Geraldton to Perth

We awoke to a sunny morning and had breakfast in the hotel: this was a new venture for the Ocean Centre, which had been upgraded since our last visit.  We filled up the car and went to buy some frozen prawns at the port.  Then we were on our way. It soon started pouring down, but by the time we stopped for morning tea it was clearing up. We were in a layby just north of Western Flora caravan park, and took some photos of wild flowers in a small area nearby.

At a distance, it looks nothing special.  Inside it was a different matter:

Smoke bush

After this, we decided to have a look for more flowers in Mt Lesueur National Park, even though it is still a bit early in the season. We were rewarded by some beauties, though there was a very cold wind blowing as we had lunch up there.

This one was the most spectacular. It is known as Djanda or Hakea Neurophylla. When you see the sun behind it, the "nerves" in the leaves are visible:

This National Park is a biodiversity hotspot, with many species in a small area:

Prickly dryandra

Petrophile (left);  Hibbertia (right)

We will have to come again later in the season.

Carnarvon to Geraldton

There had been quite a lot of rain during the night, so big pools of water lay on the verges. At one point, there was a flood right across the road. There was no wildlife to be seen, because they have no need to come near the road verges on search of green grass. We stopped on the sand plain near Eurardy Station to look at the wild flowers.

The weather cleared up and it was a beautiful sunny afternoon in Geraldton. We checked into the Ocean Centre Hotel, where J sat out on th balcony for an hour while M went for a walk along the promenade.

For dinner we had take away sushi and white wine on our balcony.

Exmouth to Carnarvon

We left Exmouth in the rain at around 9.30.  The weather remained dull and cloudy all day and it felt quite chilly and wintry on arrival at the Best Western Hotel in Carnarvon.

J wanted to walk out onto the old jetty, so we drove out to Babbage Island to do it, between 4 and 5 o'clock. There was a white heron picking its way across the mudflats.

For dinner, we went over to the Gateway Hotel, where an Indian Buffet was on offer.

Two days in Exmouth

We had a relaxing time at John's place, not doing very much at all. M walked on the beach, but the tide was too high to go very far.

John's Visitors Book has been in use. This is what Ellie wrote last year:

I like John Sinclair's house starting downstairs in the bedroom I like the TV and the woolly blanket and the spa was very nice. Now I'm  heading upstairs. Upstairs I like the barstools, the big table with all the chairs around I like huge TV with all the remotes and the cool room a great idea you can put lots more food in and lastly the view. You can see whales splashing in the calm ocean I like the house. It has been a great holiday this is one of the best houses I've ever been to.

No more to be said!

We went out for dinner at the Whalers Restaurant:

Even John was full up!

Onslow to Exmouth

Sunrise was just before 7.00 am. I jumped out of bed to take this view over the sea, right in front of our cabin:

We were soon on the road heading out of Onslow, past all the brine ponds of Onslow Solar Salt Works. We stopped to look at this pink lake:

We had lunch on Burkett Drive, near the turn off for Bullara Station and spotted some lovely wild flowers just off the track:

We arrived at John Sinclaire's place just after 2.15 pm, unloaded our stuff and had a cup of tea and a siesta. His view is just as lovely as ever, but no whales going past at this time of year.

Sea eagle on lampost across the road

John's house at sunset

John S cooked us a good dinner of fish and salad, together with some rice and garlic bread. Then we all had an early night.

Point Samson to Onslow

We went into Cossack for a quick visit first. The old buildings were still in a good state: the Customs House, Court House and the old Telegraph Office. There were lots of people around, setting up for the opening of an art exhibition tonight. J posed beside a giant turtle.

We had morning tea at Fortescue Roadhouse, where they served the very best coffee on the road.  It was a Coles Express and lots of Coles normal products were for sale inside at normal Coles prices. 

We arrived in Onslow and checked into Sun Chalets, which has existed for more than 30 years. J went for a drive around town to marvel at all the new development. M went for an hour's walk on the beach and took a few photos, including the salt jetty at sunset.

There were a few nice bird flowers to be seen:

Port Hedland to Point Samson

First, a quick trip into town to do some banking ( via Internet at the Visitors Centre). Then we were on the road again, driving through boring flats. There was not much traffic to contend with on this stretch. Morning tea at a rest stop at Peawah: still very windy.

We reached Roebourne and had lunch outside the old jail. It is now a Visitors Centre and Museum. The wi fi signal was strong. There was also a washing machine and 2nd hand books.

It was a short drive from there to Point Samson. Delilah's B&B was full, so we went to The Cove Caravan Park and got ourselves a one bedroom cabin. After a siesta, we strolled along to Honeymoon Cove. Black shale and slate rocks, contorted by folding, were a strange sight in the setting sun. A dead turtle had been washed in.

Port Hedland

We arrived at Cooke Point at about 10.00 am and checked into a studio cabin. Then into town and went to the lookout and just missed an ore carrier going out, accompanied by 4 tugs. We noted that there were 23 vessels waiting to come in. Of the 17 berths, 11 were occupied and 6 were available, posing the question why some of those queued up did not come in.

In the afternoon we went for a harbour cruise round all the berths, which J was absolutely delighted with (at $45 each, it was money well spent). It was organised by the Seafarers Centre, which provides free transport on and off the vessels for the crew of all the ships.

The last photo shows the crew climbing the gangway to their ship after a few hours on land. They were on the same boat as us on our harbour tour: about 12 of them from Hong Kong I think. The Seafarers Centre provides a small bus to take them to the supermarket, supplies them with phone cards, changes their money and puts on religious services in many languages.

Broome to Pardoo

C helped us load up the car in an efficient manner. We had another boring drive to Sandfire, where we observed another long queue for diesel going north, but hardly any queue going south. J saw 2 brolgas and a dead golden eagle as we drove along.

The facilities at Pardo Roadhouse left a lot to be desired. We slept in a donga and had to walk to the ablutions shared by the caravan park. A lone Japanese cyclist was there, eating a double ration of instant noodles, so I gave h an apple for dessert! We went for dinner in the "restaurant". The paella was off, so I had salt and pepper squid instead. I photographed a pacific heron crossing the camp site:

Broome Day Four

Claire wanted to visit a couple of art galleries, but two of our favourite ones had closed down. We eventually found the small Short Street gallery in business, but the dot paintings were mostly displaying red dots and cost 6 thousand plus!

We had morning tea at Matso's. They were serving the most delicious coffee. E enjoyed a choc milkshake and Claire sampled Matso's new wheat beer.

Claire and Ellie posed for a photo taken at the same spot outside Matso's where they had been photographed when E was about 2:

After lunch, C and M went to the Bali Hai Spa for a massage. J scoffed at the expense, but we think it was worth the extravagance!  In the evening we had a BBQ, steak for the carnivores and vegetarian sausages for the others.

Postscipt:

On their last day in Broome, C and E went for a camel ride: