Fri, 24th Jan, 2025 Wandoo Reserve Rest Area, east of Jurien Bay to Tuarts Reserve Rest Area, east of Cerventes, WA (beaches)

24 degrees, clouds and sun. The wind is back by 7am.

Mickey sent a text to make sure we were ok as there is a fire burning around Ellendale Pool area. Nice of her.

Headed back to the west then turned south onto a back road for a different drive. Across a narrow Hill River then passed some big egg production sheds, AAA Eggs.

Turned west again heading towards Cerventes through the Southern Beekeepers Reserve.

Onto the Indian Ocean Drive again - great town sign but I needed to get it closer together. Town named after the ship that sunk near here.

Into Cerventes which we explored before - famous for the Stromatolites & nearby Pinnacles. Along to the north end boat ramp. Bit rough today for the group going out to look at sea lions.

Back to a park near the beach for a cuppa - very smelly. I rang the Gravity Discovery Centre near Gingin about a booking for the observatory. I had seen a FB post about the planets aligning and thought it would be good time to visit. They open Fri, Sat & Sun nights and as it has been so busy (forgot it is a long weekend too) they are running a later session at 10.30pm so we managed to get a booking for Sunday night. At least it will be very dark by then, just hope there isn’t any cloud cover.

We drove back out and continued down the IO Drive with the wind pushing us along - for a change! Into Nambung National Park where the Pinnacles are. It has been recently burnt - Nov last year so not looking very nice.

Continued on - we haven’t driven this section of the road as we had turned inland last time. The wind is whipping the sand up on the big white dunes, first on our right then more on the left.

More burnt national park. Greener to the west where we spotted some fishing shacks along the coast. Further along we turned onto a gravel road into “Grey Shack Settlement’. First there is a track going south to 4WD camps along the coast. I had thought of staying here but it might be a bit too sandy for us.

Drove into the shack settlement - created by pastoralists and southerners wanting a place to stay during the inland summer heat and go fishing. It is on Crown Land so they all pay a lease fee etc. Some interesting ‘shacks’ and a narrow track weaving around the dune hills.

The sign is a bit faded! Tried to enhance it to show the map better.

View over a few shacks and south over the point and the beach & islands. Bit smelly here too with the sea grass.

I checked for other camp spots for tonight and not much available so we decided to head back to Cerventes for the day then go back along the road east to one of the free rest areas there which we have stayed at before. Unfortunately that lovely tail wind is now a very strong head wind so what we saved on fuel economy then we are losing now as we push our way back north to Cerventes!! Better photo of entrance sign.

We drove around to the south end first - too much wind here whipping up the sand. A couple were getting out their kite surfing stuff - good day for it.

Continued around the coast edge to another nice park at Thirsty Point. Backed up beside a tree so we can spend the day here in the wind before going inland which is hotter to a camp spot. It’s a new park with a ‘replica’ of the ship Cerventes, still being created. Concrete shows the size with three masts and the steering wheel. Another couple are parked here too and they have all their washing over things!

More info about other ships that have been wrecked near here.

Read for a while then had lunch. Put on our boots and went for a walk. Cute house and garden ornaments.

Steve going for a wind surf and he found a shark.

The stink intensified as we went along! Really bad as we get closer to the van park. Nice mural in the park.

Continued along the foreshore, nearly gagging from the smell now. Don’t think anyone will be using these shade shelters. Obviously it isn't like this all the time otherwise no one would live or holiday here!

Up the little ‘rise’ to the lookout.

Wandered along to the Lobster Shack - restaurant lobster sales and sea lion etc tours. $34 for the smallest lobster - there are 5 sizes.

Walked to the boat ramp end and out the jetty. Very rough but the kids were having fun jumping off the side.

A lobster boat came in and had two goes trying to tie up as the waves were sloshing them around. Once tied up they quickly unloaded their catch to the waiting truck - Geraldton company.

As we walked back we noticed these smooth holes in the limestone.

Back to the camper as the clouds covered the sky with the strong wind still blowing hard. Had a cuppa then headed off, back through town and up the Cerventes Road again. Through the Southern Beekeepers Reserve to Tuarts Reserve Rest Area for the night. Another free camp spot which is great. Found a perfect spot without any big tree limbs above us as the wind is still shaking things about.

Steve found a big bee hive which has collapsed but the bees are very busy trying to get it all sorted again.

4pm 30 degrees. The other motorhome couple pulled in.

We played cards with our drinkies. A misty shower of rain came over and the bees zoomed in on the drops of water on our angled windows.

The wind calmed down and it stayed cloudy and cooled off to 26 degrees by 6pm.

7pm the clouds are parting and the bees are still buzzing on the windows.

More travellers arrived later into the night. Two cars came very late then put up a tent with torchlight - supposed to be only self-contained vehicles here but nobody checks obviously.