Time In W.A. Coming To An End

Yesterday we arrived at Esperance with its Bay Of Isles. A cruise ship was in the harbour and a seal was resting on the beach near the old jetty. We went on a great ocean drive to view Pink Lake and some magnificent coastal scenery with white sand beaches and brilliant turquoise-coloured water. We also paid a visit two Wind Farms consisting of a total of 15 Turbines that supply 23% of Esperance's electricity. The first Wind Farm in Australia was established here.Today we went to the spectacular Cape Le Grand National Park and marvelled at the grandeur of the scenery and the diversity of flora. After spending our second night in Esperance we'll proceed north to Norseman tomorrow and then east to stay at Fraser Park for our final night in W.A. before heading across the Nullabor once again. We expect to be "out of range" for three or four days. Here's a selection of yesterday's and today's photos.

Another Hospital Visit

Prior to attending Mount Barker Baptist Church on Sunday morning Philip tripped on a concrete barrier in the car park and fell face downwwards hitting his head and the bridge of his nose on the ground. He sustained an "egg" on his forehead, a heavy nose bleed and lacerations to one knee but thankfully had no broken bones. He was transported to the local hospital by ambulance (along with Pam) and after appropriate examination and treatment was discharged thus enabling us to be there for the balance of the service and then continue on our way to visit Albany and district with Gail and Bevan as planned. Yesterday after saying au revoir to Gail and Bevan who returned to Perth, we proceeded through the beautiful Stirling Ranges and then south to Ravensthorpe where we spent the night. Today we journeyed on from there to Esperance on the South Coast where we are enjoying the magnificent scenery. We plan to stay here for two nights and take in the grandeur of this part of W.A.

Down On The Farm

After enjoying our visit to Walpole and the fantastic Tree Top Walk and viewing of the giant Tingle trees, we went on to the delightful town of Denmark before heading north again to stay over the weekend with Gail & Bevan Short on their farm near Mount Barker. There we have been taken by them on a tour of their two properties and the surrounding district and had a picnic lunch at a local lake and went on a bush walk . On Sunday morning we attended Mount Barker Baptist Church and in the afternoon toured Albany and environs. Albany has a beautiful Harbour which is larger than Sydney Harbour. On Monday we say farewell to Gail & Bevan and set off on our own again to travel to Ravensthorpe and Esperance which has special memories for us.

After The Forests Now The Sea

It's been a joy to return to areas we last visited many years ago. Moving on from Margaret River we travelled today through forests to Pemberton where we were able to walk to a waterfal

Meandering Around South West Of W.A.

Over the past couple of days we have been taking in the delights of God's creation as we have roamed around various scenic attractions south of Perth including the Blackwood Rover Valley and Forest and on to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, the extreme south west point of Australia where we viewed the lighthouse which is over 100 years old and is heritage listed and guards one of the most dangerous coastlines in the world.where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet. We also viewed the historic Water Wheel. Last night we diverted north to Margaret River in order to meet up with our friends, Cec & Helen Woodhouse who had come across from NSW on the Indian Pacific and hired a car to do some sightseeing. We enjoyed a lovely Thai meal with them. Today we move on to Pemberton and the Karri Forests.

Departure From Perth

Today we left Perth and began our journey around the south west of W.A. We stopped at Pinjarra for lunch and then travelled through a number of other small towns like Harvey and Waroona before reaching Donnybrook where we are staying overnight at a Transit Park. We enjoy travelling in "Tilly" which is doing a sterling job and has caused us no problems during our trip while we have been able to maintain an economical average speed of 85-90 kilometres per hour. At present Diesel Fuel is cheaper than Petrol in the West! We are having our first rain tonight for some time but we have an excellent camp kitchen and will be able to enjoy our evening meal under cover and then enjoy a dry sleep in "Tilly".

Leaving Perth Soon

Yesterday we visited Lake Monger to see the bird life and also travelled up the West Coast Highway to take our final look at Perth's beaches with white sand. Today we attended an inspirational service at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (the largest Baptist Church in the West) with 600-700 persons in attendance After three weeks in the capital of Western Australia we are now ready to head for the south west before heading towards home back across the Nullabor. It will be a good time to revisit the many scenic towns, meander through the forests and view the large Karri trees, as well as enjoy the wildflowers which should be in their abundance, especially in the Stirling Ranges. We leave tomorrow and later in the week will join Gail and Bevan at their farm outside Mount Barker. They left earlier this week and we have had their home to ourselves. It has been a wonderful provision for us and we are feeling relaxed and rested. Attached are a few other photos we've taken during our stay in Perth.

