Finding our feet in Australia

We arrived in Australia with no jet lag, since Perth is in the same time zone as Hong Kong. Unfortunately however we arrived at 11pm and the campervan hire place did not open until the next morning. After considering sleeping on the floor at Perth Airport, we ended up staying at a forgettable 'budget' hotel near the airport. We had decided to rent a campervan for a few days, partly because we would not have to buy all our camping gear on day one, but because it was cheaper than renting a regular car until we could buy our own. There were 2 reasons for it being cheap, first because we got 50% off online, second because it was a total piece of sh*t. Plywood and a couple of damp cushions to sleep on. Still, hiring a 'Wicked' camper felt like a bit of a rite of passage. Driving it we forgot how ridiculous it looked from the outside.

We spent the first day getting mobile/internet access and a few essentials, and stayed on a campsite in Fremantle, supposedly a town in it's own right but really one of Perth's larger and nicer suburbs. Once on the internet our car search could start in earnest. We had spent a couple of days looking at cars and buying camping stuff before turning up uninvited and unannounced at Andy and Anita's house in Waikiki, Rockingham (a bit further south of Perth). The connection was a little tenuous (Anita is Cath's brother-in-law's cousin) but they welcomed us with open arms, and very kindly invited us to stay with them while we found our feet.

The car search continued. We had decided to a get a four wheel drive in order to have a bit more freedom/confidence on Australia's many unsealed roads. Unfortunately this meant spending a bit more, at least for a non-rustbucket. I'd wanted a Toyota Hilux or Landcruiser, but unfortunately so does everyone else in WA, so they hold their value pretty well. We were eager to get going, so settled on a '99 Mitsubishi Pajero. By WA standards a mid-size 4WD of questionable pedigree. By UK standards, an absolute tank. Big bull bars, proper 4WD with lockable diff (something I'd heard about on top gear but never understood until now). She would be named Sheila. You will not see another photo of her looking this clean again:

Andy and Anita (well, technically Anita's parents) extremely kindly offered the use of their holiday house in Nannup, a few hours drive south of Perth near the Margaret River wine region. We spent a couple of days driving around there, visiting the beautiful, deserted beaches and, further inland, the vineyards.

South-west WA gets cold in October! Down well below 10°C at night, we were very happy not to be camping. After another night in a Andy & Anita's real house back in Rockingham, we were ready to start our Aussie road trip in earnest, heading north up the west coast.