Jonnymoon SW - Day 2 PM - The Gap

After the most beautiful beach in the world, we trekked back to Albany to have lunch, and then off to The Gap. The Gap is just a big gap in the rock cliffs. Because of the big storm the night before, the seas were very rough and the waves were absolutely pounding inside the gap. I got drenched just walking to the site. Salt + camera lens = Bad. One thing that is great (scary) about Western Australia is that there are no real safety precautions anywhere. There is a nice little recommended lookout for the Gap, but it is very easy to head for a new vantage point and find yourself walking off the cliff. We said that anyone going in The Gap would be going for their last swim. Also there was Natural Bridge.... It was alright.

Laura and JP at the Gap
Water flying up over the cliffs
Natural Bridge

Waves pounding on the rocks
The windshield when we got back to the car ... can you say salt?

After The Gap, we headed to the blowholes. The blowholes blew, literally. In 2 ways: First, a light whistling sound could be heard every minute or so, and secondly, it just wasn't very spectacular. Especially compared to The Gap. It didn't help that it was a kilometre walk to that site. The Gap wins this round.We then headed off to our next destination: Walpole.

Laura took over the driving. Before this trip, I thought Laura had never driven a manual car... She asked me not to comment on her driving.... :) I'm happy to be alive.

JP and I stopped at Matilda's Garden in Denmark to get a bottle of wine. Mmmmmm free wine sampling! Then we found a campground in Walpole.

Matilda's Vineyard

Camping Attitude

JP spots a rare woodchip and has to get a photo

A few visits from neat australian wildlife: Kookaburra's (more to come), blue wrens, bandicoots. One of the old ladies there got JP excited by telling us about a kangaroo that comes up ever morning with it's joey in the pouch to have brekkie. Let's just say, JP went to bed thinking it was Christmas Eve. Would he get to see this amazing moment......

MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS DAY: Click here

Jonnymoon SW - Day 2 AM - THE BEST BEACH IN THE WORLD

Well, Laura and JP have flown off to Alice Springs on their Australia tour. They are heading to the heat of Uluru (Ayer's Rock). Go figure, but it gets scorching in perth with 34 Celsius today, and kinda muggy. Anyhow, will continue to update the SW west trip over the next few days, and in two weeks will catch up on the Jonnymoon in Sydney.

Middleton Beach

After the thunder and Lightning of Wednesday night, we woke up to a beautiful morning at Emu Beach/Middleton Beach in Albany on Day 2. As there was nice warm shower back at the cabin, I took it upon myself to go for a swim in the Southern Ocean. Disaster struck before I even got to the beach as my swim trunks ripped while sitting down in a chair. Thus, it would be those shorts' final swim! The water was a little chillier than Perth water, but not horrible. The local we talked to said she never puts her feet in the water even in the middle of summer in February. What a wimp!

Ripped shorts ... booooo

Heading into the Southern Ocean

That same local gave us a tip. 40km to the east was "the best beach in the world". JP liked to say that line over and over again in his best attempt at the australian accent. Still not very good. I have a lot of trouble picking up the accent, as you just have to shorten words, and say them fast (ex. Water = Wata, How you going = owyegoin'). The beach was called "Little Beach", and it IS safe to say that it's the best beach in the world. It was packed. A total of 3 people were there (including us). The water was so extremely turqoisey, the sand so white. The beach was dominated by two large pegmatitic boulders in the centre. The weather was still a bit chilly, and the seas a bit rough, but in the middle of summer with 25 to 30 C weather, this is definately "the best beach in the world".

Heaven (aka Little Beach) below: more pics here

Enjoying the scenery

Coming up: The Gap ... and I'm not talking about clothes