A German, A Swiss, An American and a Big Red Bus

G'day Mates! WOW do I have a lot to write about! It's official. I am in love....with the country of Australia!

It is also official that I have left the Sundancer Backpackers! Great times were had at this lovely place, but it was time to leave and see what else this country has to offer. And let me tell you....it has a LOT to offer!

So my story of a German, a Swiss, an American(me) and a Big Red Bus begins:

After putting an add up on Gumtree.com (similar to Craigslist) looking for a lift down the south west coast of Western Australia, Livia and I began interviewing for the lucky person that would be taking us on this journey. The winner: Mona- the German Girl, as we kindly referred to her before setting off down the coast.

Day 1 |  February 22 | 2011
We did one last sweep through Fremantle to say our goodbyes and pick up any last minute items required for our road trip- i.e. a tent!

We zipped up our bags and set everything out on the curb (including the massive blankets we may or may not have "borrowed" from the hostel) and waited for the German girl to pick us up. We waited on the curb in anticipation for what our mode of transportation was going to be for the next couple of weeks. We were PLEASANTLY surprised when this showed up:

Our Big Red Bus! She was perfect. Plenty of room for all of our luggage and plenty of room for heaps of fun and memories :-)

The three of us hopped in the front seat and off we went. Sort of. We drove for five minutes and then pulled over after realizing we hadn't discussed 2 very important things: 1. How do we get out of Fremantle? 2. Where are we going? We whipped out the map, yes you read that correctly- I said MAP not GPS! And after a few minutes of discussion we were on our way. Where? Well that hadn't been decided yet. But at least we had figured out how to exit Freo!

Once out of Fremantle we agreed that Bunburry was our destination for the night. But just a couple hours down the highway daylight became scarce and so did our fuel. We had to find a place to sleep and we had to find it quick! So into the bush we went, whipping around corners on a dirt road with kangaroo tails hanging out from the shrubs. We found our campsite and built our tent under a sky of endless stars.

Night 1 concluded with pasta, tuna, goon (bag of cheep wine), and a pet spider. Success.

Campsite # 1 | Yalgorup National Park

Extra: Some things we saw along the way worthy of mentioning:

+ Pink salt lakes

+ Sand flies that forced Livia to look like she belonged in the mental ward as she ran in circles hitting herself 

+ A man cruising around on a motorized cooler- why not?

+ My first siting of a wild kangaroo! 

Day 2 | February 23 | 2011

Morning came quickly and brought the heat with it. We had only made it halfway to Bunburry so after a quick breakfast of toast and nutella we set off again. We stopped in Bunburry for lunch in the park where we saw, what is claimed to be, the longest pier in the southern hemisphere. Whoo hoo!  We mapped out a rough plan of where we wanted to go over the next 10-15 days and then jumped back into the Big Red Bus on our way to Margaret River. 

We checked in at the campsite in Prevelly Park and met up with some of Livia's Frenchie friends.  What a treat they were to have at the campsite! We set up our camp, had a swim at the beach, ate some dinner and enjoyed some goon with the Frenchie's before hitting the tent to rest up for day 3. 

Day 3 | February 24 | 2011

SURFING!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!

 A dream of mine for the better part of my life has been to surf and on February 24th, 2011..... I SURFED!  Now whether or not you can actually call what I did "surfing" is debatable, but the fact that I was on a surf board in the ocean was all I needed! It was an incredible day that I will never forget. 

Gas Bay | Margaret River | Western Australia

Wi wi wi wiiiiiiiipppppe out! 

Gas Bay also delivered my first siting of sting rays, crabs, snails and the opportunity to body board!

It was a GAS of a day I tell ya! (sorry I had to say it...I have my Dad's sense of humor)

Anyway...the day concluded with rice and fresh veggies- which was a refreshing change from the pasta and tuna we'd been eating for every meal, and a game of fuzzy bunny!

Side Note: During this camping trip I took random notes on my ipod each day. The note taken for day 3: "Today I found myself determining which toilet stall to use by figuring out which one had the least frightening bug in it!"

Day 4 | February 25th | 2011
Margaret River is known as one of Australia's main wine regions. SO, we started day 4 at the Leeuwin Estate tasting a variety of red and white wines. (Look for the name next time you are at the liquor store- there is a real good chance you will find it) We continued our wine tour at Stella Bella and then enjoyed an iced coffee before heading to Hamelin Bay.

 

Hamelin Bay was PARADISE! It felt like we were in another country. We walked out of the parking lot and over a sand dune to find the most beautiful and expansive beaches I've experienced yet. The water was a blue I hadn't yet seen before and there weren't any signs of tourism or commercialization. Seriously- Paradise. 

We played in the water...

We snorkeled....

And one of my top 5 moments in OZ- We swam with wild sting rays!

This day remains one of my favorite days in Australia so far. When you find me back in the States staring off into la la land...Hamelin Bay is where I will be!

As you can see in just four days I had already experienced so much! I have heaps more to write about and I promise to do so very soon! For now- I am off to bed in Melbourne! (More to come on that as well!)

xoxo