WARNING: extra long blog filled with pictures and aimless chatter lol. I have been storing all this stuff to tell you because up 'till now there has been no net. So read away.....
We left you last in Exmouth. We were packed and ready to go by 9.30am only to head off today in gale force winds. See, we are definetly getting better at this packing and unpacking business. We say goodbye to a great couple I mentioned in my last post - Colin and Angie who we end up becoming good friends with - finishing with Saturday night drinks at their joint though we had to be back at our own caravan by 10pm - no noise or drinks after 10pm. Seems to be a common caravan park rule to keep the riff-raff under control and let the oldies get their beauty sleep lol. The first ninety k's leaving Exmouth are tough going, driving against that headwind. Armed with lots of extra info courtesy of our new friends we head towards Port Hedland - Colin's favorite saying was (I get the feeling he REALLY didn't like Port Headland) "Wipe your feet on the way out - they don't want you there and they don't cater for tourism." Hmm. I guess we will find out for ourselves.
Anyway, our original idea (well, mine) was to head inland towards Tom Price so we could visit the Kirjini National park but that was scrapped because it was a LONG way out of our way and there are other national parks nearer that are just as great. We made a stop to stretch our legs on a lonely part of the long drive, noticing the south bound highway had been cut off. Earlier that morning there had been a head on between two really big road trains and according to those in the know, there were fatalities :( incredibly sad. We pushed onwards to our destination of Robe River where we plan to stay the night. I remember thinking I hope it's a decent stop because up until now most free camps (unless they are on the beach and we have managed a few of those) are not so great. They are hot, dusty, lonely areas in the middle of nowhere where there's literally no more to do than veg. As we get back in the car I notice there are already 6 or 7 caravans set up for the night on the pull off area. I asked Chris what on earth they were thinking? It was really hot outside and there they are sitting by their caravans under the caravan awning and since it's only 1pm it's going to make for a really long afternoon. He thinks some know each other as there's some chatter between a few of the vans. They have their radios on and I can hear a t.v going and well, they seem to enjoy it. I don't know - not my cup of tea that's for sure.
 |
| Jake taking the trek up the beach from the Lighthouse Lookout - Exmouth |
On the way from Exmouth we see some rivers that are actually partially full. And the scenery is getting prettier. We stop for a top up of petrol at Nanutarra Roadhouse - EEEK! The petrol is 1.99 a litre and when I go in to buy some drinks (two coffee chills and a 1.25 litre of drink) the lady says that will be 19 dollars, lol. I almost fell over backward. Since I only had 15 dollars in my purse, I did some hurried drink swapping finally getting it right on the third try since there were no prices in the drink fridge. The lady let me know that she was NOT happy having to ring the till up YET again, huffing and puffing at me and my indecision and people were starting to line up behind me. Perversely, I just didn't care. I was hot and the drinking water here up is abysmal for the most part. I wanted my large cold drink of fresh spring water and that was that!
We drive on to Robe River where we are a bit worried at first that we wouldn't get a spot. It looked quite full. Then Chris did a walk around and about five hundred meters up or so he found somewhere we could park the big rig. We managed to find a pozzie near the riverbank with a lovely grassy area under a big tree where we could set up the table and chairs. The boys tried to light a fire that night in a campfire that had already been set up but they left it too late (it was dark by then) and couldn't find any firewood. I think that was a lesson learned. Do things in the daytime when you can find what you are looking for lol.
Then other times you get this - Mount Alexander 
We were on the road again next day by 8.45am (all this traveling day by day does get tiring - unpacking and packing up again especially when you have to lug a great big boat motor out of storage from the caravan) and we pull into Karratha by midday. Karratha is quite a pretty town considering it's red dirt city. My new white flowery Billabong thongs are filthy and stained by now as are some of the kids and Chris's clothes and my white t'shirt just won't come clean. You think we should forgo white while we are up here? I think so too.
 |
| Guess who? Yep - the original Red Dog himself. He's sitting at the information board to the entrance to Karratha. |
 |
| A coastal shot from Karratha - one of the far points up a large hill |
 |
| Some of the movement happening in Karratha - these are flash looking apartments on the beach and to the right of the shot there was about 100 rough looking dongers for the workers lol |
 |
| The boats of Dampier |
Anyway, there's some major developments going on here in Karratha with a huge high rise set back overlooking the ocean (I didn't know Karratha was even on the sea.) The town has these huge hills overlooking it and across the landscape you see more purple hills to the West. We tried to book in overnight but everything was full, so we pushed on after a lunch stop to Dampier. This place is even prettier. And unusual. The coastline is literally breathtaking with large work boats out on the water. There are tall palm trees everywhere reminding me of pictures I've seen of Hawaii yet there is the rugged Australian background comprising of rock and scrubby bush sitting along side it. There is one thing I've noticed. The further north we go the rivers are partially or almost full whereas between Perth and Exmouth every single one we passed was bone dry. I wonder why that is?
