Cape Arid National Park

Thursday, 20 March we left Esperance at 8.15am to travel east 125 kms along a good bitumen road to the turnoff to Cape Arid National Park.    It was then 40 kms of good dirt with a few corrugations to the Thomas River camping area.    There are 2 camping areas here – the Dept Environment & Conservation (DEC) on the hill, or older shire area on the riverbank.   We chose the DEC camp which was set out very much like Cape Le Grand, but a bit more private.   No hot showers here, but excellent toilets and gas bbqs.  The shire site was also due to have a group of school children there on the weekend, so in the end there was no choice to be made.   A lot of the DEC campgrounds in WA have resident camp hosts during the busy times who collect fees, clean toilets, and generally keep the place in order.   It is a very good system, and a pity other states don’t do the same.

Looking towards Cape Arid

View from my doorway

Friday dawned overcast with very threatening clouds near Cape Arid.   It looked like a great downpour was imminent, but by late morning the clouds had cleared to a beautiful day.  In the afternoon we did a short walk along the track to Dolphin Cove.  

Saturday was another glorious day, so Brian took advantage of the calm morning and had a  paddle in the kayak up the Thomas River.   It was not very far, but he did see a black swan on the water and an emu in the bush beside the river.  The area was completely burnt out in 2006, so to see the vegetation there now is quite amazing.    There are lots of banksias, grass trees, melaleucas, cycads and some type of wattle which is just starting to come into flower.

Thomas River

On Sunday morning Brian donned his backpack and did a 2 hour walk to Dolphin Cove and Tagon Beach. It was not until Monday evening whilst having “happy hour” with our neighbours that Brian very quietly described a snake he had seen on his walk.   Could have been a dugite (only found in WA) or a tiger.   That would explain his advice to me to walk over the granite boulders when we went walking earlier in the day.

We did not attempt to drive along the tracks out to Cape Arid, as we were advised they were very sandy and not in  good condition.    We thoroughly enjoyed our 5 days at Thomas River, and headed back to Esperance on Tuesday morning.   It was good to get our favourite site at the caravan park again.

On Wednesday morning we drove along the tourist drive as far as Twilight Beach.   The coastline is just magnificent – sand so white, and water so blue.   Not good for surfing at the moment weatherwise, and also the abundance of big fish with black fins in this area.

Twilight Beach

Tomorrow morning (Friday) we will travel west approx 60kms then turn off to the Stokes Inlet National Park.   There are a couple of campgrounds there, so hopefully we will find something suitable before the locals come for the weekend.  After there we will look at Mason Bay for a possible stop, then Hopetoun.  We are due in Albany in 2 weeks’ time so sit out the school holidays, Easter and Anzac Day.

Cape Le Grand

An early departure from Esperance and only 53 kms east to Cape Le Grand National Park we were hopeful of finding a camp site at the Cape  or Lucky Bay.    Fortunately a large site was available at Le Grand so we quickly set up.   This is a great spot with individual sites and lots of vegetation in between.   Flushing toilets and solar hot water for showers is an added bonus.   The only downside is the abundance of march flies (well, it is March).   They leave a very nasty, itchy welt. 

 

Cape Le Grand Campground/Public Car Park

Beach view towards Cape Le Grand

 One of the campers had been out in his zodiac, but was knocked out of the craft by a wave, so it was doing unmanned circles to use up fuel.   We had heard of this happening, but to actually see a boat spinning (for 4 hours we were told) was unusual.   The zodiac was finally beached by the waves.   

Early Tuesday morning Brian donned his hiking boots for the 2 hour return trek to the top of Frenchman Peak.   The weather is great, blue skies and gentle breeze.   An afternoon stroll on the beautiful beach was a perfect end to the day.

Frenchman Peak

Wednesday, another sunny day, so Brian unloaded his wave ski and had a half hour paddle.  Except for a very small shore break, the waters are calm.    We then packed a lunch and drove to Hellfire Bay.   This is a beautiful, calm bay with many families enjoying a day here.   We had lunch, then continued to Thistle Bay, the Whistling Rock and on to Lucky Bay.    The campsite at Lucky was very crowded, and the beach not very inviting with its seagrass covered shore.   It is a very popular spot, however, we are glad we are at Le Grand.

Hellfire Bay

Lucky Bay

Thursday, the weather forecast proved correct with cloud and showers most of the day.   Luckily generators are permitted here for a few hours a day to top up the batteries. 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday did not improve weatherwise, so Monday morning we came back in to Esperance to give the batteries a good power-up on 240v, wash and shop.

It is now Tuesday afternoon, and if the skies are clear tomorrow morning, we will travel towards Cape Arid, and camp at the Thomas River Campground.    It is not possible to get our rig as far as Cape Arid itself, but hopefully we can just take the car to explore the area.

