July 2012

Up early this morning to pack up for our next move. Another fine sunny day with a clear blue sky - its getting boring! We will be free camping for a few days until we get to the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park, where we will spend a few days until we can take up our booking in Broome on Monday 16 July. We may not have Next G coverage between here and Broome if we are free camping so reports may be a bit intermittent.

We got away from the Coral Bay Caravan Park at about 9:45 am and headed north towards Exmouth before turning east to rejoin the North West Coastal Highway. On the first stage going north towards Exmouth we were stopped at roadworks for about 10 minutes. The lollipop man wanted to chat so we found out that they were a Downer EDI Works crew laying a few kilometres of slurry seal on the road surface. Some of the crew were staying at Coral Bay, but the rest were staying back at the Manilya Roadhouse and driving up each day, about 90 kms.

Out on the North West Coastal Highway were were stopped again for 5-10 minutes where another road crew were widening the road and sealing the new edges.There was not much traffic going our way no doubt due to a fatal road accident on the highway just north of Carnarvon. We heard that the road south may be closed all day - apparently a car had been hit by a truck.

We had originally planned to stop at the Barradale Rest Area but were not too impressed with the surroundings so dicided to press on for other options just north of the Nanutarra Roadhouse.

We stopped for fuel at the Nanutarra Roadhouse which is undergoing redevelopment - they had no electronic connection from the diesel pumps to the office and had a man writing little chits for drivers to take to the office to pay. When he saw that we were from Tassie he said that Tassie drivers had to pay double. David said that he could see that as the price was 189.5 cent per litre - he replied what do you expect in the middle of nowhere.

Just before we got to the Robe River Rest Area we passed near to the Robe River Mesa A mine owned by Rio Tinto. They were carrying out major road works incluing a large bridge over what appeared to be the formation for a new railway line.

There are about 15-20 vans drawn up for the night, we are on the edge of the area and have the generator out, the satellite dish deployed and with fairly good Next G reception, are quite comfortable watching Essendon and St Kilda on TV and updating the blog on the internet.

Robe River Bridge

Set up at Robe River Rest Area

Sunset at Robe River

Another day in paradise - 10 degrees and a clear blue sky with a forecast maximum of 26 degrees - again! Apart from a walk to the newagent for a paper, the shop for an icecream, and the lookout for a photo we spent a lazy day relaxing at the beach. We didn't want to swim with the whale sharks, and we've done a coral and snorkelling cruise on the other side of the country, and it was probably the first day that we have done no sightseeing. Very relaxing and enjoyable.

Di at the Coral Bay Lookout

Ningaloo Resort Hotel

Another Sunset at Coral Bay

Half an hour after sunset

It was about 6 degrees overnight but when we got up it was 9 degrees with a clear blue sky, and a forecast maximum of 26 degrees. After a visit to the dump point we got away from carnarvon just before 10:00 am for a 230 kms trip to Coral Bay. Traffic was fairly light in both directions and we were only overtaken by one roadtrain. We stopped for fuel at the Minilya Bridge Roadhouse, and also had a capuccino and a toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich to keep us going until we get to Coral Bay. Shortly after we left Manilya we turned off the North West Coastal Highway for a 92 km run in to Coral Bay. Between Mililya and Coral Bay we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and are now in the tropics with the promise of consistently warmer weather.

We arrived at the Peoples Park Caravan Village and were allocated an ocean front site for 2 days - we could only get 2 days as the WA school holidays start this weekend and they are fully booked for the period. There is no potable water available on the sites in the caravan park so we feel that the cost of $52.00 per night is a bit steep. However we have a nice mainly grassy site that was easy to back onto. After setting up camp we had lunch and went for a walk around the park and then checked out the shops. At the newsagent we managed to get today's Australian for $3.50 would you believe - when I commented that someone must have walked into Coral Bay with the papers, the newsagent said that was probably right as they did not turn up until lunchtime. Coral Bay is centered around the Ningaloo Hotel Resort and 2 caravan parks and little else.

After our walk we settled down to read the papers and have a couple of drinks while we waited for the sun to go down - it was a magnificent sunset!

All set up on our site

The view from our site

Di on the beach at Coral Bay

Sunset at Coral Bay

The temperature was 6 degrees overnight, but by the time that we got up it was about 10 degrees and this afternoon we had a maximum of 25 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. After breakfast we made a visit to Woolies supermarket for supplies as we intend to do some free camping before we get to Broome in 10 days or so, and the Woolies servo for diesel, again our last chance for fuel with a 4 cents per litre discount.

After lunch we drove out to Point Quobba to have a look at the Blowholes and the HMAS Sydney memorial cairn. While we were there we checked out the Point Quobba Campground that had about 50 or 60 caravans camped in the dunes. There are minimal facilities - drop toilets and a dump point - no water and no power, and it costs $5.50 per night. We also had a look at the Quobba Station Caravan Park but felt that it was a little expensive at $27.00 for a powered site, but little else in the way of facilities.

Point Quobba Lighthouse

Point Quobba Blowhole - Good

Point Quobba Blowhole - Better

Point Quobba Blowhole - Best

Point Quobba surf

Di at Point Quobba

HMAS Sydney Memorial

HMAS Sydney Memorial Cairn

It was 10 degrees when we go up this morning with a forecast maximum of 26 but it got to 29.7 degrees in the shade of our awning. After breakfast we visited the newsagent and the supermarket before spending the rest of the morning relaxing in the sun. On the way back from the supermarket we noticed some trees with a distinct lean - which way does the wind blow?

Di trying to stand a tree up again

More leaning trees - this place must be windy

Enjoying the sun with the morning papers

After lunch we visited the Heritage Precinct and the One Mile Jetty. The Jetty was built in 1897 and in 1900 a tramway was built on the jetty with horse drawn wagons, until a steam locomotive commenced operations in 1908. The last steam loco to operate on the jetty is now been restored in the Museum. Operations on the jetty ceased in 1966 when shipping stopped calling at the port. The jetty appears to have only seen minimal maintenance since that time. We paid our $4.00 and walked to the end of the jetty and back again. The Coffee Pot Tourist Tram operates a service for those too lazy to walk the mile each way.

Di on the Mile Long Jetty

The Coffee Pot tram

The jetty appears to need some maintenance

A couple of big wheels

Kimberly - the last steam loco to operate on the jetty

The museum has a number of interesting exhibits including a lifeboat from the Kormoran, the German raider that sank the HMAS Sydney. While the 645 crew of the Sydney went down with the ship, 319 of the 400 crew on the Kormoran survived including 46 in the lifeboat.

A lifeboat from the Kormoran

On the way back to Caravan Park we called in to have a look at Carnarvon's OTC Dish. The dish was opened in 1966 and assisted in the space race in helping put man on the moon in 1969. The station closed in 1987 after assisting in tracking Haley's Comet.

Carnarvon's OTC Satellite Dish

Looking for clouds

For dinner tonight we are having delicious home made pizzas cooked on our new pizza stone that fits in our Baby Q.