Cape Range National Park

Special day near and in Cape Range National Park.  Rob and I welcomed the dawn at the Vlaming Head Lighthouse with magnificent views across NW Cape and south down the coast.  The VLF transmission aerials of the US and Australian Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt were clearly visible.

Drove south into the Park, and straight into a 200 dollar fine for speeding – duh! – hadn’t realized there was an 80KPH limit in the park, and I was doing 100KPH.   The Visitors’ Centre was a delightful rammed earth structure with interesting displays on the local aboriginal people, and wildlife and conservation. The highlight of the day was snorkelling at the aptly named Turquoise Bay, where we saw stingrays, turtles, and a small reef shark, and the GoPro was deployed for the first time.  No rest for the wicked; south to Yardie Creek for a 2 hour gorge walk, during which we saw black-footed rock wallabies, egrets, corellas, and sea eagles (or possibly ospreys). Then, to Pilgramunna Beach, which involved a short 4WD over a creek, where a bustard greeted us (yes! a bustard!). An enjoyable hour fly fishing in the twilight completed our somewhat active day.

Back to the Yardie Station campsite for the much awaited “curry night”, which was frankly disappointing.  We had booked for 7PM, and by 7:05 (we were a tad late), they had run out of all the meat curries. We “opted” for the vegetarian options and disappointingly small bowls of curry arrived. We ordered “seconds” expecting this would be gratis at a “curry night”.  Anyway, to cut this long, boring saga short, the $15 a person curry night turned into a $36 per person deal; we were less than impressed!