Day 74 - Saturday 15 September - Checking out Kalbarri

Day 74

Saturday

15 September – 

Galena Bridge - Kalbarri

The light was pouring in and the wind was still when we woke this morning. Knowing we had a short drive on to Kalbarri there was no rush to move out of bed. We stayed put for an hour reading, before we eventually got out at 8.15am. 

We took our time with breakfast and tidying up, again there was no rush, but with little to do for pack up, we were joining the convoy of other travellers and pulling out of the free camp at 8.45am. In an hour, we would be in Kalbarri.

At 9.45am, we pulled into the BP and filled the tank, which was running on empty. At $1.68, it was one of the more expensive pumps we have filled up at, of late. We then proceeded the further km down the road to the boat ramp and took the car off the trailer. Meanwhile, I went to reception at the Anchorage Caravan Park and booked in for a couple of days. 

We ended up with a spot in the riverfront section, manoeuvred the van into place and set up our base. When we were done, I went for a shower and when Paul had done the same, we ventured into town, happy for the chance to walk.

Our first stop was the info centre, where we picked up info on what to do and then we continued to follow the river front all the way around to the lookouts where the Murchison River meets the sea. We stood and watched the waters pounding, waves crashing against the reef and rocks below. 

We continued to follow the trail up to the Zuytdorp memorial lookout which gave a good view back over the town and the river.  It was a lovely warm morning, but the breeze was just beginning to turn. As it was midday, Paul suggested we head home so we could have lunch and prepare for the afternoon. 

On our return at 12.30pm, I put salad rolls together and then we enjoyed a bit of a sit down for a short while. Just after 1pm, we were ready to be on the move again. This time we were heading off to check out the coastal cliffs, something we did last time we were here, but the weather was so fowl, we didn’t really see much. 

We drove out of town, heading south, making our way to Island Rock. Here we parked and wandered over to the lookout. The large rock structure emerged from the sea floor and was being pounded by the large swell. We walked between it and Natural Bridge, on a boardwalk snaking its way through the scrub. We spied a pod of dolphins not far from the Island Rock happy to just bob about. 

We eventually made it to Natural Bridge and took in the sights both north and south of us. Out to the West, whales could be seen leaving a spray of water, as they emerged and disappeared again.  We returned to the car and moved on to Shellhouse Grandstand. We again left the car and walked the short distance to the lookout, checking out the white sandstone cliffs that fall into the water below. 

The next stop on the trail was Eagle Gorge. We followed the path to the viewing platform and took in the landscape before us. Someone had taken some time to gather black rocks and make a heart shape at the base of the cliff. As we followed the path back, a small bearded dragon popped out to say hello, almost running up my leg. He was quite cute, but also quite unpredictable. 

We drove in and checked out Pot Alley, but weren’t interested in doing the walk, so continued on to Mushroom Rock. We cheated with the walk, opting to take an obvious shortcut and view it from a rock platform, rather than venture all the way down. It is quite an interesting structure. 

Our final stop was Red Bluff. We remembered walking this trail when we were here in 2016, the dog barking in the van after we left him and our rain / wind jackets done up tight around our ears, as we braved the wind and rain. Today we didn’t have the rain, but the wind was still a battle. 

We made it to the point, took in the view over the beach below and the Kalbarri town site beyond and then returned to the car, happy to be heading back to the van for some r n r. I took the time to go through the photos for the day, before we had to think about getting ready to head out to dinner. Paul had found a craft brewery in town and had booked a table for 6pm. 

We drove over to Finlays Bar at 5.30pm and were shown to our table, the Collingwood v GWS game was already playing and we had front row seats, so that kept us entertained, as we perused the menu and ordered drinks. Paul met with the owner, speaking to him about the place and the beer. 

Our food came out nice and quick, coconut prawns for entrée followed by fish n chips and squid. It was all delicious. We let it settle for a short while, before ordering chocolate mousse for dessert and a hot chocolate for me. 

We watched the footy until ¾ time and then returned to the warmth of the van. I was happy to go through the blog and the rest of the photos, keeping tabs on the final quarter of the footy. Unfortunately, the Pies made it through by 10pts. Soon after it was time for bed.

