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Western Australia What I'm Packing
4 weeks on the road is a long time. There are a few essential items that need to go in your suitcase and a few more you might want to add to your wish list to make your trip as enjoyable and fun as possible.
Australia Visitor's Visa
At our first national park stop, we will purchase a four week holiday pass $44 AUD – well worth it if you are visiting more than three national parks.
Don't Travel Without ...
- Wide Brimmed Sun Hat
- Tick Tweezers
- Mosquito repellent – I never travel without it!
- Binoculars
- Shorts & swimsuits – there is a lot of beach out there to explore
- A big scarf and a mosquito net – to keep the flies off
- Adaptors
- Torch
- Raincoat
- Slippers/Fleece – it can get cold at night!
- Reefies
- Microfibre Towel – so you never miss a swimming opportunity
- Polarising Sunglasses – The light is really bright here.
- If you are a keen photographer – A Neutral Density Filter for your camera
Wide Brimmed Sun Hat
There is a hole in the ozone layer over Oz and you can’t be too careful. Remember the old campaign: “Slip Slop Slap? (Slip on a shirt, slop on some suncream and slap on a hat).
Adaptors
The plugs in Australia have two flat metal pins shaped live a “V” and some may contain a third flat pin in the centre. The standard voltage is 230 V.
Snorkelling Gear
- Snorkelling Mask
- Snorkel
- Underwater Camera
- Rashie
Snorkel Mask - with Prescription Lenses
I am VERY short sighted (over -10) and need varifocal lenses. Normally, I wear contact lenses, but they don’t work well if you are spending any length of time underwater.
It took me a long time to find a supplier who could supply a mask to my prescription. It was worth the effort though – there is no point paying for a snorkelling trip if you can’t see anything?! Also, this was going to be my first experience of snorkelling and not being able to see doesn’t help to build your confidence.
After much research, I finally opted for the Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Diving and Snorkelling Mask from Divesight.
It has a soft silicone double seal for an extremely comfortable and secure fit.
The trademark angled lenses of the Big Eyes provides increased downward vision, while the Evolutionary structure of the mask frame and skirt enhances the overall experience.
The internal volume of the Cressi Big Eyes Evolution is also reduced giving the feeling of enhanced vision.
Superlight and easy to adjust mask strap buckles which can be pivoted to provide the perfect angle and position on the face.
This was a pricey purchase, but well worth the investment – Divesight really delivered the goods. Highly recommended!
Snorkel
I opted for the Cressi Premium Dry Snorkel Adult Unisex because it has a number of good features for a reasonable price and is easily purchased from Amazon :
- Anti-Splash Top
- Special Valve Seals Tube when Submerged
- Corrugated Smooth Bore Lower Tube, which doesn’t trap the water
- Quick Release Snorkel Keeper
- Ergonomic Contoured Shape
Underwater Camera
I’ve wanted a tough, water resistant camera for a while now and this trip is the perfect excuse to splash out on one.
I read a lot of reviews and finally opted for the Olympus Tough TG6. It is a little bit more expensive than it’s closest rival – the Nikon Coolpix – but it has a higher spec. overall and
I’m only ever likely to buy one of these, so I thought it was worth it. I’m not really a gadget sort of person, but I have to say that this really looks like it is a great piece of kit.
You can drop it, plunge under water for a swim in the sea and take it out in the rain without worrying a bit. It has a microscope mode and some cool auto settings for taking shots at night and underwater.
Even better – it has a great little floating strap in case you drop it when you are under water – it is supposed to bring it right back up to the surface (not looking forward to trying that out so much!).
I am really looking forward to sharing some photos with you and seeing if it was worth the investment.
Another camera I looked at which gets great reviews on Amazon and is much more budget friendly was the Akaso EK70000 4K sport action camera.
Last - but definitely not least (!) - A Notebook
Last – but not least – a new notebook. I really love the design of this one. I can’t wait to fill it up …
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