Archive for May, 2009
Good Budget Accommodation In Augusta, WA
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
One of my favourite places to stay in Western Australia in recent years has been the Baywatch Manor in Augusta. Frequently voted the best YHA hostel in Australia, it is much more than you might expect from backpacker accommodation … and has a wonderful bakery nearby.
I began staying there soon after the purpose built two-level building was opened in 1995. What first appealed to me was the location - centrally sited in a quiet part of the small town’s main street, with views over Flinders Bay (hence the Baywatch name). Just as appealing was the presence, only two minutes walk from the hostel, of the Augusta Bakery Cafe - my favourite eating place in southwest WA.
Next to impress me was the standard of the the place. Clean and comfortable are over-used words in accommodation literature, but they really do apply here. Spacious, tastefully decorated and well equipped are also accurate descriptions.
Sleeping quarters include shared dormitory rooms, twin, double and family rooms, plus the en-suite rooms which have the best views. Most rooms make use of the pleasant shared bathrooms. Downstairs are the communal dining area, kitchen, and lounge/TV room - nicer and more roomy than what most hostels provide.
The kitchen is particularly well equipped for those who like to keep costs down by self catering - something usually not possible in more expensive accommodation. Although with the bakery so close at hand, I confess I haven’t used Baywatch’s kitchen as much as I should have!
The original owners, Neville and Jane, provided the friendliness and good management that made good accommodation truly great. I haven’t been to Augusta as much since new owners took over, but the standards at Baywatch Manor appear to be just as high. My only complaint - and it’s only a small one - is that the mattresses are of the dense foam rubber variety rather than proper spring mattresses. You can’t have everything in budget accommodation.
Like most coastal spots, Augusta is very busy in the summer holiday period. At other times, it is a much quieter alternative to Margaret River and other tourist towns further north, largely because it is further from Perth. For anyone looking to explore the region from a comfortable but economical base - with views and a great bakery nearby - I can recommend Baywatch Manor at Augusta.
Links:
YHA Australia - the Baywatch Manor page, with online bookings and availability checking
Baywatch Manor Resort - more information and photos
Topics: Accommodation, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »
Lake Clifton Thrombolites, WA
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The stromatolites of Shark Bay, on Western Australia’s north western coast, are well publicised in the tourist literature. However you don’t need to go to such a remote place to see these pre-historic living rocks. Their close cousins - thrombolites - can be seen just south of Mandurah, within 100km of Perth.
In case you were wondering what these things are, both are types of rare and extremely primitive life forms. They consist of single-celled bacteria which deposit layers of silt and calcium that slowly grow into rounded rocks. Scientists believe they are the earliest form of life on earth, dating back about 3500 million years, and the origins of oxygen in the atmosphere. These relics are mostly extinct and exist only as fossils - living examples can still be found growing in just a handful of places in the world. Shark Bay is the well known Western Australian example, but Lake Clifton is more accessible.
Lake Clifton’s thrombolites can be reached from either of two roads - Mount John Rd and Clifton Downs Rd. Both are turn-offs from the Old Coast Road, south of Mandurah (and south of the Dawesville Channel) but north of where the new John Forrest Highway branches off towards Perth (see link below for map).
A few minutes drive brings you to a parking area with toilets and signs telling you about the thrombolites and their environment, which is part of Yalgorup National Park. From there a boardwalk takes you out over the shallow lake to where the thrombolites can be viewed from many angles. And what do you see? A community of rounded rock-like structures lying just beneath the surface … or just breaching the surface, depending on water levels. Their humble appearance gives no indication of their status as extremely rare and ancient life forms - living fossils.
The thrombolites are more exposed in the lower water levels of summer and autumn, but are still easily seen at other times. Visibility is more affected by wind - strong winds may roughen the water surface and limit the underwater view. On the other hand, wind helps keep away the mosquitoes which can be a nuisance in still weather.
Links:
Google map showing location of Lake Clifton Thrombolites
More about thrombolites and stromatolites
Environment and Conservation Dept - Yalgorup National Park
Topics: Alternatives, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »
The Queenstown to Glenorchy Road, NZ
Monday, May 11th, 2009
Could this be the most scenic drive in New Zealand? In a country abounding in quiet roads and beautiful scenery, such a claim is ambitious. Yet many consider the drive along the edge of Lake Wakatipu between Queenstown and Glenorchy to be the best in the country.
