We finally got a call from the TV repair shop in Albany just after lunch, to say that our tv was finally working, a month after it failed. Luckily the caravan park had very kindly allowed us to stay on the site well past the usual check out time of 10:00, so we picked up the tv, hitched up and set off for Ravensthorpe, a small town about 200 km east.
Our first day in Ravensthorpe was forecast to hit a maximum temp of 45 degrees, so we headed to Fitzgerald River National Park, closer to the coast. The sea breeze kept things bearable, although we decided not to do any of the long walks, just a short stroll up to a scenic lookout. We then went to Hopetoun, a small seaside village, for lunch, returning home in the mid-afternoon. The contrast between the coastal Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe 50km inland was stark - from mid-20s to mid-40s. We closed the van up tight, put on the air-conditioner and turned on the Hopman Cup tennis tournament on the tv. We enjoyed an hour or so of tennis before pffft! The tv failed in exactly the same way as had happened a month before. You can imagine how happy we were, despite the fact that the tv has been repaired or replaced under warranty each time we have had a failure, we have been without it for 3 months of the 10 months we have been travelling. We have decided to cut our losses and when we get to our next destination buy a decent set from a big name manufacturer, if we get any sort of refund from the dud set it will be a bonus.
Our next day at Ravensthorpe provided much more pleasant weather, so we headed up to Wave Rock at Hyden, about 200km northwards. We were a bit concerned that we would travel that distance, take a photo then head back home again, but the local community has gone to a great deal of effort to ensure that tourists have plenty to see and do. The wave formation itself is
impressive, and there is a very interesting walk that climbs up the rock above the wave. One surprise is the wall built all the way along the rim of the rock, which channels rainfall into a dam. This used to be the main town water supply, and is still an important water resource for the local farmers. The wave is only a small portion of the quite large rock, and there are other interesting formations, such as 'Hippos Mouth', shown above. We also did an informative 3km walk laid out through nearby salt lakes and scrub, followed by a tasty lunch at the visitor's centre. We passed on the antique lace exhibition, the toy soldier display and the wildlife park, and headed into the town of Hyden
proper, where we discovered a terrific sculpture walk depicting the history of the area using scrap metal and junk. All in all we had a great day, well worth the 400km round trip!
Our first day in Ravensthorpe was forecast to hit a maximum temp of 45 degrees, so we headed to Fitzgerald River National Park, closer to the coast. The sea breeze kept things bearable, although we decided not to do any of the long walks, just a short stroll up to a scenic lookout. We then went to Hopetoun, a small seaside village, for lunch, returning home in the mid-afternoon. The contrast between the coastal Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe 50km inland was stark - from mid-20s to mid-40s. We closed the van up tight, put on the air-conditioner and turned on the Hopman Cup tennis tournament on the tv. We enjoyed an hour or so of tennis before pffft! The tv failed in exactly the same way as had happened a month before. You can imagine how happy we were, despite the fact that the tv has been repaired or replaced under warranty each time we have had a failure, we have been without it for 3 months of the 10 months we have been travelling. We have decided to cut our losses and when we get to our next destination buy a decent set from a big name manufacturer, if we get any sort of refund from the dud set it will be a bonus.
Our next day at Ravensthorpe provided much more pleasant weather, so we headed up to Wave Rock at Hyden, about 200km northwards. We were a bit concerned that we would travel that distance, take a photo then head back home again, but the local community has gone to a great deal of effort to ensure that tourists have plenty to see and do. The wave formation itself is 
impressive, and there is a very interesting walk that climbs up the rock above the wave. One surprise is the wall built all the way along the rim of the rock, which channels rainfall into a dam. This used to be the main town water supply, and is still an important water resource for the local farmers. The wave is only a small portion of the quite large rock, and there are other interesting formations, such as 'Hippos Mouth', shown above. We also did an informative 3km walk laid out through nearby salt lakes and scrub, followed by a tasty lunch at the visitor's centre. We passed on the antique lace exhibition, the toy soldier display and the wildlife park, and headed into the town of Hyden 
proper, where we discovered a terrific sculpture walk depicting the history of the area using scrap metal and junk. All in all we had a great day, well worth the 400km round trip!
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