G’Day and Welcome to Australia

Posted On November 7, 2019

After a short and very packed three days in Singapore, we left the Little Red Dot for Perth, Western Australia.

Greeted by spring-like temperatures at 5 pm we headed for our Airbnb near the airport for one night. Once again we had a super friendly host who even bakes his own bread. Fantastic. Fish and Chips for dinner made it a true Aussie start.

Stocking up and off for Bunbury

The next day we picked up our car with no problems (what a change compared to our last Australia trip). Then it was time to stock up on camping gear and food for the first few days. Here my packing list came in handy and soon we were on our way south to Bunbury. The drive was pleasant and we got a glimpse of the Indian Ocean here and there. All very easy going.

Our stay for the first two nights was the Bunbury Foreshore Discovery Park. As like most caravan parks in Australia it was clean, well equipped and offered some good shady spots. We even remembered how to pitch a tent and soon our ‘home’ for the next two days was all set.

As real campers dinner was home-cooked and super yummy (says Kevin the chef).

The next day we drove to Yagorup National Park where we did a two-hour hike near Lake Pollard. We saw some colourfull birds munching on flowers. Unfortunately (if one might say so) it was a very hot day and the thermometer hit 40 degrees at noon and the second part of the hike was along an uncovered road – so definitely a good workout.

On the way back we stopped at Preston Beach – the first of many wonderful beaches in Western Australia.

We ended our day with a swim in the refreshing (read cold) sea at Bunbury and a nightly walk along the coast. Definitely a nice little city.

Old Friends at Bunker Bay

The next morning, we tore down our tent and headed further south. The temperature dropped a bit to a pleasant 30 degrees making our short hike in the Tuart Forest enjoyable. However, we also met our good old friends the Australian flies. The attack you in the dozens and some even sting. We strongly believe they come directly from hell.

Later on, we continued to drive to Busselton. A very picturesque drive with some very nice real estate.

After lunch, we went to explore the Busselton Jetty. With 1.8 km it’s the longest ‘timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere’ (as always it’s a question of relativity and marketing). In any case, it offered a good afternoon stroll and we enjoyed the fantastic blue colours of the sea.

Beautiful Bunker Bay was our destination for the next two days where we would spend two days with Kevin’s former work colleague Alice, her husband David and their super cute daughter Florence. It’s always great to meet friends abroad (or at home).

We started the next with lovely muffins right next to the beach – you really cannot ask for a better start into the day. Especially if the beach is as stunning as Bunker Bay.

We decided to visit some shops and wineries in the Margaret River region (sounds like hard work, right). After a stop at Vasse Virgin, which produces olive-oil-based products it was time for a beer at Bootleg Brewery followed by lunch with a view at the White Elephant Cafe at Gnarapub. A gin distillery (Margaret River Distillery Co.) and Winery rounded off a lovely day (indeed hard work).

Practicalities

Getting there: We flew Scoot from Singapore. Shop around.

Getting around: You definitely need a car. We got our from Atlas Car and Truck rental through a rental car broker called DiscoverCars (again best to shop around – prices are fairly competitive).

Where to stay: Campgrounds are plentiful in Western Australia. One good free app we are using is WikiCamps Australia.

• Perth – Airbnb: see here
• Bunbury: Bunbury Foreshore Discovery Park
• Bunker Bay: we stayed at the Pullman which is lovely.

Where to stock up on gear: As Australians love to camp you get gear (tents, etc.) quite cheap at the big department stores like BigW or KMart. Too easy.