Whether it’s the best is very subjective, but having driven this and many other great kiwi roads, I’d have to say it’s right up there with the most magnificent of them. Even if you haven’t been there, you may have seen glimpses of the road to Glenorchy on television - many car advertisements have been filmed there. The stunning setting amidst lake and snowcapped mountains could make any rust-bucket look good.
The drive starts from New Zealand’s busiest tourist destination, but the majority of Queenstown’s visitors don’t venture very far up the lake, at least by road. Most of those who do are hikers taking a bus to the Routeburn, Greenstone, Caples and Rees-Dart tracks, all of which have their trailheads beyond Glenorchy.
Lake Wakatipu is an 84km long glacial lake (New Zealand’s longest) consisting of three straight sections arranged in a zig-zag. The journey from Queenstown to Glenorchy traverses two of them, and for the most part clings to the sides of the mountains which plunge steeply into the deep waters.
The scenery is magnificent right from the start, but thanks to the explosive growth of Queenstown in recent years, it takes a little while to leave behind the narrow finger of development creeping out of town along the lake edge. Once you round the corner and head up the Glenorchy stretch of the lake, it feels like another world - a remote and nearly pristine one.
Despite the relative straitness of the lake edge, the road along it has plenty of bends, and plenty of ups and downs too. It is the combination of enjoyable driving experience and grand scenery that makes this road memorable for me. The mountain and lake views constantly change, as new peaks come into view and perspectives alter.
A place to pull over mid-journey, just past the corner where the road turns towards Glenorchy, provides a great spot to stop and take photos. The whole drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy is an easy 45km on a sealed road, so unless you’re taking a bus there shouldn’t be any excuse not to stop and take some time to soak up the scenery.
This drive is gorgeous at any time of year, but in my opinion the cooler months, when snow decorates the hills, are best. Hikers’ buses don’t usually run in winter, so you’ll need your own wheels to see it then. If the weather isn’t good, don’t let that put you off - dramatic cloud effects can add atmosphere, and the weather can change quickly. But if you strike a clear sunny day, the blue of the sky and lake, together with the browns and greens of the mountainsides and the white snow, make for some superlative scenes that no postcard can do justice to.
Topics: New Zealand (south), Scenic Roads | 2 Comments »
Wild Solitude At Mandalay Beach, WA
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
If wild and pristine coastline tickles your fancy, the south-western coast of Western Australia has much to offer. Between Walpole and Augusta lies nearly 200km of unpopulated and undeveloped coastline … the only catch is that most of it is accessible only by four wheel drive, or on foot. Even then, access is very limited. Fortunately, two points on this remote stretch can be reached by normal car - one of them is the ruggedly handsome Mandalay Beach.
This beach is only 8km from the main highway, and 21km in total from the town of Walpole, yet receives far less traffic than it deserves. Perhaps the gravel road puts people off. The first time I drove there, the narrow winding track nearly put me off with its soft sandy surface and lack of passing room. Since then the road has been substantially upgraded, and should no longer deter anyone. I drove it a few months ago, and apart from some loose stones and corrugations it was fine.
At the end of the access road you’ll find parking, a toilet, and a boardwalk leading through the dunes to a long viewing platform with magnificent panoramic views. Benches allow you to soak up the scene from a sitting position, something I can recommend if you want to linger and be soothed.
What you see from the platform is a clean unspoiled beach, rocky headlands, Chatham Island a few kilometres offshore, and the restless southern ocean. The wreck of the Mandalay, a Norwegian ship beached in 1911, is occasionally visible at low tide, and passing whales may be spotted in season. I’ve seen neither so far, but that just gives me an excuse to revisit. As is normal in this part of the world, a smorgasbord of wildflowers enhance any visit in spring.
Steps lead right down the face of the dunes to the beach. Ocean swimming is generally not recommended, but going for a walk can be pleasant, possibly invigorating in the frequently fresh winds.
Of course there’s no guarantee you’ll have the beach to yourself … but unless the weather or the fishing is really good, there’s a good chance you might. Whatever the case, roaming the rugged beauty of Mandalay Beach can be good for the soul.
Links:
Google map showing location of Mandalay Beach
Topics: Beaches, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »