Bike Carrier.

We have sometimes taken our pushbikes with us when we've gone away, putting them on top of everything in the back of the Cruiser.  It is awkward getting them out again and I can't manage it at all.  We've talked of buying a bike-rack to go on the back of his car and then I could use it when I get my van. 

On Thursday as Hubby was lifting the bikes in he said that he would call into Pinjarra and get one.  So we called into Auto1 to see what they had.  They had a few sorts and we ended up buying one that goes onto the towball and will hold 3 bikes as there will probably be times when there is an extra person and bike with us.  It cost over $100 but I'm not counting it as expenses for this trip as it was needed and will be used often.
Getting it outside and preparing to put in on the car he remembers that his towball is stuck and doesn't come off.  But we are next door to a workshop so we get them to cut off the towball and we then put on the new one that he had to go in and buy.  Looking at the rack though and reading a sticker on it I see that my bike, girls one so no crossbar, won't fit.  It needs an extension bar.  Back into Auto1 I go and ask about that but they said they had never come across that before and had no idea.  They ring the bikerack people who don't sell them, I need a bike shop.

So we have a bikerack on but the bikes are still in on top of everything.

Coming into Perth we call into a shopping centre, we need a book of maps as well, no shop has that, but we find a bike shop that has the part we need.  Another $44 and we are on our way again.

The bikes were finally able to be put on and the rack works fine. It is suggested that the bikes are tied as well which I think is kinda dumb, I think a bikerack should safely hold bikes without them needing to be tied on as well. 

Anyway, it's still another job that Hubby needs to do, I cannot lift either of the bikes on or off.  It is easier for him though than getting them in and out off the car.
Not sure if I will be able to use it with a van but as that will be lower I may be able to.  I hope so, I do like my bike. 


        

We Ate This. GreenHead, November.

Eating when away camping is still a new thing for me, I mean, I know how to eat, that's obvious when looking at me but menu-planning and what to take away is not easy for me to fiqure out.
At home Hubby rarely  eats breakfast or lunch.  But says that he might when away.  But he doesn't eat cereal.

For this trip I planned on eating fish but took a couple of frozen meals just in case.  I took my oatmix because I need breakfast and it makes a good healthy snack as well.  I just need to add hot water to it so this is an easy cheap meal.  My kind of food.  I took 2 dozen eggs, also quick, cheap, easy but 24 eggs for 2 people over 4 days...maybe too many from a health perspective.  I also took my bread, his bread, bit of fruit, salad from the garden here, some bacon...some other stuff.

The day we left I made myself some lunch, just a sandwich and a banana and put it in the car fridge with us but because he doesn't eat lunch I didn't worry about anything for him.  There was food in the back in the esky though if he wanted to stop somewhere.  Well we had to call into a shopping centre near Perth, looking for a book of maps and a bike part, and when we were walking through the foodhall he decided that he was hungry.  So of course I had to buy something as well. Yep, them's the rules!  It was OK but not planned.  While at the shops he bought some sausages and some fish royales.  There's faith in your fishing abilities.
I had my lunch for tea that night because he didn't want anything. 

Friday.  He had caught a feed of fish so that's what we had for tea.  With eggs.
Saturday. We cooked up the sausages for tea with the intention of taking the rest with us on our visit to the caves the next day.
Sunday. Hubby caught a couple of squid in the afternoon so of course, Salt and Pepper Squid for tea.  With salad.
Monday. Fish Royales and salad for tea with the extras being put in the car-fridge for travelling home.
One day we had bacon and eggs for brunch.  One day we had "rotten banana pikelets" for breakfast and I had them again for lunch.  Eggs were had one day for breakfast, I don't think I ended up having any of my oatmix at all..  We did manage to get through all the eggs.  I like eggs and it's just as well seeing as we get so many from our chooks.
The frozen meals that I took were kept frozen and were brought back home and are back in the freezer.

Salt and Pepper Squid that Hubby caught and cooked.

      


Add a salad that I grew and put together and we had a yummy, healthy meal.  Much better than we get at home!  Even the beetroot and the Bread and Butter pickles were grown and pickled by me.



I took up some bananas to snack on, these were originally rescued from the pig food crate and were yellow to start with but then I left them in the esky for a couple of days.  But we can't waste stuff so what to do? 


Add a couple of eggs, some SR flour, some of my oatmix and there you go.







All up we ate really well.  Too many biscuits, bought ones too!! but not much other rubbish stuff.  The chips he took up came home with us but didn't last the first night back here.  I took up cooking oil in a jar, Hubby would rather it in a bottle so I need to find a short one that will stand up in the food box.  There wasn't anything that we wanted and didn't have so I think we did good.  There's not much that needs working on in the food department, I just need to refill things so we are ready for next time.

