Checking into a hostel in Perth I felt like a foreigner in my own country. The hostel was full of backpackers from all over the World and I felt like the only Aussie. I was excited to be away again and ready to explore. I spent a couple of days alone in Perth checking out the sights and catching up with friends before Campbell arrived. The reason I was in Perth was to catch up with my brother Campbell who was driving around Australia.
Campbell had been invited by a friend to attend a music festival in Perth so I joined as we attended the 'On the Bright Side' festival. An outdoor concert in the middle of winter is something which could not happen in Melbourne but the weather in Perth was warm enough throughout the day. Bands such as The Grates, Modest Mouse, Tame Impala and Pulp entertained the crowd. My highlight though was The Hives whose energy onstage outshone all the other bands.
It is rare for me to go to a concert and not see anybody I know and I made this comment to Campbell's friend Marcus and within about two minutes I had spotted a friend in the crowd. It was Hayley a friend I met in Europe whose family live somewhere near Wave Rock. I asked her if it was worth the drive and she answered no but invited Campbell and I to stay at her parents farm in Quarading.
The day after the festival Campbell showed me the sights in Fremantle. We visited Bon Scott's grave and ate chips by the dock as well as having a beer at the Little Creatures Brewery. The Fremantle vs West Coast derby was also on TV so we found a pub to watch the start before walking off and returning for the end. It was one of the closest footy games you can get with a Freo player having a kick on goal after the final siren to win only to miss. The Freo fans erupted when the ball looked like it was going to go through, then the West Coast fans erupted when they won.
Campbell also spent a day driving me around the beaches of Scarborough, Cottesloe and Hillarys Boat Harbour. The beaches were all empty because it rained for most of the morning. Prior to leaving Perth Campbell and I had lunch my ex-girlfriend Jess at the Burswood Casino, it is the only venue Pokies are permitted in the state of Western Australia.
Leaving Perth we began the road trip. Campbell’s plan was too not have a plan. We had a rough guide though as I wanted to fly out of Darwin at the end of September, giving us about two months to make the journey.
The first stop on the way out of Perth was Mandurah where we stopped a few hours before continuing on to Pinjarra and setting up camp for the night in a free camp spot. I had convinced Campbell to make the drive to Wave Rock which is what we did the following day. The rock is roughly 350 kilometers from Pinjarra but I would say it was worth it. It also gave Campbell the opportunity to take some photos on the rock with his surfboard which is something he had not done on his visit about two months earlier.
Just out of Wave Rock in Hyden when I was filling the car with petrol Campbell began talking to a couple of blokes on their quad bikes. We found out they were riding around the world starting in Istanbul and finishing in Australia. Western Australia being their first stop on the way to Sydney. It wasn't the only time we saw them, randomly we spotted them almost two months later at the Mindil Beach Market in Darwin.
The stop at the petrol station meant we had to navigate our way in the dark to my friend Hayley’s parent’s farm as we had accepted the offer to stay. We found the house a couple of nights staying with Hayley’s parents talking footy, cricket and learning a thing or too about wheat and sheep farming. It poured rain most of the day although we were still able to get out and about and get hands on. Campbell drove the tractor, we pulled down fences and planted trees. I am not sure we were a lot of help but I think Hayley's dad enjoyed the company and the opportunity to show us his property.
