It was time for another visit to Rainbow Beach. This is a wonderful destination fo9r sun tanning, fishing, hiking, swimming and beach driving. There is a café strip and a bakery to look after the early morning cravings. We drove on the beach to one of the departure points for the Fraser Island ferry. The scenery is always stunning, beautiful and sunny.

Almost like heaven.

Getting onto the beach.

4wd, beach, surf = Happy Chappy

Life’s a beach.

Later we drove around the village as it is nestled on the hillside. Once again there are great views. Later we got to sit on one of the very high dunes above the beach.

Great view

Happy

Also happy

Some of us were very tired by the time we got home.

Boy, the beach does not half make you tired!

Time at James Price Point (JPP)

My good mate Watto and I decided to spend a day visiting this spectacular destination on the Dampier peninsula. We got away fairly early and turned onto the road to the Dampier peninsula and JPP. When we left the bitumen and rode onto the red dirt the immediate impact was sensory. The color of the sky and the landscape changed and became more vivid. One also noticed immediately that the bush was dry. Much of West Australia is enduring a prolonged dry spell.

James Price Point shot to prominence when Woodside Petroleum wanted to level hundreds of acres here to build a harbor and gas refinery. It caused an international outcry and many hundreds of people involved themselves to either protest, camp and obstruct at the site, lobby politicians or collect signatures to send to their local members of Parliament. Even Sea Shepherd was  involved.

As you can see from the pics this place has stunning colors, has a thriving marine life and is close to the breeding ground of Southern Right Whales. At the southern end of this area turtles emerge during winter to lay their eggs on the beach at night, see pic.  Beautiful reefs exist just 50 meters from the beach where a multitude of shells live. I have seen massive clams, textile cones and many cowries when I dived there 2 years ago.

And this is the area that politics and business were happy to sacrifice for profit when there are alternate options available!!!

On this visit, my third, there are  signs still standing, maintained by dedicated protesters / campers who come here year after year to relax, soak in the natural beauty and just chill. I am sure they keep an eye on things too.

As this was my first visit in two years it was interesting to see the changes from the heyday of the protests. The major camp at the turnoff to JPP had totally disappeared. The smaller camp 2km from the coast had fallen into neglect. It had been used by campers during the winter season but was empty now. Campers fill this area during the winter months year after year. At JPP itself a few campers remained. By end of September it is getting quite hot already and the winter campers, who came to enjoy the benign weather, had gone back south over the last month.

We saw a Fish Eagle sitting in the tree and it was in no way concerned by us. The aboriginal elder / spokesperson (Janet) was no longer at JPP. She had left the place months earlier to return to Broome to live with family. I have included pics of the great spot she had used for years. Only a broken down panel van remains.

Our friend Dave still remains. He has been coming here for 9 years I think. He still rates this as one of the top spots in this area. See pics of his camp. He is known for finding dinosaur footprints amongst the rocks at low tide. There are some really good fishing spots in this area. Dave manages to catch a feed quite often.

We drove north along the coast on the gravel road to explore more of JPP. Pics of some of the stunning coastline below. At low tide many reefs emerge from the water and reveal great fishing spots. There is vehicle access to a great beach which leads to the next rocky point 9 km up north.

Also see this link:   https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144528419227958&set=ms.c.eJw9ybkRACAMA7CNOOw43%7E%3B6LUQQodYLkLJlXK2gL1%7E%3BQAez%7E_zyWzP73k8Y74OgNsQCw%7E-%7E-.bps.a.105255276488606.1073741827.100010124012478&type=3

Unfortunately I had to head back home after two more days. It was great to catch up, catch some fish and recharge my batteries.

I have had a lovely flight to Broome soaring above the clouds (check pic). There is an area south of Broome where the dunes in the landscape below look like a milky color sea. The dunes below look like the swells on the sea. I tried to take pictures, but they did not come out at all. After an uneventful flight we landed at Broome.  My mate Jacko picked me up at the airport and got me settled in at his house.

It’s good to be visiting the guys again. I said hello to the dogs and the bar fridge, haha!

Once I had unpacked things we went to Cable Beach Club for a sundowner and some pizza. It is a truly spectacular sight to watch the sun set over the ocean. The sun seems to float down to the horizon and then appears to stop, hesitate and then slip below the horizon leaving behind an afterglow that slowly fades through shades of pink until darkness. All of this against a backdrop of Palms and Frangipani trees; Wonderful!

When we got back home again we had a yarn about the old times, caught up with the other roomies and had a good few games of darts (compulsory).

