WA

We’d hoped to get further than Carnarvon but the drive out of Ningaloo Station took a little longer. We’ve got three days to get back to Perth so we don’t really have to push it too hard. Needing fresh food, Carnarvon was a perfect place to stop as it’s a large agricultural area.

We pulled into a caravan park for the night and it was a great night’s stay. The park was pretty empty so there was lots of space and the kind lady put us right next to the playground. Lulu was in heaven, a playground just 7 steps away from her van. Within seconds the kids were gone and playing.

I’d thought we might be free camping for these last two nights before getting home and having been on water rations in Ningaloo, plugging into mains water was awesome. I had plenty of washing and cleaning to catch up on and we were all feeling pretty crusty too.

On another stroke of luck Tuesday night was their famous spud night, all gluten free. It was too tempting to have the night off cooking. I bought tickets for everyone and without the need to cook got busy washing and cleaning. The spud night was delicious. It even turned into dinner and a show, when Charlotte and another girl put on a dance. Gold!

[Photo of spud night at the caravan park]

Thanks Carnarvon!

So here we are, last night on this epic adventure, last night in the van (for a while). How does it feel? Well it’s different for all of us.

Lulu is the easiest because she’s just happy to be wherever we are. So present and in the moment, just love little people for this example of how to live.

Georgia is so calm and controlled in her expression but is very much looking forward to being home. At times I’ve asked if she’d like to go home and end the trip but to my surprise the answer was no. But now we are so close, she is busting to get there. Have her own bed, where she won’t hit her head when she wakes in the morning or rolls over in the night, a place to put out her LOL’s and not have to pack them up because it’s too windy or someone needs to get into the bathroom, and see Grandma, Papa, Ruby and River.

With that said though she is quite clingy at the moment and worried about going back to school and not being with me all the time. There is definitely going to be an adjustment period for our introverted middle munchkin.

Charlotte is vocally and visibly out of sorts. For most of the trip she has wanted to come home and now we are coming home she doesn’t want to. Change is a challenge for dear Charlotte and her head is abuzz with this and that, she’s definitely finding it tough but with love and support she’ll get there, she and we will be exhausted but we’ll get there.

She has loved many elements of the trip, loves travel and adventure but I think one of the most amazing things is, she tells me she has a better sense of who she is and what she likes. I had hoped a time away from the complicated social setting of school may help her work out a few things about herself and it sounds like she may have gained that.

Ken and I are on the same page, we’ve loved it but we’ve had enough and are excited about what comes next. The travel, experiences, people, places, sights and delights, have been just awesome. We feel proud to have done it, made it happen and survived it. But make no mistake, as with all of life, there have been ups and downs, highs and lows, fights, arguments, harsh words and insightful awakenings and as the Genie in Aladdin says “All in an itty bitty living space”.

Deep gratitude for all of life’s gifts.

This has been a favourite destination of ours for a number of years now and it was on our last holiday here that we decided to do this lap of Oz adventure that we are currently on. To be back here now has a sense of ‘full circle’ about it.

As you drive into the national park you start to catch glimpses of the water and wow. Feels like we’d forgotten how exquisitely turquoise/aqua the water is. Flanked by the rugged ranges on one side and the dunes and water on the other, it’s a pleasant drive. It is with much anticipation and the warmth of greeting an old friend we arrive at our campsite (#41).

Immediately we are greeted by the cockatoos and Georgia, the carer of all creatures great and small, puts out a water bowl for them. They enjoy the fresh water and frequently return to camp to quench their thirst during our stay.

After set up it was time for lunch before hitting the beach and getting up close with the reef. Georgia and Ken were straight into the snorkelling and it was as good as we remembered. There is a horseshoe shaped coral shelf which is a great place to spot all sorts of fish, with ledges to hide under and deeper water, it always provides a great and varied experience.

t was not only our fishy friends we were delighted to see but another couple of families we’ve met along the road a few times already. We had all arrived that day so got to spend a few days chatting and even got together for birthday drinks as it was my birthday and one of the other mums in 2 days’ time. It was a fun evening, we have met some really lovely people on our travels and while there is no denying the country is huge the travelling community is like a little village.

