Day 30

I was being bone lazy yesterday and not doing my blog update but it was just a day of driving 430kms. The scenery started with flat plains and red soils as we have seen for weeks and then slowly changed with the occasional sand dunes that made a bump on the landscape. On one particular area there was a dead tree with a 1.5 metre upright and a small fork and that was it except for some enterprising bird had built a nest in the fork. Only thing in a 360-degree view that was over 30 cm tall.

We stopped for lunch at the Billabong Roadhouse where we had been before, halfway between Carnarvon and Northampton. Clean and well kept, half decent meal also. We sat there and within a 10-minute period there were over 30 vans travelling north and south. We could not believe the number of people travelling. School holidays began yesterday and 85% of the traffic were vans or camper trailers travelling to wherever. My goodness we hardly saw 30 vehicles in a week unless they were road trains.

At just over 70 kms north of Northampton the countryside changed completely we finally came upon farmland and the occasional house, yay something to look at now. Eventually arrived in Northampton and in the van park for two nights. The town has some history with rail carriages and some beautiful stone buildings. The vans just rolled in all afternoon as others had done as we had and this was as far as they go in a day. The weather is not so great and we may have to go into the winter warmers again.

Day 31:

Rats, it rained most of the night and the skies are black and horrible but we will do a drive out to Kalbarri, a round trip of 220 kms again, oh well, we couldn't get a site even when we tried to book over 4 months ago, but we still wanted to visit one of our favourite places. We discovered Horrocks Beach which is a delightful little fishing spot 20 kms from the highway, also a nice caravan place for future reference. Next onto Point Gregory and its amazing Pink Lake. Wow, with the grey rain clouds behind it, the lake looked quite spectacular as we took photos in the rain. The pink comes from the algal blooms of a microscopic algae. These bloom when conditions are salty, sunny and warm. The algae produces carotenoids to protect themselves from the harsh conditions and so forming a beautiful pink colour. Pictures dont quite show how spectacular it reallys was but this is all you get.

Onto Kalbarri and it just kept raining so we had no chance to visit our favourite lookouts. Thousands of campers in the 3 caravan parks and they were all out and about trying to find somewhere for lunch and to amuse children also. Went to three places before getting a seat, just, in one of the pubs. Forty minute wait for food and Wally's fish and chips were cold and my lamb shank nice but Wally's version so much better. On the dock there was a fresh fish truck selling all manner of things. We thought, yay, till we saw his prices, $60 a kilo for cod just caught off the jetty but frozen so not sure if we believed that anyway. Bought some prawns but they are for another time.

Headed back on a different road, supposedly wild flower fields, hmmmm, were some but it was raining so hard who could see anything. We are now back in the van and the trackkie daks and ugg boots have made a return as it is only 14 degrees and going down. Very wet, not sure how we will get across to the amenities in the red claggy clay that is surrounding us but we will manage when we have to.

Onwards again tomorrow, hurry up Perth we are getting closer and want nice Spring weather for all our socialising we have planned, not happy at all with this wet stuff.

xxx