The next morning I walked around Broome town, past the pearl shops and through China Town. Around the back is a jetty that leads into the mangroves and is used by anglers that are feeling lucky. It is known as ‘Streeter’s jetty’ and was used by the pearl luggers of years gone by to unload their pearls and pearl shells before they re-provisioned and headed back out to sea. This part of town is in line with the approach to the runway of Broome airport. So the jets come screaming across the rooftops of China town with bellies nearly scraping the ground. It is quite a sight!

I really liked the efforts by the shire to preserve local history. Statues have been erected honoring founding citizens of the pearl industry. One statue is of a diver in diving gear.

We sat on Broome beach and enjoyed a salad sandwich each and drank some bottle water.

Gantheaume Point

This morning it was low tide at 6:30am. I had wanted to go to Ganth point as it is known for the dinosaur fossil footprints that are  visible at the spring low tide. I had never seen them before. The tracks were laid down by dinosaurs more than 130 million years ago when they walked across the mud flats of that time. Whilst I looked at the tracks I got this feeling of vertigo, realizing that I had fallen into a time warp that took me to events of at least 130 million years ago; goosebump stuff. (see link and  pics below)  Look at the colors.

https://www.google.com.au/?gws_rd=ssl#q=broome+gantheaume+point

A side note is that there are numerous dinosaur prints at James Price Point some 50km up the coast. I have included pics from a previous trip.

Anastasia’s Pool

A special feature at Gantheaume Point is Anastasias Pool.

In Broome, see Anastasia’s Pool, a natural rock pool which is part of the history of the town and tells a touching story.

The pool was modified by a former lighthouse keeper, to make it easy for his wife, Anastasia, to access.

Anastasia suffered badly from arthritis and found relief in the warm water of the Indian Ocean which filled the pool at high tide.

Anastasia’s Pool is on the north side of Gantheaume Point which is well worth a visit for its dinosaur footprints.

Thought to be 130 million years old, the footprints can be seen at very low tides.

You can find out the times of the tides by contacting the Broome Visitor Centre.

For pics see link below.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=broome+anastasia%27s+pool&biw=1366&bih=639&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CEAQsARqFQoTCLuT04uo_scCFaNdpgodrHUHSA&dpr=1

That’s a big ask! First we need to define what constitutes a beach that can be considered for this list. I am not talking about the longest or widest or most sandy etc, etc. By the way, the longest beach probably is the Coorong from Kingston to the Murray River mouth in SA. It is over 150km long. I did that with the boys some 15 years ago in my great GQ Nissan Patrol. That was a decent trip.

I would say that some of the defining criteria for the top 5 might be: (I would love to hear from readers what some of the other defining criteria might be).

• At least 1km long with a sandy beach of decent width at low-tide,
• Not dangerous to human life; ie no crocodiles, blue ring octopus, Box Jelly fish,
• Attractive natural setting ie defining natural beauty or pleasing features,
• Definitely not overdeveloped or overrun by human beings,

Top 5:

I cannot name all 5 beaches that deserve to be in this list. I have not seen 5 such beaches. However I have been on one beach that definitely fits the bill.

So my first beach would be Cable Beach in Broome WA. I have been there several times.

Then I have two more beaches that might make the list.

The first could be the beach at Woodgate Qld. between the Theodolite creek and the Barrum river. It is just sensational, stunning and has a chill factor when you are there.

The other beach is at Lammermoor on the Capricorn coast south of Yeppoon. I wonder what other readers may think.

So…….I  can propose only these:

1. Cable Beach, Broome, WA

2. Wood gate Beach Qld

3. Wineglass Beach Tasmania       https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wineglass+beach+tasmania&biw=1366&bih=639&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CEMQsARqFQoTCOK3hM–38gCFQblpgodRzMKdg

  Pic credit:  Touchdowndownunder.wordpress.com

4.  Whitehaven Beach Whitsundays

5.  I have not seen it yet.

We left Woodgate early-ish in the morning to go up north some 150km to a remote little place by the name of Baffle creek. There is a lovely caravan park amongst tropical trees and palms along the banks of the Baffle creek. The camp sites are green with grass and some of the power sites have cement slabs. The park is about 6 km from the river mouth.

Along the way from Woodgate were many areas that farmed sugar cane and Macadamia nuts. In places there was sugar cane as far as the eye can see.

Baffle creek is about fishing. There are a number of launching sites and they do catch fish from the boats. Fish are caught from the shores of the river or the jetties less frequently.

When you get to the beaches you can see the signs of the recent cyclone. The beaches are eroded and dead trees are littered above the high water mark. You can see where the waters had eaten away at the dunes. Driving on the beach is a bit difficult and suggestion is that tyre pressure is reduced to around 1.3 Bar.

The caravan park is one of the few parks that allow fires in designated areas. Wood is available for $12 a load or heaps more if you are prepared to cut it yourself; ask park management about details.

