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View from my Perth room<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>My outing in Perth<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>St Mary's Cathedral<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nI performed a careful pre-flight inspection, finding everything just as I had left it. My first stop would be Perth International, just for the fun of it, and I had phoned their control tower in advance to check that this would be OK. Just like Adelaide, things were very quiet at Perth and they were happy for me to come in. I took off from Jandakot and switched the radio straight over to Perth; they directed me for a straight-in approach.<\/p>\n\n\n
Departing from Jandakot<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Jandakot<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Perth International<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nUnlike Adelaide, there was no delay in departure this time and I was quickly cleared to taxi back and depart to the west following one of the standard departure routes. After passing close to the center of the city I was cleared to turn north and follow the coast. Once clear of Perth airspace I was able to turn further east on course for my first destination, the airfield at Moora. The city suburbs very quickly gave way once again to the sprawling, dry fields of grain.<\/p>\n\n\n
Perth center<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Ocean Reef harbour<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Crop fields north of Perth<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Waddi Bush Resort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nI set my wheels down briefly at Moora airfield for a touch and go, departing again to continue northwest and land at the dirt airstrip of Badgingarra. This strip services the Waddi Bush Resort, and the Country Airstrip Guide advertises it as open for visits by passing pilots. That was good enough for me! I performed a strip inspection and noted a truck parked on the crosswind runway, before touching down and taxiing to park at the end of the runway. The truck soon drove up, and the man inside greeted me; he wasn’t the owner, but would take me to see the man who was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The owner, Michael, was very welcoming and drove me to the main house to meet his wife Noor and have a cup of tea. The resort was not currently open for tourists, and in fact they were only present because it was the weekend and they had driven up from the city for some time away. They offered to sell me some fuel from their AVGAS tank, and I took them up on the offer; this would simplify my fuel planning for the rest of the day. We all made our way back to the tank, via the barn to pick up the hose and the pump. It was a bit of a struggle to get the aircraft close enough to the tank, eventually involving a Bobcat excavator to remove a large bush for access.<\/p>\n\n\n
Refueling at Waddi Bush Resort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Refueling at Waddi Bush Resort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>With the team at Waddi Bush Resort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Bush removal<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nIt turned out that the fuel level was too low for the pump, but we eventually figured out a solution. We removed the drain bung from the bottom of the tank and let the flow fill a jerry can. The owner’s friend, Charlie, stopped up the hole with his finger in between can fillings! Soon I had plenty of fuel for my subsequent stops. Michael and Noor would only take 50% payment and asked me to donate the rest to African Promise, which I was more than happy to do. I thanked them for their hospitality and continued on my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I struck out west, back to the coast, and made brief stops at the airports at Cervantes and Jurien Bay. At Jurien Bay there were parachute operations in effect despite the stiff breeze. I landed in between drops and enjoyed a croissant for breakfast as I watched the next lot of jumpers load up into the jump operator’s Cessna Caravan.<\/p>\n\n\n
Cervantes<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Jurien Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nSlotting in between drops again, I taxied out and headed off north along the coast. The clarity of the water was incredible! I stopped off at Leeman, Dongara, and Geraldton for touch and goes or brief halts, taking the opportunity at Geraldton to don my life jacket for the next leg; this was the crossing to East Wallabi Island.<\/p>\n\n\n
Western Australia coast<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Unknown industry<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Leeman airport<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Western Australia coast<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coastal waters<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Industry near the coast<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nEast Wallabi Island is protected, and permission is needed for landing. I had received this while in isolation, along with a few tips about visiting; apparently a work crew was out there performing maintenance to the runway. The island played a large part in the wreck of the Batavia<\/em>, mentioned in the previous section of this write-up; it was the island which the soldiers ended up on after being evicted by the mutineers, and turned out to provide just enough food and water for them to survive. The water crossing to the island was short, and the ocean below looked warm and inviting!