We were up early this morning largely as a result of Sue's desire to have a shower at the homestead. She tells me she had a lovely hot one and even had an electricity outlet to allow her to do her hair - happy wife, happy life. After saying our goodbyes to Carol and Ian we were off to the township of Kalbarri and walks further on down the track. First stop was at Red Bluff Beach and Red Bluff Lookout a few kilometers south of Kalbarri. Just over a 1 kilometer walk scrambling over red sandstone got us to the top of the bluff and a viewing platform. The views from here were simply wonderful. Then it was off to another gorge and associated lookout called Eagle Gorge Lookout. From here we spotted what we thought were whales a long way out to sea - in fact I'm almost certain they were whales on their way north. On our way back to Kalbarri we stopped briefly at the Zuytdorp memorial. This monument commemorates the Zuytdorp, a Dutch East India Company merchant ship, which was shipwrecked on the West Australian Coast north of Kalbarri in June 1712. Back in Kalbarri we stopped for coffee at Black Rock cafe before then having lunch in the motor-home on the Kalbarri foreshore. Then another brief sojourn into Kalbarri National Park to visit Hawks Head Lookout and also Ross Graham Lookout before once again setting off back to the North West Coastal Highway on our way to Hutt River Principality. After driving a long stretch of gravel road we reached Hutt River and proceeded to find the camping area. This we did after almost getting ourselves bogged while following the wrong track on the property. Sue had to run ahead and check the terrain before we realised our error. Finally ensconced in the camping area we set about having dinner and settling in for the night. Hutt River Principality's history is an interesting one. It is what is known as a micronation and is not recognised as such by the Australian Government. It was founded on 21 April 1970 when Leonard Casley, the owner of the property, declared his farm to be an independent country, the Hutt River Province as it was known then. He was understandably upset at the imposition of wheat quotas at that time that seriously disadvantaged his property and as a result he decided to secede.
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