Tuesday 30th September 2014
I know it is Wednesday morning and this should have been done last night, I will go stand in the corner for 5 secs as punishment!
We woke up parked, as I said, so close to the beach that we had to check and make sure that we hadn't been eroded and dropped into the ocean overnight. Chris and Kim were packing up to head home but there was no hurry for us to leave. So I went for my usual walk along the beach and marvelled at the huge trees that, due to the aforesaid erosion had fallen onto the beach. The beach shacks here, and some are fairly serious homes, are on a lease that runs out in 2016 and the owners have been advised that they won't be renewed so they have been offered land in the nearby development at beneficial prices. This is ok except for a few people who actually had lifetime leases, these are going to be cancelled in 2016 and again they have been offered land. This also is ok except that these people, or some of them, have spent money setting their homes up as permanent residences and are retirees who now have to find the money to build a new house and demolish the old one, that isn't really very fair!
Late morning we completed our tidy up and jobs and hit the road. We have both been to Geraldton recently so we drove through and on down to Dongara. This is pretty countryside with green farms, trees etc and on reaching so Dongara there is a top drawer pie shop, naturally we stopped and indulged. We also bought their nice vanilla slices which we part ate for afternoon tea, I saved the rest of mine for morning tea this morning, but Elaine ate hers last night
After passing through Dongara we turned on to the Indian Ocean Drive which runs down the coast to home and is really nice drive. We stopped about 60 kms down the road at a spot called Point Louise, obviously named after our sister in law Louise. We will stay here today as the temperature is predicted to go above 30 and we can swim here.
Tuesday 30 September 2014
Sunday 28 September 2014
Monday 29th September 2014
Today we are visiting our friends the Morrisons in Geraldton. After the usual morning beach walk we drove the very short distance here, first checking the local shops. Chris and Kim have a fantastic, literally beach front house at a place called Drummond Cove just a few kms north of Geraldton proper. If it were any closer to the water they would be swimming! Chris told me that over the last few years their beach has been gradually eroded from about 30 metres to the water to about 2 metres from their back patio area! Anyway it is very kind of them to allow us to park on their front lawn and we are looking forward to catching up as it is little while we last spent time together.
Today we are visiting our friends the Morrisons in Geraldton. After the usual morning beach walk we drove the very short distance here, first checking the local shops. Chris and Kim have a fantastic, literally beach front house at a place called Drummond Cove just a few kms north of Geraldton proper. If it were any closer to the water they would be swimming! Chris told me that over the last few years their beach has been gradually eroded from about 30 metres to the water to about 2 metres from their back patio area! Anyway it is very kind of them to allow us to park on their front lawn and we are looking forward to catching up as it is little while we last spent time together.
The weather was much better today the sun shined, just a little bit of cloud and a little bit of wind, although the wind was cold.
This mornings walk was in a northerly direction along the beach. It is always nice walking on the beach waves rolling in, in this case with a little bit of seaweed included. Other than that the day was spent relaxing so nothing much to report.
This mornings walk was in a northerly direction along the beach. It is always nice walking on the beach waves rolling in, in this case with a little bit of seaweed included. Other than that the day was spent relaxing so nothing much to report.
Friday 26 September 2014
For the first time this trip we have been confined to the van by inclement weather, it has been raining on and off and it is blowing very strongly and very coldly!
The day didn't start that way it was blowing quite strongly this morning but not yet raining. So we went to watch a couple of young guys kite surfing and they were having fun. I got roped in to help secure one of the kites as it's owner finished, but that was as close as I got. It does look exciting but I suspect beyond my physical abilities at this point! Then I went for a long walk along the beach and spent some time watching a sailboarder having a ball jumping over the waves on the way out from the shore then riding the waves on the way in. Once again I would need to dramatically improve my fitness to do that again (I did sailboard some years ago but gave up when my back started complaining). I had a chat earlier with the caretaker who is a long board surfer and he told me that this area has some really good surf breaks and as a consequence is really busy on good days.
So now we are in the van, Elaine listening to the footie ( we can't get the appropriate TV channels here) and I am reading.
The day didn't start that way it was blowing quite strongly this morning but not yet raining. So we went to watch a couple of young guys kite surfing and they were having fun. I got roped in to help secure one of the kites as it's owner finished, but that was as close as I got. It does look exciting but I suspect beyond my physical abilities at this point! Then I went for a long walk along the beach and spent some time watching a sailboarder having a ball jumping over the waves on the way out from the shore then riding the waves on the way in. Once again I would need to dramatically improve my fitness to do that again (I did sailboard some years ago but gave up when my back started complaining). I had a chat earlier with the caretaker who is a long board surfer and he told me that this area has some really good surf breaks and as a consequence is really busy on good days.
So now we are in the van, Elaine listening to the footie ( we can't get the appropriate TV channels here) and I am reading.
26 September 2014
Still privileged but today because I have been doing very little, just relaxing in very pleasant surroundings.
First up was my morning walk and once again I was impressed by the efforts to make the beach more user friendly. There are cabanas on the shore, a BBQ gazebo, children's playground and of course lots of parking and the camping area. The rest of the day was spent enjoying it all. We went or rather I went for a swim in the cold water and then we went for a walk along the beach. This is a sheltered beach inside a low reef, the surf breaks quite strongly on the reef but the beach is not bad. There are about 21 sites here and to get one you need to be here early in the morning to grab a site as people leave! There is a caretaker but we haven't seen him yet and we just put our money in the honesty box.
Still privileged but today because I have been doing very little, just relaxing in very pleasant surroundings.
First up was my morning walk and once again I was impressed by the efforts to make the beach more user friendly. There are cabanas on the shore, a BBQ gazebo, children's playground and of course lots of parking and the camping area. The rest of the day was spent enjoying it all. We went or rather I went for a swim in the cold water and then we went for a walk along the beach. This is a sheltered beach inside a low reef, the surf breaks quite strongly on the reef but the beach is not bad. There are about 21 sites here and to get one you need to be here early in the morning to grab a site as people leave! There is a caretaker but we haven't seen him yet and we just put our money in the honesty box.
Thursday 25 September 2014
Today I am feeling very privileged to be able to do a trip like this and to see all that we have seen. We have seen inland towns, tropical rainforest, more inland areas, tropical forrest, rugged countryside, spectacular scenery and green pastures. I don't know that I have used all the right words but suffice it to say lots and lots of varied scenery. I know that lots of you have travelled extensively overseas and I wonder if you have seen anything better than what we have seen inside Australia.
