Getting There & Being There: Travelling in the company of young adventurers

Climbing down to rock pool in Karijini National Park.

“All right travellers, how are you?” This was the standard greeting of the energetic tour guide, driver, cook and general trouble shooter, who brought to my mind Johnny Depp’s character Captain Jack Sparrow.

4x4 tour bus.

I wanted to visit Broome, a Western Australian town with a unique history. How would I cover the distance of more than 2200 kilometers from the state capital of Perth? Should I fly in and out? Take a bus? I wasn't about to drive on my own. The best option seemed to be a tour which would allow me to see some of the sights along the way and even some off the main road.

Watching all the 20 somethings board the bus the last Monday of March I wondered what I had gotten myself into. There were a few people apparently in their 30s and early 40s but I was by far the oldest group member. We were 6 men and 15 women of varied occupations from England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Canada.

Up close with the dolphins at Monkey Mia.

Over the next 10 days we chatted about our homes, families, travels and career paths. We commiserated about the heat, flies, long periods of sitting on the bus and some of the toilets we encountered. On the bus we listened to music or watched videos about Australian culture and history and some of the areas we were visiting. Some of us read and most of us dozed off occasionally.

A fly veil was a necessity for much of the trip - here in Kalbarri National Park.

Ashburton River in flood due to recent heavy rains.

This was a shed before a recent cyclone.

We visited several distinctive ecosystems that are World Heritage sites. Activities included hiking (usually down into gorges and back up) and swimming in the sea and in fresh water rock pools. Some people went snorkelling which I have done before and did not try this time. There was an extra day trip to swim with whale sharks that several of us, me included, decided it did not fit the budget.

The Pinnacles in Nambung National Park.

Termite mound.

We camped 4 nights and stayed in hostels and

cabins. We worked in teams to prepare meals and clean up. After sunset, Orion, the Southern Cross and other constellations filled the sky. Over Easter weekend the moon was full.

We saw this cute lizard on a gorge walk.

Keeping our water bottles full was vital.

Our second campsite was in Karijini National Park, home to several species of poisonous snakes, where our guide patrolled the camp ground before he let us off the bus. Despite the shrieking from the toilet one night, the small snake curled up there was a non-poisonous variety and the only one we spotted.