Streaky Bay to Esperance

After some washing, a small shop and rest at Streaky Bay, we travelled on the Flinders Highway to Ceduna.  Here we joined the Eyre Highway for our journey west.    Roadside vegetation seemed much greener than our last trip.  We had good views of the Bight.   As it is not whale season yet, we did not detour in to the Head of Bight.  With a cool, cloudy day and a slight tail wind, we had a good drive to the Border Village for fuel ($2.09/l)and quarantine inspection – no donations this time.  After Eucla and Mundrabilla, our stop for the night was at the Jilah Rockhole camp.  It was quite warm, but the night quickly cooled and a blanket was needed.

Friday  -  Our elevation increased today as we reached the Madura Pass, then Cocklebiddy and at Caiguna the longest straight stretch of road in Australia – 146.6kms – commenced, and finished at Balladonia.    Here we had a fuel ($2.04/l) and lunch stop before continuing to Norseman.

 

The Long Straight

At Norseman we turned south along the Coolgardi-Esperance Highway for 15kms to Dundas Rocks for our overnight camp.  The night was much cooler, and the doona was also required. 

Saturday -  We left Dundas Rocks for an easy 2 hour run in to Esperance.   The winds increased from the s/w, and a few drops of rain appeared.    We chose the Top Tourist park on the waterfront at Esperance, and were able to have the same site as our last visit.  A visit to the visitor information centre was a must to check on national park campsites and pick up some new brochures.    The pantry and fuel tanks were also replenished.  The waterfront from just west of the caravan park to the western end of the town is fenced off due to reclamation works.   The jetty with resident sea lion, which we saw last time, was not accessible.

 

Esperance Foreshore

East towards Cape Le Grand

Sunday -  I decided to trust the weather bureau and did 2 loads of washing this morning.  It was cloudy most of the day, but by 4pm the sky was blue and the washing was dry.   We will head east tomorrow morning to Cape Le Grand National Park.   If there are not campsites available, we will continue to Lucky Bay, then to Orleans Bay Caravan Park as a last resort.   Apparently it is blue spanner crab season, so there are lots of fishermen out and about.   Hopefully we will be able to spend at least a week between Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid.

Home to Streaky Bay

Our 2014 travels commenced on 28 February with a 10am departure from Brisbane.  We had a stress-free run along the Gateway and Logan Motorways to Ipswich, then the Cunningham Highway to Warwick for a fuel and lunch stop. The Big 4 at Goondiwindi was our first overnight stop, where we both enjoyed a  hot mineral spa.        

Saturday - Travel on the Newell Highway to Moree then Narrabri for a lunch break  beside the Namoi River.  Then to Coonabarabran and on to the Oxley Highway.  After a refuel at Gilgandra we were caught behind an extra wide load, but were happy to keep its pace until we were able to pass at Warren.   The countryside was green, and it was just starting to rain.    The area had received 4 inches of rain recently, so roadside stopping areas were very boggy.   We were lucky to get a  spot at the Nyngan Riverside Caravan Park, with rain stopping overnight.

Sunday - Some k’s after leaving Nyngan, we again found ourselves behind the wide load, and were happy to follow it to Cobar.   It was a good run on the Barrier Highway to Wilcannia for fuel and lunch.   Traffic heading west was very light, but sadly we came across a car and caravan rollover after Wilcannia.    From chatter on the radio we don’t think anyone was seriously injured, but the car and van were a write-off.

After refuelling at Broken Hill, we stopped a few k’s out of town at the Thackeringa Rest Stop for the night.    Our first encounter of the trip with the little, annoying bush flies.   Someone had to wear a fly hat outside while setting up the sat dish.  

 

Sunset west of Broken Hill

Monday - It was a short drive to Cockburn, which is the border between NSW and SA, then on to Oddla Wirra where the quarantine inspector relieved us of some fruit and veg.   Peterborough, a railway town was next, then Orroroo for a quick stop at the butcher for local steak and lamb for tea.  Lunch and fuel stop was at Port Augusta.    Whilst passing Iron Knob (now on the Eyre H’way) we noticed the mine working again, and lots of road and building works.    It was like a ghost town when we were there in 2011.   Our overnight stop was at the Kimba Sports Reserve.

 

Glad we're not behind these

Daylight saving is not good for early starts!   The sun does not start to appear until after 7.30 am.

Tuesday – A short drive to Wudinna (gateway to the Gawler Ranges), Poochera and Streaky Bay for our 2 night stay.     As westerly traffic all the way has been very light, we did not book and certainly did not expect to see the park so full.    We were lucky to get a powered site, due to a cancellation while I was standing in the office.    It was around 35 degrees for most of the day, but luckily cooled off in the evening.

Streaky Bay

Wednesday -   A strong wind has come up, making today much more pleasant.   If the weather charts can be believed, we should be lucky enough to have a tail wind tomorrow when we start our trip across the Nullabor.