#solotravel

Helen Avaient

Apr 13, 2021
2 min

A bubblegum pink lake?

Hutt Lagoon, also known as The Pink Lake, is a beautiful place to stop on the road from Geraldton to Kalbarri. At 14km (8.7miles) long and 2.3km (1.43miles) wide, this salt lake takes on different pink hues depending on the season, water levels and cloud coverage of the day. The pinkness is due to the presence of the carotenoid producing algae, Dunaliella salina. This algae is useful. It is a source of Vitamin A in cosmetics and supplements. It is also used as a food colourin

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Ewe will enjoy Northampton, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Apr 11, 2021
2 min

Ewe will enjoy Northampton, Western Australia

I love country towns. Places that others may drive through on the way to somewhere distant really intrigue me. There is almost always a story in a small town. 52kms (32mi) drive, about 40 minutes north of Geraldton in Western Australia, the small town of Northampton definitely has an interesting tale, or should I say tail, to share. Ewe Turn is a community arts project established in 2018 to create unity, a vibrant local attraction and the recognition of the sheep industry of

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Leeman’s fish and chips are the best, especially with chicken salt

Helen Avaient

Apr 8, 2021
2 min

Leeman’s fish and chips are the best, especially with chicken salt

I had been told the best fish and chip shop on the Turquoise coast was at Leeman 44km drive north of Jurien Bay. This is a big call as coastal towns abound with fish and chip shops. Leeman’s store lived up to all recommendations and expectations. The meal was perfect, one of the best serves I can ever remember having. The chips were the right chunky size, not a French fry at all. They were crispy on the outside, light and fluffy inside. This is the perfect way to cook chips.

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5 hidden gems of Jurien Bay, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Apr 7, 2021
2 min

5 hidden gems of Jurien Bay, Western Australia

Jurien Bay is a beautiful town located 2 hours drive north of Perth. I had the absolute delight to spend an extended stay here, and really get to know some incredible sights that are usually reserved for locals, and tourists if they go seeking them. 1. Bike trail The Turquoise Way Trail is a 12km well maintained bitumen path from Jurien Bay southwards to Hill River. It is used for walkers, joggers, runners, prams, wheelchairs, scooters, skateboards and bike riders. No cars al

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Helen Avaient

Apr 5, 2021
2 min

Swimming with Australian sea lions

Swimming with sea lions was one of my bucket list items and I had the pleasure of fulfilling this dream recently with Kane and Laura from Turquoise Safaris at Jurien Bay, Western Australia. Fitted out with wet suits, snorkels and flippers, we sailed out to Essex Rock. We also learnt a lot about these magnificent marine mammals. The Australian sea lion is different from a seal. Sea lions have ears on the side of their head and seals ears are internal. Sea Lions can vary from 3

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5 things to see and do in Cervantes, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Apr 3, 2021
3 min

5 things to see and do in Cervantes, Western Australia

Cervantes is a town worth visiting on the Turquoise Coast of Western Australia. Situated just 199kms (67miles) north of Perth, it has a lot to offer. In 2016 the population was 527. 1. The sculptures A lot of the street names are in Spanish. The town is named after the American whaling ship Cervantes that blew onto an offshore island near here in 1844. The ship was in turn named after Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the novel Don Quixote. Hence, the Spanish street and park

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Visit the Stockyard Gully Cave with Jurien Bay Adventure Tours

Helen Avaient

Mar 31, 2021
3 min

Visit the Stockyard Gully Cave with Jurien Bay Adventure Tours

Visiting Stockyard Gully Cave is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with Kaas and Michael from Jurien Bay Adventure Tours. Jurien Bay is located 2 1/2 hours drive north of Perth, Western Australia. The track to the cave is by 4WD only, so it was best to go with the experts. If you have your own 4WD, you can do a drive along with your own vehicle. Long ago, stockman would use the gully as a holding pen for their cattle overnight on the way from Guildford, near Perth, to Ge

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Must see lookouts on the Turquoise Coast, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Mar 29, 2021
3 min

Must see lookouts on the Turquoise Coast, Western Australia

Perth to Jurien Bay along the Indian Ocean Drive takes about two and a half hours to drive north straight there. Driving straight there means you miss out on some great lookouts. Each one can be investigated in a short, brief stop. But you can really learn a lot and appreciate this part of Western Australia if you spend more time at any of them. All four of my recommendations below have easy access, so if you are towing anything, you can drive in, park, then drive out again.

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Helen Avaient

Mar 27, 2021
6 min

Reach out when you need help

Two hours after setting out on my newest adventure, the unexpected happened. Two hours earlier I had left the amazing city of Perth in Western Australia and was heading for my next adventure. Saying goodbye to friends, it was with great excitement that I departed on my journey. Driving down a hill, cross winds started to sway the back of my caravan. I had just completed the RAC caravan awareness course several weeks prior to this. Three days before the accident, I had the veh

4,303 views7 comments

Helen Avaient

Mar 21, 2021
3 min

Jurien Bay Glass Art and Studio

Catherine Norgett had a niggling thought in the back of her mind since her school days, she had always been interested in glass art. Bored one day, she started to watch youtube videos of glass artists and thought "I can do that". Hence her new hobby was born, and one that led to her opening the Jurien Bay Glass Art and Studio. "Glass is a wonderful medium to work with. The colour variety and the different textures; the possibilities of what you can do are endless" she said. I

