Our Campervan Adventure in SW Australia
Day 1: Perth - Bunbury
The simple task of collecting our campervan took longer than expected…the credit card machine wasn't working (meaning all transactions had to be phoned through)… the fax machine was an integral part of the process (no computers in the office apparently)…the staff were incompetent… our van hadn't been cleaned…the staff lost the key to our van…though the inadequate induction to our van took no time at all!
We then hit the road, first driving in the wrong direction to collect our bags from the hostel in Perth as the opportunity of not having to carry them at all was too great to ignore.
We arrived in Bunbury and had what was to become a standard conversation about the phrase on the back of our van, particularly the word which had been taped out (see photograph). Needless to say we had no choice in the van we got! (for reference the tape was already on there when we got it, but we were pleased)
Our plot was across the road from the beautiful Koombana Bay beach and our first campside meal was a resounding success (ie. it tasted good and we didn't start a bush fire). Feeling rather pleased with ourselves we settled down for the night only to wake up in the middle of the night absolutely freezing cold. This took us by surprise and we foolishly believed it would be a one off…how wrong we were.

Day 2: Bunbury

The next morning we were up bright and early to go across to the beach to see the famous Koombana Bay dolphins come in. We were waiting a little while which was a good chance for us to get some sun to defrost ourselves. The waiting paid off and a mother dolphin and her baby swam within a couple of feet of the line of the 20 or so waiting tourists. A truly magical experience.
After a walk round the inlet, we finished our day in local style with fish and chips back at the van.

Day 3: Bunbury - Busselton - Dunsborough

After an even colder night we headed further down the coast to Busselton, stopping at the aptly named Peppermint Grove beach on the way - the sea really was peppermint coloured. Busselton is home to a long jetty which unfortunately was under refurbishment (a theme of our trip so far) which meant you could only walk out 200m, though as David was hungry this didn't come as a huge disappointment for one of us at least.
We then set about the very important task of purchasing a blanket. The very nice lady in the Australian Red Cross shop took pity on us and sold us 2 blankets, 2 pillow cases and a fork for the bargain price of $2. I don't think she'd ever seen 2 people so happy.
After finding a pitch for the night in Dunsborough we headed up to Cape Naturaliste to see the lighthouse which had been well promoted in the numerous leaflets we'd picked up (they currently fill our glove box - I think I might take after Dad!) Billed as the easiest lighthouse to climb we soon saw why as it's little more than a 2 storey house with a big bulb on the roof. Needless we didn't pay the $11 charge to go up it, choosing to save our lighthouse visit for further along the coast. However a walking trail to a whale lookout point provided the advertised million dollar views, but unfortunately no whales, or at least no sure sightings anyway - the eyes certainly play tricks on you.
We had a fantastic spot for our van in Dunsborough with loads of space around us and views over the adjacent fields which gave us our first sighting (or at least since Singapore zoo) of Kangaroos frolicking in the dusk light. We also heard a noise which we originally thought were motorbikes, but later learned was the Motorbike Frog which went on well into the night.

Day 4: Dunsborough - Margaret River

After waking up delightfully snug wrapped in our new blankets the first task of the day was to try out the site's mini golf course. Unfortunately my reign of 3 time champion came to a sad end as I gave away a 2-stroke lead, though I'm still 3-1 up overall on our trip!
We hit the road and meandered down the coast, before hitting the Margaret River wine region where we soon passed an amazing number of wineries.
The rest of the day was spent lazing around with a leisurely lunch and a stroll along the (disappointingly small) Margaret River.

Day 5: Margaret River Wine Tour

Today brought about our wine tour around the Margaret River region. We met the rest of our group for a delicious BBQ lunch by the river (presumably to line our stomachs) and an early first glass of wine before setting off for our packed day of 4 wineries, a cheese maker, venison farm, a chocolate factory and a brewery.
The wineries we visited ranged from the large scale commercial to the boutique and the premium and we learnt that there were a number of different ways for the 'hosts' to treat us; from professional friendliness to indifference via borderline risqué. Surprisingly enough the more risqué host got more purchases from the group…or perhaps we were all just a bit tipsy by then.
We ended the day back at the riverfront where we had started, drinking the wine we had bought with a couple of the guys from our tour group. We went on well into the night drinking and eating the various goodies from the day. In high insight perhaps not the ideal preparation for the long day of driving ahead of us the next day but great fun nonetheless.

Day 6: Margaret River - Denmark

We woke up feeling surprisingly chipper following our excesses of the day before and set off bright and early for Cape Leeuwin, the most southwesterly point of Australia where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.
A tour up the lighthouse and some (unfortunately unsuccessful) whale spotting later we set off once again, this time heading some 300km east along the southern coast.
Just before Denmark lies the 'Giants treetop walk' among the red tingle trees. David was obviously keen to do this following his enjoyment of the last treetop walk in Malaysia so some intense driving saw us arrive there 15 mins before it closed. David was much happier as the walkway was a high sided steel structure which was much more solid than last time we had attempted such an endeavour…sometimes the work of health and safety officials can be appreciated. I think its fair to say that if David had done this one first he wouldn't have done the Malaysian one.
We arrived early evening in Denmark and 'pitched' our van in one of most picturesque spots so far on the edge of the Wilson Inlet and its amazing number of pelicans (see pictures).

Day 7: Denmark - Esperance

Up until about halfway through our roadtrip we were undecided as to how far we were going to get, but after hearing about Esperance after our wine tour on Wednesday we decided that we could make the 550km journey...after the purchase of a CD (so we didn't have to talk to one another!)
We passed some varied scenery and had to fill the small tank of our van up twice before we finally arrived at Esperance.
As a taster for the day ahead we drove the 38km ocean loop out west of the town, the beaches, sea, rocks and plants were amazing. It also gave us our first sighting of a Kangaroo up close as it bounced across the road ahead of us, though thankfully not too close as our hire agreement specifically states that we are not to swerve to avoid animals.

Day 8: Esperance

After an uneventful night in a forgettable campground we headed to Cape Le Grand National Park. The Park is located a further 53km along the coast but after our travelling distances over the past couple of days this was hardly worth starting the engine for.
The park has a number of peaks but is most famous for its beaches. We headed to Lucky Bay and were immediately blown away by the white sand running into perfect turquoise seas with crashing white surf. A morning walk around the cliffs was followed by an afternoon on the beach and, after we had plucked up enough courage, we plunged into the cold sea for an hour or so jumping into the crashing waves.
It is hard to describe how beautiful the beaches were but it is probably enough to say that they have been voted Australia's best.
The icing on the cake came in the early evening when we returned to the beach to find it completed deserted except for a family of kangaroos which were happy enough for us to get close and pose for (a lot of) photos.

Day 9: Esperance - Southern Cross

After a further walk around the beaches we started our long journey back to Perth. The route we chose was inland passing through a handful of remote towns. This gave us another view of Australia.
In the day we travelled about 500km.
After setting up at the campsite and sitting at our shoddy furniture outside our van enjoying a well earned beer we were greeted by our returning neighbour with the words:
"G-day, I thought the set-up I had with my van was rubbish", this summed up quite succinctly the quality and standing of our van. At least we will only have one more night of campervan envy.

Day 10: Southern Cross - Perth

We completed the 400km to Perth, with the settlements getting closer together and looking less and less like something out of the wild west.
It was with a tinge of sadness that we handed our home of the previous ten nights back although we will be sure that the next vehicle we hire does not have f**k written on the back of it.
Next stop Adelaide where we're looking forward to some home comforts when we stay with family friends…