Broome WA to Perth WA

Saturday October 26^th 2013 to 10^th December 2013

Broome  to Perth

The wonderful, very long, beautiful and at times wild West Coast of Australia from Broome to Perth is the next part of our trip. We drove for very long distances and saw some not so stunning landscapes, spectacular seascapes and met some wonderful people on this leg of our journey. As opposed to the East Coast the West Coast is definitely where the desert meets the sea. The journey itself is at best boring with nothing but red dirt, scrub and flat landscape on view, extremely hot, but the destinations can be unbelievably beautiful or disappointingly unpleasant.

Barn Hill Station is just over 100 kilometres south of Broome and is a beautiful campsite with fantastic access to the beach. We arrived at the end of the season, so there weren’t many other campers here. The walk down to and along the beach is a great reason to stay here. There are a number of rocky outcrops and beautiful rock pools which make for great photos.  The bush setting of the campsite is also very relaxing and although it was hot there was plenty of shade to keep the van cool. We had power but due to having only one generator providing the power we couldn’t use the air conditioner.  But it didn’t matter; the beach and the rock pools provided our heat relief. We met Tanya and Michael and their three kids here and along with some other campers enjoyed happy hour every night in the camp kitchen.

Barn Hill Beach

Me on Barn Hill Beach

Barn Hill Beach

Barn Hill Beach

 

 

After four nights at Barn Hill Station we travelled south about 200 kilometres to Eighty Mile Beach. The van park here is extremely well maintained and is a delight to stay at. However the beach itself wasn’t so great, apart from the thousands of shells that are available for collection. The water is very shallow and very murky, so we couldn’t enjoy a swim. It isn’t very nice swimming when you can’t see what lurks beneath.  We took a drive along the beach for quite a way and we saw the tracks created by the turtles when they traverse the sand from the sea to lay their eggs. That night after dark we went for a walk along the beach and were lucky enough to see a turtle lay her eggs. It is a magnificent sight and one we won’t forget. It is really quite tragic though because out of the 50-60 eggs she lay only about two or three will survive. We took some video vision of this event as a beautiful reminder.  Eighty Mile Beach is really a fisherman’s haven and although it was nice to visit, particularly for the turtles and shells, we only stayed two nights. We met Ellen and Bob from NSW here and have continued to run into them on the remainder of our south bound journey.

Eighty Mile Beach

Eighty Mile Beach

 

Our next destination is on the Pilbara Coast; Karratha, but before we reached that town we stopped overnight at South Hedland. Port Hedland has nothing at all to offer tourists and does not cater for them; South Hedland was pretty much the same. The caravan park we stayed in for one night, only so that we could get supplies and because the trip was too long was very ordinary to say the least. It had a pool which was a relief in the heat but that’s it. It is full of permanents who are all mine workers, so thankfully we only had to endure it for one night. We decided against going to Karijini National Park because of the extreme heat and it turned out to be a good decision as there was a bush fire during the time we would have been there and all tourists were asked to leave. Another destination added to the bucket list.

Karratha is regarded as the shopping hub of the Pilbara; it is primarily known for its surrounding resources industry and is a very rapidly growing town. Its shopping centre is diverse and caters to all your needs. In fact from the outside the shopping centre looks like an old tin shed, but upon entering you are pleasantly surprised by what if offers. The surrounding towns of Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham and Point Samson are worth exploring. Dampier is home to the statue that honours the most famous traveller, Red Dog; a must see and a great photo opportunity. From the foreshore you can view Sam’s Island, which was inhabited by a local Pilbara resident from 1966 who built his castle out there and is now buried there with his pets. A permit is required to visit the island and as we were there on a Sunday, nothing was open to purchase one. Not far from Dampier is the beautiful Hearsons Cove, virtually an oasis in the mining desert. It has a very white shelly beach and the water is crystal clear and beautiful to swim in. On the West Pilbara Coast is Point Samson, which is a pretty resort town, it has a beautiful secluded beach called Honeymoon Cove where we enjoyed a swim. Roebourne is an historic town with many of its original buildings still standing, including the Post Office and the old Roebourne Gaol which now houses the Information Centre. Wickham was only established in 1970 to create a processing plant for the iron ore mined in the area, to house the employees and at nearby Cape Lambert a port to ship the produce. This ship loading facility has a jetty which is 2.7 kilometres long and has a minimum clearance of 17.8 metres at high tide. Wickham also has a pretty beach which is surprising. From the lookout the beach has a backdrop of the iron ore loading facility; an unusual vision. It was 47 degrees the day we were here.

