Days 37, 38 and 39 - Kurrajong Campground Cape Range National Park to Exmouth - Wednesday 14th June 2017 to Friday 16th June 2017

The weather on Wednesday morning was cloudy with intermittent rain so quite unappealing for snorkeling. We gave the planned snorkel a miss and after packing up we drove back into Exmouth. The local wildlife took advantage of the many puddles along the asphalt road by drinking their fill. Once in town we undertook a few chores including buying groceries at the IGA, visiting Mrs Macs Op Shop and buying a couple of saucepan lids, buying a small water pump and shower head to go with our solar shower bag, refilling a gas bottle and having fried chicken, chips and coffee for lunch. Next stop was the Exmouth Visitor Center where we filled the tank with lovely fresh water  and used their WiFi to catch up on emails and so on. Then we went for a short scenic drive around Exmouth visiting the Marina and the new canal estate. Finally we pulled in at RAC Exmouth Caravan Park and settled in to our unpowered site by the backpacker accommodation units. The following day i.e. Thursday was spent largely doing chores such as washing clothes and cleaning the motor-home. Other than a brief walk into town for a coffee we didn't do much else except read books and relax. Friday was much the same expect for a stunning sunrise with the local emus roaming the park once again. Another short walk to town for a coffee helped pass the time. Phone calls made with home indicated not all was well on the home front - hopefully this will get sorted.

Day 36 - Kurrajong Campground Cape Range National Park- Tuesday 13th June 2017

We woke to a beautiful sunny day with very moderate winds - at last the perfect day. Our first task was to relocate from site 19 to site 15 once we had finished breakfast - the joys of having booked campsites late in the piece which led to our frequent moves over the past days. After giving up the idea of snorkeling at Turquoise Bay we chose instead to stay put at Kurrajong and snorkel off the beach. We were ready and in the water by 10 am. At first we didn't see a great deal other than sand and seaweed until I spoke with another swimmer who directed us to where the coral bommies are. The word bommie is derived from the French words bombax or bombe which refers to structures that are rounded or domed so basically an outcrop of coral reef often resembling a column in this case. We then saw much in the way of beautiful corals and many beautifully coloured fish of all descriptions. Before entering the water we also saw a couple of dolphins pass by close to shore. The afternoon was spent relaxing, sun-baking and reading on the beach before once again enjoying yet another happy hour at sunset time at the end of the small boardwalk.

Day 35 - Osprey campground to Kurrajong Campground Cape Range National Park- Monday 12th June 2017

Had a somewhat sleepless night with the wind howling and rocking the motor-home. Sue still managed a walk to Sandy Bay and back before breakfast despite the wind. Still plenty of wallabies around the campsite this morning, some happily drinking the dew off the cables strung along the roadways. We packed before 10 am and drove to our next campsite at Kurrajong campground a lovely spot tucked in behind the sand dunes along the beach. By lunchtime it had started raining lightly at first and then a great deal heavier. Before it began I'd rigged my fishing rod and walked to the beach with Sue to have a go at catching dinner but the rain forced our return before too long. The rest of the day was spent cooped up in the motor-home reading and watching movies.

Day 34 - Tulki Campground to Osprey campground Cape Range National Park- Sunday 11th June 2017

Sue had a very anxious night's sleep worrying about the Turquoise Bay drift. We left Tulki early to have a look at Turquoise Bay drift snorkeling area but as it was a very high tide and deserted we decided to move on to Oyster Stacks. After watching a few folk getting in and out of the water we screwed up the courage to don our new wet-suits and enter the water. It was hard work moving about due to the choppy conditions and unable find coral but finding many beautiful fish we cut short our time in the water. Then as well as having a first in that we wore our wet-suits for the first time we also decided to christen the shower in the motor-home for the first time. We both had very welcome showers albeit they were short to conserve water. We then drove on to Osprey campground, our third move in as many days. This is another excellent campsite somewhat larger than the previous two. Sue went for a walk to nearby Sandy Bay and then after a short rest we both went for a walk around the area spotting an echidna on the way. Later that evening we again joined a group gather to witness the sunset over a few drinks at happy hour.

Day 33 - Mesa Campground to Tulki Campground Cape Range National Park- Saturday 10th June 2017

Sue managed a quick breakfast and walk along the beach before packing up to leave by 10 am. Initially we headed to the only water source available in Cape Range National Park which is a bore water facility not far from the Visitors Center. It wasn't great but we stored some in containers anyway. The couple who filled their tanks before us had inadvertently left a table and some matting behind when they left. As a result we spent the next twenty or so kilometers chasing them down to return their items to them. Next move was to look at potential snorkeling spots. We first looked at Oyster Stacks but the rough water surface in the strong wind and, more importantly, the sharp rocks one had to clamber over to enter the water put us off this location. We then visited Turquoise Bay drift beach which looked very tempting but we decided to put this off until tomorrow. Lastly we headed to our new campsite at Tulki beach. This had no shade but as it wasn't too hot we had no problems with this site. Walking the beach we saw three turtles and schools of fish leaping out of the water. After reading for a couple of hours we joined others for another sunset happy hour at the picnic tables. Then it was back to the motor-home to enjoy our evening meal and the sunset while also enjoying the company of a number of what I presume are wallabies given their size.