A photo of us at the Pinnacles

Here we are at the Pinnacles, near Cervantes, on the road south from Geraldton....

More piccies soon!

We are now at Bunbury, and tomorrow we are doing some sightseeing and then in the evening catching up with Todd and his wife Denise for dinner... Todd is an old friend of Adam's from the Gold Coast- they now live here in Bunbury, so it will be nice to share a meal.

Love, E&A xx

An update...

Monday Nov 27

Hi there,

We’ve been having fun the past few days, staying in our quiet little caravan park at Safety Bay next to Rockingham. On Saturday morning we met with Marcus and Tarni and went to the Fremantle Markets which was fun- lots of excellent and well priced fruit and veggies so we stocked up. We then checked out a few windsurfing stores for some of the new gear Adam is after, but no luck so far.

On Saturday afternoon I had a windsurfing lesson, which went for just over 2 hours and the wind was quite strong. I had fun and was exhausted at the end of it. It was worth the money as my teacher, Pat, pointed out a few things about where to balance my weight more effectively etc, which has made it easier for me to sail more smoothly using a harness and with my feet in the footstraps. While I was having a lesson Adam was out sailing as well, having a blast in the strong wind. After we came in we were both tired and hungry, and happy after having a good sail, so we treated ourselves and went out for an excellent Thai meal in Safety Bay.

On Sunday we went for an early walk and swim and then drove back up to Fremantle to go to the weekend markets again and get some more fruit as the first lot tasted so good- especially the peaches! It was really hot and sticky- about 33- and the cafes were crowded so we went for a walk around and then came back- it was too warm to sit down for a coffee. Fremantle has some lovely old buildings and architecture, a dominant outdoor café culture (a bit like Melbourne) and is a good place to wander around and people watch, even though the port area has a fairly industrial feel and isn’t especially scenic.

Yesterday afternoon the seabreeze was blowing, but wasn’t as strong, so Adam caught up on some emails etc while I went out for a sail and practiced a few of the things I had learned the day before, which was easier to do in the lighter wind. Then last night I made Adam set up our antenna so I could watch the final of Australian Idol…hehe…go Damien!

We’ve had an excellent day today- warm and sunny, with a light breeze and the water here is so aqua and clear, with white sands. We took a boat trip across to Pelican Island, where there is a colony of little penguins. We then boarded a short boat cruise to nearby Seal Island, home to a colony of sea lions. They were fantastic to see, resting on the beach, or wrestling with each other in the water- some of them even swam up to the boat- they are huge! They go out to sea fishing for days at a time then come into the island to rest and regather their strength.

After that we returned to Pelican Island, which is very pretty, with rocky shores, white sands and clear water, and lots and lots of nesting terns, seagulls and pelicans! There must have been thousands of birds on the tiny island, with chicks everywhere. The pelicans bills were a bright pink, as that is there breeding “plumage”. We took a walk around the island (it reminded me a bit of the coastline in SA) and went to the Penguin Discovery Centre where they house injured and orphaned penguins and feed them at certain times of the day- very cute little things. We didn’t spy any in the wild though, as they all would have been hiding out of the sun apparently. We then took the ferry back to Rockingham.

Back at Rockingham we jumped in the clear water for a swim, before having a cake and coffee on the main café strip. So an excellent day with a real holiday feel today.
There is a bit of wind but we’ve decided to give sailing a miss this afternoon as we both feel exhausted and have had so much sun and wind lately. I think I have windsurfed about 26 days out of the last 30! My back and shoulders feel strong as a result, but they are nevertheless also very tired and Adam also feels all over tired.

Tues

We are down at Mandurah today, having a look around and some lunch. Bit cloudy so we might catch a movie later. Setting off for Bunbury tomorrow.

We are adjusting to being in our caravan again too, slowly but surely.

Hope you are well and happy- miss you and sending our love, Emma & Adam xx

Now at Rockingham after a scenic coastal trip...

Friday, Nov 24

Howdy- we are now just south of Perth at Rockingham. We came down the coast from Geraldton over the past couple of days, checking out the little cray fishing towns on the way and decided to move further south a bit more quickly than planned.

