Tim Hargreaves

Maggie, Tim and me at Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay









Quite the opposite of Arthur Pepper is Tim Hargreaves, a cosmopolitan Englishman who has been living in Australia for about 40 years. Slim, agile, sporty, refined voice and manners with quite a hint of irony and sarcasm. Tim is also a very knowledgable tour operator who cannot only share his knowledge of politics and history but he would share his knowledge and feelings he gained as an English Australian Shark Bay local.

Tim speaks better Malay than me and caused me to blush quite a few times. His house is reminiscent of one of those Spanish Moorish houses you see so often in Andalusia, Spain. When you enter his house which he called a Christian Center, you really feel the present of Jesus and some very meditative peace. His wife Maggie is a lovely, very Christian lady who, like himself, has never forgotten her English roots.

We spent some time on a tour, going to Monkey Mia and had insightful discussions about Christianity in their home. At the age of 72, Tim is fit enough to drive the 4WD through the unbearably hot bumpy area of Francois National Park, among others letting air off the tyres and runing around with his van.

Tim's book Dolphin Bay is worth a read, for Shark Bay locals and visitors alike. It is said that you either shoot him or find him amusing. Until now I found him amusing and entertaining, a lot of parallels in his life to my own life.

Cervantes and The Pinnacles

Cervantes was my next destination and I decided to have some lazy relaxing holidays the way most local Australians do. Less sightseeing and more into fishing and walking I could discover the secret divine gems of Cervantes' nature. On a clear day I could see the water of the ocean in several shades of turquoise, becoming deep blue at a deeper spot. A couple of dolphins greeted us and may be used to feeding from the boats. The motel owner lent me his fishing rods and I could catch 4 herings and 2 whitings within 1 week, enough to feed one single person. It is not the fish to catch but the relaxation while waiting for the fishes to catch the bait.

Kangaroos and Wallabies were greeting us towards daybreak and sunset which was also beautiful to watch from Thirsty Point, straight behind my motel. I met so many people who were traveling by station wagon, campervan and normal car. This would be the travelling mode that I like although it is not the cheapest way. I enjoyed the people on caravan parks and with campervans so much that I am not worried anymore to travel by van or station car on my own.Haha...among others I met Jan, a German guy with awesome stories to tell from the station wagon that he bought for AUD 100,-- along with 2 sleeping bags and air matresses. His "funny"story from Thailand made me rather sad because he was involved in a car accident and got jailed for it in Thailand. Needless to comment on the circumstances in Thai jails.

We went to the Pinnacles three times, for sunrise, midday and sunset. Sunset was the most beautiful time and we had a BBQ. I found a little fossil of a lizard with all its teeth, some stones which looked like flintstones and......guess......I found a fossil which reminded me of an Emu showing all the colours of the rainblow. As I came home to the motel, the owner told me that it was.....Emu POO:-}}}}}}}. It was a beautiful souvenir but I couldn't get used to the idea of carrying poo in my luggage.

It was good that I left behind everything which had to do with Couchsurfing. I did not hear that word for a week because nobody would understand all those horror stories on Couchsurfing. If I talk about it people would say:"Well, that happens when you stay at a stranger's place.". So I found out that not talking was the best way to move on and get over a problem