8th to 9th October 2017

Coral Bay

The kids and rowdy soccer hooligans were actually pretty good, and we had a good sleep. A cool night, so we could snuggle down in the sleeping bags. We got up before them all, so went over to the camp kitchen to eat our cereal and make coffee. It wasn’t that busy yet, and we chatted to some young guys on different tours, and relaxed for a while. Vamping power, as we do, trying to charge my dying iPad. By the time we got back to our tent, everybody was packed and gone. Our snoring must of done the job. Looking around, the park was half empty now, and nice and peaceful.

The playground is pretty empty now, so it’s a good chance to hide a painted rock for WA Rocks. Painted by Tash and the kids from Karratha.

Not much for us to do here, except take a walk along the gorgeous beach, have a couple of beers at the tavern, and just relax and enjoy. We found some cheap chicken at the little shop, and cooked our own dinner, and again met some interesting people in the camp kitchen. One was a German man cycling from Darwin to Perth, and an older couple from Mukinbudin. Another cool night, and a good sleep.

You just can’t beat a walk on this pristine beach, or resist putting your feet in the crystal clear water, no matter how cool it might be.

Coral Bay to Hamelin Pool (Shark Bay) 500kms

Up nice and early, trying to beat the wind, so we packed the tent and stuff before we had food and coffees. A very nice morning, and we had no problem getting away at a reasonable time. About 50kms along the road, we spotted Matthias (the German cyclist) pushing his way into a slight head wind. We stopped and had a chat, made sure he had enough water etc, wished him an enjoyable ride, then carried on to Manilia.

Matthias is loving his ride, and he loves coming to Australia. He’s 52, and reckons he’s not very fit. I beg to differ. We’ve been seeing signs telling us we’re on the Warlu Way. I Googled it, and it is a tourist route from Ningaloo to Broome, encompassing many great spots. Worth checking out.

It was a nice morning, and the wind hadn’t picked up too much yet, so we took another short break. While we were enjoying playing with the birds, another touring bike pulled in, with two people on it. We recognised it from way back at the Barkley Homestead roadhouse. So as we were heading off, we stopped to say hello, and find out how their journey was going. Adriano and Clariana from Brazil, were doing a lap of Oz, in 100 days, and they are 50 days into it. They have a Facebook page, Ruta Roots, and gave us a sticker so we could check it out.

The birds here were not scared of us at all. They were very cheeky, but fun to watch.

Manilia through to Carnarvon was a pleasant ride, and seemed to go pretty quick. Both of us were feeling good, and didn’t really feel like staying in Carnarvon, so decided to fuel up, do some grocery shopping, and carry on south. Maybe bush camp, or head to Hamelin Pool, on the Shark Bay road. At the fuel station, Adriano and Clariana caught us, and we all decided to shop and have lunch together. It was great to hear about their stories, and adventure.

These two are having a smashing adventure. They are toughing it a lot more than us, camping in their tent, in the bush. Check out their page on Facebook. Ruta Roots.

Time to carry on, we both went in opposite directions to leave town, and wondered where we’d cross paths again. They were aiming for Denham. Well it wasn’t too long, and we’d stopped for a toilet break, when they zoomed past, waving. Down the road further, we zoomed past them, while they were having a break. It was fun, tooting and waving. Along this stretch of highway, between Carnarvon and the turn into Shark Bay, we saw so many feral goats. Lots of kids, big old Billy goats with cool beards, and little families of goats on the road side. They are pests, but so cute. It was a good day’s ride, and we were very happy to get to Hamelin Pool and even happier when they let us camp on the lovely grass.

So many times, visiting this region, we’ve just driven right by here, thinking we’d stop in next time. I’m so glad we came eventually. It is a very interesting area, as we found out on our walk. Shell quarry, Stromatolites, and the Telegraph Station from the 1880’s. Not to mention their very inquisitive, free range chickens. It was a very nice spot.

Who knew Will was  chicken whisperer! Free ranging does not include our tent you chicken. 

The Stromatolites are supposed to be one of the oldest life forms on earth. We were lucky to see them in just the right light. The Coquina (compacted shells) in the quarry is very cool, and they still cut stones from here to repair the historic buildings, like the church in Denham.