Visiting the Pinnacles and Port Louise

Wow that was a slow start for us.  We haven’t had to pack up and move for two weeks so we were certainly a bit rusty when it came to packing up and hitching on.  We did eventually get there and hit the road just after 9am which wasn’t too bad really.  Our navigator was set to easy so she was going to take us the long way around so we just ignored her and went through the city.  It was a lot faster and as it was a public holiday there was no peak hour traffic to contend with. 

That being said we think in future it would be more sensible to stay put on the last day of a long weekend.  Some drivers out there were so impatient and just overtaking where they shouldn’t with oncoming traffic getting so close to them.  We would just sit right back from idiots like that as they were just going to cause an accident and we didn’t want to be involved.  We got caught behind a slower caravan so we just sat back so everyone could overtake and get between us.  However they turned off and then we were left looking like the long line up was stuck behind us!  It is a nice new road but they still didn’t put in many overtaking lanes at all. 

Back on the open road.

It was a nice drive.

Yep must look out for those echidnas.

We went straight to the Cervantes Caravan Park and unhooked the van, set up the basics since we were only staying a night and headed straight to the Lobster Shack.  We didn’t know how the tours were run so didn’t want to miss out.  In the end they are run quite often and so we sat down and enjoyed some lunch which of course had to include lobster.  We had been warned that the flies were bad up north since the cyclone and all the rain brought them out, but we didn’t think they would be bad here.  They were really annoying the kids so we pulled out their Nonna Nets.  Kayla wasn’t too keen to put it on in the beginning until she realised she no longer had to contend with the flies on her face.

Check out my two lobsters.

Entertaining toilet doors.

Not a bad lunch.

Getting some use out of his Nonna Net.

After lunch we signed up for the next tour.  It was made up of a five minute video and then a self- guided audio tour of the factory.  The tour was only $20 for all of us and was certainly worth it to learn how they are caught, packaged and shipped off overseas.  Also their grading based on size, with A being the smallest and H the largest.  One of the factory workers kindly held up an H one for us to all admire up closer.  It was huge.  The kids really did enjoy being able to look down and see everything and how it works.  In the shop you could even buy an H grade Lobster for a small amount of $160.  Hamish couldn’t understand why we wouldn’t buy it for him.  I think he also didn’t realise that he would have to eat it, not keep it as a pet!

Inside the factory.

The automatic sorting machine.  Sorts based on weight.

A 'H' grade lobster.  So the biggest size.

So many lobsters.

Just a cheap dinner.

The kids were right into it.
 

From there we returned to the caravan as Jason thought it would be a great idea to cook up a hot meal in the dreampot and take it out to the Pinnacles to have for dinner as we watch the sun set over them.  So while he did that I managed to get a bit of school done with Hamish whilst trying to keep an eye on Kayla who just wanted to go riding on her scooter around the park.  Before long we were all piling back into the car and heading out to the Pinnacles.  The anticipation was quite huge and first we called into the Interpretation Centre.  The first things we noticed when we got out of the car was how much worse the flies were here!

Yep the car still looks like it belongs here.

Very interesting formations.

Quick photo with the kids, fly veils and all.

The road around the Pinnacles.

So we hot footed it as fast as we could into the centre and had a quick look around.  It has great facts about the Pinnacles but it is a lot of reading so nothing to really interest the kids.  We bought an ice cream as we left to enjoy but it meant we had to stay outside and eat them.  Finally the time had come to see the Pinnacles and drive around them.  It is a 4km loop road around them but it is firmly packed sand so it is open to all cars, just no caravans.  This is mainly because it is way too narrow in spots so you would be either knocking down Pinnacles or taking out big chunks of your caravan.  I am guessing motorhomes can’t go in either. 

They just kept getting bigger.

As the sun starts to go down it gets more special.

Apparently the best place for hide and seek.

Loved the colours.

First things first, we all armed ourselves with our fly veils.  Yes it wasn’t going to make for any great family photos, but it certainly made seeing the Pinnacles more enjoyable.  Driving around it is hard to pick where to stop and spend the majority of your time as you keep wondering if the next spot is even better.  I think the best spot is just after the lookout and around the bend a bit.  The kids loved running through them all and playing hide and seek.  We in the meantime tried to take some photos without other tourists in them or cars in the background.  I guess getting out there closer to sunset is when everyone else also wants to be out there. 

