Our last full day in Shark Bay, and boy did we make the most of it.
Originally we were just going to drive to Hamelin Bay (the Shark Bay Hamelin Bay, not the Margaret River region Hamelin Bay, I clarify), but we ended up doing so much more.
The weather forecast all week told us that today was going to be the best day of our entire stay and for once they got it right. The sun was out in full force (got to 31) and the wind dropped right off today, something I didn't think would happen after the howling winds we had last night. Perfect day for a swim.
We took off earlier today as yesterday the winds came in with force at around 3, so hoped to get around while the weather was calm. We stopped at the Shark bay cafe and grabbed some sandwiches for picnic lunch, fueled up the car, and were on our way with the ipod set to the 'chill out' playlist. The drive out of town was a cautious one, us still being shaken up by our experience with the emu yesterday, but luckily that was not to be repeated today. We enjoyed a long and picturesque drive to Hamelin Bay which is 130km out of Denham.
Hamelin Bay is home to the most diverse and abundant examples of living marine stromatolites in the world. When you first see them they just look like rocks, which is why I was flabbergasted to hear that aboriginal people refer to them as 'our old people' (meaning our ancestors) as this clearly tells us that they understood that the Stromatolites were living, were extremely old, and were the building blocks of early living things. I find it so fascinating that they can know all of this without any microscopes, labs, or technology. Smart people indeed! I have seen the ones just outside of Bunbury too, the boardwalk here and the educational signage is really well done. The tide was a lot lower than we had seen before so the waters edge was just past the very end of the boardwalk. I have seen it when the water covers all the area under the boardwalk, so it is cool to see the area in a different way. I love seeing the little fish swimming around in the pools and the birds scurrying about pecking at things in the water. Even when things look really desolate there is always life. The heat of the day was scorching, it was midday, and the flies were rife in this spot as there was no breeze at all. We visited the Hamelin Bay shop for a gander, saw the cutest little chicken hanging out by the front door and gave her a pat, and checked out the camp grounds.
On the way out we photographed a random looking little tree that was kinda like it had lost its way and belonged in an African savanna. Of course I stopped for some photos. That's what we do.
Decided that the Nanga Camp was going to be the best place to have a swim as the beach area looked better for swimming than all the other ones. Most Denham beaches are very shallow for miles and can be quite seaweedy. Nanga was perfect, the water was clean and clear, it got to a perfect depth close to the edge, and there were no strong tides or waves. Just a beautiful safe calm piece of beach to cool off and have a paddle. We both bobbed around for a while, me keeping an eye out for shadows - I always keep watch, oceans make me nervous, Hobbit taking off for a swim now and then and me screaming out "dont go too far out!" lols. After having our fill of swimming we had our very yummy cafe sandwiches and dried off in the lovely sunshine. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, there was a lovely gentle breeze, enough to keep you cool but not cold, and enough to keep the flies away but not blow you away. The sun was hot enough to make me feel alive but not melt you. Perfect!
On our way home Hobbit made the snap decision to do one last stop at Goulet Bluff to see the sharkies again. This time I popped my sneakers on so I didn't slip around on the rocks in thongs. SO glad I did that. We walked to the cliff edge again and marveled over the sights and sharks, then Hobbit found a spot that looked safe to climb down. So we did! Oh my gosh, it was such a fantastic climb, we ended up getting closer and closer to shore, taking a good look at the views at each stop, and then we found a way down to the beach. So we actually got to walk right up to the waters edge (but didn't go in, we didn't want to disturb the sharks, perhaps this was a nursery or breeding ground, best to leave them alone) and get a fantastic view of all these hundreds of sharks cruising up and down the coast. Up close they were actually a lot smaller than we thought, I would say just under a meter long. We don't know anything about them, what species, what age, if they were babies or fully grown smaller species, if this was a breeding cycle or if it was natural behaviour, if it is sporadic or all year around. I really wish I had the smarts to get out there and study them, this is the stuff that really sparks my fire. I love this, this has been my passion since as far back as i can remember as a kid. To be THIS close was magic.
Don't you love when you are so busy getting down the hill that you don't stop to think that you will eventually have to get UP that hill? lols. The climb up really gave my legs and butt a ruddy good working out. I tell you what, if i lived this lifestyle permanently I would soon have a killer bod, adventure climbing is an all round work out. With a few rest stops, complaints of how unfit i am, some puffing and panting, and some help from the Hobbit who pulled me uphill and told me where to step I eventually made it back up. Pretty damn proud of that too, for a lazy ass office chick I did bloody well!
With a heavy heart, feeling like I was saying goodbye to an old friend, I got back in the car and left behind Gaulet Bluff and all the beauty it beholds. Watching it disappear in the rear vision mirror I made my plans to come back soon.
A nice easy drive back into town, we settled in for the night and watched some tv. In the morning we will have to pack up our gear, load the car, and leave beautiful Denham. That is going to be so hard.
Denham put on her finest display for our last night, the winds were gentle, the air was a perfectly comfortable warmth, and the sun disappeared over the water to shades of pink, purple, orange, yellow. As the water rolled against the shore and the palm trees outside our room rustled, we were about as relaxed as we could get, no amount of massage or meds could get you to this state of bliss back in the city - it takes country air, that red dirt, and those aquamarine oceans.
Thanks Denham, Shark Bay, it has been delightful.
#Denham #SharkBay #WATourism #WARoadtrip #Roadtrip #Stromatolites #SaveOurSharks #Sharks #Respect #HamelinBay