Oh, I did forget a dish/bucket/bowl to make washing the dishes easier.  And we could have done with a few more clean clothes.  Apart from that, we were sorted.

GreenHead, November 2010.

It was Thursday before we left for our trip up to GreenHead but as we were leaving a couple of days early anyway it wasn't important that we didn't get away until 9ish.
First stop was Pinjarra as I had to buy more meds and while we were there Hubby decided to call into Auto1 and check out some bike racks.  We bought one but there was a bit of a drama with it.   It was an hour later before we were on the move again.
We got onto the freeway and it was then a quick drive north but we had to make a stop at a shopping centre off the freeway just before Perth.  We were looking for a book of maps and a bike part.  Found the bike part but not 1 of the 4 shops we looked in had the book we wanted.  I had packed food for munching on in the car but the foodcourt called to Hubby and it was more than an hour and a half before we were on our way again.

CERVANTES.
We stayed at Cervantes Caravan Park on Thursday night but didn't set up the tent  We unpacked the table, stove, esky, then the bikes, had a coffee then walked down to the jetty, back for coffee then Hubby went fishing while I stayed at the car *soloing*
No fish, no squid.  Sandwiches for tea.
We slept in the swag on the back of the Cruiser, woke early, had coffee then a bike ride.  Coming out of the park I saw *something* through the fence on the road.  The road had houses down one side but this thing was a kangaroo.  It was munching on someones front lawn then it went hopping down the street.  So cool.
Left here about 8am.




GREY.
I had never heard of this place, we called in to see it as I wanted to go to Wedge but we missed the turnoff.
There is a sign saying "Grey Sustainable Comunity" and the whole area is covered in ramshackle shacks.  There are tracks going off in all directions and each shack looks worse than the last.  Big blue barrels on the roofs for water.  I thought the place was really cool but Hubby just kept shaking his head and saying "what a mess, they should be pulled down"  I'm surprised some didn't fall down by themselves.


JURIEN BAY.
We have stayed here before but we called in mainly to get some information on the "Blessing of the Fleet" festival that was on over the weekend.  Crayfishing was due to open in a few days time.
The caravan park looked busy and on the way out of town we passed a sign saying " overflow camping" so the town knew they were going to be full and had set up an alternative area.  We checked it out as we were thinking of coming back for the festival but we ended up staying in GreenHead.

GREENHEAD.
We arrived in Greenhead late afternoon, drove around a bit then went to the caravan park and booked in.  We had a powered site at $27 a night for us both.
Unpacked, set up camp, coffee then rode down to the jetty, just to make sure it was still there. Back to camp for coffee then fishing Friday night.  He tried for fish and squid, caight a few Herring but didn't even see a squid.





Saturday.  Woke before the birds at 4.30, up and walked out the back of the caravan park.  There are cliffs out here that give a geat veiw out over the water.  I love walking out there and feeling the power of the Universe.  Saw quite a few fat healthy looking rabbits that would go nice in the pan...
After breakfast and a bike ride we drove out to Billygoat Bay.  We kinda intended to fish for Whiting.  This bay was so calm but it looked like the tide was out, a couple of other cars coming and going.
We drove onto the beach, the beaches are easy to get onto in this area and all seem really hard so there is no problem driving along them.  Set up *camp* I was going to read but thought that a waste so did some beachcombing instead.  Found some pretty shells, one quite big, bigger than any I have seen for years.
Was walking through the water, it was so cold but so clean and clear that even though I don't swim in salt water I had to.  It was very *refreshing*
Hubby made lunch.  Gotta say it, that guy does look after me.
Bike ride in the afternoon.  Went exploring then up to a lookout then up to another one.  Some of the hilly tracks were quite steep and one of us had to get off and walk.  Going down the hill on the bike was scarey though.  Loose gravel then a curve through sand.  Not good but I only landed on my face once, the other few times I managed to save myself.  You'd think I'd learn but no, it was kinda fun and what's a few scratches and bruises when you're having fun.  We did find a Geocache on our travels though.  Back to camp for coffee.   Fishing in the evening and a couple of Herring were caught. 

