Sex on the beach at Exmouth

Now Ive got your attention!!!!.  We went down each morning to see the turtles who are in their droves here, ready to come up the beach to lay their eggs.  They are actually a couple of months early I think.    We could count at least 12 or more each day.   They were in really close to the shore and we could watch them mate.  It was an amazing sight, some males and females having multiple partners  ( up to 5), one after the other.   These two are locked in an embrace, just missed the other turtles little face as they nuzzled each other before getting into the right "position"

This big bloke was stuffed after lots of ladies visited him.  He had to come ashore twice to take a breather.   What a lucky stud he was.

Just getting into the right place at the right time with the waves crashing around them.

It was a really nice opportunity to see these beautiful creatures up close and we were quite excited every time we saw them.

Exmouth

From Coral Bay we then headed back up North to Exmouth.   We stayed at the caravan park below this lighthouse.   Exmouth is surrounded by bays and beaches and also takes in the Cape Range National Park and the Ningaloo Reef.   We LOVED  this place.   The bays along the coast leading down to the National Park are stunning.  There are lots of camps within the Park, but sometimes impossible to get into, all on the beach, all so popular that you often have to camp up at 5.30-6 am and hope a spot becomes available.  We checked a few out, but actually preferred to be in the park we were in.   The beaches are all clean, clear, blue water of every shade, white sands etc.   Lots of fish are here as well,protected by the reef, where there is no fishing allowed, they swim in and around you.

 Could easily have stayed weeks and not visited and swum in all the beaches on offer here.    There isnt a lot to do here that doesnt involve, swimming snorkelling or diving.  There is an RAAF and Naval Base here, a very expensive marina type village under construction, a supermarket, small shops, small industrial estate and thats it.   But the weather was sensational.

This is Turquoise Bay, the water was warm, clear and full of fish, a bit scary at first but then you just get used to it.

These two horses live out in the dunes alongside the beach.  They look very undernourished and we were really worried when we came across them.  Had an apple in the car which Rick shared with them.  They loved it.  You could see where people had left buckets of water etc,. for them.  Further enquiries reveal they have been there arnd 6 years.  They live really well during winter when all the tourists are here.  They are fed and watered everyday by people passing.   Not sure how they go in the Summer season when the tourists tend to not be around.  Noone is worried or bothered about them here. They come onto the road when cars came thru in the hope of a handout.!!!

Coral Bay

We were heading to Exmouth (turning North) when we diverted south to Coral Bay.   We met some lovely people by the name of Domenic & Paula last year at a roadside camp.  One happy hour with them and they kindly invited us to camp up at their property at Margaret River if and when we came to W.A.   We stayed in touch and an email from them to tell us they would be in Coral Bay around the same time as us gave us an excuse to detour that way.   This is a tiny spot on the Coral Coast, the Ningaloo Reef runs thru here.  This provides a sanctuary for the fish.    Perfect snorkelling and reef diving spot for those keen.   Glass bottom boats run from here, as well as dive boats.   There isnt much here, two caravan parks, each one of them owns a little shopping centre and thats about it.   But the water and the bay is the most beautiful I have ever seen.   The water was crystal clear and you could actually see both fish and small stingrays swimming around you.   Every afternoon at 3.30 dozens of large Spangled Emperor (WA snapper) come in to be hand fed (they know this is a sanctuary and no fishing is allowed.)   They are fed pellets whilst they swim amongst the crowd.  It was great, some small zebra and bright green parrot fish also came in, too hard to get photos though.

You can just see ricks legs as he fed the fish



Domenic, Paula and Sally the dog.   A few drinks one night around a campfire last Nov. and then we met up again this week.  It felt like we had only just left them.    Loveliest people and Rick had a real bond with Dom.   Cant wait to see them at Margaret River.



Dampier & Karratha

We drove thru Karratha and camped up at a small community owned (20 sites) park in Dampier right on the water.   The views were great.  We could see the ships coming into the dock to be loaded with iron ore, at night it was fairyland with the lights.    There is also salt mining here and loading facilities as well.  The water was beautiful and warm to swim in  Though there were quite a few jelly fish and stingrays here..  Nothing much else here, full of mining employees, just a nice relaxing spot.    Stayed 3 nights. Went out and saw the Woodside Petroleum Gas Plant, did some 4wd beach driving, had a look at a display village of new homes, mostly factory built and then erected on your land - base price started at $450,000 for an 18sq. house.  One house on display, about 25sq. was sold at $1mill.Crazy stuff, we can now see why houses demand a rent of up to $2500 per week when you see the cost of a new home here.  

Across from the caravan park

Salt waiting to be loaded

The loading jetty at night

Sat night saw us at the Karratha speedway.  $5 for seniors.  Drive your car up onto the embankment, set your chairs up in front of your car and see thru the mesh fence.  1/3 of the track barely visible due to the lack of lighting.   There were no loudspeakers, no commentary, no start/caution/finish lights, no track marshalls, no fire trucks, no graders, no water trucks, no winners flags, a chalk mark for the start line.  Its impossible to get anyone to do any repair work or any volunteer work there - too many big bucks to be made elsewhere for tradies to bother with this community event.   What a sad thing.   In some races, there were only 2 competitors, the motorcycle/sidecars had only 1 entrant and he raced himself.    The fields  were so small, that it was very boring as most were in different divisions but were racing to make up numbers.   The only way you knew a race started and finished was when the pace car in the middle flashed his revolving lights.!!!!!!!!!!   We gave it an 1 and 1/2 and then sadly went home.   Sunday there was a Car & Bike Show on the Oval, a big turnout considering the size of the place.    Lots of Harley type bikes, big money here for boys toys.    The cars werent bad as well, but I think the bikes outnumbered them.

