EIGHTY MILE BEACH TO MUNJINA ( AUSKI ROADHOUSE)

Beth and Tess at the park at Port Hedland

Ben at the park at Port Hedland

Our toothless terror at the park at Port Hedland

 In front of a big iron ore tanker arriving in Port Hedland

 

In front of an iron ore tanker arriving in Port Hedland

Oh no!  Back in winter pyjamas.  Cold at night

DAY 70 – EIGHTY MILE BEACH – AUSKI ROADHOUSE (NEAR KARAJINI)   Saturday, 10^th September

Lovely to wake up at 5am this morning rather than 2am with howling winds!  A beautiful day at Eighty Mile Beach but just still so windy.  I had a most unpleasant experience in the shower this morning – yes, one I can share.  For the first time in my life, as I washed my HAIR I saw the water turn brown as it was running down the drainpipe.  I think the wind had blown half of Cape Leveque into my hair!!  Everyone is talking about the wind so I am guessing that this is not usual.  We were planning on a morning walk on the beach but the wind just makes it so unpleasant.  The colour of the water was absolutely stunning – a beautiful shade of aqua.  But I was too busy scoffing down another ice cream as an after breakfast treat, to walk down to take another photo.  (Thank God for that, I hear you say!) 

We had left the van on the car last night so it was easy to leave this morning, especially since we had put up the awning because of the wind last night.  Still it does take a bit of work to get Tess out of bed!

There is pretty much nothing between Eighty Mile Beach and Port Hedland, but the Tedescos stayed at Cape Kedaudren and the Parsons had heard that Pardoo Station (not to be confused with Pardoo Roadhouse) was good, so there are other places to stay.

We got to Port Hedland for lunch and spent some time watching the enormous container ships arrive to be filled with iron ore.  All of you with BHP Billiton shares would have been happy!  There was at least one being filled, one arrived and two more were on the horizon waiting to come into port.  And we were only there for 40 minutes!  They work 24/7.  I would say it is a fairly tough industrial town filled with miners.  We purchased some further provisions (now that we have the Tedesco’s Engel we can actually purchase milk without fear) and then headed out to Munjina (Auski Roadhouse) which is near the turn off to Wittenoom.  Just a roadhouse but was perfectly adequate for the night.  Looking forward to our day tomorrow.

CAPE LEVEQUE TO EIGHTY MILE BEACH

A moment of sisterly love in the car on the way back from Cape Leveque

The Black Kites hunting small animals escaping the fires. These birds have even been known to spread bushfires by dropping burning branches. It assists them in hunting their prey. Burning off happens almost continuously in NT and WA.  We drove through many swirls of smoke!

Jumping down the sand dunes at Eighty Mile Beach at sunset.

David and Beth walking along Eighty Mile Beach at sunset

Yes!  Another sunset!!  Eighty Mile Beach - amazing!

As far as the eye can see .............. remote beach!

DAY 69 – CAPE LEVEQUE TO EIGHTY MILE BEACH                         Friday, 9^th September

Shocking night’s sleep last night – the wind howled all night, waking me at 1:52am!!  Did not get back to sleep thinking about all the tree limbs that could fall on our tents.  But David and I managed to convince ourselves that, given how many cyclones this part of the country endures, this gale force breeze wouldn’t scare these trees!!  We did not see any need for a fly for the tent we were using so we were able to gaze up all night into the most amazing starry, starry night, with the Cape Leveque lighthouse flashing out at regular intervals.  Despite the howling wind, there was something very peaceful about the night, no doubt because of the remoteness and beauty of the area.

So by 6:15am we had packed up our tent and anything else we could do and decided our precious babies needed to be woken so we could get back to Broome and pick up the caravan before 10am so as not to be charged for another day!  The kids were so good at helping us to pack up and get on the road – again back over the 90kms of corrugated road!!  We had a great production line back at the caravan, dumping everything in the van so my poor boy could breathe again!  More diesel and some bread and milk and then back on the road to Eighty Mile Beach.  Pretty much 380kms of nothing.