The days are beautifully sunny and warm, but the winds were variable. At times we were reluctant or didn’t even bother walking the 15m to the beach, preferring instead to wait for the part of the day when the winds would die down. Regardless of the winds it’s a stunningly beautiful and peaceful place, you can’t help but feel relaxed and lucky to be there.

Turtles, turtles, turtles and more turtles. We’ve never seen so many turtles here. There were 3-5 constantly grazing on the reef nearest our camp and on the last day we got to hang with a big guy out at the ‘horseshoe’. On that last snorkel Georgia got to swim so close with a smaller turtle, diving down with it and surfacing together. It was just beautiful to watch and would have made epic footage had I taken the GoPro with me.🤦🏽‍♀️ Fortunately Ken did!

The SUP (Stand Up Paddle Board) was out and we could just leave it nestled into the dunes. I had a couple of fantastic paddles and the kids loved playing on it. They are going to be excellent boarders. Again I didn’t have my camera on me but as Alicia and I walked up the beach chatting, the 4 girls (Charlotte, Georgia and 2 mates) were paddling along next to us. One sitting on the front of the board, Charlotte in the middle paddling, one sitting on the back and Georgia on a boogie board attached to the SUP kicking and being dragged along. The photo would have been great however being in the moment is always enough!

My birthday was on the last day. The day started with yellow balloons, gifts, cards and coffee in bed, followed by a paddle board with Charlotte, before returning for pancakes. Then the weather had turned it on for the best morning with low winds. This made for an awesome beach morning/snorkelling, taking both Charlotte and Georgie out.

With a hunger worked up we returned for lunch and a chill. I received a couple of magazines and sudoku puzzle books, both guilty pleasures for a busy mum and was under instruction to read and do both…. well if you insist. Then the evening rounded out with lettuce, a kilo of sweet Exmouth prawns 🦐 and seafood sauce. Honestly, the beez kneez!

What better way to celebrate Leonie’s birthday to go for a sunset beach walk upto the point!

With a hunger worked up we returned for lunch and a chill. I received a couple of magazines and sudoku puzzle books, both guilty pleasures for a busy mum and was under instruction to read and do both…. well if you insist. Then the evening rounded out with lettuce, a kilo of sweet Exmouth prawns 🦐 and seafood sauce. Honestly, the beez kneez!

With only a chance of internet at night as long as it wasn’t windy I didn’t get messages until the next day but it was a beautiful birthday. Grateful for my kind and thoughtful family and this magnificent location.

Osprey Bay, you’ve done it again. Even after travelling Oz you’re still right up there as our favourite, or at least in the top 5 campsites.

Hi everyone its Lotte here and guess were we are EXMOUTH!!!🎉😁. Finally a place that we know and love❤️. We have a few days in the town to stock up on food and snorkeling gear (our gear seems to have disappeared 😉). As we drove in I recognized the hotel, giant prawn and well thats all because we didn’t drive in to the town center. We are staying at Ningaloo cara van park and resort which has a awesome pool which is perfect because I need to brush up my water gymnastics before we get home and can swim in Rubys lovely pool again 😀👍🏻. Though on the down side we were in the car for about 7 HOURS OR MORE!!!!!!! To get here So worth it

Today our plan is to go check out the new visitors center and do the food shopping Dad took Georgia and lulu and i went food shopping I don’t even know why i did that once mum and I finished we went there was a liberty there and we took some books so happy in the after noon mum took us kids to the pool it’s awesome cant wait to explore Exmouth more tomorrow

As always we were a little slow getting away and needed to stop at the next roadhouse for fuel and to get a few emails away. It was there we realised we may again cross paths with the Sway Family and be well timed to make lunch for them this time. I’d seen a post about how hot it’s been so we stocked up on icy poles and continued up the road.

It was now 12.30pm and apparently our timing couldn’t have been better. They were hot, bothered and ready for a stop, but shade wasn’t looking real good. So we felt pretty good to be able to help this little family out and in return have a few more hours with some downright fantastic humans. The time passed easily and I was shocked when it was 4.35pm when we got back on the road.