Day 73 - Friday 14 September - Continuing South

Day 73

Friday

14 September – 

Coral Bay – Minilya – Carnarvon – Galena Bridge

We were awake just after 7 and Paul was up and out ready to get on with our move. I laid in bed for a further 15min and then had to get up. We ate breakfast, before Paul went for a shower and I began the tidy up inside. When he returned, it was my turn for a shower and when I returned, I had to play find the van. I followed the trail of water dots, eventually finding him around the corner with the car already on the trailer. By 8.30am, we were on the road and heading for Carnarvon. At 9am we crossed the line of the Tropic of Capricorn and by 9.25am we had returned to the North West Coastal Highway, albeit heading in the wrong direction! I am sure we should be heading north. 

We passed the spot where we had our first incident on the trip, the blown tyre and kept on cruising by. Minilya Bridge roadhouse was a further 5km down the road and we pulled in for fuel, which took forever as the pump wasn’t working properly. 

I spent the time between Minilya and Carnarvon catching up on the blog and the photos from the past couple of days. By 11am, we had reached the outskirts of Carnarvon, with the tell-tale food crops lining the road, as opposed to the many wildflowers that we had been passing along the edge of the highway. 

We stopped at the BP and filled up properly this time. We then continued on into Carnarvon; first for a new gas bottle and second, to do a quick grocery stop. We had lunch in the carpark, before moving off. We returned to the Highway ready to make the trip south. We weren’t sure where we were heading to, somewhere free camping before the Kalbarri turn off, with our aim to be in Kalbarri proper, tomorrow. 

The drive was painful, with a strong headwind throwing the van about, but there was nothing to do, but keep on moving. The wildflower show was just incredible. At times, it reminded me of an English Cottage garden. I just hoped that the rest stop had plenty on show for me to wander about. The colours of the small flowers were so vivid and at times there were just hundreds of them; white, pink, yellow and purple all mixed together. It made me want to run through them all. 

We passed over the 26^thParallel, no longer finding ourselves in the North West. The turn off to Denham appeared not long after, along with the Overlander Roadhouse and then it was only a further 150km to our designated stop at Galena Bridge. 

At 3.10pm, entered the Batavia Coast, part of the Northampton Shire. We started our day In the Coral Coast, part of the Carnarvon Shire and had driven through the Shark Bay Shire, a fair journey for a single day. 

We finally reached Galena Bridge, which crosses the Murchison River, at 3.50pm. We wound our way into the free camp and joined a number of other people enjoying the free camp spot on the northern banks. Setting up was minimal, just park. We then had fun with the car, as it had shifted on the trailer and needed to be sorted. After some jigging around, the straps finally came loose and I was able to drive the car off and then back on for repositioning. 

Once the car was sorted, we put on the sneakers and made way for the river edge. We watched a pelican perched on rocks in the middle of the water, a couple of ducks sail by with their brood in tow and a pair of swans with their five cygnets. 

We then ventured back up the road so that I could check out the wildflowers. Unfortunately, there weren’t as many or as great a variety as we had seen on our trip down, but there were still plenty to keep me satisfied.  Large pockets of white everlastings filled the ground, swaying in the breeze and dancing in the sunlight, which gave the scene a dreamlike feel. It was very pretty. 

We crossed the river on the old, low traffic bridge to reach the southern bank, where many other campers were parked and was probably the better area. I found different plants in flower and happily snapped away. 

We made our way back to the van and I was straight into making dinner, both of us were starving. I spent time going through the photos after dinner, before we retired, happy to read. 

Day 72 - Thursday 13 September - Last one in Coral Bay

Day 72

Thursday

13 September – 

Coral Bay

It is so wonderful to have nothing to do, but lay in bed and read for as long as you want and that is exactly how I started the morning, relishing the opportunity to knock out many chapters of my book in one go. 

Once we were up, we tidied and had breakfast before going for a walk along the beach. People were just starting to wander down, ready for their day in the sun. We took in the view and noted that the winds weren’t that bad and rued the fact that the fishing charter had been called off for today. 

With our walk done, we returned to the van to relax and read some more. However, by 11am, I was getting restless and suggested we should go for a swim. We gathered together the necessary items and wandered down to the beach. We found a patch of sand to leave our gear and then walked into the water, it was freezing, but it didn’t stop us. 

Goggles and flippers on, we waded out to the drop off and let the current drift us over the corals. With each new snorkel, we venture that little bit further afield. I am always amazed at the sights that await. In sections, the coral looked like large cabbages, all large leaves sprouting from a centre fist. Fish darted here and there, some more visible than others and willing to check us out. 

