Brilliant Busking in Freo

The Fremantle Markets are open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we went down on Friday morning to try the personal approach for busking permission. Finally, a friendly place that encourages buskers - there are no licencing requirements. Yeehah! We booked a timeslot and bolted back to get costumed and pack up our instruments. We busked from 11-12 with great success, so booked in timeslots for Saturday and Sunday before we left.

We decided to complete the Maritime Museum experience and take a tour on the Ovens Submarine, so headed over to the Quay again. Half of the CHOGM delegates had the same idea - there were important looking folk doing their important walks surrounded by men in suits with earpieces trying to look inconspicuous. Very amusing. The kids were disappointed that they didn't see the Queen! I was not terribly surprised that we didn't recognise anyone.

Ovens submarine - big on the outside but tiny inside!

The sub tour was fascinating, although I had a moment of panic when we descended into the sub, imagining the hatches closing and sinking into the water! Our guide was ex-Navy and sure did know his submarines! We managed to get through without bumping our heads (much) but it was amazing to consider the 70 men living and working inside for weeks at a time. Space is at such a premium that one lucky guy got to sleep on top of the torpedo! The Captain's cabin was even smaller than Captain Cook's on the Endeavour!

Glad to be back in the fresh air!

Jackson emulating the Torpedo Tubes

Exploring the rest of the Maritime Museum easily filled the rest of the afternoon and we had to drag the kids out just before it closed. It is design built and jam-packed with boats, yachts and fabulously interesting things. The Australia II was there in all its glory, along with that appalling Australia jacket that Bob Hawke wore when he declared "Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum" after we won the 1983 America's Cup!

Busking was our first appointment on Saturday. We did the same timeslot and had just opened the music case when a lady came over to make a donation. We told her she was brave, having not heard a note, but she stayed for the entire set. At the end, she came over to say how much she loved our music and the kids and gave us $50!! We had a break before doing another set to give our jaws time to close. It was heaps of fun and we were drawing large crowds. Lunch at the markets is always a welcome change from sandwiches and Ella enjoyed choc coated strawberries from a stall directly opposite our busking pitch. The guy told Ella that she could just point tomorrow and he would bring her one! We went back to camp to unpack and got changed to go and visit my Uni friends Graham and Suzy and their girls. Ella was very excited to have some girl company and the 6 kids had a great time playing table tennis, jumping on the tramp, riding bikes and scooters and playing with the Wii while we had a lovely evening catching up on twenty or so years!

A Flooney - wants to join the Hermits!

We busked again on Sunday morning. It went well - apart from the sticky key on the accordion rearing its ugly head again. The kids are really hitting their stride now and are all even singing! The strawberry man from yesterday remembered his promise to Ella and she was delivered a choc-coated strawberry skewer. Another lady in a stall told the kids that listening to our music made her really happy and then donated a Flooney to them all. An American Indian guy stayed through both sets, singing along and adding some fantastic body percussion as well. He said he loved what we were doing and we thanked him for his additions. He took Ella over to his wife's stall for a free pair of earrings, apologising to the boys that he didn't have any jewellery suitable for them. As well as all this largesse, we are also making quite good money. We walked away from our 5 sets at the markets with almost $900! Just as well, as everything costs more than we had originally budgeted for. I went and thanked the manager of the markets and she issued an open invitation for our return. A manager of a nearby bar also gave us her card for a gig there, which we won't have time to do.

Ella's Flooney and Friends Band

After unpacking, we headed out to Alexander Heights, map in hand, to meet Vasko the Accordion Fix-it Man. He is a recent immigrant from Russia and is filling a niche market in accordion repair! We left Jackson's accordion with him for a full service and repair, which should take most of the week. Heading to Joondalup for dinner with my cousin, we got comprehensively lost, as the map suddenly decided not to name any streets. Fortunately Wendy was an excellent phone navigator and we made it to their place with only a few tight-lipped exchanges! We have needed that GPS a couple of times on the trip, Pete & Carey. On the whole though, we think the camera was the better option!  We had a fantastic evening with Wendy & Rob. The kids had a ball playing with their second cousin Jared. They also enjoyed being in a house, Basil Brush (the dog), non-plastic plates, toys, sharp knives and being in a house.

The boys with Jared and his nerf gun collection!

Stay tuned ...