Yesterday we drove south to pretty Jurien Bay where we met with Marcus and Tarni for lunch overlooking the aqua blue water so common on the west coast.

Then we went to Cervantes, another small town, located very close to the famous tourist attraction of the Pinnacles Desert- a place where limestone rock structures stick out of the sand dunes, like rows and rows of different shaped headstones. It is an eerie place- as if we had landed on another planet, and quite beautiful in a way.

After that we continued driving south and made it Lancelin, a popular windsurfing spot, where we stopped last night. The wind howled all night, shaking our little caravan and as we lay cramped in our little bed the reality of caravan living hit us hard, after our month out of the van! This morning we went for an early walk along the beach and through the little town, bought some bread and a fantastic caramel slice from the local bakery (no- we didn’t eat the slice at breaky, we saved it for arvo tea!), ate breakfast and then took off.

On the way down we stopped in at Guilderford, a scenic little town at the mouth of the Moore River. Then we continued on to Rockingham. We thought we’d spend some time here because it’s an area we otherwise would not have seen, and is close to places like Fremantle and Mandurah, and we will be staying in Perth itself for a couple of weeks over Christmas. Plus, the other big drawcard of this area is that it is right next to Safety Bay which is a top windsurfing location, especially for people learning like me, and there is also a windsurfing school here offering lessons. I think I will have one tomorrow, just to help me progress to the next level and iron out a few areas I am having trouble with.
Our caravan park here is small and quiet which is good. Tomorrow morning we are heading up to Fremantle so Adam can check out some windsurfing shops (he’s planning to update his gear and also get a board for me- yay- I will then be officially a part of the sport, with my own gear and all, so I can continue sailing when we return home). Marcus will meet us there in the morning and we might also go to the Fremantle markets for some fresh produce and out for a good cup of coffee. I’m looking forward to seeing it as I have never been to Perth before.

Love to all- another update soon.
Em & Ad xx

Top windsurfing at Coronations...

Hi friends and family,

Well it is now our final night here at Geraldton in the little house we have called home for the past month. We have finished our stay here on a high note, with top windsurfing conditions the past two days.
We went to Coronations both today and yesterday, a famous windsurfing spot just north of here, on a section of rugged coastline. There was a terrific atmosphere there and at one stage we counted 36 windsurfers on the water at one time, with about another 20 rigs sitting on the beach while people had a rest. I was so glad to be able to sail well enough to be a part of it and am really happy with my progress (sailing on a short board, using the harness, footstraps etc and simply managing in strong conditions). It was windier yesterday (above 20 knots) and I did OK…although I was very tired at the end of the day and did have a few crashes! I find it hard to use the harness and control my direction in strong winds.
Adam was obviously thrilled to getting such good conditions and he had a lot of fun both days. There was a bit more swell about today so he was enjoying riding the waves over the reef out the back (while I sailed on a section of flatter water on the inside). We took up lunch with us and it was overall a good experience. There were quite a few other girls learning to sail (well, at an intermediate level like me) and it was really encouraging to see, and comforting in a way.

Tomorrow we continue our journey south along the west coast- next stop Jurien Bay then Lancelin. We hope to do more windsurfing at places on the way. We are taking a week or so to get to Perth, and then spending a couple of weeks touring south of Perth, before returning there for Christmas with Marcus and Tarni and my father-in-law, Beau, who is flying across from Taree.

We are not really looking forward to returning to the tiny caravan after the comparative luxury of a proper house (proper bed to sleep in, proper bathroom, kitchen etc etc), but we are looking forward to seeing more places and travelling on, even though it's sad this part of our journey has come to an end.

More news from us soon,
Love Emma & Adam xx

Geraldton Photos- a few more images of our life here

Adam cooking up some beautiful fresh prawns for one of our more gourmet dinners here at Geraldton- yummo!














Cute Tarnishia, patting a sheep near an olive farm inland from Geraldton








Me- getting ready to go sailing on a nice sunny day at St Georges, with my new new harness on (an early xmas pressie from Marcus!)










