TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER     EXMOUTH

After breakfast, we drove down to Turquoise Bay again, to snorkel.

We were both rather nervous, given the warnings about currents. It is a long time since I have been snorkelling – like more than thirty years! John has not really ever tried it.

There were plenty of other people around, which gave some sense of safety.

I discovered that I couldn’t easily use the snorkel, because the mouthpiece hits that damned loose filling. So I used just the mask and kept coming up for air as needed.

The water was very warm and pleasant, with occasional cool little currents – the ocean equivalent of a gentle breeze?

It was not far to swim to the corals, which were fairly colourful. There were plenty of different sorts of fish about.

It took me a while to relax into it and not be tense about the breathing issue.

John was not confident swimming out of his depth, so he kept swimming in and out.

We did that for an hour or so, then dried off in the sun and ate our packed lunch.

The decision was made to go down to Yardie Creek, further south. The drive took us through the rather barren and stony scrubland that is typical of the Cape, with the low hills of the quite rugged Cape Range to our left.

At Yardie Creek, the tidal creek inlet is a barrier, and the sealed road ends there. Some years, it is possible to cross here, in 4WD, at low tide, and continue on a rough track to Coral Bay. In ’93, we came up that way and were very apprehensive about the crossing, with the old Hilux. I waded across first to photo it, but it was so easy that John was through almost before I could take a picture!

This year, the crossing point looked very sandy. There was no reason for us to try it.

John went off to fish by the creek mouth, while I walked up the creek to the Gorge that is a major feature of it. The little path was somewhat rough and rocky and I had to watch my footing. The red rock of the Gorge walls make it a really attractive place, and the walk was well worth doing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

John’s fishing was unsuccessful.

On the drive back, we had to keep a careful eye out for kangaroos, as it was getting dark by then. There were large mobs of the animals at the roadsides.

Tea was lamb chops and salad.