Murphs new fad? love? update

  Since the first blog I published about Murph picking my ukulele up and deciding she wanted one which I replied she has to prove to me she is still keen enough by Perth and have a couple of songs down pat. Well we are about a week or so away from Perth and the Murph is still tinkering infact she often greets the fellow caravan parkers in the morning to a new day with her practicing outside. Muerph isnt the most confident of singers so its a low volume hum I hear with her playing taking into consideration I am half deaf so normal listeners will hear different.

Eric Clapton position

Deep concentration

Maybe glasses help?

morning bugle to the fellow campers

  Having Mike and Alana around with their ukes jamming away whenever we catch up I am sure inspires her to play more so she definitely is getting better from when she first started (thank god).
  "Somewhere over the rainbow" Israel Kamawhatshisname's version seems to be her favourite so I am getting to know that one quite well like all the neighbours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I
  After playing Mike's and Alana's ukes I think she has decided upon a concert version which is bigger and easier to play than my little soprano size (yet she always tells me "size doesnt matter"). While I was doing a bit of youtubing last night Murph was online checking out ukes and different stores around Perth so the hard foot is down again telling her to practice practice and more practice (while I go for rides or walks) to get "somewhere over the rainbow" down pat.
  I will give more updates to keep you in tune with this blog (pardon the pun)

Busselton 14.05.2012 to 16.05.2012

Busselton is another favorite place of mine and Crowey and I believe it to be a very liveable town, with a population of over 11,000, most amendities at hand, Bunbury only 30 minutes away and Perth about 2 hours. Of course Busselton is famous for it's jetty which stretches 1.8km along Geographe Bay and is the longest timber pile jetty in the southern hemisphere. We had to walk along it (costing us $2.50 each, I suppose the $27 million dollar refurbishment has to be paid somehow) and photograph this very recognised tourist spot.

The new Busselton Jetty

Crowey returning from the Journey along the Jetty

Remnants of the leftover old jetty

Busselton Jetty as the sun sets

Beach along Busselton Bike Track

Crowey contemplates a swim

As the sun sets over Cape Naturalist (near Dunsborough) I capture the final moments of the day.

Augusta, Margaret River and Surrounds Picture Gallery 10.05.2012 to 14.05.2012

Light House at Augusta

Pic taken over Flinders Bay Augusta, waiting for fish and chips

Hamelin Bay

It's amazing what you find on a beach (Hamelin Bay)

Hamelin Bay Jetty

Canal Rocks near Yallingup

Canal Rocks

Crowey stands tall at Canal Rocks

Prevelly, where the bushfires of Nov 2011 affected (a supposedly controlled fire)

Crowey's impersonation of Chopper Reid

The sun sets just out of Margaret River over the caravan Park (old sheep farm)

Becoming a Tree Hugger

Murph becoming a tree hugger

Setting off from Albany our sights were set for Denmark, a cute little coastal town that delivered quite a bit of rain as we drove into the town. Having a bite to eat we decided to continue on to Walpole and visit The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. The walk is 600 metres and rises 40 metres above the florest floor. The view gives a breathtaking experience with a bird's eye view of the forest. Amongst the attraction here is the veteran tingle trees called the Ancient Empire. This walk takes you close to some of the unique shapes of the giant trees, one you are able to walk through the hollowed-out butt of one tree.

Crowey doing the Tree Top walk 40 feet in the air

Murph doing a star jump in a tree trunk

Crowey inside the giant tingle tree

Almost to the clouds

I have never been what you would call a tree hugger, however the Karri Forests around Walpole and Pemberton certainly have changed my attitude towards these beautiful trees and I quickly fell in love with their awesome colour and majestic height. The Karri is the tallest tree species in WA and the third tallest in the world. It can grow up to 90 metres in height over a period of 100 years. 

What a forest!!

Glochester Tree, Pemberton. Where the top reaches 61 metres and once was used as a fire lookout

Beautiful colours of nature

 

Crowey playing peek-a-boo

a little friend invites itself onto the car window having a chat with us

Albany - Western Australia's first Settlement 03.05.12 to 07.05.12

I have been to Albany a couple times during my time as a WA girl, but it wasn't until this trip that I got the chance to discover not only Albany's main attractions but the hidden bays and beaches amongst this beautiful town on the south coast of WA, the first settlement.

Albany is fairly infamous for it's annual rainfall, but we were lucky enough to strike some fairly good weather during our stay. Although the first day we arrived it was true to it's reputation and produced a little rainfall for us, I think the first rain for us for a long time (probably since leaving VIC).

                                                                                     Pelicans looking for a feed at the Jetty
 

                                                                                Panoramic View of Albany on top of Mt Clarence

It was also here in Albany that Mike and Alana caught up with us and once again we enjoyed their companionship to and around the nooks and cranies of the coastal areas around Albany including areas such as Ledge Bay, Narnarup Beach and Two People Bay. Some spots were absolutley breathtaking, with all of us loving the ocean and sand under our feet, something we never get tired of. I enjoyed exploring Albany and would recommend this part of the world to anyone.

                                                                                 Crowey, Mike and Alana heading for the beach

                                                                                    Crowey saluting the ocean??

                                                                              The rain clouds were never far away

                                                                                 Another little slice of paradise

                                                                                    Murph getting creative with her photography

                                                                                  Murph has fallen in love with rocks by the ocean

                                                                                     Stopped for a bite to eat (hungry work exploring)

                                                                                     The sun shines on another little oasis

                                                                                      Gorgeous Beach at Two People Bay

                                                                                    Murph and Crowey say hi from Two People Bay

Bremer Bay 03.05.2012

After our free camping with Mike and Alana, Crowey and I set off early towards Bremer Bay. I had been here before and was not too excited about visiting it (predominantly a fishing place) but Crowey had heard a lot about it and was enthused to explore the place. The day was a bit miserable, with rain happening in patches, but still we braved the elements and went walking along the beach at Bremer Bay. The town is actually spread out in some bizarre fashion, with a convenience store on one street and another couple of streets down there is the service station, not much more in the town really. On our hunt for a bakery we were going past a mechanic shop and what should Crowey see out of the corner of his eye? Yes a bulldozer!!

                                                                                     Bulldozer Pic 1

After having asked the owner if we could take a picture of the bulldozer, Crowey explaining his enthusiasm for bulldozers we were then to find out that there was a Museum in town and in it were three or four bulldozers. Now I know that Crowey has a sore ankle, but I could have sworn he ran to the car that day, told me to hurry up and off we went at a rate of knots to get to that museum. Just so you know the joy I experienced that day (I hope you got the undertone of sarcasm there) here are some pictures I will share with you, please sit back and enjoy :-)

                                                                                A very old bulldozer

                                                                                      A blue and red bulldozer

                                                                                 Another yellow bulldozer

                                                                                   Another very old bulldozer

                                                                              Crowey ooooooohing and arghhhhing

                                                                                   Crowey trying to drive a bulldozer (boys will be boys)

I must say though the Museum was quite extensive in Australian history items, ranging from musical instruments, cars, motorbikes, wagons, jewellery, kitchen items, household furniture etc so I was entertained by more than bulldozers that day, however I must say to see a smile on Crowey's face was all worth it.