THIS WEEK'S FEATURED PHOTO

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED PHOTO
34,000km ... and back again ... full circle!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Southern-most point of Australian mainland ... we didn't quite make it!

Next stop Wilson's Promontory!
We packed up Friday morning after a school lesson or two - figuring the kids had had enough of school work (I know the adults had!) and headed off, further South, even tho' the weather forecast was less than desirable (but the forecast all over Victoria for the weekend was pretty 'shoddy' so we figured it didn't matter where we went!).

Looking South from Pillar Point above Tidal River (towards the southern most point of the mainland)

Looking up Tidal River towards Mt Fatigue (I think that was it's name!)
More beautiful coastal views, but different to what we have seen previously. There are lots of granite outcrops, on mountains and not the cliffy, or sandhill approach to beaches that we had seen already. We, along with about 1000 others scattered amongst the bushland of  the Tidal River Campsite, set up camp once we had finally picked the "right" site, and then did the initial look around walks that were close by to camp! We'd tried to find a sheltered site, as the wind was forecast to be "strong" and rain all day Saturday. After an extremely rough night - in terms of wind, and amount of sleep, (one look at my phone weather said the gusts were up to 117kph for "the Prom") we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning with a much moderated 'breeze factor'! One of the regular visitors shrugged her shoulders and said, "been comin' here for 30 years and ya never know what the weather's going to do from one hour to the next!"

On Pillar Point
Pillar Point - the southern most point of
Australia ...that we got to!
We decided to take action while the sun was shining and attempt one of the shorter walks to "Pillar Point", one of the flanking points to Norman Beach, where Tidal River enters the ocean. It was a general consensus that we should skip the 16 km walk, one-way, to the southern most point of mainland Australia - and they do not allow you to drive there! A glorious morning! Where was the rain, there had been some in the night but that was all gone? Not that we minded at all. The humidity made us think that there was more on it's way, however, we only had a few spots...but as the afternoon progressed the strong wind gusts increased again, (I didn't need the razor for my hairy legs, or the pumice stone for my scaly feet because the sand blasting from the beach was quite effective!! This time as a result of the southerly change coming through, and we had another windy night and the temperature had dropped considerably.

Tidal River entering Norman Beach

From Pillar Point over Norman Beach and
 Tidal River Campground

Jed and Lily floating on body
 boards/walking/swimming down a shallow
fast flowing river to the sea. Great safe
playing spot for kids. 
A very pretty place, but we'd seen enough and there was more wind and rain coming evidently! Time to start heading north.

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Wildlife Witnessed

  • Humpback whales playing off Cape Naturaliste
  • Sea Eagle catching a 30cm fish and landing on beach
  • Dugongs, near Monkey Mia
  • Dolphins (Puk, Piccolo ...etc) at Monkey Mia
  • Sea creatures at 'Ocean Park', near Denham
  • Angel, Parrot & Clown Fish
  • Rays
  • Fish, fish and more fish!
  • Goanna eating a Western Brown snake
  • Ta-Ta Lizard, that would sit still and wave a foot
  • Camel - trying to nibble my backside
  • Wedge-tailed eagles eating carcases on the side of the road
  • Clouds of Budgies in the outback
  • Crocodiles - 4, in the Daintree River
  • Forest Kingfisher