Robe River, Point Samson

July 26, 2017

We've seen this sign a few times on our travels

Robe River











odometer reading 60,047
kms travelled today 400
kms travelled so far 10,216
campsite Robe River Rest Area

July 27, 2017

We've seen lots of wildflowers along the way - these are by far my favourites

Point Samson











odometer reading 60,247
kms travelled today 200
kms travelled so far 10,416
campsite The Cove Caravan Park Point Samson

July 28, 2017

We drove to Cleaverville to check out the free camping there & then back into Roebourne for the visitors' Centre.
Here we had to watch a 20 min video & pay $1 to obtain a Rail Access Road Permit in order to travel on Rio Tinto's private road to Tom Price & onto Karijini National Park (Monday)

Then we visited Cossack, originally home to the North West's first pearling industry which was over fished so the industry moved to Broome. When a jetty was built @ Point Samson this also contributed to the decline of the town & by 1950 it was abandoned.

We thought this looked like a boab tree.







odometer reading 60,362
kms travelled today 115
kms travelled so far 10,531
campsite The Cove Caravan Park Point Samson

July 29, 2017

Les went out crabbing with Ken (met @ Cliff Head South, caught up with in Carnarvon & again here)
They brought back a few blue swimmers but no muddies today.

Les took a drive to Dampier - where he met Red Dog - & onto Karratha












odometer reading 60,548
kms travelled today 186
kms travelled so far 10,717
campsite The Cove Caravan Park Point Samson

July 30, 2017

Together with Jane & Ken we had a fish & chip lunch @ the Wickham SLSC/Yacht Club. $12 for a packet of barramundi & chips - great taste!

Ken directed us up a hillside for the view of the mine & coast. centre horizon where the trees are is where we had lunch

odometer reading 60,584

kms travelled today 36

kms travelled so far 10,753

campsite The Cove Caravan Park Point Samson

Exmouth

June 22, 2017

Exmouth has a Big Prawn :)

Exmouth was created in 1967 because of USA's communication needs during the COLD WAR.
The 13 towers that comprise the main VLF (very low frequency) transmitter cover an area of 1,000 acres. Tower Zero in the centre is 389 metres high & sits on massive concrete foundations buried up to 17 metres deep. Zero is taller than the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building & Sydney Tower




odometer reading 59,426
kms travelled today 229
kms travelled so far 9,595
campsite Exmouth Cape Holiday Park

June 23, 2017

We travelled into Cape Range National Park as far as Yardie Creek - the only gorge in the area with permanent water (saltwater)

we went on a boat tour

hidden within the safety of the gorge walls is a colony of rare back-footed rock wallabies.

the rock walls were stark & beautiful

heading back into town we stopped to have a look at the wreck of the SS Mildura - a 1907 cattle steamer shipwreck











odometer reading 59,639
kms travelled today 213
kms travelled so far 9,808
campsite Exmouth Cape Holiday Park

July 24, 2017

these signs are all around town

they hang around town!

is this the closest we'll get to the whale sharks?











odometer reading 59,647
kms travelled today 8
kms travelled so far 9,816
campsite Exmouth Cape Holiday Park

July 25, 2017

7.15am early start to catch a boat

listening to the skipper

we saw lots of dolphins

Les went snorkelling

and we did see whale sharks - Les got closer than me :)

Les got further underwater

We had a great day
we're at the back right hand side of the group










odometer reading 59,647
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 9,816
campsite Exmouth Cape Holiday Park

Coral Bay

July 15, 2017

We passed this sign on the road this morning - Let's get tropical!

It's windy enough wherever we go - glad there are no cyclones on the way :)

Another world heritage area - Coral Bay













odometer reading 59,185
kms travelled today 234
kms travelled so far 9,354
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 16, 2017

Welcome to paradise!

Happy Hour on the beach @ sunset












odometer reading 59,185
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 9,354
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 17, 2017

without the 2km walk to the boat ramp it would be hard to do our 10,000 steps here - everything is so close.

another view of the boat ramp
& the gloriously coloured water











odometer reading 59,185
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 9,354
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 18, 2017

another day - another chance to go snorkelling
very accessible - but no Great Barrier Reef















odometer reading 59,190
kms travelled today 5 - we had to move from a powered to an unpowered site - 1 hour in-between checking out & checking back in
kms travelled so far 9,359
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 19, 2017

Les went out on a fishing charter but had to cut this 2 1/2 metre tiger shark loose

He brought home lots of fish though - Trevally and Rosie. The Rosie is all in the freezer (full) & we had a meal of Trevally tonight - YUM!

Meanwhile, I was on a glass bottomed boat.

