The day started out at our usual time of 6am.  A stress free packup saw us on the road at 8am.

The main gorge road out to Nature’s Window was still closed … no surprise.  So, we kept on truckin’ out to the main highway.  There is a short drive out to two parking areas: Hawk’s Head & Ross Graham.  Hawk’s head is so named for the rock formation that looks a bit like a hawk’s head … provided they give you enough beer.  And the other is named after the first school teacher of the area … no beer required.

Spot the Hawk’s Head?

 

There was a geocache at each spot too, just for the icing on the cake.  Detours complete we got stuck into the meat of the day’s drive, which was to get to Monkey Mia.  Only about 400 kms, so no big deal.  We did pass a little milestone on this leg … the Prado has now spent more time towing the Jayco than not.

The car doesn’t like me … I can tell … so at the Billabong Roadhouse, I made Kel drive.  This went well.  No sooner had we set off than she was freaking out at the lack of rear view … then she was passed by a suicidal foreign tourist on double lines … then it bucketed down … then she somehow got a good sway up with the van.

Kel took all of these events with her usual carefree attitude and I need a pacemaker.

We amazingly made it to Shell beach, for lunch, mostly unscathed.  A few caravanners heading South *may* have been forced onto the gravel and I *may* have lost a few of the best years of my life, but we did get there with all limbs still attached.

Shell beach is kinda cool.  There is an abundance of cockle shells there that keep being deposited on the beach.  So much so that the entire beach can be mined for shells.  They then use the shells and cut them into bricks which are used for building material.  This is a renewable resource and there is plenty of shell brick available for many years to come.

Giant 9yo arguing with father and getting absolutely nowhere

Squillions of shells

There is a dog fence and cattle grid protecting Monkey Mia.  We stopped there to have a poke around for a geocache.  All the signs around warn of it being an electric fence and grid … so its a bit disconcerting walking across it in sandals.  When you get to the other side there is a movement detector that sets off a loud barking dog sound.  It scared 3 colors of shit outta me and Blake let loose a whole rainbow.

Continuing on via Denham we got fuel and Cornetto’s before finishing at Monkey Mia Resort.  Yet again we got the terrible site right next to the beach.  Someone had to have it I guess.

We’re only here for 2 nights, but did a pretty full setup as we got a bit carried away.  Kel went and did a wash, but the dryers were stuffed.  The van now resembles a clothes line as we hope that the weather will go our way and let us get it all dry before we move again.

We had a lovely sunset overlooking the beach.  Blake & Hannah vanished down there and dug a huge hole.  It was about a metre deep.  We called them back for bikkies and dip and watched the passing trade tour the beach.  There was a gaggle of small children running along the beach, when all of a sudden one of them disappeared … down a hole.  It was bloody hilarious.

Hannah missing a HUGE opportunity …

 

Pretty magic spot, all up.  Dolphins swimming by, catamarans floating by, lovely sunset, cold beers, starry sky.  Magic.

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