Day 42 - Osprey Campground Cape Range National Park to Exmouth - Monday 19th June 2017

What a truly dreadful day. Shortly after breakfast this morning we were paid a visit by Donna and George the camp hosts to say that our youngest daughter Sigrid had contacted the Exmouth Shire Ranger to ask that we call her as soon as possible. Now remember that we were some 70 to 80 km from getting any phone reception and you begin to understand how terrifying this scenario is. Fortunately I'd had the foresight to let her know that we would be out of telephone range while in Cape Range National Park and had texted her the Ranger's phone number. I actually thought I'd given her the Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger's number but as it turned out it was the Shire Ranger who doesn't start work until 9 am. Anyway he visited the Department of Parks and Wildlife Office in Exmouth to pass the on the message and they then contacted the camp hosts via radio - the only means of communication. Unfortunately in this process part of the message got lost and that was that Sigrid had said "to not worry i.e. no-one was in hospital, dead etc." So we hurriedly packed up and drove the 80 km until we got phone reception around Vlaming Head Lighthouse. Then we found out from Sigrid that while all was not well on the home front at least there was no need to panic. I won't go into the issues that were raised other than to say that they were of sufficient gravity to warrant us finding a way to have Sue return to the east coast as soon as possible. To that end we drove to the Visitor Information Center in Exmouth who were incredibly helpful in assisting us in booking flight out of Exmouth and on to Sydney via Perth that very afternoon. While waiting for the flight I booked myself and the motor-home into the RAC caravan park again and we went into town for a last coffee together at the bakery. Then we drove the 40 km to Learmonth airport and I watched as Sue boarded her plane and set off to Perth. As you can imagine this was all quite unsettling. The remainder of my day consisted in going back to the caravan park and wandering over to the pub across the road for a burger and chips for dinner.