Day 25, Sunday 7 February - Kalbarri

UOne more day at "Anchorage", with pool and attached bathroom and airco !    Let's enjoy before returning to life in a tent.   In a certain way, that is lovely, too.   But a bit tough -

This morning, we did part of what we didn't see the day of our arrival to Kalbarri. 

We stopped at every possible lookout and ended up feeding the pelikans.  Today there was only one at 8:45.

By that time, it was too hot to continue the intended walk so we stopped at "The Gorges" for coffee and some kind breakfast.

A last look at "Chinaman's Point" where the Murchison River joins the Ocean -

Tonight we'll have Pink Snapper and Bente's best salad - and go to bed early in order to hit the road just after sunrise.

Day 24 - Saturday, 6 Feb - Kalbarri

The  S It's lovely here, at "Anchorage", and we stay another day.

Due to the increasing heat, we decide to start our days early.  Alarm at 5:03, quick beakfast and on the road at 6 am.

Kalbarri National Park is around 2.000 m2.   After a few kilometers, we enter the park and the adventure begins ... impressive gorges, great lookouts and almost no other visitors.  It is really worth to rise early and we will continue to do so.

Between 10 am and 4 pm the heat is hard to bear. 

The Murchison River has created large and deep gorges, one of which is called the Z-Bend.  It is very difficult to make photographs, and I excuse myself for the quality of mine .....

At one of the outlooks, we hear a group of youngsters laughing as they jump from the rocks into a small lake at the bottom of a rift.   Had I been 30 years younger, I would have joined them.   At the bottom of a gorge, the temperature is said to be around 50 C at noon.

On the way back, we see our very first kangouroos.  A big and a much smaller one.  Just at the side of the road. 

After a couple of very enjoyable hours, we walk to the harbour to shop fish and prawns for supper.  Pink Snapper, odf course - and a kilo of cooked prawns, ready to peel.

Then, to finish off nicely this beautiful Saturday, a "Sunset Cruise" on the Murchison River.  5-7.30 pm.

We are a small group,  12 people, a fat skipper and a very slim "helping hand" (lady).  There is too much to tell ....

Dinner "at home", night swim under the stars - and early to bed.

Day 23 - Friday 5 Feb - Kalbarri

A last look at the eagles before leaving Port Gregory.  No birds to see.

We intended to pass by the "Principality of Hutt River", but decide to leave it till the return-to-Perth trip in a couple of weeks.  This province, comparable to the size of Hong Kong, seceded from Australia on 21 April 1970 and counts 13.000 citizens.   I would have liked to meet Prince Leonard, who also runs the post office and stamps passports at the immigration.   Very bizarre ....

The costal road to Kalbarri is very scenic.  We pass through part of the National Park and take time to take many a dust road to the Ocean.  Beautiful view on red cliffs and white beaches - and the ever so blue Indian Ocean.   The wind is strong and leaves salt in the hair and on the skin.

Between three campsites, we chose "Anchorage" with view on the Murchison river, which is the third longest in Australia (680 kms) and very large here, at the river mouth.

Hans treats us to a real bed, on bathroom and air condition.  What a welcome luxury after the last weeks of climbing the ladder.

As an extra, there is a big and clean pool just in front of our "home".

Lunch at "The Gorges Café " -

- and dinner at "The Jetty Seafood Shack".   Very tasty Pink Snapper with coleslaw.  Served on a piece of paper with two plastic forks !   The wine is BYO (bring your own) and as it is our own, it is of course excellent.  

What an amazing set-up.  A local customer says, it's the best fish in town.

Day 22, Thursday 4 Feb - Port Gregory

Driving upstream the Bowes River we see hundreds of black swans -

and some arboriginal caves -

We stay on the Indian Ocean Drive which takes us through a very scenic landscape with white dunes to the left and huge ochre ones to the far right.

No people, no cars, no nothing.  

Not even a horseman.  One single farm at number 120.  What could he possible have in this dry and windy country but sheep ?

Shortly after having crossed the Hutt River, we make a short stop at "Lynton Convict Depot", now only a couple of ruins.  Around 1855, many convicts were sent to Australia.  This depot is the only example of a convict camp.  14-15 buildings amongst which a hospital and a prison.  The prisoners had little hope to return to freedpm and certainly not to Europe.  The temperature reaches more than 45 C at noon.

