Mon, 20th Feb, 2017 Betty’s Beach Campground, east of Albany to Cape Riche Campground, near Wellstead, WA

7am clear blue sky out the window. By 8am the clouds had started to come over. As it isn’t pouring with rain we decided to head off. Said bye to everyone – it has been a nice couple of weeks with some lovely neighbours.

Pete’s gas bottle was playing up so Steve had a look and found the problem which he fixed before we headed off up the hill with heavy sky coming from Albany.

Through Manypeaks then the major road works – the road was so rough they put a councillor in one of the trucks and nearly bounced him out of the truck.

The next bit of road isn’t much better and doesn’t have much side shoulder either, considering all the big grain trucks etc hurtling along this major highway.

The sun came out as we headed north east to Wellstead. Turned off towards the coast down a corrugated 18km road to Cape Riche Campground – run by the locals and Albany Council. All the camps from here on to Esperance we have to pay for – it was so good staying at Betty’s Beach for free.

Saw the caretaker to pay our fee ($9 each) and we parked in a bay. The beach is only a short walk away.

Mr Goanna dropped in for a visit.

Had a cuppa in the day use area above Shed Beach. Found some information about the area. In 1839 George & Grace Cheyne established a trading post here. Grace’s nephews, the Moirs, arrived in the 1840s and descendants of the family still live here.

The sun is out but clouds are still around. Drove down a track to House Beach. Someone else had the same idea but not the right car. Steve hooked up his snatch strap and pulled him backwards onto the hard dirt again – his name was Steve too.

I walked down the track to the end of Eyre River and Cheyne Inlet.

There is a track crossing it to private property which is still owned by the descendants of the families that first came here in the 1800s. I zoomed in on the houses.

The river doesn’t make it to the sea.

Lots of sea grass on House Beach. Straight across is Cheyne Island – named after the first family here. Can’t see any Fairy Penguins running around on it.

Drove back up the road to the lookout area. Looking across to some cliffs around Cheyne Bay.

There is a bush walk up Mt Melville too. A bit of info and plaques.

Looking back over Shed Beach to Cape Riche.

Followed a track through the scrub along the coastline till we got to the exposed cliffs.

Back along the track to a good vantage point over Cheyne Bay at Poverty Point. The point in the distance is Groper Bluff and our next camp area is around that point.

Then back over Cheyne Island and Cape Riche.

We can see the red roof of the old Woolstore near our campsite.

Back along the track (Mt Melville in the middle) to our van for lunch.

The sun is shining down on the beach. The first half is called Schooner Beach then it is Shed Beach below the camp area.

Had lunch in the day use area again as the camp area is very soft black sand. Dark clouds building in the east and we thought we heard some thunder rumbling. Walked down onto Shed Beach.

Called that I suppose because of the historic wood shed nearby.

Drove back along the coastline and down onto the beach to see if any fish were biting. Unfortunately the only thing biting was the wind. Lovely and sunny but the wind was freezing.

Back to camp where I swapped some books in the caretaker’s library then settled in for a read. Lots of ring-necked parrots flittering around.

Drinks outside by the van – the clouds are moving over quickly from the west but no more rumblings though the caretaker said they had a storm at 3am this morning so who knows.