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Day 4 : Exmouth
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Carnarvon – Coral Bay – Exmouth : 390kms/4hrs 14m
After the short rest in Coral Bay, we covered another 152km to reach Exmouth.
In the early planning stages, we omitted Exmouth from our stops. Later we included it so we could say “Yes we were there”; plus its still a long way drive to Karratha.
We brought an air fryer along to cook hot meals but I decided to get a taste of some local meals for dinner. Found this cosy place and ordered creamy prawn with white rice. nstantly noticed the extra 10-20% price compared to Perth Metro ($32 vs $26-28ish).
Perth is one of the remotest city on Earth, and the further remote you get, the more expensive things get due to the delivery cost.Tip
1. Keep an eye for the ant hills around the Coral Bay – Exmouth route.
Ant hills in the background. 
Welcome to Exmouth. 
Been driving for too long you start thinking you are Spider-Man. 
“Best $32” spent 😀 
Curios what tomorrow will bring us. Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Stirling Range Wandering
Checking the wind direction before farting. Mt Magog lies ahead. Last Saturday morning, six of us drove for four hours, down to south-east of Perth. Our aim – the Stirling Ranges.
The plan was to hike up Mount Talyuberlup (MTLP). Once done, we’ll descend and find a track to the neighbouring Mount Magog (MMGG). Quick entry, easy exit. Rest at a nearby cabin for the night and back to Perth the next day.
All smiles before shitreality hits the fan.
Priceless view. Beautiful weather
A nice 25C weather compared to my last visit (33C); did not struggle in my hike as before. Second time at MTLP and some tracks starts to look familiar. Several times when I stopped for a breather, I felt surprised as to how smooth it was.Still can’t compared to our tour leader, Suhaimi who seems to blazed through as usual, occasionally coming back to check on us the slow coaches.
Hello again. 
One of my favourite spot – down and up to the peak. 
Top of Mt Talyuberlup. Catch-22
The descending part is more challenging as :
1. You are already tired from the climb hike.
2. More impact and pressure on your knees.
As we went downhill, continuous pressure on my right legs makes my right backside sore. If I shift to my left legs, the muscle on the side thigh (near the pants pockets) tingles, ready to cramp up.
Next time Mount Magog. Stopping
At one point as we were trying to find our way to Mt Magog, I decided to call it quit as it was getting late (5ish) and my body are showing signs of giving up.I suspect some others were in pain as well but nobody said a word about quitting. Doesn’t matter – I’d rather do it now rather than burdening others in case of emergency.
Mount Talyuberlup in the background. All smiles after we finished the hike. Satisfaction
I consider it a successful hike trip – considering I was nursing a chronic back pain a week before, not forgetting the lingering ankle issue. The tasty and flavoursome dinner & breakfast the day after really made it worth the trip.
Carbo loading! 
Until our next trip – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Day 4 : Coral Bay
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Carnarvon – Coral Bay : 239kms/2hrs 30mins
We crossed another major imaginary line as we continue our journey; this time it is the Tropic of Capricorn.
I like to have a game whenever we cross this kind of border, I will take a deep breath and heave out as I pass the line; just like crossing the 100metres finishing line.
Don’t ask me why or how it started. Try it – they are silly, fun, thrilling and hilarious combined.
Only thing I know about Capricorn is that its one of the Zodiac sign.
One word to describe Coral Bay – “packed”.
I could have mistaken it for Bondi beach, not like I have been to Bondi. It is a typical small Australian town, but next to a beautiful beach. The ocean is flat for a nearly a hundred metres maybe before it dips a bit.
Later did we know that we could have avoided this area by going up a bit, just around the corner there is a nice area for snorkelling.
Tropic Thunder 
Nice breezy sun 
Never go hungry when this lady is around. Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Never Past Hundred
I am a proponent of paying credit card (CC) bills on time. I despised being charged interest fee; especially one when you missed out by $1 and the penalty is 10-20 times. (I had this fine before. Ridiculous).
Nobody to blame but myself. Instead of paying of my purchase directly from my CC, I put it on hold… or worst, continue spending through a Buy Now, Pay Later service (4 interest free payment in 8 weeks).
