On our final day in Denham we took a drive out to Monkey Mia.  While we’d missed the feeding of the dolphins there was still one swimming around close to the shore.  We’d a coffee there and a quick look around then headed back to Francois Peron homestead where we’d arranged to meet Nudge and Carol.  They had an artesian hot tub there which we thought we might have tried but it was 40degreesC and we actually felt that it was too hot and not a particularly pretty colour so we just had  wander round and then headed back to Denham.  

Next day was moving day again so we got packed up and filled up with water on the outstkirts of town then headed south again.  We stopped off at Shell Beach – a beach made up entirely of millions and trillions of little shells and then continued on to Kalbarri.  We were booked into a horse ranch about 10 minutes out of town.  I’d love to have gone on one of their twice daily treks but unfortunately they had no free spots till later in the week.  Once we were set up we had a quick drive around the town and then headed back to the van.   It was the NRL grand final day and Nudge had got us all set up to watch it on the outside TV at their van.  It was damn cold – we’ve become real hothouse flowers with all the time we’ve spent in the northern half of the country and since Denham we’ve really been feeling the drop in temperature.  

I’d been in touch with Annette, one of Craig’s nieces from Perth.  She and her husband and little boy Mason,  along with another family had rented a couple of townhouses for the week.  So we arranged to get together for a couple of drinks and a BBQ.  But first of all in the morning we headed into Kalbarri National Park to visit the Skywalk and Nature’s Window.  I was in Kalbarri around 30 years ago and had visited Nature’s Window but the Skywalk is a recent addition.  What an amazing couple of structures – so very well done and the surrounds and art work are fantastic.  We had a walk along them both then had a coffee at the coffee shop there before heading to Natures Window.   While the window was as I remembered it, the stairs and the paved walkway down to it were a new addition – it used to be a bit of a goat track!  And it was so busy – you had to queue to take a photo of it!  But we did and got some great pics.   On the way out we made several roadside stops as the wildflowers were gorgeous and Carol and I wanted some pics.  We came back to town and got fuel and had a drive around and saw the famous Finlay’s fish and chip restaurant which unfortunately isn't open on Monday or Tuesday.  We grabbed some lunch from the bakery and sat in the car watching the waves roll into the lagoon.  We headed over to Annette and Brendan’s place around 4 and had a great time with them all and a delicious meal.

Next day the four of us headed to the southern part of the National Park and drove into see Island Rock, Castle Cove and the Natural Bridge.  We then came back into town and had lunch at the Kalbarri Hotel then back to the van.

On the move again and so pack up and we headed a bit further south to Port Gregory and stayed at the caravan park at Lynton Station called Lingalonga!  A lovely big grassy site with beautiful views.  We set up quickly then took off to check out the pink lake. It’s amazing to see – the pink is caused by algae which contain beta carotene combined with massive salinity levels.   Of course I had to have a paddle in it!  We then took a drive to Port Gregory beach – what an absolutely beautiful beach but unfortunately it was so so windy so definitely not a swimming or sunbathing day. We came back to the station and checked out the restored ruins  of the convict hiring station which used to be there then we walked up to the house where the magistrate used to live.  It’s in the process of being restored and will be amazing when finished.  It was a cold and windy night so we each retreated to our vans for tea.

Nudge and Carol were staying another night but we headed off next morning for Geraldton as we had the car booked in for a service on the Friday.  We stayed at Geraldton CP which is actually about 10kms out of Geraldton in the countryside.  We’d another lovely big grassy site and though it was still windy – fairly typical for the coast around Geraldton – we had a great row of big bushes behind us providing a decent windbreak.  We’d a drive into the shops in Geraldton and stocked up on provisions then home and tea inside the van – still cold!  Have to say the van is really cosy even though we don’t have a heater.