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The largest Vincent motorcycle collection in the world is privately owned in Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Mar 19, 2021
3 min

The largest Vincent motorcycle collection in the world is privately owned in Western Australia

Former builder and rock lobster fisherman, Ian Boyd, wanted to find a hobby in his retirement. His collection of choice was motorbikes, and he now opens his purpose built home to visitors almost every day in Jurien Bay. Jurien (as it is known to locals) is a two and a half hour drive north of Perth on the Indian Ocean Drive. Needing space for his growing collection, Ian has custom built a 3-bedroom home around his double story 240sqm of floor space massive man cave. Current c

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Helen Avaient

Mar 17, 2021
4 min

The Pinnacles, Western Australia

Rising out of the sandy desert floor, the natural limestone pillars of The Pinnacles look like you have landed on a distant planet or on the set of a science fiction movie. Some of the pinnacles are only a few centimetres high, while others reach a height of almost 4 metres (13 feet) tall. The Pinnacles are breathtakingly beautiful for their uniqueness, history, culture and how they can both remind you of isolation and togetherness at the same time. As the sand dunes are cons

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5 things to see and do in Meckering, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Mar 15, 2021
2 min

5 things to see and do in Meckering, Western Australia

Meckering is130kms (80m) east of Perth, on the Great Eastern Highway and is a stopping point on the way from Perth to the Eastern States. Established in 1887, less than 300 people live here now. But a big thing happened to this tiny town on Monday 14 October 1968. A violent earthquake occurred just before 11am, with a magnitude of 6.5. About 600 people were living in Meckering at the time and fortunately there were not fatalities. 20 people were injured and most of the buildi

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Armadale Hills Scenic Drive, Western Australia

Helen Avaient

Mar 13, 2021
4 min

Armadale Hills Scenic Drive, Western Australia

A country drive is a long held Australian tradition, especially if it includes pubs, parks, picnics, bush walks and fun. The Armadale Hills Scenic Drive ticks all the boxes on this list, plus more. It is best to start at the Perth Hills Visitor Information Centre at 40 Jull St, Armadale. The friendly staff were happy to share tips on the most popular destinations in the hills, and supplied maps and guides to take with me. My first stop was at the Last Drop Elizabethan at 25 C

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Helen Avaient

Mar 11, 2021
2 min

Penguin Island, Western Australia

At just over 12 hectares Penguin Island is a paradise just a short 5 minute ferry ride from the mainland, 45 minute drive south of Perth. The island is located in the 6,450 hectare Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. The highlight of my day trip was the penguin feeding. 10 rescued little penguins call the Discovery Centre home as they cannot be returned to the wild. The saltwater pond has been designed and built to reflect the penguins natural sandy, coastal scrub environment. T

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Helen Avaient

Mar 9, 2021
3 min

Tour the Perth Mint, Western Australia

A one tonne, 99.99% pure gold coin was cast in 2011 at The Perth Mint, making it the biggest, heaviest and most valuable gold bullion coin in the world. You can see the actual coin when you do a tour of the Perth Mint. The coin is about 80cm (31in) wide and 12 cm (5in) deep. The day I visited, the value of this coin was over 90 million dollars! The tour also includes a guided heritage walk, entrance to our Gold Exhibition and a gold pouring demonstration. Centre stage in the

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Helen Avaient

Feb 25, 2021
2 min

Happy Feet at Shoe Fun, Perth Australia

Confession time - I have long feet. In fact, I wear a size 11-12 (42-43) and it is very difficult to find nice looking shoes to fit me. Imagine my delighted surprise when I found a shoe shop in Perth that not only sold shoes to fit my long feet but, oh my, they were gorgeous! I usually waited until I travelled to the United States to purchase footwear, because they sell larger sizes in USA. So you can imagine how thrilled it was to have beautiful, amazing, fabulous shoes that

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Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, Perth Australia

Helen Avaient

Feb 23, 2021
3 min

Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, Perth Australia

The first major temporary exhibition to go on show at the WA Museum Boola Bardip is Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, from November 2020. This exhibition took my breath away with its beauty, complexity, simplicity and energy of the Aboriginal stories. Initiated by Aboriginal elders to preserve the stories of the Seven Sisters for future generations and to promote understanding, it has exceeded its original intent. This is Noongar beauty. (The Noongar are Aboriginal Austr

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Food, fun and friendliness are found at Fremantle Markets

Helen Avaient

Feb 21, 2021
3 min

Food, fun and friendliness are found at Fremantle Markets

Fremantle Markets is an amazing venue to visit for both tourists and locals. People have been flocking here since 1897. You come as a stranger but leave feeling that you are a part of the community. More than just food is found here. Open on Friday, Saturday and Sundays (and public holiday Mondays) there are over 150 unique stalls located in this restored building. The markets are situated opposite the Fremantle football oval. On both sides of the entry below are paintings of

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Helen Avaient

Feb 19, 2021
1 min

Interviewed twice this week on ABC radio

This week I was interviewed twice by ABC radio on solo traveling. Isn't it funny how your voice sounds totally different than you thought, when you hear it played back to you? Never be afraid to try something new, even if it scares the daylights out of you. ABC Goldfields contacted me about my recent stories in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Then ABC drive time in Western Australia contacted me about my solo travel experiences. Thank you for listening. Happy Travels! #matures

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CONTACT

Perth, Western Australia

helen@maturesolotraveler.com