Shark Bay area

After leaving Carnarvon we were on our way to Monkey Mia to see the Dolphins, we arrived in good time at Hamelin Homestead for a 2 night stay as we wanted to go to Steep Point (most westerly point of Australia) It rained that night so the road out was closed to Steep Point, so maybe next time. 

Hamelin Homestead Station Stay

That afternoon we went to see the Stromatolites, Hamelin Telegraph Station and the shell quarry. We had a very interesting afternoon. The Telegraph Station has a caravan park but I would not like to stay there as it was old & grotty looking. The Telegraph was first built in 1884, from here we did the 3.5 km walk to the Stromatolites via the shell block quarry, these blocks were used to build the early buildings in Denham.

Hamelin Telegraph Station 

Shell brick quarry @ Telegraph Station

The shell blocks are made from the Coquina Shells that have washed onto the beach and made Coquina Limestone over thousands of years. This limestone has been cut into blocks and many buildings in the area are made from it.

Stromatolites at Telegraph Station Beach

The Stromatolites are colonies of micro-organisms that resemble the oldest and simplest forms of life found on earth around 3.5 billion years ago. The Stromatolites grow in Hamelin Pool because of the extreme salinity of the water.

Stromatolites beach at Telegraph Station 

Hamelin Station Homestead 

We returned to our camp site for a rest and happy hour in the camp kitchen with a great fire and good company. The next day we headed up the 100 odd km's to Monkey Mia to see the Dolphins. The caravan park at Monkey Mia is very poor but the Dolphins were great. We lined up at 7.45 am like a lot of other people to see them, they might be wild but very well trained to turn up at the right time, swim around a bit then leave at the correct time.

Dolphins at Monkey Mia

Nicky the dolphin checking us out

We decided to do a cruise out to the pearl farm and got the best look at the Dolphins of the day, racing the yatch, leaping out of the water it was wonderful to watch, better than the controlled show at the beach.

Dolphin leaping

The pearl farm was interesting and we got a very good look at how this farm works, then a ride back on the work boat as the Aristocat 2 had gone on with the rest of the cruise.

Pearl Farm

Sunset at Monkey Mia

2 nights at Monkey Mia was enough so we went to Denham to see what might be there.  As I mentioned earlier we had hoped to go to Steep Point but as it had rained the road was closed as to with the Ocean Park. We did have a great drive out to Francois Peron NP, we only went as far as the homestead as the road from there was very sandy and it is the first time we have seen a tyre deflate and inflate station on a track in a National park, but of course there is always some nut that goes in without letting down there tyres, 2 girls in a wicked van. The track is 4x4 only and well signed posted.

Francois Peron Homestead

The big attraction here is the hot artesian pool was really good and we had a nice soak after our picnic lunch and a walk around the shearing shed and yards.

Hot Tub at Francois Peron Homestead

Ian taking photo of ant hill

On leaving Denham we headed toward Kalbarri, along the way we stopped at a look out and what did we see, little ant hills Ian just had to take a photo of them.

The Ant hill that Ian was photographing

We also stopped at Shell Beach, yes all shells no sand, the home of the Hamelin Cockle and there are heaped up to 10m thick and form a beach up to 1 km wide it is amazing to see.

Shell Beach

Free camp 444 on the Murchison River

About 3pm we arrived at our preferred free camp on the Murchison River for the night only to meet up with friends from Denham, we made the wind break for the fire, we had a lovely night with Graeme, Yvonne, Paul and Bev. There were caravans, motor homes, motor bikes and 5 th wheelers every where.

Murchison River free camp, very busy place

In the morning we left and went to Kalbarri for a few days, so I will tell you more about that in the next edition of the blog.
Cheers for now, Marilyn and Ian

Ningaloo National Park to Carnarvon

Hi once again to you all,
After leaving the Lighthouse Caravan park we went round to Yardie Homestead Caravan Park, here we had a great generator site down the back as all the powered sites were full (school holidays). We ended up 3 vans from friends Wayne & Jenny, which was great.

Bustard trying to not be noticed

On our first Saturday afternoon we decided to go to the National Park & look at some of the beaches. We saw a few birds, Australian Bustard among others, went to the Visitor Centre then onto Turquoise Bay, on the way we made contact with a Kangaroo, this is the first time we have ever hit one.

Bustard leaving

Damage to truck from Kangaroo

The damage wasn't to bad and Ian was able to pull out the dint. Turquoise Bay was beautiful. We made a lot of trip into Exmouth to do housekeeping stuff like, food, washing, post office, buying an antenna for the computer for the Internet that did not work.

Moon rise over the Cape Range 

Pretty Blue wild flowers

The wild flowers had started to appear, we went snorkeling at Turquoise Bay, we also went on a cruise to view and snorkel on the coral reef which we really enjoyed, we saw lots of fish & coral, the coral was not as bright as the Barrier Reef but much easy to see.

Morning mist over Cape Range

One morning we woke up to see the mist rolling over the range outside or door.