Me again- sailing at St Georges yesterday- coming in nice and fast which was fun









This is a wind farm just inland from Geraldton...makes sense to harness the natural resource, especially when it's so windy here










This is Point Moore, a world famous windsurfing spot at Geraldton.... it was a beautiful sunny afternoon yesterday when I took this photo, which shows a few kite sailors in the background, as well as Adam, windsurfing in the foreground...





Adam in action and moving at speed at Point Moore, showing me how it's done











Adam and I out sailing together yesterday off St Georges Beach (a bit before Adam went out at Point Moore). Marcus took this photo and it's nice having one of both of us out together. I had some speed on the board yesterday and it was good fun. I am gradually improving my technique and learning new things...I keep telling myself practice makes perfect!

We leave here in a couple of days and will continue our journey south.

Love and hugs,
Emma & Adam
xx

Finally some photos from Geraldton...

Here is the proof- I really have been windsurfing!...me getting used to sailing on a shorter board yesterday afternoon and having lots of fun! This is at St Georges Beach which is right down the road from where we are staying...





All of us about to eat white chocolate mud cake on Marcus' birthday...in the dining area of our little holiday home





Tarnishia, playing "rocking"- a young rock star



Tarnishia....at four and a half she is a windsurfer in the making...and a very cool one at that





Another of Geraldton's southern beaches...a fairly typical WA coastal scene



More news from us soon... love Emma and Adam xx

Happy Birthday Marcus

It is Marcus' birthday today so we all rode our bikes into town this morning and had a big yummy breakfast out- pancakes for me, and a full hot breakfast for Adam and Marcus and bacon and eggs for Tarni.
After that we came home and relaxed.

The wind wasnt too strong this afternoon and I went out on a short board windsurfing and practiced...I did well today and am learning new things all the time. Adam stood on the beach yelling instructions when I needed some advice!

Tonight Adam and I cooked a Thai meal for Marcus' birthday dinner, and made a white chocolate mud cake! delicious...Tarni helped me put the candles on and we sang happy birthday before eating the rich cake with iceacream and cream - now we are all very full!

It's also Sandene's (Adam and Marcus' sister) birthday today- so happy birthday Sandene!

More soon,
Love E&A xx

Geraldton update...

Hello everyone,
Just a quick update on our stay in Geraldton, which seems to be moving past quite quickly.
It hasn’t been as windy as expected which has disappointed Adam- nevertheless we’ve still been sailing most days, even though the conditions haven’t always been great. Plus, we’ve both felt rewarded by the experience of me learning to windsurf. The other day I successfully went out through a wave section over an area of shallower reef off St Georges Beach (which is near our place). I was nervous, but went through the waves OK and even managed to actually sail in on a couple of waves which was good fun! So that was a step forward for me. I’ve also mastered my beach starts now (stepping straight up onto the board from shore, holding the sail up, instead of uphauling it) and have been sailing in the harness most of the time, learning to adjust my balance and weight with the wind (which has sometimes been hard as we’ve had gusty conditions a few days, with the regular and consistent sea breeze not quite kicking in at full strength). I’ve had a few goes on a shorter board, but need to master my water starts next, and it’s also a lot harder to balance on the smaller board so I end up falling a lot more- but I’ll get there!
Adam meanwhile blasts past me on his board at a flying pace showing me what I will hopefully eventually be able to do too! It’s been good fun just to be able to be out windsurfing together. Adam’s also had some fun on the waves and he does look impressive to watch (he’ll love reading this).
On the weekends there is also a good atmosphere when there are more windsurfers on the water at St Georges or Point Moore where we have been sailing- I also find it somewhat comforting having more people around me out there! We might take a trip up to Coronations, a spot north of Geraldton, tomorrow.

Apart from that, Adam and I have been to a naturopath and making sure we are as healthy as we can be. We’ve had some nice swims at local beaches on mornings when the wind has been offshore for a while- the water at Point Moore (a popular windsurfing spot) is just so aqua and clear with a nice sandy bottom. My morning walks/runs continue, and we went out the other day for yummy coffee and cake in town. Plus lots of visits to the park and swings with Tarni. Just normal stuff really, which is great. Just being in one spot for a while is a nice breather from road travel.
Marcus and Tarni are well and Tarni continues to keep us entertained and is a ball of energy!

