Tally ho dear Moomins.

That’s right, like Slim Shady, I’m back!

It’s been a while, only a week or so, but apparently too long for my faithful one reader.

So under no duress whatsoever, here is the next thrilling installment.

Carnarvon → Exmouth

Apparently all that silly tourism nonsense was left behind at Carnarvon, and all that is ahead is miles and miles of highway.

With around 360 km to go til Exmouth, I decided to make a slight detour.

Coral Bay

But first, a quick stop at a jetty, well, boat ramp, potato-putahtoh!.

Whilst the boat ramp was busy with everyone going on their extortionately priced tours, the little beach was practically empty. Bliss!

You could almost say it was Paradise. 😂

Unlike the main stretch of town, which, in my opinion, was far too peopley and not dog friendly.

With a booking in Exmouth the following day, I thought I would try a spot of free camping.

Fubby’s Retreat

Retreat was a bit of an overstatement, and really,  Fubby’s gravel patch would be much more accurate.

However, it was a legal place to overnight and my favourite of all prices, “FREE”.

All that’s really left to mention for this route was the inordinate amount of Termite Mounds.

There were that many, there was even a tourist road sign with a spot to take photos.

Who knew the poop emoji would actually look like something out in the wild 💩

Interestingly, or maybe not, I have seen these mounds painted as minions, as the poop emoji, but mostly wearing clothes.

I have yet to find out why!

Ningaloo Caravan & Holiday Resort

For a little background, this whole area was wiped out by Cyclone Narelle 3 months earlier in the year.

Of two caravan parks directly in Exmouth, this was the first to open.

It is only my opinion, but it should have stayed shut!

Of course, I’m being unfair.

Whilst it was the most expensive place I have stayed to date, it was open and situated right at the entrance to the Ningaloo coast and National Park

But my gawd it was full and, ridiculously, not one washing machine in a campsite of at least 400 sites was working.

I know, what a first-world drama.

And it rained. It rained for three of my 5 days here. Also not their fault but we know how I feel about rain.

It was also whilst I was here that I started to feel my Graves disease causing me some trouble.

So I slept.

Exmouth/Ningaloo

Then the sun started to shine.

Time to get my lazy ash out and about.

In no particular order.

SS Mildura

A Glaswegian steel screw steamer – sidebar, what a wonderful alliteration – that ran aground on a shallow reef during a cyclone in 1907.

Dunes Beach

Exmouth’s main and most consistent surfing beach.

I’m sure I have mentioned it once or twice, but I am a bodyboarder, or boogie-boarder if you’re Australian.

Boarding in the UK in my younger years was always met with disdain from surfers.

Here in Australia, though, it seems as long as you’re no kook then everyone is out for the same thing; to ride a wave, dude!

I didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the last time I got to board before entering Croc Country, and writing this with hindsight, I couldn’t have asked for a better last hurrah.

To ride a wave with a surfer and then fist tap at the end of a job well jobbed was an absolute highlight, but also to be out catching waves with turtles was very special.

Now, what may sound weird to anyone who doesn’t actually know me is that this is also where I absolutely creamed in, and I have never been happier to hurt myself.

Picture the scene. I’ve caught a few waves and am now sat in the shallows to take off my fins.

As I am one foot away from freedom, a wave crashes into the sandbanks, picks me up and dunks me onto my side.

Onto some rocks!

Elbow pretty banged up and a lovely scratch on my calf, I sat and grinned like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.

As a friend said to me, if nobody was there to laugh in your face, were you even out surfing? 😂

Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

Eeek it’s feels like ages since I have found a light house.

Seriously though, how do you even say that?

I feel like it’s revealing something much naughtier. Voila Minge 😂

But weirdly, the anchor from SS Mildura is here. Perhaps they forgot they had another position to put it.

Cape Range National Park

Everywhere pictured below were places that you could swim and/or snorkel.

How does this country keep being able to astonish me.

Finally, my time in Exmouth had come to an end.

Time to leave and find a working washing machine.

Head Above Water (Avril Lavigne – 2018)

Only me!

After my trip to Exmouth, I was thoroughly exhausted.

A mixture of a Graves flare and just trying to do too much.

I actually went back to Carnarvon. It felt like a safe space to just chill and catch up on my own needs.

Do not fear, I won’t write a post about how I slept for a week in Carnarvon.

Although we all know that I could.

It is, however, apt, as currently I am just coming out of quite a bad flare, this time having to take my medication to rectify it.

It’s taken a couple of weeks, but I feel like I’m nearly back to my baseline.

Which can only mean one thing…

Who let the blogs out!

Til next time, XOXO