Eighty Mile Beach to Karratha - Sun, sand and sea

Eighty Mile Beach WA

Charlie fishing - he's determined to get the "big one"

Yay - he did it!!  All smiles (Charlie that is, not the fish!!)

Showing off back at camp

Terry showing Charlie how to fillet the "Giant Threadfin Salmon"

Our camp site at Cape Keraudren just $9 a night

Cliff face at Cape Keraudren

That's us perched up top - sea views from every window

Charlie hunting for coloured octopus at Cape Keraudren

Creek leading into the sea at Cape Keraudren

Fantastic coloured sky after sunset at Cape Keraudren

Our early morning visitors

I think she's used to being fed

Me after I fell in a hole at De Grey River - ouch!!

Our freebie camp site at De Grey River

De Grey River - stayed here for 7 days resting my badly sprained ankle

New freebie camp site at Cleaverville Beach near Karratha

Our view from the caravan at Cleaverville Beach

Well 80 mile beach lived up to its reputation as far as we were concerned.  Its a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach with the most fantastic coloured shells and more importantly FISH!!!  Charlie finally caught his big one - a giant threadfin salmon measuring 1.1 metres and weighing 9 kg.  The look on his face when he landed it was pure magic and was worth all the hundreds of dollars (no probably thousands) we have spent up until now on bait.  Its a perfect spot for fishing, you can drive down onto the beach from the caravan park which is just behind the sand dunes and stand in the surf just casting your rod.  Even I became a fisherman - well I thought if I can't beat him I might as well join him and actually found that I enjoyed fishing from the beach and I was catching them as well.  We also caught blue nose salmon as well as another 79 cm. 6kg giant threadfin salmon and shark so we have our Engel half full of lovely fresh fish.

The best part of it was that Charlie became THE MAN!!  He has now had his 3 minutes of fame - a legend in his own lunchtime.  Other blokes were coming up to him in the caravan park and asking what rig he had, what bait etc. etc. and Mr. Magnanimous was saying "oh come round to site 43 and I'll show you how to set your rig up".  His fame was park wide but I think he deserved it.  It went to his head a bit but I knocked it out of him of course.

We were only going to spend 2 nights there but ended up staying a week as it is a beautiful place.

From there we went on to Cape Keraudren which is a coastal reserve a bit further south.  It was an idyllic spot and we had a lovely position up on the point.  We went fossicking among the rocks for the highly coloured octopus and found some.  Charlie also tried fishing but didn't have much luck there.  Unfortunately we had to leave after only 2 nights because the sandflies were carniverous but its certainly a spot well worth visiting for a chill out.  We had a very tame kangaroo and joey visit us each morning looking for food - she would have come into the caravan if we'd let her!!

Off to De Grey River for our next stop which is a free camp not far from Port Hedland.  A perfect bush camp by the river with some lovely shady sites.  Unfortunately within half an hour of arriving I fell into a hole and badly sprained my left ankle.  Charlie ran to get a spade to fill the hole in but I got out too quick - Ha, ha you should have banged me on the head with it instead!!  Anyway we were only going to spend 2 nights there as well but as I couldn't do anything or walk on my foot we decided to stay there until it felt a little better rather than moving on to Port Hedland and paying $50, yes $50 a night for a caravan park!! Got told off though by our besties as we hadn't checked in for a while due to not having any phone coverage and we had said we would be out of range for a few days but it turned out to be over 2 weeks.  Sorry won't do that again guys.  Charlie filled in his time there by fishing in the river catching bream and catfish (yuk) and fossicking with his metal detector.  I read 4 books!!!!

After 7 days there, my foot was feeling a little better and as we had run out of water and fresh food we pulled into Port Hedland for 2 nights into a NAZI caravan park!!  The only one in Port Hedland so no choice but $50 a night, deposits for this and that, locked doors, concrete pads with rows and rows of caravans - now we know why we prefer free bush camping!!  Anyway we filled the water tanks, Charlie was a rebel and washed his car on site - you weren't supposed to - there was a car wash bay where they charged you $5 and yes you've guessed it another $20 deposit for the hose fitting but we were determined to get our moneys worth, stocked up with groceries, did the laundry and after 2 nights moved on before we had to take out another mortgage to pay the site fees. 

We are now at another freebie just north of Karratha called Cleaverville Beach  with camping right on the beach.  Its lovely and totally relaxing.  We are going to stay here for about a week as we are sitting out the WA school holidays before we go to Ningaloo Reef at Exmouth.  Really looking forward to that and camping in the Cape Range National Park so for now thats all.

Adieu from The Wandering 2s.