BOWEN 05: April 2013

"BOWEN 05" EASTER TRIP TO GNARALOO

Sitting here reflecting on our time at Gnaraloo this Easter with only a few days to go.

We arrived late in the evening after a bumpy ride in, and put up our 9 man tent up for the third and last time EVER. (The week before we went to the caravan and camping show in Perth and now have our hearts set on a camper trailer) I'm convinced setting up any tent will test any relationship.

We are located in an absolutely superb site # 7 at “3 mile camp” and have a great view of the rolling waves and the ocean every waking minute. The weather since being here has been great every day has been in the hi 30's and at night it cools off just nice so we can get a good nights sleep. We even had one day were it rained at night & was over cast in the morning but in typical Gnaraloo style it fined up by noon to the mid 30's we had got used to. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the facilities (dunny, showers, shop) were at 3 mile camp, they were definitely a life saver and a bit of luxury...

The kids have loved the beach at 3 mile and have gained confidence in the ocean which is great. They have even started to enjoy body boarding the small waves. While being at the beach most days i think I have taught the boys something about the ocean and the way it moves. I must have helped them some as they appear to be a lot more confident now. A short drive up the track is Gnaraloo Bay. What can I say about the Bay ! Not much except words won't do it any justice. We had a day were we were the only ones on the beach and it was just so peaceful & beautiful.

We have had several little visitors to our camp, including a few small crabs (ghost crabs) & 3 or so little Native birds that have become comfortable around us and hang around the camp seeking shade, water (after the rain) and pick at the crumbs left from our three boys. Beats having ants any day.

We tried beach fishing one afternoon with Pop and Nanna however us grownups had little Success but our boys did alright (William cought two). It must have been the way I rigged their lines up lol....

William ! Quite the fisherman

We have tested our Navara out over some pretty rough terrain over the time here. It has been good to learn a bit more of what it is capable of. With Nanna and Pop in convoy we headed south along the coast checking out the cliffs, bays, native wildlife and frequently stopping to take in the beauty of the incredible place. Our final stop on the way south was a place called Turtle Bay. This was a beautiful place & to top it off we did actually see several Turtles in the bay frolicking in the waves.

Speaking of learning it I has been a great learning experience for both myself and Cathy to see what is needed what is not and what to take more of. Another thing we have learned over the past 10 days after our new gazebo nearly fell apart was that we will only be buying top quality camping gear in the future as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for". Our last night here I created the best eve Beef hot pot in our camp oven over an open fire. It was awesome and even the kids at it.

We woke early on the day of our departure to find a rainbow over 3mile camp. Magical and awe inspiring stuff. That topped of the whole experience for us all.