Cape Arid - Mt. Ragged and Surrounds - Day 3 Quagi Beach to Cape Arid of 9

Day 3 Quagi Beach to Cape Arid

Sunday, 21st December 2014

We had some rain overnight but the tent held up, its first real test. About 4am our bird friend started singing to gently wake us up but we stayed in bed until 6am. Breaky out the way we dry off the tent and awning before packing it all up and making our way to Esperance for some fuel and early morning tea. We are only 5kms from Quagi Beach and the sky has opened up and it’s raining-again.

We get to Esperance just after 9.30am fill up and get some homemade pies and pasties and donuts for our run to Cape Arid. About 15kms out of Esperance we notice that the fuel gauge is already on, full and conclude it must have been because where you pull the car up at the bowser it wasn’t exactly level ground, worth paying attention to when you fill up. Anyway we decide to top up at Condingup and grab some more ice.

When we get to Cape Arid National Park we stop to let the tyres down and continue on. They even have a sign advising you deflate your tyres.

: Roads Open

: Let your tyres down

Not long after we see a roo at the side of the road. The coastal scenery is nice although we still have overcast skies threatening to rain.

: Kangaroo

: Threating skies over Mount Arid

We go in search of a camp spot, first off we go to Thomas Fishery. Toward the end of the track in we come across a rocky section we decide to go around. In order to do this we have to clear some branches to make a track. All of a sudden hubby shouts STOP! MOVE BACK!! MOVE BACK!! Silly me gives a little shriek and asks Why? while taking a step backward. Hubby says just keep going, there’s a snake?. I couldn’t see it but it was where I was about to pick up some branches. Hubby said it was short, fat and gray and blended with the dead wood and leaf litter. Shame, we didn’t get a photo. Based on this we decide not to proceed just in case we get stuck, we don’t want to have to be messing around where the snake is.

: The Coastline looking at Arid Straight with Gulch Island in the distance.

: Road into Thomas Fishery

: Road into Thomas Fishery

: Leaving Thomas Fishery

: Heading to Poison Creek

We’re heading back to the Poison Creek area to find a camp spot, the first one at Jorndee is full and looks like it only has 3 or 4 spots. We drive on and pass one which was for commercial fishermen only and the next one is Seal Creek. Even though the wildflower season is over we still see some around.

: Kangaroo Paw

: A local wildflower at Cape Arid

It’s about 4.30pm and we drive in following the one way only path and they are all taken until the very last one which we hastily grab. First stop the camp toilet which it turns out is a tad pongy and probably the worst one we’ve come across in all our travels. It may be because of the heavy use given that there are probably 60 odd + people here in the other 11 bays. Glen 20 will go with us on each visit!

Back to our bay to set up camp, now we find out that we are next to “Gerry Generator” which ran the rest of the day and well into the night ( about 10pm!!) not to mention come 5pm and yep you guessed it on goes the “duff duff” music; again well into the evening. People, you are sharing these facilities with others who come for peace and quiet!! All I can say is; glad I don’t live next door to you. It’s a sad reflection of society when the lack of social manners you see in the city follow you to the bush.