2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Thurs, 2nd Nov, 2017 Lake Indoon, east of Leeman to Wandoo Reserve east of Jurien Bay, WA (Leeman, Stockyard Gully & Green Head)

7.30am 21 degrees, clear sky and still windy.

Headed back to the coast to Leeman. A nice beach town. All the old fishing shacks are gone and new modern homes have taken their place. The government decided in 1961 to subdivide land here. It was previously called ‘Snag Island’ after the limestone island offshore. It was named Leeman after Abraham Leeman from the Dutch ship ‘Waeckende Boeij’ which sailed the WA coast in 1658 in search of wreckage from the ‘Gilt Dragon’ lost two years earlier. Leeman was in charge of a party that put ashore to search and was abandoned by the main ship when bad weather blew up. After an epic open boat voyage lasting nearly 6 months, he and three of his companions reached Batavia (Jakarta) in their small craft on 23 September 1658. That was amazing.

A few lobster boats are moored out front near Snag Island.

We walked up the path to the lookout – the first sign said it was Gecko Patch Hill then at the top it said Tee Tree Lookout. A sign said that fishermen used the Tee Tree to navigate their way home from 1957 to 2002. Presuming it was this tree or maybe there was a bigger one that has fallen down, hence the end date.

Good view over the bay and the town from the lookout.

Looking south and over the reefs offshore.

Zoomed over the houses to the dry salt lake that runs parallel with the coast.

Continued south to Green Head – home to a Fisherman Island where one of the largest colonies of sea lions can be found. They are also on Beagle Island north west of Leeman. Green Head is named after the headland which is green. It was first used by W Archdeacon in 1875, the hydrographic surveyor off the Admiralty. Land was set aside here for a camping reserve in 1946 and the popularity of the place in the early 1950s resulted in a demand for building blocks. Lots were surveyed and the townsite was gazetted in 1966.

We turned onto a rough dirt track to the Milligan Island Camp Node that has just been finished. It has the same shelters and toilets as Lucky Bay in the north that we visited but they have bays to park the vans in etc. All the free camping on the beach is no longer as this is the only spot available at $15 per night per vehicle. We parked in one of the bays and unhooked the van so we could explore the area. A chap walked by with a few whiting he just caught off the beach.

We continued up the dirt track along the coast checking out the beaches – not that nice really.

Further along we walked up to a lookout over Ti Tree Bay, Anchor Point and Little Anchorage Bay.

Back onto Indian Ocean Drive then south again to the turn off east towards Stockyard Gully Caves. We then turned north onto a dirt road then into the National Park. The road was very sandy and then rough with the limestone rocks and ran between grazing land as this was part of the North Stock Route from Geraldton to Perth from the 1850s to approx. 1925. The cave and gully offered a safe and refreshing place to camp.

Info about the cave.

I put on my fly net as the flies were bad but Steve preserved. We headed along the creek listening to all the buzzing bees in the blooms above us.

Further along the limestone rocks appeared high on either side.

There were heaps of bee hives hanging from the rocks. One of the blooming trees that bees love. In the brochure they are referred to as ‘feral bees’.

Around to the entrance where there were more bee hives and thousands of bees. They weren’t annoying us like the flies were!!

As soon as you entered the cavern the temperature dropped 10 degrees – it was quite hot outside. Also the flies didn’t come with us and the buzzing of the bees ceased. A Welcome Swallow put on a flying display for us. Then I spotted two more on a ledge near their nest.

A little way in – looking back at the entrance.

We had taken two torches and we needed them. It was pitch black as we rounded the corner and lost the sunshine from the entrance.

I took a few shots using the flash and using the torch to illuminate things. It was very grey and the floor was sand. We found a tunnel off to the side that others have explored but we just took photos!!

Mainly the cave was open and high except for these two hanging bits. Someone had put a reflector on one which was handy.

Couldn’t see too far ahead but it was easy walking and we didn’t hear or see any bats or other animals.

The cave is 300m long and the other end has a bigger opening.

Looking back into the cave.

We climbed down over the big boulders to the sandy creek again.

A western blue-tongue lizard wasn’t happy to see us.

The next cave has been closed off now though the brochure said there were two shorter caves for the more adventurous before reaching the final cave which has no exit. Obviously that is where the creek would have gone undergrown on its way to the coast.

More bee hives.

Walked up to the northern car park which showed the flood height in 1999. It would have been amazing to see that much water thundering through the cave.

Some more info.

Back down to the creek and we decided to go back through the tunnel rather than the bush walk – no flies in the tunnel. Steve resorted to a twig as they were so annoying. I spotted a falcon of some sort fly off with something in its talons and then we spotted another one sitting on a branch looking very regal.

Interesting holes in the rocks as we climb back into the cavern.

Steve showing how big this entrance is.

Back inside I tried to photograph the only column we found.

Back to the truck and into Green Head. Had lunch overlooking Dynamite Bay – not sure why it is called that. The sun is shining but the wind is strong and cold. Such a change from the hot walk we just did to the caves!!

Walked up to the lookout. Great view over the bay.

Looking north to Point Louise and Anchorage Bay.

Looking east over the township then south to South Bay – original name! Further along the coast to Sandy Cape.

Called into the Caravan Park to see Trish and Claude who are working here for a while. Will catch up with them again somewhere.

Great sunset photo on the wall - it is Lipfert Island in Billy Goat Bay, just south of where we left the van.

Back to the van but we kept driving down the track to check out the rest of the coast. Big white sand dunes are sending fine sand into the air – and probably into the van as I left the top vents open.

Turned off the track to the beach where the sign said this is Milligan Island with Lipfert Island a bit north of it. Will check it out on the way back for a photo through the window.

Went to the end of the track. Looking back over Anchorage Bay to Green Head and around to Point Louise. It is nearly becoming an island.

Continued back along the track to another little bay.

Back to Lipfert Island to get my photo. No sunset – just a wave breaking.

Walked down to the water’s edge – looking south then north of Billy Goat Bay.

A lower view through the rock window.

Hooked up the van and headed south again. Turned off and climbed a hill to Grigson’s Lookout. Good map showing where we have been and heading to.

Interesting information.

Great photo of the Stockyard Creek flowing through the tunnel.

Followed the track up to the lookout. Steve added another rock to the cairn then we read it was actually a historic one.

Looking north-east over the salt lake and Grigson’s Farm.

Looking south-east over Cockleshell Gully and Mt Leseur.

Looking south-west over the gypsum mine and sand dunes. (So annoying how it turns my photos around!!)

Finally north-west over Fisherman Island where the seals breed. Bit hard to zoom in on with the sun heading down.

Continued south to nearly Jurien Bay then we turned east to find the new 72 hour free camp spot at Wandoo Reserve. Up and down the rolling dunes and then back into cattle pastures. The camp spot is a picnic area just off the road so not a place we would leave the van alone but fine for overnight. Another motorhome was here so we found a spot and parked up.

A couple of kookaburras were having a great laugh. I think it is a baby as the parent came and helped it along with its laughing. So nice to hear their laughter – reminds me of home.