Day 130 - Monday 13th May 2024

Awake with the alarm at 06:00, and my get up and go had deserted me somewhat. I wandered into breakfast at 07:15, and finally got round to packing and checking out at 09:15. I found the cheapest fuel in town to top up, and then I was on my way.

As I left Carnarvon a few drops of drizzle fell; there were dark clouds away to the west, and thunder storms had been forecast today ..... more for where I was heading than where I'd been.

Onto the state highway A1 once again, and an hour and a half of more of the same type of road (straight with unchanging scenery) to my first stop at Gladstone Scenic Lookout. An escarpment had been getting closer the further south I went, and I turned off the main road to climb to the top for some fantastic views across the countryside with the dark storm clouds threatening in the background.

Back onto the road, and a second stop at Overlander Roadhouse on the junction to Shark Bay. I stopped for a comfort and coffee break before heading onwards towards Shark Bay. As I left Overlander Roadhouse the first big drops of rain started falling, and lightning lit up the sky to the north. I joined the back of a convoy of caravans, and the rain started in earnest. 

As I proceeded, it was getting noticeably darker by the second, and then the heavens opened; we slowed to 50kph, and I backed off from the caravan in front as I just couldn't see anything as the wipers were unable to cope with the volume of rain falling. Lighting was forking down to ground all around, and the thunder was audible even over the noise of the rain, the road and my music. For about 20 minutes I crawled, wondering when I was going to hit a flooded section of road unexpectedly.

The rain eased, and again I could see where I was going. Slowly the rain relented, and finally I was through the storm. By the side of the road the colours were enhanced by the rain to become more vivid; the greens were greener, and the orange of the earth more orange.

The next stop was at Shell Beach, where (unsurprisingly) the beach is made up almost entirely of small white shells. I wandered down to the sea, and on looking back the sky was still black in the background.

Back onto the road, and the next location visited was Whale Bone Point Scenic Lookout. I was making my way northwards up a peninsula, and the road was visiting one side and then the other. On the western side Whale Bone Point provided great views both north and south along the coast. It also provided the opportunity for the biting bugs to make a meal of me!

The change of scenery to coastal views was well overdue, and I found myself looking forward to what was next; a bit further up the road the next stop was at Eagle Bluff Lookout where a clifftop boardwalk provided more views along the coast.

This was the final planned visit on my list, so I then made my way to my accommodation for the evening. As I pulled into the gates, I learned that I'd have to pay an entry fee that wasn't covered in the room rate or the national parks pass I have; I can't remember whether this had been mentioned, but I was happy as the money goes towards the protection of the wildlife. 

All checked in at 15:00, it was a bit of a haul to carry my luggage across the sand to the room that has a view out over the ocean. In the morning, there are some dolphins which usually visit the shorefront, so I'll have to be sure that I experience that before leaving. But that's for tomorrow.

Today has been an unexpectedly excellent day; it's funny that a bit of weather and a change of scenery can make such a difference. I've now reached a part of the trip where I have manageable daily distances and lots of things to see, so that's to look forward to.