We need to be in Exmouth in two days, it’s still a 9 and a half hour drive! Yikes, we need to be driving into the dark tonight and get as far along the road as we can. The drive into Port Hedland was stunning with the sun setting and a lush green that we didn’t expect or haven’t seen for a while. We make it about 30km outside of Port Hedland and everyone has had enough so that will do for today.

It will be another long travel day in the car tomorrow. We’ve been listening to Red Dog, fitting as this was his territory and Andrew and Nic from the Sway Family just gave me a few top tips for podcasts for the kids so we should be set.

Having pulled up in the dark tonight it is always exciting to wake up and see where we actually are. I am also intrigued to see if I can work out where the strong smell of plum pud is coming from. After the smells of dinner subsided the van, or my nostrils at least, was filled with the clear smell of plum pudding. OMG, I have been hankering for a delicious pud for a while now but plum pudding was not the first pud to spring to mind. Well now it’s all I can think of. Not sure I’m going to make it to Christmas without having to scratch that itch!

We were looking to visit Eighty Mile Beach and Bec and Justin had recommended this place. It’s not on Wikicamps so it’s quiet and a slightly different experience staying on a working cattle station.

We ended up arriving later than expected as we ran into the legendary Sway Family again. After our meet up just outside of Kununurra we’d hoped to cross paths again. I had a feeling they may be on this road and then when we heard chatter on the UHF about a family on push bikes we knew they weren’t far up ahead. We pulled over and spent the next couple of hours chatting, drinking coffee while the kids ate and played. Such lovely folks and hopefully we make the cut on one of their videos.

Our first evening at Anna Plains we arrived just in time to help feed the calves whose mothers had rejected them. This was a new experience for the kids and great to be able to get involved.

The next day Ken and I both woke up feeling pretty poorly. Ken has had a sore back for a few days and I just felt like I’d been hit by a train. We’d planned to hit the beach but I was exhausted just standing up. Most of the day was a complete write-off. It was, or seemed to me anyway, to be very hot and eventually I just had to go back to bed. Fortunately after a sleep I was feeling a little better. We hoped the beach would be good for us and it was.

The drive down to the beach takes you through the station, a couple of gates, past Brolga Wetland (aptly named with the amount of Brolgas around), passing cattle and Brumbies or stock horses as you go. It’s not long before you hit the dunes and then the water appears……

Not what we were expecting. We’d seen pictures of aqua/turquoise water but this was muddy cloudy. Right enough it was late in the day and the tide was out and you could just catch a glimpse of those colours far out on the horizon. We continued up the beach some 18 kms to the point and turned around to find a place to settle for the sunset. We’d also heard about the shells on the beach being amazing and they weren’t wrong.

The next few hours passed with much creativity and playfulness, building a shell palace, city and housing it with hermit crabs. There were crabs galore on the beach. It added another element of fun having to keep track of where the Princess was now and recapture her as she would often break through the palace defences while the guards, (other crabs), were either sleeping or too frightened to come out of their shells. We’d had such fun the day before we decided to head back down the beach and see if we could catch that amazing colour of the water at high tide. Unfortunately we missed the tide but had another fun beach session. Ken got to fly the drone and fish a little, and for the girls there was much exploring, building, crab capturing and shell hunting to be done.

We returned to camp in the early afternoon for lunch and a sleep for Lulu, all to the music of the mooing cattle. That morning a muster had taken place. The horses were separated from the cows and the herd contained in a large pen close to the campground. They were a noisy mob all afternoon and well into the night.

Anna Plains has 25,000 head of cattle, sells about 30% and breeds about 30% each year. I think the figure was $600 per head for a sale. The horses on the property are more of a nuisance and they are happy to give them away if they could find someone to come and get them. Before Helen “Boss lady” took over there were plenty of Aboriginal stockmen on the station but they wouldn’t work for a lady apparently so walked off and left the station, leaving the horses to mix with the few good race horses that were bred here.

Since then musters are done with helicopter and LandCruisers. They have some permanent staff and then have kids on their gap year come up for the season (Feb – Oct). It’s hard work, long days but seems like it would be an awesome experience.

