We stayed a few days in Kalbarri. Loved it. I mean who doesn't love Kalbarri? We found our way around the cute little town and just mosied around for the first twenty four hours checking out the shops and water and taking in some of the sights. The next day the guys took the boat out for a few hours THEN went jetty fishing that night as well. A real fishing feast with not much to show for it - a couple of gardi and some whiting and that was about it. I think Mason was at the point where he was saying, "Where are all these big fish people keep talking about?" But still, he hasn't given up as yet. The next day we decided to venture out to the National Park. Paid 11 dollars for a carload to get in (can anyone explain to me why we have to pay to go into a national park when it's every- bodies land? I just don't get it?) Anyway, due to the guys mucking around so much before we left, we didn't get there until the heat of the day. Not smart. We made it to Natures Window and then hot and bothered decided to forgo the Z Bend etc as they were a couple of k's walk there and back. I was disappointed but just wanted to get back to base along with the rest of them. An hour later I was raring to go again, so Riley, Chris and I went to the Rainbow Jungle where we wandered around looking all the different species of birds. I actually met someone called Jo who is from Rockingham originally. I met her through a friend called Dawn. It was great to see her there. She was at the front desk of the Jungle and I found out she is now living with her son in Kalbarri - and loving it.
Chris, Mason, Jake and Riley did have more luck that night fishing from the jetty though. Mason used his gidgy and caught his first 'big' fish. He was stoked. Later that night three of the four guys, started to get sick. Riley and I were the only ones doing ok. Jake had a persistent cough and it was really bothering him at night and Chris and Mason were showing signs of a bad sore throat.
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| The other side view from the pathway on the way to Natures Window |
We left Kalbarri to head for Shark Bay on Tuesday, opting to stay overnight at Nerren Nerren to break up the long trip. It was hot there with not a whiff of wind, with red dirt and scrub as far as the eye could see. Riley became obsessed with keeping some of the red dirt as a souvenir even though we told him a few times it was only the first of red dirt he would see. We unpacked the chairs and table and put up the awning, then settled down for some lunch and by 1pm looked around us. What were we going to do in the middle of nowhere until night came? We had a collective decision to push onto Shark Bay and avoid the blazing midday sun. The drive from Kalbarri to Shark Bay is pretty uninspiring to be honest, just scrubby land with some wildflowers showing their pretty heads, a picture of yellow and pink with some white thrown in. About an hour out of Kalbarri the scenery turned to farms and pastures which was a little nicer. And we saw more canola fields. Hey Bec, if you read this, I meant to mention. I was in the chemist at Kalbarri (stocking up on chest and throat medication wouldn't you know it,) when I saw this gorgeous little book shop tucked away in a corner that I hadn't noticed before. Guess what it was called? The Book Nook. They stole our idea lol.
Though it was only 7pm at night, it was dark. EEK... and spooky out there.Jake was sick on the drive to Shark Bay. We thought it was the fact he had swapped places with Riley and was now sitting at the far back of the car, and two "Dad, pull over quick" laters, he was hurling his tummy up. He was sick that night too, oddly no temp or anything but he was not feeling crash hot. Doesn't seem to have spread though as that was a few days ago and no one else is sick - unless you count Mason still with a sore throat and now Chris with a bad dose of Tonsillitis. There's no doctor here in Shark Bay. They only fly in on a Monday and Thursday. So we decided to wait it out until Thursday (after ringing and inquiring as to what days he was here) then found out when we went to the Silver Chain Nursing post (a lovely set up, like a mini hospital) that there is a three week waiting list to see the doctor. Grrr. When Chris went in to see the nurse, she stepped back in horror on seeing his tonsils. Majorly swollen. She was very thorough, a really nice lady. She checked everything she could check, ears, nose throat, heart, breath etc etc, took a swab of his throat and rang the doc to get a special script for Chris which we then took to the Chemist. He only had a few days worth of antibiotics sitting there, so we took those and pick the rest up tomorrow. Its a weird system.
Talk about weird systems. The first night we hit Shark Bay we opted for a free camping spot. We found out through asking that you need a permit to stay in one. I rang the tourist center who told me the only place with space was Goulet Bluff. No problem, we would take what we could get. Then the lovely Brenda on the phone gave me a permit number which we kept to give to the ranger who would no doubt show up later that night. I asked if we could go to another free camp the next night because the book showed this was only a 24 hour stay. Actually, all four of the free camp spots on the way yet not too far out of Shark Bay are the same, only 24 hour stopovers. Sorry, she said. No consecutive nights. Huh? You will have to book into a caravan park if you want to stay more than one night. Like I said, weird.
We found Goulet Bluff easily enough where we settled in to stay the night and I have to add, why were we told the place was full when there were only two other cars there? It was a magic spot, right on the beach, even closer than the last time we stayed at the beach near Horrock. We arrived late afternoon, whereas the boys abandoned all thought of helping set up for the night, grabbed their rods and tackle boxes and ran in a hurry to the shore to throw a line in. It was a really nice night, watching a gorgeous sunset then bunking down when it got too cold. Oh, and did I mentioned it poured with rain that night and everything outside the caravan got soaked? lol Its a war of will out here with the weather.
