Karratha to Carnarvon

July 20^th

After waving farewell to the Giles’ and Flynn’s we packed up and spent an hour and a half looking around Dampier and the Burrup Peninsula. 

Dampier

Very, very windy!  Drove down to Hearson’s Cove and it was fairly unpleasant.  Good for those wind loving sports enthusiasts though, and a few dedicated folk were there sailboarding and kite surfing.  Drove on to Exmouth with a lunch stop on the side of the road on the way and booked into a caravan park.  In bed by 8.45 pm.  Getting more like our caravan park neighbours every day!

July 21^st

Wandered around Exmouth town centre this morning before going back to the park to book a third night.  Had to move sites however, (much muttering about the inefficiencies of caravan parks and the 'stuck in a rut' syndrome of its occupants), so shifted the camper before heading towards Yardie Creek.  Never got to Yardie Creek as too much to do on the way.  Stopped in at Bundegi Beach, Vlamingh Head lighthouse, T-bone bay, Turquoise Bay and the Oyster Stacks. Got distracted beachcombing and stalking crabs in the rock pools.  The water was an amazing colour blue!!

 

Turquoise Bay

  

Beach combing

There were a few emus and lots and lots of wallabies and kangaroos with no road sense whatsoever, so made sure we were back in Exmouth by dusk.  Had dinner at Pinocchio Restaurant (the restaurant at the caravan park), which gets a 4.5 star rating from us.  Very, very good!

July 22^nd

Did the glass bottom boat and snorkeling tour on Ningaloo today.  Picked up by bus at 9.30 am and taken to see the Mildura shipwreck and Harold Holt Naval Communications Station (a fascinating array of antennae, using low frequency so the submarines don’t need to come to the surface) and then onto the boat for coral viewing and snorkeling. 

Harold Holt Naval Communications

One third of the group snorkeled in about 3 m of water, including Mike and I and it was fantastic fun!  Our guide told us about the 5 m tiger shark that they had seen there 7 days prior when we got back into the boat.  Hhmmmm!! 

Coral through the bottom of the boat. (lots of reflections, but you get the idea)

 

At the Lighthouse lookout

We were then taken to see the Turtle Centre and Lighthouse before getting back into town by 2 pm. Went down town to get some lunch and bumped into Maddi Nichol (ex Frederick Irwin 2012) so had a chat.  After dinner tonight we dropped into Pinocchio again for some takeaway gelato!!

July 23^rd

Left Exmouth and off to Coral Bay, (just for a quick peek).  Absolutely beautiful, 27ºC today.  The tide was in and the water looked amazing.  There was a bit of a flurry on the beach however, as some fellow had passed out on the sand.  We left as the ambulance arrived.  Once in Carnarvon we set up the camper and then drove around town.  Ended up at One Mile Jetty and walked around the Heritage Precinct.  Went up to the top of the water tank and wandered through the Train museum and the Shearing Hall of Fame (which was particularly interesting) and sat at the lookout in the mangroves to take some photos of the sunset. 

One Mile Jetty from the Water tank

Carnarvon sunset

Still a wonderful 20ºC at 8 pm tonight.  We are hanging on to every warm moment we can get before coming home!!

July 24^th

North to Point Quobba and the Blowholes this morning. 

Blowholes

Point Quobba

The blowholes were good but the exhibition put on by a whale and her calf was even better.  Watching the breaching, blowing and the calf leaping like a porpoise out of the water only about 100 metres off shore was really special.  We also stopped in at the HMAS Sydney II memorial on the cliff just south of Quobba Station. 

Sydney Memorial

On the way back had some fun trying to get photos of some of the goats and cattle on the side of the road. 

Billy Goat Gruff! (I had fun stalking him)

Once back in Carnarvon we went to the OTC Space and Technology Museum.  Really interesting and the last thing I expected to be doing in Carnarvon.  It is a great collection which opened in 2012 and is set up in the old Carnarvon Satellite Tracking Station.  A must see for anyone passing through. 

Satellite Tracking dish at the Space and Technology Museum

Then banana smoothies and River burgers at the River Gum Café on the bank of the Gascoyne, before stopping in to take a look at Chinaman’s Pool and driving out to take the train ride to the end of the One Mile Jetty.  On the way back to the camper we drove along the HMAS Sydney Memorial Drive where they have an avenue of palms and plaques, each dedicated to a member of the crew.

Would not be Carnarvon without Bananas!