Cape Range NP Days 50-54

 We leave Exmouth after a quick stop to pick up supplies. There are a number of Defence Department installations here, a hangover  over from World War II. the Navy operate The Harold E. Holt Naval communications station, with its associated antenna farm!! Whoa, there are some serious antenna here!!! Massive phased arrays, ELF HF, everything. A map we have notes on mast at 365m high!!!!

Just prior to that is RAAF Learmoth. As we drive past, an F/A-18 Hornet is taking off! Very Cool.

 



Lighthouse and WWII era Radar station relic

First stop is Point Vlaming Lighthouse. The view is amazing, turquoise ocean and we even spot some Whales broaching off the shore!! I get a little excited as we get a great view of the RAN antenna farm…..yeah, I know, I’m sad. The lighthouse site also has the base of a Radar station used during WWII to detect Japanese aircraft. Although the electronics are gone, the tower remains, restored by the local RSL. 

We continue on after an hour or so and arrive at the visitor centre for a look around. Max has been looking to purchase a stuffed Turtle, and as Ningaloo Reef  is known for having a large number of turtles, we advised him to wait until we got here to find one. He was not disappointed and found a gorgeous Sea turtle which he named “Turtley, as in Turtley Awesome”.

 

Kurrajong campsite in Cape Range is another 20 minutes down the road, and we make several sightings of turquoise ocean over sand dunes. We arrive, check in with the camp hosts, and set up. It’s a little windy…. I suppose that will pass.

 

 

 

This is so bad, I think we should leave immediately!!~!

 The beach is AMAZING. Again with the turquoise (I’ve never used that word so often in my life!!!). We have a wander around on the beach and opt not to swim yet. WE’ll do that later. Sunset is yet again, a brilliant Westerly view over the Indian Ocean, watching the sun disappear under the horizon of water……. Not getting bored of this at all.!!!!!

You can sit at the table and chairs and have dinner and watch this!! Hard to take!

 

 

 

Overnight it is blowing a gale! Gusty wind from no particular direction is making the tent shake and rattle. Even the Victorian High Country isn’t this bad. I’ve tented through some pretty vile weather in the High Country, including thunderstorms and snow, and its never been as bad as this. Not much sleep had L

 



Not much else to do today........

Day 1 (full day that is) is a little less windy, but not a lot. We attempt to snorkel just off the bay where we are, but the beach conditions were better suited to Body boarding than snorkelling! We have a go, but as I have to watch both boys at the same time, the weather is too much and we just have a swim instead.

 

Mandy was having an afternoon siesta, when we got buzzed by an F/A 18 Hornet flying along the beach at about 200ft and 400kts speed. We are 50m from the beach and it was LOUD! Boys and I thought it was awesome.....Mandy said "that's a horrible alarm clock!!!!!





 



"Tower, this is Ghostrider Requesting a flyby"
"Negative Ghostrider, the pattern if full"

Windy again tonight, although maybe not as bad as the first night…..still a restless nights sleep. The boys slept like logs!

 

Day 2....

A slow start and we have a look art the beach. The tide is set to be quite low all day, thanks to a high tide that is not much higher than the low tide: Weird!

 



$4 wetsuit from Kmart- Don't Mind if I do!!!!!
Max saw a Sting Ray here!

Consider snorkelling at “our beach” but opt for Turquoise Bay, 5 minutes up the road. AMAZING. The color is well…….turquoise, and we jump in the not so warm water for a snorkel. It is at this point that I say a massive THANK YOU to Kmart South Hedland for having Mens WetSuits (spring suits) on clearance for $4, yes folks, Four lousy dollars!!!! We picked one up as an offer too good to refuse ( and we should have picked up a Mens Small for Sam in about 2 years time!!)

 

 

Turquoise Bay - Very hard to take.........

The boys had springsuits, and the chill is soon forgotten after warming up, and even further forgotten when just 5 metres off shore, we start seeing bright Blue fish, Archer fish, a fish that was Rainbow Colored and Max is adamant he saw a “Sting Ray”, although here it is most likely a Manta Ray. I didn’t see it as I was looking at something Sam was pointing to, but he said it was near the rocks, and his description was spot on, even down to the proportions of the tail to the body, so I’m inclined to believe him (not that he tends to make these things up anyway…)  Pretty damn Cool!

 

Sam snorkelling at Kurrajong beach

We abandon any further marine adventures when teeth are chattering so hard we almost bite the mouth pieces off our snorkels!!

 

My biggest regret (and probably my only one so far) is not buying a waterproof Digital camera before this trip. So many opportunities to get some good pics while swimming, especially of the boys (or a Manta Ray!!!!) but alas, it is not to be L

 

Day 3

 

I'm not sure but I think Max is having fun here!!!!

More snorkelling, and some great weather, flat calm ocean and just fantastic all round. We get another RAAF fly-by, this time from a Hawk Jet Trainer, at about 200-300ft. Plenty more marine critters spotted, and it soon becomes apparent that we will be leaving tomorrow, and I get a little sad that our time here is coming to a close.