<\/p>\n\n\n The work crew could be seen down one end of the runway, and were well clear of my landing. I taxied into the parking area that is situated halfway down the strip, parking next to a Cessna 172 from a commercial operator which was the only other aircraft present. Signposts pointed the way along a short trail to the beach which I had passed on landing and I followed these eagerly to Turtle Bay, hiking along the sand and arriving at the little pavilion at the northern end just as the pilot and passengers from the C172 were leaving. I had the place all to myself, and took advantage of this to have a short swim and revel in the solitude. The midday sun was fierce, so I decided not to stay out in it for too long, and made my way back to Planey after an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n Three light aircraft arrived as I was waiting for departure, parking up at the southern end of the strip to load up the maintenance crew and ferry them home. I took off after they were all clear of the runway and departed over Pigeon Island; unlike East Wallabi this island did not seem to be protected, and was covered in shacks. The pilot of the C172 had told me about a worthwhile sight to see back on the mainland, the pink lake at Hutt Lagoon. This came into view after my crossing back to the mainland, and was much more pink than the rather disappointing example of a pink lake which I’d overflown back in Esperance!<\/p>\n\n\n I continued up the coast, pausing at Kalbarri airport for a touch-and-go before turning inland and making for the Overlander Roadhouse. It was becoming clear by now that one roadhouse is quite similar to another (this didn’t stop me visiting every one that I passed, however). It was tempting to land on the long straight highway in front of the roadhouse and taxi right up to the shop, but I behaved myself and used the dirt strip a five minute walk away. The temperature in this part of the state was really heating up, and an ice-cream at the road house was just what was called for. <\/p>\n\n\n The Overlander Roadhouse is located at the turn-off to Shark Bay, or Gutharraguda as it’s known in the local language. The area is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, described thus: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shark Bay\u2019s waters, islands and peninsulas….have a number of exceptional natural features, including one of the largest and most diverse seagrass beds in the world. However it is for its stromatolites (colonies of microbial mats that form hard, dome-shaped deposits which are said to be the oldest life forms on earth), that the property is most renowned. The property is also famous for its rich marine life including a large population of dugongs (similar to manatees), and provides a refuge for a number of other globally threatened species.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The area is the second earliest part of Australia known to have been visited by Europeans, in the year 1616 (the only recorded earlier visit was by William Janzoon at Cape York in 1606). I flew up the central peninsula of the Shark Bay area and coasted out into the bay.<\/p>\n\n\n I crossed the waters of Shark Bay with a little tension in the back of my mind, given the name. Happily I reached the far side without incident, and landed at Carnarvon airport to refuel. I had phoned the fueler in advance, and he’d given me the code to a lockbox on the side of the pump which contained a fuel card to activate the equipment. After fueling I texted him the amount of fuel taken, and he let me know how much money to transfer! Very simple and convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I flew north towards my night-stop I passed the Minilya Roadhouse. This business was one of the few roadhouses without an airstrip. I circled the area to assess whether a landing on the road might allow a stop for a cold drink but it didn’t look like a good option so I carried on towards the dirt strip at Coral Bay, touching down as the sun was getting low on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n It was about a 15 minute walk to the backpacker’s accommodation I had booked a room at. Along the way I encountered a little collection of kangaroos grazing in the twilight. They didn’t pay me much attention. I dropped off my baggage and walked down the street for dinner; this was a resort town, all company owned, so it felt a little artificial. Not that I minded; I’d be up again before dawn to be on my way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was still dark as my alarm rang and dragged me out of my sleep. I needed to be at today’s night stop in time for a boat trip at 3pm, and there was a long way to go. I trudged back over the hill as the eastern horizon lit up. After stowing my luggage and performing a pre-flight inspection I roared off the dirt runway, probably waking up half of Coral Bay, and set off up the coast.<\/p>\n\n\nCoasting out<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Indian Ocean waters<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Shallows near East Wallabi<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>East Wallabi Island<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Final approach to East Wallabi<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Parked at East Wallabi<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nBeach at Turtle Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Turtle Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nPigeon Island<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Pink Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Pink Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Desert highway<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWestern Australia desert<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Overlander Roadhouse<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Parked at Overlander Roadhouse<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Watch out for animals<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Shark Bay sign<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Highway at the Overlander Roadhouse<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nNearing Shark Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Shark Bay area<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Dry lakes<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coasting out into Shark Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nCarnarvon airport<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Evening in the desert<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Parked up in Coral Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMorning in Coral Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coral Bay strip at sunrise<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coral Bay<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>