A little hole in one of the rocks.

Jason showing how high they can get.

Family shadow photo.

By the time we had finished the lap we were satisfied we had seen and enjoyed them all but also agreed the flies were so bad there that we weren’t staying to have dinner there, so headed back into Cervantes.  However, we went down to a little beach and got some wonderful sunset photos and enjoyed dinner down there without a fly in sight.  Afternoons like that certainly makes us so glad we are doing this. 

Watching the sun set over the water.

Jason serving dinner.

Evening walk along the beach.

We woke up on Tuesday morning to quite a windy day which I thought would be interesting on the road but wasn’t concerned in the slightest as we had a whole 60km to go until we reached the free camp at Point Louise just outside Green Head.  As there wasn’t far to go we thought we would do some school before heading out of the caravan park.  Still we can’t break the habit of getting on the road early and still managed to leave just after 9am.  Obviously we just can’t really ease into the day, though not bad to be on the road that early and having done some school. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect of the free camp but I wanted to give it a go as it was literally free, as in cost nothing.  So many “free camps” over here actually charge a bit of money, around $15 a night but you don’t really get anything more for it, other than maybe a dump point.  This one wasn’t too far out of Green Head and had a two and a half kilometre dirt road in.  Lucky for us it was a pretty good road with some corrugation but not too bad when we took it slow.  The main thing is we made it in and the van was in one piece and there were two other vans already there.  So we picked our spot and set up. 

Having a play on the beach.

Down one end of the beach.

The kids must have been having an off day to put it politely.  They just bickered and were mean to each other.  So our solution was to go for a walk along the beach for a bit and try our luck fishing.  Luck was again not with us but at least the kids were happy playing and trying their luck.  Another family drove up so we started to chat to them.  I say started because this was when my kids decided they had finished and wanted to go back to the van, so of course I followed them back as it was locked and I couldn’t see them from the beach.  This is not a task I should of volunteered for as they had decided to go back to their yucky moods and were at each other or cranky about something else.

Looking back down over the beach.

Kids trying their luck fishing.

Spot our caravan (if you can).

Thankfully Jason eventually came back in and we had some lunch before attempting to do some school.  I don’t know why we thought attempting to do some school was a good idea as it was just going to be one of those days.  Maybe we forgot to tell the kids that we really wanted to make this free camping fun!  Still the kids weren’t happy so we thought we would go for a drive to check out the town.  It was a small little community but still had a service station and coffee shop so the essentials were there. 

Kayla of course fell asleep in the car.  I was relieved as she was so tired, but then frustrated as it was late in the afternoon by now and knew she would be up all night.  So of course back we go and we decided to let Kayla sleep for a while.  So I went for a walk up a nearby ridge that overlooked the water and camp area.  Hamish of course came to join me but not wearing any shoes!  So the walk didn’t really last that long and we soon returned to the van and Jason headed off to check it out.

The camp area is so pretty and right on the beach.  It would be such a peaceful spot if our kids were in better moods.  So as one final ditch to try and save the day we thought we would take the kids boggy boards down the road to the sand dunes.  The walk was a little longer than we thought so half way there Jason went back to get the car.  The kids actually weren’t complaining but we thought just in case for the trip home.  At this point in the day we weren’t taking any risks.  So Jason caught up to us just as we arrived at the sand dunes and it had already started to sprinkle with rain. 

The kids just loved it going up and down but unfortunately we did have to head back as the rain was starting to get a bit heavier and we didn’t know how much longer it was going to last for.  I was very glad that Jason had gone back to get the car so at least we wouldn’t be drenched by the time we got home.  Then it was straight into the shower whilst dinner was cooked and after a little tv we tried to get the kids to bed.  Hamish was easy but Kayla who had enjoyed a nice, late afternoon nap was having none of this normal bedtime thing.  We eventually gave up on her and let her lie in bed with us until she fell asleep.  What a day! 

The rain started to die down a bit but it did have us a bit worried as to if it would get heavier and would we be able to get the van out.  It was a pretty hard road but you just don’t know if it is going to turn slippery or soft with a lot of rain.  Only the morning will tell.

Sunrise the next morning.

Sorry but I fell in love with it.

So had to show the changing colours.