We moved again today. Packing up was slow, mixed as it was with teaching Nadine to knit, but we eventually managed to get off and drove the 500 metres down the road to the Woolworths car park. Nadine had left her hat in the red dot store yesterday and we needed to post some things and buy some things before we camped out at the Carnarvon Blowholes.
Bananas have come down in price a bit, and when we arrived on Saturday, I'd bought a few for Cooper, because they're healthy, and he hasn't had any for the last year. The first few were little, and he gobbled them up. The last one he ate this morning was quite big, and after eating it up, he developed a big stomach ache. He lay on the couch, and when we moved to the car park of Woolworths he lay in the car while we all tried to work out what we were doing.
Grant had delivered one canvas end of our van to the upholsterer's early this morning to have new fly screens fitted. The old ones were shredded and we had to keep the windows zipped up to keep the mosquitoes out. We wondered if we should get the same man to also stitch our awning where it was starting to tear, but after unrolling it in the car park, much to other shoppers' amazed interest, Grant decided it would be fine until we get back. (translation: it was too hard to get off)
That took a little while, so then I took all the kids into the shopping centre, carrying Cooper, who still had a bad tummy, because I thought Grant needed to go shopping somewhere else. We found Nadine's hat at the dollar store, and then went to their toy aisle which was of some interest to a few of our number. We stood there for a moment, looking, while I carried Cooper, when all of a sudden he decided it was time to jettison his breakfast banana. Thankfully he missed all the shelves of toys and dress ups and got me and the floor. And then me again. And again. I sent Joseph for the lady behind the counter, and she took one look and went for the mop and the paper towels. I got her to mop my feet, she donated the roll of paper towels, and we walked out of the shopping centre a bit different from when we went in! It was our fastest trip to a dollar store, ever!
Cooper felt a lot better after that little performance, and lay on the bed in the van while I washed him, me, our clothes, the camera.... Everyone else stayed outside. Then I went for another try to Woolworths, post office, and Grant ventured into the fishing and tackle shop. He got a bit carried away, and Joseph was fairly leaping with excitement when he showed us all their purchases. we really HAVE to catch some fish now.
After watching Nadine knit, I had a few more customers wanting to learn, so while Grant shopped for tackle, I taught Dominic how to knit. Then, in the car, Joseph took mine off me and started knitting too. They are making blankets for their stuffed toys... I spent all day picking up dropped stitches. Nadine would knit a few rows, give it to me, I would pull them out, knit three more and give it back to her. But they're all getting better. I'm amazed they wanted to give it a go.
We were in that car park so long the upholsterers rang to say the fly screens were ready to collect! So off we went. He had done a very good job and the fly screen looks like it will last for years now.
It wasn't far to the Carnarvon Blow Holes. We passed the rio tinto salt evaporation fields like we saw in Karratha, a little red and white light house on the hill, then drove up to an enormous sign that read "King Waves Kill". A very friendly welcome. It made us nervous as we stood on the rocky headland, viewing the spectacular blowhole. The sea was rough and the wind was howling, and as the waves crashed over and under a big rock shelf, the water forced it's way up through a dinner plate sized hole, turning into a fire hose squirt of water into the air, and making a loud sucking and blowing noise. The wind sent the water spray all over us. Apparently a Japanese tourist went down to the blowhole at low tide to get a good photo this year, was sucked in, and hasn't been seen since. Nice place.
Welcome to the Carnarvon Blowhole…
Stay back from the edge!
Looking South from the blow hole
We drove 50 metres down the road to the camping area, where there are lots of rusty shed shanties. People must pay for permanent sites here and come for the fishing or the swimming when it is less windy! we set up camp in as sheltered a spot as we could find, and still our ground sheet was covered in sand in minutes. The boys were happy to set up the little tent again (well, they have no where else to sleep) but we had to move it three times before it eventually ended up on our ground sheet right against the caravan to try and protect them from the wind. The sand was blowing under their fly and into the windows and all over their bed.
There are two other couples camping near us. One couple has a caravan towed by a falcon, the others are in a big bus, towing a 4WD and a tinny (boat).
At least there is a toilet here, if you can get the door closed against the wind. It is a split log outhouse on stilts, with a lovely view of the beach, but very ventilated! The wind howls through all the cracks in the walls.
Once we'd set up camp and cooked our dinner it was late, again, and we bundled everyone into bed and lay there listening to the wind howl around us. It was almost like being in a boat, we rocked around so much. I could have gotten sea sick.
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Vicki
That is an adventure. Mums are heros. The wind sounds to be strong and constant. Good on the boys. And Nadine for her knitting.
ReplyDeleteLooks like there is more than one blowhole. Youtube has a few videos on them. The rocky shelf looks rough and sharp. I looked at the geological map of the area (called Quobba) and it says the rock is calcarenite which is the equivalent of sandsone but composed of limestone fragments such as shells and corals.