Wed 29 May – Denham / Monkey Mia

What a pleasant surprise Monkey Mia was!  It was excellent. 
I had been here 23 years ago, at which time there was not much here other than a camp ground, portable showers and toilets, and the beginnings of some more permanent buildings.  The ‘dolphin experience’ was a little disorganised, with people tending to crowd the dolphins in the water.  

I was aware that there now was a 'Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort', so I was not really expecting too much – thinking along the lines of possibly too much commercialisation.

Not so.  The Dept of Environment & Conservation run the dolphin viewing and feeding and do a first rate job, keeping it well under control.  The resort is there, as is space for some caravans further up the beach, but it’s not overwhelming. 
We were extremely lucky.  We got there early for the first anticipated dolphin arrival and feeding.  At 8.22 am four dolphins showed, but only two came up for feeding.  There were 115 visitors.  (These figs recorded by DEC.)  I was chosen to feed a fish to one of the dolphins.  Great experience!
Dolphins gone, we dispersed with the rest of the visitors.  Not long after, we wandered back down to the beach in time to see the dolphins come in for the second time at 9.01 am.  This time ten dolphins showed, and four came up for feeding.  There were only 50 visitors.  Clive was chosen to feed a fish to one of the dolphins.  Fantastic!
We drove back to Monkey Mia mid afternoon, for a walk and possibly a swim.  We were wandering back up the beach on the far side of the jetty, wading in the water, when we had a third encounter - two dolphins again came right in to say hello to us and two guys who were next to the jetty.  Very unusual for them to come in in the afternoon, and definitely something to remember.

 

Hello!

My turn.  From the shape of her fin, I believe this was Puck.

Hello again!

Clive's turn

 

Monkey Mia, late afternoon.  No crowds. 
One of the additional pleasing aspects this morning was that there were NO tour buses and NO Japanese tourists.  (Some Germans though!)  Surprising.

 

 

Tues 28 May – Denham / Francois Peron NP

Took the car up to be checked out – diagnostic check all OK and no errors in the log.  All OK to drive, and at this point remains a mystery to be reported to Toyota.  A little disconcerting.  At an extra $50 a night, we’ve decided to stay in our unit here for a couple more nights.  Conveniently located on the foreshore, between the bakery and the supermarket!
Took a drive out to Francois Peron National Park this afternoon, to the tip (Cape Peron), Skip Point, Bottle Beach etc.  The weather today was sunny and hot – no sign of the showers forecast.

Helen at the tip, Cape Peron

View from Cape Peron

Red sand, blue sea; Cape Peron.

View from Skip Point

Driving through the clay pan, Francois Peron NP

Our on-dash screen working well today.  It's extremely useful to see where you've been, where you're going and what's coming up.

Mon 27 May – another day of Plans A and B

Decided to move camp, perhaps to a spot on the end of the peninsula (Steep Point), or on the Eastern side of the peninsula.  First checked out the blowhole near False Entrance.  I’d found it earlier in the morning when out walking but it was a bit hard to find amongst the rocks.  Had to listen to find it.

Out walking early morning, returning from the blowholes.... this sand dune I (carefully) walked along fell directly to the cliff top, then a very long way down.

Near the blowholes

On the way to Steep Point

Made our way towards Steep Point – the most Westerly point on the Australian mainland.  Within almost sight of the end (a few km away), we made the decision to turn back as the beach section of the track was severely under water – Clive not wanting to splash the car through salt.  (As with the track into the homestead under water a few days earlier, both probably as a result of the recent storms and record tide levels.) 
We backtracked, and checked out the alternative entry road to the Carrarang Homestead – it too involved a drive through salt water.  Dismissed that idea and headed for the start of the next peninsula, closer to Monkey Mia for later in the week. 

Causeway across Useless Loop to Shark Bay Resources - the only sun and wind produced salt mine on the Australian mainland.  100% owned by the Japanese.  Why do we allow that?