But Eighty Mile Beach was a pleasant surprise!  And yes, the sunsets just keep getting better!!  We set up the caravan but left the car on as we didn’t need to drive anywhere – or more aptly, there was nowhere to drive!!  We wandered down to the most magnificent beach – eighty miles of unadulterated beauty!  As far as the eye could see in both directions, there was just stunning beach.  This beach is known for its beautiful shells, so the kids went beserk, having a ball running around  picking up different shells.  Don’t you love it when you find yourself with a handful of shells you don’t want, but when you go to put them down a plaintive little voice says:  “But Mummy I GAVE them to you.  I want YOU to have them”!  So David and I wandered around with pocketsful of shells.  Beth has decided she will enter into the “shell jewellery making business”, so she was hard at work finding exactly the shells she wanted.  Of course when we arrived back at the van, we had to spend the next hour sorting them all out.

It is such a lovely caravan park.  Just very quiet, clean, and mainly full of grey nomads who come here for weeks or even months during winter.  After thinking how much we would love to come back here for a holiday, we then discovered why there were no families here – there are sharks and sea snakes very close in to the shore, so no swimming.  That counts us out!  But it is just beautiful to walk along the beach at sunset.  (And yes, there will be more sunset photos yet!) My husband was most upset when I asked him to “Get out of my sunset shot!” [Husband’s note: You would think 80 miles of beach would be enough space for her to take yet another precious sunset photo.]  He continually mocks me for my sunset shots but little does he know I am going to fill my house with them when we return!

We intend to have a morning walk as well.  Just to top things off, they have a great shop with REAL ice-cream for $2 a scoop!  Bargain!  It was three times that price in Broome!!  We are thinking an ice-cream for breakfast at this rate!  OH!  And one MORE good thing – a load of washing is only $2!  I think we should have spent our “holiday” here!  Have never had washing so cheap – so made everyone completely strip!  Washing on the line at 9pm and in this wind they will be bone dry by morning. [Husband’s note: Or out in the Indian Ocean!]  It is funny how the little things can engender such excitement!!

The weather has significantly changed too.  It was again very windy down the beach this afternoon and although everything is still now, our “neighbours” told us that at 2am it will be blowing a gale again.  I have also put a jumper on tonight – which is extremely displeasing!  I am remembering fondly the nights at Darwin and Kakadu and even Broome, where I would walk to the toilet at 10:30pm and it would still be 25 degrees!  THAT is my kind of weather.  We have travelled almost 600kms today but it would be interesting to work out how far SOUTH we have come. 

We are travelling mainly south tomorrow, heading towards Karajini National Park.  More adventures!

CAPE LEVEQUE

Cooking toast over the gas burner

Looking south down the western coastline of Cape Leveque

David feeding a Barramundi

Ben, Beth and Tess at One Arm Point Lookout

Our little campsite, Cape Leveque

Watching the sunset together

Sunset over Western Beach, Cape Leveque

Cooking damper

Beth with her masterpiece

Bridgie enjoying her damper and apricot jam

Tess with her damper!

Bridgie and the starfish at the Hatchery at One Arm Point

DAY 68 – CAPE LEVEQUE                                                      Thursday, 8^th September

The wind howled all night which kept us all awake and when we got up in the morning, the sand was blowing all over the caravan park and beach.  David went for a long walk from the East Beach all around the Cape to the Western Beach and he reported that it was absolutely stunning though very windy.  We spent some time at the seats in front of the resort restaurant which face the cliffs and the Indian Ocean whale watching.  We saw a few Humpbacks on their way south no doubt enjoying this beautiful, clean, vast ocean. 

Ever hopeful that the wind would drop we decided to venture out to the Hatchery at One Arm Point which was really interesting.  This is where the Trochus Shells Cape Leveque is famous for are cultured, harvested and polished.  We were taken on a tour of the big pools there which house barramundi (David almost had his arm taken off when feeding one of those!), Clown Fish, Mangrove Jacks, and Green Turtles (hatchlings and fully grown).  It was great for the kids to be so close and be able to touch some of the starfish and clams. 

We had hoped to go to the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm but it was too long to wait for a tour so we took the kids to the Middle Beach shack and sat in the car for lunch.  Beautiful and sunny, but the wind was just shocking.  But it made watching the tidal waters between One Arm Point and Sunday Island and its other smaller islands just amazing.  It was almost flowing like a raging torrent!  This is only about 100 kms from Yampi Sound where they have the greatest tidal fluctuations in Australia.  The tides all around Derby and Broome are 10-11metres which is just huge.

