MONDAY 2 AUGUST   EXMOUTH TO MESA CAMP   44kms

We were fed, organized, packed up, and at the National Park Entrance at 8.30am.

There were only a couple of other vehicles ahead of us.

The bad news was that there were no sites becoming available at either Lakeside or Ned’s. So much for our research! But we were offered one at Mesa and took that – better than the alternative of going back to Exmouth! We told ourselves that it was only at the other end of the beach from Ned’s. It was going to cost us $10 a night.

Drove on down the road and into the Mesa camp.

There were twelve camp sites at Mesa. Seven looked out across the sands to the sea; they had some trees around them too. The other five sites looked out on to the visitors’ car park and some dunes. They had no trees around them.

Of course, we got one of the no-view sites! The campers who had been occupying it were moving across to one of the better sites that was being vacated. We were not best pleased, but had to be philosophical about it.

We discussed with the lovely couple who were the campground hosts, the possibility that we, too, might move sites to one with a view – if one became vacant during our time here. They agreed to keep that in mind for us.

And so we set up, on the very open, bare site, hoping it would be a short stay!

First camp site at Mesa

It was very windy.

After setting up, walked to the beach, through low dunes, and walked along it for a bit. The sand was very soft.

Checked out the long drop amenities on the way to the beach – very clean.

John went down to the beach to try some fishing, after  lunch. No joy there.

Beach at Mesa – waves breaking on Ningaloo Reef, in distance

There was another Trakmaster van here – a Sturt model. The people were from Tasmania. They had one of the “good” sites.

The campground hosts held a happy hour get together in the late afternoon, and we wandered across to that and sat chatting with the small group of campers. Very pleasant.