16. – 20. November

We drove south continuing on the Indian Ocean Drive and our first stop  was the Stockyard Gully National Park. This National Park consist of some caves and lays on an old stock route. The caves were used as an overnight stop as there was water and shade. Although it was completely dry when we arrived so we could explore the cave which was nearly 300m long and had some bends in it. Of course was it  completely dark and we didn’t not forget to bring our torch. Unfortunately you can’t enter all caves some are blocked and we found several warning sign – no not concerning the caves – it was about the bees. European bees have built their hives up on the roof and they can sting and they harm the native flowers as they damage something getting the nectar.

The Pinnacle Desert within the Nambung National Park was the next stop.  The 3m high limestone pillars are called Pinnacles. Nobody knows how many pinnacles exist as they are covered with sand and get exposed with time and most likely will be covered with sand at one time. There are two possibilities to discover the pinnacles – 1.5km loop walk or 5km loop drive (one way only). We opted for the walk first and had a look at the Pinnacle lookout as well as the Desert lookout. And then we drove around but didn’t see much new or more interesting. We had our lunch break at the Stromatolites in Cervantes which are cousins from Hamelin Pool.

We stayed for some nights at the Sandy Cape Recreation Park, nice camp area directly at the beach. We shared our dinner with the local dolphins – no we didn’t feed them we just watched them. We had the feeling they were listening to our “Flipper-call” every afternoon. A see-lion colony should live close to the bay but they were hiding all day and night.

The Gravity Centre in Gingin was our next stop although we stopped several times on the way – had to have a look at the beaches and decide swim in the ocean or in the river. Finally we reached the Gravity Centre and wanted to learn more about Einstein’s theories. We watched the different pendulum in the garden but we couldn’t start them. There was a windpipe which made sounds similar to the ocean swell. I liked the wave cable which was nearly 100m long and you had to hit it hard and wait for its reaction – better to move a bit away. The wave created by your hit bounced back and the swing was even bigger. But the main attraction was the Leaning Tower (in resemblance of the tower of Pisa). We purchased some water bombs and carried them all the 222 steps to the top of the tower and then let them fall. This experiment should demonstrate if heavier items fall quicker and if they land all at the same spot. But it was hard to see… Inside were some display about Eddy-waves, the influence of magnets and about the start of the universe.

Until next time,

Cheers, Tom and Anja

11. – 15. November

Kalbarri National Park

We kept exploring National Parks – next stop was the Kalbarri National Park with the river and coastal gorges. The river gorges were created by the Murchison River and some formations are fabulous. We stopped at the Nature’s Window – it definite looks like a window with views – just imagine to open the louvers and inhale the fresh and  brisk air. We didn’t walk the 8km which followed the river looping around the rocks.

At the place called Z-Bend the river carved its bed in a Z. It was possible to see the  complete Z from the lookout. And it was build directly at the edge of the cliff. Just look 150m down (nearly vertical) and you could see the ground.

The coastal gorge is the complete coastal region, nearly 13km long. There are several lookouts which offer different views of the cliff and the coast. We stopped at Red Bluff and Blue Holes. The little rock pools are called Blue Holes but it was low tide so not deep enough to go swimming or snorkelling.

We stopped a bit longer at the Island Rock/ Natural Bridge as the formation looked good and we found something in the ocean. The Natural Bridge is covering a gab of probably 10m and I guess that in several  years (it might take 200) the bridge is not anymore but you find another Island Rock instead. Most likely you’ll find a new natural bridge some meters away. But now to the thing we found in the ocean. At the Eagle Gorge I noticed a wave which could not have been a wave – it just didn’t look like one. But I just saw it once until we reached the Natural Bridge. There the wave was demonstrating the natural beauty of a jumping whale. He was quite active, jumping and showing his tail. I don’t know why he was still so far north so I hope he made it safe back his summer grounds. We also saw some dolphins swimming around the cliff.

  Before we reached Geraldton we stopped in Port Gregory to look at the Pink Lake. Believe me it’s not an illusion – the lake is pink. The brochure says that Beta Carotene is responsible for the colour – it should react with the water and it turns pink! And I always thought beta carotene would be orange. I’ve heard before that under certain circumstances salt-lakes look pink but I never knew what the reason was.