Shipwrecks and HMB Endeavour

Captain Pelsaert's Cabin

Our first day in Fremantle dawned clear after the heavy rain all night. Ella was terrified during the storm, but fortunately was in the Blunderbuss with Jackson, who managed to calm her down and get her back to sleep! Our first mission was to buy a map to avoid further mishap. That done, we headed to the huge marina to check out the yachts and then into the Shipwrecks Galleries at the Maritime Museum. The Batavia - or what was left of her - was displayed there and we all enjoyed delving into the story and the artefacts again.

Endeavour in Victoria Quay

We were very happy to discover that we had finally caught the Endeavour, berthed in Fremantle. We missed it in Brisbane just before we left and we have been just missing it in ports ever since as it circumnavigates Australia for the first time! After we finished at the Shipwreck Galleries, we drove to Victoria Quay to take a tour of Captain Cook's ship. It was fantastic! The ship was smaller than we had imagined, with the mid-shipman's deck added into the existing ship and subsequently a little over a metre high. The doors to the tiny cabins were Ella sized. It was almost impossible to imagine the 94 sailors, soldiers and scientists on board in such a tiny ship for 3 years!

Ella could barely fit through the cabin door!

Jackson is glad he is not a marine living in this space!

We are thinking of installing one of these
into the Blunderbuss!

Jackson at the helm

As usual, there have been no replies to our phone calls re. busking at the markets, but we had a rehearsal anyway on our return to camp.

Stay tuned ..

To Perth, via the Pinnacles

It was hosing down as we were trying to pack up in Green Head. That was a new experience - and not a fun one! The rain forced us to cancel our planned Wildflower Loop Drive but we did persevere and drove in to the Pinnacles. We had morning tea in the Blunderbuss waiting for the rain to clear and dashed across to the Interpretive Centre when it didn't. We enjoyed the information as we dripped our way around the displays. The Pinnacles are a very recent geological formation - about 6000 years old - and no-one really knows how they formed. The two main formation theories proposed are both controversial,  the kids were interested to discover.

Ninjas in the Pinnacles

The rain stopped after we unhitched the caravan to drive the narrow track through the Pinnacles. The golden rocks and surrounding sand were an extreme colour change from the red landscape we have become used to. The wet sand of course was tracked through the Blunderbuss as well, so all our gear was suddenly, grittily, golden. We returned to the carpark where the Jayco was faithfully waiting for our return, after joking about arriving in Perth without it!

"Don't forget the caravan, Dad!"

Who ate all the pies?

We were all cold so we bought our first pies for lunch and the boys were very excited to try Pie Sandwiches, a la Masterchef Gonz. Even without Tomato Sauce, they thought it was not bad! Ella decided that a sausage roll sandwich wouldn't really be the same!

Black Boys everywhere!

Travelling the rest of the Indian Ocean Drive towards Joondalup, we were amazed to see thousands of black boys in flower.

It was a very stressful drive into Perth and Fremantle without a map. We got off the Freeway too early and ended up ensnared in central Fremantle, where one turn led us into a dead end with no room to turn. With Jackson giving his excellent reversing directions to Dave as he wended back onto the main road, I found myself directing heavy Fremantle traffic to stop and wait for us! I can report that although the woman in the front car was quite accommodating (and rather startled!), road rage in the backed up cars was alive and well! The Queen was arriving at the Perth airport at the same time as we were changing Fremantle's traffic arrangements. We could have done with one of the police escorts!

Eventually we found our caravan park and set up quickly as a storm was threatening. It was raining during the evening, but there was a huge thunderstorm during the night, with one clap of thunder directly above us and loud enough to scare the bejesus out of us all!

So, we have arrived in Perth (or Fremantle, to be accurate) and we'd better hit the op shops for some crazy outfits so we fit in with all the CHOGM delegates. Marcus figures he'll pick up some leadership tips for his School Captain application, but the Queen hasn't replied to his email!

Stay tuned ...

Fishing at Green Head

SCOREBOARD

Church Family vs. Fish at Green Head

  0                          3     

NINJAs go fishing ... but they are not so ninja at catching anything!

