Daniel and Marysia around Australia: May 2011

Cape Leveque, Western Australia.

The 4wd route to Cape Leveque

Okay we were now on our way to Cape Leveque, as Monika had suggested that we should visit. One question Monika. Did you fly there?........or did you forget to tell us that it was almost 200ks 4 wheel drive route? So again it was red dust as Daniel decided to make a one night
stopover at Middle Lagoon. The beach was beautiful, the water clear, the swim fantastic. Payment made for the night, tent set up, no camp kitchen so we had to make do with Szymon's portable gas stove..Still dinner was exceptional...potatoes, snags and dill pickles! Yum!

What to do when you're on a 4wd track as a passenger!

Our tent was set up on the ridge with the wind picking up its gust during the night. At one point we thought we were going to be blown into the ocean...but we weren't.

Tent packed, car packed we headed to Cape Leveque, Kooljaman where we were booked for one night. Pretty windy so we decided to pitch tent later in the afternoon. From here
we set out to Lombadina to see if we could get some bread. Arriving at 11.45am the office was closed for lunch until 1.00pm. We headed out to Chile Creek only to find that to
access the beach you had to pay $10 per person......as this was an Aboriginal community.

As a driver you pay attention to the roads!

Daniel decided that we should head up to the tip One Arm Point, the furthest tip
you could go at Cape Leveque. This was also an Aboriginal community where we had to pay $10 each and to remain and visit only where we were allowed to visit and leave at 5.00pm.
We decided to stop for lunch as we had all our provisions with us in the car under the public shelter. I got lunch ready, Daniel threw in a line, but no fish yet.

Time for a wee stop!

After lunch we headed for the boat launching area where Daniel threw in another line catching a snapper and a cod. Almost 2.00pm we headed to the hatchery for a tour which was great.
An Aboriginal woman gave us an insight into the local area, pointing out the reason for the hatchery. Here we saw Barramundi, turtles, sea urchins, corals, coral fish and shells that were
solely being exported to Italy for buttons (2 tonne per year!).

On completion of the tour Daniel wanted to do some more fishing so we headed back the boat launching area. Again he threw in the line this time hooking a shark, trying to bring him in but just before beaching him it broke free getting away. Again he threw in another line again hooking another shark, a white pointer about a metre long. Enough fishing back to Cape Leveque for the night.

We caught up with John and Lynelle who were from Queensland and had spent the previous night at Middle Lagoon. We got together for a couple of happy hours before making our way to the barbecue for steak and a fire overlooking the bay as night fell and saw 4 meteorites flash through the stars.

A bit of a slant here

Someone's certainly in a hurry to get to Cape Leveque!

Time for a stop!

Middle Lagoon

A beach shelter at Middle Lagoon

We could spend the night here!

Tent is pitched

I have finished blowing up the mattress!

We need either a bigger tent or smaller mattress!!

Welcome to Kooljaman at Cape Leveque

Western Beach, Cape Leveque

Huge cliff face on the beach

Western Beach

Another insect tribe

Private shelter photographed from the Public Shelter

Lunch from under the public shelter

View of King Sound from One Arm Point
Aboriginal Community

Hello my name is Tom!

...and my name is Jerry!

I know about kissing frogs....but what about turtles??

It's a big one this time!

Almost in!

..and he's in!

What a beauty!

Biggest catch yet!

Steak for dinner by the barby!

Broome, Western Australia.

Cable Beach at sunset

As we're heading up the A1 highway into Broome, we realise that the aircon in the car has stopped working. Pulling over on a stop Daniel inspects the car to realise that the belts worn away, luckily he purchased a spare fan and aircon belts before leaving Port Hedland.
Not to worry about replacing it now, we were only 70ks out of Broome so when there it could be attended to.

A stop at the Visitors Centre, armed with our maps of the City we headed to Vacation Village Caravan Park. We booked in for an initial 5 nights, probably our longest stop in one place so far. We knew we'd be spending two nights away from the van under tent, which would be our first time since leaving Melbourne.

Staircase to the Moon

The van outside, the car, inside the van was all red dust!....Daniel went with the car and bikes to the carwash leaving me behind to clean the inside, the cupboards, the floor from as much dust as I could clean out. We were lucky that we arrived in Broome for the last night of the full moon which would give us the opportunity of seeing the natural phenomenon of the 'Staircase to the Moon' from the Town Beach at precisely 8.10pm.

Well we arrived at 730 at the town beach to get parking, with plenty more tourists rocking up filling the carpark. A dark night so far,like any other, stars out, but no moon in sight.
Then bang right on 8.10pm the moon emerged from beyond the water's edge. Almost a reddish glow as it rose above the banks where the tide had gone out you could actually see that
the stairs were appearing before the moon. Daniel took some pictures as the moon rose higher and higher. Ten minutes later, it was all over and everyone was scrambling to get out of the carpark.

Next day we headed into the Town Centre, before making our way onto Cable Beach. It has to be said that Cable Beach is beautiful. Lots of people here all the time, but not only them, but also cars that can access the beach when tide is out. They all find a place to park, then watch the sunset, with drinks in hand. We did exactly the same the following night when we came to watch the sunset at Cable Beach with Chicken and Champagne! watching the Camel Ride in front of us. How spectacular a sight!

Overlooking the Indian Ocean from the Lighthouse cliffs

Anastasia's Pool....built by the lighthouse keeper for his wife

View to Cable Beach

The lightouse

Our children

Picking up something from Broome for Matt and Monika

Oh look!...the Camels are coming!

Making their way to the beach

Hi ..quick take a picture!

See....he was looking at me!

Sunset at Cable Beach

When in Rome....do as the locals do!

Champagne and Camels!

Port Smith, Western Australia.

Afternoon walk along rockpools

Everyone we spoke to headed on to another camp but I'd seen only one place that seemed remote from the others, Port Smith. We both agreed that we should stay for the night....but here people would stay for 4 weeks and longer. This was a huge open lagoon where the water came up to the lush mangroves feeding mudcrabs, supporting bounds of birdlife. At one moment as I came from the receding tide I came eye to eye with a cat......can you imagine that! It was probably ferral at that!

As we trecked the soft velvety grey sounds of the tide going out,our feet sank beyond ankles, coming to places as we stretched with the tide to our knees in blue sand...but alas no crabs. Hence I say, that we did not have the right equipment.

Have to find a mudcrab!

With the short time that we had, as everywhere was the case, we headed to the southern side of the beach. A 4 wheel drive track alongside mangroves, inland saltwater islets, floundering small lizards lapping up water in spaces dried before, took us to another step back into the beauty of marine life. Tide out, we walked across what just looked like black rock, but were living wells of marine species. I came across a medium pool to sight the beauty of a baby turtle, I'd guess to say that it was only 2-3 years old...stuck in the pool as it did not make its way out with the tide.

On the morning of our departure we'd made a new friend with a kangaroo who was very interested in our caravan and the crackers it was getting from me for its breakfast. This place was lovely and about 90 ks south of Broome where we headed that day.