Today we left Kalbarri travelling south along the coast road or 'tourist drive'. For the first 16-20 kms there are a lot of lookout points along the rugged coastline, where lots of early visitors came to grief. The cliffs are high, the surf is strong and spectacular, altogether a stunning coastline. What is again obvious is the effort that government of various levels had made to attract tourists like us. There are sealed roads in, properly made walkways, fenced lookout points and story boards explaining everything - fantastic. There are lots of travellers on the road, in buses, on airplanes, etc. so maybe it is working and will help compensate for the mining slowdown.
Another sight that was well worth the effort was Hutt Lagoon, otherwise known as the Pink Lake, and it is pink. Apparently the source of the colour is the red food colouring which is extracted from this lake.
Tonight we have camped at Coronation Beach just north of Geraldton and will probably stay here for a few days.
Today we left Kalbarri travelling south along the coast road or 'tourist drive'. For the first 16-20 kms there are a lot of lookout points along the rugged coastline, where lots of early visitors came to grief. The cliffs are high, the surf is strong and spectacular, altogether a stunning coastline. What is again obvious is the effort that government of various levels had made to attract tourists like us. There are sealed roads in, properly made walkways, fenced lookout points and story boards explaining everything - fantastic. There are lots of travellers on the road, in buses, on airplanes, etc. so maybe it is working and will help compensate for the mining slowdown.
Another sight that was well worth the effort was Hutt Lagoon, otherwise known as the Pink Lake, and it is pink. Apparently the source of the colour is the red food colouring which is extracted from this lake.
Tonight we have camped at Coronation Beach just north of Geraldton and will probably stay here for a few days.
Wednesday 24 September 2014
I just had a look at yesterday's blog and saw the size difference, sooner or later I will learn how to use this thing!
Today was explorer day, we drove out to the gorges. They are all part of the Murchison River and are really spectacular with steep deep sides of striated sandstone. The first was called the Loop and the walk culminated at a feature called Natures Window which is a rock formation with a great big hole in it, I was a little suprprised that a window did not have any glass in it!! Then we went to another feature called Z Bend and another walk to the lookout. Both walks were fairly strenuous but well worth the effort and Elaine only managed part of them, although she did make it to the lookout at Z Bend. We were relly impressed with the effort that has been made to make the whole thing user friendly with paths and story boards. I should note that this has been our experience at a lot of this sort of attraction here in WA and in the NT. It would seem that governments are fairly keen to encourage tourists, good on them.
Today was explorer day, we drove out to the gorges. They are all part of the Murchison River and are really spectacular with steep deep sides of striated sandstone. The first was called the Loop and the walk culminated at a feature called Natures Window which is a rock formation with a great big hole in it, I was a little suprprised that a window did not have any glass in it!! Then we went to another feature called Z Bend and another walk to the lookout. Both walks were fairly strenuous but well worth the effort and Elaine only managed part of them, although she did make it to the lookout at Z Bend. We were relly impressed with the effort that has been made to make the whole thing user friendly with paths and story boards. I should note that this has been our experience at a lot of this sort of attraction here in WA and in the NT. It would seem that governments are fairly keen to encourage tourists, good on them.
Tuesday 23 September 2014
Today we are living in the lap of luxury having booked into the Kalbarri Anchorage Caravan Park for a couple of nights.
Last nights camp was another in a long line of excellent free 'rest' areas in WA. There were about 39 plus vans there sharing 2 sets of toilets and 2 dump stations. I am confident that this attracts many travelling people like us and must be a big benefit to the local economy.
On the road it soon became obvious that we were back in farming country. The scenery was green fields ready for harvesting, green trees and shrubs and quite a range on wildflowers. It was pretty and quite a contrast to the rugged spendour of Northern areas. The criticism is often levelled that WA has long distances between attractions. This is true if you only consider the major attractions, but the roads have their own sightseeing value provided you think along those lines. There will always be people who disagree because they are not really taking in the continual beauty as they travel, and this applies to all the places that we have been to (admittedly we still have an great deal more to see).
Anyway we arrived at the Kabarri National Park and stopped to see the sights. The first was a lookout called the Ross Graham Lookout, we now choose to call it the Graham Lookout! This was a magnificent sight looking down on the Murchison River and the walk down to the river was well worth the effort. Us city people don't realise the size and extent of the outback. This river is 820 km long winding all the way from Merkatharra to the coast here at Kalbarri. It is easy to say and easy to read but try for a moment to visualise the scale of this river and all the others up and down this coast. Just to put it in perspective the Swan is only about 100 km, I think!
Last nights camp was another in a long line of excellent free 'rest' areas in WA. There were about 39 plus vans there sharing 2 sets of toilets and 2 dump stations. I am confident that this attracts many travelling people like us and must be a big benefit to the local economy.
On the road it soon became obvious that we were back in farming country. The scenery was green fields ready for harvesting, green trees and shrubs and quite a range on wildflowers. It was pretty and quite a contrast to the rugged spendour of Northern areas. The criticism is often levelled that WA has long distances between attractions. This is true if you only consider the major attractions, but the roads have their own sightseeing value provided you think along those lines. There will always be people who disagree because they are not really taking in the continual beauty as they travel, and this applies to all the places that we have been to (admittedly we still have an great deal more to see).
Anyway we arrived at the Kabarri National Park and stopped to see the sights. The first was a lookout called the Ross Graham Lookout, we now choose to call it the Graham Lookout! This was a magnificent sight looking down on the Murchison River and the walk down to the river was well worth the effort. Us city people don't realise the size and extent of the outback. This river is 820 km long winding all the way from Merkatharra to the coast here at Kalbarri. It is easy to say and easy to read but try for a moment to visualise the scale of this river and all the others up and down this coast. Just to put it in perspective the Swan is only about 100 km, I think!
Monday 22 September 2014
Friday August 29
Well, well, well we are out of range again, so today's blog get uploaded when we next get coverage.
The day started with a fabulous view over the river, complete with some very attractive reflections. A work along the track alongside the river revealed that we did have neighbours. It also revealed that various animals had been down to the river for a drink, quite a feat as the banks are very steep and about 3 mtrs high.
The next move was to drive down to Old Onslow to see the ruins, but while the locals have been very careful to label all the sites there were no ruins to see.
There was of course construction activity all around the place, the Wheatstone Project is happening here. We saw a pipeline being built and trucks laden with construction materials arriving.
