Third Degree

I was questioned by police the other day... they wanted directions.

So more fun jaunts around Perth, this time Leo and I headed north into unfamiliar territory (for me) up the coast to Wedge Island, made internationally infamous recently for being the site of the most recent shark attack in WA. We had no intentions of going into the water though, this was another photography field trip.

So we took the 4x4 up the coast via all the towns that dot the coastal road, checking out the local scenery, with one place (Two Rocks) having reef right next to the beach! The closest I've come to the coral, pretty cool to see up close. Leo, a keen fisher pointed out the locations where he likes to come beach-fishing. Fishing is generally a family sport out here, which is pretty cool. My previous experience is limited to crab fishing and once I had a line out of a boat off the west coast of Scotland... but caught nothing so don't really consider that a real fishing experience.

However this was not going to be a fishing trip but instead a taste of another popular Ozzie past time: off-road driving!!! Since we left Perth behind us we were immediately into the outback terrain that Oz is renown for (dirt and shrub), perfect for a detour off the tarmac and onto the sand. There were a few popular areas that ran near the ocean where we had a little (albeit rather bumpy) drive through. But our final destination was where we were heading for the ultimate offroading experience... a huge sand-dune area, which you could easily have mistaken for the Sahara, though i don't think you would as readily come across tourists sandboarding there. This was my first time driving off road and it was heaps fun! (I took it easy since it was my first time, after all I didn't fancy rolling the car).

This area was situated right next to the beach so we took a drive down it (a cool experience in itself) to where the Island was located (shaped like a wedge, hence the name. Normally unaccessible from the main land, we had stumbled upon a rare moment where the water was now enough to make a crossing on foot (last time it had happened was 5 years ago, as we were informed by a local couple who where perched on deck-chairs with their dog enjoying a drink and watching the sunset (stereotypical Ozzie-ness right there). We had timed our trip precisecly for this reason of catching the setting rays, and were not dissapointed (except for when the tide suddenly sneaked up on Leo as he was re-inflating the tyres (deflating was required to drive on sand, to prevent getting bogged).

Overall an awesome trip fueled by Cheds (cheesy crackers that Leo is hooked on), and I think i caught a glimpse of another Ozzie native creature, the Emu!

far out