Sat, 21st Jan, 2017 Connolly Flat Rest Area, south of Pemberton to Sid’s Campground, Northcliffe, WA (Mt Chudalup & Windy Harbour)

7.30am 15.3 degrees and clear sky. Sent Tenille a birthday text message.

Headed south to Northcliffe. Stopped at the Info Centre for directions to Sid’s Campground and met Sid’s wife, Ann. They started it to provide cheap camping ($5/adult) for travellers as it is so dear in the south west and luckily the Council got behind them. A guy tried over near Albany and they shut him down.

It is 4km out of town on their property with clear areas amongst the trees and there are basic facilities. They are Landdrover enthusiasts so the toilet is in the Leyland Brothers theme.

After lunch we headed 14km south to climb Mt Chudalup. In January 2015 this area suffered a terrible bush fire from a lightning strike then it got away and went all the way down to Windy Harbour. Luckily no one was hurt but one house and the golf club were burnt. The trees are all slowly coming back now.

Mt Chudalup is a massive 187 metre high granite outcrop known as a monadnock. Followed the 1.5km track through the bush and up to the rock. This sort of climbing gives me the giddies where Steve finds it easy. The tree wasn’t a worry as there were things to hang onto – here you can just roll down the hill!!

Great view from the top.

Sandy Island below Windy Harbour.

Around further looking over the mobile dunes of Doggerup Dunes and then Meerup Dunes further north.

Headed back down.

That didn’t take as long as they said so we decided to head down the further 15 km to Windy Harbour.

Turned off onto the D’Entrecasteaux Scenic Drive then around to the Salmon Beach Lookout. Fabulous view first from the carpark. I reckoned it looked like a rhino head.

Better view of the beach from the lookout.

Spotted some people fishing so we headed down to see what they were catching.

Lovely clean beach and crystal clear water. Not too windy so feeling nice and warm.

Someone had left a ‘nasty’ looking fish on the beach.

The backpackers were catching Australian Salmon on pilchards. We only have the squid and prawns but decided to give it a go. Back up the sand dune for the long walk back to the truck. Nothing is ‘on the beach’ around here.

This reminds us of salmon fishing at Lagoon Beach in Tassie – though warmer.

The guys were pulling in the fish and even started letting a few go. Steve caught one just as his bait hit the water – must have hit it on the head. One guy was going to let his fish go then he offered it to me – yes please. Steve told them to bleed them but they didn’t have a knife so they brought over their esky full of fish and Steve showed them what to do.

We didn’t get any more. More people arrived and a local said the salmon don’t start running till March so this was very unusual. Steve filleted them – they are bloody fish but he cleaned the fillets up good and they will be fine eaten fresh.

Back to the truck as it was getting late then we continued around the drive. Good view back over Windy Harbour village.

Further along was the Gardner Lookout. The Gardner River runs down from Northcliffe into the ocean past Windy Harbour where the next beach is – Gardner Beach.

Zoomed in on Sandy Island.

To the end of Cape D’Entrecasteaux and the lighthouse – more like a beacon (114m above sea level). It was recommended to put up a lighthouse here as early as 1913 but it wasn’t built until 1960. The lantern house was powered by a lens using acetylene gas. It remained one of the last lighthouses using traditional power in Australia until it was finally upgraded to solar power in 1989. The old lens is now in the Northcliffe Pioneer Museum.

Good reception up here and I got a message that Rick had rung. We rang them back and had a lovely chat. Sad to hear another uncle of Kaylene’s had passed away from cancer.

Drove back around and into the village – full of beach shacks. It is Crown Land and the shack owners have leases for the land. There are a few houses up for sale. They all have names – saw one called Wywurk which I thought was good. 

Stopped at the boat ramp for a look at the bay.

Nearly 6pm so a bit dark for a photo of Cathedral Rock. Not sure why it is called that. Will have to come back with the sun on a different angle as the picture in the brochure is much nicer.

Fried up the fish in salt & pepper coating with fresh corn on the cob and potato & sweet potato slices in the oven. Delicious dinner.