Chapman River

We all attended the dawn service at Monkey Mia resort. It was one of the more unconventional ANZAC Day services we have attended, with no MC, no speech and no Ode to Service. It was rather disappointing.
With a light drizzle falling and a long drive to Geraldton ahead, we packed up and took to the road again.
The roos were active this morning, with several crossing the road in front of us. Thankfully they heard the van horn tooting and moved off the road. We have not yet added to the roadkill count (except for bugs).
By the time we get to the end of Shark Bay Road the rain has cleared and the glorious sunshine we have been blessed with all trip has returned. Our progress down the North West Coastal Highway was slowed by several stops to gaffa tape the van door where an internal clip holding the fly screen to the main door has disappeared since yesterday. Instead of roos we now have goats and other livestock to look out for and at the Billabong Roadhouse we see a white goat with 2 tiny kids at her heels cross over just before a B-double truck and a row of vans thundered past. Phew!
The main road is busy today with 4WDs, vans and trucks, including a convoy transporting a dwelling in 3 sections!
As we pass the Kalbarri National Park the seemingly endless low bushes out to the horizon - varying in type, colour and density but rarely growing taller than around 1 m - that has characterised the landscape between Exmouth and Nerren Nerren gives way to small gum trees and ti trees. This in turn gives way to pastoral land. Just over 100 km north of Geraldton we pass a field full of emus, well over 50 adults and chicks. Probably not the farmer’s preferred crop!
Now, instead of native brushland, the stubble of harvested pasture stretches to the horizon, while banksia, acacia and grass trees grow thickly in counterpoint along the shoulder of the road.
We pause briefly in historic Northampton, established in 1864 before proceeding to check into Sunset Beach, Geraldton for our last stop before Perth and last night with the McDermotts.
In the late afternoon we visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the Horizon sphere (designed for upside down photographs of the Indian Ocean).
Returning to the caravan park we toasted the end of our trip and the last happy hour with a bottle of Moët and Scotchmans Hill Sauvignon Blanc (from a previous tour to Barwon Heads, Victoria).Read more