1000 Days

On the 4th November we have been calling our caravan home for 1000 days. It will also be the 5 year anniversary of Derek’s heart surgery.

Full time van life wasn’t ever meant to be a huge part of our retirement plans, but Covid has changed a lot of things. We are grateful for having the van as an option, and for Qld and WA for being relatively free of Covid allowing us to travel unrestricted, for being able to adapt to the full time van lifestyle which has allowed us to travel slowly and see so many wonders.

We miss family and friends, this goes without saying, but once back in Qld sometime next year we will work out a new retirement plan, our options are endless, but meanwhile we still enjoy being on the road, love each others company, and enjoy the constant change of scenery, and the people we meet along the way.

We have hugged the coast line for the last 750 km, staying in beachside camping spots supported by regional shire councils at a cost of $20 per night.  

We walk an average of 3km back up and down the coast line (6-8km total) from our camp where possible, sometimes along beaches, or tracks or bush bash over dunes

Coronation Beach 

Found Puppy dog resting place ..7 graves on this walk

Doggy leash attached


It was a short drive to explore Geraldton a very large town on a beautiful bay, marina, iron ore wharf, lots of historic buildings

Amazing sculpture/art marble

Rubic Cube Loos

HMAS Sydney Memorial, it was sunk off the coast by a German war ship in 1941, 645 seagulls in the dome representing each lost soul

The weather turned a bit grim so we did a full day trip inland to Coalseam Consv Park and on to Pindar to see the Lechenaultia Macrantha or Wreath wild flowers unique to this stretch of 200 metres of road 9 km north of Pindar.

The leaning trees of Greenough..River Gums

Cliff Head ....places are less crowded now

Milligans Island camp, soooo windy,  and explored the village Green Head,  & walked 3 Bay Trail incl 5 lookouts

Cool seat for a little rest on the Green Head trail


Sandy Cape and explored the town Jurien Bay..bush bashing over dunes on this mornings walk, the sand is so white and soft, and saw dolphins just 20 metres from the shore

Awesome rock formations as we find our way back around the headland

Before we left Sandy Cape today we saw a playful sea lion just off shore....and this is why we love this journey we are on

Our last stop along the Indian Ocean Coast Road was The Pinnacles near Cervantes... thousands of limestone pillars

Contrasting the surrounding white sand dunes .... nature is amazing

Beautiful native brush in flower at the moment

Next stop we will be about an hour from Perth exploring the north eastern hinterland

Kalbarri

Kalbarri is a small town on the coast surrounded by Kalbarri NP. There is no camping provided in the National Park so we stayed in a caravan park for 4 nights.

The NP is divided in half by the town, one side are the rugged coastal cliffs and the other is a series of gorges overlooking the meandering Murchison River which flows out to sea in the town.

Natures Window

Skywalk


Many walks and lookouts to explore






Mouth of the river


Rainbow Loop walk


Overlooking Kalbarri

Pink Lake at Port Gregory

Nearby some convict history, all built by ex convict Joseph Horrocks

We left Kalbarri coast because a large storm with huge winds was approaching and safely bunkered down inland for 2 nights at a farmstay near historic Northampton

...it is sheep country, and a tribute to our favourite dog the Kelpie and sheep found all over town

Upstairs in the General Merchant Store we came across this old sewing machine collection

Bird of the week spotted along the coastline... White-winged Fairy Wren

Shark Bay Coastline

FYI we are the equivalent of the Gold Coast latitude at this stage.

Before heading further south we visited the Space Communication Centre (OTC) in Carnarvon. It is famous for helping NASA land the Apollo 11 space mission on the moon in 1969 and broadcasting the first visual communication via satellite between England and Australia. Sadly everything looked very antiquated and we marvelled at how the technology back then was at all successful at getting man on the moon.

Original Dish

It was very interactive, we got to go in the life sized pod and blast off into space, listening to and watching the original Apollo 11 count down and blast off.  We spent almost 2 hours here.

The original equipment on display 

And even old space invader games to keep kids entertained.....had to get the highest score 😂

Then down to Shell Beach and a quick day trip into Denham. We didn’t go out to the most westerly point of Australia..Steep Point or the Francois Peron NP as the roads are narrow and sandy and we really don’t have the recovery gear. Friends got bogged 5 times in Francois Peron NP.

Shell Beach is about 60km long and is 12 metres deep of little cockle shells. The shells can be quarried and have been used as blocks - Coquina and can be seen in buildings in Denham

Coquina blocks, Restaurant and St Andrews Church

On leaving Denham a family of Emus got separated crossing the road in front of us....4 chicks that did not keep up with mum were caught behind a fence to the left, and got a bit stressed, so I got out of the car and helped them find the access point through the fence and then off they ran across the road, they are my favourite wildlife to see as we drive along

Mum wondering where the rest of her littlies are?

An awesome free camp on the Murchison River at Galena Bridge, 2 nights, the birds and a 6km walk up the river kept us entertained

There is still a huge lot of nothingness between stops, vegetation still very low in height, but still finding plenty of beautiful road side flora


Next stop Kalbarri and Kalbarri NP