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Round The World Trip Adventures! - Stunning Photos and Articles! – This page is all about Geraldton, West Australia on our around the world trip.

Stop 2 - W. Australia > North Of Perth > Geraldton

Geraldton - West Australia
Round The World Trip Journal

Text By Jo and Pix By Mike

(22nd - 24th January) Geraldton - First Visit
Having received news of a good wind forecast for Geraldton - otherwise known as Gero over here! - we decided to head north. We spotted a family of emus in a field alongside the road but no kangaroos as yet. It was a 5 hour drive to get there which fairly knocked us both sideways. The van is not the easiest to drive - it feels like you are battling with high winds and does not feel very stable. We both felt travel sick once we arrived cause we had been so buffeted around!!! We stayed at Sunset Beach caravan park which is right by the beach and full of windsurfers. I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn't quite the the dustbowl I had been lead to expect. It is actually quite civilised and Gero has grown a lot since Mike was last here. Unfortunately we have had no wind to speak of though, and Mike is bitterly disappointed. We think you've taken up our quota of wind back in the UK - please can we have some back? The weather here has been unseasonably cool - great for us as it's about 25 degrees most days but Mike thinks we need the higher temps to get the wind to kick in. After three days waiting for wind we abandoned ship (or should that be pitch?) and decided to head north again - boy are we getting adventurous! We took a day to drive from Gero to Kalbarri through the Kalbarri National Park. We came across the most amazing and incongruous sight - a pink lake! We have some fantastic pictures but no time to upload them yet so check back soon for more info - the water was literally a bright pink colour! Drove through 150 miles of bush and nothingness and then turned a corner to find the oasis of a town called Kalbarri. A turquoise blue river leading down to the sea, lined by white sand beaches and lush green grass - paradise. This morning we have watched the pelicans being fed. It is Australia Day today - a National Holiday so there is a lot going on here in the town.

(1st - 7th February) Geraldton - Second Visit
After leaving Monkey Mia - very reluctantly it has to be said - we headed back down to Gero again in search of wind. We stayed at a different campsite - Belair Gardens which is the opposite end of town to Sunset Campsite but right close to Point Moore, the windsurfing beach with the lighthouse. Although it is a very quiet campsite not favoured by the windsurfing crowd but much more by permanent residents or privately owned holiday chalets, we have stayed for 4 nights now because we are enjoying the benefits of an en-suite pitch. This is great after weeks of using public shower blocks we now have our own private shower and toilet unit alongside our pitch - it's fantastic - we do our washing up and laundry in there too! Simple things are very important when you live the simple life! We had the most windy day in Gero yeaterday - Mike reckons it was Force 9 to 10 - no one was out at Point Moore but about 30 windsurfers were out at Coronation Beach and only one kitesurfer. Unfortunately, Mike had injured himself when he went out on Friday and managed to pull a muscle in his right hip. He went to a physio that day who told me I had to massage his hip daily. I think it was just a ploy to get me to massage him really! Mike was like a caged animal yesterday and I had to keep him otherwise occupied by driving him all round the area sightseeing to take his mind off the wind that he couldn't enjoy! Check out the tree picture, all the trees are leaning like this round here, shows how windy it gets here! Today he is feeling much better and is thinking of risking a sail this afternoon. Yesterday we drove the "scenic route" to Northampton via the Chapman River Valley. Great - but there is no water at all in the river and the "scenery" comprised only bush and dusty fields. Not too inspiring really. We did have a close brush with the local fauna though. I was driving along when Mike suddenly shouted "Stop the van, pull over and get out now!". Not being used to him yelling at me like that I decided to just believe him and went along with what he said. I slammed to a halt, leapt out and ran round to the side of the road just in time to see a huge thing flying off. Apparently a giant grasshopper thing the size of Mike's hand had flown in through the window and landed upside down on the ceiling of the cab above my head! Make's my skin creep just thinking about it actually landing on me instead!

Gap year travel journal from our round the world trip

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Geraldton, West Australia - Round The World Trip Photos

MAP - Geraldton, West Australia - Round The World Trip Photos

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