SATURDAY 31 JULY   NANUTARRA ROADHOUSE TO EXMOUTH   270kms

Today’s was a routine drive through some fairly uninteresting country, that we’d driven a few times already.

Took the short cut through Giralia Station to the Exmouth road. It was now a good. sealed road – last time we drove this, it was gravel.

I’d intended to stop at the Kailis seafood factory, not far past the big Learmonth Airforce Base, but the Kailis place was closed for a couple of hours over lunchtime. We’d bought great prawns there on previous trips.

Reached Exmouth about 1pm. Went into the Ningaloo Caravan Park, in the town. It was a Top Tourist park – we were back in the realm of discounts! $23.40 a night, after that. The park was full. It was of the expected high standard. The amenities were clean. There appeared to be some pressure on the washing machines and clothes lines, though.

After setting up, John watched football on TV, whilst I went for a walk to the shops – not too far.

I went to the Tourist Information Centre and found out about camping out in the Cape Range National Park. They did not take bookings for sites in the several campgrounds scattered along the coast. One must go and queue up at the Park entrance – early! The camp ground hosts at the various camps radio to the entrance, when they know of an incipient vacancy, and these are handed out to those in the queue. Very much a pot luck scenario – one takes what one is given! The info lady seemed to think that if we were good and early, we’d get a spot somewhere.

Later in the afternoon, went for a drive around to the National Park, and looked at the various camps that had generator areas – not all did, and we would need one, in case the solar input wasn’t enough.

We decided that we’d find the Lakeside or Ned’s camp grounds ideal.

Refuelled – $1.20cpl.

Had a text message from M. She’d collected her mother from the plane in Darwin, and all was well, so far.