Mt Augustus {Mt Augustus Tourist Park - Station}

WOW 260km to get here and much longer than we planned. The road changed landscape so many times that I lost count, lots of floodways, dips, cattle grids and water crossings {one even had water over it} to get here, thankfully we arrived just before 3pm.

We are staying right at the base of this amazing 'rock' at Mt Augustus Tourist Park and for a powered site with views to take your breakaway we are paying only $35 {Kyla is free} which considering the cost of the station up the road is a bargain! Set up took us under 30 minutes and for the moment we have said three days but there are so many walk trails and so much to see that we might just stay another night or two.

The perfect location for a sunset, no one in front of us so a clear view of Mt Augustus and all the western sunset has to offer.

A morning of walking and a drive around this giant red rock before heading home for a restful afternoon. The smalls rod bikes, played cars, Lego while I did some much needed baking, including bread. We watched another lovely sunset this time with bright pink clouds before calling it a night.

Sunday saw a slow started to the morning with a cooked breakfast before we went off to explore the Aboriginal Carvings and a few of the shorter walk trails that are placed around Mt Augustus. We drove into the last top but they where simply too long for Kyla so we headed home and the boys went off to walk up the gorge walk that was there {although I believe it was uneventful} and we relaxed at home baking more bread. We filled up with fuel and spend the afternoon chatting to a few other people, along with the station owner who is a lovely woman.

This morning we got up and packed down ready to hit the road at 830am. We said goodbye to the people we had meet in the Kennedy Ranges who are off on the next part of their holiday {in a different direction to us} and off we headed, making our way back to the coast to visit a station my grandparents are currently at.

Next stop, hopefully Emu Creek Station.

Kennedy {National Park}

Wednesday morning and we wake ready for pack down {which turned out to be the rain again} and for Kalebs Centra lesson with SIDE, his first in a few weeks due to no Internet, flat laptops and forgetful parents. A quick stop on the way out to get another wonderful watermelon, some bread and more bananas for the fruit bats.

As we headed out on the Carnarvon Mullewa Road the rain started again and pretty much followed us all the way to Rocky Gully Pool where we decided to pull in for a look. it was a lovely looking place with paths to the left and right. A great place to spend a few nights had the rain not arrived but given what the road in was like as we drove in we decided it was safer to keep on our way to the Kennedy Ranges as planned. {good decision given how slippery the road was as we headed out, even after the rain just starting}

We arrived at the National Park around 2pm and managed to get here before the rain, which was nice and gave us enough time to throw the camper up and get the smalls settled inside playing Lego out of the wind and rain. The rain didn't last long but it was truly cold, so a few small wonders but really to be able to camp at the bottomed these ranges was an experience in itself.

Thursday we decided to head straight out to have a look around before the smalls got tired. We went out to Drapers agree first and walked around 1km before we decided it was too much for Kyla and started to wander back. A lovely place, with so many different landscapes all in the same place. Next we headed across the park to Honeycomb Gorge which was exactly as the name says, the wall of the a gorge looks exactly like honeycomb. As we drove in Kyla spotted what we think might have been a wallaby but we cant be sure. We came ome for school work and lunch and spent the afternoon crafting, learning, baking and watching the smalls play with a new friend that they had made. J pottered around, I finished another ok and started knitting a little more.

As the sun finally came out around 330pm our neighbours popped over and we decided to go for a walk up the closest gorge for a look. The three older children wandered ahead and we walked all the way in but given the time decided to leave the 'climbing' portion for another day. A camp fire, left over curry and crumple with custard was a great way to finish an almost perfect day {damn clouds and chilli wind}

Friday saw us heading for the Escarpment Trail early in the morning and given it was a class for they did really well. It was a great trail up between the gorges and then up the side onto the very top, we looked down over the plain and our camper looked tiny. We did some school work in the afternoon, then Kyla and I napped while the boys did a little more. We decided we would leave the next day after walking up a Temple Gorge.

On our final day we packed down the camper and headed out to Temple Gorge just before 9am to take a walk up it and check it out. It was yet another amazing gorge with most of this walk taking place up the empty riverbed. The rock formations really are something else with no two looking the same.

We headed out from the Kennedy Ranges at around 11am to make our journey to Mt Augustus

Carnarvon {Coral Coast Tourist Park}

A lunchtime arrival and a nice early evening shower = one very happy woman {and daughter}.

We arrived at our 'luxury' two night spot, close to town and cheaper than the others I called/looked up at $45/night.  A load of washing, some school work, trip for some fresh fruit & veggies and a lovely roast for dinner.

Alright so, other than all of the above and a hot shower this stop gives us a chance to do a big shop to stock up, fill up all of the tanks {fuel & water}, let Kaleb attend an online lesson {as he has missed the last few} and do a big load of washing.

Point Quobba

Well we arrived at the turn off to Carnarvon and decided to head to Point Quobba and checkout a spot that 'old mate' had shared with J when we stopped in Port Gregory.

 After initially turning the wrong way {and seeing yet another lovely coast line} we found our place, chatted with the ranger and paid our massive $5.50 per night to stay. Four nights sounded good!

