Lunch On The Coast

We stopped for lunch at a lovely lunch counter called the White Elephant in Prevelly right on the coast.  Indian Ocean was only a few metres away.   Gulls were also trying to enjoy lunch.   Warnings were posted.

I love the "food-covered children" part.

Leipers Landing --- Cowaramup, Western Australia

Karen and I had an uneventful, but interesting flight to Perth... the trip from Calgary was 31 hours, unlike Scott's 49! 
 
After the usual going through customs and collecting luggage, it was renting a car and the 3 hr. drive to Leiper's Landing, which is a short ways from Margaret River.

 After mostly freeway and highway driving, we turned onto a smaller highway and then a more rural road and then we were in the country,,, wine country.

The shoulderless two-way traffic highway maintained the 110 Km/hr.
speedlimit!

This is "home" for the first two nights in Australia.

We are staying with Anita and Gavin and Phoebe.

Out for an early morning walk down the lane.

Rebecca & Karen - Sydney bound

R & K aboard Qantas flight 7 bound for Sydney, AU

After a 4 hour layover in Los Angeles airport (and an excellent roast chicken (K) / lasagna (R) dinner in the Tom Bradley International Terminal) we are on our way over the Pacific - on time out of LAX. Our Captain says we will arrive early into SYD on Sunday morning Nov 25.  So far, so good...! 

Leaving Calgary,

Karen with Rebecca's and her luggage... we are excited to be on our way.

It is about 6pm local time and we arrive at LAX in a light fog... first leg of the journey is done and off to find the Qantas check in and phase two!

Caves and Coasts

There are numerous caves in the Margaret River area.  Too many to explore them all in a day so taking some suggestions from locals I chose Lake Cave and Jewel Cave.   Also went to Hamelin Bay, an area that is a protected sanctuary for all species of rays.  Was unable to see any rays but the scenery was great.  And also saw the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.  It lies on the most south-westerly portion of mainland Australia and is the dividing point between the Southern and Indian Oceans


Stalactites inside Lake Cave

Columns inside Lake Cave

Although quite shallow, there is a "lake" inside Lake Cave.  Much of the floor is covered by water.   If you look closely in the upper centre of this shot you might see some interesting formations in the rock face.

The rock forms what appears to be a "koala's face" and a "poorly drawn chicken"

Reflections of columns in the water in Lake Cave

The caves in the Margaret River area are mostly limestone - a.k.a. calcium carbonate.   Surface water from above slowly percolates through the rock and enters the caves.  Water begins to drip from the roof of the cave carrying dissolved calcium carbonate with it.  The water slowly evaporates leaving behind the calcium carbonate.    Over years this leaves a hollow tube that is called a "straw", so named because it resembles a drinking straw.  Over years the straw may become plugged causing a build up of rock hanging from the ceiling of the cave.   These are called stalactites.   Sometimes the water drips from the stalactite onto the floor which causes a build up of rock called stalagmites.  Below are 'straws' hanging from the ceiling of the cave.

Stalagmites in Jewel Cave

Stalactites in Jewel Cave

Rock formation in Jewel Cave resembling a rash of bacon

Rock formation in Jewel Cave resembling a Turkey

Cape Hamelin

Cape Hamelin with Mushroom Island off the shore

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

Compass at Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse showing distances to various locales in the world

View from the lighthouse.  Southern Ocean is on the left side of the photo, Indian Ocean on the right.

Whale Watching

Went whale watching in Geographe Bay just off of Cape Naturaliste.   On the way out, about 2km away, we saw an adult Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), breaching.  The boat went to where we saw that breach.  When we got there, we saw a mother and calf humpback.

The way you spot a whale in the distance, if they don't breach, is by the 'blow' from the whale expelling their breath.   In days when whaling was common, it was accompanied by the call, "Thar she blows".

 











One of the signs of an intelligent animal is the trait of curiosity.  While being cautious with her calf, the mother whale swam by our boat, rolled over onto her side and stuck one of her flippers (fins) out of the water.

While we did not observe a breach up close, we did see the mother do a roll into the water where her tail comes up and is the last thing to disappear into the water.   You can also see the calf blowing here (right side of photo).

Scott safely down under.

Scott has made it to Australia.   It took a while, but after five airports, four flights, 49 hours, and ten or so time zones, I made it safe and sound to Anita's place in Cowaramup (wee bit north of Margaret River) in Western Australia.   Flight from LAX to SYD was great except there were several delays - and I had only a 1:50 layover scheduled at Sydney before heading on to Perth.   That's the kind of layover I like.   Alas by the time I had disembarked at Sydney my flight for Perth had left.   The airline was great and booked me another flight to Perth through Melbourne.   Really quick flight form SYD to MEL - just a wee bit over an hour.   When I got to Melbourne there was some "technical" issue  with the plane and it ended up leaving the airport three hours later than scheduled.  Made it to Perth about 6pm, was picked up by Anita's husband Gavin, and we proceeded south to Cowaramup, three hour south of Perth.   Had a great visit for a few hours.   A new day is dawning and I'm going to head out there and enjoy myself.   Karen and Rebecca are scheduled to arrive here later Sunday afternoon.