The other big problem on the station is wild dogs. They lose about 700 calves to dogs or dog attack. That afternoon we popped down to feed the potty calves again and a new one had been brought in. He’d been found on the muster, very dehydrated, and suffering from a dog attack. Having cleaned the wounds, administered antibiotics and continually trying to rehydrate the animal all day, Ed the farm hand was going to need to make sure it was well looked after overnight.

There is a dog man on staff trying to minimise the effects and trauma the dogs inflict. They use bait and shoot them apparently, having killed 150 this year already. A real eye opener for us city folk. Anna Plains Station has been a great little experience and adventure. We can see why they have regulars that turn up every year for months on end.

This visit was more about collecting mail and stocking up on food so we just stayed two nights. We decided to go with familiarity and stay at the same park, Cable Beach Caravan Park. It has pretty spacious sites and is close to Cable Beach.

Upon arriving I made my way to the shops and collected the mail. Getting those two main jobs done meant we were kind of free for the next day. We started with breakfast at the Zoo Keepers Cafe that we loved and another ogle in the Willie Creek Pearl shop next door.

School and chores seemed to fill the remainder of the day, before we made our way to Cable Beach for sunset. This time the girls scootered ahead with Ken while Charlotte and I paid one last visit to the pearl shop. Charlotte is a great saver and rarely spends any of her pocket money but she had seen some freshwater pearl earrings she was keen on and for $19.95 was going to treat herself to a souvenir from Broome. She was thrilled with her purchase.

This time we watched sunset from Cable Beach Resort. When Ken and I came up to Broome previously, it was before Charlotte was born and we stayed here at the resort. Of an evening we would come down to the bar to watch the sunset and share a bucket of Exmouth prawns. We were keen to reminisce and share the experience with a now completed family, three amazing daughters. Another great family memory.

Thanks Broome!

We left the deep red dirt of James Price Point for the only slightly less red dirt further up the cape. A new road is in the process of being constructed and looks like it may soon be bitumen. We pulled in to Beagle Bay for fuel before finally reaching our campsite at Pender Bay.

We hadn’t booked and on our first night we couldn’t get a cliff front site, however we didn’t have to wait long, the next morning the folks in front of us were moving on. We actually met them at McGowan Beach Camp so it was nice to run into them again. Although we arrived late and the tide was out, it was clear to see this place was going to be special.

The next morning we moved on to our clifftop site and wow the view was amazing! With the tide now in and the sun high in the sky giving the water that aqua colour, its full beauty was revealed.

Getting on to the site, well that was a little tricky. It was very, very tight but as usual Kenny nailed it and it couldn’t have been better. Once set up we were all a little hot and bothered and hanging to go get in that cool water. Swimming here seems to be ok but I guess with all new places we feel a little cautious. We are still in croc country but there are no estuaries or mangroves nearby and the water is crystal clear.

The waves are gentle, the temperature is perfect and with a perfectly placed rock for someone to stand lookout we enjoy a swim. Lulu and Georgia play and swim carefree and have an absolute ball. Both are little fish and you need a close eye on Lulu as she is more than happy to swim away from you on her noodle and none too impressed if you grab the noodle to try and drag her back to you.

As the week went on we became more relaxed about there being any croc visits and very much enjoyed our daily swims. We extended our stay to be for the full week and settled into a rhythm of school, chores, play and swimming on the high tide.

Plenty of 3 bunk vans rolled in giving the kids ample choice of playmates. Including Bec and Justin from Tip in a Van, who we have followed for a few years and may even have been responsible for planting the seeds for us to do this kind of trip. They were keen to check out our van and had been keen to get in a Zone RV themselves. We love the way they conduct themselves online and they are just as nice in person. It was a real treat to run into them on our trip.

Our only outing for the week was a trip to Beagle Bay to get supplies from the store, fuel and visit the Catholic Church which is decorated with mother of pearl. After this trip we were probably put off going in the car if we didn’t absolutely have to. After having a vomiting bug Lulu had been doing much better but I made a very bad judgement call and made her a banana smoothie before we left, only to have it come back up and all over her, the seat and in the end me.

We did our best to clean everything up but in the end just needed to leave the windows down the rest of the trip. Once at Beagle Bay I was able to wash her clothes out and then as we visited the church spotted a tap and hose. I just had to take the opportunity to properly hose the car seat out. It really was the only way to get rid of the smell and better to do it sooner rather than later before the smell set in.

