Tamala Station to Lighthouse Caravan Park Exmouth

Day 5 Tea Tree East camp Tamala Station to Wooramel Station (cont'd)

The drive back out to Shark Bay Road didn't seem as bad, or as long as when we had come in. Again I think down to the fact that we'd learnt a lot about driving on gravel on our drive out to Steep Point. Once back on the tarmac it was an air up of the tyres then a search for mobile reception so we could call Pioneer in Perth.

We decided to head towards Denham. That had been the original plan and as soon as we had phone coverage we stopped by the side of the road and called Linda and Jim at Pioneer. Jim confirmed the gas leak was probably the push on fitting. It has an “O” ring inside which was probably damaged allowing the gas to escape. They are a Pioneer fitting so our plan to visit a gas fitter wasn't an option but he said they could send us one. We decided to head for Exmouth so got him to send 2 up there express post. While we were stopped and had mobile coverage, we called the Lighthouse Caravan Park and booked a site for Sunday to Wednesday nights and also Exmouth Dive and changed our whale shark swim to the 24^th. We had to take a powered site at Lighthouse because the lady Carol spoke to said none of their unpowered sites were big enough to take the Mitchell. Seems odd but beggars can't be choosers I guess. We realised a bit further up the road that we'd booked for the following week so had to ring back and change the dates..................terrible when you don't need to remember what the date is! Denham seems a very nice town, a real relaxed seaside feel to it. 

 We had lunch on the foreshore, a pie each from the bakery, then fuelled up (40.17lt @$1.55/lt) and headed back to the North West Highway, stopping at shell beach for a look on the way. 

 We had 48lts of diesel in the tank when I fuelled up so we could have got away without filling the jerry cans at Overlander Roadhouse but better to be safe than sorry!

Wooramel station looked good for a night so we phoned ahead to make sure they had room, which they did, and we pulled in about 3. It's quite a relaxed place, pretty much set up where you like and we got a nice site backing on to the (dry) river bed. At $11/ person/night for an unpowered site it's good value for hot showers, toilets, communal fire pit with happy hour at 5 as well as artesian hot pools. It's very popular and was about ¾ full. We had a wander around after setting up and decided to have a soak in the hot pools which was very relaxing. Also got chatting to a nice couple from Boddington who were enjoying a dip as well. They’d been up to Cape Leveque and were on their way back home. With no stove to cook on we decided to try butter chicken on the Ziggy. Used the trivet and the wok sat well in it and cooked fine. Reasonably early night. 

382Km travelled.

Day 6 Wooramel Station to Lighthouse Caravan Park Exmouth

Up early for a cooked breakfast on the Ziggy. Used the trivet again and the half plate, managed most of it OK, although the water for the eggs just wouldn't get hot enough and when I tried to fry them they ran off the plate so egg wise a disaster but otherwise not too bad. Packed up and on the road about 9:30. Later than a lot of people, some of them were pulling out when we got out of bed about 6:30! Had one shower of rain on the way to Carnarvon where we eventually fuelled up in town after a detour to the airport............kinda a “right...oh no hang on should have been left” moment by the navigator. Carol did a u turn and got us back on course without any verbal abuse of said navigator.........but I could tell what she was thinking ! (54.25lt @ $1.599/lt) Stopped just north and changed drivers, also rang Exmouth Dive because we'd had a call earlier but it had dropped out before they could tell us what it was about. They wanted to move our dive with the whale sharks day from Tuesday to Wednesday because big seas were expected on Tuesday. That should be fine as we are booked in until Wednesday morning. Had some more heavy showers around lunchtime, at the turnoff to Worroora Station there was a sign saying “road closed so maybe it's just as well we're not heading for Ningaloo Station as planned. Eventually pulled over and had lunch around 2, chicken and tomato and lettuce wraps.

Pulled in to the info centre at Exmouth and filled the water tanks. Checked in around 4:30 at Lighthouse, the site they gave us was just inside the gate so a very busy roadway and not much privacy. I can see why we don't stay in caravan parks much!! Put what we'd learnt on the towing course into action, Carol backed the Mitchell onto the site while I guided her. Not a bad effort either considering we had not much room and a concrete pad to line up on. Set up and Carol wanted the quick awning put up which I finally did reluctantly. Just as well as it happens, not long had it up and the rain pelted down !! Put the wall up as well and that gave us a modicum of privacy from everyone walking and driving passed. We were both pretty tired and after a dinner of leftover spaghetti bolognaise cooked in the camp kitchen we hit the sack. 

523.6km travelled.

Day 7 Lighthouse Caravan Park

A veg day! We were both feeling the effects of our long day yesterday and apart from a walk across the road to see the beach,and a walk around the camp where we spotted another Mitchell, just stayed in the camp doing washing and writing some blog stuff. Used the camp kitchen to heat up leftover butter chicken for dinner. 0Km travelled.

Day 8 Lighthouse Caravan Park to Exmouth & Return

Fuelled up at the camp (54.25lt @1.688/lt) and drove into Exmouth. Spent the morning at the info centre catching up on the world! Sorted out an issue with the transfer of money into my Super account from one of our bank accounts. Being on hold is such joy......................not!! Also managed to do some blog stuff but the mobile service is not great. Carol is with Telstra and is getting service along the highway and 4G in most towns. I'm with Woolworths mobile which uses Telstra but I'm only getting half the service Carol is and in the towns only getting 3G or H+ so it can be a struggle to load pics. Bear with me, we bought a Telstra sim the other day so I will be changing in the near future, not much point paying for a service that you can't use fully. Not sure if the info centre had had enough of us but about lunchtime the evacuation alarm went off so we decided to get some lunch in town and call into the post office to check if the gas line parts were in. The bakery in the shopping centre was very busy and their food was excellent! We both had a pie and shared a blueberry muffin! No luck with the gas part so after some more blog catch-up in a lovely park across from the shopping centre, it was back to the caravan park where we had delicious rissoles cooked on the camp Bar-b-Que, conveniently located next door, for dinner. 53.2km travelled

Day 9 Lighthouse Caravan Park to Swim with the Whale sharks

What an awesome day!! Up early for breakfast, then picked up and taken to Tantabiddi Creek where we were ferried out to the waiting boat. We all got given wetsuits and snorkels and flippers and shown how to use them. We were put into 2 groups of 10, each group had a spotter. Apparently 10 is the maximum that are allowed to swim at any one time with the whale shark. We had a practise before we went out through the reef, then it was a waiting game until the planes spotted the whale sharks. Our luck was in, the call came through and it was time to get ready, then in we went. It was amazing to be so close to the biggest fish in the sea! We got to go in another 3 times as well so had a great go swimming with them. On the way back in we saw hump backs and dolphins, ten once back inside the reef we had a drift snorkel over the inner reef. The crew said we wouldn't need our wet suits but it was too cold for Carol and she swam back to the boat. I thought she had stayed on there but when the boat picked us up again there she was climbing out of the water. One of the crew had helped her put her suit on and she jumped in and joined us. Some amazing things down there with fish every colour of the rainbow. We got back to camp about 3:30, very tired but very happy. If you ever get the chance do it, we were told that only 1 in 3,000,000 people get to do it so it's pretty special. We were checking out and heading to Ningaloo Station the next morning so we packed up the awning so we didn't have to pack it up wet. Just as well because there was a shower of rain during the night. Left over Malay beef curry for dinner from the freezer. 0 km travelled.