So here we are now at the Shark Bay Caravan Park. A two and half star deal. It's by far the most sparse caravan park I have seen, just one step up from the Wagoe camping spot. Very simple set up and strangely one of the first we have come across that's not on the beach. It doesn't really matter though because we only use it to sleep and as a base and its only a few streets to the main center of town to the beach and jetty. And so far it's been the cheapest for the night. $48 dollars for the five of us per night. The toilets and showers, while old and in need an update, are huge and clean and the showers are actually not too bad.
But back to the 'What the??," the title of this post. Yesterday, Wednesday, was not one of our better days and as I mentioned, we got pinged by the Fisheries and Wildlife department. This came about from the boys fishing off the jetty. Chris and I hung around with the kids while they set up the rods and tackle and watched for about an hour as they caught fish after fish, mostly coming up with a blue shaded fish we weren't able to identify. Just before we were about to leave them to it to get Chris to the Nursing station to check his throat, Riley caught the biggest one yet. Since we weren't able to identify the breed, Mason put it in a bucket to keep it alive until they could figure out what it was. He kept changing the water over to keep it healthy and meanwhile they still fished up a storm. And kept getting more of the same fish. About 8 in total, which were all thrown back in as they looked on the smallish side. Meanwhile, people were popping by and checking out their catch, which they tend to do, and some were offering an opinion as to what the fish might be. Chris though it was some sort of groper - maybe a Baldchin Groper, but others weren't sure (it did look spot on for a groper though, similar markings.) Finally, some old fisherman who said he had been fishing in these waters for over 20 years pegged it as a Wrasse. Ok, so what size are we allowed to have with this kind of fish? Mason asked him. He looks big enough, he replied. Minutes later Mason caught an even bigger 'wrasse.' The old guy helped them study the fishing chart and they measured it. It was an allowed size. Chris and I happily left them to it, and met with the kids again a few hours later as they were at the fish cleaning bay preparing the fish to take home.
Two minutes after we pulled up a van from the Fisheries Department arrived and two guys in their 20's got out. They inquired as to what sort of fish we had - two wrasse we told them - and they turned around and said no they weren't. They were juvenile tusk fish. And you aren't allowed to catch and keep these ones. We had zero idea, even Chris, who has been fishing since he was old enough to hold a rod. These young guys were apologetic but it didn't stop them from grilling Mason about everything to do with catching the fish, even reading him his rights in case the case should end up in court and writing down in a notebook word for word as he answered their questions. What the???? They didn't expect it would ever go that far, but by now Mason was getting upset and asked them if was so important to them why they didn't put up big signs on the jetty as to what you're able to catch and not catch and put the allowed sizing's up there at the same time. A good point I thought. The main guy we were dealing with countered with, well, why didn't you pop over the road to the fisheries Department and ask. We never even knew the fisheries department was there!! It would have saved a lot of trouble had we known.
Anyway, long story short, it put a big damper on the day, with them following us back to base camp to check Mason's credentials and leaving us with, "We will talk to our supervisor and see what we can do. You will either get a warning, or an infringement." Great! Turns out it was the latter. They turned up at 10am this morning just before we left to go out, apologised (again) and said we had copped a $200 dollar fine. It's ludicrous, seriously. Two kids fishing off a jetty, with two fish where one was two cm undersize and the other three cm under (but the right size if it was the fish we were told it was) has made us dollars poorer. And it put the wind up the kids who were too worried about catching the wrong fish in future and wrecked everything for them. I mean I understand why they have these rules but seriously I think they took it too far? Anyway, it wasn't a great day
This morning after our visit from the guys to hand us the infringement, we left Chris behind to rest and I took the kids out to the Ocean Park in Sharks Bay. It's a great little spot. They give a guided tour of all sorts of sea creatures and we got to watch some small sharks get fed. Riley in particular really enjoyed it. Then we stopped off at the bakery in town for a late lunch and back to the caravan. Where I found Chris had put his 'rest time' to good use. At least I think it was. He had rearranged the whole kitchen part of the caravan. Then took me through what he thought was genius (and it was for the most part - things ARE more organised - now I dont have to move three things aside to get to the pots and pans etc. It's all laid out in a logical way - men and their logic. Hmm...)
The beach at Shark Bay
Guess that's all I have for now. Tomorrow we leave for Canarvon. I'm really looking forward to getting further up north, especially when we cross the border to the east where I don't know and haven't seen much of. We might take it in two stages as its about a four hour drive. Two hours drive, stop for lunch then finish off hopefully finding somewhere to stay for the night. I will also be on the hunt for a great big supermarket where food doesn't cost the earth. Prices are crazy here up north. Easily double what we pay in Perth. And trying to keep these three growing boys stomach's full is no easy matter. It's making it tough to stick to a budget when everything you want to do costs. It kind of sucks.
Oh, and don't forget I'd love to hear from you too. Leave me a comment at the bottom of this post, if you want to say hi. Then I can read about all your fun and games.
Chow for now
Carolyn xx
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