We were off again for a quick fix for our need to be on the road. The dreaded four letter word ending in k had got us but we had managed to scrounge two weeks to go visiting the cold South Coast and revisit our friends Rusty and Val.On the way down to Esperance we stopped off at Ravensthorpe to see the Wild Flower Exhibition, (which was great but more of wild flowers later) when we spied this little gem...the things you see!!!!
The show was great and inspired us for the future two weeks, so I will do a special blog entry with just a few of Stephen's fab flower photos.
We stopped in Esperance for one night and found this Jowett parked up. The owner was in a car rally and was camping near by...Stephen could not resist the indicators and positioned it accordingly...cheeky bu..er!
We then moved on to the spot we had picked out before at Lucky Bay. How's that for a view from your window. It was a little chilly but with some incredible people around, more wild flowers and small days trip we had a ball.
Stephen took this fab sunrise from just beside our van......we will be back!!

Our last night was at a recommended free camp 43 k's S/E of Geraldton, Ellendale Pool.
A very pretty spot, with many birds of prey nesting in the cliff above us. We happened to meet a couple that had been there for their honeymoon 40 years earlier when there had been no trees along the banks of the river.

Tranquil, and all before the last mad dash for home...my man had his nose into wind again...

So I will sign off again until the next trip. Sorry this has taken a while to upload but that horrible thing that has four letters and ends in k has been getting in the way. Next trip in September....until then travel safe.

This place still fascinates me. With the walk ways out to the Stromatoilites...
...the nursery fish swimming around the oxygen breathing rocks....
...the carriage wheel marks from times gone by....
....and the shadows of ourselves touching the water on our last few days of freedom!!!

One of the revisits that was on my list was Hamelin Pool. I am not going to say much as we have been here before.....needless to say Stephen was going great guns with the camera.

Still an amazing part of the coast...with the shell stone quarry, the old burial markers and the telegraph station.

We were very sorry to leave Ningaloo, and Richard and Sandra. Exmouth gave us our farewell with another sunset.....we didn't want to leave....but work was calling!!!!!!
We had had a fair amount of rain but were still surprised to see water across the road on our way South. We had heard that a few of the Homestead style caravan parks had been cut off due to the rain.... If you can get it to run, check out the video below.
Stopped off at Rocky Pool, just outside Carnarvon. I was not to comfortable to free camp here so we went back into Carnarvon and stayed at the Seniors Caravan Park, which was very comfortable. Anyway, this dry river bed implies there is no water about...but this river bed just covers what is beneath.....think about it, this is the Carnarvon area with its huge supply of fruit and vegies...all being watered but the supply from a dry river bed!!

The gorges off Charles Knife Road are amazing...not so much that they are better of worse than else where but more the fact that you drive passed these and don't realise the beauty which is 10 k's off the main drag....
...with views and more views..
...rock formations, and natural windows....
.....vertigo inducing scenery.....
......and breath taking vista's.

Strike the pose....poor Richard got in the middle.....
Charles Knife Road....can you believe that this was a oil drill...
...almost the highest point and they drill for Oil!!!!!!

On the night before we were meant to leave Sandra had organised a bring a pot night...fabulous menu, with curries, camp kitchen pie, damper and much more. From Left to Right, Richard, Robert (Camp Host) Barbara, John, Peta, Sandra, me and Stephen is taking the picture. Great night and we then decided to stay a few more days!
Some general shots of the coral rock....
......shells.....
....crabs.....
and scenery!

We had passed the end of the road our to the Mildura wreck on quite a few occasions but never had had the time to stop and investigate...so on one of our shopping runs into Exmouth we stopped off for a look!
It was a dull old day and it made the look of the wreck look cold and unfeeling. To think that they were stranded on the reef so close to the shore....no loss of life but the Bullocks were all lost....so much for not watching what you are doing or trying to take short cuts..
You can just see where the reef is with the wave line in this picture.

The Lighthouse that covers this tip of coastline is in the process of being renovated. This is a good spot to watch the whales further out to sea. We had seen quite a few from our base but of course they were always on the outside of the reef, so not easy to pick out.

Fishing became a favourite past time , especially for Richard and Stephen...having said that they did manage to keep us in fish nearly every other day. This days catch for Richard was a Toad Fish .....ugh!!!
Another couple that were with us were John and Peta...dusk fishing was the norm with the tides that we had, and this was no exception. Nothing that night!
But the sunsets sometimes made up for the lack of fish.
Did we have a good time or what!!!!!!!

At the end of the first week we had a down pour which resulted in this puddle. We actually went from brown and dull vegetation to sage and green surrounds.
Then Stephen spotted this Wedge Tail Eagle who took off.....
Found his mate.........
Said Good Day.......
And had a play.......thank you very much and flew away!!!!

While in the National Park we did a cruise up Yardie Creek. ( You will have seen the picture of the Black Footed Rock Wallaby in a previous blog, well that was on this cruise.) It was a short but very interesting trip....these Red Mangroves with their red roots dropping into the water, we had seen before but had not appreciated their root system in comparison with the White Mangrove.
More spectacular rock formation.
You got to see it to believe some of these!!!!!!