FISHING Leaderboard:

Lachlan - 13 undersize fish, including 3 puffer fish

Dave - 2 grunter and a sole

Ella - half a large snub-nosed dart

Jackson - one yellow fin bream and a squid jig

Marcus - half a snub-nosed dart, a bait fish (thrown into the air) and (debatable) 2 octopus which let go when they were near shore

Kerrie - zilch (lack of effort)

Rugby Final day, Sunday, was a rest day. Time for Monopoly, reading, fishing and of course, the Rugby. Fortunately the All Blacks were victorious, as Dave had threatened to jump into Dynamite Bay if they didn't win. And I still can't reverse the caravan. Not that I'm trying to. Why have a dog and bark yourself? Ella finished Harry Potter 5 with a whoop and a cheer, so the mispronunciations and the "Harry is in big trouble" come to an end for a while.

Storm heading our way while fishing

Monday was much the same, with more unsuccessful fishing. Although we did see a sea lion, his whiskery face peering at us (laughing, I think!) before he disappeared under the waves. We also saw a huge ray swim past before the storm hit and we bolted back to camp.

Ella and I retired to the tent to listen to the rain pitter patter while the boys crowded around the computer screen to watch the Rugby, posted online 24 hours after the match. No-one has missed having a TV with the exception of missing the live Rugby coverage!

Rodred the Thin in action

Our last day of R&R, Tuesday, was similar again. We decided to attempt to catch a fish one more time, although Jackson was happy to stay with his Lego programme on the computer. We went to the same headland, hoping to see some more sea lions, but no luck. An enormous ray swam past again, bigger than the last one. Marcus was excited to have two octopus on his line, but both times the octopus came in close and then let go of the bait, sending a disgusted jet of water at Marcus up the cliff!

We were enjoying the fishing but again the rain set in. That fly we bought for the tent is getting a good work out. Our timing of the purchase couldn't have been better.

Looks like it will be our first wet pack up to depart for Perth tomorrow.

Stay tuned ...

Geraldton to Jurien Bay Marine Reserve

Haybales along the roadside outside Greenough

Hooray! The Tooth Fairy caught up with us! Ella was very pleased to read the note she left, written in sparkly pink.

Geraldton was surprisingly hot as we packed up and headed south again, however it wasn't long before storm clouds were threatening. Hay season is in full swing here and there were thousands of round and square hay bales along the roadside. We stopped in Dongara for morning tea, where Lachlan had a battle getting his fishing rod out of the Blunderbuss. In his frustration, his tongue tangled and he said "I can't get my rod red out"; his fishing line was immediately christened Rodred the Thin. The rain set in before he could fish, so we drove onwards to Green Head.

Dynamite Bay

The intriguingly named Dynamite Bay at Green Head was a lovely lunch stop, but the rain started again in earnest so Lachie was again thwarted in his fishing. We drove through heavy rain for the first time on this trip to Jurien Bay, where we took one look at the crowded caravan park and turned back for the tiny hamlet of Green Head.

It turned out to be a great decision, as the park was almost empty and cheaper than average! The rain stopped for us to set up and we were extremely pleased that we'd invested in a fly for the tent in Geraldton! Dave and the boys played soccer and forceback until dark. Ella is nearing the end of Harry Potter 5 so wanted to read after she had cleaned the caravan and Blunderbuss (all of her own violition!). Her HP mis-pronunciations have another addition - Filch has become "Flinch" and Harry is still in big trouble!


We have decided to spend a couple of days R&R here before hitting Perth, and will no doubt be fishing!

Stay tuned ...

Geraldton and Greenough

We can't fit in the Yellow Submarine!

On Thursday morning, we drove through the port and along the waterfront to get out bearings. The Yellow Submarine caused much amusement. It was a prototype built for the crayfishing industry, which subsequently poisoned the operators with gas emissions from the batteries! We also found a replica of Randolph Stow's loved Merry-Go-Round which he based his novel upon.

However, the main focus of the day was to visit Greenough Historical Village which was a 20 minute drive from Geraldton. Just outside Greenough we found the famous Leaning Tree. It is a river gum growing horizontally due to the constant southerly winds. Incredible.

Greenough Historical Village is a wonderful time capsule from the late 1800s. The village was abandoned after the area declined in the first half of the twentieth century. Heritage Listing in the 1970's saved Greenough and the process of conserving and interpreting the historic buildings is now continuing.