Before heading back to the shore, we spotted a long stick like shape on the sea floor and then it moved. It was a fish of some sort, a bit gardi like, but so much bigger. We stayed in the shallows enjoying the warmer water. The fish that are fed are obviously well conditioned, as they were swimming by us, as we stood still in the water, not 30cm from us. 

We returned to our bag, were quick to grab our towels and put our swimming gear away. We then made our way back to the van via the Eco tours, to organise evening drinks with Roger, changed into warmer attire and wandered over to Jim’s Bar for lunch. 

We found seats in the sun where I could warm my bones and then we read the menu. I had been dreaming about the massive hamburger, so that was an easy call for me, Paul opted for squid salad. When the food arrived, I knew I had a challenge ahead of me. I had to pick the burger apart to be able to eat it, managing to get through some of the layers, but it wasn’t long before I realised it would beat me. Paul helped out and before long the plate was clean. Phew! The Big Al’s Burger was a massive meal, but what shocked me more, was you could order it with a second beef patty, not that would have been ridiculous. 

Feeling rather round, we returned to the van and I plonked myself in the outside chair with my book, where I stayed for the next hour. Paul wanted the comfort of the van’s air con, so remained indoors. 

Once again, 4pm rolled around and we needed to do something to get the lunch moving, so we took off for our afternoon wander. We trekked north, but were aware that the tide was making its way back in, so we only ventured halfway up the beach, before making the return. There was no one in the water now, as it was quite choppy from the wind. 

We put away the outdoor chairs, in readiness for our move tomorrow and then returned to our books, until Paul realised it was time to head to the Ningaloo Resort Pub to meet Roger for a drink. The breeze had well and truly set in and it was now quite cool, so we both rugged up, before heading. 

Once there, we fought through the crowd at the bar, ordered and then found a seat. Paul let Roger know we were there and he joined us shortly after. We spent the evening talking about Coral Bay and life as we know it. It was quite pleasant, but for the wind. 

By 8.30pm, we said our goodbyes and made our way back to the van, happy to get into the warmth once more. I was straight into bed and back into my book, all the while the wind was rocking the van. Eventually it was lights out. 

Day 71 - Wednesday 12 September - Anniversary in Coral Bay

Day 71

Wednesday

12 September – Our 14^thWedding Anniversary

Coral Bay

We were awake at 7am, happy to spend time reading, while we could hear the campground coming alive outside. By 8am, we were ready to haul ourselves out of bed and get into the day ahead, much the same as yesterday. 

While we had breakfast, Paul received a text to say the fishing charter had been cancelled due to the winds, bugger. We were both looking forward to getting out tomorrow. Oh well. We gathered together the dirty washing and took our basket over to the laundry, glad there was a free machine. 

With that in place, we then crossed the road to the shop and picked up a few things that we were running low on. We brought the stash home, put it away and then went for a walk around the park. We returned to the laundry, waited for the machine to finish and then hung out the items on the line.

We returned to the van, before heading out for a walk along the front and up to the lookout. The surf was pounding into the outer reef throwing up large white caps. We ran into another traveller we have seen a couple of times. We stopped to chat, as he affixed a sign to his well stacked bike about keeping Australia clean. We also chatted to another couple who turned out to be from Balga. 

We stopped in at the Eco tours to enquire after Roger. He was back in town and the girl behind the counter rang and let him know we were around. We had 30min to kill, so we stopped next door for a hot chocolate and quick net check. Roger turned up shortly after and we stood around catching up, before we left him to the business. 

Once back at the van, we had lunch and then spent some time reading quietly. At 2pm, we changed into our bathers and wandered down to the beach for a snorkel. We Dumped our things on the sand and then entered the water, immediately greeted by hungry snapper like fish. 

We let the current push us around the point and out into the centre of the bay. We swam over lots of different coral and saw plenty of fish, but the chop wasn’t overly pleasant and the water was quite cold. 

We eventually ended up in a dead area of coral, which reminded us of snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef last year. We then battled the current to swim back to shore, finding warmer water in the shallows. 

We towelled off and trekked back to the van, keen to get into warm gear. I went through the few photos I had taken and wrote up the blog for the day thus far. Before delving back into my book. 

At 4pm, we went for our customary wander along the beach, walking south this time. We made our way along the white sand of the beach, before rounding the point and continuing on. We had the view of the jetty not far in the distance, but we didn’t make it as the rocks were a little off putting. We turned tail and returned home. 