Massive sand dunes on the road out to Steep Point


End of the road near Steep Point.  Didn't quite get there.

Denham, late afternoon.

Denham foreshore, and the anchor from the Gudrun, wrecked 1901.

Dinner here was great.

As we were returning from checking out a spot at Goulet Bluff Clive stopped the car when he noticed warning lights flash on the dashboard…..   Here we were in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal.  Checked out what the symbols meant…. With no other options, started the car and continued driving till we had signal to ring Carnarvon Toyota.  Probably a fuse…. Recommended we drive on to Denham and get Outback Automotive to run a diagnostic check to pinpoint the problem.  That’s arranged for first thing tomorrow morning. 
Denham is a delightful spot – we’re in a little unit over the road from a picturesque foreshore, next door to the bakery and 5 mins walk to the most Westerly hotel on the Aussie mainland (dinner was nice).


Sun 26 May – False Entrance

Sunny and hot.  Clive’s job for the day to try and work out what’s wrong with the winch.  I’m sitting writing this, and other than that, a little housework in the drawers at the back of the truck and reading, will go for a walk around the bay when the tide goes down a bit more.  Some interesting shells when I did a short walk last night before it got dark.  This is fairly easy to take.

We went for that long walk exploring ‘our beach’ – about 5 km return.  A fantastic beach – rocky, shelly and smooth sand sections.  Found ourselves looking for and collecting shells – there were some great ones including clam shells.  The water was warm and we were wading in and out of the shallows as the waves came in.  I looked around at one stage, and less than a metre from the shore I saw something.  Immediately called ‘dolphin!’ to Clive.  He looked around and called, ‘no, SHARK!;.  Indeed it was – the closest I’ve been to a shark, and I nearly walked into it.  It was a couple of metres long.  By the time I lifted the camera, he was under the wave, and didn’t re-appear.
That excitement over, when we got back to our camp I donned the bathers and went for a swim near the rocks, (with Clive on shark watch).  Apart from thoughts of sharks, it was just delightful. 
Rack of lamb, coleslaw with mango and chilli dressing and grilled broccolini topped off a perfect day.

Finding shells, False Entrance

View of False Entrance

In for a swim in the shallows.... even so, this is the depth that shark was at!

Afternoon view from the cliff top, False Entrance

Another view from the headland.  A fantastic spot.

These fellas very shy when you approached.  Not sure what sort of crabs they are.

Near sunset

Sat 25 May – False Entrance (Plan B)

False Entrance, Carrarang Homestead, Steep Point, Goulet Bluff etc., all referred to in this post and the next.

We’ve been on the road 5 weeks today… half way through this adventure.  Had an early start and checked out Hawks Head and the Ross Graham lookout/river access in Kalbarri NP.  Then, headed North – nothing on this road but a few parking bays and the Billabong Roadhouse at about 150 km mark.  After coffee stop for Clive we continued North and into the Shark Bay Heritage Area.  Weather is warm but cloudy this morning. As the day progressed, it got warmer.  Stopped at Hamelin Pool to see the Stromatolites (more living rocks, but impressive in crystal clear waters).  Continued on taking the Useless Loop Rd (leaving Shark Bay and Monkey Mia later in the week) looking for a lunch stop (Disappointment Loop), then a camp spot for a few nights.

Kalbarri - view from Hawks Head



Ross Graham lookout, Kalbarri NP

Murchison River, Kalbarri, at the base of Ross Graham lookout

Impressive rock colouring

How long has water been dripping onto this rock from the overhang above, to cause this indentation?