Red Dog

Sam's Island Dampier

Honeymoon Cove Point Samson

The beach at Wickham with cranes in the background

 

After five nights in the Pilbara region, we headed south towards Exmouth and the start of the beautiful Coral Coast. As it was quite a long distance and very hot again, we stopped overnight at a rest stop called Barrendale. We found some trees for shade but it didn’t make any difference. It was so hot I thought I would have a shower to cool down a bit, but the water in the tanks was too hot even for that.

Exmouth is the gateway to the beautiful Ningaloo Marine Park and is very tourist orientated with the most popular activity being diving or snorkelling. We stayed at Exmouth for two nights and explored the immediate area including, Town Beach, Bundegi Beach, the Mildura Wreck at Lighthouse Bay and the marina. We then went to Cape Range National Park and camped for six nights at one of the many campgrounds along this coastline, Mesa Campground. This part of the Ningaloo Marine Coast is very beautiful, with some of the whitest sand and stunning turquoise waters you will ever see. There are many beaches along this coast all of which are perfect for swimming and snorkelling. The two most beautiful are Turquoise Bay and Sandy Bay with crystal clear lagoons and pristine white sand. Greg had his first ever solo attempt at snorkelling here and really enjoyed it. The Oyster Stacks is a perfect place to snorkel and offers a good variety of marine life. At the end of the bitumen road is Yardie Creek where we put the Hobie in and had a paddle through the spectacular multi coloured gorge with permanent water fed from the ocean. We also took the long and demanding 4WD track from Yardie Creek to Boat Harbour and then Ningaloo Station. Unfortunately due to lateness of the season some of the gates leading to the coast were closed, but it was an interesting drive.

Mesa Campground where we stayed had a lovely beach, also great for a snorkel and a swim and to enjoy long walks along. We met some amazing people here and it would be remiss of me not to mention them. There are 14 sites at this campground and everyone who stayed here while we were here enjoyed the daily happy hours from 5pm. Our Australian neighbours included: Paul and Kylie, Lindy and Ian, Shannon and Jodie, Robyn and Terry and Lindy and Luke. We met some wonderful overseas tourists as well; Oliver and Maxili from Germany, Simon and Sybille from Switzerland, Fiona, Eva and Celine from Ireland and Rydn from Canada. Oh my some of those happy hours ended well after midnight and thankfully our camp hosts, Gary and Bronwyn, joined in. We had a ball here and were sad to leave, but we had to go into rehab.

Some of the crew Mesa happy hour

Sunset at Mesa

Part of the beach at Mesa

Yardie Creek Gorge from the Hobie

Osprey Beach

Sandy Bay

Oyster Stacks

Turquoise Bay

Us enjoying a brew at Mesa

 

Coral Bay was our next destination and this is truly a beautiful laidback seaside town with a pristine beach and amazing coral gardens. We stayed at the Peoples Caravan Park with a beautiful view over Bills Bay which is calm and protected and simply stunning to look at.  Greg went for a snorkel just metres off the shore and saw some wonderful marine life including fish, clams and coral. The highlight of this stay was taking the tour to the outer reef where Greg snorkelled amongst some amazing sea life including turtles, while I stayed on the glassed bottom boat.  I can’t snorkel because of ear problems, but I enjoyed what I could see from the boat and for Greg who is a novice at this sport it was an amazing experience. He took the Go Pro in the water with him, so I was able to enjoy his experience as well. Because the bay is so protected we took the Hobie in and had a nice paddle around to the shark sanctuary, but unfortunately didn’t see any.

