SEGMENT 5

The area around Esperance has several National Parks and incredibly beautiful beaches. We found our own secluded cove and enjoyed the solitude for two days. The water was clear but rather cold. Cape Le Grand National Park offers stunning beaches (pic01) and brilliantly white sandy bays -- we could spend several weeks here! Yet we moved on to Albany and explored Torndirrup and West Cape Howe National Parks with their spectacular coastline. Near Walpole, we ventured out on the Tree Top Walk to admire the giant Karri trees from above. Gloucester Tree in the vicinity offered quite a thrill: used as a fire watch tower in the past, its trunk is studded with metal pegs (pic02) so you can climb to a platform at 190 feet (61m) just under the crown. An experience not for the faint-of- heart!
Eventually, we reached the Margaret River area famous for its scenic coastline, limestone caves and wineries (one of which won an architectural award) - not a bad combination! Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park runs along the coast for the entire stretch and is topped off by the one lighthouse on each side. In Geographe Bay, we couldn't resist an opportunity for exploration on a different level: The wreck of the HMAS Swan, a 340-foot (113 m) destroyer sunk intentionally in 1997 as a diving attraction. It happened to be Sven's birthday and so we treated ourselves to two scuba dives in this fascinating environment.

Fremantle has risen from being a suburb of Perth to a neighborhood of its own fame with many old buildings, cobblestone streets and dozens of cafes and Italian restaurants. After enjoying a relaxed day there, we continued to Perth to visit some friends we had made on the Nullarbor. Anna and Mike had just moved to Perth from Sydney and we helped them put together some IKEA furniture. This was quite a fun break from our usual explorations! We walked around Perth for 2 days and enjoyed its busy CBD (downtown) and quaint neighborhoods and relaxed in peaceful Kings Park with its incredible views of the skyline. Then we met up with the Jeep Owners Club of Perth and ventured onto the Mundaring Powerline Track (pic03) just east of Perth which runs along a power line through the hills (see report). Afterwards Geoff invited us to his house to show us his treasures. He had been restoring several Jeeps and has a substantial model car collection (pic04). Then we joined the group for a belated birthday party for Steve who welcomed us to his home for the night. Steve also helped us change the transmission fluid since its color was quite tinted. We had a wonderful time with these fellows and are grateful for their help and hospitality.

Monday April 10: It was time to leave Perth. Stocked up with supplies we steered our Jeep north.

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