January 2024

We welcomed 2024 in style from party central (i.e. in bed asleep).  It was hot hot hot and we didn’t want to risk driving anywhere that would be too awful if we broke down - that’s nearly everywhere unfortunately.  There is so little shade anywhere, especially out on the open road.   Humidity has also picked up, and that adds another level of unpleasantness.  Luckily we have Pretty Pool beach on our doorstep and other beaches in Port Hedland, so staying at home is really not too shabby.  We're still taking our daily evening walk and there’s always lots to see.  There aren’t usually many people around, though that may change with the seasons.  Occasionally a family turns up to the beach on a quad bike, with assorted kids and dogs clinging on.  That's a cool way to get the kids out and exercise the dogs at the same time.

I finally ticked turtle hatchlings off my bucket list.  After several early morning beach visits, we were rewarded with the joyous sight of a baby turtle clambering out of its nest and across the sand on Cemetery Beach in Port Hedland.  A truly jaw-droppingly gorgeous sight.   The rule is absolutely no touching, and that was really really hard.  The only thing you're allowed to do is to keep the seabirds from picking off the hatchlings as they make their way to the sea.  Only 50% of all baby turtles actually reach the sea - the rest either don’t hatch or are scoffed by seabirds, lizards or any number of other creatures with an eye for a snack.  I’m still hoping for more hatchling sightings.  The season goes through until March but sighting them has been way trickier than I’d imagined.  Flat backed turtles hatch singly or in small numbers at a time from nests, often at night and over a period of months.  Fingers crossed I’ll be lucky again.

                                                           

Our Pretty Pool walks usually start or end along a track we call ‘Crocodile Alley’.  It’s a sandy track, heading to the ocean and we look down on it from our balcony.  It begins along a track that's fringed by mangrove swamps - perfect crocodile territory - and passes a sign that warns of saltwater crocs.  I'm still vigilant but more confident and relaxed nowadays.  And I’m mostly fine when we take other routes to the ocean through the grassy sand dunes.  “This is not crocodile territory…” I say to myself reassuringly, trying not to add “…no, it’s snake territory!!”.  Peter would love love love to see a land snake, ideally a really venomous one, but it's fair to say I don’t share his vision.   I’m trying to harden up my soft, namby-pamby pommy feet on our walks, and that’s going well on the sandy beach surfaces, but is work in progress when we hit gravelly sections, like along Crocodile Alley.   I can’t help but imagine us in a movie, being eyed up by a hungry croc.  The croc sees us but doesn’t fancy its chances of out-running us.  Not until we get to the gravelly track, and I start limping and falling behind, ooching and ouching my way along.  The camera pans back to the crocodile, now with a twinkle in its eye…

Abundant bird life contains to amaze us.  The first pelican we saw was all on its own.  Then we saw a pair (aaaw).  Then 3, 4, and 6.  So majestic and cartoon-like at the same time.  We see heaps of egrets (all 3 kinds), eagles, and waders like Ibis.  New on the list are Frigate birds, Caspian terns, cockatiels, Masked Lapwings, and a stone curlew.  And lots of Oyster Catchers, which are oddly named when you think about it.  It's not like you have to catch speedy oysters, eh?

Octopus Soccer is still keeping us entertained.  Sometimes it’s high-scoring (up to 11 octopi once, though we had called Golden Octopus time after 3-all).  It’s anyone’s game, which is quite a pleasant surprise as Peter’s usually the observant one.  We haven’t managed to accidentally stand on one yet - thankfully they see us coming and squirt a warning.  There are sea snakes, dead and alive, and jellyfish, and once we saw small sting rays darting around in shallow water when we were paddling on a Port Hedland beach.  We often see a range of different sized bowl-shaped hollows in the sand that are created by stingrays to rest in.   None of the above endear me to sea swimming, even if I could ever feel brave enough to risk sharks and crocs. 

We spent a day on a small island called Finucane, just off the coast and much closer to Pretty Pool as the crow flies than it was to drive over.  Arriving on the island via the raised road is horrifying - industrial mining megaliths coated in a thick layer of red dust as far as you can see; huge 3km long trains and road trains right in your face.  But as you head towards the boat ramp, the infrastructure becomes more distant until it’s no longer visible and the beauty of the island is eventually revealed.  Big mangrove forests, cerulean sea, long white sandy beaches and rocky reefs, presumably as it all used to be before mining began.  

