Log One Hundred and Two – Indian Ocean and Wet, Wet, Wet

31 July 2024

There comes a time on all long journeys when you realise something has changed. It could be the wind is no longer in your face but now on your back, the hill you are riding up has suddenly flattened out or maybe your sails have shifted. So it was at an intersection on the southern outskirts of Perth. We turned left and suddenly we were no longer heading west. Whilst we weren’t quite heading home that left turn signified we had now started a new phase of our journey.

The weather has deteriorated into a constant series of high winds and storms interspersed with brief periods of blue skies. It has been bucketing and blowing a gale which has made towing our caravan somewhat fraught.

We stayed in Busselton which brags it has the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a 3.8 km (2.25 miles) return, walk or train ride. Fortunately there is a brewery nearby so you can escape the rain squalls.

We visited Margaret River which is usually famous for its wine and amazing surf. Again the weather was the major obstacle to enjoying either. That said the weather coming in from the Indian Ocean has created some amazing waves and ocean vistas.

We have reached the bottom, left hand corner of Australia. To the west is Africa and to the south Antartica. This is where oceanographers have decided the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet. We could not see a dividing line but we accepted the authority of the sign.

We also came across some unusual sights.

It was thought lighthouses would be a good idea in this part of the world given it is the first rocky bit after sailing west from the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste lights are still operational after over a hundred years of operation although now fully automated and with LED lights.

I have to chuckle when you read the history of these lights. WA asked the eastern colonies for a financial contribution to their construction. The logic being ships sailing to Melbourne or Sydney would rely on these navigation beacons. The eastern colonies refused the offer. To this day WA has neither forgiven nor forgotten this slight and so the east west rivalry continues. As I am a sure my readers are aware the Australian constitution addressed this anomaly by making all lighthouses a federal responsibility.

Tomorrow we are off to tall timber country.