After we left Karratha I though that we had left the powerhouse (of the Australian economy) area, but we were wrong it continues with pockets of activity all over the place. This is all very exciting, but I am not 100% convinced that it is good for Australia in the long term. The various plants, yards, offices, etc take up an absolutely tiny proportion of the space available, so that is not a big issue. What worries me is that we are selling all these bits of Oz and not creating an enduring industry to fill in when it is gone. I also don't think that making the projects use more local companies is only part of story, the other part is new industry processing and using the refined products.
So much for my solution to the nations problems. The other thing that we are now seeing is the re-emergence of anthills, or termite mounds. Now we are seeing thousands of these. Today we saw some with what looked like yarmulkas on their heads and I even photographed one that was wearing a Tullas (prayer shawl). Seriously though maybe they are an alien life form preparing to take over the country!!
Saturday August 30
We spent last night at a rest area called Barradale Rest Area on the banks of the Yannarie River. So this morning I went looking for the the river, what I found was a dry river bed! When it is running this must be quite a river, the river bed is about 500 mtrs wide and, judging by the size of the trees uprooted and carried down river it has a lot of power in its flow. Today however I could not find any water.
We packed our bags and headed south once more, then we saw our first animals for some time, 2 emus standing by the side of the road watching the traffic pass by. We spent a bit of time trying to photograph them then moved on. Turning right we headed up towards northwest Cape and Exmouth stopping for the night at a parking spot about 60 kms south of Exmouth.
Sunday August 31
Last night, just as we were thinking about sundowners, 2 cyclists arrived at our campsite. They were a Spanish couple who have been on the road for 2 years travelling across Spain, Corsica, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc - quite a feat I think. Anyway we struck up a conversation watching them set up camp from the gear that they were carrying on their bikes - tent, mattresses, etc. Then Elaine offered the girl a shower which was gratefully accepted, followed by dinner, goodonya Elaine who felt good being the good samaritan.
This morning we all got up late, the cyclists, another van that was parked in the same area and of course us 2 sleeper inners. Next stop was Exmouth and while Elaine did the shopping I refuelled, rewatered and emptied the thingabob. Then off round the top of North West Cape to the western side of the cape (we were on the eastern side) to the Cape Range National Park were we will spend the next few days at the Yardie Creek Camp.
North West Cape is quite an interesting place. Firstly it is home to the Learmonth RAAF base which is also used as an alternative landing site to Perth Airport when necessary. Then it has the town of Exmouth and the Harold E. Holt naval communications base, which is connected to the huge radio setup they the USA used for there world wide communications and their space program. Then down the middle of the Cape we have Cape Range which is a long but not particularly high mountain range. It is the home to many species of animals and today for the first time in ages we have seen wildlife in the form of a couple of emus, one with chicks. The other big feature of this Cape is Ningaloo Reef which runs down the western side of the cape. Where we are camped we have Cape Range on one side and Ningaloo Reef on the other side, not bad eh!
Well, well, well we are out of range again, so today's blog get uploaded when we next get coverage.
The day started with a fabulous view over the river, complete with some very attractive reflections. A work along the track alongside the river revealed that we did have neighbours. It also revealed that various animals had been down to the river for a drink, quite a feat as the banks are very steep and about 3 mtrs high.
The next move was to drive down to Old Onslow to see the ruins, but while the locals have been very careful to label all the sites there were no ruins to see.
There was of course construction activity all around the place, the Wheatstone Project is happening here. We saw a pipeline being built and trucks laden with construction materials arriving.
After we left Karratha I though that we had left the powerhouse (of the Australian economy) area, but we were wrong it continues with pockets of activity all over the place. This is all very exciting, but I am not 100% convinced that it is good for Australia in the long term. The various plants, yards, offices, etc take up an absolutely tiny proportion of the space available, so that is not a big issue. What worries me is that we are selling all these bits of Oz and not creating an enduring industry to fill in when it is gone. I also don't think that making the projects use more local companies is only part of story, the other part is new industry processing and using the refined products.
So much for my solution to the nations problems. The other thing that we are now seeing is the re-emergence of anthills, or termite mounds. Now we are seeing thousands of these. Today we saw some with what looked like yarmulkas on their heads and I even photographed one that was wearing a Tullas (prayer shawl). Seriously though maybe they are an alien life form preparing to take over the country!!
Saturday August 30
We spent last night at a rest area called Barradale Rest Area on the banks of the Yannarie River. So this morning I went looking for the the river, what I found was a dry river bed! When it is running this must be quite a river, the river bed is about 500 mtrs wide and, judging by the size of the trees uprooted and carried down river it has a lot of power in its flow. Today however I could not find any water.
We packed our bags and headed south once more, then we saw our first animals for some time, 2 emus standing by the side of the road watching the traffic pass by. We spent a bit of time trying to photograph them then moved on. Turning right we headed up towards northwest Cape and Exmouth stopping for the night at a parking spot about 60 kms south of Exmouth.
Sunday August 31
Last night, just as we were thinking about sundowners, 2 cyclists arrived at our campsite. They were a Spanish couple who have been on the road for 2 years travelling across Spain, Corsica, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc - quite a feat I think. Anyway we struck up a conversation watching them set up camp from the gear that they were carrying on their bikes - tent, mattresses, etc. Then Elaine offered the girl a shower which was gratefully accepted, followed by dinner, goodonya Elaine who felt good being the good samaritan.
This morning we all got up late, the cyclists, another van that was parked in the same area and of course us 2 sleeper inners. Next stop was Exmouth and while Elaine did the shopping I refuelled, rewatered and emptied the thingabob. Then off round the top of North West Cape to the western side of the cape (we were on the eastern side) to the Cape Range National Park were we will spend the next few days at the Yardie Creek Camp.
North West Cape is quite an interesting place. Firstly it is home to the Learmonth RAAF base which is also used as an alternative landing site to Perth Airport when necessary. Then it has the town of Exmouth and the Harold E. Holt naval communications base, which is connected to the huge radio setup they the USA used for there world wide communications and their space program. Then down the middle of the Cape we have Cape Range which is a long but not particularly high mountain range. It is the home to many species of animals and today for the first time in ages we have seen wildlife in the form of a couple of emus, one with chicks. The other big feature of this Cape is Ningaloo Reef which runs down the western side of the cape. Where we are camped we have Cape Range on one side and Ningaloo Reef on the other side, not bad eh!
Well there has been almost no rain today, the sun has shown itself on and off but it us freezing cold and we are just not used to that.
