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