Road Trip - Part Two

My last entry would have been from Broome. That was , well quite honestly so long a go I can't remember most of what happened back then. So this might be a slightly dodgy entry. Not sure I'm even gonna get my stories in the correct, but hell, who cares....

Left Broome knowing that our next stop would most likely be a little place called Dampier, near Karratha. The reason for the stop was gonna be to meet up with Simon's ex colleague from years a go which he had been in contact with due to a complete fluke of finding out she was other here. Had a laugh with her and a couple of the people she was working with, there's nothing in Dampier at all really. Its an industrial town full of men in Orange reflective jackets. Thats about it! One of the people we had met had a tattoo saying "Big Toe" on his Big Toe, so ever since Simon has been saying that he's gonna get it done. Spent three nights in Dampier, was glad to leave, not my kind of place at all. Simon and Lauren had a good time, I was the boring one in bed early every night.

Now to the highlights of our West Coast Trip. Exmouth! Firstly I wanna get it straight that the name really is the only similarity between the Australian Exmouth and the English Exmouth. Except maybe for the fact that they both have sand and sea! There certainly isn't any boy racers crusing down the strip. The first day we were there Lauren and Simon booked a scooter snorkel tour, which involved following a tour guide on your own scooter around Exmouth and stopping off to see sights and Snorkel on the reef areas. It came to the next day and Simon couldn't be arsed to go on the trip. Lauren went off in a huff and went and changed the trip to a longer scooter trip for the next day. Don't think Simon on the back of Lauren's scooter would have worked too well anyway (Simon hasn't got a driving licence so couldn't ride one). The next day came and being the Bastards that we are me and Simon decided to do the exact Itinary that Lauren was doing on her Scooter trip but in the campervan. So picked up some second hand masks and snorkels from the local snorkel shop for $10 (4 quid - why isn't there a pound sign on an Oz keyboard?). Had a great day, did loads of snorkelling in 2 or 3 different sites. Unbelievable. I enjoyed it a lot more than expected, and when the sea was calm I got on with it quite well considering my normal water problems (being sick as soon as any water even touches anywhere inside my mouth!). We saw: a reef shark, octopus loads of Nemo type fish and best of all a sea snake. THis guy called us over to show us it and when we got there he said "It's there" and pointed directly below us. "SHIT!!!" me and Simon quiclkly paddled backwards as quickly as we could as we panic'd. Just wanna point out before we sound like wuss's that Sea snakes are the deadliest snakes in the world. Twenty times more deadly than the most venomous snake on land (The Taipan). Couldn't the guy have pointed at it from a distance? Guess not, that would have been way too sensible! Just getting back in the camper to drive off and who do we meet.... Lauren and Scooter Boy, her guide for the day. We told her that we had been snorkelling all day at the same reefs as her. We like to Piss Lauren off at every moment. Its fun! She didn't return to the camper that night until 1am. She went to the pub with Scooter Boy, we think he did that with all the Backpackers he takes on his tours!!!

Exmouth was awesome, definately one of my favourite places on the west coast. We left early the next morning to do some more snorkelling just down the coast at Coral Bay on the way to our next place. Just before pulling into Coral Bay got pulled over by the cops. They Breathalised me and took my licence details. They were pulling everyone over doing random checks. Luckily I'm a good boy and don't drink and drive. If they had checked Simon on the other hand I'm sure he would have been over the limit, by 11 in the morning he's normally had a couple of Beers, who needs a champagne Breakfast when you've got Beer? Drinking at 9 in the morning is perfectly acceptable in most of Australia! In fact its encouraged. Coral Bay wasn't great for snorkelling, but still had a good time and all good for topping up my tan.

Can't remember much between Coral Bay and our next main stop Monkey Mia. Monkey Mia is made famous and has everyone flocking there everyday for its Dolphins which come right up to the Beach to be fed. They are perfectly wild dolphins which are monitored by scientists. The Guide told us how they only feed them a small amount everyday so that they do not become dependant on the food, they still hunt for themselves out at sea. One of the dolphins was a real character, posing for the camera. Dolphins naturally entertain and have fun. Makes me realise that the ones that do shows probably isn't so cruel after all. I made Lauren cry that night. We really don't get on well and had a bit of an argument. Simon had to calm her down for an hour after. A couple of days later though during a conversation she actually said to Simon, "what do I have to do to get some Sympathy, cry again? It worked the other day!" So from then on we didn't have any time for her, crying wolf and all that!

Arrived in Perth at the flat that Lauren had arranged for us all for free. It was in a bit of a state due to the owner not having lived there for 9 months and that he had been renovating it when he left. So after a bit of a clean up it was livable. We each had our own room with a TV which was bliss, hadn't watched TV for months, since Surfers Paradise! Simon had a mattress to sleep on, I had to make my own mattress by layering up items including 2 sleeping bags, 3 camping roll matts and a squidy hammock. Still my back ached every morning when I got up. Lauren on the other hand had a Double bed. It was nice to have a decent kitchen to cook in. I'm a genius when you give me some chicken, onion and multiple spices, Lea & Perrings and Tabasco Sauce! Gourmet Food ala Jules! Eventually Lauren got pissed off with us though, apparently we were just using her for free accomodation. She wouldn't have been completely wrong in saying that I guess. So chucked out we were. We had already been planning to leave and move into a hostel in Perth by that pont anyway. We didn't feel as though we were seeing much of Perth being so far out of the centre. So we moved into Underground Backpackers for 3 nights. Then flew out to Melbourne to meet our Buddy James (the guy we met in Darwin, you know, the nutter!) He had said about some work we could do for him and he wanted us to join him for Melbourne Cup race day. But thats a story for another time.

I really have summed up the whole of the West Coast in way too short amount of writing. There were plenty more highlights, but hey an hour of typing is enough for me!