Final weekend in Oz before red-eye flights to Bermuda.
After holding the mighty garage sale 3 months ago, it was a case of borrowing camping gear
for the trip to d'Entrecasteaux Park which is on the south coast of WA. Primarily it is all
National Forest Park with a difference.
After a drive down to the south Coast of WA, we set up camp on the edge of
d'Entrecasteaux Park. It's the middle of the Australian summer and we're rugged to the
max against the cold!
Also under attack! Most visitors to Oz are struck by the persistence of the humble small
Australian Bush Fly - they can be everywhere, around your shoulders, trying to crawl into
the corner of your mouth and eyes and if you are wearing dark colours they'll just settle on
your back in masses.
But the one I had forgotten about, this trip, is the March Fly and it was the merry month of
March. They are green, large and noisy - and have a nasty habit of jamming their proboscis
into any exposed flesh that is moist [read perspiration here and you know you don't have a
chance]. We were attacked twice daily - and the result of battle was usually 5 bites versus
20 -30 deaths...
All in all though we had a couple of relaxing days. We kayaked a river to the mouth, 4WD
drove over massive sand dunes, were sandblasted on the beach and supped the odd glass of
Chardonnay...
Our exit trip was via Nannup - an old timber town - which has embraced the tourism culture
with style. If we manage to find a few $'s we'd consider a property there for the
atmosphere...
thanks to Lyn & Andy for their Camping gear and putting us up for the 2 months before we
took to the air and headed to Bermuda.
After holding the mighty garage sale 3 months ago, it was a case of borrowing camping gear
for the trip to d'Entrecasteaux Park which is on the south coast of WA. Primarily it is all
National Forest Park with a difference.
After a drive down to the south Coast of WA, we set up camp on the edge of
d'Entrecasteaux Park. It's the middle of the Australian summer and we're rugged to the
max against the cold!
Also under attack! Most visitors to Oz are struck by the persistence of the humble small
Australian Bush Fly - they can be everywhere, around your shoulders, trying to crawl into
the corner of your mouth and eyes and if you are wearing dark colours they'll just settle on
your back in masses.
But the one I had forgotten about, this trip, is the March Fly and it was the merry month of
March. They are green, large and noisy - and have a nasty habit of jamming their proboscis
into any exposed flesh that is moist [read perspiration here and you know you don't have a
chance]. We were attacked twice daily - and the result of battle was usually 5 bites versus
20 -30 deaths...
All in all though we had a couple of relaxing days. We kayaked a river to the mouth, 4WD
drove over massive sand dunes, were sandblasted on the beach and supped the odd glass of
Chardonnay...
Our exit trip was via Nannup - an old timber town - which has embraced the tourism culture
with style. If we manage to find a few $'s we'd consider a property there for the
atmosphere...
thanks to Lyn & Andy for their Camping gear and putting us up for the 2 months before we
took to the air and headed to Bermuda.
D'entrecasteaux:
In September 1791, the French Assembly decided to send D'entrecasteaux in search of La Pérouse, who had not been heard of since leaving Botany Bay in
1788. He was given a frigate, La Recherche (500 tons). The plan of the voyage was to proceed to New Holland (Australia), to sight Cape Leeuwin (WA), then
hug the shore closely all the way to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), inspect every possible harbour in a rowing boat, and then sail for the Friendly Islands
(Tonga) via the northern cape of New Zealand. He was next to follow in La Pérouse's planned tracks in the Pacific.
Leaving Amboina on 14 October 1792, D'entrecasteaux made for Cape Leeuwin to carry out his original instructions of searching southern New Holland for La
Pérouse. On 6 December, the land was sighted near Cape Leeuwin, and named D'entrecasteaux Point. This event was celebrated by feastings and parties, one
result of which was that the smith on board La Recherche, Jean-Marie Marhadour, over-indulged and died next day from an apoplectic fit. The weather was
boisterous, and the ships failed to find King George III Sound, previously discovered by Vancouver. As they sailed further east, they penetrated numerous
islands and dangerous shoals, to which they gave the name D'entrecasteaux Islands - later changed to the Recherche Archipelago.
While the Frenchmen were still in that dangerous area, on 12 December 1792, a violent storm descended upon them, and both ships were nearly wrecked.
Fortunately, however, they found an anchorage where they were able to ride out the worst of the gale. Landings were made here on the mainland, and the
locality was named in honour of Legrand, who had spotted the anchorage, and the ship he was on L'Esperance. Beautemps-Beaupre made a hasty survey of
the off-lying islands of the archipelago. No water was found, and on 18 December the ships continued eastward to the head of the Great Australian Bight, but
here the coast was found to be even more arid, and the water position more serious.
In September 1791, the French Assembly decided to send D'entrecasteaux in search of La Pérouse, who had not been heard of since leaving Botany Bay in
1788. He was given a frigate, La Recherche (500 tons). The plan of the voyage was to proceed to New Holland (Australia), to sight Cape Leeuwin (WA), then
hug the shore closely all the way to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), inspect every possible harbour in a rowing boat, and then sail for the Friendly Islands
(Tonga) via the northern cape of New Zealand. He was next to follow in La Pérouse's planned tracks in the Pacific.
Leaving Amboina on 14 October 1792, D'entrecasteaux made for Cape Leeuwin to carry out his original instructions of searching southern New Holland for La
Pérouse. On 6 December, the land was sighted near Cape Leeuwin, and named D'entrecasteaux Point. This event was celebrated by feastings and parties, one
result of which was that the smith on board La Recherche, Jean-Marie Marhadour, over-indulged and died next day from an apoplectic fit. The weather was
boisterous, and the ships failed to find King George III Sound, previously discovered by Vancouver. As they sailed further east, they penetrated numerous
islands and dangerous shoals, to which they gave the name D'entrecasteaux Islands - later changed to the Recherche Archipelago.
While the Frenchmen were still in that dangerous area, on 12 December 1792, a violent storm descended upon them, and both ships were nearly wrecked.
Fortunately, however, they found an anchorage where they were able to ride out the worst of the gale. Landings were made here on the mainland, and the
locality was named in honour of Legrand, who had spotted the anchorage, and the ship he was on L'Esperance. Beautemps-Beaupre made a hasty survey of
the off-lying islands of the archipelago. No water was found, and on 18 December the ships continued eastward to the head of the Great Australian Bight, but
here the coast was found to be even more arid, and the water position more serious.
1 warm, 2 cool nights in tall timber...
Sou-west WA - d'Entrecasteaux National Park.
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