This gave me a false impression that I am owing lesser than the actual figure. By the time I know it I have made several additional purchases which continues to pile up my debt. When the bill comes, I get stressed and start scraping the cash needed to pay it off before its due date.
Solution
Since Dec 2022 I tried out a new system with my credit card expenditure and payback.
Every time the current balance passes the $100 mark, be it $100.15 or $180.50, I quickly transfer $100 from my savings to my CC account.
After all, if I don’t have $100 to spare, it simply shows that I am spending more than I could afford.
So far this has provided me such peace of mind. I would recommend it for people who loves using CC but wants to avoid its pitfall. Happy spending.
Stay hungry, stay safe.Disclaimer : This is not a professional financial advice. Please consult your financial advisor and your own due diligence before making
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Day 4 : Carnarvon
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Carnarvon – Coral Bay – Exmouth : 390kms/4h20m
Carnarvon has a population of 4,879 in the 2021 census.
We took a morning stroll in the nice, cool morning breeze. Some spot does feel like a ghost town, in a nice way. Not the ones where monsters are lurking to attack if you make some noise.
A couple of cafes already opened at 7am; went in but could not find my favourite ie almond croissant.
Picked up a beautiful postcard from the tourist centre and posted it to my officemates in Perth. Hope they get to experience this trip themselves one day.
The vast red earth welcomes us left and right as we left Carnarvon.
Carnarvon Motel 
First dibs! 
Morning stroll in Carnarvon town. 
Like a scene from A Quiet Place. 
Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Stronger As One
Yesterday was the 5th day of nursing my back pain when a friend suggested to watch a basketball game between Perth Wildcats vs Sydney Kings.
Secured the tickets a couple of hours before the 1pm tip-off. Coughed out $185 for two tickets…yikes. But it was worth it.
Scanned our tickets at Door #10 and as we stepped up the stairs, the view of the court gave me mild goose bumps. Obviously not a court side seat but the experience is one for the memories.
The fans were pumped in The Jungle; really pumped. Everyone stood up as the game was about to start and only sat down when Wildcats made their first basket.“Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot and faster than you is a maniac.“
George CarlinEach time the Wildcats score, there will be thunderous claps and hurrahs.
Any calls by the refs against the Wildcats were met with boos and jeers. The most deafening sound comes when the Kings are taking a free shot. It must have worked – we scored 18 of 20 compared to Kings 12 of 21.This is a lifeline game for Perth Wildcats. They don’t just need to win; but it has to be a minimum of 11 points to make it through the next round. Talk about pressure.
The Kings have nothing to lose; they are already through to the next round. As a sports fan, it was satisfying to see them chipping through the Wildcats lead from time to time. The adrenaline rush for the final 3 minutes was exhilarating.
Feels elated to attend my first NBL game and the team won. Final score : Perth Wildcats beat Sydney Kings 96-84.
Just don’t ask me about the jersey I’m wearing – tis the only red shirt in my collection😂 Until the next ballin session – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Day 3 : Hamelin Pool – Carnarvon
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Hamelin Pool – Carnarvon : 198kms/2hrs
This could be the shortest point to point stop in our journey.
This short trip gave us :
1-more rest for the kids
2-flexibility to stop, explore as we like.
As we explored Carnarvon, I nearly cried (or I actually did. Doesn’t matter). The weather, soil, banana plantation, mango trees, the smell in the air – it’s just like in Melaka, right at my parents’ backyard!
At this point we haven’t travel back for 18 months. Took us another year before we managed to set foot in Malaysia.Things to do along the way
1. Head to the Carnarvon Visitor Centre (right in the city) to get maps, souvenirs and most importantly advise on what to do according to your preference, time available and budget.
The website also has useful functions like Live Chat, travel itineraries, travel map etc
2. Carnarvon Space MuseumTip
1. Allocate 1-2 hours to explore the Carnarvon Space Museum (to be covered in our last day of the trip).
80s Malay-style rock cassette cover. 
Now you see it… 
…and it’s gone 😀 (Maresol) 
Introducing Aydin to a live chicken. 
Kampong view. 
Carnarvon Motel. Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Day 3 : Hamelin Pool – 26th Parallel
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Hamelin Pool – Carnarvon : 198kms/2hrs
Greeted in the morning by a mild rain. This is in contrast to Perth Metro which were having a heavy downpour. What a difference 700km apart would do.