We left last nights camp after meeting another couple from Yokine, also in a motorhome purchased in Brisbane and as usual we were almost the last to leave. Our trek for the day was only 70km and we are now at a rest area called the Galena Bridge Rest Area along with at least 30 other vans. Once again it is well set up with ablutions, dump points and lots of space. Unfortunately it is plain dirt and as you might expect affected by the rain. This bridge crosses the Murchison River so it is quite a pleasant spot and if the weather does not improve we might stay here tomorrow, otherwise ever onward.
We left last nights camp after meeting another couple from Yokine, also in a motorhome purchased in Brisbane and as usual we were almost the last to leave. Our trek for the day was only 70km and we are now at a rest area called the Galena Bridge Rest Area along with at least 30 other vans. Once again it is well set up with ablutions, dump points and lots of space. Unfortunately it is plain dirt and as you might expect affected by the rain. This bridge crosses the Murchison River so it is quite a pleasant spot and if the weather does not improve we might stay here tomorrow, otherwise ever onward.
Sunday 21 September 2014
Hey it's raining and it's cold, is this a good welcome home for us on the homestretch part of our trip?
This mornings walk was accompanied by really strong winds, strong enough to be gently rocking the van. I walked up the hills next to our campsite and was greeted with fantastic views of Shark Bay and even stronger winds. We were in what could be described as the main peninsula of the bay, there were 2 others between us and the open ocean and we were near the southern end of the bay. To get some idea of the size of this magnificent area we had to drive nearly 100km to leave the park, that is from our campsite some 20km south of Denham.
Then it started raining and has rained on and off all day and as is usual on such days it has become progressively colder. We are now tucked up in a rest area called Nerren Nerren along with about 20 or more vans all hiding inside and we have got our winter clothes out. This is first rain and cold weather since we left the Gold Coast.
This mornings walk was accompanied by really strong winds, strong enough to be gently rocking the van. I walked up the hills next to our campsite and was greeted with fantastic views of Shark Bay and even stronger winds. We were in what could be described as the main peninsula of the bay, there were 2 others between us and the open ocean and we were near the southern end of the bay. To get some idea of the size of this magnificent area we had to drive nearly 100km to leave the park, that is from our campsite some 20km south of Denham.
Then it started raining and has rained on and off all day and as is usual on such days it has become progressively colder. We are now tucked up in a rest area called Nerren Nerren along with about 20 or more vans all hiding inside and we have got our winter clothes out. This is first rain and cold weather since we left the Gold Coast.
Saturday 20 September 2014
This is yesterday's blog, just a little late!
We left our top of the hill campsite, as is usual for us, last to leave although the 2nd last was just in front of us. Shark Bay was our destination, duly reached late morning. First stop was the stromolites at Hamelin Pool, these are inert or apparently inert 'mats' on rocks. They actually contain large numbers of tiny creatures, too small to see, in a sort of village environment and they do eventually grow to protrude from the water in a mushroom shape. Next stop was Shell Beach and if you have she'll grit on the bottom of a bird cage it probably comes from here. They also have, in the past, built buildings from shell blocks and now only make the shell blocks to repair these buildings. This was a very interesting beach, the shell are tiny little cockle shells supposedly up to 9 metres deep and the shoreline was quite wide with lots of little hills running parallel to the shore.
We finally made it to our campsite at Fowlers Camp after phoning to book the site, which you can only do on the day and you can only stay one day.
We left our top of the hill campsite, as is usual for us, last to leave although the 2nd last was just in front of us. Shark Bay was our destination, duly reached late morning. First stop was the stromolites at Hamelin Pool, these are inert or apparently inert 'mats' on rocks. They actually contain large numbers of tiny creatures, too small to see, in a sort of village environment and they do eventually grow to protrude from the water in a mushroom shape. Next stop was Shell Beach and if you have she'll grit on the bottom of a bird cage it probably comes from here. They also have, in the past, built buildings from shell blocks and now only make the shell blocks to repair these buildings. This was a very interesting beach, the shell are tiny little cockle shells supposedly up to 9 metres deep and the shoreline was quite wide with lots of little hills running parallel to the shore.
We finally made it to our campsite at Fowlers Camp after phoning to book the site, which you can only do on the day and you can only stay one day.
Friday 19 September 2014
OK I know it is 2 days again, but yesterday we were still in carnarvon and nothing much happened. I spent a few hours up at the Space Museum again as they got ready for show time today. Elaine did some bits and pieces on the van and around the house. Di & Mark got back after school and after lunch respectively and we heard all about the camp. Elaine had cooked dinner and after dinner we saw Marks photographs, as usual very high standard.
Today however is different. Elaine and I attended a morning tea to mark the end of this stage of the museum project and to welcomeAndy Thomas, the Australian astronaut, to town. After that our van was extracted from its parking spot, which Mark had to do because it was such a tight fit and he was used to it. Then we did the usuals and headed out of town. Naturally we are going south and expect to be home in about 10 days.
Our camp for tonight is the Gladstone Scenic Lookout, which as the name implys is a fairly high hill overlooking the surrounding countryside. Looking to the west we can see Shark Bay, if I am correct the top of the Peron Peninsular. It is quite a sight and we are expecting a good sunset.
Today however is different. Elaine and I attended a morning tea to mark the end of this stage of the museum project and to welcomeAndy Thomas, the Australian astronaut, to town. After that our van was extracted from its parking spot, which Mark had to do because it was such a tight fit and he was used to it. Then we did the usuals and headed out of town. Naturally we are going south and expect to be home in about 10 days.
Our camp for tonight is the Gladstone Scenic Lookout, which as the name implys is a fairly high hill overlooking the surrounding countryside. Looking to the west we can see Shark Bay, if I am correct the top of the Peron Peninsular. It is quite a sight and we are expecting a good sunset.
Wednesday 17 September 2014
I know it is 2 days since the last blog. I can remember doing one yesterday but it is not there so I must have failed to publish.
Yesterday and today I have been helping out at the Space Museum which is coming along nicely. As is usual for this sort of thing there will be a last minute panic but it will probably work out well. While I have been there Elaine has been doing jobs at the van and at Di & Marks house. They are away at the moment taking kids from Di's school on a 2 day camp and we are babysitting Birdie. Yesterday after I got back we sis a little shopping then went down to have a look at the One Mile Jetty. It is a few years since we last looked and they have added a new building for the cafe and they now charge $5 to walk on the jetty! Anyway we had a look around and headed back to our van.