Unfortunately this tummy bug or possible food poisoning was taking its time to clear and while here at Pender Bay Georgia started vomiting also. After the initial 24hrs of vomiting, your appetite returns and you seem to feel pretty well but just can’t tolerate food. I knocked together some chicken soup and jelly was a hit. Ken, Charlotte and I all remained well and the girls did great during the day but evenings and nights weren’t so good.

It’s been a great design feature of the van to be able to lower the kitchen table, attach the padding stored under the bed to it and voila we have another bed. When the girls are sick it’s great they can escape from their bunk, have a little extra space and I can be there to help them easily through the night too. The Zone boys really have thought of everything. We love our van! Other than slightly bigger bunks for the kids it’s been fabulous.

Pender Bay has been one of our favourite and most scenic campsites. It would be a 10 out of 10 if it had sunsets over the water. Hopefully the photos speak a 1000 words. The Dampier Peninsula is certainly beautiful and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Just another one to add to that ‘next time’ list.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Broome and civilisation and while I’m still feeling reluctant to go bush again I’ve been really looking forward to spending some time on the Dampier Peninsula. It seems there is lots of swimming to be had even though we are still in croc country.

Back on dirt and corrugation again but it’s not too bad and not for too long. We air down and the track gets narrower and deeper the further we go. It seems to me they must just keep grading the tracks and pushing a mound of red sandy dirt to the side of the road, making it feel as though the road is sunken in the landscape.

It’s not long before we catch a glimpse of the aqua blue ocean and we are on the hunt to find a campsite. The colours are stunning, the earth is a deep and warm red, the ocean calm and inviting aqua and the white sand completes the tri-colour landscape.

We settle on a free camp on the edge of the soft white sand. With a couple of people already bogged, other campers gave us warnings about the soft sand but we don’t venture too far into it and set up camp without incident.

The two days we spent here are just relaxing, schooling, beach walks, drone flights, whale watching and exploration of all the rock pools at low tide. Ken captured some wonderful footage of a mother and calf humpback whale with the drone. With another sighting at Cable Beach on our last night we are having great luck with viewing these magnificent animals.

The kids just took a little bit to warm up to the location, but in the end didn’t want to leave. Lulu had come down with a vomiting bug. She was pretty flat out for 24 hours but seemed to recover pretty quickly the next day. We’ve been hearing great things about a campsite further up the peninsula and are hoping to spend the rest of the week there so we decided to pack up and head north.

Ken and I have been to Broome once before during the wet. It was hot, I was six months pregnant and we hardly left the resort. While we had a great relaxing visit we didn’t have that high an opinion of Broome. Our experience this time has been totally different and it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular spot.

Eleven years have definitely changed the look and feel of Broome. The town seems to have undergone a fair amount of development that appears to only recently have finished. We checked in to the caravan park and made our way to the supermarket. Geez how we missed fresh food and having the choice and selection of food we have come to rely on and favour. It was spectacular.

With the shopping done, we popped in to say hello to a couple of other Zoners and then made for the Broome night markets. We’d all loved the night markets in Darwin and I think the girls were hoping for a similar experience. While lovely and getting parking was easy, the choice was limited and with no mention of gluten free anywhere we decided it was too risky for Georgia to eat. Still, we enjoyed the outing.

School, washing, cooking and chores filled out our morning before we decided to head into Broome town for a wander and lunch. We had a delicious lunch at Dragonfly Cafe (which has proved safe to eat at), a little look around town and ogle at a few pearls before returning to the van and sunset on Cable Beach.

Without the humidity of the wet season, Broome is delightful and pleasant. Even Cable Beach was amazing. Ken and I remember sitting up at the resort, watching the sun set over a bucket of prawns, sounds ideal, but we both have memories of wondering what the fuss is about. Just goes to show how being sticky, hot and uncomfortable changes your experience.

