Wednesday morning we were up early after a good night in the bush on our own. We went for a long walk around what was a township and climbed the hill. You would have no idea that there had been a town here at all other than an occasional bit of pipe sticking out, they have deliberately returned it to nature.
I went so close to stepping on a snake, a King Brown, a reminder that we must leave the compression bandage in our back pack for when we are bush walking, it could have been nasty.
We then drove through to the highway about 60kms then along a bit and into Eighty Mile Beach. We couldn't stop because dogs are not allowed so drove through onto the beach and maybe 5kms along. It's an amazing sight with fishermen lined up about 10 metres apart for ages. As we drove we saw a shark and 2 big good looking fish pulled in. At one point I pulled up to ask a bloke if we could get out down the beach or had to go back, it goes about 20kms but you have to go back out the same way you came. When I got back into go, once again we were bogged, I'd had the tyres from 45 down to 35 psi as we'd been on the gravel road so now dropped them to 20 and drove straight out no problem. It was a good drive then back out to the highway and stopped to pump the tyres up. A number of cars stopped to ask if we were okay.
Stopped for the night along the highway at Stanley Rest a free camp, we had about 20 neighbors for the night.
Thursday morning we drive on and went into Port Smith Lagoon a really good caravan park 600 metres back from a lagoon that fills and empties with the tide. A beautiful spot. We showered then went for a drive through the bush and through to a beach, we pulled up before going on the beach and walked.
The Caravan Park lent us a couple of rods about two metres long with hooks on the end with instructions for mud crabbing at low tide.
In the evening they put on fish and chips for $5 each and run a raffle with all proceeds to RFDS. What would have been a couple hundred people brought their chairs and sat in a big circle with camp fires going. An Aboriginal band from the nearby Bidyadanga Community played and sang for three hours, it was a great night, surprised how cool it was we had cardigans on. They raffled three mud crabs, no luck.
Friday morning up early to be down crabbing two hours before the 9.30 low tide. No luck and probably no skill either.
There is no Internet here just a little bit of signal now and again to send and receive texts. Some with aerials get enough to use the Internet. The signal comes from the Aboriginal communities where they have more funding. Rose did the washing and I washed the van, the water is from a bore but is pretty good they have a diesel generator for electricity.
Went for a drive this morning with the intention of fishing but never quite got to it. Pulled up on the beach the other side of the lagoon where it meets the sea. The tide was out so we went for a walk along the beach then along the creek, it's very pleasant. Then drove around to False Cape, getting very close to the Aboriginal community so had phone reception so was able to check emails. We were surrounded by the ocean on three sides and it is very rocky, an aboriginal family came along in an old 4wd and we could see others in the distance.