View from our van at Coral Bay

Greg having snorkel

The beach at Coral Bay

Full Moon at Coral Bay

Greg (top left) on the outer reef

 

After three nights at Coral Bay we went to Carnarvon to stock up on food (too expensive at Coral Bay) so that we could spend five days at a free camp site near Carnarvon called Pt Quobba.  Carnarvon is a small town, but has a lovely marina and foreshore. It has a one mile jetty which is one of the longest in Western Australia and is extremely popular for fisherman and yachties.

Pt Quobba is 70 kilometres north of Carnarvon and is also a great destination for fishing enthusiasts. It is a quiet campsite with lots of old fishing shacks, some of which are rundown but still used today. They add a nice ambience to the area and are very photogenic. We camped among the sand dunes, beneath the lighthouse and were protected from the wind. We took a drive along the Quobba coast line and stopped to look at one of three memorials to the HMAS Sydney in WA. The calm coral filled lagoon and the reef are nice for a walk and it is close to the famous Blowholes which are a spectacular sight. The coast is quite serene but it can be deadly with huge swells and king waves have been responsible for the loss of life. We had a nice relaxing stay here and again met up with Shannon and Lindy and Luke who we met at Mesa and Ellen and Bob who we met at Eighty Mile Beach. We also met a couple who were at Mesa after us, Doc and Alana. Alana is a hairdresser and she gave us both a much needed haircut.

Blowholes Beach Pt Quobba

Greg on Blowholes Beach

Fishing shack at Pt Quobba

Greg at the Blowholes

The blowholes

The rugged coast

Old boat at Carnarvon

Canal homes at Carnarvon

The Old Gascoyne Hotel Carnarvon

 

Next stop on the journey was Denham, Monkey Mia and Cape Peron in the beautiful Francois Peron National Park. Denham is a small seaside town located in the Shark Bay World Heritage area and is the westernmost town in Australia.  We stayed for three nights and had a nice campsite overlooking the bay. We drove to the beautiful Monkey Mia and fed the dolphins and then drove into the National Park and toured the Peron Heritage precinct where we walked through the old sheep station. We then drove onto the 4WD only track to see Big Lagoon which is a camping area and a nice spot for swimming and snorkelling. The following day we took the 40 kilometre 4WD only track to the remote northern area of the National Park to visit Cape Peron and Skipjack Point. The track was very sandy, very arduous and at times we were airborne; interspersed along the track is old gypsum clay pans known as birridas, which made the driving at bit easier for short periods. Although it took an hour to complete the journey, the drive was very worthwhile as the views from Cape Peron and Skipjack Point were the most breathtakingly spectacular sights we have seen on our journey so far. The red dust, the white sand, the crystal clear turquoise sea was truly beautiful. We took a walk along the beach at Cape Peron and saw dolphins and sharks and many crabs. From the lookout at Skipjack Point we saw many fish, dolphins, sharks, Manta Rays and turtles. We were amazed by what we saw and spent an hour on the lookout just in awe of the view. The drive back was long, but incident free, plus we were on a high from what we had just seen.

The view from our campsite at Denham

Feeding the dolphins

Me feeding the dolphin

Historic sheep station

Big Lagoon

Cape Peron

Cape Peron

Cape Peron

Skipjack Point

Shell Beach

 

Kalbarri was our next destination where we stayed at the Murchison Caravan Park just across from the Murchison River.  Kalbarri is a nice town on the edge of the Kalbarri National Park with some beautiful places to visit. We took a drive along the Kalbarri Coastal cliffs and saw some spectacular scenery including the beautiful Red Bluff, Natural Bridge, Island Rock and Eagle Gorge.  Closer to town at the mouth of the river is a lookout over the town and Blue Holes which are protected rock pools on the edge of the ocean. We then drove the other way into the National Park and took the walk to Natures Window, a beautiful red rock formation framing a view of the rugged gorge. Unfortunately the river was dry which takes away some of the splendour, but the view was amazing anyway. Back in town on our last day there we put the Hobie in the river and had a leisurely paddle up to the Marina and back to the mouth of the river.