Greenough School, est. 1865

Mr Church supervising the
1898 Elementary School Bursary Exam

We spent a fascinating few hours exploring all the buildings. They were all built with stone and beautifully cool inside. The school room felt as though the students had just left. A copy of the 1898 Bursary Exam was set out on the desks, which the Church family attempted. With such pearlers as:

Reduce 12s 7 1/2d to the decimal of  £2.

Say what you know about Gordon and his connections with the Soudan.

Draw a map of Africa indicating the chief rivers and the portions of the continent forming part of the British Empire.

It became obvious that we would not have been amongst the 3 successful candidates in WA that year!

St Catherine's Church, still in regular use

We spent the rest of the day in Geraldton, enjoying the waterfront, the second-hand bookstore and the ice-cream parlour! We went for a long walk around the port and marina that evening. There was an enormous catamaran, a tug boat and about 40 large boats in dry dock. The wind was freezing and we walked back to warm up in the caravan.

The Batavia's longboat - which was not very long!

Geraldton's attractions entertained us on Friday. We had a quick squizz at St Francis Xavier Cathedral and spent time on the waterfront (where the ripstick and skateboard came out again!) before visiting the Museum. A guided tour of the Shipwrecks display was excellent, and filled in many details about the infamous Batavia shipwreck, mutiny and the subsequent murders on the Abrolhos Islands. A replica of the tiny 9.1m longboat in which the Captain and 40-odd other people reached Batavia (Jakarta) was moored outside. Everyone enjoyed pottering around the museum, finding out bizarre things. Dave spent his time in the Shipwrecks section, Lachlan loved the fishing history exhibits, Ella found a black and white fish which reminded her of Bonnie, Marcus enjoyed the coins from the shipwrecks and Jackson was fascinated by the Batavia ballast mystery. Over one hundred shaped rocks were found at the wreck site and subsequently pieced together to make an arch which was to have been installed at the Dutch headquarters in Batavia. I read about the enormous asbestos sheeting roof which was erected over Geraldton's water supply in the 1960s to stop some of the evaporation. All well and good until 1967, when it wobbled and collapsed - into the water supply - like a house of cards!

Victoria Building - was a hospital, a council building,
a prison and is now the Information Centre

We spent the afternoon at the Bill Sewell complex, which included the beautiful Victoria Building and Geraldton's first goal. The cells are now used by local craftspeople who joined together to save the building from becoming a carpark.


Ella put her tooth fairy letter out for the fourth time. The Tooth Fairy is having trouble finding us as we travel WA!

Stay tuned ...

Kalbarri to Geraldton

Kabarri's marketing phrase is "KALBARRI you'll love it". We agreed wholeheartedly as we packed to leave on Wednesday morning.

We were so excited to see this pod of dolphins -
which soon enlarged to 46!

We stopped at Natural Bridge again on the off-chance of seeing some more humpbacks before we left the area. We had only been there for a couple of minutes when I saw a pod of 20 dolphins surfing the swell and chasing fish. Before long we had counted 46 dolphins and our plans for a quick stop were scuttled! It was totally amazing watching so many dolphins just below us! We couldn't believe our luck. Eventually they all disappeared. Ella summed it up "That was glorious! I'd love to be a dolphin out there!"

Jackson needs the pink ukulele to complete this picture!

We were looking forward to seeing the Pink Lake near Port Gregory. And yes, it was PINK! The colour is a result of pink bacteria and an algae which accumulates beta-carotene in the hyper-saline waters. None of us had ever heard of the Pink Lake, so it was exciting to see it truly was as pink as in the tourist brochures! Marcus and Jackson were desperate to collect water samples for future analysis, but I could forsee an accumulation of bacteria and alga on the van floor, so denied their requests.

Marcus worked out the self-timer on the camera!

The jetty at Port Gregory

Lunch at picturesque Port Gregory was a windy affair. While we were there, an English couple came over to say hello to the Haystack Mountain Hermits! They had seen us busk in Carnarvon. The kids were amazed that we were recognised without our costumes.

Geraldton was our destination for the day and we managed to find our caravan park from a postage stamp sized map of the park. The HMAS Sydney II War Memorial dominates the Geralton skyline. It was beautifully made and very moving. A seagull represents each of the 645 men who lost their lives, and a woman waits, watching out to sea for news. Very poignant.



Stay tuned ...