The Warmest place in Oz

This place is crazy-warm!!

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/sa/ne-pastoral/oodnadatta

Coogee Beach, W.A.

Sunset at the jetty on Coogee Beach

Karin, Karla and Toeks on the beach, with the port of Fremantle in the distance.

Pelican's on the jetty, waiting for an easy snack.

Karla holding a Blue Crab which one of the ladies had just caught. She was a brave girl!

Kids jumping from the jetty into the crystal clear water...

Karin's new haircut - Beeeauuutifulll!

Click on the image for a larger view.

Rottnest Panorama's

Thompson Bay - Rottnest

Duck Rock, looking back towards Fremantle.

Pinky Beach I

Pinky Beach II

Rottnest Island Hotel

Rottnest Island, W.A.

Paradise no longer lost...

click on any image for a larger view

The Bathurst lighthouse at Pinky Beach.



The beach & water at Pinky Beach as viewed from the Bathurst Lighthouse. Monday Rock can be seen in the water just off the beach.



The Basin, which is where the first Europeans stepped ashore in the 1600's. The island has a large population of Quokkas, which look like large rats (see below). The Dutch named the place Rottnest, which means "Rat Nest". The Quokkas are in-fact a marsupial, like a Kangaroo, but about the size of a cat.

My mate Jaco with Longreach Bay in the background, just before sunset.

The only wind turbine we could spot. Taken from the hill next to Longreach Bay.

A Quokka. They are very common and tame. This image shows a single animal, but they are typically in groups of 5-20 animals.

The Quokkas are so tame, that the general store has special perspex doors to prevent the critters from entering. Only on Rottnest...



Thompson Bay and a floating play-park for the kids. How cool is that?! Thompson Bay is also the site of the Rottnest Express Ferry Terminal.



Pinky Beach, a bather, a boat being towed and Duck Rock in the background. The water is like glass and allows for spectacular snorkeling.

A local artist, James Wilson, with an astonishing talent to play the guitar, didgeridoo and drums (both feet) all at the same time. To see him in action was simply astounding. This guy is good!

Rottnest Hotel; if I win Lotto I'm buying it. As close to perfect as one could ever get...

A final, quirky Rottnest photo (read the text). Not something I've seen often (if ever) in my youth.

The Pinnacles - Panorama's

CLICK ON ANY IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW

View from the lookout

...and a short walk into the desert-like area.

The lookout itself, which is ~200m from the car park.

The jetty at Lancelin, and some beautiful, clear water.

The plains when looking inland (North) from the Nilgen lookout road.

Nilgen Lookout and the Indian Ocean.

The Pinnacles

THE PINNACLES

2.5 HOURS DRIVE NORTH OF PERTH

If you want a magic day-trip and find yourself in Perth, the Pinnacles are a no-brainer. It is roughly 2.5 hours drive North of Perth, and less than 20km's from the sea-side town of Cervantes. It costs $11 per car entry, and there are clean toilets, a visitors centre (air-conditioned) and a 4km loop drive on a hard-packed sand track.

On the way to Cervantes, about an hour outside Perth is the town of Lancelin. Great spot and we'll definately stop here again.

A typical, quaint view of fishing boats on the beach at Lancelin.

One of those mandatory photo's everyone should have. I had to run on a sore knee with the camera timer beeping in my ears, haha!

Karin and I at the Nilgen lookout. Just absolutely fantastic. Beautiful. The new Indian Ocean drive has to be experienced.

Me at a place I've wanted to see since I bought my first photography magazine. Still can't believe I've actually been there now. How lucky we are; really. 

A typical view...

Some Toyota (what else) Landcruisers making their way through the park. We soon followed in our Toyota "Landcruiser" Aurion, haha!

One for the family album. I think it was Karin's idea for this pose...

Karin and her mum enjoying the sights.

The AWTA Landcruiser. Awesome car, and went great on the smooth, gently winding road leading North out of Perth. Used cruise-control just about all the way.

Roadkill. Yep, plenty of 'Roos (mostly dead, but some alive). On the way home (~7pm) there were many live animals next to the road feeding.

A wide angle shot of the purely magical, massive, snow white sand dunes between Cervantes and Lancelin, near Nilgen.

A close-up. How amazing is that?!?!

Some quick family portraits

Eugene being his usual argumentative self :-)

Karla busy playing ball with her mum.

Karin's mum (Toeks) is still enjoying Perth & the stark differences compared to South Africa.

Karin, now totally used to having a camera pointed at her, relaxing while the kids played out front.