We decided to stay a little bit longer in Geraldton as the Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra is giving a concert in Perth and it will broadcasted in some regional theatres. We read about the concert in Broome but couldn’t work out which the other cities were but sometimes we get lucky. We arrived on time and they still had tickets available (they were for free) and we enjoyed for 2h nice music.

 The memorial for the HMAS Sydney II, which was sunk by the German vessel Kormoran, is worth a visit. The wrecks of these vessel were found in 2008 probably 150km west of Shark Bay. The most interesting part is that no crew-member (645) of the HMAS Sydney II survived but 3/4 of the German crew. Unfortunately the memorial is only for the HMAS Sydney crew, they don’t mention the German crew although it is not 100% certain which ship sank which. We also went into the art gallery which showed several pictures of isolated areas in Australia (we recognised some of them). The WA Maritime Museum was interesting it provided lots of information about the “ostindische-hollaendische Handeslgesellschaft” which sailed the coast of Geraldton in 1600. Several of the boats actually sank – this coastline has also a nickname “keep your eyes open!”

Bye, Bye

Tom and Anja

 

7. – 10. November

Shark Bay

Next stop was Shark Bay – we actually followed the World Heritage Drive. In 1991 this area was added to the World Heritage Register und was the first area in WA. You have to meet several criteria's to be registered – these criteria’s are set by the UNSECO. Shark Bay meets 4 criteria of the category “natural beauty” like natural beauty, earth history, ecological process and bio-diversity. There are some more areas which meet 4 criteria like Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands and the Grand Canyon.

We stopped at Hamelin Pool which is famous for the Stromatolites, the oldest living organism on earth. These Stromatolites are still active – they grow around 0.3mm each year  (I don’t know how this would be possible to be measured). Some formations have grown to a size of over 1m and they live in salty areas. The Hamelin Pool is twice as salty as the ocean which means ideal living conditions. The water evaporates so quickly as the bay is really shallow and has only a narrow connection to the ocean.

Shell Beach is not a beach in the typical sense – you won’t be able to find  any sand only shells. The cockle shells formed this beach which is around 10m deep and over 100km wide. It is still possible to find the remains of the quarry – the shells were used for construction. The church in Denham was built with these shells. It was allowed to swim there but we resisted as the water should be saltier than normal (and we didn’t know if we find a shower in the evening).

The lookout at Eagle Bluff was our next stop. There are two lookouts connected by a boardwalk. If you’re lucky it’s possible to spot sharks, rays of other big fishes in the shallow waters. On clear days the view is fantastic – we could see the wharf facilities of Useless Loop. Additional to the lookout we found a nice camping area – just 50m from the bay. The bay invited us for a swim and it was easy to walk in – nice warm water. We finally managed to see some sharks and rays.  There were little ones which were curious about us and came close as 2m.

We found a spa as well – the Peron Homestead (start of the Francois Peron National Park) offers a hot bath tub. We relaxed in the warm artesian waters for quite a while. The National Park is on the top of Shark Bay and only accessible with a 4WD as all tracks are sandy – remember to deflate you tyres if you want to go in! We had a look at Big Lagoon, Gregory Coast and the Cape Peron. It should be possible to get the big catch but we didn’t even see any small fishes – just a lot of birds.

 Of course did we visit Monkey Mia which is the most known place in Shark Bay. You can only call it place as it has a hotel, caravan park and a jetty. The main attractions are the dolphin which should come in every morning. But we didn’t go there for the dolphins we actually booked a cruise – 6h. We were hoping to see lots of wild animals and we did! Some dolphins followed us out of the bay and said hello during the cruise but we saw one of the most funny looking animals – the mermaid. Ah no that’s the myth – they are called Dugongs. Around 10,000 Dugongs should live in Shark Bay which is nearly 10% off all living Dugongs. They are amazing and could swim fast. Sometimes they even swim on their back getting some sunshine on their white belly. We managed to see some scars on the Dugong that was how close they came to the boat. But I don’t know if these were scars from a fight with a shark or for a female. We also saw some turtles, lemon sharks, Eagle Rays and apparently a see snake.  On the way back a bit of wind was blowing so we could set the sails. Yes, we set the sail – K-Leun helped to get the front sail and 1.WO helped to get the aft sail up.

