.
Back to previous chapter - Albany to Fitzgerald River NPThe fine sunny weather was too good to last as the cold wind and showers returned. Undaunted, we ventured from our sheltered
campsite to explore the park and wonder at the variety of
wildflowers to be seen. The swamp daisies
Swamp Daisies - Actinodium cunninghamii
were putting on a lovely show along the roads. We watched a band of heavy rain and wind move up from the ocean while whales cruised along the coast, both dramatic sights. A walk over
Point Ann revealed sections of the old rabbit-proof fence now rusting into oblivion.
Our plan to spend some time in the eastern end of the park came unstuck when we learned (too late) that all but one of the camping areas there were closed, having suffered fire damage.
East Mt Barren
Still we explored around this striking area where East Mt. Barren provides a spectacular backdrop, and spent a night in
Hopetoun.
Next morning we heard that there was a dead whale on
the beach. A calf, but still over 4m long.
Small whale, dead unfortunately - up close, not smelly
It had a few abrasions but no real injuries. Sad to see, but a great opportunity for the kids who were eagerly checking it out, and for us. It must have been pretty fresh as thankfully there was no smell!
Another excellent
bush camp just out of
Ravensthorpe, and we were again heading east towards
Esperance and
Cape le Grand NP. The wind and showers persisted and another front was forecast. All that was forgotten though when flower fever struck again. Brilliant red Leschenaultias
Brilliant Leschenaltia
and six different orchids had the cameras running hot.
Our concern that
Lucky Bay may have been full was unwarranted, thanks to the very ordinary weather and the end of the school holidays. What a beautiful place this is, especially when the sun is out.
Lucky Bay
Below the massive
granite domes the sand is sparkling white, the water brilliant turquoise. The visits of Matthew Flinders and other
explorers are commemorated in various
places.
Campground amenities are great too with flushing loos and hot showers.
Although some of the walking tracks have been damaged by fire there are still great walks between the bays and headlands. The
views around the rocks
Spectacular Cape le Grand
and out over the islands of the Recherche Archipelago are magnificent. And of course there are more flowers, more orchids,
Purple Enamel Orchid
even right behind
the beach. They just keep on getting better.
We were tempted to continue on to Cape Arid, but the persistent wind and rain has finally convinced us that its time to head for
home. So back to bustling
Esperance to stock up for the run east, then up to
Norseman and onto the Eyre Highway.
We took 8 days to come
home at a leisurely pace. Along the way we had a look at couple of the sinkholes that are scattered across the Nullarbor,
Watch where you're walking! Nullarbor sinkhole.
sudden holes in the ground that must have claimed many unwary animals (and people?) over the years.
We also spent a few hours watching whales at the
Head of the Bight. Being late in the season there were only 8 or 10 whales with calves there, but they were close inshore so we had a really good look at them. We were fortunate to see the
Southern Right Whale with white calf
white calf that we had heard about, very easy to see in the clear blue water.
Through the agricultural areas of SA the crops looked almost as good as they had in WA, but as we moved into western NSW it was very different. Many wheat crops had failed or been cut for
hay. Dead vineyards and citrus orchards were a common sight, and the dead river red gums around the dry billabongs reminded us that the impact of this drought will last a very long time.
Our two final camps deserve a mention. We took a northerly loop from
Renmark through some very dry country heading towards
Wentworth. We stopped for the night at Fort Courage, a caravan park a few km west of
Wentworth on the banks of the
Murray River.
Excellent camp kitchen at Fort Courage
This facility is owned and run by a fishing club, but is open to the public. The charge was only $14 and the facilities were excellent.
Our final
camp Feeling welcome at our final camp
was at
Hay on the outskirts of the town at
Sandy Point Reserve. Here the Council has provided very good facilities for day visitors and set aside an area for campers. There are even several signs welcoming campers. What a refreshing contrast to the many negative signs forbidding camping that we have seen, especially in WA.
It was wonderful to suddenly come into lush green paddocks as we came closer to
home. Peter and Dolores, our house sitters had a delicious meal ready for us when we arrived. It was great, but a bit odd to be
home under a roof and surrounded by four walls, after 4 months and nearly 20,000km of calling Troopy
home.
20,000 km in 4 months
Back to index - the very start!