31 March – 26 April 2023

It was a relatively short drive from Geraldton to our next stop Lucky Bay which only takes about 90 minutes. Lucky Bay is a special place for us. We have been coming here each Easter school holidays for the last 8 years. It is a magical place, with unlimited camping spots, 4WD’ing, great scenery, snorkeling, swimming, kite surfing, surfing and plentiful crayfish & fish. The bay is protected by a series of reefs, meaning it is great for swimming and a haven for fish and coral which is easily accessed by a snorkel from the shore. You can camp right on the beach if you want (if you don’t mind getting blown away by the wind) or behind the dunes closer to the long-drops and picnic shelters. In years gone by, we dragged our old caravan up into the dunes, but this van is bigger and heavier and would never make it. We know our limits, unlike other ambitious ‘hopeful’ campers. Some of these ‘hopefuls’ have grand dreams of camping on the beach waking to the sound of crashing waves, but fail to have the expertise, ability or equipment to get over the first hill. I must say though, these ‘hopefuls’ certainly provide hours of entertainment as they dig to get themselves out of bogs day after day. We lost count of the number of bogged cars and caravans we saw, mostly because they didn’t bother to let their tyres down.

When we arrived we let the car tyres down. We thought we’d go into a spot just near where we have camped before. Unfortunately for us, I was driving and turned on the traction control (BIGGEST mistake in the world) the car & van got a bit bogged. We spent the next hour digging it out just like the ‘hopefuls’. I think we might have lost a bit of weight with all that digging. We decided the sand was probably a bit too soft to stay there anyway, so we reversed back into last year’s spot. After leveling up and unhooking, we drove to the beach for a well earned swim. Pete snorkeled out and got a cray for dinner.

This year we caught up with family and friends who joined us for a few weeks. Lyn & Rowan, Cathy & Greg (with some of the extended family) and Zoe all stayed over our 4 weeks here. At one point, there were 4 caravans and a tent on our patch of paradise. We all enjoyed a quiet Easter together (yes the Easter bunny found us) on the beach, swimming, cooking on the fire, snorkeling, playing games, eating chocolate and hot cross buns, and obviously relaxing. Another day we took a day trip to Kalbarri to top up on a few supplies and have a meal at the pub. We didn’t spend too long there but will return shortly for a few days (everything will need to be de-sanded after 4 weeks sitting on a beach!). We also got to experience the solar eclipse. The sky dimmed and the temperature dropped. We tried taking photos but that didn’t really work. The good old fashioned hole in a piece of cardboard though, worked a treat. Another evening we drove up into the big sand dunes behind the camping areas. It is a fantastic spot to look over the bay and enjoy sunset. Pete has been very busy snorkeling while here, catching crayfish, cuttlefish and an octopus and spearing fish. We have had such a good array of seafood for dinner most nights. One day alone he caught 8 crays. We’ve spent so much time outside every day that apparently my skin now knows a third colour, brown (okay, think more of milky tea brown, but hey I’ll take it). Who would have thought these lily white limbs could change colour beyond the normal white or red, I certainly didn’t. Tropical cyclone Ilsa crossed the coast near Port Headland, and although didn’t affect us directly, we certainly felt the winds pick up over the few days before and after her crossing the coast. Only 2 years ago, we went through cyclone Seroja while here and that was certainly an experience we don’t want to go through again.

Apart from a few days of high winds, the weather has been near on perfect which has meant that each day was filled with swimming, relaxing, reading (I’m on my third book), playing games, visiting the well for water, cooking on the fire and eating. It is such a joy to be able to spend time in a place like this, because on all of our travels around the country over the years there are very few places like this left (and at $15 a night is very attractive).

Now it’s time to hit the road further northward to Kalbarri, Denham, Carnarvon and beyond. Although we have a rough idea of where we are headed, there isn’t clear plan of where 2 next…