12th - 15th September

Blown back to Exmouth and the Ningaloo Caravan Park/Resort has emptied somewhat, the office staff are friendly and helpful and so we choose our own site with care to get some wind protection, and beautiful grass! We are here for 3 days to facilitate getting the Patrol serviced, Roscoe going to the dentist (hate tooth fairies), Evi a haircut and communications catchup .

Saturday 12th is Nicks birthday, 31 years today, we had usually taken him out for his favourite meal, seafood, and heaps of it, so we continue the tradition and go to the Broome Fishing Club situated on the yacht harbour and enjoy the best grilled Cod you could imagine. Happy Birthday son!

All day Saturday, all night and all Sunday the south wind hammers up the peninsula and even with protection the van rocks us to sleep. Sunday morning is cold and windy (only gets to 27c) and we pass the morning with a sleep-in and a casual breakfast. We head to Brumby's bread shop for lunch as they do some great burgers and toasties, then we just take a drive south about 20klm to Shothole Canyon, some 13klm of rough gravel road winding its way into Cape Range National Park. It's a pretty drive with dramatic old ocean floor sandstone cliffs towering above us, quite narrow in parts. At the gorge end the wind is nil and the sun is hot. After a quick climb to the lookout we meet an older couple at the car park, having lunch in the shade of an lone tree under which we join them for a pleasant chat.

Monday is all business attending to the Patrol and Roscoe, well that's until he fails to get an "emergency" appointment this morning (hate tooth fairies) and must return tomorrow. We have heard from our mates Bob and Deb who are a few days behind us and whom we will now meet in Coral Bay on Thursday, so we have something to plan. Late morning Col and Judy have driven in from Osprey Bay and call in for coffee and a chat, and they too will meet us in Coral Bay, socialites that we are. So we are the advance party heading south in the morning!