As I do not have a boat the fishing is going to be tough. So, instead we decided to do a bit of exploring.

Agnes Water and the town of Seventeen Seventy (1770)

The next day we went to explore the coastline just north of Baffle Creek

We drove north to a town called Agnes Waters that had a pleasant beach, newish shops and some recently developed residential estates. As one could not see the sea/beach from most of the town it lost the wow factor for me and we continued on to the town of 1770. Seventeen Seventy, also written as 1770, is a village in Queensland, Australia, built on the site of the second landing by Captain James Cook and the crew of HM Bark Endeavour in May 1770.

The place is stunning, interesting and of historical significance. It has a lot of old world charm and spectacular sites and sights. Links below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_Seventy,_Queensland

As we got there the CFA were burning off which caused some interesting smoky outlooks. Burn-offs happen all around Australia to reduce the fuel load for the dry season and so reduce the likelihood of bush fires.

As you get to the town there are launching facilities and stunning views up and down the inlet / natural harbor. It is easy to see why Captain Cook chose this place to stop.

The topography is hilly so there are great lookouts and vantage points like Bustard point  . People have built homes on the hills that offer spectacular views of the surrounding sea.

Queenslanders love Letter Boxes

We all have letter boxes. Yep, we go to Bunnings and buy one of these metal monster in mission brown, black or caramel colors. Letter boxes are an iconic feature in our communities. The posty deposits the mail regularly and everybody is happy!  Right??…Wrong.

Queenslanders love letter boxes and here in rural Queensland they get very inventive and arty about their mail receptables. I sense that there is a sense of humor attached to the selection of the letter box. Have a look of some of these that I have come across so far.  I will keep posting these as I find more unique ones. Please post to me in return any that you have come across.

On Thursday 8 July we decided to explore the town of Bundaberg. It is around 57km from Woodgate on a winding road through the sugarcane fields. ‘Makes sense, I thought, how else does one get the base fuel for the lovely Bundy Rum’.  The main street of Bundaberg is beautifully renovate with heaps of plants adorning the spaces available. We had a good breakfast at one of the many cafes and then had a walk about the town; see pics. Later we drove to the mouth of the Burnett river, which runs through Bundaberg, There is a nice little yacht club situated there. There is ongoing work at the river mouth to drege the sand that is filling up the inlet.

A while later I drove to the’ Bundaberg Distillery which is well signposted’.  Thus it was easy to find. I took some pics of the iconic polar bear as well as the decal of the rum bottle. The factory was going at full steam producing ever more of the beautiful amber liquid.  I ended up not buying any product as no one in our family drinks the stuff.

At this stage it was close to going home time.

Walking the Caravan

We booked in at the Southend Caravan Park where we had been for a week 18 months before. Everything is very dry at this time of the year. There were only a handful of travellers when we booked in, so we got to pick the best spot in the park. We positioned ourselves behind a dune on the other side of the beach. The spot is protected by a few trees and the wind just bounces over the top. At night the waves sing you to sleep. It is very relaxing.

The ‘Engel’ car fridge/freezer

Our Camp

The next day we went to Millicent to get some supplies. This is a lovely town in the east of South Australia. The people are friendly and there are some shady and grassy places in the parks. We had some coffee at the ‘Java Café’ and noticed this great idea printed on a poster on the front of the shop. In a gesture of cheer and goodwill the Uniting church has started the concept of a ‘Kind coffee’. Patrons of the Café or members of the community or parishioners are able to donate money for providing members of the community, who were doing it hard, with a hot coffee for free. These are people who could not afford the spare $5. See pics.

The next morning we decided to go to Beachport for a coffee. So instead of travelling the normal route, I deflated the tyres to 20 pounds/sq.inch and we drove the 20 kilometers along the beach. There were a few patches of porridge (soft wet sand), but the rest was easy. After the coffee we returned by the same way to Southend.

In the afternoon we walked along the cliff tops and got to a secluded beach where we had to clamber down rocks. We spent a good hour playing on the beach before we returned. On the path back I saw evidence of shell deposits in the bank along the path. Only problem was that we were walking on a path six meters above the sea. The sea level must have been much higher a few thousand years ago.

Seashells 6 meters above sea level?

Commercial fishermen returning their catch

Secluded cove

When we were walking on the beach at Southport it suddenly hit me that the one thing missing here were signs of investment in infrastructure. This is the first place we have come across that has not had any work done to improve or preserve infrastructure. In fact since our last visit the seaward face of the dunes had been eroded and swept away by rough spring tides. Like at Byron Bay and Norah Heads we have here evidence of rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Unless local or State government do something about this a number of properties will disappear over the next few years. Here at the caravan park the owner had to sell a number of buildings before they disappeared into the sea, see pics.