I was waiting for my coffee at the roadhouse when one of the staff, a bubbly Chinese girl asked me – “Aren’t you a frequent diner at XXX Restaurant?” (XXX is a famous Halal, Chinese restaurant in Perth. Not the other XXX okay?).
Wow. Its either she is very good at remembering faces or I frequented that place way too much. She is currently working there due to shortages of staff in the country area.
About 50kms north from Overlander Roadhouse, we saw a few hills with 2WD road access to ascend to the top. We went up and were rewarded with 360 degrees view of surrounding lands. Most would call it empty; I call it peace.
Unfortunately neither my camera nor skills were sufficient to capture the beauty of the area. I just had a look again on Google Maps and found there names below.Things to do along the way
1. Wooramel Lookout / Gladstone Scenic Lookout
2. Stop at 26th Parallel signboard (there is another one near Denham).
I dedicate this to my Geography teachers. 
Surprise! Surprise! 
Just a stone throw away from Denham / Shark Bay intersection. 
The red building houses the generator powering the communication tower. “Nice, humming” sound all night long. Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Day 2 : Hamelin Pool – Monkey Mia / Denham
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Hamelin Pool – Monkey Mia : 154kms/1h40m
Arrived at Ampol Overlander Roadhouse around 12pm. Too early to check in so we headed to Monkey Mia to see what the fuss was about.
We paid an entry fee to enter Monkey Mia Conservation Park (MMCP) in which RAC Monkey Mia is located. One does not need to be a hotel guest to enjoy the beautiful beach.
We saw brand new campervans/caravans lining up as we entered MMCP, like a scene from a war movie. “Too crowded” I told myself.Things to do along the way
1. Monkey Mia – dolphin feeding
2. Golf at Boolbardie Country Club
3. Shark Bay Discovery Centre
4. Additional ideas from our friends at RACWe missed out exploring more of Shell Beach and Little Lagoon due to time constraints.
Shark Bay Discovery Centre already closed as we passed by the quiet town of Denham.
It was dark when we reached our lodging at Ampol Overlander Roadhouse.Tips
1. Dolphin feeding is mostly in the morning (8am ish). Not much to do after noon.
2. There is a cafe and convenience store at RAC Monkey Mia.
3. Fee to enter Monkey Mia is here.
Feels like our own private beach. 
Lobby of RAC Monkey Mia. 
Feels like our own private beach @ Monkey Mia Conservation Park. 
Town of Denham. 
Leaving Denham. 
Might spend more time here next time. 
Chasing light as we head back to Overlander Roadhouse. Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Day 2 : Geraldton – Hamelin Pool
This is part of the Perth to Broome series.
Geraldton – Hamelin Pool : 283kms/3hrs
Accommodation – Ampol Overlander Roadhouse
Roadhouse is a fuel station near a major road in an isolated area with simple lodging/accommodation next to it, usually runs/maintained by the same management.
Overlander Roadhouse is at the intersection from Indian Ocean Road going into Shark Bay/Monkey Mia.Things to do along the way
1. Kalbarri National Park
2. Pink Lake (Hutt Lagoon)Simple breakfast in Geraldton while explaining the trip stops to the kids. We felt that it is important that they knew how long the trip is.
Aydin vomited not long after we left Geraldton, I recalled it looked like a strawberry yogurt – mix of what he had for breakfast. Nothing serious, a quick wipe and change of clothes at the next small town of Binnu.Tip
1. There is a another roadhouse about 40km from Overlanders – Billabong Roadhouse.
2. Standby a small bucket with plastic covering for vomit emergencies.
3. Can get noisy at night as trucks passes by. Had a large generator on site close to our room so there is humming all through the night. Best to ask for a room furthest away if possible.
4. No online booking for the rooms – you have to ring the roadhouse, make the booking and pay over the phone. Pray they don’t misplaced the booking logbook.
Where do you want to go? 
Ibis Style Geraldton 
Freshening up the car from the vomit smell 
Shhh…just produced some strawberry yogurt 
Ampol Overlander Roadhouse 
Ampol Overlander Roadhouse 
Ampol Overlander Roadhouse Until then – stay hungry, stay safe.
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Kammys Musing 