Red Dog

After the mammoth driving day yesterday we all slept in until it was too hot to sleep any more. After breakfast I washed while Warren did some more work on our lights.

Then we went to Dampier to see Red Dog. A famous dog here in the area, I had first picked up the book in China, not knowing anything about it but the cover of the book looked like the Australian Outback. It was bonus to find that it was a book about a dog in Australia and a true story.

As it was still very hot we headed to the mall for an iced coffee.

We spent quite a bit of time in the pool at the caravan park, very nice pool. We had finished swimming but Aidan very kindly went back and took a photo for me.

Any locals that we talk with, say that it is unusually hot for this time of the year. I done care, just wish it would cool down a little 39 and 40's are not in my comfort zone.

Exmouth to Karratha

That was a long day of travel and hot. We were ready to go by 8.45 am, the last thing to do was check the lights. Brake lights on one side didnt want to work, forty five minutes of Warren checking and pulling lights switches etc apart and we got away with all lights working.

First stop was just a wayside stop but nicely done although we have done without the flies.

There was a bit of shade, a burger bus and chemical toilets, next stop was a roadhouse a further seventy k on and as we needed fuel to make in the Karratha, we decided to stop and eat there, hopefully in A/C, as the temperature was climbing.

Some road works was the most exciting thing to happen but there was a 80 k sign for approz twenty kilometres with no work or guys around.

We followed the water truck for a few ks.

The temp did touch on 44 degrees but there was no where to stop even the next roadhouse did not have any shade. Drivers and passengers had a quick walk around, an icy pole and then drove the last hundred ks in Karratha arriving around five thirty.

 

Clothes storage in the van

This has been a hassle on the trip, yep, I know first world problem! I started off with shirts hanging up on hangers, after Warren had put some foam along the rail. Yep, that worked, the hangers stayed on but my shirts fell off as they are not button up shirts.

I only have one drawer and thats for underwear, thats no drama. I tried piles of clothes, shirts one side and pants the other, a day or two travelling and that didnt seem to work.

Then I bought some stuff and the goods were put into carry bags, the stronger paper carry bags, I used two, one for pants and the other for shirts. I had to pull them out each time to look in there and so they started rip but did last for quite awhile. I disposed for them and clothes were a jumble again. I did start off with seven sets of clothes plus what I was wearing, I have bought a few things along the way, mainly shirts ( I ditched a couple of things too).

I had a brainwave the other day, Warren did offer to put shelves in but cant really do that when travelling. I wanted to buy some baskets then the thing was to find them.

Carnarvon had a Mitre ten and a Homeware store cant remember which one I went to but they had what I wanted. Yay! maybe problem solved.

I thought that they would go alongside each other in the wardrobe but it is smaller than I thought so they stack and I roll each item and so far so good. 

Swimming with Whale sharks

Only twenty swimmers are allowed with ten and a guide at one time.It was awesome! Here are some snaps that I took.

Warren and everyone else getting ready to go, there was a fair bit of instruction beforehand and we snorkeled over some coral ans saw some amazing fish very brightly coloured.

This was one group getting into the water

there is the shark about five meters long. We couldn't go closer then three metres from the side not in front of him it is a he and not closer than four metres at his back.

When I first saw him he seemed to coming straight at me and I knew I had to put distance between as I thought I was too close.

Warren having a doze he had done a lot of swimming as the last one was very slow and we were in the water for a long time.

The boys getting ready to go home.

Carnarvon to Exmouth

What a long and boring road although it was a good road just very little to see.

Miles and miles of bugger all or MAMBA

Then we came across these, lots of them and I said to Warren, I guess I should get my camera out, of corse as soon as I did, they disappeared but after a few kilometres we saw them again.

I took the photo of Maggie after the termite shot, no cars had gone past nor was there any about to appear.

Space Museum Carnarvon

I must have forgotten or not known that Carnarvon was also involved with the moon walk.

It was very technical with lots of cabinets which was part of the computer system at the time. 

Quite a few short movies about the lead up to the moon walk.

Best part was we got to go into a simulator. It was a effort getting in and out as we had to climb in and then lay down with our legs in the air looking like  a dead beetle. 

 

This was what was in front of us and the count down, it did shudder a bit when it "took off", the whole thing took seven minutes inside the capsule, it was different.

One Mile Jetty Carnarvon

We drove out there one day but decided it was too hot to walk it so yesterday was the day we did it. Planning to leave early well that didn't happen, we sit over breakfast too long if we are not really going anywhere.

Anyway we got going at ten o'clock, wearing long sleeves to guard against the sun.

It was a looong way until we were over water, a train goes out on the weekends, cost of $10 to ride the train or $5 to walk it. The jetty is no longer in use except as a talking point and to fish off.

Lots of pelicans and black ducks.

We couldn't go right to the end as it is under repair but we sat on a bench seat and it seemed to move, the water was making it sway, needless to say I did not sit there for long. Funny that we didn't feel it moving when we were walking.

While we were sitting at the end, we saw a seagull hunched down to get out of the wind. It was very windy and wasn't hot because of the wind. It was pretty strong and kept whipping my hair into my eyes. The birds couldn't take off into the wind, they tried but it would blow them back the other way but still they kept trying.