Then happy sailing,

Cheers, Tom and Anja

 

1. – 6. November

Blowholes and Carnarvon

Our next stop were the Blowholes close to Carnarvon. That was a great place including free camping and a lighthouse. We arrived and got out of   the car to watch the blowholes. It’s so amazing and beautiful in a strange way. The cliffs are quite rugged and high so be careful. There is even a big warning sign “king waves can kill!”. To get to the blowhole you’ve to climb to the cliffs edges over sharp rocks and then you’ve to be prepared to get wet. Actually there are more than one blowhole – I would say there are around 5. The brochures say that the spray can be up to 20m high depending of the swell. I guess they were lying – the spray was higher. The cliffs are not only high and rugged but contain several caves through which the water comes and then explodes out of the rock creating the blowhole. The  biggest hole contains of two – a big one and a smaller one. The big one is like a hot water in a pot boiling but the smaller one is the one which gets the biggest and highest sprays. It even makes funny noises so you can hear the big one before it actually comes. There are some further blowholes on the cliff plateau 10m below the edge and they can spray as well. We were lucky and saw all blowholes spraying at the same time. If that happens and the wind is coming from the “right” angle you  get drenched. Of course it happened to me! Suddenly there was a big spray and all the water came down on me. I was completely soaked with really salty water. Probably not a good idea trying to film the blowhole and getting the funny noises on film – too much interferences'. But nothing happened and my clothes dried anyway. Such big sprays must happen frequently as there were several water filled potholes on the main cliff. Although you could hardly say water filled as it was more a salt crust than anything else and it was really salty!

This coast area is called “Quobba coast” and is famous for the surf and fishing in the winter months. We had a look at the coast but didn’t see any surfer – it was not winter so the currents don’t favour this place. Several ships got wrecked at these cliffs so you see some memorial plaques. Some mining and salt companies use this area to ship their goods. We saw one big truck crossing the street – their road was wide and completely sealed – the track we used was narrow and sandy. We met one guy who loves to fish there and he said that you’ve to be careful if you would fall into the water – be careful of the swell washing you into the cliffs. The sharks are too well fed to recognize or go for a human. He said that they have a big fight with the sharks when fishing. Quite often the shark wins and gets the fish already on a hook.

We stayed a while at that place – the bay next to the blowhole was calm and filled with corals so swimming and snorkelling was perfect. It felt like being in an aquarium! While snorkelling we had a swarm (or school) of small fishes around us. I think they were really curious about us as they were coming so close. It was like the stories one little species of fish fights against a big one by forming one big colony. The fishes were all colourful we saw black and white striped, yellow and black striped, coloured like a rainbow, just blue, ranging from just a few centimeters to 1.5m. The corals seemed to be intact as they were in colour – we saw purple, green, blue and some looked like they had flowers. Of course we saw several clam mussels which closed the closer we got to them. I liked to swim above them getting them to close and open up again. At night we enjoyed sitting at the beach looking at the night sky and checking for shooting stars and wondering how far the light of the lighthouse might travel.

 In Carnarvon we walked the One Mile Jetty which was built in 1897 and it is one of the longest in Australia. It took me 15minutes to go from the start to the end. It’s possible to take the tram (called Coffee Pot) for the  Jetty walk. The jetty is constructed of wood and around 3m wide but the head is even wider but unfortunately not accessible. They had more railway lines at the head to deal with the cargo load. As the jetty is made of wood the head is badly damaged and half is already eroded. At the start of the Jetty they have a little historical museum featuring an old hammer, some old buildings like a water tower and old carriages.  Carnarvon owns a satellite tracking dish which is not in use anymore – but it was a big help in the space race of the 1960’s and 1970’s as well as in the Halley’s Comet tracking in 1987.

