Our Australia trip

One can’t drive up the peninsula and not meet the dolphins at Monkey Mia. So we take the picturesque Monkey Mia drive from Denham past Little Lagoon. We plan to visit this on the way back later today so we can kite and perhaps kayak.

When we arrive at the gate (it is a paid for National Park) we are surprised to hear that they are very dog friendly. When we walk on the beach and Marjo waits to see the Dolphins up close a Dutch volunteer tells her that they even allow dogs on the camping. All the information we have is that dogs are not allowed on the camping in Monkey Mia, so we are happily surprised.

The only snag is that the camping is full as it is still school holidays. We find a solution and are allowed to camp as car without the trailer. We park the trailer near a lamp post just at he entrance of the camping and set up near the tent area. Then we head for the beach.

The ocean here looks spectacular with deep blue sea, light blue/green shore and white beach. The shallow shore is a haven for the dogs.

Then Nossi discovers a new friend, an 8 week old puppy, introduces it to Dotti and then they play. The little one keeps following my feet and runs in between when it gets a bit too rough. Then he jumps on Nossi again and they play like best mates.

At 5 Marjo goes to the bus and I get to do my fathers day present from Joran, a sunset cruise on Shotover, a big catamaran. There is a lot of wind and we see plenty of dolphins. On the way back the skipper takes my picture with all my clothes (including the borrowed jacket) blown sideways.

Later we find out how busy it gets when cars are parked everywhere and every piece of grass and shell gravel gets covered by a tent, swag or table and chairs.

Posted from Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.

It took me ages to get to sleep which had the advantage that I didn’t wake up until I had breakfast in bed made by my lovely wife 🙂

The dogs slept through the night and after that slow start we were at around 9 am on the road. Today we would go slow, look at the different places along the road. The first was Shell beach and very different from all the other Shelly beaches in Australia, this one has earned its name.

The dogs are less impressed by the shells and check out the water and Nossi can’t stand still.

Until Marjo casts her magic spell.

Then we all have fun with the shells.

Dotti seems to dread the shells on her head but then settles into the inevitable.

We make another stop at a sea aquarium but it’s too commercial for our liking so we go onto Denham while passing some nice vistas.

Denham is a small village with 400 people has all we need. Water (to buy as it is desalinated and at a cost), fuel, groceries, gas (for cooking) which is really good. This is our second refill bottle of 3.7 kg in almost 4 months. Also we find a set of reef shoes so I can go kiting again 🙂

Then we find a camping where dogs are allowed and we can do the laundry.

We find some shells with stripes that go in an unexpected direction.

And then mistakenly almost walk to the wrong bus with trailer.

Ok, I need glasses.

Marjo cooks a yummie dinner and we have a refreshing desalinated-water shower before going to bed. Another great day!

Posted from Denham, Western Australia, Australia.

We want to see some of the particulars of Shark Bay and decide to not drive the 300 km all the way to Denham but stop at Hamelin Point where Stromatolites can be seen.

Instead of having to endure another almost hour of corrugation we are just preceded by a grader, a truck that shaves off the top of the ridges and smoothes the road. Now with 50 kph the trip back to the main road only takes us just over 10 minutes. Nice start of the day!

Back on the tarmac our first stop is half way at a lookout point to see the flat land and ocean. There’s also a strange memorial with stones on a pile and writing of memories and a bunch of memorial gnomes.

A fellow traveler offers to take a family shot and we never refuse.

The landscape slowly turns less red and there are patches where white and red fight for attention.

Then we stop at the Overlander roadhouse for lunch, reload the emails and call the children. Everything is fine other than that Niki would like us to buy a house that she can look after for us. Mmmm, we decide to sleep on that for a while.

Then we take the turn off for Denham and stop at the Hamelin Pool caravan and old telegraph station. The caravan parks is small and nicely set up. There’s a walk to the Stromatolites that brings you past a shell quarry where they used to cut bricks from compressed shells.

And of course the Stromatolites themselves.

Because we made the 1.5 km walk during the hot part of the day (Marjo will confirm that it was her idea so no need to ask her) Dotti got puffed on the return walk so I carried her back. Still can’t understand why we don’t have a Pekinese or Shitsu instead of a 19 kilo cattle dog x heeler.

I offered to cook, so luckily the camping has a kitchen and we have fish & burger with chips. Because the kitchen ran out of supplies, our salad consisted of orange slices, cucumber, 3 pieces of lettuce, grape tomatoes and apple. An interesting combination.

Posted from Hamelin Pool, Western Australia, Australia.

Now we have the kiting bug again and all the bull dust removed from the kite and board, we want to take the opportunity to checkout Bush Bay. When I say “we” I mean Marjo as the loving supporter, chef launcher and lander, professional photographer and beach comber, while I spend time hanging under the kite in the water, between exhilarating seconds on the board.

So we drive the 9 grid road from Quobba point with killer waves (and a very paranoid Nossi) back via Carnarvon (new fuel, water and some groceries) to the turnoff for Bush Bay. Because I am stubborn and seem to remember reading that we only need 2 km of dirt road (and drive), we continue another 6 km past the turn off as the Google maps shows a road that turns out to be a rut in a field. So, 6 km back and then the very corrugated 9 km of dirt road to Bush Bay. With a maximum speed of 10 kph this takes close to an hour and we are relieved to be able to unload the dogs and walk to the beach.

The girl was right, there is about 3 to 4 km of shallow water with no waves. At low tide the shallow water turns into sand. Perfect for fishing, crabbing and of course – at high tide -for kiting.

We park the bus behind bushes so we don’t get blown away from the wind which is constant and only varies in strength (10-25 knots) and direction (West – South – East).

The kiting is great, the wind direction so that I get blown towards the beach every time which is safe, but requires a lot of walking back into the sea.

With the tide differences and the lack of waves there is a lot of shell and other shell like animals out there and my feet bear the remnants of it. My knees, hands and feet are covered in cuts, some superficial and some deeper which is a pain to walk on. Certainly with salt water and sand. So Marjo invents some reef shoes made from foldable seat fabric and cloth tape that still allow my feet to get under the foot straps of the board. They last half a day before they also get cut to shreds (rather them than my foot soles). The next step is old thongs (flip flops) cut to size and taped onto my feet. They last about half an hour. Then it’s time to give my feet a rest to heal before we go to the next kiting location.

Marjo meanwhile makes long walks with Nossi and turns shells and other found materials into art!

And of course we have some pretty sunsets.

Posted from Hamelin Pool, Western Australia, Australia.