FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER EIGHTY MILE BEACH TO NORTH POINT CAMP 381kms
Today, we drove back from our break. Had to vacate our refuge by the usual time of 10am.
I would love to report that I was up early enough and sufficiently energetic to go for a last walk on the beach – but I wasn’t, and didn’t. It was simply too enervatingly hot and humid to be motivated into unnecessary activity.
Fish cleaning shelter and path through the dunes to the sea
It became another very hot day – into the 40’s.
With some reluctance, we headed south again, through the dreary flat plains.
There was a large bushfire burning close to the road, a bit before we got to Pardoo Roadhouse. Could see it from a distance, and were somewhat concerned about getting through.
Distant bushfire
But the worst of it had crossed the highway before we reached there and it was burning away towards the coast.
We detoured off to the coast, from Pardoo Roadhouse, to have a look at Cape Keraudren, having heard so much about it as a place where grey nomads go and spend months – but not at this time of year!
It was very open – no trees – but I felt it would be well worth a “bush” stay in the future. But only outside of the real peak of the season. It would be impossibly crowded at the height of the cool months.
Cape Keraudren
There were some pit toilets, but that was all in the way of facilities.
Camping area
The Cape marks the southern end of the Eighty Mile Beach, which stretches a long way from here, northwards towards Broome.
Eighty Mile Beach stretching into the distance
There was a brilliantly blue creek, of that intense, almost unbelievable aqua colour only found in these parts, with a couple of camp spots there.
Tidal creek
The best camp sites though, were on the Cape itself, and there were a lot of possible sites there, overlooking the sea. I suspected it could get windy, though.
We stopped in Hedland, to buy some bread rolls for lunch, stock up the beer supply, buy some books, and do a download on the laptops, at the little park area.
When we arrived back at the Fly Camp, it was a relief to see that the van was alright – we had been slightly worried, given the unpredictable weather. There had obviously been some strong wind, though, and we found the back tarp askew. N told us later that it had come loose and he had attempted to secure it for us. Good of him.
R also arrived back this evening, late, having driven from Broome after his Darwin break.
This Adventurous Age 