I am sitting the car writing this as Glenn pumps up the tyres. We have just driven out of 14 Mile, (a wilderness camp on Warroora Station where we spent last night), over a very rough, sandy track and are about to drive on the bitumen again. The camp was behind the sandhills on a beautiful stretch of coastline and reef but the wind is up and unpleasant. When we mention the wind the response is "well, it is October!". We've been told it is the same all the way from the Cape to Kalbarri.
Last night we camped at Pt. Quobba... more wind and a similar site behind the dunes. The reef is right off the beach but too windy to snorkel but the blowholes were working really well with the big swell. The huge sign warning that king waves kill was a bit intimidating but we went close to see the blowholes while we kept a close watch on the waves as they rolled in.
Vegetation was very sparse as we drove along the coastline behind the sandhills and very low growing. The banksias were only a few feet high, their bright orange heads being battered by the strong winds. We saw feral goats, kangaroos and emu. The sheep were interesting in that they had not been docked and were sporting very long tails which swayed and bounced as they ran from the road. They were all colours from light to almost black and often piebald as well. Most stations are unfenced so domestic animals are an added risk for drivers. The emus wander slowly across the road almost without acknowledging our presence. The goats are too smart and take off early. The sheep are so dumb. Yesterday a flock was crossing ahead of us and it split into two groups.. one crossing and the other staying put. One sheep looked from one side to the other, turned clockwise and then anti clockwise in the middle of the road in a bewildered state of indecision in front of the car. We watched with disbelief and a great deal of amusement until it eventually ran off. Good thing we were at a standstill by then!!
We drove north to look at Red Bluff which is a well reputed surf break but the swell wasn't there so the point break wasn't working. I think Glenn was relieved as he would have hated watching a good break from the beach.
On the way back we stopped at the cairn erected in remembrance of the 645 lives lost when HMAS Sydney II went down off the coast here in 1941. It's final resting place was not discovered until 2008. The memorial was funded by one of the crew who was removed from the ship for medical reasons just before it sailed from Freemantle on its final voyage. Very moving.
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