The next stop, a Roadhouse, still in the never never and still in the red dirt, but it did have hot showers.....and not much of anything else!!!
The next two nights, however, were spent in one of the most beautifully idyllic seaside places we have ever seen. Coral Bay, where it’s possible to walk out to the edge of Ningaloo Reef. Standing on the beach we saw fish that were large enough to feed a family for two nights, swimming past people playing on the waters edge. Someone said they were Snapper! You could stroll along the beach and see all kinds of colourful fish in abundance. Fishing is not permitted there.....thankfully!
Our 2 night stay there restored my soul and I was disappointed that we could only spend 2 nights, but David said “no, we have to go”......and what David says........well....
So we were back on the road again for a long days drive to an interesting little place called Hamelin in the Shark Bay Marine Park. That evening we strolled out over a boardwalk that protected a unique site of living fossils called stromatolites and we saw a beach that consisted of only tiny shells that over the centuries had fused together and formed a solid material hard enough to be cut into blocks and used to build some of the local constructions. It is now a heritage site and interesting to look at.
Next morning, an early start and we drove further into the Shark Bay Marine Park, up as far as Denham. More stunning coastline! Time was beating us, so we headed back out of the park and chartered a course for Kalbarri, where we spent the next two nights.
Kalbarri nestles at the mouth of the Murchison River, where it flows out over a treacherous looking rocky bar, to meet the ocean. A lot of very early sailors ran aground on this coastline.
We stood on the cliff top and watched as a series of whales frolicked and made their way north.
Kalbarri National Park is another one of those places with gorgeous gorges, and we spent a morning bush walking and enjoying the amazing vistas.
On the road now to a sleepy little place called New Norcia.....a monastic town.....should be interesting!