Mouth of the river at Kalbarri

Red Bluff

Red Bluff

Natural Bridge

Island Rock

Natures Window

Natures Window

 

Our next stop was Coronation Beach about 50 kilometres north of Geraldton. It is a free campsite on the coast and very popular with kite surfers and sailboarders as we found out. It was extremely windy when we arrived and we debated on whether to stay or not. There weren’t many sites available and two vans came in within minutes after us, so we grabbed a site and quickly set up. Not fully but enough for a night which turned out is all we stayed. We went for a walk along the horrible beach which was full of weed and because it was so windy we were being slapped by sand. There were a couple of kite surfers out on the water and many more preparing to go out. About an hour later the wind changed direction, and there was a surge of kites and sailboards to the water. Not just the people who were already there but there must have been another 20 cars come in. There is a lookout above the site where we went to have a look and from there it looked like a beehive of activity and then all of a sudden there were about 40 kites and sailboards on the water. It was quite amazing.  We took some photos, waited for the sunset, took some more photos and then went to bed rocking and rolling all night in the wind. We got up early and left.

 

Sailboards at Coronation Beach

Sunset a Coronation Beach

 

We bypassed Geraldton, only stopping for fuel to head to Dongara only 61 kilometres south of Geraldton. After we fuelled up we headed down the highway only to be confronted by a detour because of bushfires about 15 kilometres north of Dongara. The bushfires were across the highway so they closed it. The detour took us 100 kilometres out of our way, so instead of arriving in Dongara at 10 am we didn’t get there until almost midday. We got there safely which is the main thing. Dongara is nice but not special and we booked in for only two nights. Port Denison and Dongara are twin towns and the marina at Port Denison is home to the rock lobster fishing fleet. There is a big fishing co-op there but they have closed it down and you can no longer buy lobster there. That’s very disappointing because that was the one thing I was really looking forward to. It was really hot on our first day here and we could see the bushfires from our camp. As the sun set we took a walk on the beach and took some wonderful photos and as it got darker we could see the high and very red and orange flames of the fire which was only 15 kilometres away. The following day we took a walk around the marina and the break wall and into the little town. That’s about all Dongara has to offer.

Bushfires at Dongara

Sunset at Dongara

 

Finally our last stop before going to Perth is Cervantes. Cervantes like most seaside towns on this coast is a haven for fisherman, kite surfers and sailboarders. It is a popular destination in summer for Perth people and many have holiday homes or permanent sites in the caravan park. We had a walk around Lake Thetis and saw the stromatolites which are millions of years old microbially formed rocks and are most significant in WA, including the Pilbara and Shark Bay Heritage Area. The lookout at Hansens Bay gave us a nice view of the bay, Lake Thetis and Cervantes Township. A drive out to the Nambung National Park and we saw a unique landscape called the Pinnacles Desert, where there are thousands of limestone spires up to five metres tall. All in all it was a nice visit to Cervantes.

 

 

Lake Thetis Cervantes

The Pinnacles Desert

The Pinnacles Desert

 

The Pinnacles Desert

We will arrive in Perth tomorrow 10^th December and will stay over Christmas and the New Year and will try to fill in time until February when we will tour the beautiful South west of the state. Hopefully we can catch up with some old friends and newly made friends. Then we will travel across the Nullarbor to continue our journey into outback NSW and outback Queensland. We hope you have yourselves a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year.

PS Do you know we have now had a total of two years on the road?

Cheers til next time