With friends from England staying with us at the moment we headed down to Margaret River this
week for a bit of relaxation and sightseeing. Wednesday, the day of the blue, blood moon proved to be a fantastic day which we often get here in Australia.
With clear blue skies and temperatures just under 30 degrees it couldn't be any better.
It started off with wrens and other birds chattering outside our Boranup Cottage and it only got better when we drove on 4 wheel drive tracks
through the stunning Boranup karri forest. The scenery was so different but just as beautiful when we hit the rocky coastline near Conto Springs and climbed Merchant Rock. The seas were calmer than usual due to easterly winds and the air was as fresh as you will ever get it.
A scout around the area and it was back to Boranup Forest Café for a huge breakfast. With very full stomachs it was then a drive and
a beach walk at Yallingup, then another beach walk at Bunker Bay, then another at Dunsborough and then a pint at the pub.
The day was full of the great things we see and do in WA all the time but after a paddle along the shores of Busselton it was only going to get better.
A bite to eat and then it was time to watch the moon rise at
the Busselton jetty. With no mosquitoes and everyone in T shirts the locals came out in force to watch the spectacle and created a great atmosphere.
When the moon lifted above the horizon you could sense the excitement. As it was still light it was hard to see but as it lifted above the jetty buildings it became brighter. It didn't seem to take long before the start of the eclipse and part of the moon started
to shadow over, the shadow growing as the minutes passed by.
Unfortunately I didn’t have my good camera with me, so my photos weren’t the best and I didn't manage to get any blood photos.
When the moon was ¾ blacked out we started our drive back to the Boranup Cottage getting different views of the reddish moon on the way back. On
arrival at our cottage in the forest there wasn’t a single light to be seen, the moon was dim because of the red tinge and the sky was just amazing with every star in the sky beaming brightly. Although I had seen the night sky in it's full glory many many times before, watching the reddish moon climb higher in the sky and just look up and see millions and millions of stars above us was quite mind-blowing. Our guests hadn’t seen such a beautiful sky in their life but now they will go home to
England with some amazing memories to share.
