Saturday 1 September – Spring is here at last!  This morning we were again awake, up and going at 6am – well not really going, but up and awake.  We left the Roadhouse at 8.20 and made our way south.  About half way through todays drive we turned off the North West Coastal Highway into Burkett Road which took us onto the peninsula housing Exmouth and Coral Bay.  We felt really sorry for travellers who were heading directly south, though, as there was a detour, and they had to take that turn off too.  And by doing that they would have travelled an extra 130 km more to get to the next roadhouse.  We discovered later that two road trains collided just after midnight last night with the driver of one killed.

And when we got to the T intersection we turned right and now are temporary (2 nights) residents of the caravan park at Exmouth.  Once we got ourselves settled, and had lunch we went to the visitors centre over the road from the park and got some brochures about the area, then went for a drive round having a look at the town.  There seems to be a very new area cropping up (the swish part of town) where waterways have been established and new houses built around them with their own little jetties, etc.  They all look pretty fancy – most are built of some prefab material with tin roofs, and all are sporting boats either in their yard or in the water at their little mooring spot.

Exmouth is a nice little town and the water is a deep blue, which makes for lovely summery looking scenery.  From there we took a short drive to the town beach (Exmouth Bay) where Grant had a bit of a dip (in his shorts as we didn’t go prepared to swim), while I waded in the shallows and accumulated a small collection of beautifully marked and coloured smooth pebbles which have been shaped and smoothed by the sea and sand.  Some of them are very pretty.

Exmouth Bay

We then drove to the breakwater and the marina which was home to quite a lot of rather nice leisure boats as well as some fishing boats.  There was also some sort of old boat there which looked out of place with all the newer and fancy ones.  I must try to find out about it.

The interesting old sailing boat.

Back at camp it was cuppa time, then a bit of touristy research on the internet to plan the next couple of days.  I spoke to a couple walking their dog (yes, this is a dog friendly park, which many of them are.  However as I write this there is a dog yapping – and has been for at least the last ten or fifteen minutes and being very annoying), and they wandered over and we had a chat.  It turns out that they are relatives of (the late) David Cousins – well know doctor who practised in Newborough for years.

After my shower I did a bit of hand washing and had a yarn to a lady in the laundry who lives here in an in-site van for about seven months of the year.  She is on the corner opposite us, and has loaned grant her snorkel, goggles and flippers for when we go to Turquoise Bay tomorrow, which was very nice of her.

So that’s where we are at – we didn’t win Tattslotto tonight – I’ve checked, and Rebecca’s wedding is now only two weeks away, which is a sure sign that our trip is rapidly coming to its end.  Though we won’t be home till the end of the month, the way the time is galloping, it will be here before we know it.  However we still have heaps to see and do, so each day will continue our adventure.