Category: Motorhome

We had a bit of a sleep in as we knew the tow truck wasn’t coming until mid morning. It duly arrived at nine o’clock and Turtle was unceremoniously loaded onto the flatbed truck for the trip back to Mount Magnet. The mechanic confirmed what we thought and advised that the gearbox was knackered and a replacement gearbox was unobtainable at the moment. A lot of chasing around by Adam back home at Mirboo North resulted in a gearbox being located but unfortunately its on the East Coast so it looks like Turtle will have to be shipped back home. More on that tomorrow

After travelling over ten thousand kilometres so far on this trip, trouble struck with the Turtle running out of gearbox oil and, as a result, all sorts of sounds emanating from the vehicle. We made it to Kirkalokka Rest Stop where Debbie was able to contact RACV Total Care and arrange for a tow truck to collect turtle in the morning to go into Mount Magnet. Our fire lightened the mood but it was still a relatively early night

From Kalbarri we travelled well south to the Pinnacles National Park where we were able to travel around the Pinnacles Loop in our vehicles and get some great photos and footage of the area. Really a lot better than our previous visit. We travelled out of town to stay at the Banksia Reserve in the Badgingarra National Park.

Our wedding anniversary today and we celebrated by taking the Williams to see Nature’s Window at Kalbarri – they were suitably impressed. Then we went into Kalbarri to have a coffee before heading into the Anchorage Caravan Park where we had the last two sites available (for emergencies only) Another cold night with no fire so early to bed.

Up early to go out to Monkey Mia for the wild dolphin feeding. It was packed, around 200 hundred people crowded around to watch the show. We then returned to Denham for breakfast, refuelled in preparation for our trip down to Kalbarri NP tomorrow and headed back to camp to check over our vehicles. We’ve done just over 9000 kms and spent around $2000 on fuel so we’ve been moving fairly steadily. The temperatures are more moderate now, cool nights and low twenties during the day. I think we’re ready to hit the road again.

Before we made our way out to the highway we travelled to the HMAS Sydney Memorial at the site where stationhands from Quobba Station apprehended the survivors from the German Raider Kormorant. We headed to Carnarvon for morning tea, then moved South again. Into the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool and then onto Shell Beach with its banks of tiny shells. We got into Denham after four o’clock and ended up having our first evening meal “out” – dinner at the Bistro of the Heritage Resort Shark Bay

We left a little later than anticipated and made our way south. We decided to forego Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef as no one was interested in doing any tours and Jenny and Bob were fished out from yesterday. So we made our way steadily down the coast and then took the Blowholes Road into Point Quobba. The blowholes on the shoreline we’re quite spectacular so we spent some time checking them out before heading into the Quobba Campground which is run by Carnarvon Shire. The campground snakes along the beach for 3kms and we had to go that distance before finding a space that we could fit into. Once again the West Coast is inundated with grey nomads and all the space were taken up – $8 per person a night but no facilities.

Jenny and Bob had their fishing trip today out to the Mackerel Islands. Meanwhile Debbie and I did our housework in preparation for the load of fish we’re expecting. We went up the street for coffee and to buy supplies for cooking Tempura battered fish accompanied by Tartare Sauce and fresh salad. They were very successful (well Bob was, as he made quite clear) and caught enough fish for twenty-seven meals! Needless to say the freezer is flat out freezing the cryovacced fish.

We arrived around ten in Onslow and had morning tea at the Commemorative Park before touring the township and checking into the Ocean View Caravan Park where the helpful staff put us both on one site at a reduced rate. Straight into the showers for a much awaited scrubbing. Then the laundry before sitting back and catching up on all our correspondence. Jenny and Bob are off on their much anticipated fishing trip tomorrow. Debbie and I are staying home to clean out the freezers in the expectation of a big haul of Spanish Mackerel. Hope we haven’t put the mozz on them.

Called in to Karratha and drove around doing the sights. I had to buy a windscreen repair kit as we copped a rock from a Road Train so thought I better try and stave off the whole screen cracking by filling the hole. Time will tell if it’s successful. We checked out Dampier (with the compulsory Red Dog photo shoot – doesn’t mean I have to show them) then out to the Burrup Peninsular where you have the incongruity of heavy industrial plant on one side and rock carvings by indigenous people made tens of thousands of years ago. Continued on a further 160 kilometres to a Free Camp that we stayed at last time Jenny and I were here by ourselves. Still full of travellers but at least this time it’s not raining. Off to Onslow tomorrow – about time for a shower and some clothes washing (we’re starting to attract flies)