All of a sudden a pink lake, "The Hutt Lagoon" -

Pink due to carotenoid producing algae.  The World's largest algae production plant with a commercial supply of Artemia Brine shrimp.  Artemia is a speciality feed used by prawn and fish farmers and aquarium fish traders (to feed the larvae).

We reach Port Gregory well before dusk.  A tiny place.  Just a few houses, a general store with very little on the shelves and a good campsite.

This year's tent is much easier to handle.  Hans does it alone whilst I make a good before dinner drink.

Whilst Hans makes a walk on the beach, I watch how a huge group of seagulls attacks a nesting Fish Eagle.  Two seagulls to start with, then two more and at the end I count twelve.  Diving towards the nest and screaming.   After half an hour they have all given up and the second eagle come back to the nest.

Were the seagulls maybe after the chicks ?

Did you notice, how blue the sky is ?

Day 21, Wednesday 3 Feb 2016

Leaving "Double Beach Campsite" at Cape Burney and its colourful parrots, we decide to drive back to Greenough to visit the "Museum and Gardens".

The family home of John S. Maley was turned into a museum around 1930 and gives an odeaabout how the early settlers lived..  He, who was called the "King of the Flats", built the house and and a flour mill in 1860.

The mighty Greenough River flooded the "Fore flats" behind the dunes on 4 February 1888.  The rich farmland (wheat) was ruined and most dwellings disappeared..  Mr Maley's house stayed intact, but he, who was called "The King of the Flats", lost his fortune and his mind.  He died the following, deeply depressed.

We were shown around by a very knowledgeable lady, who told about the life of the settlers and about how to produce the finest wheat by silk screening.

She calls the arboriginals "First Nations People" and tells about how the White man treated them so badly.

I recall the movie "Rabit proof Fence".

It was noon, before we drove off towards Geraldton, a big and busy city.

The West Coastal Hwy took us through rich agricultural farm land to Northampton.  The wheat fields are all dry and brown at this time of the year, which is the peak of the Australien summer.  And there were no wild flowers blooming.   People and tourist information leaflets talk about them.  The right season seems to be August-September.

The strong winds from the sea makes many 10 m tall trees bend completely over.   The top touches the ground making welcome shadow for a few cows and many sheep.  We are in the country of "The Leaning Trees".

Around 1 pm we reach Northampton.  A cool beer is all we are longing for.  The local pub offers fun company and being close to our destination, we decide to take ample time for lunch.  Hamburger (huge) for Hans, a fancy Mango-Tiger prawn meal for me.  And a couple of "half strengh" beers.

A standing question when ordering a beer is:  "Half or full strength?".  With a tough Australian accent a complete mystrerious question.   Now we know, that "half" iis 3,5% and full is 6,4.

The old "golddigger", in blue, is down from his far away bush around Sandstone and Leinster Mine for a couple of weeks' holiday.   Another strong accent .... but it's worth the effort to try to understand.

A quick detour to the old railway, which was closed in 1957

Only another 25 kms before Horrocks Campsite, which lies where the Bowes River will break through the sand bank to flow into the Ocean in November.

It is warm, very windy - and lovely.

Day 18, dimanche 31 Jan

ILast night, we needed a blanket, today started out grey, windy and cool, probably around 23C.

Starting out from "our" beach, we made part of the "Irwin River Nature trail".  

Irwin River, sand bank and Ocean (Port Denison at the horizon)

Hans between Ocean and River

Peeling Gum tree - dozens of cormorans on other bank

Home

Australien schools start tomorrow, the families went home and we share the Campsite with a few other "Blue hair - No hair" travellers.

Last night there was a Hurricane up north and here the wind seems to be 60 km/hr, so we need to secure the tent.

Helping "older people" secure their home

Just want to get up there to see ......

..... river meeting ocean

Day 19, Monday 1 February

Yesterday was grey and rainy, today is as beautiful as can be.

We went for an early morning walk along the beech.  The waves are high, the ocean is wild after a stormy night.

And me ...

The locals say, this is normal and that storms will come only  from October till end December.   I wonder what that feels like.  This is already hard to bear.

We didn't sleep much last night, so we will stay another night here.  

The ocean does not leave much but seaweeds on the beach - and sponges.