The coral here is mainly green & brown due to the water temperature & the algae
some bright blue on tips of stag horns & some lavender in the left of the photo (not clear)

and I saw lots of turtles - they looked like ET with their heads out of the water for a breath - they move faster than expected so a bit hard to get a great photo
I also saw dolphins, stingrays, heaps of coloured fish & a humpback whale breeching.








odometer reading 59,190
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 9,359
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 20, 2017

We walked around the shoreline to the Shark sanctuary - but wrong time of year to see anything other than a stingray

odometer reading 59,197
kms travelled today 7 - Les used his winch to help a young Vic couple who were bogged in sand near the boat ramp
kms travelled so far 9,366
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

July 21. 2017

fish feeding on the main beach Mon, Weds, Thurs to emphasise to everyone that Coral Bay is a Marine Sanctuary.

These fish were swimming between my legs :)

odometer reading 59,197
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 9,366
campsite Bayview Coral Bay Holiday Park

Carnarvon

July 7, 2017

We slowed for a trip of goats to cross the highway and also a couple of stay emus.

Then we passed the 26th parallel - officially in the north west now - roll on warmer weather.

about 30 kms south of Carnarvon we caught up to two oversized monsters. On coming traffic had to pull off the road completely.

We were told when we were allowed to pass - but there wasn't much room left for us - oncoming cars that had pulled over, pulled further over
It was a bit hairy.









odometer reading 58,490
kms travelled today 247
kms travelled so far 8,659
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 8, 2017

We went to the craft & fresh food market in town & then investigated the One Mile Jetty.

This jetty was built in 1897 (& it looks like it!)
It gives a good view of the Gascoyne River mouth, mangrove & marine life, migrating birds & jetty activity.

There is a nominal charge for walking out on the jetty - all monies going towards restoration - we didn't see much evidence of this happening since 1998

Jetty VERY unstable & full of holes & broken railings

an adventure in itself :)




odometer reading 58,527
kms travelled today 59
kms travelled so far 8,718
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 9, 2017

Les went crabbing with Ken - someone we had met at Cliff Head South - & they came back with a great bounty - worthwhile getting that fishing licence Les!!









odometer reading 58,527
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 8,718
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 10, 2017

I went to exercises in the 'Big Shed' @ the caravan park - the youngest there by @ least 10 years, but it warmed me up!

Les went fishing again - but all the fish are safe.













odometer reading 58,550
kms travelled today 23
kms travelled so far 8,741
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 11, 2017

We visited the Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum which Buzz Aldrin opened in 2012.

The museum focuses on 2 parts - the Tracking Station & the OTC Satellite Earth Station, each station played separate roles in the early space industry.

The tracking station was built to support NASA's Gemini, Apollo & Skylab programs. It was the last station to communicate with the space capsules leaving the earth orbit, and the last to make contact before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The OTC Satellite Earth Station was part of the global satellite communications system.

So, Carnarvon hosted Australia's first satellite TV broadcast in 1966 - long before they had TV reception in the town.

We got to ride in a flight simulator & Blast Off!!

There was a Planetarium within the museum. This photo of Earth was projected in the round during that presentation.

There were some hair raising objects to play with.

After tearing ourselves away from the Museum we drove 60 or so kms out towards Quobba.

It was a great day for whale watching - we followed a large pod for a few kms

The Blow Hole performed on cue!

HMAS Sydney II Memorial (just up from the blowhole) commemorates the battle between the HMAS Sydney II and the German raider the HSK 'Kormoran' on the 19th November 1941.












odometer reading 58,766
kms travelled today 216
kms travelled so far 8,957
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 12, 2017

We cruised around town to find where the locals were eating ..... watched the first half of Origin @ the pub & then caught the finish back @ the van.










odometer reading 58,787
kms travelled today 21
kms travelled so far 8,978
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 13, 2017

We travelled east to Rocky Pool - a deep fresh water pool - still not hot enough for swimming....


Sir Charles Kingsford Smith had a truck to run the Gascoyne Transport Company - he did a mail run from Carnarvon to the Bangemall goldfields near Mt Augustus - they say he'd boil a billy @ this billabong on his way




odometer reading 58,915
kms travelled today 128
kms travelled so far 9,106
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park

July 14, 2017

I walked into town to investigate the town pedestrian bridge.

lucky the siren didn't sound while I was on the bridge

Les tried his hand @ fishing again but the fish haven't read the tourist brochures - 'one can confidently fish in any of the waters around Carnarvon'



odometer reading 58,951
kms travelled today 36
kms travelled so far 9,142
campsite Outback Oasis Caravan Park