21st - 22nd February

We leave Bremer Bay along the 60klm road to the South Coast Highway which once more loops north and east, we plan on a 160klm journey to Hopetown. Along the way we pass through Shackerstone and find Ian and Chris stopping for morning tea, so we pull in for a few minutes chat, next comes Gary and Alana who were camped beside us at Bremer Bay. We are all headed to the same area, only different campgrounds and a discussion ensures regards a short cut to the campgrounds through the Fitzgerald River NP, a gravel road of which we cannot find anyone with a current update! On we drive!
 
About 60klm from Shackerstone we come to the Fitzgerald River NP turnoff and we stop, in the middle of the deserted highway, to survey the road. It doesn't look in bad condition so we drive about 5klm down the gravel as a tester, and though a little corrugated it looks fine for us. We stop to remove the Weight Distribution Hitch and deflate the tyres to 26psi to set us up for the next 55klm, some of which we are sure will be worse. Gary and Alana pull in behin
d us to do similar and soon we are both on the road again.
 
Soon a sign states we have entered the NO, and another says "No Caravans", which according to Evi is not intended for us! After another 15klm we descend steeply to a twisting river crossing and confront the first oncoming traffic, a convoy of 4 young blokes in their 4WD's who say that the road improves ahead! Well the road has been fine, but improvement is welcome at anytime. We both stop atop a ridge line displaying a lookout sign and are rewarded with a wide view of deep blue ocean, sparkling beaches cut by jagged headlands, and to the north countless rolling hills of coastal scrubland. Soon Gary and Alana turnoff to Hammersley Inlet just as the blacktop begins.
 
As we near East Mt Barren the road dips to sea level then climbs to the knees of this coastal mountain and sweeps around the oceanside offering our first view eastward towards Culham Inlet and Hopetown. The road below crises a narrow isthmus between the beach and Culham Inlet as it heads then arrow straight to Hopetown some 8klm distant. Our intended camp lies on the eastern toes of East Mt Barren and a sign declares a 17° slope descending to the coastal plain. Once down we turn into the small NP campground and select a site very sheltered by trees and scrub.
 
The National Park camps throughout WA are really well set out, perhaps too much as their popularity testifies. We would probably prefer a little less polish and more rustic, however, they can be really enjoyable. Directly across from out campsite a narrow track leads to communal BBQ's and ample seating at stainless steel and timber picnic tables. At 5pm each day by some unwritten rule all residents of the camp, probably no more than 14 couples, congregate for "Happy Hour", and here we meet a very eclectic mix of Nationality and profession. Most of the other caravanning couples are heading east, and so we are destined to run into each other from time to time. We spend 2 nights here but feel that we have made some very good friends by the time we all leave!
 
Back to the here and now, on the first morning here we alight at 7am to hike to the summit of East Mt Barren, a Class 4 walk that we approach with eagerness after reading and hearing of the spectacular views and challenging walk. The day is super clear with a light Westerly breeze as we head off on the hour and a half climb. The track begins as a boardwalk on a gentle incline, however, this soon changes to a narrow gravel track which becomes very more rocky and rough as we climb. The path is hedged by knee high native coastal foliage, much of which is hard leaf and often prickly. The low scrub is so thick it resembles a coat of green fur protecting the mountain like a carpet, though it also hides t he snake population that is very healthy in the region. There are several excellent vantage points on the climb offering great views of differing coastal and hinterland outlooks.
 
The summit of East Mt Barren is actually a small plateau surrounded by many jagged rocks thrusting skyward with the carpet of foliage throughout. The trail is difficult to find in places as we trek to the eastern side to gain the view over our campsite and Hopetown in the distance. The walk was fruitful as we sit and rest on a rocky shelf, protected from a cool wind, with a view over the multitude of colour thrown by the Southern Ocean, the white ribbon of beach, dark grey from Hammersley Inlet and a cloudless sky that disappears to a sea haze on the horizon. A bonus up here, we have full mobile reception, an opportunity to catchup, and take a selfie!
 
After the hike down, which was quicker, it was 10am but rather than breakfast we decided to head west about 20klm to check out some beaches, coves and another camping area at Hammersley Inlet, just in case. The road left the coast to climb over the back of some high headlands and we wound, dipped and climbed till we came to a 24° decline at the bottom of which was the Hammersley Campground. It was nice, tucked into a wide west facing gully with a high rocky headland to the immediate south and very protected by tress and bush, but with only two sites large enough for us we decided it wasn't worth the effort.

On this outing we also visited Cave Point, so named as a huge cave sits under 80 metre cliff with the ocean swell surging into it. Visible from a lookout on the cliff top it is quite a special place, the water in the 10 metre wide channel to the cave mouth is crystal clear and the deepest of deep blue reflecting its depth. Evi had to be called back from the cliff edge, bloody Austrian mountain goat!
 
A visit is required into Hopetown for supplies, especially emergency rations of wine, beer and whiskey. The town is small but the IGA is a ripper, the pub is really nice and a coffee shop provides an opportunity to update this blog and tend to some emails. We also discover that there is a water tap made available near the small harbour for caravaners and RV's to top up water tanks, a chore required in the morning before we head east!