Dunsborough to Fremantle

We’ve been in Fremantle for a week now, after leaving the South West.  We had a lovely time in Dunsborough, looking after Jane & Len’s home and Oscar.  I’m sure the cat has multiple personalities – one day he would be really sweet and affectionate and wanting to spend time indoors with us.  Another day he would be completely stand-offish and treat us like complete strangers.  And then he got picked up by the Council Rangers.  Wasn’t that fun!  When he didn’t come in for breakfast or lunch one day, we got a bit worried.  But when he didn’t arrive for his tea, we got really nervous.  By next morning, with no sign of cat, I was ready to have a nervous breakdown.  Before we rang Jane with the bad news, I decided to ring the Busselton Pound.  After the Ranger checked her list, she came back and said ‘Oh, yes we’ve got him here, he was caught in a cat trap (no hurt, just a square boxy thing).’  THANK GOD!!! Then it turned out that Oscar wasn’t registered.  He actually belongs to Nicole, Jane’s daughter, who lives in Perth.  So, long story short, $130 dollars later, we were able to bring him home.  Talk about upset – that was one very peeved moggy!  He cried for the entire 30km between Busselton and Dunsborough, and refused to go outside for two days.  He was kind of clingy!  Despite the fact that he is completely demented though, both Rick and I missed him quite a bit when we left.

We went to Busselton first for a couple of days to get the car serviced and pre-trip checked.  Then Mandurah for another couple so that we could catch up with Lorraine, who is Rick’s newly found half-sister.  Then we headed for Lane Poole State Forest near Dwellingup.  The plan was to spend three quiet, peaceful days there before heading for Fremantle.  As usual, the plan went completely tits-up.

On the day we left Mandurah, it had rained a little the previous night, so we were a bit concerned that the ground might be a bit slushy at Lane Poole, but when we got there, all was well.  Even better, there was only one other camper there, right at the other end of the park.  It was a lovely day, cool and sunny and we thought it was wonderful.  No phones, TV, radio or internet.  Peace and quiet.  Then it all went to hell in a hand-basket!!

Not long after we went to bed, it started to rain.  And it got heavier and heavier and heavier.  By morning, there was a very muddy swimming pool under the van, and water running down the hill cutting channels in the mud!  Fortunately we were camped well above the creek at the bottom of the hill, or I would have cacking myself all night.

At that point we decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and started packing to pull out!  Didn’t take all that long either, as we had visions of the mud getting deeper and deeper.  Thank heavens we’ve got a 4WD, as it took 4WD LOW, to manoeuvre the van up the hill and onto the road.  Any other type of tug, and we could have been there until summer!!

So, now we’re in Freo possibly until 8 July, then it’s off to the north-side to get the van serviced and into camp for the Reunion.

Oh – and we got the reply back after the Veterans’ Review Board last Saturday and it was a real bummer!  Flat out knock-back!  It was very demoralising, and doesn’t leave us much room to advance it.  But we’ll recover – Onward and Upward being the tradition.

 DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN!!!