Friday 3 January 2014

December in the South - Bunbury (Again)

After our short trip to Bunbury we decided to get up early from Augusta and go to see the dolphin centre again. We only paid $9 to get in the Dolphin Discovery Centre - and you get in 3 times with this! Bargain! Also, what they DON'T tell you, is that the dolphins are more likely to visit the interaction site between 8am-11am, rather than when we turned up at 2ish the first time...

So we left around 7am and trundled off back to Bunbury (it was on the way home anyway!) We had only been there about half an hour before the bell rang! A dolphin was in the bay, close to the interaction site! Hoorah!


This is Calypso! She's identified by her marks and scratches on her dorsal fin.


This was the closest she came to us. Still awesome!



Suzanne and I decided to book an Eco-Cruise - I had just missed out on the Whale Watching Season (I will see them!) So we're waiting in the shade on the beach for the boat.


You can just see this cheeky little dolphin having a flip, this was before we'd got on the boat!


Our ride


Some sights along the way


Rather excited to be on the boat!


Those birds are such mucky pups... Look at all that white stuff!


Go on you fly off you dirty birds...!


Our first sighting on the boat!


They're so quick, I never seem to catch them in time!


Suze in the apparently "best seat in the house"... You get to see the dolphins swim under the boat! And indeed they did that! 


Cooeeee over here!



Some more sights and a pelican!


Loving life!



Caught ya!


Suze also loving life


Two intrepid explorers... Ok Daytrippers!


LOVE THIS FILTER!!! Just look at them clouds!


It was resting by the breaker, apparently dolphins only sleep for 30 seconds at a time


Also napping. Everyone loves a nanna nap!


The female was closest to us, swimming on her back to let them know she's ready for mating. Randy mare.


Another frankly awesome filter shot


Casually swimming away from us!


Thank you for posing dear!




Aaaand that's all folks! We drove home after this and I discovered I'd taken over 600 photos... Worth it.


Thursday 2 January 2014

December in the South - Augusta!

En route to Augusta I saw some beautiful sights. Unfortunately, this was the only photo I could take as we were trying to get there asap!



The fabulous view from our "Front lawn". We're in a lovely cottage type building - only after Suzanne and I had had a sneaky sleep in another's room - we were meeting quite a few of Simon and Suze's friends and we'd booked a few rooms! So when everyone got here we'd been told to move!  


Just down the bottom of the lawn


Our little home from home ("Tardis" in view)


View from the front room!

Suze and I decided we needed to go on a little trip and get to the lighthouse - where two oceans meet. Thankfully we did stop every so often to get good pictures like these:








Nice little pose for you ha



Suzanne thought this would be a great place to sleep - Erm ok you can sleep here!

As we were on our way, we wanted to take a good ocean view route to the lighthouse, and we happened upon a road newly named "SCENIC ROUTE TO THE LIGHTHOUSE" so off we trundled down this road:


This road was like this for a good 10 minutes... We started to think we'd been had! Scenic route my arse... But then - 


There's the lighthouse - all the way down there! Finally we're on the scenic route, such a lovely view!


Here's another nice view for you!


Back on the road... we think, "well that was nice"... Little do we realise what the scenic route has in store for us!



Well, we had to investigate what Skippy Rock was about!



How beautiful is this?!


Cheeky waves trying to get us




On Skippy Rock! In a frock... It's coming soon Tom (Priscilla fans will understand!)


Found a few friends


Skippy Rock has GLITTERYNESS!!! I love it! (Using the Star Filter)





  

Loads of these... Could have had a great crab dinner if they didn't keep running away!


Poncey posey pic for you.


Haa! Fancied being hilarious for a second!


Next stop : Quarry Bay


Almost deserted beautiful bay... (Only two people!)


Shell picking


Panoramic of the bay. I love how unspoiled it is. Western Australia are constantly trying to repair the damage of their beaches and have many conservation areas. I love this. I am not a fan of over - touristy areas (particularly beaches!)




Beautiful bit of dried seaweed! It looks like a snowflake!


Very interested to know what this was...! We were not disappointed!





I just found this utterly enchanting. It's a gorgeous place.




Rock pools everywhere!


I was getting a lot braver, after clambering all over and around Skippy Rock I thought about doing the same here. Glad I followed my (tentative) adventurous instinct!




The colours are just amazing!


Suzanne found me a little present! Some poor crab is wandering around with only one claw...


Finally we made it to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse


Notice on the bottom of the board... This is why I found it so interesting, but also it just baffles my mind! Two oceans meet... Do the fish have a fence they don't go over? Or do they have a set of flags (you know, seaweed flags?!) I think I watch too many Disney films...





All the Southern Ocean above

Below... The Indian Ocean!




We had a bit of a "bush walk" to get to this part and lots of serious drops so we only saw this view. Still amazing!


An old relic footprint, or just a freaky pattern of nature?!


With the Southern Ocean in the background


The lighthouse!


We decided to not go actually up to the lighthouse in favour of having a milkshake (mine) and iced coffee (Suzanne's) and just enjoy the view. Definitely the right decision!

The rest of Augusta was checking into the hotel (and originally checking in wrong...) having dinner with Simon and Suzannes biker mates, dinner, getting a bit drunk, accidentally nicking a bag of ice - I said to Si I'd pick it up, whilst he paid, then he picked up another bag as we were halfway down the hill back to our cottage! Total tea leaf! 
Then there was merriment, more drinking, and being made to be a performing monkey. I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this knows I can sing... But Si and Suze LOVE to make their monkey sing eh! Who knows... maybe I'll be made to warble in front of the right people...! (Wishing!)

Next up is back to Bunbury to see the dolphins again!