Sunday. Up just after 4am again.  Out the back for my walk, explored a little cove that we had discovered the day before.  Back to wake him up for coffee.  Fishing down the jetty but only caught 1 Wrasse.  On the way back to the car we saw some blokes dragging a net out off the beach so went over for a look.  They had pulled in a few dozen Mullet and gave us some so another meal sorted. 
Around 10am we left and drove out to the Stockyard Gully Cave.  We have been here before but I really like it so we went back for another look.  We saw  parts of the cave that we never noticed last time and I explored a cave within the main cave.  So dark with the torch turned off and scarey in a fun sort of way.  Back to camp for lunch then I read/slept while he went squidding out the back.  Caught 2 so tea was sorted.
It was very windy most of Sunday afternoon.  Hubby made Salt and Pepper Squid for us for tea.  I did put together a salad to go with it and as I had grown most of it I didn't feel too bad about him doing most of the cooking.  In bed by 7.30.

We were planning on leaving GreenHead on Monday but on Sunday the bloke in the campsite next to us invited us out in his boat.  Hubby agreed I declined, it wasn't a very big boat and it was windy and I don't fish...blah, blah, blah...Wish I went now though.

Monday.  Walked again, this walk will be a regular thing whenever I am up here.   Out the back squidding by 5.30 but nothing there so back to camp for coffee and beakfast.  The boat was suposed to be leaving at 7 but it was so windy it was put off for a bit so we went for a walk then back to wait and see if the wind dopped.  It did so the men left around 9.  I was going to tidy up camp but went for a ride instead.  I was back around 10, a quick tidy then read 'til the boat came back.  Doesn't seem like boat fishing is much better than any other fishing as he only ended up with 5 Herring.  At 2.30 we went out the back, caught nothing off the rocks so went down to the cove and caught a blowie.  Back to camp at 5.30.  We did see an Eagle Ray at the cove sand a big, yellow beaked bird so that was good.  Went down the jstty but didn't have any decent gear with us so caught nothing.  Lots of Wrasse swimming arounf but we couldn't catch them.  I must look up on how to as they are nice to eat and there was a lot of them, taking the bait but not the hook.  A lady down there fishing had caught a squid, a wrasse, some herring so hopefully it was just our lack of gear that was stopping us.

Tuesday.
Slept in and didn't start my walk until 5.  Went down to the cove and saw a small shovelnose shark swimming along the shoreline.  Back for coffee then walked out the back again with Hubby.  Back at camp and had breakfast and was packed up and ready to leave by 8.20.


WEDGE ISLAND.
Called into here on the way home.  With the new road going north from
Cervantes there are quite a few places that are now easy to get to but why do all the best spots have *No Camping* signs up?  I had heard of this place years ago but thought that it had been closed down and was just an area where motorbike hoons went for their fun.  I was wrong, there are heaps of shacks there and most looked in a lot better condition than the ones in Grey.  We drove down onto the beach for a look and it is one of the loveliest beaches that I have seen for a long time.  Wide clean white sand beach, blue water, the island way down the south end.
We drove down to where some boats were on the sand and could see right away how the place had got it's name.  The island is just like a wedge.  It looks like something a giant would stick under his door to stop it slamming shut.
The beach was hard and easy to drive on. It was windy but not too bad but we weren't there long. We decided to come back another day and went back into the shack area.  We stopped and I spoke to a couple thatwere outside their shack, they have been going there for 38 years, that's a long time but according to them it is the only place to go.


I will add to this over the next few days as I remember stuff.

Back and Busy.

We had agreat time while away and arrived back here around 5pm yesterday. (Tuesday)
First thing I had to do was check that the gardens and chickens had survived the daughters looking after them and I am pleased to say that everything did.  I have put a few things away but still have most of it to do but as Hubby has taken the car into town I'm using that as my excuse not to do it yet.  I have done the washing we brought back and emptied an esky...

Another reason for not doing it is I have been busy out in the yard.  http://barbsbackyard.blogspot.com/

I will do some more when he gets back but I need to write about all our wonderful adventures as well...And I need more time outside... but that will come later...How will I manage to get it all done...Maybe I could make a start.  There's an idea.

Going to GreenHead.

We are off to GreenHead again, either this afternoon or early tomorrow, depending on when I can be ready by.  I have had 3 months since our last trip so more than enough time to have everything organised but I didn't do a damn thing and now I have to do it all.  In fairness though I did think we were leaving on Saturday and that I would have 3 days to get everything sorted but he sprung it on me that we would leave earlier and stay away longer.  I should have been ready anyway but I am such a S.A. that I never do things until the last minute.

And instead of being out there doing it this morning I have been out in the garden planting stuff.

I need to find my list and check the camping box, decide what food to take...but I'm not sure how much I need...lots to do...so I better get out there and make a start.

I am hoping to get some use from my Whiz while we are away
and then do a report when we get back so that will be a post for
you all to look forward to.