I know, it’s been a few days since I posted anything. Time gets away!
Wednesday - we left Yardie Homestead, headed for Coral Bay. The weather was windy, which made for an uncomfortable drive. We had a light shower of rain, followed by a dust storm. Even clouds, which we have hardly seen since we left.
On arrival at Coral Bay, we had hoped for a kinder breeze, but not so. The neighbours said that the weather had been ordinary for weeks. Oh well. You can’t dictate the weather. Notice the palm tree below!
The usually, very protected Bay was quite choppy. No snorkelling, swimming or boat trips today. Only sand blasting when we were walking along the beach.
Coral Bay is a very popular seaside location for WA retirees (and others). We could only get 2 nights here as it is booked out most of the year. The people behind us have been here for 7 weeks and this was their 31st year of coming here. It is a pretty spot but not a great deal here. A pub, an IGA supermarket (which sold everything), a newsagent, a mini mart, a bakery, a couple of dive shops, a couple of cafes, 3 caravan parks, a resort and not much more.
The wind was strong today, but not the reason why this wind tower was down.
On Thursday, we headed out for an encounter with manta rays, which are residents here all year. We are a little late for the whale shark encounters. The weather was okay, but still a bit of a swell inside the reef. The snorkelling at the first spot was quite amazing, seeing many reef sharks (harmless). 1 turtle swimming alongside the boat. Later, the spotter plane comes over to find the manta rays and guides the boat to their location. In we jump, following our guides and photographer, chasing the mantas. They are so graceful, not to mention large. The water wasn’t very clear, which was a bit of a shame, but, still great to see these creatures. The last snorkelling site was great, but it was hard work as the current and swell made for a difficult swim. Overall, a good day, but better weather would have made it more comfortable. (Photos are on a USB stick and can’t post them until I am on a computer, not iPad)
Our plans after Coral Bay have altered a little, as we got the very sad news that Russell’s brother in law (Noel) passed away suddenly on Wednesday. We will get to Perth a little earlier to fly home for his funeral. Our hearts and thoughts go out to Marg and Marcus. 😘 Such a shock to everyone.
From Coral Bay, we headed south and free camped at Murchison River (with about 60 other vans). It was a good location to light a fire. There had been quite a bit of rain the previous couple of days, a few puddles evident.
We have crossed back over the Tropic of Capricorn, how that seems to change things. The weather has turned cool, and the scenery has greened up!
We are now heading into the “wild flower” country. We have headed inland from Northampton to a town called Mullewa.
Everlastings daisies everywhere. White, yellow and pink.
A short drive out to Pindar, the home of a unique plant, the Wreath flower. It grows on the side of the road for 1.5 km and nowhere else. The roadside is graded once a year, and these amazing plants just keep popping up.
The caravan park here at Mullewa is full, so we are in the overflow area, about 20 other vans here. Drink o’clock at the caretaker’s site, a couple from QLD, who spend a couple of months here during the busy season. It would be a quiet park for about 10 months, when there are no wild flowers out.
More flowers in the next post.
🌹🌺🥀💐
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