We drove down to Jologo Beach which was beautiful and spent some time walking along the beach and collecting shells for Beth’s new pastime – making jewellery from shells!  There is an amazing cemetery just next to Jologo Beach which is clearly tenderly cared for – each grave is absolutely covered in flowers (albeit plastic ones).  If you were going to choose a place to be buried, this would definitely be it – just on the dunes overlooking Jologo Beach.  Just stunning.

My dear husband was ever hopeful we would find a sheltered beach to sit and have our wines and cheeses while we watched our cherubs play beautifully in front of us – but it never really works out like that, does it?  Jologo was just too windy so we headed back to Cape Leveque and tried the Western Beach (great for fishing, not good for swimming) but the wind was whipping up the sand so we went back to the Eastern Beach, dropped off the beach stayers (David, Tess, Ben and Bridgie) and Beth and I went back to the tent and sat there reading and enjoying our afternoon with a drink and chocolate!

My husband is a man not easily deterred, so when he arrived back he collected the chairs, table and wine and cheese and headed over to the grass in front of the restaurant.  We managed to see some more whales but also the most beautiful sunset.  (Yes, I know I keep saying that!)  Of course, my husband decided at this moment, ten weeks into our journey, to tell me about a setting on the camera which really brings out colour!  YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THAT EARLIER!!!  We sat there until the sun had gone down and then went back for some spaghetti Bolognese followed by the most magnificent damper made with Beth and Tess’ secret recipe and cooked expertly on the end of a stick over the fire by all members of the family.  Butter and apricot jam on hot damper!!  Yum!  It always tastes so good when made with such fun!!  All the other campers were very impressed!!

BROOME TO CAPE LEVEQUE

The road to Cape Leveque

 Saying a prayer in the church at Beagle Bay

 

Relaxing on the eastern beach at Cape Leveque

The eastern beach at Cape Leveque

More sandcastle building

The beautiful rocks at Cape Leveque (taken by my husband, the artiste!)

DAY 67 – BROOME – CAPE LEVEQUE                                                       Wednesday, 7^th September

Up early this morning and packing up the car to go to Cape Leveque.  By some magical feat, my clever husband managed to pack six people, two tents, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, pillows, boogie boards, matting, Laurence and Violet’s Engel, beach and bath towels etc etc etc into our Prado and prove his wife wrong in NOT needing a roof rack.  Of course, the child sitting in the very back spent the two and a half hours not breathing from being crushed almost to death by falling sleeping mats and boogie boards. 

We said goodbye to Marj and Barry and were very sad to leave as it was so nice having someone from home here with us. I think we must have looked like the Clampetts from Beverley Hillbillies!

The drive from Broome to Cape Leveque was interesting.  The first 13kms were sealed but then there was 90kms of rough, corrugated, red dirt road.  We have been further than that before but this seemed a long way.  The road was quite sandy in places and very corrugated in others, wide in some places, narrow in others.  The last 100 kms are sealed – you cannot imagine my relief at hitting that bitumen.  We stopped at Beagle Bay to see the Sacred Heart Catholic Church built by the Trappist Monks.  The altar is made entirely of Mother of Pearl shells which is beautiful in the manner in which it marries the church to the culture of the people. 

Cape Leveque is so remote and desolate in some ways, but incredibly beautiful.  The coastline seems to stretch forever.  On arrival, we set up our “camp” – two tents, some grass matting, six chairs and a table.  Pretty basic.  I don’t think Princess Sarah is cut out for such rudimentary existence!!  We hit the eastern beach in the afternoon and played in the water and had the mandatory sandcastle-building competition.  It was just beautiful sitting there watching the kids play in the sand.  By the end, we were the only people on the beach.  It is like sitting on the edge of the world.  We sat there until sunset and then went home and my chef husband cooked up a delicious Chicken Satay and Noodles with just a nail file and a battery!!!!!!!  MacGyver eat your heart out!  OK, he did use a cooking pot too.  But it was absolutely delicious.  We were exhausted after our busy day so straight off to bed.

BROOME

Bridgie on her birthday morning

Bridgie with Mama

Bridgie and her siblings - sharing the excitement

Surfie David - my gorgeous husband

The Hansen men at the "beauty parlour"

The Hansen women at the "beauty parlour" - NB Ben taking off the nail polish

Getting the full treatment

Our babies

Our family at Cable Beach

The kids with Mama and Papa

Our beautiful big seven year old

Decorating her cake - a very serious job!