We both had showers and changed, before heading over to Jim’s Bar for a pre-dinner drink. We sat in the sun enjoying the warmth and watching the food orders come out. The hamburger looked like a winner. Once our drinks were done, we made our way to Fin’s Café, where we were shown to our table. It was quite breezy and cool, but a small fence provided some resistance. 

We both ordered the steak topped with prawns and weren’t disappointed, when it was brought to the table for us to enjoy. Paul ate every last morsel, he was obviously hungry and I powered through mine. The meals were large enough that I didn’t need dessert, though I think Paul could have tucked in. 

We returned to the van, happy to sit back and read for sometime, before heading to bed. 

Day 70 - Tuesday 11 September - Coral Bay delights

Day 70

Tuesday

11 September 

Coral Bay

I awoke feeling refreshed, after getting an early night. I was happy to stay in bed and read my book, staying until 8.30am. When I got up, I sorted the bed and we ate breakfast. I rang Mum and Dad to check in, them happily reminding us that we would be home soon. Paul received a call from the Mahi Mahi charter group to say Thursday was a go and he did a little happy dance. 

After the chat, we crossed over to the shop and paid for the charter, we then went for a walk along the front and up to the lookout. The water was well and truly on the way back in and there wasn’t much further we could walk. 

We returned to the van via the beach and Paul got busy putting fuel into the van and car from the jerry cans. We then looked into our remaining days and where we want to be for them, nutting out a rough idea for our final 2 weeks. Boo Hoo.

Feeling in need of something warm, we trundled over to the bakery and bought a hot chocolate and mocha. We sat in the outdoor alfresco area watching life go by, as we finished our warm drinks. Once we were done, we did a walk down to the beach. The water was in even further, something I didn’t think was possible. We walked over to a rocky outcrop and watched the fish swimming about in the shallows and the coral outcrops. The water looked so inviting, that I decided we should return to the van and put on our bathers. 

We did, returning a short while later with our snorkelling gear. As we came down the path, a pelican was busy taking advantage of the space and sun, so I stopped to check him out, along with a group of year 5 students on school camp from Karratha. We dumped our things on the sand, grabbed our noodles and cameras and made for around the point. Today we wanted the current to push us along and across greater ground and it did just that. 

The fish life was even more incredible than what we had experienced yesterday. I became so engrossed in the fish life, that I was off darting all over the place, chasing the next big fish. At one stage, I watched a stunning green fish chewing away at the coral. He was so big and then others came to join him, but he wasn’t so happy about it. 

I then came across the fish super highway, where hundreds of fish were travelling across a white sandy bottom to another coral outcrop. There were fish in schools of all sizes and they just kept on coming, it was crazy.  I was having a great time being in the underwater world, but eventually Paul called time and we made our way to the shallow shore and back to our bag, towelled off and then began the trek back to the van. 

We walked the boundary of the People’s Park and notices a good sized bungarra making its way across the road and straight into someone’s camp. By the time we reached it, it was holed up in the back of an annex and then owners were just pulling up. Thankfully, it made a hasty retreat for the seclusion under a car and they weren’t scared witless. 

I dropped in for a warming shower and then came back to get changed and have lunch. I ate and went through the photos we had taken, along with the video footage. Two hours later, we were ready to head out for a wander. I was keen to walk out to the point and with the tide quickly subsiding, the walk was possible.

We tossed the shoes at the entry point and began the trek. While most of it was beach sand, there was a rocky point which had us wishing we still had our shoes with us. Oh well. We soldiered on anyway and were soon back on the white stuff. 

We watched the school group, who were perched at the top of sand dune and scooting down on various devices. It looked like fun and just the trick to tire the little blighters out. 

We wandered along the water’s edge, watching the coral and reef structure slowly become exposed. We saw a stingray cruising in the shallows and some fish. It looked quite inviting and I wished I’d had my bathers. 

We rounded the point, keen to see what was on the other end of it. Maud’s Landing is what we found. We took that as our key to turn tail and return. We kept the structures of Coral Bay in sight and pounded the sand, keeping an eye out for interesting objects and animals. We saw a black tip reef shark swimming within the shark nursery area, some more interesting brain coral and a clam. 

Soon enough, we were back at the starting point and then it was a short walk to return to the van, where we got straight into cooking up the fish for dinner. It turned out the fish was delicious. I beer battered one lot and grilled some other pieces, just so we could compare. Both ways were yum. 

After dinner, I went through the photos I had taken and then I settled in with my book once again.