Thur 12/7.

Up early for drive to Exmouth – easy drive but lots of sheep close to road. Able to get the battery/solar panel fixed before entering park. Off after lunch for drive around town & out past the antennas & the northern beaches. Go up to the lighthouse lookout & to the Mildura wreck site & have a good wander along the beach.

                                               Lighthouse at Vlamingh Head

Fri 13/7.

Out to the national park for the day. First stop at the visitors centre for a good look around. Too cold & blowy for a snorkel so go onto Yardie Creek. Go for walk along the gorge - very picturesque. See a small brown & green snake – Sue & Mike’s 1^st for this trip. While on the top of the gorge able to see rock wallabies on the rock wall on the opposite side of the gorge. Interesting walk with great views. Have lunch at picnic spot by the creek. Call into different beaches on the way back. All picturesque but quite different. Finished at Turquoise Bay for a snorkel. All but Sue gave it a go. Number of different fish species & a few coral. Easy snorkelling so close to the beach.

                                                       Snake at Yardie Creek

                                                             Yardie Creek

Sat 14/7.

Managed to get the washing done today! Visited the national park south of Exmouth in the morning. Went in to Shothole Canyon. Interesting drive through – crossing many small dry creek beds finishing at the end of the canyon. Picturesque rock formations along the way & great views at the end. Stopped a couple of times & did little walks along the track & creek bed. Went back towards town & stopped at Pebble beach for lunch. Had a good walk along the beach where there were fossilised coral & shells set in the rocks. Toured back through the new marina on our way home. Went to the lighthouse lookout & had tea – wine, biscuits & cheese, pizza & salad – while watching the sun go down. Saw a number of kangaroos on trip back to town – 1 jumping right in front of us. All got home safely. Unfortunately Graeme now has the rotten cold that Mark, Leonie & I have all been suffering with over the last few days!

                                               

                                                          Shothole Canyon

                                                                                       

                                                    Creek bed in Shothole Canyon

                                                 Fossilised coral at Pebble Beach