Aus Day 46 - Coral Bay and Fin's Cafe

Thursday 4th November    Aus Day 46


Up at 07.00, shower, breakfast, completed yesterday’s Blog notes. Eileen is being brilliant, organising the van while I am trying to catch up with the Blog notes.

Ready to leave the sit by 08.30 so called into shops and Post Office to get a few bits and pieces. We then visited the Town Beach to see what we might have missed (not a lot), before hitting the road to Coral Bay at 09.30.

Exmouth Town Beach

Exmouth Town Beach Yacht Club

The road is quite busy this morning and apart from vehicles we had to take avoiding action for 2 Emus, 2 Sheep and a number of cattle.

Caution Animals !!!

However, we arrived in Coral Bay just before 11.00 and having booked a glass bottom boat trip, with snorkeling, for tomorrow we checked into a beach front site on the Peoples Park caravan park for 2 nights and booked a table at Fin’s Cafe for dinner this evening at 7.00.

Coral Bay Beach

Coral Bay Beach

Coral Bay Beach

After a spot of lunch we walked around the bay in the direction of the shark sanctuary but not a single shark did we see. It turns out we may not have walked far enough so will have another go tomorrow.

We returned to the main bay area and had a swim. The water was actually quite cool and with the breeze that was blowing we felt quite cold when we got out of the water even though the temperature was about 37 degrees.

Returned to the van and I got on with a bit more Blog updating while Eileen grabbed a few more rays while reading her book.

Approximately 5.00 and time for sundowners then a walk along the beach before showering, in time for our meal at Fin’s Cafe. Eileen had the Spotted Red Emperor fish and chips while I had selected the Pasta Marinara. Both of us finished off with a delicious ice-cream sundae.

Eileen at Fin's Cafe

JB at Fin's Cafe

 Having finished our meal, we returned to the van by 9.00 pm, watched a bit of TV while chatting, with the Air Con switched off as the temperature had dropped a bit from what we had become used to on previous evenings, before hitting the sack quite early.

Aud Day 45 - Onslow to Exmouth and Whale Watching

Wednesday 3rd November    Aus Day 45


Up at 07.10, showered and breakfast before taking a stroll up the beach for a couple more photos of it and the War Memorial. Left the camp site at 08.30 with a quick stop in the village for fuel while Eileen to photos of the Beadon Bay Hotel to remember last night by. Headed back to the Highway with a photo of Mt Minnie on the way. Travelling down the highway towards Nanutarra we got a photo of a road rain as it was parked at the side of the road.

Onslow Beach looking towards the Headland

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Onslow Memorial Looking West

The Beadon Bay Hotel Where We Had Our Encounter With Margaret

Mt Minnie on the Onslow Road

Road Train at the Side of The Highway

Turned off the Highway again onto the Exmouth road and stopped briefly for a spot of lunch at about 12.00. We completed the final lap into Exmouth and found the Visitor Information Centre where we checked out available caravan parks and looked into a number of the available tours. We decided to spend just the one night in Exmouth and move on the Coral Bay in the morning.


The Welcome to Exmouth Sign

Checked into the camp site and having set up the van, had a swim and caught a few rays in the very nice swimming pool. As we relaxed we took the opportunity to examine the Town & area map a bit more closely and thought it might be a good idea to travel a bit further up the coast to the Lighthouse lookout which was identified as a whale watching point, so off we went.

Some beautiful views of the coast from the lookout and although we were not too hopeful of spotting whales, amazingly we saw a number of them spouting and surfacing as they travelled along the coast line even managed to get a photograph.

Beautiful View From Exmouth Lighthouse Lookout

Definitely A Whale - One Of Many We Saw

Coming down from the lookout we went to have a quick look at the Surfer’s Beach with it’s powerful waves and breakers. While we were there we even spotted turtles patrolling up and down parallel with the beach. All in all a memorable time.

Back to the camp site and re-installed the van just in time for sun downers followed by our second BBQ with pork spare ribs, beef steaks and chicken kebabs with potatoes and salad, all very nice.

JB Slaving Over The BBQ In The Camp Kitchen

Eileen Enjoying A Pre Prandial Aperitif

Returned to the van and spent the remainder of the evening chatting and watching TV before turning in at 10 pm.

Au Day 44 - Putting a Dampier on the Plans

Tuesday 2nd November    Aus Day 44


I was up at 06.10 this morning to progress the Blog. Eileen up at 06.30 as she couldn’t sleep any longer. Showered, breakfast, checked van and ready to vacate site by 08.30. We headed back towards Roebourne but turned off to have a browse around the remains of historic Cossack which used to be the major port before the river silted up and Point Samson took over. It is very much a Ghost Town these days but is a heritage site with many buildings preserved and other areas marked.

JB Photographing the Cossack Customs and Bonded Store

The Resultant Photo of the Cossack Customs and Bonded Store

The Galbraith Store at Cossack

Back into Roebourne but nothing else caught our interest so we headed for Karratha, arriving just before10 am. A good shopping centre where we managed to get a pearl ring for Eileen and new pencil leads for me as well as more provisions.