The road south was interesting as it travels along the Coorong which is an inland lake system that exists parallel with the dunes and the sea from Kingston to the Murray river mouth, around 150 km. There are scenic spots that overlook the lakes in a number of places. Years ago I took my sons camping and fishing along this stretch of coast.

Closer to Robe the countryside looked even better with forests and wineries lining the highway. Every now and then there were grain fields and paddocks growing hay. It’s very agricultural down here.

Part of Robe, nestled into the hillside

Decided to buy this one — only kidding!

Robe is a picturesque seaside tourist resort with a long beach northwards that gets you to Cape Jaffa at the low tide. During summer the population swells from a few thousand to 10,000 people. It used to have a Hippie feel about it years ago. These days there has been a lot of development and it sports a harbour for recreational and commercial fishing craft. There has been new development all over the place.

New Age lighthouse at Robe

We booked in at the Sea Vu caravan park. This park certainly lives up to its name. It is situated on a small hill close to town and offers views, of the Robe bay all the way to Cape Jaffa, from most of the sites. In fact the views must be some of the best sea views from any caravan park in Australia.

Sea Vu Caravan park from the Marina

4/11

Today the wind blew up a storm. So we did some sightseeing. Travelling around Robe we came across the Marina and at the point of the bay we saw a beautiful Nature sculpture called ‘Doorway Rock’ where wind and water had eroded a passage through the sandstone to create the illusion of a door.

Doorway rock

The Robe Marina

The new and modern lighthouse is fully automated and even looks good. We found a way onto the beach at Long beach where one can drive on sand, next to the ocean for 30+ kilometres. As the bay is shallow it provides safe swimming most of the time. Here Dawn and the dogs had a run around in the strong wind and driving sand, crazy.

Navara, 10km up the beach at Robe

Family having fun

Commercial Fisherman returning with day’s catch

When we returned to Robe we visited the ‘Wild Mulberry’ Café. The name is derived from the mulberries that grow around the building. We had some really good coffee and a ‘Doorstop’ bacon and egg sandwich with relish and melted cheese. Yum that was good. The toasted bread was thick and marbled. Yum again! Tonight we will go out to the local hotel once more for some good food and a glass of wine.

Cafe Terre

What an ‘Outhouse’.

When I walked back from the outhouse I came across this young Sprite guarding some dogs (J)

Must be a Lavender Sprite!

On our last day at our caravan park we saw what must be the ultimate touring rig. When is Xmas??? The Camper was towing a special trailer that had a toolbox for storage, space to park a Suzuki Vitara and hold a Tinnie and a motor. There was a special device to lower the Tinnie to the ground. Wow, enough to make your mouth water.

Dear Father Christmas, I have been a good boy all year……

Church converted to cafe in Willunga

A scenic drive through rolling hills got us to Victor Harbor. This is a charming town on the Fleurieu tourist route. It also is one of the ways to Cape Jarvis from where the ferry departs for Kangaroo island. By the time we reached Victor Harbor it was definitely time for a coffee which we then followed with some sight-seeing.

How is this for chance; I was born in Munich, Bavaria

Victor Harbour is a natural harbour with 3 islands surrounding a natural bay. This offers protection for small craft from the elements. It also offers deep water harbouring from Granite island as the bay is a shallow water bay. Granite island is joined to the mainland by a very long jetty that is sturdy enough for vehicle traffic and a horse drawn cart for the tourists. One can also walk across and look up the displays regarding the history and geology of the area.

The horse and cart transports only tourists these days

The long Jetty to Granite island

There are some special buildings in this town and the foreshore garden has a big tale to be told. In fact it is a whale of a tail (J) see pic. The connection is the Southern Right whales that visit every year and frolick in the bay.

A true Whale of a Tail fountain

Across Encounter bay

We drove along the beachfront to Encounter bay and then went on to Normanville. The road took us through a number of lovely small places including the rich and fertile Inman valley. The landscape is green and in places sports green forests around the Myponga reservoir.

Great scenery around the reservoir

We drove through the town of Yankalilla to Normanville. After all we had been told about it we were a mite disappointed and so we went on north up to Sellicks Beach where I found, to my great delight, than I could take the Nissan Navara onto the beach. This was the first time in almost 2 years that I have driven on the beach and the moment was almost like having a religious experience. (:-))

Driving on the beach, almost better than ice-cream.

Navara on the beach

We  ran around the beach with the dogs for a while before returning to our caravan in the McLaren Vale. The area is so beautiful and we were having such a blast that we decided to extend our stay by a few days.