Nov 6 - Perth

 Nov 6 - Perth 

We were excited to arrive in Fremantle, the port for Perth.  We had a full day tour planned with four other Cruise Critic members; Sergio was our guide.  It was a very long drive, but well worth it!

We drove north from Fremantle, passing by Perth on the freeway. We began to notice a stark change of scenery driving through farmland and native bushland  following the coastline of the Indian ocean.  Suddenly we appreciated the warning signs as a kangaroo hopped across the highway, causing Sergio to have to brake very suddenly!  It was gone as quickly as it had appeared!

As we continued north we began to spot the White Dunes off in the distance.The Heritage Council of Western Australia describes them as follows;

The Lancelin sand dunes were formed over 4000 years ago along with other dunes in the Quindalup system when water levels rose following the end of the last ice age. The dunes are visible from many kilometres away and have provided a useful landmark for travellers, mariners and even Aboriginals who used to regularly pass through the area. In more recent times, tourists have flocked from all over the world to experience the majestic beauty of the dunes pure white sand.

We continued to see them for miles as we travelled from Lancelin to Cervantes.  Our lunch stop was in Cervantes at the Lobster Shack, a restaurant situated on the edge of the Indian Ocean! Cervantes is a sleepy fishing town with a thriving business on the coast 

After lunch we made a brief stop at Hangover Bay, named because it was a favourite beach for families to go to on New Years Day, after a night of welcoming in the new year!  The white sand was incredible and the view spectacular.

Finally we reached the highlight destination of our tour, the Pinnacles Desert!   Click this for more information about these incredible pillars that rise up out of the ground!  Sergio drove us along the four-kilometre desert dirt track, stopping for photos and to wander among the endless pillars of limestone.  It was kind of a surreal experience - like standing on the moon or another planet!  

We retraced our path back to the port with a short detour to Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, the most environmentally responsible cemetery in Australia.  The Australian Government websites says, 

The park, which received its first burial in 1978, has been developed and maintained as a natural bushland cemetery planted only with native species. No monuments are permitted but each grave is marked by a flat bronze plaque.

The natural environment of Pinnaroo provides a haven for many native animals including kangaroos. 

Although this was an opportunity to walk among wild kangaroos, it almost proved to be disastrous!  This photo stop almost caused us to miss the ship!!!!  We were due back onboard at 4:30 PM and it became obvious that we were going to be late!  We were the very last people to reboard as we hurried through the eerily quiet terminal to security and the gangway!!  As we approached the gangway, a medical person was wheeling another passenger down the gangway in a wheelchair, with her suitcases in tow!  We were only 15 minutes late stepping back onboard but thankfully for us, that medical situation was an additional delay that worked in our favour.

There is always a risk taking private excursions, but in over 15 years of taking them this is the only time I have ever been in this situation.  The tour guide should not have opted for the Cemetery stop as it wasn’t even on our itinerary!  This was a tour not offered by the ship, which was why we decided to do it in the first place and it was a unique experience!!  

Dinner was different without our Aussie Mates and the show was ho hum!  Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

The Travellers