We’d a leisurely start the next day as the car didn’t have to be in till 11am.  They gave us a lift back to Marine Terrace and we had a look in the shops there and  a walk along the front.  There’s some beautiful art and architecture in Geraldton – some of it quite quirky – like the Rubiks Cube public toilets and the Horizon Ball (see pics).  We had a delicious lunch in the Freemasons Hotel then walked up to the Northgate shopping centre where we killed time till they called to say the car was ready and they came to pick us up.  By the time we got back to the van, Nudge and Carol had arrived and got themselves set up at the same park.  We had happy hour together at our van then headed inside for tea – cold and windy.

On Saturday we explored a bit more of Geraldton visiting the Dome which is a memorial to the men who lost their lives aboard HMAS Sydney II – an amazing monument and well worth visiting.  We then stopped off at the Horizon Ball – a huge ball filled with water which when you look through it turns what you see upside down.  We checked out some of the other beaches and then headed back to the van. Meanwhile Nudge and Carol had had an exciting day.  A friend of a friend is working in Geraldton as a pilot and they’d been able to tee up for him to take them for a flight over the Pink Lake.  But as well as that they got to fly out and land on one of the Abrolhos Islands as well as fly over them and had an absolutely magical afternoon.  They called once they were back in Geraldton and said that their pilot had highly recommended a Texan low and slow restaurant about 30 minutes out of town – did we fancy going?  We most certainly did so Carol was able to get us a booking .   We were all keen to visit the Horizon Ball for sunset so we had a quick drink at our van then drove down just in time for sunset – spectacular as you’ll see from the pics.  We then hightailed it to the Burnt Barrel.  We shared the platter for two amongst four of us and still couldn’t quite finish it.  OMG – the flavours and the textures were out of this world.  My mouth still waters when I think about it. 

And so time for us to part company with Nudge and Carol for a spell.  They are on a stricter time schedule than us and want to be back in Sydney early/mid December so they’re heading down the coast towards Perth.  We on the other hand don’t want to get to Perth just yet as Clive, Jo and the kids leave today to fly to Broome for 10 days.  So I’ve devised a bit of an inland loop itinerary which we’ll do for about the next week before making our way back to the coast where we’ll hopefully be able to catch up with Grant, Craigs brother, who lives in Jurien Bay and then arrive in Perth on the 22^nd – the day after Clive and Jo get back and in time for Carol’s 60^th on 23 October when we’ll all get together again.

So yesterday we farewelled our trusty travel buddies for a spell and headed east to the Outback again.  We’re at Mellenbye Station which is about 70km from Yalgoo.  It’s a cattle property of 250,000 acres.  What a difference in the temperature out here and yesterday there was no wind.  Just perfect though being back in the bush means lots of flies – you can’t have everything!  There’s only a few vans here – it’s the tailend of their season – they really only open for the wildflower season and its pretty well over now.  We’re camped in a big paddock – back to red dirt again but its not powdery.  They’ve a couple of individual shower/toilet buildings so we’ve camped beside one and it’s like having an additional ensuite.  We can have a fire so we went hunting for firewood after we’d set up and had lunch.  The watering hole for the cattle isn’t far from us and Shelly the owner had told us that there is usually a camel comes in with the cattle in  the afternoon. We were pretty excited at the thought of that as that’s one of the wild creatures we haven’t managed to spot yet.   Sure enough around 5 we could see her.  But too far away to get a pic.  Next thing Shelly bowls up on her buggy and says hop in and we’ll go see the camel.  So we were able to get a good view of her munching the hay and drinking with the cattle. Apparently she first showed up about 2 years ago and has hung out with the same group of cattle ever since.  She’s still a wild camel but not so skittish so we could get quite close to the fence for pics.  Really grateful to Shelly for giving us such an opportunity.  The skies here are absolutely amazing and we sat at our campfire watching the changing light, the clouds and the sunset then the night sky appearing.  It was one of those times when you just felt so glad to be alive and be able to experience this aspect of our wonderful country.

We’ve had a lazy start today and the damn wind is back but at least it’s not cold. We’re going to go for a drive on one of the tracks the station have and we’ll need to do some more firewood collecting but otherwise a lovely relaxing day.  Back soon xx