Missing friends and family back home and sending you our love.

Emma & Adam xx

Windsurfing, relaxing, walking, playing...

Dear friends and family,

We are continuing to enjoy our stay in Geraldton. Adam and I are enjoying the extended break from the caravan- it’s relaxing having our own little home and we have fallen into easy routines here (sleeping in later than usual- because we actually have a comfy bed and a dark room and there are no noisy caravanners a few feet away- followed by a regular morning walk or jog by the beach for me). Marcus has also been up early for a walk each morning and sometimes little Tarni has even hopped into bed with us, she is such a cutie (and is actually snores quite loudly which is pretty funny).

The other day we all went for a drive and visited a local olive grove. Marcus bought some different flavoured olives and oils, along with some dukkah and dipping oil which is very yummy. There were also some sheep just nearby which Tarni got to pat which was fun for her (she creeps up very quietly to animals so they don’t get scared).
We’ve also been for a few more bike rides and played in the park (which is right on the beach just down the street from our place) with Tarnishia and gone to the beach. Marcus has also bought Tarni a few new things while we’ve been here and one of her favourite new toys is a little guitar which plugs in, along with a microphone. She loves to play “rocking” as she calls it and she belts out a few rock tunes at the top of her lungs, sometimes with her sunnies on, which is a classic to watch. We’ve got some good piccies of the rock queen in action.

The weather has been fairly changeable and we’ve even had a thunder storm and some rain which is unusual for this part of the world at this time of year. Mainly it’s been warm and sunny, with some cloudy days. As a result the regular strong seabreezes Adam and Marcus were hoping for haven’t been too consistent. It has however, still been windy most days, just not always as strong as they would like. Adam has been out sailing quite a bit nevertheless, using one of Marcus’ boards which is a bit bigger than his and therefore works better when the wind isn’t as strong. Hopefully Marcus will be able to get out soon too.

And of course my sailing lessons are continuing and I think I have only missed a couple of days windsurfing the whole time we’ve been here. It’s fun, rewarding, sometimes exhilarating, frustrating and painful (I have muscles sore in strange places and plenty of bruises on my feet and legs). The past few days I’ve taken some new steps forward which has been really satisfying and as anyone who knows me will understand, I am persistent! It’s also been rewarding for Adam to watch my progress because, for better or worse, he is my windsurfing instructor (I am not sure a husband and wife combo is ideal for a teacher/student arrangement, but we are doing pretty well, except for the odd blow up..hehe).
For those of you who know about windsurfing, I’ve been sailing in a harness in up to 15 knots. Plus I have just learned to beach start (after many false starts!) and yesterday, with Adam’s help, I did my first water starts (which is where you start laying in the water and lay your feet on the board, then using the wind and the sail to lift you up, instead of standing on the board and using a rope to pull the sail up which is really hard work), and also did a few runs on Marcus’ larger short board. Because the short boards are less stable it’s much harder to uphaul the sail using the rope, therefore water starts are a must. So I will keep practicing them! Hopefully by the time we leave here I’ll be sailing on a short board consistently and can leave my big beginner’s battle ship behind. When I have had some faster runs I have loved the feeling of speed and the board skimming across the water. It will be good to have mastered a new sport, and one which actually works in windy conditions when the surf is no good etc. Of course, back in Port Macquarie we won’t have as much time (or as much windy weather) as we do here, but it will be great to have a new sport just the same.

More news soon, hope you are well and happy, love and hugs,
Emma & Adam xx

Good times

Our first week here has been good fun. The windsurfing practice has continued for me each day, with Adam on hand to instruct (and bail me out if I ever get stuck). It's been good fun and I can seen the improvements I am making, which lessens some of the frustrations inevitably involved in learning something new.
It's fun spending time with Marcus and little Tarni who is a ball of energy.
This afternoon the wind picked up and Adam had a good sail...hopefully it will be even stronger tomorrow. I meanwhile went into town for a pedicure! My poor old feet weren't looking too good and are now much more presentable.
Apart from that it's been time to relax, eat nice food and just hang out.
Love E&A