Augusta Week 35

                        Week 35

                          Augusta

Spot the difference

Our final day in Gracetown and our friend the kookaburra popped in for a friendly visit. After a bit of feather ruffling, we all agreed that outside the van was a more comfortable meeting place for all concerned. He really was a bit “out there”.

A long journey, about 60 km and we were at our next destination, greeted by blue skies and a magical spot. We are at Turners Caravan Park, where 1600 competitors entered the Anaconda Adventure Race on Sunday. Hence we have arrived on Monday when things had settled down a lot. Pelicans sit by the shore only a few metres from us. It is delightful.

After sighting, walking around and generally discussing lighthouses on our travels, we at last choose to enter the lighthouse and view the world from above - only 176 steps, easy peasy. Robyn and Lawrence, David and Gail, you will remember our trepidation about the Big Buddha and all the training we did for that. It was a bit of an exercise non-event after all that training. Hence we arrived at the top still breathing reasonably normally.

Here you view the Indian Ocean meeting the southern ocean, so once again, we reach a landmark place in Australia if pinpointing the extremities.

The quaintest part of today was my darling Brian. TV reception here is not the best and it looked as if I would miss my new favourite program on SBS “letters and Numbers” as SBS was not on the list for normal reception. Thinking of me always, Brian started to set up the dish, getting out his trusty compass as always to face the dish in the right direction. He tried from the van and had no luck. “B.... trees” and moved away with the tripod, staked down for when the bad weather moves in, as it always does in this area of the world. At this point our new neighbour strolls over, trying to hide his grin. “Are you on a new satellite mate?” and points to his dish pointing in a diametrically opposed direction. “But that’s north,” muses the dish technician.”only if you’re going past Antarctica’” comes the laconic reply. So we have duelling compasses. Brian’s trusty mate has switched polarity . Oh my twitching lips, be still and don’t get caught grinning. So cutting this long story short, I thank my dearly beloved for solving life’s problem so his “ex-gazinta” can get her letters and numbers fix for the day. (Hint - Seven gazinta 42). This is the type of stuff you can find out on this great program. My Uncle Pat would have loved “Gazinta” as he called my brother Tom “Apple” for a similar reason. Talking Greek, I know.

Our payment for a glorious arrival has descended. We now must enjoy the rain. But after 5 days of wind and rain we have had enough. I have the wog and have been using up boxes of tissues and panadol. Brian says the caravan is too small when I’m in this state.

We did have a drive through the regrowth forest where Karri are the major trees, saved because the market tastes changed to Jarrah, thus these forests have had a chance to stand tall once again. A tip is not to follow Caves Road, but to drive along the dirt drive through the national park which gives a far better appreciation of the forest.

Brian finally got a glimpse of sunshine to snap the waterwheel, once supplying water to the lighthouse keepers. As you can see it has been a long time since this wheel has turned.

This is for Wal and Merv and any other budding golfers out there. There was a sign near the entrance to town “Augusta Welcomes Master Golfers”, large, in timber spanning about eight metres. When it dried up on Saturday and we thought we would get in a round, there were golfers in the street limbering up , practising their swings. They really did have an Augusta masters. So we settled for second best (didn’t make the cut), and headed for the local par 3 nine hole course. The advantage was here the greens were not sand and only $5. We found out why on the first green - it was carpet, sort of and very, very fast and unforgiving. So much for the good scores. Never mind, good exercise.

It finally did dry up and the pelicans put on a show, but all too soon we were off to our next destination, Pemberton.

We could not believe the amount of forested national partk we drove through to get here. What is sad is that most of it is regrowth forest, but I guess the people who carved a lifestyle here were just like our grandparents, forging a living out of nothing. These forests have been saved by the market turning to Jarrah as the preferred timber, so the Karri got to regrow and the powers that be have now recognized the magnificence should be preserved for future generations. Well done.

Our best wished to Fiona and Andrew for their nuptials this coming weekend. Our wishes for an interesting path to travel in the years ahead to keep you both content and interested . Enjoy the honeymoon and the rest of the journey through life together. Congratulations on a fine choice.

Little late this week, but we hope we are forgiven. Take care all and have a good one.

Cheers from the tree-hugging nomads.