Huge overhang and great colouring

Hamelin Pool

Crystal clear water over the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool

Viewing the stromatolites from the boardwalk

Plan A:  beach camping on Henri Freycinet Harbour,  Cararang Peninsula, via Carrarang Homestead.  Heading in towards the homestead the roadway crosses tidal flats.  The tide was obviously on the way in, as parts of the road were covered, and we were looking to take a wider route round, avoiding the water.  Ahead two cars and a camper trailer were in the water.  As we approached car 1 continued on over the hill, leaving car 2 and the camper trailer, obvious to us now stuck in the rising water.  Turned out the owners of car 2 were locals – a young family with 3 children.  They had unhitched the camper trailer but both were stuck, the car at a precarious angle.  No phone signal here – car 1 (who just happened to be crossing at the same time, with no difficulty) had given the driver of car 2 a lift to the homestead to use the phone (owners away, so no help expected there).

Clive positioned the Landcruiser and hooked the winch on the towbar of the stuck vehicle.  Out it came, part way, but in danger of running back into the camper trailer.  Unhooked the winch to re-position the Landcruiser, and the winch would not wind back in.  Damn. (Clive’s original winch, reinstalled in new Landcruiser – was working fine…..)  Had to wind the winch cable around the bull bar, then get out the snatch strap, reposition the Landcruiser and try to get the car the rest of the way out.  Water still rising.

Success this time.  Now for the camper trailer, still stuck.  Could not find the pin to hook the camper trailer back up to the car (even if we could have turned it around in the mud.  Hooked up the strap to the back of the camper trailer and back went Clive.  Out it came, only a slightly bent jockey wheel.  Just got it out when the car owner was dropped back to the scene by the drivers of car 1.  Phone call now made from the homestead, and help on its way from Useless Loop.  (Would have taken a good hour or so, not good with water rising.) 

The driver still could not find the pin to hitch the trailer back up to the car, so Clive lent them a temp solution bolt and cable ties to get them back home.  Their beach camping plans abandoned, their oldest girl very disappointed that they would be camping in their back yard tonight.  (It was a new camper trailer and first time they’d taken it out.)

By the time all this had unfolded, at least an hour had passed and the likelihood of us finding a path through and avoiding the water was unlikely, plus we were in danger of running out of daylight before finding a campsite.  We abandoned Cararang Peninsula for now.

 

Lunch stop, Disappointment Loop

Stuck, and water rising

Winch cable wound around the towbar in a hurry, so we could finish getting the car and trailer unstuck

Plan B:  On advice of the young couple, we headed towards False Entrance on the West coast of the peninsula and promise of a good camp spot.  Definitely off the Winnebago routes here (apologies Chris).  We weren’t disappointed and have found ourselves a great spot on a low bluff overlooking the small bay of False Entrance.  Full moon, stars, great sunset, campfire.  Weather warm (about 25 deg) with a light wind.  Will camp here for a couple of days, then hopefully back to another spot on the Eastern side.

 

What a camp spot!  Overlooking False Entrance.

View from the beach

Fri 24 May – Kalbarri NP, via Geraldton

Weather still good, but very windy, particularly when we did our grocery and fuel run in Geraldton.  Scattered clouds all day, but increasingly hot as we hit the Kalbarri NP. 

Impressive coastal cliffs and formations here, again well worth the visit.  We headed further into the NP via the town of Kalbarri, and out to the Murchison River gorges at Z Bend, The Loop and Natures Window.  Running out of time (gets dark before 6 pm) we headed back into Kalbarri for the night, to allow us to further explore Kalbarri tomorrow morning before heading towards the Shark Bay area.



These little fellas known locally as 28's.  No idea why.

Early morning, Ellendale Pool

Ruins of convict hiring station (1853), Lynton, between Geralton and Kalbarri.  Abandoned only 3 years after it was completed, due to harsh living conditions and transport problems (i.e. shipwrecks).  Ticket of leave convicts were assigned to the local copper mine etc.

Kalbarri NP coastline - Island Rock

Lunch stop, somewhere in Kalbarri NP

View over Kalbarri - Murchison River gorge at The Loop

Kalbarri again - it was spectacular

Nature's Window, Kalbarri NP

Clive near Nature's Window, Kalbarri