Joanne, Vaughn, Rachael and myself left Perth around 7pm on Friday evening in Vaughn's big four wheel drive. We had everything but the kitchen sink with us for our weekend away. We spent out first night in Busselton about 3 hours south of Perth. After a few glasses of vino we headed to our bunk beds. As much as our cabin was far from luxurious it did the job especially for $80 a night. Two sets of bunks, a cooker and a curtained off double bed made up our living quarters for that night.

Next morning after a scrambled egg and bacon sandwich prepared by Vaughn the car was packed and we were on the road to Pemberton a further hour and half South. It was amazing to see so much green every where. This is the area where all the vine yards are and the soil is of high quality so there is green trees and bushes everywhere. Driving through forests was lovely and reminded me of home. At the small town of Nanup we encountered a forest rally out of nowhere so we stopped for, as the Aussie's call it, a sticky beak.

Once in Pemberton we checked into little shack number two, ditched our stuff and headed to the Yaegarup sand dunes. I cannot explain what it was like to be completely surrounded by sand and then to be in car driving at an almost verticle angle climbing sand dunes. It was fantastic. After a quick photo stop Jo, Rachael and I took the experience a step further. Standing on the footboard on the outside of the four by four and holding on to the roof handles inside car through the open window we enjoyed the dunes from the outside of the car.

Back in the car and further down the dunes we turned a corner and in front of us was our first view of the Great Southern Ocean. It was so blue! We were literaly on the bottom of the world, next stop Antartica. After a quick dip Vaughn served up a sausage sizzle for lunch and we had a chuck of the frisbee before heading to the bicentennial tree.

The bicentennial tree grows as massive 75 metres out of the ground it is massive. You can climb it if you don't value your life. There are big metal pins stuck in the trunk all the way up, no safety harness no fence and you can climb to gang hut and summit. I'm not scared of heights and it frightened me so I kept my toes firmly planted on the floor.

A steak dinner under the stars, lots of wine and we were in bed at 9.30pm absolutely exhausted but happy. On Sunday we took a quick dip in Big Brook Dam, my first fresh water Aussie experience and then took a slow drive up the road. Stopping to watch the last of the rally in Nanup and to have a picnic lunch in the park. Then we were homeward bound.

Truly a fantastic weekend-check out the photies although they cannot to the natural wonders I saw justice. Gills x