Yesterday and today I have been helping out at the Space Museum which is coming along nicely. As is usual for this sort of thing there will be a last minute panic but it will probably work out well. While I have been there Elaine has been doing jobs at the van and at Di & Marks house. They are away at the moment taking kids from Di's school on a 2 day camp and we are babysitting Birdie. Yesterday after I got back we sis a little shopping then went down to have a look at the One Mile Jetty. It is a few years since we last looked and they have added a new building for the cafe and they now charge $5 to walk on the jetty! Anyway we had a look around and headed back to our van.
Monday 15 September 2014
Another nice day in Carnarvon, this is a very underrated town. I know there are a lot of caravan parks but somehow they are not getting a big share of the tourist dollar, or so I am told. There are a lot of vans in town so maybe they are not as badly off as I have been told. Perhaps the flow on effects of the last very disasterous flood and the loss of plantations is the biggest issue and they are looking for tourism to compensate.
Anyway today our van got new front brakes and I went up and did a bit of work at the soon to be opened Space and Technology Museum. This is quite a good setup and when complete and settled down will be well worth the visit.
Anyway today our van got new front brakes and I went up and did a bit of work at the soon to be opened Space and Technology Museum. This is quite a good setup and when complete and settled down will be well worth the visit.
Sunday 14 September 2014
Shame on you Mr Cohen, no blog for 4 days, such lack of attention will not be tolerated. So a 4 day blog follows.
Having been shoehorned into their backyard by Mark we have settled into Carnarvon. Our hosts are very good having provided all the usual facilities and we have dinner together every night cooked by Mark, while Di is at work, with a little bit of help from Elaine. It is a time for catching up on phone calls as we have been out of range a lot lately, doing jobs (the van has been cleaned, etc) and generally relaxing. When we are moving almost every day we are on the go, breakfast, tidy up, pack up, drive to the site selected probably yesterday, park, unpack, cook, go to bed and freshen up for the next day.
My morning walk took me down to the fascine and across the 'tramway' bridge. It is 5 years since I last spent time in Carnarvon, although we did stop here on Sue & Brian's boat in 2012. Anyway in the meantime they have done a fantastic job refurbishing the Fascine. It has a new wall, new ridge capping on the wall, new seating, a wide new footpath and the gardens are very well kept. There is also a new playground, a very nice new playground. Along with various other bits & pieces funded by Royalties for Regions.
N
Today Di & Mark took us for drive to Rocky Pool. When Todd was here with me in 2009 we visited this place and it was a nicely grassed picnic area with a healthy river providing the pool. Today it is a rocky wasteland, not quite but certainly no grass, very few trees and not much water. The first 2 issues due to serious flood that occurred a few years back that cleared the area. The floods also wrought havoc around the plantations, destroying dome and causing dome plantation owners to quit....not good. The government is building levies around the town and plantation areas in an effort prevent similar devastation in future. In the meantime there has been very little rain since the last flood which exacerbates the situation.
Tourism is fairly strong here, there are about 6 caravan parks plus various other accomodation options. But this has also suffered so some effort is being expended to counteract this. One of Carnarvon' s attraction is a huge satellite dish that saw service, amongst other things, during the American space program. It sits on a large, hilltop site that contains other dishes. Thanks to some dedicated volunteers it is being turned into a space museum. They have done a huge amount of work which is about to be opened by one of they astronauts Andy Thomas. It will add to the towns tourist attractions as it really is something to see. We were lucky enough to get a look around today, there is still lots of activity getting it ready for Fridays opening, as Di is taking a school group through next week and on our way out we called in to confirm arrangements.
Having been shoehorned into their backyard by Mark we have settled into Carnarvon. Our hosts are very good having provided all the usual facilities and we have dinner together every night cooked by Mark, while Di is at work, with a little bit of help from Elaine. It is a time for catching up on phone calls as we have been out of range a lot lately, doing jobs (the van has been cleaned, etc) and generally relaxing. When we are moving almost every day we are on the go, breakfast, tidy up, pack up, drive to the site selected probably yesterday, park, unpack, cook, go to bed and freshen up for the next day.
My morning walk took me down to the fascine and across the 'tramway' bridge. It is 5 years since I last spent time in Carnarvon, although we did stop here on Sue & Brian's boat in 2012. Anyway in the meantime they have done a fantastic job refurbishing the Fascine. It has a new wall, new ridge capping on the wall, new seating, a wide new footpath and the gardens are very well kept. There is also a new playground, a very nice new playground. Along with various other bits & pieces funded by Royalties for Regions.
N
Today Di & Mark took us for drive to Rocky Pool. When Todd was here with me in 2009 we visited this place and it was a nicely grassed picnic area with a healthy river providing the pool. Today it is a rocky wasteland, not quite but certainly no grass, very few trees and not much water. The first 2 issues due to serious flood that occurred a few years back that cleared the area. The floods also wrought havoc around the plantations, destroying dome and causing dome plantation owners to quit....not good. The government is building levies around the town and plantation areas in an effort prevent similar devastation in future. In the meantime there has been very little rain since the last flood which exacerbates the situation.
Tourism is fairly strong here, there are about 6 caravan parks plus various other accomodation options. But this has also suffered so some effort is being expended to counteract this. One of Carnarvon' s attraction is a huge satellite dish that saw service, amongst other things, during the American space program. It sits on a large, hilltop site that contains other dishes. Thanks to some dedicated volunteers it is being turned into a space museum. They have done a huge amount of work which is about to be opened by one of they astronauts Andy Thomas. It will add to the towns tourist attractions as it really is something to see. We were lucky enough to get a look around today, there is still lots of activity getting it ready for Fridays opening, as Di is taking a school group through next week and on our way out we called in to confirm arrangements.
Wednesday 10 September 2014
Yesterday we left Quobba and drove up to Cape Cuvier and boy was the road rough, actually we have had worse but this was about 20km which is further than we normally drive on unsealed roads. Anyway it was worth it, the view is spectacular from the top of the cliffs looking down at the place where I have anchored on a few occasions. We then went back to the blowholes and they were in fine form. The sight of waves hitting the rocks sending columns of water 20mtrs up and of other waves just hitting the cliffs and spraying way up into the air is, dare I say it again, spectacular. It is also pretty in its own way.
After lunch parked overlooking the cliffs and the waves we drove into Carnarvon where we are now safely parked in their back yard.
After lunch parked overlooking the cliffs and the waves we drove into Carnarvon where we are now safely parked in their back yard.
Sunday September 5 Fathers Day
The day started very nicely with a phone call from Russell, Toni and Ashley had given me greetings yesterday when we got them on the phone. We had also phoned Russell but he didn't answer his phone. Elaine made me breakfast then we got under way.
