After 5 months, 6 countries, 25 flights, and over 40 hotel rooms I have said goodbye to Southeast Asia. I was sad to leave but very excited for the adventures that await me in the South Pacific. Since the sailboat will be leaving from Cairns, Australia I decided my next stop would be Perth, Australia on the west coast primarily because I was able to find an $60 flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a budget traveler, Australia would never have been on my itinerary since it's quite expensive but I figured that I could survive 10 days there.
Adjusting to life here in Australia has been much harder than I thought it would be. When I arrived to the airport in Perth and stepped outside it was in the low 40's and after being in 80 and 90 degree weather for 5 months it was a definite shock to my system. I had forgotten what cold was like and now remember why I avoided it. But I do have to say that the people of Western Australia are some of the friendliest and they will absolutely despise you if you have anything good to say about the people from Eastern Australia.
Looking back I realize now that I was actually REALLY spoiled while traveling throughout Southeast Asia. At almost every hotel/hostel I stayed at and in many of the cafes/ restaurants there was always FREE wireless internet. I could at sleep in a decent bed for $5 a night and eat a filling meal for $2.
In Australia there is no such thing as "free" wireless internet and they charge $5 an hour to use the internet at the hostels. Besides that I'm paying $30 for a dorm room and $15 for breakfast!
For 2 nights I stayed in Fremantle which is very close to the "big city" of Perth. The hostels here are not at all like the hostels in Southeast Asia. The one I stayed in Fremantle had over 100 people and the majority of them had been living there for months, working in Australia, with the occasional traveler (aka me) passing through. So the vibe was totally different and was a party scene every night!
Two nights of that and I had enough. I rented a car because taking public transportation would have been a headache and in the end would have cost me just as much as renting a car. It took a few minutes for me to adjust to driving again since it had been 5 months since I drove a car and in Australia they drive on the opposite side on the car and the opposite side of the road. Luckily driving here is nothing like driving in LA.
My first stop was Margaret River which was about 4 hours south of Perth. I ended up staying at this great hostel close to the beach in Prevelly Park and since it was low season I had the 4-bed dorm room all to myself! Margaret River is known for their world class wineries and also their world class surfing - although just a few weeks ago there was a fatal shark attack on a surfer! I stayed 2 nights here since it was such a relaxing atmosphere.
After Margaret River I drove 7 hours to the town of Albany in the south of Western Australia. Whaling was a major source of income and employment for Albany but the main whaling station stopped operating in the 1970's and has now been turned into a museum. From town if you look out into the Southern Ocean you can see lots of whales spouting.
The Gap at Albany
My goal was to get up to Kalbarri in the central coastal part of Western Australia so I decided to stay the night at the seaside town of Cervantes which was a 7 hour drive northwest from Albany - a good stopping point. The roads here are not at all like the freeways we know. Unless you are in a major city like Perth the main road are only 2 lanes with an occasional passing lane. You see dead kangaroos everywhere since they come out at night and don't understand the danger of cars. I even saw a huge emu almost get hit by a big truck but luckily he escaped in time.
The Pinnacles near Cervantes
In the morning I continued my drive north and finally reached Kalbarri after 5 hours of driving. Kalbarri was spectacular! The scenery was absolutely stunning, red rocks, white beaches, and blue ocean. And because it's desert, the weather was warm and dry. I stayed 2 nights and could have easily stayed longer if I had the time.
Kalbarri coastline
Western Australia was amazing and I wish I had more time to explore further north. There is so much to see and do here. In the 10 days that I was here I probably drove well over 1,500 miles. But Western Australia is so big and so vast that in order to see this part of the country you have to drive. They say that Western Australia is as big as Texas times 4 just to give you an idea of the size.
To see all the pictures click here: Western Australia
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