After departing Karratha we headed for Dampier where we planned to spend the night, to check out the proposed camp site. We took one look and decided that we had to wish to stop in the middle of an industrial site, covered in iron ore dust so decided to head on to Onslow about 330 kms down the coast.

We travelled through cyclone country around Yarraloola and Peedamulla, almost taken off the road by a violent gust but managed to arrive safely at Onslow at about 15.15 and booked into the Ocean View caravan park on a site very close to the beach and a stone’s throw from one of our friends from last night at Point Samson.

You May Just Be Able to See The Cyclone - Centre Picture

Onslow Headland Lookout

Onslow Memorial Looking East

Hit the beach for a swim and then grabbed a few rays, before getting back to the air conditioning at about 4.45 pm when I set to, to update the Blog for 1st Nov while Eileen prepared a beautiful chicken dinner.

After dinner we decided to visit the local hotel bar, the Beadon Bay Hotel. An interesting experience considering that today has been Melbourne Cup Race Day. We were engaged in “conversation” by a local woman by the name of Margaret who insisted that I must be Irish. Eileen was interested in the gambling activities which are part & parcel of so many of the Aussie pubs and we then strolled back to the Camp Site having been truly entertained by the local population.

Watched a bit of TV, “CSI Miami”, before retiring shortly after 10 pm. We intend to make Exmouth tomorrow, hopefully about lunchtime.

Aus Day 43 - Port Hedland to Samson Beach

Monday 1st November    Aus Day 43


Late rising this morning, didn’t get out of bed until 07.30, then leisurely shower and breakfast and a stroll on the beach

The Beach at Port Hedland

before getting ready to depart at 09.30 back into Port Hedland for fuel and provisions and a quick trip into the town centre which is strictly a business centre for the Industrial area.


JB and Miner Mate in Port Hedland

Overpowered by the flies, we beat a hasty retreat and set off down the road heading for Roebourne. However, on the way out we saw one of the iron ore trains which are reputedly up to 3 kms long, and the Rio Tinto salt mountain.

The Head of One of The Iron Ore Trains - Up To 3kms Long

The Rio Tinto Salt Mountain - Port Hedland

We were travelling at the edge of the Great Sandy Desert with nothing much to see apart from the occasional dust devil, rocky outcrop and a line of power pylons marching into the distance.

Heading South From Port Hedland

Arrived at Roebourne at about 1.00 pm and stopped off to have a look around the historic buildings which are preserved there, including the gaol.

Roebourne Welcome Sign

The Historic Roebourne Gaol

The Gaol Courtyard

Turning off the Highway we headed for Point Samson and selected the Samson Beach Caravan Park which offered a shady site and is situated right by a lovely little bay with a sandy beach. Naturally we had to check this out as soon as possible and had a swim and grabbed a few rays.

Point Samson Bay and Beach

Point Samson Beach

Back at the van we got chatting to some of the other travellers as they arrived (we seem to be following the same route down the west coast), Damion who is travelling alone, and Ray and Mary who seem to have been everywhere and done everything spending some 7 months of the year travelling.

Sundowners at 5.00 pm and managed a short Skype connection with brother David before having tea of roast chicken and salad.

Our new friends called for us at 7.30 pm and we all went up to the Point Samson Tavern for a couple of drinks and pleasant conversation. Returned to the van at 9.30 and turned in by 10 pm. A good day all round.

What? You and that Camera Again!!!

Aus Day 42 - Moving On To A New Hedland

Sunday 31st October   Aus Day 42


Up at 6.00 after our final night at the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park in Broome. Shower, breakfast (back to the cereal), sorted out the van and we were ready to move. The weather is cooler and very breezy this morning, quite cloudy but sunny as well. We departed the site at 07.30 and headed for the garage to refuel before heading out of Broome in the direction of Port Hedland.

The campervan is performing to a much better standard now with actually discernible acceleration and we were soon bowling along at the State speed limit of 110 kph.

Next refuel stop was at the Sandfire Roadhouse at approximately 10.50 after covering a distance of 300 kms and then continued for a further 130 kms before stopping for a sausage roll lunch at the Pardoo Roadhouse.

Arrived in Port Hedland at approximately 2.00 pm and made straight for the supermarket to stock up on provisions. Checked into the Big 4 Caravan Park at Cooke Point, before 3.00 pm, got the van plugged in and set up before wandering the hundred yards, or so, to the beach where, as usual, Eileen just had to try the water and I of course just played the fool.

Port Hedland Water is Much Colder Than Broome

JB Playacting Again

Before tea we had time to wait for what promised to be a fine sunset and so a couple more photos were taken as you can see below;


JB Waiting For The Sunset



Eileen and JB at Port Hedland - Cooke Point

Finally, we got to witness the following sunset across the distant industrial landscape before retiring to the van a salad tea and an evening entertaining ourselves with television and this Blog update.

Port Hedland Sunset

We hope that we now do not have any further long distances to cover in a single day and we are looking for a more leisurely start tomorrow and aim to get to the area around Karratha.