We took the car down onto Cable Beach, (along with every other man and his dog), cracked out the sunset nibbles and set up to soak up the magical sunset over the Indian Ocean. For a West Australian, or maybe it’s just me (but I doubt that), watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean is a true homecoming. Watching the water sparkle and glisten with a million diamonds dancing on its surface, as the sun, large and red sets, to the soothing sounds of a gentle ocean roar, that’s home. The sounds, sights and sense that draw up all the memories of holidays, evenings and good times shared with the people you love.

While I briefly lamented these thoughts and feelings the kids were busy making their own. Kicking the football, chasing seagulls, jumping and running from the waves and a Broome speciality, watching the camel trains pass by silhouetted by the powerful setting sun. Magical moments indeed.

For all that is on offer to do in Broome, for us this was all we really needed and felt up to, so it was that the days were filled with the everyday functions needing our attention but the late afternoon evening was beach time. What a rhythm.

The exception to this melodic pace were a couple of outings Charlotte had with myself to the Saturday markets and with Ken for breakfast and a beach walk, and for Georgia to 12 Mile Bird Park. Finding some quality one on one time with the kids isn’t always easy, but it’s something we all enjoy and the kids in particular need and love it. For Charlotte it’s always shopping and food, (getting the chance to stuff herself on guilt-free gluten) and for Georgie it’s games, playing and/or animal outings.

Our next adventure beckons but we’ll be passing through Broome again. For the next seven days we’ll be free camping and exploring Cape Leveque and the Dampier Peninsula.

With not far to travel today we decided to get school done at our roadside camp. Always best getting it out of the way early. Charlotte has hit a real roadblock with school and is just refusing to do anything. I’d just love to give up too, but of course we’ll all suffer the consequences later. Teachers are right up there on my list of things I’ve missed from home life.

There was a great little shop along the way at the Dodnun Community, mandarin, cucumber and a lettuce, cool and fresh.

Mt Elizabeth was great. Very quiet, new facilities and water. Unfortunately the castor sugar lid had not been closed so with a full day on corrugation the day before we had a huge mess to clean up. Fine powdered sugar through everything, ugh! The kids enjoyed the space for a run around after a long day in the car and while Ken and I would have liked an early to bed night it’s hard to get them to sleep when they have been sitting all day and are still full of energy.

Mt Elizabeth has a couple of beautiful gorges on the property and a very rocky but fun 4WD track to get out to them. One, the water was low and had gone stagnant so no swimming, so we opted for the larger and stunning Wannumurru Gorge. The drive was good fun (unless you’re in the back seat) and with just a 1km walk in it was very pleasant.

It is no longer running but swimming was still ok. It would be totally amazing to see during the wet with a number of tiers to the falls but it was still very beautiful and with only 4 other people it felt like we had it all to ourselves. A couple of ladders have been installed to help you get down to the water. It’s adventurous, fun and pretty easy. The water a beautiful teal green and of course surrounded by the Kimberley red rock.

There is rock art here at the gorge just a short walk away. Ken went for an explore while the girls made short work of the snacks/picnic I’d prepared. The art Ken found was just stunning. Probably the best we have seen here in the Kimberley, very strong and well preserved Wandjina images. We had a wonderful time here, the temperature was very pleasant and the place has a sense of peacefulness. As has often happened now, Lulu fell asleep on the walk back to the car.

With a free 8kg washing machine and warm weather, getting a few large loads of washing done has been brilliant. It’s an endless job keeping up with the washing and the red dirt and dust, everything is constantly looking grubby. I’m starting to feel over all the red, rocks and dirt. There are still a number of sites and gorges to visit on the Gibb but Ken and I are both feeling we’ve had a great experience so far and are ready for more beach time and hanging out for some fresh food. So we’ve decided to just call it quits on the Gibb, have one more long driving day tomorrow and get to Derby.

We nearly make it to Derby. We’re off the dirt and have aired up the tyres but pull into Birdwood Downs hoping to squeeze in a bit more horse riding for the girls. Turns out they no longer do the riding and are going to sell the horses. What a shame but makes it an easy decision now to push on again and get to Broome tomorrow. It’s an interesting place to stay, appears to have had a glorious past and is transitioning into something new. Hopefully it finds the right niche again as it has some wonderful features.

With that we farewell the Gibb River Road. All up it’s been a magical 3 weeks and as always there is more to see, but that’s for next time now.