Mangroves are ever-present along much of the coastline, and amazingly fascinating they are too.  My new favourite plant.  They are true eco-warriors, sequestering and storing big volumes of carbon dioxide and resiliently surviving in water that's 100x saltier than other trees can handle.  They have gorgeously elaborate root systems which secure them in the soft mud and protrude vertically like straws from the muddy sand and enable gaseous exchange.  They provide a huge range of habitats for all kinds of organisms, so a real magnet to head for when snorkelling.  It's wonderful to see them poking out from the sea at higher tides.

 

           

This month’s blog would have come to you from the stunning 80 Mile Beach, but we’re staying in a cabin on the campsite and there’s only Wi-Fi at reception.  It’s a holiday weekend (Invasion and Survival Day, aka Australia Day) and still too hot at night to consider camping, and happily there were very few people.  Plenty of resident monitor lizards and kangaroos filling the space where humans will eventually occupy.  It’s such a privilege to be in this totally awesome place and not have to share with the hordes of holidaymakers who pack out the place at other times of the year.  We’ve seen pictures of the beach being covered top to tail with campers, so it’s definitely worth braving the heat and coming out of season.   The beach extends further than the eye can see both ways (140 miles / 220kms all up), and the sea floor gently descends down from the shoreline.  At low tide you can walk a long way out, and as high tide approaches, the sea comes in quickly with a roar of waves that are endlessly watchable.  There are long gullies that run parallel to the sea.  When the bigger waves breach the rise before a gulley, the sea water creeps over, gradually filling the trenches until the whole beach is consumed by the incoming tide.  The colours and wave shapes are simple and gorgeous, the sound of crashing waves is soothing, and the smell of the sea hits your nostalgia button right on the nose.  We bought a cheap shade tent, so I have somewhere to sit, read and drink beer while Peter fishes.  Bliss!

En route we stopped off at Cape Keraudren, another unspoilt and isolated stretch of coastline.  Peter fished in the Cootenbrand Creek while I had a walk along the creek to the ocean, soaking up the stunning pastel colours of the view.  Here for the first time, I finally saw a kangaroo in the wild.  It wasn’t bothered by us, rather possibly curious, and bounded off and disappeared a few moments later.  It was a lovely moment, only surpassed when we arrived at the 80 Mile Beach campsite to find kangaroos well-outnumbering the humans, enjoying the shade and leaping around everywhere.

                            

On our way home we pulled into the De Grey River Rest Area, about 80kms out of Hedland.  Two days before on our way to 80 Mile Beach, we noticed that the De Grey River was not a dry riverbed like all the others - it actually had some pools of water in it.  But now it was majestically overflowing with pink-reflecting water despite no rainfall!  We checked the map and noticed that its water sources were well inland, where there had been torrential rain and flooding.  What a moment it must have been when that river water finally arrived in the dry bed at the Rest Area.  Birdlife was abundant and plant life verdant.   It's day-tripable from Hedland so we'll definitely be back to do some more exploring. 

