After an easy drive along the blacktop we arrived at the caravan park and got a great site which was grassy and flat. The caravan park was right next to the beach so after setting up we wandered down to check it out. It was a vast expanse of white sand covered mainly in sun bleached clamshells, which lead into pristine turquoise waters. Although we were keen to explore the beach further, we were all getting hungry for dinner so we dragged the kids away with the promise that we would return first thing the next morning.
After breakfast the next day we were ready to go and explore, and with 80 miles to choose from we decided to drive down onto the beach and head south for about 10 minutes before pulling up in an area without another person in sight. The kids raced out and straight away started scouring the beach for shells. Shells that had been a rarity further north such as the intricate heart urchin were suddenly appearing everywhere down here so the kids quickly amassed a sizeable pile of shells. We combined them all together to write another creative sign on the beach before the kids just enjoyed a play in the sand for a while. After lunch back at camp, we drove back down onto the beach and this time headed in the opposite direction until we had another piece of beach all to ourselves. We brought the fishing rod and the kites down this time so while Kat and I had a go at catching fish (again unsuccessfully) from the beach, the kids had a ball flying kites in the strong West Australian coastal winds. The space these vast beaches offered was fabulous, giving us a real sense of freedom. We could make all the noise we wanted and the kids could go crazy without fear of annoying others around us. Given most places we stayed at the moment we full, we were always conscious of how much noise the kids made, especially at 6am, so to be away from the crowds on our own stretch of beach was awesome. After a couple of hours of play it was time to drive back along the beach to camp, have dinner and head to bed.
The next morning we drove back down to the beach and enjoyed another few hours collecting shells, flying kites and generally having fun on the beach. Unfortunately it was not recommended to swim at this beach due to strong current and big fish with sharp teeth, and although the water was a beautiful turquoise colour, in the shallows it was very murky due to the fine white sand so we were not really tempted in spite of the scorching sun. We headed back to camp for lunch in the shade, before we gave the kids a rare treat of watching a movie on the laptop. We needed to do some planning to work out where we would go for the rest of the trip with the aim of identifying our return date to Sydney and it was really hard to focus with the kids demanding attention as well. After the movie the kids got to rinsing and sorting their new haul of shells and set up display shops for us to come and buy from. Kat and I each bought a few shells (after they had picked out their favourites first) and they also sold a few to each other. Once the shops closed for the day, we took advantage of the $7 hamburger deal the caravan park was offering that night and enjoyed burgers on the beach watching yet another stunning WA sunset.
The next morning we packed up and enjoyed one last visit to the beach before jumping in the car and heading inland towards Karijini National Park which people had told us we couldn’t miss.
Wide open spaces 