Tuesday 24 December 2013

December in the South - Margaret River

After our (frankly awesome) little detour via Bunbury we eventually get to Margaret River. Uber surfy town. Just one street with shops on, and Target "Country" which I found hilarious!

As we were searching for our hostel, (just up the road, Prevelley Beach) we got some glorious views along the coastal road. Of course I didn't take any pictures.
We finally arrived, and had about 20 minutes before the sun was setting, so off we went, with our amazing picnic bag full of gin and bundy rum (ha) and went to see the sun set!


JUST caught it!


Using fancy "sunset" settings on camera


 I do love my panoramics!


Going...


Going...


(It's behind you!)


Gone!


Only us and the family in the background here!


Gin, bundy rum and an awesome beach. Can't get better than that!


Using the star filter... The sun was still lighting the sky up, but this star was super bright and right in our sightline!


Gorgeous colours


Here, let me give you some contrast!


Our mate Kevin the seagull.


The moon! Gorgeous!

Eventually after much scheming, thinking of ways to create new money whilst having fun (no, not porn) we found our way back to the hostel, and had MANY drinks. I needed a shower, so took my towel, shower gel (Original Source minty) and shampoo/conditioner and headed to the shower block. However with half a bottle of bundy already in my system I found I couldn't juggle everything, and so there was a casualty...


This got dropped TWICE. Idiot girl!

And there is no more photographic evidence of the night, however we did sit outside the room in our camper chairs, listening to music on my speaker and eating a rather hot chorizo and pasta canned soup! Also, Suzanne went to the loo and came back to find me getting chatted up by 4 blokes (bearing in mind the hostel is DESERTED) one with a ridiculously loud shirt (yes, I did tell him so) and one wearing a FEZ. Omg the fez thing threw me and I believe I did ask "where's your bow tie" but it was lost on fez-man. Loud shirt man however started (what he thought to be) waxing lyrical on Doctor Who... when he called him Doctor Who. *Not-so-internalised-geeky-groaning* It's THE DOCTOR not Doctor Who!!!!!

Anyway... Suze and I were suitably squiffy, and the night finished with Suze videoing her "dancing bush" (I'll let your mind wander hahaha) and me drunken facebooking.

Next day we fancied a quick mooch around Margret River town centre, but first we wanted to see what was occurring in some of those car parked beaches!


We can see things occurring up ahead!



Ooh look! Surfing Competition! Reminds me of when I lived in Croyde Bay... Gold Coast Ocean Fest




All out there waiting for the waves


Bit warm love?


There he goes!






They're all surfing in the one part of the bay, literally 2 minutes walk up the way is this:




What a sight!

Also... a cracking sight below.




That's about all for Margaret River. 

Our final destination of Augusta is coming up!

Friday 20 December 2013

December in the South - Bunburying!


Next stop Margaret River to Surfpoint Hostely type place!

However we decided to have a little detour after checking out, and partaking in the paracetamol (too much gin!)


En route to Bunbury, not Margaret River just yet!


One of the river mouths that flow to the ocean!

So we went to the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury! Such a dinky little place, SO cheap to get in ($9! AND you get another 2 free entries - so lovely!)
There's quite a bit on the conservation of habitat, feeding, how humans impact on the habitat, well on the Earth really. Not too much information so your head implodes, but enough to make an impact on your mind and make you think.
I wish I'd have taken more pictures of the displays... 


This is the Dolphinarium - it shows a 360 degree animation of 3 things: a dolphin birth, feeding themselves and a shark attack! Suzanne and I could easily watch this over and over again.


Gorgeous little turtles sent over from Perth Zoo for rehabilitation and hopefully releasing back into the ocean




Lovely rock pool


Feeding time!


Funny female octopus... She's a bit cheeky!


Trying to escape, then shortly tried to shower the volunteer who was feeding her!


Out in the bay there's a dolphin!


Crossing fingers it comes in to say hello!


She was there... But didn't come in to say hi. Ah well, they're wild dolphins that aren't "fed", or do tricks. It is wonderful and a little bit magical regardless! They come into the bay to interact of their own free will. Beautiful.

So, onto Bunbury Wildlife Park! We had originally wanted to go to the Metricup Bird Park (Metricup-Bird-Park Facebook page) Unfortunately it's closed :( We had a look at other attractions in the near area and Bunbury Wildlife Park seemed the logical option. So glad we came here.


The park is small and state funded, but is gorgeous! You can interact with some animals, others are in cages/areas for your safety!



These ones above are gorgeous. We thought we wouldn't be able to get up close, I hadn't spotted you CAN! (Thanks Suze)




Just lovely. 


He was coming in for the bird seed I'd bought in reception...


However I crapped myself because a LOAD of them took flight to this corner!



This is my mate. I gave him some seed but it looked like he wasn't all that interested. Plus there had clearly been a few people in feeding him already... so Suzanne got me something he might enjoy...



I believe he likes it :)

We then proceeded to have a little tug of war!





However this tug of war meant I got to give him a little stroke whilst his beak was preoccupied!



 I can safely say that was my first time having a tug of war with a bird!


I think he was a bit sad we were leaving his part of the park!

But we had spotted this rather majestic fellow!
I've never seen a peacock up close, and we walked right up to it...



Beautiful colours!



So, here I am, presenting this gorgeous creature to you when Suzanne suggests I feed it!


Yep. I'm happy with you being this close to me... But Suze says "See if it will eat out of your hand"


IT DID! However you (thankfully) cannot see my face of glee mixed with terror


I love these beauties. Just the call of the kookaburra! (Mum and Jo will remember my imitations in my yoof!)



Funny little things these are


They kept following us (they knew we had food)








After seeing all the gorgeous birds, we came across the kangaroo enclosure. You can also feed them with the bird seed! And so, with a slight trepidation that I was going to be kicked up the arse by a roo, we went in...


This one got up right away (the others were lying in the shade, not bothered)


"Please miss, can I have some food?" Ohh all right then, since you're ridiculously cute!



So sweet, and gentle!



And then cuteness overload began!


Pleeeeease can I have some more


This kangaroo is so tame! Suze suggested it's probably hand reared. Its fur is not soft, kind of wiry, but this roo is so gentle, and not pushy at all!


This one was more interested in snoozing than schmoozing



This is the face of adorableness!


Oh my god I just wanna take her home!



The other 3 were far more interested in conserving energy and having a kip. Or maybe they're on Christmas diets?




Time to say goodbye you sweet, adorable thing! If only I'd brought my rucksack!


This is not the face of adorable. This is the slightly more sinister, greedy and sneaky face.



Their eyebrows are AWESOME.


I believe this is a Mitchell Cockatoo? Ok, so I own it then?


One last visit back to my mate. I let him have the stick.

And lastly, as we were leaving we spotted some more absolute cuteness!



Next stop: Margaret River!