Day 65
Friday, 31 May 2013
Friday 24th May to Friday 31st May
Finally had to leave our spectacular beach front residence at South Lefroy. It always amazes me how everything gets squeezed back inside our camper. Heading to Karratha. It was quite a beautiful scenic drive. So green and lush. The dark red rocky outcrops of the Pilbara definitely hit my WOW button. Shame we were on Tarmac and not off on the tracks. But wanted to get to Karratha post office before it closed as they hopefully had a package for us.
They did, we signed everything and we sent it back. Fingers crossed that is the last bit of paperwork needed for settlement of Dads house to take place.
We met up with Billy, our neighbour from Mandurah who had kindly offered us a bed (and probably a much needed shower) for a few nights. Stocking up with plenty of 'medicine' we followed him back to his lovely apartment, complete with under cover parking. Our DMax won't know what has happened - out on the beach, just a few metres from the high tide level one night to a multi storey car park the next. Hmm, wonder how I will sleep under a solid roof - no waves crashing on the reef to lull me off to sleep.
Our host was great company and made us feel very welcome and 'at home'. Was even pleasantly surprised that he was able to take some time off over the weekend to show us around. Little did we know that Friday was going to be the last we saw of the sun for quite a while.
Woke up Saturday to clouds and wind. Drove out to Dampier, Billy our guide, giving us all the local gossip of the place. Tide out for miles at Hearson Cove, didn't realise that evening was a Stairway to the Moon event.
Sunday we headed out to Point Samson. Wind still up and the king tide amazing. Saw a couple with a dog just like our Max, but a real one. I ran back to the car to retrieve my dog. Not sure of the reception I was going to get, fortunately it was hilarious. The real live Max was so excited (confused?) but apart from big tail wags and licks, my wannabe real Max was unharmed. Laughs all around especially from the owners of the real dog. Some rather unusual architecture here, Freo style, the Bundy Bear on top of a parked up bus in a front garden got our vote.
Weather forecast went from bad to worse and everyday saw it extending. We went about washing, clearing out a lot of South Lefroy beach - don't think we will ever be able to get rid of it all. One morning we discovered that some scumbags had tried to jemmy open the toolbox behind the cab. A few phone calls later we discovered similar locks were not to be had in Karratha so my fix it man called up the people in Bunbury who had made the box for us and they put a couple more in the post for us - fingers crossed they will arrive on Friday (or else it will be Tuesday as it is a long weekend).
Meanwhile I hunted op shops, Kmart and a very pricey chaotic craft shop to stock up on yarns for my newly discovered freeform crochet hobby, taught to me by Anneke at Sth Lefroy. It has been a Godsend as we ended up spending 12 days in Karratha waiting for the weather to fine up. If not for Billy's hospitality, and my new hobby, things would have been rather miserable for us.
We checked out Cleaverville, a free camp area north of Karratha, thinking we could spend a few nights here if the weather improved. Not bad, some amazing tree trunk-like rock formations, a delight to scramble around on.
The weather didn't improve and we stayed on as Billy's guests. The apartment block was rather flash, with swimming pool, gym and pool table which the boys made use of one evening. However, Billy's work hours were long and we were aware he needed his beauty sleep :)
 | Pt Sampson [Map] |  | Close Encounter [Map] |
 | The Bundy Bus [Map] |  | Travellers in Style [Map] |
 | Cleaverville [Map] |  | Cleavered Rocks [Map] |
 | Jemmied Lock! [Map] |
Sent from my iPad by My Vacation HD app (www.myvacationapp.com)
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