Back at the ranch, Billy was delighted to return from work one day and find a tiny black calf on the property.  And better still, this calf’s mum is his heifer Nike - so it’s his calf.  Closer inspection revealed it’s a girl, and Billy has named her Aura.  She must be the offspring of Apollo or Attis and is getting on with the task of being a cute and lively calf with style.  Sadly, there have been livestock losses too.  Shaggy, one of our original ewes, died one hot NZ day.  She must have been 12 years old, so hopefully it was just old age for her.  One of our black ewes was also found dead a couple of days later, and that’s more of a mystery and a tragedy.  Billy and Josh hand-sheared woolliest of the remaining flock, so fingers crossed they’ll all be ok.    
Peter heads back to NZ next month for 10 days.  He has to return every 6 months to remain eligible for his pension, and we figured it’s a good idea anyway.  Billy has that week off work, and Sam and Lucas are both hoping to travel up to see him too.  It’ll be a working holiday for him - chopping firewood, thistle bashing and generally sorting out the land.  And there’ll also be my list obviously!  Karyn has been doing an amazing job keeping the gardens, paths and hedges tidy, and she may have some ideas for how he can make best use of his time while he’s there.  Get that list sorted Karyn - you know you want to!  Probably it’s good that I’m not going with him.  I reckon it would be hard to leave again and unsettling when I’m back.  Despite the magic and wildlife that surrounds us here, I am missing home more than I’d imagined.  It feels like life's on hold.  We still don’t have any firm plans for when we return finally, and that also depends on what Billy wants to do and where he wants to be.  Nor do I know what I’ll do for work in NZ.  I'm hanging onto the belief that the universe will line something up to keep me gainfully occupied, and in the meantime, focusing on finding my joy here.  We've booked a holiday for April, a proper holiday to Exmouth on the Coral Coast that will include swimming with whale sharks in the Ningaloo Marine Park (another bucket-list item) and exploring the outstanding Cape Range National Park.  
One more month of extreme weather, then we should start to cool off and live more of an outdoor life.  Roll on Autumn and Winter!

 

December 2023

 

We’re settling more into the rhythm of life here in Hedland. Work takes up a big chunk of my time of course, but no other commitments mean that life’s not too hard. Not really even any housework (Peter’s domain these days). We head out for a beach walk most days – plenty of walkable options round here, and several more a short drive away along Cemetery Beach or elsewhere in Port Hedland. We take the tide into account when we choose our route – high tide usually means a walk in the waves, with or without a little fishing, whereas low tide allows us to do some rock pooling in the numerous reefy crevices that are packed full of varying life forms.

    

Our closest beach walk is along the famous Pretty Pool 'Clothing Optional' beach.  It's a beautiful stretch of sandy and reefy beach.  It's a destination for those laying flat backed turtles and it's a good fishing spot.  Bill Bailey, in his tour of Western Australia, astutely surmised that people who go to nudie beaches probably shouldn't be seen naked.  Here it seems that not many people opt for no clothing.  In fact, I've only seen one and that was Peter!  

                        

                        

There are dangers around of course, and it’s good to put them into a mind-context that doesn’t restrict our activities too much. Not something I thought would be possible when I first investigated all the Aussie critters that can kill you. We have yet to see any huge spiders or venomous land snakes. We know they’re there but probably avoiding us. We see crocodile warning signs most walks, but aware that there haven’t been any actual sightings for months. There are huge ants that bite when you upset them, crabs that raise their claws in defence (quite cute really - a bit like ‘gimme a hug’) and octopi that squirt ink or sea water when you get too close. The sun needs to be considered too. Its heat can be disguised by a bit of sea breeze, and I have noticed that sometimes there aren’t even any mad dogs joining me for beach walks in the middle of the day.

           

  We've done a few more guided reef walks and continue to marvel at the corals, sponges, fish, crabs, nudibranchs and everything else. Sea birds are equally spectacular – huge pelicans, ospreys, ibis, oyster catchers (pied and sooty), Pacific Reef Heron, Great Egret, dotterel, sand-pipers, Brahminy Kites and various terns.   We’ve invented a game called ‘Octopus Soccer’ in which each octopus sighting is a ‘goal’ and if we have to go into extra time, we use the ‘Golden Octopus’ rule. You’ll probably have to take my word that it’s a fun and engaging activity. The reefs are not the same everywhere – sometimes they’re like thick rock slabs, or spiky oyster-encrusted mounds, or creviced deeply or shallowly. Those that are covered by sea water only at high high-tides have thick salt deposits. The sand everywhere is beautifully carved by the sea, creating a stunning myriad of ever-changing curvy patterns. There are shells of all shapes and sizes, most of them uncollectable as they’re occupied and usually in motion.  We’ve witnessed several female Flat Backed Turtles crawl up the beach and lay their eggs – truly an unmissable sight. Though we’ve been out a few times in the early morning, we have yet to see any hatchlings emerge. Visible tiny tracks indicate that it’s worth persisting, and luckily the season lasts until March.

