Exmouth - Hot and sunny with clear blue skies -  Temp - 36c                            Distance - 151km

It was an early start today as we wanted to get to Exmouth in time to get the Pajero serviced - oil change and general check etc as we are venturing into long distances of remote country now.  Tomorrow we head to Karratha - a distance of 532km.

Today we travelled through red dirt country with once again miles of nothing except scrub and termite hills - lots of them!  Once again little traffic and no communities at all.  The only signs of habitation on these roads are the signs to properties (ie sheep/cattle stations) but they are so far from the road that you cannot see any buildings.

Termite hills

Termite Hills
(this one with a bit of art work)

Red Dirt Country

 

Arrived in Exmouth mid morning, booked into caravan park and then Terrt took the car in for the service.  All done quickly and efficiently so we then took off to see what there was to see........

 

 

Town Beach - Exmouth

 

  

The water is really warm!

 

Named after Ancestors of friend R A Welch?

 

This Emu was walking beside the road into town

We headed out towards the lighthouse at the point and found a bit of history as well as the nesting place of the turtles as seen below. 

 



Turtle breeding area

 

Between January and April, the hatchling turtles can be seen at night making for the ocean across the sands.

 

Terry observing the beach where the turtle lay their eggs

 

 

Vlaming Head Lighthouse

  

 

The view of the Lighthouse c/van park
& looking back down the coast towards Exmouth

 

 

Radar stand from WW II with originial sandbags (rock hard now)

 

A note from a radar operator telling
how they spent their free time to avoid being bored

 

The US also had a base in this area during WW II

 

 

The SS Mildura was shipwrecked

 

 

 

The anchor from the SS Mildura

 

 

There are all sorts of mining & exploration in this area

 

 Cape Range National Park is also close to Exmouth with many gorges, beaches etc to be seen but unfortunately our schedule did not allow is to visit the area this time.  The northern end of the Ningaloo Reef is off the coast here and there are many majestic creature to be seen at various times of the year.

 

 

Humpback Whales

  

 

Mantas

  

 

Whale sharks

 

 There is also a RAAf base close to Exmouth, also a large communication centre and an Australian Federal Police base.

 

 

 

A Whale Shark (the best we could do as the
real ones are not around yet)