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Distance traveled 905km/4300km(21%)1 night stayed. 17th May….fired up Washongi after feeding her with gallons of the black stuff which she consumes at the rate of 8.5 km per liter.On the way out of Shark Bay we visited Shell Beach which is remarkable due to the fact that a very large area is buried under 9 meters of shells which have accumulated over many years.An interesting snippet….Australia is experiencing an alarming decline in a number of their wild life species(those strange little animals with unpronounceable names and certain ground based wild fowl).Across huge parts of the country it is the deadly combination of feral cats and foxes which are doing the damage.In the Shark Bay World Heritage area,at the isthmus,a 3.4km long x 1.2m high fence has been erected to keep them out and a number of the threatened species are being re-introduced.Still on a wildlife theme,once we had swung back onto the North West Coastal Highway,we did a quick count of Kangaroo’s killed by cars etc.,Quite staggering as in a 20km stretch we counted 40 dead ‘roo’s.This means that on the 199km drive to Carnarvon,doing the maths,there were close to 400 dead ones.No doubt there were as there were areas where we saw groups of 5-6 dead ‘roo’s……they are not doing well at all,the crows and other carrion eaters have rich pickings and the fender bender menders must have steady business(along with the sign makers).Another interesting observation on the road is the number of caravanners,campervanners and vehicles towing boats….probably one in three which illustrates the popularity of the WA coastline and the “grey nomad” culture.Now after taking this all in and with signs imploring one not to drive tired,it was time to find one of those roadhouses in the middle of nowhere.The Wooramel Roadhouse appeared on the horizon and Washongi duly obliged with a left turn as we found ourselves stepping into brilliant sunshine for a leg stretch.In a brief chat to the owner,in answer to my question,he mentioned that in January/February this year they had an 8 week period where temperatures ranged between 44-51 deg C.Wow….imagine experiencing that and to boot you are located in the middle of nowhere.I couldn’t help noticing a sign behind him which read “Tell me again,how lucky I am to work here.I keep forgetting”.Carnarvon is a smallish town located on the Gascoyne River and supports an important agricultural region with most of WA’s fruit and vegetables grown here in the rich soils deposited by the river.It also has a large fishing industry and we have found buying seafood direct from specialist seafood suppliers in each little town has been very economical(it also solves the current problem where fish caught have not been pan size).Australian fact file…..ever wondered if Steve Irvin(wildlife guy who tragically lost his life to a sting ray freakish accident) would be typical of the Aussie male species?You know…sun tanned,tough,outdoorish,catches/kills snakes and things with his bare hands.Generally lives a solitary life in the out back.Well……not quite as Australia is the most urbanized country in the World due to the fact that just over 95% of the population live in cities and towns generally dotted along the coastline.The other hardy 5% brave the hinterland along,I guess,with a number of the “dinkum fella’s” who are now appearing in ever greater numbers.Fishing update…..Carnarvon is an overnight stop en route to Coral Bay but has some really interesting fishing features.The Gascoyne estuary is magnificent and has a 1 mile long pier at it’s mouth.We took a walk out there to try and catch squid and I couldn’t get over the numbers of fish seen in the water including marauding kingfish smashing into baitfish.There also mangroves lining the banks and with typical mud banks this must be a birding paradise.A case of will have to do next time…..importantly Coral Bay is next and I suspect fishing reports from there will start to irritate the “9-5 ‘ers”.
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Gary
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Sounds like a great trip. Aren't the OZ caravan parks just great? Caravanning is the best way to meet Australians, I think. I haven't been able to read any of the other comments. Have you 'aproved' them?