The camp ground at New Beach is a bit bleak even in the morning sunlight and the high tide come right up to the edge of the camping area – just as well we parked well back otherwise we could have woken to find ourselves stepping out into the sea! The weather has turned much cooler since we arrived in Carnarvon and the night’s are very chilly; so much so that we have had to take to wearing clothes in bed to keep warm! It takes several hours after dawn for the ambient temperature to become warm enough to warrant shedding fleeces. Today the weather is overcast, windy with intermittent showers. It could be an English summer’s day! We are beginning to rue having left Coral Bay and warmer climes. We are debating whether to retrace our steps back north as originally planned in the hope of better weather or continue to head south to Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. On balance we come to the decision to continue south since we want to see the dophins at Monkey Mia .
Today is Daniel’s 20th birthday, so we are staying in Carnarvon in order to be able to skype him from the local internet cafe. The seven hour time difference means that calling at 3pm wakes Dan at the’ ungodly’ hour of 8am UK time to wish him Happy Birthday. But he takes it rather stoically. We rough camp Gladstone camping area two hours south just off the coastal highway, 20km south of Wooramel Road House. This stretch of coastline has several camping bays, a couple of a pit toilets and few campers.