Daniel and Marysia around Australia: Cape Keraudren, Western Australia

Moving on we drove to Cape Keraudren, weather still inclement. Arriving at the Rangers door we paid to stay 2 nights. There were 3 camp areas and we decided on the one where the boat ramp was. Parked overlooking the inlet Daniel was excited as we were going to have our first outdoor camp fire since setting out from Melbourne. There was no power so we had to rely on our own source. One could stay here for up to a maximum of 3 months. We were told that shortly there would be about 70 vans descend making camp here at this site alone. In the meantime, this place was extraordinary.

Striking blue sea even under clouds!

Taking in most of the 4 wheel drive tracks took us to some fabulous spots, viewing kangaroos, bulls grazing, mangroves and lagoons with warning about croc sightings, but there weren't any really! Back on base it was the perfect opportunity to inspect the coral reef as the tide had gone out some one and half kilometres exposing this huge 7 metre rock in the middle of the beach! With marine shoes on we headed out to the rock. On the way, the tide out had exposed marvellous reefs holding myriads of marine life from tiny roaming sea urchins, octopus, mud crabs, fish, beautiful clusters of corals exposed. Arriving at the rock we ventured the whole way around it. Daniel excited as it was a brim with oysters! Not prepared we'd be back tomorrow on the tide out to collect them for dinner. Our venture around the rock exposed marine pools again harbouring an exotic array of marine life.

Making our way out to the rock after tide out along the reef

That night, as promised, Daniel had a fire by an almost full moon going. The heat was a welcome source of comfort in front of which we sat for about 3 hours before calling it a night. Deciding to stay another night we took the opportunity to head to the other side of the Cape for investigation. We found another camp site, remarkable too.

We having Oysters for dinner tonight!

Waking the following morning the tide was in, the lagoon now full, the rock now totally submerged being lapped by the water. A couple of hours later as the tide went out the rock now exposed we crossed the reef to the rock for the night's dinner. Daniel with tools in hand gathered the oysters, testing some as he went! I preferred to venture around the rock sitting on the reef to visit the marine pools to view what other forms of life lay within. The height of the rock was about 7 metres once the tide exposed it and it was gone once the tide came in. This was an unbelievable natural phenomenon to have witnessed.

Oh yes! A beer by the fire....

Another fire for the evening, a sunset, tide flowing back filling the lagoon, this time a full moon against a deep saphire sky, Oysters Kilpatrick and a bottle of Red, all in a day's work! Time to get some rest!

Our last day Daniel had to drop a line to see his luck. In his first ten minutes he pulls out this huge fish, some sort of Cod, dark grey in colour with black dots pulling it in launching into the bucket which wasn't big enough to hold him. I said I had to go back for the camera to get this picture while he returned fishing. As I came down the boat ramp I saw the fish trying to exit the bucket so I picked up my footpace to put him back in but lost my footing and fell over the side of the on a sand bank and red rock with the camera up in the air, binoculars around my neck laying horizontally on my stomach! Quickly collected myself off the ground laughing my head off as I grappled putting the fish back into the bucket.

......and then some music by the fire!

We headed to the other side of the Cape for a final look. Another camp site with another beach. This one you could swim at becuase there was just so much sand. It was afternoon, the tide out. Seriously the water had left the beach by about 3 kilometres! More exploring, walking the velvety sands, through hundreds of sandcrabs clambering out of sight into holes before us. Rock pools holding all sorts of fish that didn't get out with the tide, exposing an array of magical shells adorned on the bed for me to collect. That night one more fire with one more full moon, an early night for an early stat tomorrow.