First stop was Coral Bay, Elaine hadn't been here before and we had no intention of staying due to the exorbitant prices at the caravan parks. It is a nice spot with nice beaches, clear blue water etc. After a walk around we went up to the lookout and got a good view of the bays, there are a few that make up the area, watched a proper yacht with 2 hulls and the local charter boats moving round.
We then moved on, planning to spend the night at Warroora Station. On the way to Warroora we passed the a Tropic of Capricorn, there was a sign telling us where it was, I don't remember seeing anything like that in Queensland.
All in all a good Fathers Day except that we miss our grand children. We found the turn off and started the supposed 23 km journey in to the campsite. The first 15-20 kms were ok, unsealed road but not too rough, the the road turned to s.... It got very badly corrugated and we saying we will just go round the next bend or over the next hill, but each time there was more of the same ahead, so after a while we turned around and went back to the main road. So much for Warroorra Station!
This diversion was followed by a special Fathers Day lunch then we found a campsite at Lyndon River Rest Area for the night.
Monday September 8
Moving on south and getting closer to home and family and friends with every kilometre we drive. Today's target was the blowholes north of Carnarvon and Quobba Station for our overnight camp. This meant driving south almost to Carnarvon then turning north for about 60kms all on sealed roads. Then when we got to the blowholes a short, 8 km, drive on an unsealed road to the station. So here we are parked close to the ocean, we can here the waves but there are no blowholes in view. Anyway, lovely spot and we will stay here for a few days.
Tuesday September 9
Still here and a nice place to camp it is!
This mornings walk was accompanied by a couple of kangaroos, good stuff it is the first time in ages that I have seen them on my morning walk. Then I looked at a working windmill which pumps it's water into a couple of tanks a kilometre up the hill from the windmill. There were also a couple of reasonably deep wells next to the windmill. This is a working sheep station, currently only about 5000 due to 3 bad seasons. Normally they have about 15000. There is 2 camping spots nor here at the homestead where we are and it holds up to 70-80 vans. The other is further up the coast at Red Bluff. Between them they account for fair portion of the station income which gives them a bit of a buffer for bad seasons. It must be a good life outdoors all the time bit with a fair bit of pressure as the weather is something that the stoic owner cannot control, again a good reason for alternative income.
At the moment there is only about 9 or 10 vans here but it must be pretty hectic in the busy times mid-year and Christmas period.
D
K
The day started very nicely with a phone call from Russell, Toni and Ashley had given me greetings yesterday when we got them on the phone. We had also phoned Russell but he didn't answer his phone. Elaine made me breakfast then we got under way.
First stop was Coral Bay, Elaine hadn't been here before and we had no intention of staying due to the exorbitant prices at the caravan parks. It is a nice spot with nice beaches, clear blue water etc. After a walk around we went up to the lookout and got a good view of the bays, there are a few that make up the area, watched a proper yacht with 2 hulls and the local charter boats moving round.
We then moved on, planning to spend the night at Warroora Station. On the way to Warroora we passed the a Tropic of Capricorn, there was a sign telling us where it was, I don't remember seeing anything like that in Queensland.
All in all a good Fathers Day except that we miss our grand children. We found the turn off and started the supposed 23 km journey in to the campsite. The first 15-20 kms were ok, unsealed road but not too rough, the the road turned to s.... It got very badly corrugated and we saying we will just go round the next bend or over the next hill, but each time there was more of the same ahead, so after a while we turned around and went back to the main road. So much for Warroorra Station!
This diversion was followed by a special Fathers Day lunch then we found a campsite at Lyndon River Rest Area for the night.
Monday September 8
Moving on south and getting closer to home and family and friends with every kilometre we drive. Today's target was the blowholes north of Carnarvon and Quobba Station for our overnight camp. This meant driving south almost to Carnarvon then turning north for about 60kms all on sealed roads. Then when we got to the blowholes a short, 8 km, drive on an unsealed road to the station. So here we are parked close to the ocean, we can here the waves but there are no blowholes in view. Anyway, lovely spot and we will stay here for a few days.
Tuesday September 9
Still here and a nice place to camp it is!
This mornings walk was accompanied by a couple of kangaroos, good stuff it is the first time in ages that I have seen them on my morning walk. Then I looked at a working windmill which pumps it's water into a couple of tanks a kilometre up the hill from the windmill. There were also a couple of reasonably deep wells next to the windmill. This is a working sheep station, currently only about 5000 due to 3 bad seasons. Normally they have about 15000. There is 2 camping spots nor here at the homestead where we are and it holds up to 70-80 vans. The other is further up the coast at Red Bluff. Between them they account for fair portion of the station income which gives them a bit of a buffer for bad seasons. It must be a good life outdoors all the time bit with a fair bit of pressure as the weather is something that the stoic owner cannot control, again a good reason for alternative income.
At the moment there is only about 9 or 10 vans here but it must be pretty hectic in the busy times mid-year and Christmas period.
D
K
Saturday 6 September 2014
Today we left the Cape Range National Park, with regrets. It had been a nice stay in a nice area, the campsites were quite nice and good value, the scenery worth looking at and the swimming lovely.
On the way out we stopped at the Cape Vlaming lighthouse. This is quite high and a great lookout, from here we could literally see for miles. We saw whales and oil rigs and the communications towers, all 13 of them, along with a grand view of the countryside. After shopping etc in Exmouth we headed out for tonight's campsite. On the way we had a look at the Krait and Potshot memorial sites. Between the three of them we get a bit of a picture of the military activity in the area, and there has been and still is a lot of that.
So once again we have stopped at the Termite Mound viewing area and had the usual issues getting level.
On the way out we stopped at the Cape Vlaming lighthouse. This is quite high and a great lookout, from here we could literally see for miles. We saw whales and oil rigs and the communications towers, all 13 of them, along with a grand view of the countryside. After shopping etc in Exmouth we headed out for tonight's campsite. On the way we had a look at the Krait and Potshot memorial sites. Between the three of them we get a bit of a picture of the military activity in the area, and there has been and still is a lot of that.
So once again we have stopped at the Termite Mound viewing area and had the usual issues getting level.
Friday 5 September 2014
Thursday September 4
Just another fine day in paradise!
