Monkey Mia to Freemantle

A long drive to Monkey Mia on the Shark Bay peninsula was definitely worthwhile. Beautiful sunshine on crystal clear water, a little bit less wind, no wonder the dolphins like it here! We really enjoyed our stay here and although there we very little interaction with the dolphins it was lovely to see them up close. We went on a wild life spotting cruise which was great. Managed to spot dophins, turtles, dugongs and even a shark which I suppose is not uncommon in Shark Bay. We let down our tyres and tackled the sandy road through Francois Peron National Park. It was very hot however we were treated to some lovely views over the coastline.

From here it was down the coast to Perth via Kalbarri, Geraldton and Jurian Bay.  We enjoyed Kalbarri and especially the National Park however there were flies galore which did not bother Jase, Gil and myself too much however Charlie was not a big fan! He tolerated them just long enough for us to enjoy the main sights and was happy to return to the relatively pest free environment of the caravan for the afternoon.  Geraldton was a little more industrial than we expected however the seafood there was amazing so we were very forgiving. Jurien Bay was the perfect place to celebrate Charlie's fifth birthday as there was a fantastic playground right on the beach. We had a great day with cake, balloons and presents and although it rained a little bit we were all happy to have a quiet day celebrating. We did manage to drag to boys out for a trip to the Pinnacles Desert.  They were rather underwhelmed however Jase and I were surprised at the thousands of limestone pillars spread over such a large area, it was like being on another planet! The weather was not doing us any favours so, just like the Queen, we ventured to Perth.

Although there were no fancy receptions or road closures for us we were very impressed with Perth and Freemantle. Lovely and clean, great beaches and a really nice feel to the place.  It helps with you have a team of family and friends welcoming you too! Jason's relatives, Aileen and Floyd were so kind to show us the sights on an excellent driving tour, even finding well equipped playgrounds for the boys. Fish and chips right on the water at Freemantle was a highlight and we had a great day enjoying what Perth has to offer.

Our friends Tash and Anuj were also amazing hosts, I think some of the best food experiences of the whole trip were created by Tash! We had a lovely time catching up and the boys were thrilled with Sienna, Max and Fletcher's company and toys. So lovely, in fact, that it was difficult to get them out of the house which has been referred to as "that magical place" since our departure!

We also loved King's Park in Perth, cycling around Rottnest Island and catching up with cousin Josh at Freemantle markets for beers and sizzling stirfry! Certainly a city we could endure and hopefully we will be back for a visit soon.

Look out wine country, the Woods clan are on their way!

Love, Chippy xx