Another two weeks have passed since I updated the site. We left Carnarvon and headed for Denham planning to free camp at the Overlander Roadhouse. Another flat tyre on the truck changed that plan and we continued into Denham, not much to the town very few shops and two caravan parks. The one we stayed in is the most western van park in Australia.
We visited Monkey Mia, a very touristy place at which you have to pay $6.50 each just to go and look. We hired a little glass bottom boat and looked for fish and turtles but to no avail. Had lunch at Little Lagoon a beautiful place, Tony caught a good sized flathead, which was the only fish he was to catch while we were in Denham, once again it was too windy.
The van park was quite nice but very glary as the ground is made up of crushed brilliant white shells, there are very few trees at the top so was very hot. Sunday saw Tony watching Bathurst as he does every year, he was pleased to see Craig Lowndes win again. In the evening we went out for tea with Richard and Mary, the food was very ordinary but we had a riot of a time , the noisiest table there.
After 4 days in Denham we left for Kalbarri. We called into see the Stromalitites, an unusual rock formation, there are only two places in the world where you can see them, unfortunately the tide was coming in and we couldnt see them very well. We stayed at a free camp where the wind blew a gale and the flies nearly carried us away. Next morning after a drizzly night we continued to another free camp.
There were some lovely flowers along the way Tony made me get out in the rain to get pics as he reckoned we may not see that particular kind again, he was right on a few occasions. The camp was on the banks of the mostly dry Murchison river, flies still bad and still blowing.
We took a long walk and stumbled on an old mining camp, it began in 1850 and there are still relics of it there along with some more modern stuff. All the gear has been left to rust and rot into the landscape. We enjoyed a beautiful pork roast done in the camp oven, our last for a while as it is now fire season so no outside fires.
Next morning we continued our drive to Kalbarri, the roadside strewn with the most magnificient flowers, we were overawed by them all, we drove along at 35klms an hour so we didnt miss getting a photo of any. Kalbarri is quite a pretty town right beside the Murchison river which goes out to the ocean in front of the town. It was very busy as it was school holidays here. Lots of hire boats, canoes, skiffs and paddle boats out every day.
We took the boat out but there is virtually no water even at high tide and you cant get far enough up the river to fish so another dissapointment. Our visit to Kalbarri National Park was once again marred by damn flies, you have to wear a fly net all the time when outdoors, the scenery was great though as was the western coastline. There are some beautiful homes here too and new estates going up, apparently a number of people here work at mines in other parts of the state so have the money to build here.
Saturday saw us go with Richard and Mary to the annual Hanging of the Quilts in Northampton, over 500 glorious quilts hanging wherever they could be hung all over the town. There were hand craft stalls, food stalls and a street parade led by Prince Leonard of Hutt River Province. You may remember many years ago when he took over the land and declared it to be his Kingdom, quite a laugh really.
We had a great day (except for the you know whats) had bacon and egg burgers for brekky, $4 for a huge roll with heaps of bacon and egg, yum yum!!!
We are leaving here on Thursday after celebrating Marys______th birthday ( you dont think I am going to divulge her age do you ) have to make a choc torte tomorrow. At this stage we should be in Geraldton by the weekend.
Hope everyone is well and will be in touch again soon
