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!!