Simone

This thread will be about our weekend, and a short '3 months in' update.
It'd be nice if this thread could turn into a 'discussion' about 4WDing etc. I know Owieb and his wife have done a 4WD course(see photopost section), and Mairi and Chris(Vegemite Kids) are also into 4WDing.


Weekend.
Well, Friday started off great with a beautiful wedding, and a lovely dinner afterwards.
Of all the restaurants in Perth "Siren and co" could've chosen, it was the Olive Tree in West Perth, where my friends sister works, and she was also our waitress
Was a very nice restaurant btw.


Saturday.
Slept in and drove down to Bunbury to our friends Allen and Jess's place.
We weren't leaving til later, so first Pascal and Allen went 4WDing on the beach, near Australind.

Simone

Packed up their Toyota Hilux 4wd, did the shopping, and drove to Dardanup (east of Bunbury).
Met up with Josh in his Subaru 4wd, and Shane and Meg in a mitisibishi I think... They couldn't get there till 5.15 pm, so was a bit late...
Drove east into the Darling escarpement ('the hills').
where we got some nice views!
After a few km's in there, turned right into a dirt road, and later rugged 4WD track. The place where we were heading was Wellington Dam/Lennard Drive.
http://www.naturebase.net/national_p...ard_drive.html
Honeymoon pool was also talked about, but that was for another time.

Unfortunetley don't have any more pics, cos the drive was bumpy, and it soon got dark!
Went along the river, looking for a good camping spot. Unfortunetley!!! they were all taken! Was about 6.30 by this time, and dark.
Decided to go back to Bunbury, have a bbq, go out, and sleep there!
Shane and Megs car was overheated, so we left them behind, to follow later.
Took a different route back, and came across a big ditch/mud in which Josh and his Subaru got stuck, so had to pull him out!
Decided to wait for Shane and Meg in case they got stuck too. They were supposed to be sort of right behind us, but decided to have something to eat before heading back.... so waited for 20 mins for them! Kept thinking we saw light, heard a car, and then we finally did! :-D

Simone

Anyway, this was my first time 4WDing since I was 7, and I thought it was very cool, and I wasn't even driving! Pascal and me were wedged in those half seat things. Which was good, cos meant we didn't bounce around much!
Anyway, next time, we'll be going in the morning and in the summer so we can swim in the river.
And we want a 4WD now! One where you can sleep in the back if necessary.
Anyone got any tips/prices for secondhand ones...
I like the Toyota Hilux so you can have 4 people in it (Pascals parents coming in December...) and sleep in the back too.
Found a good website btw:
http://www.pps.net.au/skips4x4/

Anyway, so had a bbq in Bunbury, went out(which wasn't that great).
Oh, here's a pic of Allen and Jess' car, can really tell how dirty it is on here though!

Next day left at about 3, and on the way home stopped at Myalup Beach, where I camped with my parents in 1987! Was our first camping trip in Oz if I can remember correctly!
Beach was empty, cool breeze, and freezing water, so just relaxed for about an hour before driving on.


Myalup(small holiday town):

Simone

3 months in
Yes, things going very well, though I think we're still in honeymoon stage, but not sure!
We're busier than we've ever been. My 'old' friend Jessica and her boyfriend have become good friends, and my 'old' friend Emily lives nearly around the corner. And then there's the 'expats lot', which is a lot of fun.
Jobs are going well. Pascal's job is better than he had, but does do a lot of overtime(unpaid), which will be getting less soon when all the companies annual reports are finished.

At the moment we're thinking: we're here permanent. But..., we haven't been homesick yet. And I think that time will come.
And I do sometimes think about having kids here, without parents... don't really know what to think.
I think we'll end up like my dad, not knowing where we belong. I said that before we left too, I knew it was going to happen.
The best thing would be if my parents moved back here. That's not going to happen for a while, if it does happen. But the possibility is definetly there!

Lifes much the same as in Holland, except weekends are busier, because we have friends who like to do stuff, and we've got lots to explore here.

Didn't come here for a better life or anything, just for the adventure, and that's what we've got. We are enjoying all the new things, and on the other hand I love being back where I grew up, it does feel like home.

Pascal's parents are coming over for a month in Dec/Jan. I hope I survive that! Also hope I can get more than a week off.... Pascal has 2. Mmm, maybe I will be better off working, I won't seen them as much! They're nice and all, but I know 4 weeks will be too much...
Oh, and they're so going to die of heat in the sleepout btw!


