Travelled 340 kms north from Perth at 100kmh, with Troy drinking an average 15.5 litres for each 100 km.
OK, before we really start to get into this blog, I confess that we have a couple of odd habits: we give names to inanimate objects, and we tend to appreciate the quirky (I plan to post a ‘Gallery of the Quirky’ showcasing our favourite quirky photos). Apart from that, we’d be considered a normal couple who love travelling and adventure. For the record, our named inanimate objects include:
- Troy Touareg – named after a bloke named Troy, who had a show in the late 1990s “Troy’s Outback Adventures”.
- Dora the Caravan – named after Dora the Explorer.
- Bert and Daisy – our two favourite pewter wine goblets that come with us on all our travels, with their names elaborately engraved on their side. Ted, an old friend of Jan’s family, bequeathed Bert and Daisy to us, as they were originally his great uncle and great aunt who were intrepid travellers around our great nation many years ago.
We left Perth after lunchtime, as I had booked my car in to get the tow electrical flat 7 pin plug changed to a flat 12 pin plug, which matched the flat 12 pin plug of our van. This enabled us to charge our caravan batteries and fridge while we were on the road (thanks Auto Extra in Osborne Park).
We headed north along Indian Ocean Drive, cocooned inside Troy Touareg and oblivious to the chilly 17 degrees outside, enjoying the clear blue skies and Indian Ocean shining brilliant blue in the sunlight. We marvelled at the ocean, undulating landscape, bright white sand dunes next to the road, and were intrigued by the modern art sculptures that dotted the Indian Ocean Drive. Not to be outdone, Mother Nature has put on her own amazing art display at Nambung National Park – the world renowned Pinnacles. Limestone sentinels dot the landscape.
The ‘caravanners wave’ commenced early on the trip. It’s funny how two simple gestures of acknowledging an oncoming stranger hurtling past at around 100kph can promote a sense of virtual mate ship. Kind of like a secret society handshake! Different personalities bring on different waves – Some wave vigorously and show the whites of their teeth as they smile, while others nonchalantly lift the index finger from the steering wheel.
Driving into the setting sun at 4.08pm on day 1 of our adventure. After consulting with WikiCamps, we arrived at our first stop. A free overnight rest stop, Nobby Head North was incredible, coming with its own welcome party! The brutal looking beast of a dog with a thunderous bark turned out to be a big friendly sook! I hope the pictures below do justice to the location. We really are so lucky to be living in this great country.
Travel Australia 