49. Donnybrook and Bunbury

Broke a record today! Travelled 18kms…

So Rod suggested we drive to Bunbury via Donnybrook, so we did.  As we were driving into town Rhys calls out “OMG, look at that!”  We all looked left to see the most colourful, hugest playground ever.    So I said to Rod we have to stop and have a look and play.

At the park we were chatting to other travellers with kids, discussing places we have stayed and they mentioned that the people where they stayed (400m from the playground) had stayed at Parry Beach too, one of the places we mentioned. So I asked if they had kids. Yep, 3 girls. Well it turned out to be people we knew. So we sent the boys over to get the girls for a play and chatted.  We ended up deciding to stay there two nights.

We didn’t waste all our day venturing into Burbury for the afternoon, just to grab some groceries and sus out what was around to see. We tried for a fish at a recommended spot but there was nothing. We also came across some very big houses. Nice town.

We returned and chilled out and chatted for the afternoon/night. The night became very cold so used our heater in the van again – heaven!

We got up and headed for Bunbury.  Had a quick look at some caravans and then went to BCF. Mitchell has money but is a little confused at which sort of 2^nd rod he wants to buy.

We then went up the lookout tower in town for a 360° view of the town.  Drove to the beach where the dolphins come in, no dolphins at that time, then drove over the road to the mangrove boardwalk.  The boys whinged the whole time.  The walk was ok. Just through mangroves and there were 2 shipwrecks there.  A lady told us about Gnomesville, which I had read about but forgot about.

We went down the foreshore, had a bite to eat on the grass while overlooking the very flat ocean with many big ships sitting out on it. Nice outlook.

We headed off to Big W and Woolies and then off to Gnomesville on the way home. 

Gnomesville is a place at Wellington Mill where thousands of gnomes now live.  A tradition started after a local farmer and the community took the council or government to court for trying to reclaim so of the farmer’s land.  The farmer won and all of a sudden these gnomes started appearing on the land in protest.  People come from all over, bring a gnome along, write on it and leave it with the collection. We did it too (the next day).  There are thousands and it is such a sight.

Returning to camp we had dinner cooked already in the crock pot.  I have been giving it a hiding since having power and love coming home from a big day and not having to cook dinner.

Another cool night with the heater on and a nice snooze for me J

PHOTOS: Donnybrook and Bunbury