Peter goes fishing a few times a week (life’s not so hard for him either!) and his catching rate is starting to improve now that he's worked out better strategies. We’ve had fish for dinner several times –  Golden and Brassy Trevally (including the one in the photo), Carpet Shark, Remora.  All pan fried and served with chips.  Swimming in the ocean less than an hour before - can’t get fresher or better than that.

The local swimming pool (Gratwick) is far and away the best pool ever.  Overlooking the Indian Ocean, sun-warmed and with Olympic length (50m) lanes, it's totally a pleasure to swim in.  So far I've had my own lane every swim, and that's 3-4 times a week.  Occasionally I've had the whole pool to myself - not too many wanting to swim at 6:30am!  I'm often joined in my post-swim showers by various insects and critters - ants, crickets, flying bugs and tiny geckos - we're all happy to share.

There are nesting ospreys on our apartment roof, and we have a 'pet' Osprey called Sharon (as in wife of Ozzy) who poses in the same place on our balcony every now and then.  One memorable time she stayed all evening and into the night, still perched there at 3:30am.  The photo shows her at dusk, with fruit bats in the background.

We haven't been very social yet, but this may change when the weather permits any kind of lingering outdoors.  We have been to a couple of community events - the Christmas Market and an outdoor movie (Home Alone 2 - not our choice and surrounded by kids, but an experience nonetheless).  We're getting very adept at the 'Australian Wave' and can totally resonate with the cork hat concept.  We do have head insect nets, but need to work on actually remembering them.  Getting to the beach can be a whole body exercise - frantic legs and waggly arms - though it's mostly fine at the water's edge when the breeze keeps those dastardly flies at bay.  There don't tend to be lots of them at a time like sandflies, but each and every one is a persistent kamikaze, aiming into your mouth and up your nose and ears.

We've finally managed to get WA driving licences.  The admin and red tape to get anything like this in Aus is extensive.  You need to provide 5 points of evidence, including specific documents that link you to a residential address.  It was easier for me because I'm employed and have a tenancy agreement with my employer, but I still had to open a bank account to be able to provide enough evidence.  I chose BankWest because there is a local branch in Port Hedland and it amuses me to think about how BankWest could be articulated by Trevor MacDonald (will he ever live down the Kent Countryside??).  Our car was registered in Peter's name and that gave him just enough evidence for his licence.  He really didn't want to fall down at the eyesight test hurdle after all that, so got his vision checked and now has corrective glasses that he's supposed to wear when driving.  Now that we have our licences, any other permit-type things should be much more simple. 

I was expecting to work clinically over Christmas, but despite an ever-changing roster, I somehow managed to get 4 days off.  We booked ourselves into a little chalet at the Aspen Village in Karratha.  Christmas Eve was spent in and around Point Samson.  We visited the small historic settlement of Cossack, Peter fished (his legs providing a banquet for local bitey insects), I tried out my new mask and snorkel at Honeymoon Cove, and we had a huge and delish seafood basket n chip lunch, washed down by our new fave beer - Swan Draught - at the Samson Beach Tavern.  There are worse places to be.

                   

On Christmas Day we caught up with the 'boys' by phone and then headed out to the Murujuga National Park (Burrup Peninsula).  Our first stop was the sacred Ngajarli Gorge to see the petroglyphs - traditional rock art engravings.  The area is thought to have the highest concentration of rock engravings of any known site in the world.  They are estimated to be as old as 40,000 years.  We were the only visitors in this beautifully serene place, and it was very much a fascinating experience. The first image shows a fat-tailed kangaroo (now extinct).  The second shows marni (motifs) - traditional tribal brandings, painted around the base of a man's neck with ochre to identify which group the wearer comes from.

 Christmas Dinner was a picnic at nearby Hearson's Cove.  The stunning little beach was a popular Christmas Day destination, with many families and groups enjoying the shell beach and the warm, shallow Indian Ocean.  Even 4 horses were led into the sea for a splash.  I had another snorkeling stint which was distracting enough to leave me with a totally sunburnt back.  Oops.  

It's been a Christmas out of the box for us, and kinda good to know that we have no idea what Christmas 2024 will look like.  No need to make any plans for that yet.  In the meantime, we can carry on enjoying what this part of the world has to offer