Anyway, can't think of anything else at the moment, have typed for long enough...

seeyas

owieb

"Skip" is part of the http://www.westcoast4x4.com.au/ club. We've done some trips with them and they are a great bunch of guys. The trip to Mt Observation that we did was with them.

Just check their trip list on the site and if you fancy going sign up. I'm sure you can even catch a ride with them if you don't have your own 4WD.

Attached is a pic of us on a trip with them.....the only way is down!!!!!

Simone

Oh, cool! But scary when your driving I guess!
My dad once made us get out of the car when a hill was too steep! But don't remember that, was 7 or so.

Ha, what a coincidence I found that site(was one of the first and only ones that came up on google)!
Sounds fun, though I'd feel a bit silly if we didn't have our own car. Seriously planning to get one by December...

swissfabs

Hi SImone,

Thanks for taking the time to type your impressions and feeling! I enjoy reading it, keep up the good work!

oxox fabie

Sander

Hoi Simone!

Sounds and looks like fun that 4WDing!!
Good to hear you guys are doing so well! Hopefully we can join the club soon

Hehe, still worried about the parents in law coming over I see...yeah, must be strange. But also kindof nice, have they been to Australia before?

lucyb

Hi Simone

Great post and ace pictures! I wnjoyed reading it and wish I was in Adelaide now!!! Weather looks a damn sight better there than it does here too today!

Lucy
xxx

marco121068

Hey Simone,
Certainly sounds like you're having fun. Hope it all goes well for you.

Dreamaway 10

Hi Simone thanks for taking the time to post and to send in the great pictures.Its always good to see pictures and it keeps me going now we are well into Autumn and the gloomy dark damp days ahead.Roll on next year.
Glad to see you are both having a good time.
May the hapiness continue!!.
Take Care Dreamaway.

wmoore

Nice pics. Glad to hear things are working out for you too. Hope it continues so.

HiddenPaw

Yay, at last I get to catch up with you!! 4WD in WA looks fab. So glad you and P are enjoying life there. 3 months has flown by - I mustn't have been on line much since you went as it only feels like a couple of weeks ago. The pics look fab - and I had a quick peek of your pics in the PhotoPost section.

Me and Mr HP did some 4WD in the NT & FNQ. It was great until he wanted to take the 4wd over a crocodile-infested creek at Mary River (we didn't know how deep, nor had we told anyone where we were going, nor had we seen anyone else on the track in the 3 or so hrs we'd been on it....I cried as it was the only way I could get him to take me seriosuly that I wasn't gonna cross it!!)

Have you got any plans to do any more travelling away from Perth?

Take care
HP

sunchaser

Hey Simone!!

Great post and fab piccies! We bought a Toyota hi-lux 4x4 and we're definitely enjoying it. We went 4x4ing with Vegemite Kids and had a fantastic day. We'd never been 4x4ing before and they really taught us loads. Stacks of fun!

Anyway, I really must get off here and start my homework otherwise it's going to be a seriously late night for me.
See you Sunday!
Colleen
xxx

Simone

Thanks everyone, I enjoy posting pics!
If you want more(and a few the same), have a look in the photopost section:
http://britishexpats.com/photopost/s....com&password=
Unfortunetly they're all in there backwards though...(order)

Sander: yeah, they're really nice, and it's going to be fun showing them everywhere(no, haven't been before. Furthest for them was an appartment in Portugal)... but 4 weeks, under one small roof!!!! One small bathroom... etc etc. Argh!
They're also not that adventurous, so won't be doing much exploring by themselves... and don't want to drive long distances. It'll be hard to convince them to hire a car, so that they can go to things around Perth while we're at work, but we'll try!

Lucy, yeah, was really nice weather! Raining today though!

HP: yeah, that sounds scary! Esp if noone around! On our little trip we passed someone, and chatted about if the road was cleared, how high the water was in the river etc.
More travelling? Yes, but weekends often busy...!! Going to the 'Blues at Bridgetown" down south in November. Will be great to see old friends etc again(everyone always goes back down for the blues).
Then with Pascals parents the plan is to do a trip down south around Christmas, so Margret River, Walpole, Albany etc. And depending on time (if I can get more than a week off...) also Esperence and Kalgoorlie, so we see some 'outback' too.)
After that, will have to see. Heaps to chose from... not enough free time!
Never been to the Red Centre....

Hey Colleen!
That's right, you did too! And I heard about breaking something... oops!
Will chat more Sunday!!
Seeya!