One shy Emu

This Emu ran round the water tank to hide, when he felt safe he peck round to see if we had gone, NO we were still there so he ducked back behind the tank.

Turquoise Bay

The stunning colours of the water, sky & sand of Turquoise Bay. There are lots of great beaches along Ningaloo Reef.

Surfers @ Wobiri Beach 

Mangroves @ Yardie Creek

We also did the 1 hour cruise on Yardie Creek, this was a great little cruise, although we didn't see any Osprey we did see there nest & many interesting things, shells embedded in stone, 2 4X4's driving back & forth across the creek having fun.

Shells in stone @ Yardie Creek

Having fun crossing Yardie Creek

Yardie Creek entrance with Indian Ocean

One of the best sightings was of the Blackfooted Wallaby, we saw many of them, little grey & black cute fellows peeping out of the rocks. The creek wound it's way up the gorge through multicoloured rocks.

Black Footed Wallaby @ Yardie Creek

The end of Yardie Creek

South Bank of Yardie Creek

Osprey Bay

Kurrajong Tree (WA style, Boab only smaller)

After the cruise we headed back to the camp but went into many of the camp sites & beaches along the way. As you can see the water colour, trees (not very tall) & lots of friendly Kangaroos along the way.

These guys just sat & watch us pass

Railway water tower @ Carnarvon museum

From Cape Range National Park we headed of to Carnarvon with a free camp along the way. We had a really nice night with other people chatting & eating dinner. We arrived at Carnarvon, I drove from the free camp to Carnarvon as Ian had a very bad cold, Ian spent most of Wednesday in bed. We spent 3 days in Carnarvon having a look around.

Carnarvon Lighthouse station

German lifeboat of the Kormrant

In the museum there is the German lifeboat from the Kormrant which was involved in the sinking of the HMAS Sydney.

OTC dish 

Thursday night BBQ @ Plantation Caravan Park in Carnarvon

We found Carnarvon to be a little depressed with lots of closed shops. We had coffee at a cute cafe at a farm on the banks of the river. The damage from the floods early in the year  was everywhere.
We left Carnarvon for Kalbarri, so more of that next time.
Cheers Marilyn & Ian

North to Exmouth

Hi to all our friends who watch this blog, we left Perth to travel north to Exmouth & had a couple of free camps along the way. One very noisy & one just great at Hamelin Station Stay (low cost not free). Really nice place to stay, with BBQ's, open fire, great kitchen you can use & a new amenities block. Guess you could say we like this place.

Sun rise @ Hamelin Station Stay, 7.30 am

We continue the tradition of taking photo's of Ian each time we cross the Tropic of Capricorn, this time on the road between Minilya Roadhouse & Exmouth. It took us 4 days to get to Exmouth.

Ian at the sign of the crossing the Tropic of Capricorn

We had one night in Coral Bay in a caravan park, no water (bore water) but power at least. Ian does enjoy the walking on the beaches.

Ian walking on beach of Coral Bay

Power generation for Coral Bay

From Coral Bay we went on to Exmouth, filled the tanks at the info centre water point and continued to the Ningaloo Lighthouse CP, again no water (as it is bore water) but power, poor phone/Internet  reception, had to get an antenna which worked a bit better there but not at Yardie Homestead. We stayed at the Lighthouse CP for 10 days, went to the Friday morning craft, Ian went riding. On the Sunday we went to the market in town (very small) The ladies from the craft morning were there selling there craft.

The wreck of the Mildura

Wind surfer.

Had a few day drives around the place. Shothole Canyon was fantastic you drove in the bottom of the canyon to a picnic spot. The colours of the rock face was ever changing and very dry.

Track into Shothole Canyon

Ian with truck in Shothole Canyon

Sturt Dessert Pea by the roadside

The canyon from the lookout at the end

On another day we went to Charles Knife Canyon, this was different as you drove on top of the ridge & look down 350 meters to the bottom. Nice 4x4 track to the Thomas Carter Lookout, single lane track, sand, rock & lots of scrub. When you get to the end of the track you find a car park full of 4x4's

Car park at the Thomas Carter Lookout

Capped oil well

View of ocean & canyon from track.

Track to ocean over the flat plain from a high point on the track

Near the end of our stay at the Lighthouse CP we went to view a sunset from the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse (built in 1911), we had all the necessities wine, chips, chairs & camera for a pleasant night. The lighthouse does not operate any more as its job was taken over in 1969 by tower 11 of the Australian Naval Comms Station. These towers stand 387 meters high.  

Vlamingh Head Light house

Sunset over the Indian Ocean

The clouds glisten gold from the sun

No camping at the lighthouse but that doesn't stop the van from having dinner up there & staying

Some of the towers of the A-VLF low frequency transmitter  array, the centre one is 387.6 meters (that the one on the building)

This is for my sister, she loves minis

We had a nice week at the Lighthouse CP but as it was school holidays we had to move so went Yardie Homestead CP, more about that later.