 |
| Karratha again - walking down to the beach from a fairly large dune |
The next morning we were all (ok.. I was) longing for a shower. None of us had managed more than a bath wash for two days (we did purchase a small instantaneous hot water system and an ensuite/toilet thingee before we left but no way could we set it up. The wind was HOWLING!) And let me tell you, daily showering is almost mandatory up this way unless you like walking around like a movie star with a bad tan job... in fact, Chris thought I WAS finally getting some colour on me until I showered then he realised that I was just covered in red dirt lol. Your feet get filthy ALL the time. I have a couple of packs of baby wipes in the car and can go through half a pack in one day when I am on a mission for everyone to clean up lol.
 |
| The rocks at the base of the cliff where we were parked |
 |
| King of the Hill - Riley |
 |
| The track that leads to the beach - we were surrounded by miles of this with rough tracks cutting through. Apparently during the wet season which comes sometime next month this will be under water or close to it. |
We set off for Port Headland and I have to tell you, a more boring drive you will not find. Just mile after endless mile of scrub and flatness (that was actually the picture further up... nothing upon nothing to look at!) We booked into the Port Headland Caravan Park. This place was ... well, if not awful, certainly not the best. It was terribly set up with tiny narrow little lanes to drive down and the caravan parking was a nightmare with all the stuff they seemed to put in your way. If it wasn't a solar light, it was a tree, if it wasn't a tree, it was a fire extinguisher on a pole. It took Chris five goes to get our big sucker into the spot. Not fun. That said, the view across the wetlands at night were pretty with all the industry lights boring full blast. I got a call from my sister that night and we were on the phone for about an hour and a half. I ended up getting a torch light in my face (I was sitting outside and we were laughing our heads off the whole conversation) when an old guy came across and told me off. Apparently my voice was carrying as the wind was heading his way and he asked if I was almost done and was I aware he could hear the whole conversation albeit just from my side lol. Ooops.
We made tracks early again (do we ever do anything else lately?) and on the way to Eighty Mile Beach, which was our destination for that night, we came across the De Grey River Camp spot. It was beautiful. Right on a river bank half filled with water. We had a coffee and some food and Chris and Mason threw a line in, catching two catfish which we put back into the water. We ended up staying in the shade under the trees and just kicking back for a few hours.
 |
| The men threw a line in the river and this is Mason's catfish he caught. He put him back in and he swum away to live a long and healthy life :) |
 |
| Riley spotted a kookaburra hiding under the bridge |
We finally made it into Eighty Mile Beach about 3.45pm. We were told several times that there was nothing here because it's in the middle of nowhere. But what a nowhere it is. It's lovely. The people are literally the friendliest we have come across and you know those times when you just step into somewhere and feel instantly at ease. That's this caravan park. There was live music coming from the BBQ area, and it was bustling with people all happily wandering around and chatting and nodding to us newbies. The beach is so close you can hear it crashing in the background. Turns out we landed on a good day. They had a 'fundraising hamburger night,' where we paid 6 dollars each for a good sized and extremely tasty hamburger that just finished the night off great - especially for me - no cooking. Before we ate though we had taken the car down to the beach. This place is amazing and I have not seen anything like it. It's literally '80 mile of beach' .. funny that lol. The tide was wayyyy out and we spent hours picking up the most amazing shells from a crystalline white sands, then managing to catch one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. I caught it on film.
 |
| This is the sunset caught at 80 mile beach... so beautiful |
So that's about it for now. We are here for a few nights and then we head off to Broome. I have been gathering lots of info about the place. Must go to the only longest running outdoor cinema in Australia. If we go to the 6.15pm session we will have a huge jumbo fly right over us lol. Close enough to see the wheels (might rethink that one!) Must go to Chinatown. Must get into the spirit of the Shinju Matsuri Pearl Festival that finishes on the 9th of this month. We will catch the end of that, most likely the closing ceremony. I have been writing everything it down as I hear about it. We plan on staying for a week at least. This moving day by day is getting tiring and we want to settle in for a while without moving. Can't wait.
Until next time
Carolyn x
No comments:
Post a Comment