Today we moved up the line to Kurrajong, another of the fine camping areas in the Cape Range National Park. This turned out to be fairly drawn out procedure, firstly the queue at the park gate had to be attended to then our host was able to transfer us from there to here and we were able to pay our money for the extra day. On the way we stopped at Mandu Mandu Gorge and I went for a walk, it was much too difficult for Elsine to even attempt so she stayed in the van and did things. The first part of the walk was over the dry rock strewn creek bed which was fairly hard going. Then I started climbing and when I had climbed I went down and repeated this about 5 times before getting back to the car park. It was a good walk through a gorge with high cliff walls then along the top of the cliffs. Unfortunately no animals although we did see some during the day as we drove around. Eventually we settled down in our new campsite.
Friday September 5
Another day another move, this time to Mesa camp which is a little bit further north than the last one. So far my favourite camp in the Cape Range National Park is Kurrajong., however Elaine's was Yardie. The system here is a bit unusual in that most bookings are by internet so you book and arrive, but you can just come to the gate and if there are empty spots pay and settle in. If you want to stay longer than your booking you have to hope that there are spare spots, this means waiting each day until the people queued up at the gate are dealt with then taking whatever is left, which often means moving, sometimes within the camp, sometimes to a new camp. Supposedly tenancy gives you some extra rights but doesn't guarantee success. Did that make sense? If it did please explain to me, but it does seem to work. This whole area which is the west side of a North West Cape is a really nice area and well worth an extended visit to these camps which are spread over about 40km of the coastline.
After settling in to our new campsite we checked the beach out and busied ourselves doing very little. Later we had a swim then joined the other campers here for a sundowner on the dunes overlooking the shore.
Just another fine day in paradise!
Today we moved up the line to Kurrajong, another of the fine camping areas in the Cape Range National Park. This turned out to be fairly drawn out procedure, firstly the queue at the park gate had to be attended to then our host was able to transfer us from there to here and we were able to pay our money for the extra day. On the way we stopped at Mandu Mandu Gorge and I went for a walk, it was much too difficult for Elsine to even attempt so she stayed in the van and did things. The first part of the walk was over the dry rock strewn creek bed which was fairly hard going. Then I started climbing and when I had climbed I went down and repeated this about 5 times before getting back to the car park. It was a good walk through a gorge with high cliff walls then along the top of the cliffs. Unfortunately no animals although we did see some during the day as we drove around. Eventually we settled down in our new campsite.
Friday September 5
Another day another move, this time to Mesa camp which is a little bit further north than the last one. So far my favourite camp in the Cape Range National Park is Kurrajong., however Elaine's was Yardie. The system here is a bit unusual in that most bookings are by internet so you book and arrive, but you can just come to the gate and if there are empty spots pay and settle in. If you want to stay longer than your booking you have to hope that there are spare spots, this means waiting each day until the people queued up at the gate are dealt with then taking whatever is left, which often means moving, sometimes within the camp, sometimes to a new camp. Supposedly tenancy gives you some extra rights but doesn't guarantee success. Did that make sense? If it did please explain to me, but it does seem to work. This whole area which is the west side of a North West Cape is a really nice area and well worth an extended visit to these camps which are spread over about 40km of the coastline.
After settling in to our new campsite we checked the beach out and busied ourselves doing very little. Later we had a swim then joined the other campers here for a sundowner on the dunes overlooking the shore.
Wednesday 3 September 2014
Wednesday September 3
Two more days at Yardie Creek and very enjoyable days they have been.
Yesterday I walked along the gorge, only about 2 km each way but up and down little gorges so moderately hard going. Also worth it I got to see a rock wallaby, very briefly, but at least I saw one. The creek itself is quite pretty at the bottom of a gorge, about 10-12 mtrs high, lots of fish and birds, again I saw some blue heron (at least that is what I think they were). Only 2 but that is more than one! Then we had a swim and spent the rest of the day busily doing nothing.
These camps, there are 9 or 10 of them, all have a volunteer host who lives at the camp in his/her van and generally makes sure that all runs well. They also deal with on the spot bookings as opposed to offsite bookings. At this camp we have a sundowner at 5.30pm at a pair of tables set up at the top of the dunes and overlooking the beach and with a great view of the sunset. On the boat sundowners mean going to another boat with your drinks and some nibbles, here we just take our drinks and talk, but it is a nice idea and helps get people mixing together.
Following a chat with a photographer here I went this afternoon around 4pm for another walk along part of the gorge in the hops of getting photographs of the rock wallabies and sea eagles and ospreys. Bad luck about that but I did get a couple of shots of ordinary wallabies on the path and inside a bush eating.
Two more days at Yardie Creek and very enjoyable days they have been.
Yesterday I walked along the gorge, only about 2 km each way but up and down little gorges so moderately hard going. Also worth it I got to see a rock wallaby, very briefly, but at least I saw one. The creek itself is quite pretty at the bottom of a gorge, about 10-12 mtrs high, lots of fish and birds, again I saw some blue heron (at least that is what I think they were). Only 2 but that is more than one! Then we had a swim and spent the rest of the day busily doing nothing.
These camps, there are 9 or 10 of them, all have a volunteer host who lives at the camp in his/her van and generally makes sure that all runs well. They also deal with on the spot bookings as opposed to offsite bookings. At this camp we have a sundowner at 5.30pm at a pair of tables set up at the top of the dunes and overlooking the beach and with a great view of the sunset. On the boat sundowners mean going to another boat with your drinks and some nibbles, here we just take our drinks and talk, but it is a nice idea and helps get people mixing together.
Following a chat with a photographer here I went this afternoon around 4pm for another walk along part of the gorge in the hops of getting photographs of the rock wallabies and sea eagles and ospreys. Bad luck about that but I did get a couple of shots of ordinary wallabies on the path and inside a bush eating.
Monday 1 September 2014
Today was spent at a little piece of paradise called Yardie Creek. The campsite is almost on the beach, from our site at the inland side of the camp we have to walk about 30mtrs to the beach. But we do manage it with getting to tired!!! We both had a swim today and the water was lovely. We also walked to Yardie Creek itself, that was longer about 100mtrs and a walk along the creek bank, another 1.2kms. Like a lot of these walks it is well set out, with a smooth path, seats to rest on and story boards, most enjoyable. There is a longer walk, maybe tomorrow but only me as is.it too difficult for Elaine.
Friday August 29
Well, well, well we are out of range again, so today's blog get uploaded when we next get coverage.
The day started with a fabulous view over the river, complete with some very attractive reflections. A work along the track alongside the river revealed that we did have neighbours. It also revealed that various animals had been down to the river for a drink, quite a feat as the banks are very steep and about 3 mtrs high.
The next move was to drive down to Old Onslow to see the ruins, but while the locals have been very careful to label all the sites there were no ruins to see.
