Blustery Barnacles for a Bday, Salmon Gums and Wave Rock

Woke to the sun streaming through the upper mesh windows and fresh air cascading across my face - it was looking like a day with definite potential. It was Jen's birthday so the kids were hyped to get her meager gifts opened and get into a festive sort of way for the day. After some eggs benny to squelch the rumbling tummies, we ventured out on the bikes for an explore. Ambling down the jetty on our bikes brought out the fear in poor little Piper - she was convinced we were going to fall off the edge and into the water - fortunately we never did and kept heading up the bike path to the Jetty Cafe. The Cafe sits adjacent the main mooring area for yachts and sail boats and has a small botanical-like garden in front. They made the best latte we'd had in a while and we were able to enjoy it on some outdoor lounge chairs gazing out onto the ocean. A visit to the Adventure Land playground next door and run through the maze took up most of the remainder of the morning. With lunch nagging at our gullets we headed out for a ride up to the look out that allows one views of all the surrounding area. Hills are not the most popular with my kids - makes them sweat and work hard - not their favorite thing...yet. They did very well though despite some cursing and whines and in the end were quite impressed with their achievement. In the arvo we visited the local 'leisure centre' complete with a very large bouncy rocket and some excellent kiddie pools for the likes of Piper. For dinner we returned to the Jetty Cafe and feasted on some tapas and chocolate fudge cake which came close but not quite to Tamra Beaumont's mud cake - the measure by which all further chocolate cakes will unfortunately have to contend.

With a day in hand to get to Perth, we took down camp and made our way towards Hyden - home of Wave Rock and the Hippo's Yawn - two (of many) ancient rock formations in and around the area of South inland WA. A rough count of those listed on our map identified at least 20 and more likely 30 'rocks' which could potentially be visited. The Wave Rock probably stands out as the most famous and impressive of these (although we obviously haven't seen or intend to see every one) and stands 15 metres high, 110 metres long and actually looks like a cresting wave. Like so many other tourists before us we did the surfing pose picture and ventured onward, trying to keep the incessant buzzing of flies from entering bodily orifices. Aidan decided to scale the moderately steep slope up to the rabbit fence rather than take the stairs so I followed - unfortunately Piper was in daddy mode and wanted to follow me leading to a loud raucous tantrum which I'm sure was heard throughout the local township. Jen was at hand though and coaxed Piper away from the steep climbing wall which would likely have been near death for her if she had had a tumble. The rabbit fence is a short concrete wall which runs 1827 kilometres and was built to prevent the ravages of rabbits which had been introduced near Geelong so many years ago. It made us think of the Big Pond commercial where the son asks his dad about the Great Wall of China and his father tells him it was to keep the rabbits out - his reminiscence makes sense now - perhaps he was simply geographically challenged and confused the two places? Hyden is also host to a number of Salmon Gum trees - named not because they look like old fish who've lost their teeth but rather because of the smooth pink colour that becomes exposed under the brown textured heavy bark as it gradually peels off the limbs and trunk. It's quite striking in the right light. We stopped in Kondinin for the night leaving us only a short drive in the morning to Perth. The kids are pretty excited as Mormor and Morfar will be arriving for a visit and caravan trek with us for the next couple of weeks. It's been a bit of a long trek of late and we're looking forward to a few days of respite in Perth.