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Hello readers
After dropping off the van for a service in Karratha they gave us a commodore for a courtesy car which made a nice change from driving that big van about town. A drive out to Dampier brought back great memories from last year and then a cruise around Karratha's lookouts and outer areas filled in the rest of the morning nicely. At 6 pm we joined our friends and family that we met last year at their place for a BBQ which turned out to be a really enjoyable night with someone else doing all the bbq'n for a change. We camped on the spare section beside their house so only a few steps to home. Port Samson was our next port of call which is only about 60 k/m's further north and we had no trouble booking into a fantastic motor camp buy the sea. The meal that night was prawns and salt and pepper squid at the local pub on the deck overlooking the bay on a nice warm night, great. Next day it was a visit to the small settlement of Cossack which they were just setting up for the annual art awards. Most of the buildings have been restored or preserved as ruins and you can stay and dine there. The drive north took us through dry wide open country and the sky just seemed so big going from horizon to horizon. We cruised through the town of Port Headland with its massive iron ore loading facilities visible from the road but as we had spent time there last year it was onwards and upwards heading further north under hot sunny skies. After about 400 k/m's we arrived at our next bush camp at the De Grey River where about 50 others had set up for the night. Our camp spot was under tree cover by the river (photo above)and it was a very relaxing night in warm temps under the awning till well after dark. Getting used to sleeping in temps. in the mid twenty's is not going to be easy. The wind got up in the night and there was clouds of red dust blowing about in the morning where a couple were having their breakfast on the provided table and seats. They must love the taste of red dust ! There is not much to see between Port Headland and Broome so it was another 400 k/m cruise through ever changing scrubby plains with some very long straight roads that seemed never ending to our next free bush camp of Goldwire. Some of these camps are well laid out and roomy with toilets a dump station rubbish skips and a few even have sealed parking areas, fantastic. A neighbour came over for a chat and invited us over for happy hour with them so at the usual time of 5 pm we joined them. They were a really hard case Auzzy couple and we had a lot of laughs swapping our travel stories and life's adventures. After a really good night we headed back to our van only to discover it was 11.45pm ! and neither of us had cooked dinner or eaten anything apart from a few nibbles. Its amazing how time flies when your having fun ! He was a bit hungover when we wished them safe travels next morning but they told us to make sure we called in and camped on their pineapple farm by Cairns if they were home any time we were in the area. A stop at a roadside mellon stall in the middle of nowhere supplied us with a honey mellon and a rock mellon for $5. You get to try before you buy and they were very yummy. Most days now are going to be in the 30's and it seemed very hot when we arrived in Broome but our luck was still with us as we were able to get the last campsite in a motor camp that's very close to the beach. Its in a overflow area that has tall palm trees around the van keeping it cool and we can stay as long as we wish better than other camp sites too! Not much in the way of wildlife to see apart from a stop to let a 1.5m Goanna lizard cross the road. The camps are full this time of year and everyone says that you have to book well in advance or you will miss out so we've been really lucky so far long may it continue. Bye for now.
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Marj B Sounds like the life. A bit chilly here at the moment but Russ has got the fire stoked up so all good. Great to read your blog. Keep up the good work :-)
Ross and Megan Hi guys. Have been meaning to say gidday and check you bolg for a while now but you know how it goes.............glad to see your living hte dream again and are tracking well......very mild winter here and am still sea swimming all through winter.....despite the shrinkage factor!!! were both alive and well.........looking forward to Port Douglas at the end of August. ...keep enjoying and well keep reading....love from us both
Marj and Russ Hi Stephanie and Chris. Got the surprise of our lives today. Red Dog has been in touch! He said he thought he saw you over there but he said "it can't have been them as they were only here last year!" If you see him again can you please pass on our thanks for the lovely postcard xxx