We pottered around setting up, discovered that the gas strut on the side we replaced the bolt had now broken { we think one of the kids beds contributed to this one } but given it doesn't old it together we set up as normal, awning up and also our little ensuite tent as there are no toilet facilities here {ranger said that there used to be so no idea what happened there}. The smalls placed with the matchbox cars again, best thing we packed for them so far and we then headed to the beach of a look. Collecting shells, looking at how high the tide comes up and also making sand castles before heading back as the boys decided to try for a fish.

K and I stayed at home reading and watching a DVD while the boys tried to get dinner {thankfully I wasn't counting on it}.

Another two days of fabulous weather have seen school work set finished, time looking at the blowholes and the coastline that comes with it and also seeing the creatures in reef {we didn't know was here}.

We went into Carnarvon today for the farmers market, the smalls had been dying for fresh fruit. Stocked up which meant a lovely roasted Quinoa dinner, we also stopped ion a place that had lovely frozen 'ice cream' and I most certainly would like to stock up before we leave, the coated strawberries where amazing. After lunch we headed down to the reef in our swimmers, the smalls loved finally being able to have a swim. Once they had finished we slipped on our things and headed over to the reef {I'm so disappointed I didn't have a camera as we saw some awesome things}. We saw, all be it hidden, an octopus, bright crab, hermit crabs {some very large}, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, all kinds of fish {which swam around is when we stood still} and some lovely colored coral. So wish we had looked for a snorkel in town!

 

 

Our last full day was a nice lazy one with some bike riding and then another trip down to the reef and the smalls had a swim in the lovely water {J even jumped in too}.  I am still so made that we didn't have a snorkel to explore but given this is on our list of 'Must come back to' I will make sure we have one with us this time.

Now to pack down and head to Carnarvon for a power recharge, water refill and a HOT SHOWER.

Is it Real?

Is it real??

I'm still sure that one day I will wake up and this will all be a dream! That this new life of ours will have been some wild thing in my imagination and we are still in our house in Greenmount with itchy feet waiting for a change.

But it isn't!
We really are, as corny as it is for me to say, living the dream!
Our dream, or should I say our reality.

Our home is wherever we decide to take it, to set up, to drive to, to explore next!

Our life is a total 180 from where it was 12 months ago, and it will be totally different 12 months from now.

We have no plans, no plans on where to stay or for how long. No plans on who we might meet or where. No plans, NO PLANS!

Edaggee Rest Stop {South of Carnarvon}

After packing down in Shark Bay we noticed that one of the poles of the camper {the gas strutted ones} had been twisted, or the bolt at least in in the weekends weather so we went to town on our way out to fill up, get a bolt and also to check with DEC about Steep Point.

After confirm no visits to Steep Point still we decided to head to Hamlin Pool to see if we would stay them but also to visit the Stromalites. We had a wander, some lunch but decided that we would keep heading towards Carnarvon.

A look at Camps 6 and we picked a rest stop {#460} for the night. It had quite a number of vans when we arrived but thankfully we found a nice spot {plenty of space and roomy} and set about our repairs, then setting up and preparing dinner.

The kids did some school work, some inventing and then it was dinner for an early night for all.

No rush Thursday morning we did more school work for the smalls and the packed up and started our move towards Carnarvon, still no real plan on where to go or for how long. PERFECT!

Denham {Shark Bay}

Shark Bay

Hard to believe that our week in Shark Bay has come to an end and we have now moved on. We had a wonderful time, even with the awful weather as the company we had made up for it. We all enjoyed hanging out with friends, having someone else to talk to, go play with and to go places with. Both of us {as in both families} had been Shark Bay before so knew all of the wonders it had to offer.

The Echidna we saw on the way into Shark Bay

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The weather wasn't overly pleasant when we arrived but we managed to set up before the wind arrived, our friends however didn't fair so kindly having to set up in the rain.

Thankfully the next day we awoke to a wonderful sunny day and we enjoyed a stroll down to the foreshore , bike rides, trips to the visitors centre to enquiry about fishing charters afternoon at the beach. The older children went for a fish at the jetty while S and i potted for the afternoon. The men folk called and had organized to go out on the fishing charter the next day before the 'bad weather' arrived.

Friday morning was school work for my two as we didn't want to get behind, afterwards we headed again down to the park {just S, I and five children}, we had baked goods for lunch and waited for the fishing charter to arrive. The kids all got excited when they s the boat coming and even more excited when they realized fresh fish was for dinner.

We'll Saturday proved to be interesting with an older men {which the park was full of} walked around warning people of the weather due that afternoon/night. Our friends decided to pack down the camper and hired a cabin for the night with their three small children and we decided to stay put given we had seen terrible winds/weather down south. The rain came and it was an very boring inside day had by all. We watched movies played games and had an early dinner/bed. J and I didn't get much sleep as the wind arrived with the rain and stronger wind. We had a few leaks in the camper but for the most part faired reasonably well.

The rest of our trip we did much the same with an afternoon to Monkey Mia and a trip to the Ocean Park {which thankfully had opened again} thrown in for good measure. The weather was nothing like the last time either of us had been to Shark Bay but we made the most of it and Wednesday morning saw pack down and both of us heading our separate ways {although we will see each other again in November}.

Our original plan for the next stop to be Steep Point got changed due to the weather and a phone call from the Ranger advising that it was simply to wet on the raids out there and the park would stay closed until at least Friday. So we got in the car and just drove, to wear we didn't know but we would work it out........