Cape Range NP...Week Two...the beauty continues to amaze me!!!

So Week two begins..... After being ecstatic to getting a site further into the NP we made our move from Mesa Campground to North Kurrajong campsite at Cape Range National Park.  Although the weather continued being a little windy and cloudy on days, with a few showers, it was much more pleasant.  The camp hosts were fantastic, Michael and Margaret, who even dotted on the kids and really put an emphasize on the campground being one big family. Everyone was invited up on the dune to the lookout to sit and enjoy a glass of wine watching the sunset and swapping tales of their days events.  Great way to unwind and mingle with everyone at the end of the day. We met another family from Victoria, Hulga and Nikki with their two girls, who unfortunately were travelling in a tent.  The poor things couldn't put their tent up due to it being so windy so everyone pitched in and lent tarps to provide more shelter from the winds in the open style camp kitchen.  They definitely won the award for ruffing it, don't know how they all did it, and not one whinge came from their girls mouths! Can you believe it?  The girls were teenagers and they just took it in their stride and accepted it and got on with enjoying their time at Ningaloo.

Our new campsite at North Kurojong.....love it!

One wet day, Margaret (the camp host), who was an ex-art teacher, gathered all the kids at the campground and made cards with them.  The girls came back with these amazing artworks on a card, we were really impressed and they did such a fantastic job!  The campgrounds itself were all set out with gravel, no more dust, and the toilets were new and clean.  We really enjoyed our time there and even with the weather being a bit iffy some of the time, we got to meet more awesome people and it felt like we were actually in civilization rather than a dust bowl!

Margaret's art lesson with the kids....

Plenty of Corella's around camp,,

The girls efforts from Margaret's art class.....amazing cards!

Meg's card with a rock wallaby on it..

Boo's card she made with the sand dunes and birds...

The highlights for our second week were exploring the Mandu Mandu Gorge, which was closed in the first week due to repairs being done to the track from the recent floods.  The walk was around two hours and we walked threw the dry pebble based river bed, up the side of the gorge cliff, around the top and back down to the start.  Again, like always, the panoramic views were to die for, bright blue ocean against the red/yellow dirt cliffs and white pebbles in the dry river bed, totally amazing.  Not one whinge from the kids which was great, always nice when they have others to amuse them and hence, not annoy us! lol.

All set for the hike up the dry river bed....

Absolutely stunning landscapes....

Views up above...

Even we get a pic sometimes!!!

Time to head down..

Marty needs some convincing to get going....

On another day Marty, Cam and l went and checked out Oyster Stacks (another cool snorkeling spot) one day.  It was a tad cold but we braved it and once in the water, we soon warmed up.  The clarity of the water was so clear, and we were able to swim among so many masses of fish.  At one stage l reckon l was surrounded by at least 100 puffer fish!!! Oyster Stacks is renowned by most not to be too kid friendly as its a bit tricky getting in due to a rocky beach and waves rolling in.  We didn't think it was too bad though.  So glad we came to check it out, we ended up bringing everyone another day but it wasn't as clear or filled with as many fish as when we went the first time.

The days soon got a little warmer again, so we all headed out after school one afternoon to Sandy Bay to have a splash.  It was heaven just to relax, the kids had a snorkel and play in the sand while Marty and l tried our luck at fishing again.  Tonia and Jordyn headed home for a snooze while the rest of us stayed for a while, and weren't we glad we did.  Just after they left we saw around 4-5 dolphins frolicking in the bay having a play.  They came right up to shore, was so wonderful to witness, and due to me holding the fishing rod, my camera was all the way down the beach, so sadly didn't get any picks, but got to be in the moment for once l suppose instead of behind the lens.  After the kids finished snorkeling they found a crab that they decided to build a fort for and keep as a pet, after a while, we had to tell them to let him go as he looked a little scared! Lol....

Marty had enough....

Building of the fort....

Free at last!!!

We all marveled at the little rock wallabies we viewed whilst exploring the range on another outing.  They camouflage so well in the cliffs and rocks.  So small and cute, but with the crack of a stick under our feet they scuttle away scared.  All the kids were totally memorized with their cuteness!!

These little rock wallabies were so hard to see...

The 'awesome foursome'....

Meg feeling on top of the world!!!

One of our most amazing days was on our Whaleshark tour, which Marty, Boo and l went out for the day....Meg was happy to stay with Ton and Cam and the kids....it was such a terrific day that it will have it's own post to follow this one, so keep your hats on, it will come!

On our last day, even though Marty's and my legs were exhausted from the Whaleshark swim the day before, we all headed for a last  snorkel...we decided to hit Oyster Stacks first and finish the day off on the beach at Turquoise Bay. Oyster Stacks was a little disappointing, not as clear as when me and the fella's went, and the kids got a little smashed up on the rocks going in and out.  At Turquoise Bay, even though we had been seeing heaps of turtles on our other swims, not one was coming out to say hello today.  Marty and l did come across a snoozing white tipped reef shark under the rocks though!  Made sure not to wake him up....Poor Ton hadn't swam with a turtle yet and time had run out.  As the day was ending, l talked her into having one last snorkel.  We thought our luck had run out and were making our way back to the beach not seeing any turtles, when we came across one, then another and then another.  The look of joy on Tonia's face was amazing to witness, reckon l would have had the same look of joy on mine when l swam with them for the first time.  We both yelled out to Jordyn and Boo to come join us, and all four of us basked in the glory of these awesome sea creatures.  The girls had to be tugged back a bit as they got too close with excitement.  So glad to have experienced this moment with Boo, will most certainly be putting this in the box of wondrous memories with my amazing daughter!

All set....

...and rearing to go!!!

Getting into the water at Oyster Stacks was a little tricky.

Meg loving the shallows at Torqiouse Bay..

Jordyn always keeping an eye on the girls...

Riley enjoyed the sand more than the sea..

Meg happy to be buried, just covering the Mermaid Boobies!

Bloody cold and physically knackered by the end of the day....but what a great way to end!!!

So all in all, our Cape Range stay was definitely our highlight for this leg of our trip so far.  We had the best of both worlds, exploring both land and ocean.  We have amazing memories now locked in the vault. Swimming with the turtles was up there in my highlights, coming slightly above the whalesharks for the reasons that it was just me with the turtle, not having to push and splash around to get a glimpse with ten other people.  It felt like it was just me and that cute looking dude of a turtle.  The way they are depicted on 'Finding Nemo' is exactly how their characters felt being so close to them cruising Turquoise Bay.  So glad that l got to experience it all with my hunk of a husband, and two gorgeous girls, Boo and Meg, and also our mates 'The HardFirms', Tonya, Cam, Jordyn and Riley.  We all had so much fun, laughs and wondrous experiences that we will take with us forever.  And you got to read all about it in the short winded version, so how lucky are you?!?!?!?

Two weeks have flown and now we are off to Exmouth for one night to restock and check out the local sites before our next leg up North WA......

Bell Xxx