The main industry in Carnarvon is fruit and vegetable plantations and fisheries. We saw several food and vegetable stalls along the road and it’s possible to go on a plantation tour. This region produce most of the winter vegetables available in WA. From May till October they have a growers market where you could buy the freshest products but it was not running when we arrived. So we had to buy our vegetables the standard way. And of course fishing – we got fresh shrimps and fresh pink snapper.

Bye, Bye

Cheers, Tom and Anja

28. October

What came first – the chicken or the egg?

We have our little own story to this long discussed issue!

We had a look at the Jurabi Turtle Centre just 20km north of Exmouth. This centre is dedicated to educate people about turtles. There are some species which come to these beaches to mate and nest – the green turtle, loggerhead. It was a nice information centre oh actually it was more an information hut – just some signs, pictures and display boxes under sunshade sails. Unfortunately we didn’t see any turtles at that beach nor in the water but there were more beaches to explore. Next we had a look at Jansz Beach and we saw many turtles swimming.  Actually it took us a while to recognise the turtles as they looked like big stones but they were going from one side to the other and sometimes something popped out of the water. K-Leun thought there are other submarines looking  through their periscope. But it was a turtle breathing and orientating. The turtles were really curious, they came really close while we were swimming as well (I guess she came close as one meter).

After our swim we stayed at the beach – it’s calming just to watch them. Sometimes we just saw one, other times three at the same spot and several times two on top of each other. Of course it was mating time. It looked like a real pain and struggle to get onto a turtle and stay on it. But they didn’t give up – after  falling down they tried again and again and again. The water movement dragged them onto the beach and back into  the water. The even tried to climb onto each other in the ocean. We could see the light coloured tummy when they were pushed off each other. As there were so many turtles swimming close to shore trying to get onto the beach we decided to come back in the evening and keep watching.

So we arrived at 6.00pm again, had our dinner at the beach and were  waiting for the night to fall. Unfortunately nothing happened that night or to be precise not on the western end of the beach. We waited and after two or three hours we decided to leave and head back to the caravan park (and to warm up again). But walking back to the car we saw some  sand flowing in the air so of course we had to have a better look and walked to the eastern end of the beach. There was a turtle in the dunes digging a hole or maybe closing it. We don’t know as she was slowly moving back into the water. Maybe she was already done, maybe something was not right (I don’t know if the like full moon, or not). But this meant we would come back another night and fingers crossed might have more luck.

Another night another chance… We arrived early to check if the turtles are still at the beach trying to come ashore and there were plenty around so we got our hopes up. Actually it’s said that the adult turtles live in that area- no wonder we saw so many. That night we were not the only couple to watch, there were two others hiding in the dunes hoping for something special to happen. And after a long waiting time one turtle managed to get ashore and started to dig a hole. As long as she was  digging we kept our distance to not disturb her. After a while she stopped digging and we crawled closed. Unfortunately she didn’t lay eggs she moved out of that hole. Maybe she decided it was too close to the water as she moved further up into the dunes and started to dig again. But she abandoned that hole as well and moved back into the water.

At that time we could come close and take pictures (at least it was written at the information centre). The turtle was big (probably around 120cm) and she looked devastated – really as if it was hard labour and sad that it was not successful. We imagined to actually see some tears in hear eyes. So we decided to check if any other turtle was digging somewhere but we only found some tracks.

Next morning we came back to the beach and had a look at the holes and  tracks. There were three different tracks leading into the dunes but only two had some diggings in between the tracks. One hole was halfway up the beach and we could lay comfortably in it. The other two holes were directly in front of the entrance to the beach where the sand was quite rocky.  We can really appreciate what effort it must be to dig these holes. Just imagine to dig a hole with your flippers! I tried to use my arms as flippers and gave up after 5 minutes but no hole was to be seen.

Now to answer the big question “what came first…” we must say it’s the hatchling (or the chicken)! When we were in Bundaberg we went to the turtle rockery in Mon Repos and saw several hatchling coming out and reaching the sea. But we didn’t see any adult turtle coming ashore. We just had to wait 10 month and travel to the other side of Australia to witness an adult turtle (or two, three, four or even more) on the beach digging a hole.

Happy digging!

Cheers, Tom and Anja