No Worries!?/!* or Up the Creek!!!

Well we've tried out all the extreme survival kit now and we're only a week or so into the trip! After leaving Kalbarri we set off for Monkey Mia and the Francois Peron peninsula. We camped wild (and free) beside Big Lagoon in the national park,having stopped en-route to see Hamelin Bay where there were amazing stromatolites (ancient coral-like growths on the sea beds which have survived because of the extremely high salinity of the bay). WHen we were driving into the big lagoon the car and trailer were coping remarkably well with the sand tracks - right until we tried to turn to set up camp! That's when we got our first dose of 'no worries' advice from the seasoned locals as we became totally bogged down in the soft dry sand and managed to get ourselves out by sending the kids to get buckets of water to wet the sand and trust that the car would do the rest - if given the time and the correct revs! Good learning curve! We then relaxed by paddling up the lagoon and watching for wildlife including dugongs - beautiful sunset and warm water. The following morning we were up early to go to Monkey Mia (on the other side of the peninsula) to see the wild dolphins that come into the bay in the early mornings as part of a conservation feeding programme. We stood at the water's edge and about 10 dolphins, including young ones came in and played just feet in front of us. Only 2 of them were to be fed as the rest were still young and had to learn to be self sufficient - lovely to see them so close! After a good breakfast break and a long kayak out to a pearl farm, we set off back to Big Lagoon - via Herald Bight which has mangrove swamps where the reef sharks come in with the tide - we unfortunately missed the tide as we underestimated the time it takes to drive 47kms on soft sand! A lovely spot for a stroll along the beach 'tho!
After our nights in the wilds we needed a night in civilisation to recharge batteries, stock up on water & supplies. Carnarvon doesn't really count as 'civilisation' but it sufficed for a cheap charge up night - it's known for fruit and banana plantations - so yummy bananas!!
Then Off to Coral Bay on the next peninsula up the coast and the start of the Ningaloo Reef. We camped on the beach about 10 miles north of Coral Bay at a point within the dugong sanctuary. At low tide you could walk out to bits of old reef - still full of wildlife - fierce crabs, sea cucumbers, giant clams. We were walking along the shore here when this amazing turquoise coloured fish, about 50cms long, just run itself up on the beach in front of us - it had obviously been trawling for fish and just kept going with its mouth open right up on the sand! We were too slow to tip it right over onto the dry sand and then onto our bbq, but we weren't too sure of whether it was safe to touch , given all the other nice looking but deadly things round here!!
A couple of nights taking it easy and catching up with school work (and major ant wars) then we set off for Yardie creek which we had been told was a great kayaking spot.
We took the 50kms 4 wheel drive route which saved about 240 kms round trip by tarmac and it was very scenic - almost african with the termite hills looking like mud huts across the plains. The reef was all the way up the coast and a few people were camped up on their own 'private' bays along the way - beeautiful if you had a couple of months to spare - so many of these guys pitch up for 3 or 4 months in the same spot and content themselves with fishing and...??
We camped up just short of the Cape Range national park and got the kayaks out. It was fairly breezy so we also put the sails on and set off to find the reef. That's when I got over adventurous ( and displayed my lack of sailing ability) by setting off with Jack while the others swam and we found ourselves so far down the coast and paddling hard back in to the wind and tide to get back. It didn't look too far but it obviously was and by the time Gary and Kate picked us up in a fisherman's rib, it took us another 20 minutes or so to be towed back. 2nd "no worries" local worthy bail out situation!
The 3rd was the best tho' - and only the next morning!! "How long to Yardie Creek?" asked the kids excitedly. "Only 5 - 10 minutes" the innocent reply! Ha-ha!! 10 mins to the Yardie creek , then 1.5 hours to dig yourself out of the creek crossing!!! This is when the winch, the compressor, the every bit of equipment we had, was put to full use getting the car and trailer out the water!! (Now we can write the book!) We were given loads of practical help and friendly advice by passing worthies (while others took photos!) and eventually we got both car and trailer out - had to ditch the caravan and get the car winched out, then we dug out the shifting wet sand and inched the trailer forward, digging out by hand each time the jockey wheel got stuck - excellent midday exercise!! By the time we did all that we discovered that the campsite was full ('tho' there was room in the site just the other side of the creek - well maybe not for us thanks!!!!) We were also advised to go 90kms north to get all the salt and sand washed off before it caused damage - great news indeed - and we hadn't even paddled tour canoes up the creek yet! So we did just that - and it was lovely and restful and private ( quick skinny dip) and great scenery and colours and egrets and jumping fish. Then off to Exmouth, to the campsite we haven't had the energy to move from in the last 5 days, where it took the four of us 1.5 hours to hose down the car and trailer and get rid of the baked on red silt.
It has turned out really well as we have managed to recharge our own batteries as well as constantly moving on is very physically tiring - and it made it easier to handle producing a birthday cake for Jack (12th) from a shop rather than from a camp stove! (Shame on me!!)
Jack's section should now take over, bye for now from Exmouth and the amazing reef