In And Around Perth

Over the last few days we have enjoyed  revisiting parts of Perth that are familiar to us but also finding new parts and having some lovely picnic lunches beside the Swan River or in other beautifully tended parks and gardens. We also took a trip across to the city by Ferry from South Perth and walked around city venues.You'll find a sample of what we've seen on the attached photos. It's been good to relax and catch our breath before commencing our homeward journey via the South West of Western Australia starting on Monday.

Good News

Due to BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) Philip experienced complete blockage of urine flow (acute urinary retention)-very painful! After ten days of discomfit with a catheter inserted and wearing a catheter bag Philip was able to have them removed yesterday. The medical and nursing care he received at Fremantle Hospital as been much appreciated.Best of all Philip's "water works" have been able to resume their normal function. He's drinking lots of water, avoiding tea and coffee for the time being since they are bladder irritants. He's also continuing to take a new medication called "Duodart" which is designed to shrink his enlarged prostate and relax the smooth muscle in the prostate gland and, if it works as intended, avoid surgery.However it takes about four to six months to be fully effective and needs to be taken for the rest of his life. It's been suggested we remain in Perth for a few more days to monitor progress before setting off to visit other country areas of W.A. We're giving thanks to God for His goodness to date and trusting in His provision for the return journey.

Perth's Piece de Resistance

Yesterday we spent many hours of enjoyment in King's Park located on Mount Eliza and overlooking the city of Perth and the Swan River.It is by far the best tourist attraction in the West and possibly in Australia since it encompasses Western Australia's Botanic Garden which includes the unique and diverse flora of W.A. We are attaching a selection of the photos we took but the rest will have to wait until we return to Sydney. W.A. has half of Australia's plant species and most of them are found nowhere else on earth. We wandered through as much of this plant life as we cocould a

Outside Perth

On Friday we went with Gail & Bevan south to Mandurah, a large rural city with massive canal development since our last visit and also viewed a unique memorial which has been built in memory of local persons who have died in wars. Then we went on to Keysbrook to the Buttfield property and Gail & Bevan returned to their home at Canning Vale (a suburb of Perth). We spent two fabulous days with long term friends, Jan Buttfield & Rob Silsbury and the Buttfield children and grandchildren who made us most welcome. The Buttfield family breed Welsh Mountain Ponies and exhibit them in various shows, taking out many awards. We were also taken on a tour of the scenic district by Jan & Rob but were shocked to see the Serpentine Dam that supplies Perth with its water at only 29% capacity. Two desalination plants have provided temporary relief..Yesterday on our way back to where we're staying we did a tour of the scenic Perth Hills and saw many wildflowers.

Getting Around Perth

Gail & Bevan have taken us to a number of historic and scenic places since we arrived including Fisherman's Wharf at Fremantle where we had fish sand chips and pistachio icecream-yummie!After nearly getting wiped out by a large truck that cut across in front of us on the Roe Highway (must have been in his "blind spot") we are now getting quite expert at finding our own way around Perth in "Tilly". We have enjoyed spending time with relatives and friends as well as attending Riverton Baptist Church last Sunday. Sunday was also the big celebration for Gail's 70th birthday and Gail & Bevan's 50th wedding anniversary attended by about 40 persons, mostly their children and grandchildren and some special friends.It was a great occasion. It was preceded by a professional photographer taking many family photos in the park opposite their home.It's been good to get to know the wider family, some of whom we've seen on several occasions.We have been pleased to spend quality time also with two other cousins of Pam's- Thelma Kirkman and Ron Kirkman.We've also been on a nostalgic visit to Pam's old school-Kent Street High at East Victoria Park. Next weekend we will be going to Keysbrook outside of Perth to stay with the Buttfield family who have been great friends for over 50 years.

Hospitalisation for Philip

An unexpected event occurred when Philip had to be admitted to Fremantle Hospital yesterday. This was the hospital where Pam trained 50 years ago. Philip was experiencing a lot of pain due to urinary retention because of benign prostate hypertrophy. It had been diagnosed some years ago and had given him no trouble since then. Following a bladder scan in the emergency department he had catheter drainage. and was admitted overnight to check if kidney damage had occurred and ensure resolution of renal function.He was discharged this morning having established that kidneys had returned to normal functioning with a catheter left in place for at least the next week or so and is required to drink 2 litres of water per day for at least 2-3 days.It was confirmed that he does not have prostate cancer and was placed on a new medication called "Duodart" which it is hoped will avoid the need for surgery and hopefully prevent recurrence of this unpleasant and painful condition. We are most grateful to God that this medical emergency occurred while we were in Perth close to medical and nursing care and not in the middle of the Nullabor!

Fremantle Harbour and precincts

These photos were taken when we visited Fremantle Harbour which is always a hive of activity.