She absolutely sparkles - our Bridgie!

DAY 66 – BROOME                                                            Tuesday, 6^th September

Our beautiful little baby is SEVEN!!!  Bridgie’s birthday today and she had it all under control.  We had CocoPops and pancakes for breakfast, followed by present opening which is always very exciting!  We then went into town for the purchasing of the cake (thank God Mum was spared the stress of two birthday cakes this year!!).  We then headed to the beach where the surf was, again, absolutely sensational.  Even I couldn’t stay out of the water – and we couldn’t get Marjie off the boogie board either!!  The water is so warm, so clear and the colour of turquoise.  Just perfect.

After having some lunch it was time for Tess and Bridgie to set up their “beauty parlour” where they proceeded to do EVERYONE’s hair and nails.  It was a fantastic place because you got a back massage as well as moisturising and massaging hands and feet!  Ben is the best “nail polish remover” I have ever seen.  Mama and I were spoilt – particularly Mama who ended up with pale pink nail polish on her toenails and bright red on her fingernails!  The afternoon was spent by the pool and relaxing watching all the kids enjoy “free time” in their own way: Ben and Bridget jumping all over David in the pool, Tess reading quietly by herself, and Beth happy to be in the company of us all.

We went to Zanders Restaurant at Cable Beach for a special dinner tonight – our family, watching the sun set over Cable Beach for the last night.  Just so special.  We had a delicious meal and I love watching the kids trying new things – like eating seaweed tonight!  They are all growing up so quickly and I think an experience like this really gives them the freedom to branch out on their own, to try things they haven’t tried before, to be a little more independent and to take calculated risks which, when they pay off, give them such a sense of achievement.

I am sad we are leaving Broome tomorrow.  I could happily stay here for a lot longer, even though I thought I would be ready to leave.  It really is such a special place and I am so glad that we made a point of staying here for a holiday.  It was everything I dreamed and more.  But there is still so much more to see so with only one month to go, it really is time to move on to other adventures.

BROOME

The boogie-boarding granny - Marj in the waves

Ben beating Mama to the shore

Beth building her masterpiece in the sand

Her trusty sidekick and best friend, Tess

Hmmm, not sure if she is helping or being mischievous

Watching the sea claim their "boat"

Our beautiful girl, Beth

The tide fast approaching our car parked on Cable Beach

Sunset over the rocks at Cable Beach

 DAY 65 – BROOME                                                        Monday, 5^th September

Today was, again, one of those lazy days when you feel exhausted for ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON!!  We farewelled the Tedescos of “on the road again” to Eighty Mile Beach.  They were so generous to us and have loaned us their Engel for the remainder of our journey which is fantastic.  Our darling fridge is sitting on 19 degrees at the moment, and although it has not been a problem while Marj and Barry are here with their cabin and fridge, it will save us having to buy ice for the esky every day just to keep the milk cold.  It has made me appreciate how many things will survive at 12 degrees rather than the 4 degrees at which we keep our fridges – but milk is not one of them!!

I did some mundane shopping but wanted to stock up on staples like cereal and fruit bars because I can’t imagine there is going to be many big supermarkets now until we get to Perth – probably just small, very expensive IGA’s!!!

After that we headed for a beach morning and, low and behold, the waves were back with a vengeance!!   I am convinced that it has to have something to do with the tides because we are now back to much less of a differential between low and high tides.  Anyway, it was fantastic and we even taught Marjie, David’s mum, to boogie-board – AND SHE LOVES IT – A REAL SURFIE CHICK!!  Back for lunch and then we had a quick trip back down in the afternoon to …. Yes, a bit more boogie-boarding, sandcastle-making, and one or two more shots of the sunset.  Well, as I keep explaining to David, you never know when you are going to take the perfect shot.  And it is such a beautiful subject!!

Had to then go home and sort out things for our little one’s 7^th birthday in the morning, including blowing up all the balloons to put around the caravan, but this time we were able to use a compressor and not just our lungs.  AND we had the added pressure of making sure the Tooth Fairy came to Tess.  The Tooth Fairy has often over this trip needed two nights to pick up the tooth; we figure it must be because she has to travel so far.  We are hoping she is not preparing to seek a travel allowance because this trip is very expensive and this is now the fourth tooth lost from a Hansen mouth!!