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Published: September 7th 2009
Hi everyone
We are at Exmouth, and today spent the day around at the Cape Range National Park. We snorkelled at Turquoise Bay, in the lovely clear water by the Ningaloo Reef. We walked up to one end of the beach, and drifted down over the coral reef, in the current. There are lots of different fish, big and small, lots of bright coloured ones. We have one more night here in the camping ground at Exmouth, then we will go around early,(about 50ks), and hope to get into a campsite in the National Park for 5 - 7 days or so. There are about 10 different camping areas, but each has only about 5 - 10 camping spots. They are so popular, people start queing up before 8am to get a spot. They can't be booked, so you have to hope a van the size ours is comes out as all sites are full. Some sites are small, only suitable for tents or little vans.
While at Karratha we went out to Dampier, which was interesting. There is a salt exporting area, with salt pans drying, and boats loading. There was also another big wharf area with iron ore being
beautiful Ningaloo Reef
we snorkelled down to the point with the current.loaded onto ships, and then further out was the North West Shelf Venture with a very good visitors centre about the oil rigs and off shore workings, as well as the on shore "stuff". This is Australia's largest oil and gas resourse development, and currently accounts for 40% of Australia's oil and gas production. Karratha is a fast growing town which accomodates most of the workers for the area. We also saw lots of little oil drilling rigs scattered around the area.
From Karratha we headed to 40 Mile Beach, and had a night at a council run nature based campsite. Our site was lovely and private, beside a beach that had mangroves, so wasn't much good for swimming. Some were fishing, but we still have a freezer half full of fish, so didn't try. We enjoyed our camp oven again, cooked a rack of lamb and veges, and had a campfire. Watched another lovely sunset here. I even got out my paints and painted another picture. Very relaxing. From here we had planned to have a night at a free park Mardi had recommended. It was a nice park, but all the best sites were taken by the river
when we got there, and so many poored in after us, you could hardly move for vans! We decided it wasn't for us, so kept driving to Onslow, and stayed there for a couple of nights.
After Onslow we had a night at a free park, and after we set up a dust storm went through. It was just as bad next morning. Everyone left early! From there we came up a road that reminded us of the Simpson Desert, with crests of sand ridges every couple of kms, and quite boring country. It's so good to be at a lovely swimming beach again, water about 22 degrees, we would guess, maybe more.
Having trouble again tonight, computer very slow!
Congratulations to the two new grandmothers - my cousin Janis has a granddaughter Reilly, and Chris' cousin Cherry has grandson Harry. Thaks also for news from home, emails, texts and phone calls.
We are looking forward to Linds and Harv's visit to Perth at the end of October for a week with us, and then in mid Nov Rick and Sue.
Cheers Lynne and Chris
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Tony
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Hi Guys, Used your .22 on the farm this weekend. Shot about 30 or 40 I think. Lost count. That was between 3 guns. Not as many as prior years so I think we are starting to make a difference. All well here and now getting some nice summer days. Looking fwd to a catch up at Xmas. Cheers