fingers up that is the greatest /biggest/best anything can be).

Next night we stop at a free camp and bump into Pam & Claire again and then after that it is Kalbarri and Jude makes us look all through our caravan park and the other beachside one looking for them while he calls 'Pam & Claire, we are here, don't worry' but unfortunately we don't find them and having spent 5 nights in Kalbarri and now 5 nights here in Geraldton I suspect they will have outrun us for the rest of our trip. Travelling is like that though and every friendship, no matter how brief, is appreciated and treasured.

Kalbarri is definitely one of our favourite places so far and although there are some other places we like at least as much, Kalbarri is somewhere that we could actually afford to live - This place is definitely on our list of 'must return to'.

It is a beautiful spot, right on the mouth of the Murchison River and nestled between the 2 sections of Kalbarri National Park but what made it truly special was our visits to the beach to watch mother and baby Southern Wright whales cavorting so close to shore that they were just beyond the break. Heart in your mouth stuff and our final 'blowholes' for this entry. The locals told us that this doesn't happen every year altho' there are always whales around at this time and I guess that makes us even more blessed.

We also visited Rainbow Jungle which is a parrot breeding place which IS a must see if you ever visit Kalbarri. Well set out with lots of aviaries as well as a free flight area that you walk around in and the birds are obviously loved. Here I fell in love with Hamish, the sulphur-crested cockatoo and he obviously fell in love with me just a little cos after I had scratched his head he walked down the side of the cage to the floor and picked up a bit of grass in his beak and passed it through to me. I asked the owner about this as I left and she said, 'Oh yes, Hamish gives gifts to those he likes but he bites anyone he doesn't and we never know which it will be'

We also met April, Troy and Chloe here and Chloe quickly became Jude's best friend (although she is 7 year's old) and the two of them got on like a house on fire spending every minute they were both in camp (they were our neighbours) together.

Heading south there are a number of short drives that take you to the cliff tops in the coastal section of the National Park and we stopped at 2 or 3 as we left town and especially loved the boardwalk between 'natural bridge' and ''island rock'. Further south still and we came across the Pink Lake and I thought I would be prepared as we have similar near the Coorong in SA but this was one pink lake. Dark, dark pink.

Just beyond this we came across a field of flowers; okay they may not be wildflowers but they were flowers and the huge field of colour looked wild and I just had to stop for photo ops with Jude of course as my model.

Back on to the North West Coastal Highway and we were in to Geraldton our biggest town for a long time and here we have shopped for winter garments, had Felix serviced, visited the museum and played (and played) at the foreshore.

We are staying at the Batavia Coast Caravan Park which although out of town a bit is really lovely with lots of friendly guests and the most helpful caravan park manager in the world who saved me having to buy a new air filter and fitted the new spark plugs in my van (Thank you, thank you Danny!!)

With Perth only 400kms or so away it may seem pretty close but I know for sure there is lots to see between here and there and with a prayer that the rains will hold off (or always be ahead or behind us) we prepare for our next adventure.

Toodle-pip!