051 - Wilbinga Grove to Sandy Cape (17/5/17)

One thing about rest stop camping, and perhaps having canvas bed ends, is that they come with inbuilt alarms absolutely free of charge. Trucks and quite a few…

Rehashed from yesterday, here's our parking spot for the evening...

Still, it wasn’t really that bad, and most mornings no matter how or why I wake up, I still lie there and think, yep, life’s pretty good. Even in a random roadstop in WA…

So on we pushed. We didn’t have too many thoughts on where we might end up that night other than it would be around the Jurien Bay area. Glenn and Christy (remember the other travelling Marshians) had recommended that this area was awesome and well worth a stop in. So off we choofed to see what it was all about.

First stop however was the Pinnacles National Park.

Now, I need to mention something here, and acknowledge my inner and early developing grey nomad. I absolutely love places that accommodate caravan parking in there visitor parks. It makes life soooo much easier. So huge tick straight away to the Pinnacles NP.

Space... glorious space... (although Prado next door could do with reviewing their rear suspension set up I think)

Now the Pinnacles themselves are the youngens would say, is WAY COOL! Thousands of rocky outcrops sticking up through the sand like fingers trying to crawl out. We later learnt that this was in fact in line with the local aboriginal understanding of the area, so perhaps we’re channelling our inner dreamtime.

Terrible day for a walk around the Pinnacles...

James and I pondering "I wonder why Mum leans to the right when taking photos?"

I love the contrast of the two colours of sands in this shot. 

It’s quite the surreal place. Almost lunar-esque in points, barren without life, but then interspersed with trees and shrubs in other parts. And whilst my knee was particularly sore, we did the walking tour around them rather than disconnect and do the larger driving tour. It also makes for an excellent place to muck around with Panoramic shots.

Yep. Impressive place.

Just cropped Sam out of this shot on the right, but it was fun setting it up

But not as fun watching everyone during this shot... 

The track for the drive tour. Probably really cool, but we were happy with the walking tour

An incredibly unique place we don’t regret for a second stopping in here. I’m always a little sceptical about the bigger, more “cliched” touristy spots, but this one didn’t disappoint. Teamed with a very informative and modern information centre (and usual giftshop) it’s not one to missed when coming through the area.

Onwards we went, pulling into Jurien Bay shortly after. Parking the van down near the waterfront, we got out the trusty picnic basket and headed to the beachfront to work out exactly what we would do about accommodation that night.

"Suns out, guns out"

B took a shine to this "Community Tree" which offered free game sets and toys for kids to play with

As B and the kids explored the waters edge and playground, I hobbled around the adjacent caravan park checking out the “only spot that is left, and you better be quick” scenario. I’ve heard that before, and given the amount of free camping and National Park alternatives out there, I care little for their idle threats of urgency.

(I should note, speaking to a family the next day, they were in fact, down to the last site and when they enquired were told “full house”. However, we both had a truck load of kids, and quite a few nomads were there… hmmmm….)

I found the park to be not worth the asking price so we chanced our arm and pushed on a little further to Sandy Cape campground, a local council run area about 25km up the road. It’s amazing how your ideas of distance change on a trip like this. 25km is now literally “around the corner”. No problem commuting back to Jurien Bay from there if we liked.

Another thing I love is when the planets align and your “chancing arm” turns out to be a brilliant campground that has almost become my favourite spot so far. At the end of a reasonably corrugated road we found a little slice of paradise.

Definitely free camping but with drop toilets and some tank water to wash dishes in and hose off sand, Sandy Cape was simply brilliant. We chose the southern end, more sheltered and I would probably suspect, part of the original campground. Sites were plenty and B and I went through our usual faffing about as we circled trying to work out which site we preferred. Sometimes it’d be so much easier if the Caretake just said “Head over to #14 will you”.

Still we found a spot, set up and went exploring. And what we found over the dune no more than 50m from our van was this place…..

Sigh... I'm starting to realise just how immensely beautiful this state is

Our exploring took us up dunes and through beautiful waters, although we did encounter quite a few purple “jellies” washing up on the beach. No nasty blue bottles, but enough to postpone the snorkelling for the afternoon.

The dune that literally runs straight into the water...

Another day, another cartwheel...

The boys and I got the rods out whilst Evie played with her new “Best Friend Forever”, Abi (although she was renamed E-Y to go with our ‘E-V’) And whilst, once again, we didn’t catch anything to watch the boys play happily with each other and watch the ocean lap at my feet as the sun set in the distance was pretty awesome.

Whilst the fishing wasn't great, the setting was nigh on perfect...

...And these fellas were happy so I was too.

Sunsets over water... I get it now...

Oh, and did I mention we could have fires? Oh yeah… Another brilliant pasta surprise around a fire and we were pigs in mud. Metaphorically speaking...

Our last "Bunnings Candle"... Until we find another Bunnings.

Should be noted that we finished the Midnight Gang reading here too, so another book needs to be found…

But this place? Yeah… I think we’ll be staying here a night or two longer than expected...