Happy Birthday Bella

Our beautiful Princess Bella turned 5 on August 30th.  Im pretty sure she was spoilt.   A big party with her kinder friends at the local play centre on the weekend, a family & friends dinner at her home on the Monday and a dinner date with her Mum to Rubys where Im sure her dad cooked her Parmigiana.  It was wonderful to talk to her on the phone, she is an amazing chatterbox and we miss her heaps.

Roeburn

We stayed in Roeburn for two days, there isnt much here, just the old gaol to visit which doubles as the tourist info. office and one shop that sells everything from toilet paper to washing machines.  There are some lovely old stone buildings, used now for hospital/day care facilities and social services.  These buildings were built by the Bunning Bros.  The great great whatever of the Bunnings of today.   We did a tour of the Rio Tinto facilities that operate out of this region. Very interesting to hear how much this state relies on the mining industry.  Everywhere we go its all about mining, housing, etc.  You can rent a house in the Pilbara region for $1200-$2500 PER WEEK.   The average house consisting of 3-4 bedrooms can go for $7-900,000.   If you live in a Rio Tinto owned house you pay $140 PER MONTH and they pay the utilities.   The mining companies are building huge community/village type housing and lots of community infrastruture to make it a much easier for families to be together.  Many men fly in/fly out, working so many weeks on and then have a break back home in Perth etc.   Caravan parks are full of permanents or casuals working in the industry.

The loading dock.

Thought you might like this one Rachel. xx

The Bond Store

These photos are from the town of Cossack.  Once upon time a very big pearling town until the pearls ran out and then the focus moved to Broome.  Most of the buildings were built from timber/iron and between wet seasons and cyclones they are all gone.  These buildings remain in mint condition.    The bond store was once a Turtle Soup Factory.  Photos of the hunters with their massive turtle catches make you feel sick when you think about how we would condemn such practice today.   There is also a two storey post office, a gaol and some other buildings in good condition.  Reading the stories are challenging as the practices of that bygone ere are so cruel.   The aboriginal people were rounded up, bought into town, auctioned off to station owners or pearl lugger captains.   Men, women (some heavily pregnant) and kids were sent down as divers.This practice eventually was banned, the Japanese pearl divers were bought over and eventually the industry moved to Broome.   Most of the men jailed were aborigines who ran away from their "masters" and tried to go back home.  They were confined in gaol, chained by the neck and legs, they bedded down in bunks, chained together and then bolted to the walls. 

The court house

The beach at Port Samson, 20kms from Roeburn.  Such a contrast between the dry, dusty broken down town and this little oasis, where there is a lush resort and caravan park right on the water.   Fish n Chips from the pub were taken away and we had them at the beach. Its still very hot, arnd the 30o each day.  Havent seen a drop of rain since the start of June.  A swim in the water was a perfect way to wash away the red dust that seems to coat us everywhere we go.    The bus is now dusty rusty looking red on the outside and pretty much the same on the inside.  No matter what you do, its either red dirt or sand everywhere.

Karajinni Nat. Park



Dales Gorge



We visited this National Park and stayed two days.  It was very hot, very basic bush camping, dry and so so dusty.   The nearest gorge just a walk away, the rest were accessed by very rough 4Wd roads.   The gorges were amazing.   The rock formations again, so different from any that we had seen before.  We were "outgorged" but couldnt resist.   The only gorge that we actually went down into was Dales Gorge.  We were staying at this campground.   It was a very long walk down into the gorge over rough rock steps.  The waterfall was beautiful.  A short 300m walk further on was  Fern Pool.  It was a very deep, cool pool, the most popular swimming hole here.  Sadly I didnt go in.  Very deep right from the edge and I was too chicken.  Instead I sat on the wooden deck and hand fed bread to the hundreds of fish that were here.  It was amazing to see the frenzy they started when they saw the bread sitting in the palm of my hand.  When the bread was gone, I dangled my feet and they gave me a "pedicure" with their needle like little teeth.  So cool.

Fern Pool

Kalimna Gorge waterfall - we walked into see this but didnt go into the gorge itself

Knox Gorge

Circular Pool

Weano Gorge

Joffre Gorge

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At Oxer Lookout, 5 gorges come together and the scenery is breathtaking.  Rick and I were in awe. These gorges can all be accessed by 2-3 hrs. of walking down into them, some you can abseil into and there is one where you actually climb down a ladder to get into the waterholes.   All of them were full of water that was freezing cold according to the young fit backpackers we spoke to who were game enough to do them.This park was a major detour for us, clocking up prob. close to 600km return out of our way, but was worth every minute.  Cant express how beautiful they were, just had to see them to beleive it.  Each and everyone of them was different.   We couldnt actually acess a couple of them due to closures, not sure why. 

We have been very blessed too with the fact that we are now in the midst of the start of the wildflower season here in WA.  From flat, desolate roadsides, we are suddenly seeing flowers of all hues, on the way to the Nat. Park w saw lots of color, two days later, there was a profusion of new flowers.   I am going to start taking some pics and put them up prob. not that exciting for anyone else, but its so exciting to see the colors as we pass by.

Our friends the caravanners from SA,  Tony & Ros left us from here.  They are headed to Kalgoorlie and then back home so that they can take a cruise to Vanuatu they booked many months ago.  They would have preferred to stay on and keep travelling but of course they didnt know they were going to hook up with us 12 weeks ago.   Helen & Eric the motorhomers from SA have been having serious power problems with their motorhome and are hoping that by the time we get to Karratha their will be an auto electrician that will be able to help them out.   Had lots of work done in Broome and now it seems, the "experts" ther actually stuffed their 12volt system up to the point it no longer works.