A fall on the pier

Busselton- a pretty little town nestling in the south of Geograph Bay, a favourite haunt of Blue and sperm whales who rest here before carrying on to summer in the Antarctic.
They have a great museum in the town centre, in an old butter factory, built in 1918. Not only do they show how the pioneers lived in the early days, but they have whole rooms devoted to such things as sewing machines and typewriters, and an old telephone exchange. In fact there was so much material it was impossible to take it all in.
The town  boasts the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, but I think we heard that before in Carnarvon!

We walked the length of the jetty, about two kms, but unfortunately near the end Anne tripped and fell, seriously cutting the base of her thumb. She had first aid at the undersea aquarium at the end, before being taken back to the car on the little train that runs the length. Then it was a visit to the local docs, where the nurse redressed it, bandaging the whole hand. So we have had to revert to cabins for the moment as it is difficult to erect the camp on my own, and one handed it is difficult for Anne to do very much.







She felt a little better today, although still very restricted in what she can do, so we moved on to Dunsborough, just along the coast, and visited the lighthouse at Cape Geographe. Stone built in 1903 by forty labourers, the light assembly itself was made in the UK. Nowadays it is automatic, controlled from Brisbane, and has many redundant systems to ensure that it operates even during a partial breakdown.

South of the Cape there are some wonderful beaches, at one of which we had our lunch.
The whole area is a playground, particularly at the moment as school leavers are massing here to celebrate. There is a pop festival taking place just a few miles away, and everywhere we go there are hundreds of young people, many scantily clad, wandering about, or camping in the sites. It is in all the news bulletins. Unfortunately we are due to have a major storm here tomorrow, which will really put a damper on them, as they are due to have a beach party then.

Close to Margaret River is Ellenbrooke House, built by the Alfred Bussell  in 1850 and named after his wife Ellen. Standing on a sweet fresh creek which runs by, the house was the hub of a beef and dairy cattle farm and pastoral lease that ran some 20 miles along the coast and two miles inland. Kept in excellent repair, it gives some idea how these pioneers lived in the early days.

Tonight we are at Margaret River, an attractive little town just a few miles inland, and the centre of the largest wine region in West Australia. As we have travelled here we have seen dozens of small vineyards, all with Cellar Doors and small cafes and restaurants. Had we been drinking we could have got very drunk for free!