There was of course construction activity all around the place, the Wheatstone Project is happening here. We saw a pipeline being built and trucks laden with construction materials arriving.
After we left Karratha I though that we had left the powerhouse (of the Australian economy) area, but we were wrong it continues with pockets of activity all over the place. This is all very exciting, but I am not 100% convinced that it is good for Australia in the long term. The various plants, yards, offices, etc take up an absolutely tiny proportion of the space available, so that is not a big issue. What worries me is that we are selling all these bits of Oz and not creating an enduring industry to fill in when it is gone. I also don't think that making the projects use more local companies is only part of story, the other part is new industry processing and using the refined products.
So much for my solution to the nations problems. The other thing that we are now seeing is the re-emergence of anthills, or termite mounds. Now we are seeing thousands of these. Today we saw some with what looked like yarmulkas on their heads and I even photographed one that was wearing a Tullas (prayer shawl). Seriously though maybe they are an alien life form preparing to take over the country!!
Saturday August 30
We spent last night at a rest area called Barradale Rest Area on the banks of the Yannarie River. So this morning I went looking for the the river, what I found was a dry river bed! When it is running this must be quite a river, the river bed is about 500 mtrs wide and, judging by the size of the trees uprooted and carried down river it has a lot of power in its flow. Today however I could not find any water.
We packed our bags and headed south once more, then we saw our first animals for some time, 2 emus standing by the side of the road watching the traffic pass by. We spent a bit of time trying to photograph them then moved on. Turning right we headed up towards northwest Cape and Exmouth stopping for the night at a parking spot about 60 kms south of Exmouth.
Sunday August 31
Last night, just as we were thinking about sundowners, 2 cyclists arrived at our campsite. They were a Spanish couple who have been on the road for 2 years travelling across Spain, Corsica, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc - quite a feat I think. Anyway we struck up a conversation watching them set up camp from the gear that they were carrying on their bikes - tent, mattresses, etc. Then Elaine offered the girl a shower which was gratefully accepted, followed by dinner, goodonya Elaine who felt good being the good samaritan.
This morning we all got up late, the cyclists, another van that was parked in the same area and of course us 2 sleeper inners. Next stop was Exmouth and while Elaine did the shopping I refuelled, rewatered and emptied the thingabob. Then off round the top of North West Cape to the western side of the cape (we were on the eastern side) to the Cape Range National Park were we will spend the next few days at the Yardie Creek Camp.
North West Cape is quite an interesting place. Firstly it is home to the Learmonth RAAF base which is also used as an alternative landing site to Perth Airport when necessary. Then it has the town of Exmouth and the Harold E. Holt naval communications base, which is connected to the huge radio setup they the USA used for there world wide communications and their space program. Then down the middle of the Cape we have Cape Range which is a long but not particularly high mountain range. It is the home to many species of animals and today for the first time in ages we have seen wildlife in the form of a couple of emus, one with chicks. The other big feature of this Cape is Ningaloo Reef which runs down the western side of the cape. Where we are camped we have Cape Range on one side and Ningaloo Reef on the other side, not bad eh!
Well, well, well we are out of range again, so today's blog get uploaded when we next get coverage.
The day started with a fabulous view over the river, complete with some very attractive reflections. A work along the track alongside the river revealed that we did have neighbours. It also revealed that various animals had been down to the river for a drink, quite a feat as the banks are very steep and about 3 mtrs high.
The next move was to drive down to Old Onslow to see the ruins, but while the locals have been very careful to label all the sites there were no ruins to see.
There was of course construction activity all around the place, the Wheatstone Project is happening here. We saw a pipeline being built and trucks laden with construction materials arriving.
After we left Karratha I though that we had left the powerhouse (of the Australian economy) area, but we were wrong it continues with pockets of activity all over the place. This is all very exciting, but I am not 100% convinced that it is good for Australia in the long term. The various plants, yards, offices, etc take up an absolutely tiny proportion of the space available, so that is not a big issue. What worries me is that we are selling all these bits of Oz and not creating an enduring industry to fill in when it is gone. I also don't think that making the projects use more local companies is only part of story, the other part is new industry processing and using the refined products.
So much for my solution to the nations problems. The other thing that we are now seeing is the re-emergence of anthills, or termite mounds. Now we are seeing thousands of these. Today we saw some with what looked like yarmulkas on their heads and I even photographed one that was wearing a Tullas (prayer shawl). Seriously though maybe they are an alien life form preparing to take over the country!!
Saturday August 30
We spent last night at a rest area called Barradale Rest Area on the banks of the Yannarie River. So this morning I went looking for the the river, what I found was a dry river bed! When it is running this must be quite a river, the river bed is about 500 mtrs wide and, judging by the size of the trees uprooted and carried down river it has a lot of power in its flow. Today however I could not find any water.
We packed our bags and headed south once more, then we saw our first animals for some time, 2 emus standing by the side of the road watching the traffic pass by. We spent a bit of time trying to photograph them then moved on. Turning right we headed up towards northwest Cape and Exmouth stopping for the night at a parking spot about 60 kms south of Exmouth.
Sunday August 31
Last night, just as we were thinking about sundowners, 2 cyclists arrived at our campsite. They were a Spanish couple who have been on the road for 2 years travelling across Spain, Corsica, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc - quite a feat I think. Anyway we struck up a conversation watching them set up camp from the gear that they were carrying on their bikes - tent, mattresses, etc. Then Elaine offered the girl a shower which was gratefully accepted, followed by dinner, goodonya Elaine who felt good being the good samaritan.
This morning we all got up late, the cyclists, another van that was parked in the same area and of course us 2 sleeper inners. Next stop was Exmouth and while Elaine did the shopping I refuelled, rewatered and emptied the thingabob. Then off round the top of North West Cape to the western side of the cape (we were on the eastern side) to the Cape Range National Park were we will spend the next few days at the Yardie Creek Camp.
North West Cape is quite an interesting place. Firstly it is home to the Learmonth RAAF base which is also used as an alternative landing site to Perth Airport when necessary. Then it has the town of Exmouth and the Harold E. Holt naval communications base, which is connected to the huge radio setup they the USA used for there world wide communications and their space program. Then down the middle of the Cape we have Cape Range which is a long but not particularly high mountain range. It is the home to many species of animals and today for the first time in ages we have seen wildlife in the form of a couple of emus, one with chicks. The other big feature of this Cape is Ningaloo Reef which runs down the western side of the cape. Where we are camped we have Cape Range on one side and Ningaloo Reef on the other side, not bad eh!
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