Well it had to happen. Managed to divert ourselves to Coral Bay (via more b*@!^ gorges) for the balance of the ‘southern’ winter. Then on 1 September we swept south across the tropic line to meet a cold front sweeping in from the ocean. Our first rain since 8 June; and it bucketed down. Red rivers pouring down the windscreen (we had not been able to wash the top of the van since mid July), water leaking profusely in around the driver’s window; visibility 20 meters maybe. Fortunately we were only 2 km from a roadhouse when it reached it’s peak; that took us some 5 or
6 minutes to reach.
Anyway, back to Coral Bay for a paragraph or two. A true tourist resort in an idyllic location! if we had known more about it, we would have spent less time at Exmouth. Sue spent a good part of the 3 days there just kicking around in the water looking at the fish. This is still in the Ningaloo reef conservation area so you have 60+ cm, extremely edible, fish swimming around between your legs. There is a feeding of the fish at 3pm each afternoon; with a cast of thousands fronting up to be fed. Surely, many of us thought, they would not miss just one or two! Lashed out for diner at the local pub.
Pleasant setting, warm night, cool beer. Only problem was the chef’s special sauce for the Beef and Reef. Nearly wrecked a good steak with local prawns.
We went on a quad bike/ snorkeling safari one afternoon; we were talked in to having a bike each – what a great idea. Sue managed to perform well, much better than one other older guy who had to give up riding and go pillion with the leader. Geoff got the job of tail end Charlie, so it gave him an opportunity to hoon a little by dropping right back then booting it! He thinks those days are over – 60 kph up the beach was plenty fast enough for him.
Down south of the border we are tonight about 120km inland from Geraldton in Mullewa, which puts us about the same latitude as Noosa. An overnight at Carnarvon did not inspiring a longer stay there, despite an excellent little caravan park. The one mile jetty was duly walked, hum! The list of 10 or 12 things to do in and around Carnarvon mostly involved trips of up to 600 km return (Karajini National Park! – been there done that about two weeks ago).
Geraldton, which we visited last year, merited a quick spin around the main town area, refueling and shopping then out towards Wildlfower Country. Oh dear, we might only be 200-300 km from Gingin but I may have to dig Sue out of here to be down there by Friday latest! Wildflowers by the thousands, photos by the thousands. Heaven help the Garden Club if it wants a slide show. Geoff is thinking of giving Sue the car keys and finding a nice pub to hole up in for a few days!
Geoff Shaw has very kindly set up a website for us, and has posted links to all of our weekly emails and photos https://sueandgeoff.austvic.com/. We have also a Picasa linked website with a number of photos already up. There is a link on the first website to the Picasa site in the “Photos Galore” section on the main menu.
Anyway, we can not even hope to select only five photos this week. So we will try to set up a gallery of wildflower photos on one of these two websites whilst we are in Gingin. (no doubt with technical advice from Geoff S.) Will keep you posted.
As i write this, big bertha is throwing a hissy (but iPad is back). All of our electronic equipment (phones, cameras, computers) are all throwing occasional tantrums. I’ll just get on and send this, though there was more to say.
