It’s another disappointingly cloudy and windy day, but it is so relaxing here and the scenery so wild and unspoilt that we have booked in for another night in the hope that the weather will improve eventually. The sea is choppy, and snorkeling is still off the agenda, so we drive out of the park to get some supplies and fill up on petrol before spending the day exploring the beaches along the coast, all of which have a slightly different character; some rugged and rocky with crashing waves, others sandy stretches attracting those who want to fish (although no-one seems to be catching anything). Jurabi Turtle Centre turns out to be nothing more than a set of information boards and we don’t see any turtles, but then we’re not really looking because, according to the boards, they are not coming into nest at this time of year. It’s not until we chat with some people further down the coast that we discover that there are turtles in the lagoon and if you look carefully enough it’s possible to see the occasional turtle’s head pop up out of the water followed by its body. But you need to be keen sighted. At the Jurabi Coastal Reserve we scale an enormous mountain of a sand dune which is surprisingly solid and firm on the top and offers a splendid panorama of the coast and the
Cape Range behind. Mangrove Bay is different again; edged with mangroves this secluded bay is completely calm in stark contrast to the rest of the coast. The mangroves attract many migrating bird species from as far away as Siberia and Asia – in the summer months- so nothing to see today!
Last stop of the afternoon is Neds Camp – a boating and fishing spot with a secluded campsite. Here we spot a couple of turtle’s heads popping up to the surface. More emu and Roo sightings along the road. Emus, interestingly, are considered a pest especially by farmers. Apparently they migrate from the centre to converge on Western Australia in their thousands, finding gaps in the rabbit proof fence, and ravage farmland eating all the crops. The farmers answer? Shoot the blighters.
There is only one water tap in the National Park providing a limited supply of bore water. We are not sure how limited or indeed if it is drinking water. There is no sign indicating it isn’t, but then again there is nothing to say it is, so we are erring on the side of caution and using the water for washing only. We are drawing on our fresh water supplies for drinking. At the water point there are several pretty pink and grey galahs perched in the bushes seemingly unconcerned by our arrival. In fact our presence seems to be the cue for the arrival of a large flock; perhaps they are expecting to be fed or to take advantage of any water spillage.