Western Australia - wild and wonderful

Saturday 5 April: Coronation Beach, north of Geralton - flies, marchflies, wind and sand blowing everywhere. 38deg. Don’t do it.
Sunday 6 April: Up to Kalbari N.P. to see the footprints of the Euryptera and biotubations in the rocks. Camped at the flooded Murchison River. Mud and overbank deposits.
Mon 7 April: Lets go to Gladstone Jetty, it was great 16 years ago. From the top of White Bluff it was obvious that the road was flooded. OK, on to Bush Bay this road was also flooded. OK, on to Carnarvon, find the Toyota Dealer and book the truck in for it’s 30,000km service. What! not for 8 days, you’ve got to be kiddin’. OK, book into a caravan park. Fished and looked all around Carnarvon. Leonie caught Spangled Emporer, Golden Trevally and a Bluebone Tuskfish. I only caught a Mullaway and little sharks. Managed to run 5km each morning.
Tuesday 15 April: Special Day. 40 years since Leonie and I met at the caravan park in Fingal Bay. With the truck serviced, its time to fuel-up (@ $163.00 per litre), buy food and fill the water tanks. Lets head 55km east to Rocky Pool on the Gascoyne River. WOW, what a beaut spot. The river is flowing and the trees are green, there is a great camp spot just above the water, this is heaven (and the best part, its FREE). 36deg.
Caught plenty of fish (could not identify these fish, they looked like bream) on dough made with Plain flour and powdered milk. Ran each morning with the lovely ‘Cassie’.
Tuesday 22 April: time to move on or we will never get to the Territory. East via Gascoyne Junction to a pretty campsite on the Lyon River - birds and bugs everywhere. Next day into Kennedy Range N.P. Spectacular red cliffs, that contain marine fossils, that jump up 80m above the desert surrounds. Roads are flood-damaged and corrugated-very slow going. The cooks not feeling the best - still looks good though.
Thursday 24 April: Headed northeast towards Cobra Station ($5 for a can of drink, diesel $2.00 per litre) and Mt, Augustus N.P. 1.6 billion year old rocks forming a monolith twice the size of Ayers Rock. Corrugated-washed out roads.
Friday 25 April: Looks like it could rain and these flat red-soil plains aren’t much fun when they are wet. The road is not too bad, lots of wash-outs but solid based. Only 350km back to the tar road and Exmouth. No rain as yet but there is a cyclone looming.

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