Day 77 - Tuesday 18 September - Making our way home

Day 77

Tuesday

18 September – 

Yuna – Geraldton – Jurien Bay - home

6.30am we were awake and off to use the loos. I came back first and promptly jumped back into bed, it was bloody freezing outside. Unfortunately, Paul had other ideas, he was up and awake and ready to move on. He began putting the breakfast things together, leaving me little choice, but to join him. Grrr 

There wasn’t much to do with the pack up, I didn’t even make the bed. I moved my things to the front carriage and at 7.20am, we were on the road for the final time. Insert a very sad face here. 

We followed the narrow Chapman Valley Road through small farming villages, past the rolling dales of yellow and green, every now and then we saw sheep or cows, I even spied the ears of Kangaroo amongst a field of wheat. The sun was beaming, giving everything a healthy glow and the sky was a cloudless cornflour blue. 

By 8.10am, we had reached the outer burbs of Geraldton, entering the familiar setting of housing estates. The traffic increased with the morning commute and followed through to the southern boundary. We stopped briefly for fuel and then we followed the signs to the Brand Highway, all the while watching the waves crest and break over unseen reef. 

We made our way through Greenough, passing the windswept trees. We picked up a large stone, that put a 10c sized indent in the windscreen, another thing to add to the list of things to do when we are home. We skirted Port Denison / Dongara at 9.15am and then turned right onto the Indian Ocean Drive. 

At 10.30am, the buildings of Jurien Bay became visible and my stomach said it was time for morning tea. We did a loop of town, looking for somewhere to park, eventually pulling up with some other vans. We got out, stretched the legs and made our way to the bakery for a pastry. We sat inside, as it was too cool outside. When we were done, we returned to the van and continued to trundle on down the road.

We passed Ledge Point and the viewing area for the grass trees, of which there were hundreds. We then entered the road work zone, which slowed us down somewhat, coming into Lancelin. Once we passed it and the turn off for Seabird though, the road became a little clearer. 

12.40pm and we reached the northern City of Wanneroo marker, we really were heading home. Yanchep National Park soon emerged and we were only 45km from our front door. All this time on the road and the end drawing ever nearer.