Day 10: End of the Road Trip
I woke early (again!), packed up my tent and left it beside my sleeping son's van to walk into town for a coffee and to buy English muffins to toast for our last campsite breakfast. I wrote in my journal: "It's hard to comprehend the kilometres we've travelled."
My son took the first turn driving. I enjoyed the passing scenery, the mix of forests, farmland and small towns, like Kirip, where every property featured a different Santa tableau out the front, for example, Santa playing a full-sized drum kit. My son commented it looked like the town had bought a container of Santa mannequins.
When we drove through forested areas, I craned forward to get a better view through the windscreen. "Are you okay?" my son asked. "Yes, mate," I assured him, "I'm just enjoying the trees."
Southern Forests of WA (click for larger image).
We stopped for lunch in Donnybrook, which, with its apple-themed street, park and playground decorations, felt like the last quaint town of our trip. I swapped driving duties, and before we knew it, we were on the Forest Highway to Perth (with no sign of forests!).
The original plan (conceived in Sydney) was to end our road trip at Margaret River. My son would stay there with his van, and I'd catch a bus to Perth (3 hours north) and help my brother drive down with my niece for family Xmas festivities. However, my son suggested we head to Perth together and stay with my brother for a couple of nights before making our way to Margaret River independently.
The change of plan meant that our dad-and-son road trip technically ended in Perth, or to be precise, in Fremantle, where we toasted our achievement at the Little Creatures Brewery with my brother, whose 50th birthday had inspired us to make the trip.
Cheers at the Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle (click for larger image).
My son and I had travelled for 10 days and over 4800 kilometres since Sydney. Despite occasional disagreements, a few cuts and blisters from climbing, and the Check Engine Light (which had come on again!), we had made the journey unscathed and in good spirits … most of the time.
