2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Mon, 9th Dec, 2019 9 Mile Campground, Cardabia Station, to Kurrajong Campground, Cape Range National Park, Exmouth, WA

7am 25.8 degrees, clear sky and very windy. Lots of little wrens and finches are having fun running around on the roof of the van.

The wind calmed down while we packed up. View of the bay from sunset seat on top of the dune behind us. More sea grass has been washed onto the shore.

Back out the bumpy track to the bitumen then 120km north to Exmouth.

Passed the turn off into Ningaloo Station – homestead and camping there. Also Point Cloates lighthouse where 4 ships (Zvir, Fin, Perth & Rapid) were wrecked on the reefs near it (photo from the tourist brochure). The historical Norwegian Bay Whaling Station was situated north of the station.

Crossed into Bullara Station and spotted some cattle up on the sand ridge looking like a camel train as they wandered along.

Passed the Learmonth RAAF Base.

Turned onto a dirt track to the Learmonth Jetty in the Exmouth Gulf (the east side of the North West Cape Peninsula). This jetty has been rebuilt after damage from Cyclone Vance. On the south side of the jetty the beach is covered in smooth pebbles but the north side is just sand.

We made a cuppa then I walked out onto the jetty. Just as I reached the water’s edge I got hit with a swarm of sand-flies. I continued onto the jetty then hit another batch. Snapped off a few photos (south then north), saw some mullet and a school of herring (I think) then raced back to the van to get away from the sand-flies. Another couple had pulled up so I warned them about the sandies.

On the south side is the Solar Observatory which I zoomed in on – no public access.

Back to the main road. Will check out the information etc about the Potshot Operation and the Krait when we come back down.

Opposite the Prawn Processing Factory (well that is what it says on the Hema) we turned into the Cape Range National Park to check out Charles Knife Gorge. Not suitable for caravans so we unhooked the van near some water tanks. Headed up the windy road.

Stopped at the Lookout. This track was built so the oil company could drill on the range near here.

You can also see down to the Learmonth Airport and the RAAF Base beside it.

Continued along the top of the saddle with great views each side.

Stopped to check out this valley and walls.

The Metrological Station is up here on the range too (320m elevation).

We followed the track to the No. 2 oil drill site. They drill a long way down for no oil.

Back to the intersection and turned off to check out the Thomas Carter Lookout. Not a fabulous lookout by any means. Bit of a change from the red sandy ridges and grass.

Lots of spinifex here.

Some good caves too.

It is also the start of the Badjirrajirra Walk which goes across to the top of Shothole Canyon. A bit hot for that walk today.

Headed back – looking down on the prawn factory and a bit of the Exmouth Gulf as we head back down the hill.

Hooked up the van again and continued north. Passed the turnoff to Shothole Canyon – will do that on the way out as it says the views are better in the early morning or late afternoon.

Houses appearing on acreage blocks on the east side of the road. Turned into Pebble Beach – same pebbles we saw at Learmonth Jetty.

We found a couple of interesting ones.

Had lunch quickly in the van as the sand-flies are bad here too - no wind.

Turned off into the industrial area to fill up at the 24hr fuel depot – a lot cheaper than in town. The honeymoon couple we met at Quobba Blow Holes were filling up too. At last I got their names, Anthony and Tammy with their dogs, Bindi and Kip. We chatted for about half hour, luckily no one else wanted fuel. The only drawback of having the dogs is they couldn’t go into the National Park.

Continued on past a new canal estate and marina which you can see in the photo with accompanies the history of Exmouth. The road is lined with Poinciana trees that are showing off their red blooms.

Went online and booked two nights at Kurrajong Campground, midway down the national park on the west coast.

Called into the Information Centre which is also an aquarium and has galleries – En Route to Exmouth about the history of Exmouth including a shaking room so people can experience a cyclone. Reef to Range Gallery about the flora and fauna and Cape Range Gallery which explores the ancient landscapes. We might call in on the way back – shame we had already booked our national park campsites as the Centre is free for everyone tomorrow as Santa is coming (normally $19/adult).

Headed out of town. Stopped outside the Navcommsta Harold E Holt Centre and checked out the information and the replica submarine. Zoomed in on the new space telescope building further over on the hill.

Peered in the door of the submarine.

Further along the big VLF towers rose out of the ground. Plenty of stay-wires to keep them up. The centre one (388m) on the concrete block is the second tallest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

The map of this region.

We crossed over to the west side, will check out the wreck of the SS Mildura and Bundegi Beach on our way back. Built in 1912 the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse sits high on the hill. Another thing to check out later.

Headed south down the coast with the range on our left and sand dunes covered in low shrubs on our right and the ocean further west.

Lots of turn offs to different beaches for day use only as we continued south. I spotted a lone Sturt Desert Pea on the side of the road but we didn’t stop for a photo – have seen a few hundred of these but this one is very late in the season.

Past the homestead of Yardie Station which was handed back to the government as a conservation park. The homestead though is privately owned and they have a caravan park there.

Entered Cape Range National Park, the lady at the entrance hut was just leaving so I said we had our permit number for two nights at Kurrajong. The park covers 50,581 hectares.

Turned into the campground area – online it said North Kurrajong Campground was booked out and half of Kurrajong too but actually they have just closed them for the summer season. Two other campers are here. There is plenty of room in and around the sites. Parked up and made a cuppa reading the information in the national parks booklet. This campground is named after this tree.

Found info about the Rainbow Bee-eater too.

Walked up the track then onto the boardwalk up and over the sand dune. There is a picnic area on top of the dune. View back to the van.

It is windy on the west coast again but the water looks lovely so I put my feet in for a test – still chilly. The reef isn’t far off the shore.

Wandered along the beach around the point to where the limestone is exposed.

I spotted three blue-spotted rays. Not the easiest to photograph as they scare easily.

Looking back along our beach.

Went back to the van and I worked on my blog for a while. Steve went for a walk and said he spotted rabbits on his way back. We had our drinks and nibbles then drove back up the road to Mandu Mandu Gorge as the brochure said it was a good spot to enjoy the sunset from.

Nice walk along the creek with a cool breeze blowing. The moon is up.

Lots of smooth rocks and some interesting rock shapes – a skull?

The walls are getting higher.

Found the Common Rock Fig and the Cape Range Kurrajong clinging to the side of the rock wall. Zoomed in on the star-shaped seed pod.

I had been checking out the bigger rocks and found a shell embedded in this one.

Continued along the creek bed.

Now the climb up. We are following those white posts.

Reached the top – nice view back to the creek bed and back along the gorge as the sun starts to drop.

The track keeps going so we kept moving along.

Over that ridge then down into the valley and up the next ridge.

Looking back along the creek then to the bend in the creek further along.

Found a cairn at the turn around spot of the track. Steve added his rock.

A bit hazy with sea mist for a nice photo of the ocean and reef unfortunately.

As the sun was still reasonably high we decided we should make our way back before it dropped and it got too dark to see the rocky track. We had brought torches just in case but hadn’t realised it was such and up and down track. Heading back on the high side of the gorge above the creek now.

Continued along then stopped to watch the sun for a moment.

Further along stopped for more photos.

Then it was gone (just after 7pm).

Still enough light to see as we came down the last ridge. We had brought our walking sticks again which was great. They are so good for the gravely downhill bits.