Exmouth to Broome!

Well since our last blog we have travelled from Exmouth up to Karratha, port headland, down to Karijini National Park, back to headland, up to Eighty Mile beach, Port Smith and then on to Broome.

Exmouth was good, just very windy and cold while we were there. We spent a couple of days in and around exmouth with one day spent exploring Cape Range and the Nigaloo Reef. It was a fairly windy and horrible day, no photo's made the cut.

When we left we headed up to Karratha. On the way we stopped and took a pic of a termite mound. This one is average size!

We stayed in Karratha for 3 nights. Sharna's mate and old neighbour Edan caught up with us here.  He works at one of the Gas Mines here. The nights were spent drinking with him and days were spent fishing.  Oh and by the way GO THE BLUES!!!!

First day we headed up to Point Samson, where we fished a tidal creek and had some fun. The tides are starting to be crazy big up north, with the tides moving over 6 metres here.

We caught a few fish but nothing to get excited about. While we were there, a guy turned up and got chatting to me.  He was a miner from the area and had just knocked off from work and decided to stop in to see if we were catching anything.  He hung around while we fished for half hour or so, then asked if we would like to head out in his boat the next day since he was going out by himself and we would be more then welcome. So of course in true nomad style, we did.

The wind was a bit blowy. We headed 30mins out to sea and fished for a while. There was too much drift and nothing there, so headed back in for a fish around one of the nearby islands. We did pretty good with everyone catching fish, but I (foo) caught all the fish that were kept.  In the end though for Tinys hospitality we let him keep all the fish that was caught. 

We then ventured further north to Tanya Town (Port Headland).  We were warmly greeted by Tanya (Matt's best buddy from high school) and her partner Chris (soon to be hubby if he ever gets off his arse and asks her!).  The days were spent drinking, fishing and catching up and the nights were spent drinking and more drinking :) Oh and we finally got to sleep in a fabulous house for 3 nights!  Yay for solid walls and a roof!

On our last night we went and saw the staircase to the moon.  It was amazing!  Its a shame our camera couldn't get the full effect of the view.

From heady we drove down to Karijini National Park.  The place was a must on everyones to do list so we thought we would check it out.  The pic below is of Fern Pool at Dale Gorge.

This pic is a little waterfall on the Dale Gorge Walk.  We ended up walking all the Dale Gorge top and bottom which included Fern Pool, Fortesque Falls and Circular Pool. There are 6 classes of difficulties in Karijini with class 6 being reserved for the rock climbers with ropes etc.   Dale Gorge rated from Class 3 to Class 4 in parts. 

This is a little wild flower for Marz.

After walking Dale Gorge in the morning Matt in all his wisdom decided we would give Hancock Gorge a go.  After driving 50kms on a bad unsealed road we made it.  I would like to point out I am an unfit person (Sharna) and was a little intimidated by this gorge as it was a Class 5!  One off from the experienced rock climbers!  Check out what I had to endure :) 

Yes this is me shoes off wading through ICEY COLD water!  It was so cold my feet instantly went numb after being in the water for 2 seconds.  Matt decided to be spiderman and climb the rock wall (which you were not supposed too) so he wouldnt get wet.

After going through a tight chasm called Spiderwalk and literally you had both arms and legs pinned to the wall each side crawling your way down. We do have pics but not the best looking shots :)  We made it to the end before the trail turned into a Class 6 which involved some skill and of course ropes!  If you look close enough you can just make out a guy clinging to the rocks in the back ground!

After Karijini we went back to Heady for a night before heading off to Eighty Mile Beach.  This place was amazing!  Our first day we drove along the beach to suss out our fishing spot for the next day.  This is the magic view on our drive back!  You can just feel the serenity through the picture :)

The first full day of matt fishing (I decided to get some sun and relax time) started with a shovel nose shark. 

And ended with a whooper of a Threadfin Salmon!!  It measured 1.07 metres and weighed approx. 10kgs but in Kris' terms about 40kgs!  I couldn't get the grin off matts face all week!!  It was one of the nicest fish we have eaten.

He also caught a leopard ray.

Foobie loving the relaxing life!  Before the whooper took off!

Some of the pretty shells we found on the beach.  Lets just hope they make it back in one piece :)

On our final day of fishing I decided I would give foo a run for his money!  We both hooked two whoopers but the bastards broke our lines.  Foo believes our equipment is to blame so more money is going towards new gear!  I finally caught something to brag about.  Check out my black tip reef shark!  Yes mum its a proper shark!

drrrn drrrrn  drrrrrn  SHARK!!!!!!  (Jaws Music)

After leaving the magical Eighty Mile we headed to Port Smith.  Once again not on our list of places but we were recommended to go, so we did.

It was a boat day.  Me and my first little rock cod.  It was smaller than the lure I was using!

Matt and a strippy sea perch.

My Golden Trevally.  I was over it by now after spending 9 hours out in the boat!  So made matt hold it!

Finally back to reception in Broome.  This is the Port at sunset.

First day was pretty cruisey.  We went for a drive around to see the sights.  This is at the lighthouse where supposingly are dinosaur foot prints on the rock wall but the tide was too high to see them.

Mmmmmmm  Matso's Brewery!  The Mango Beer was delicious!  Thanks Tan Tan for the recommendation :)

We are booked to go on a sunset camel ride today.  This was yesterday's group :)  We also went for a drive on Cable Beach and the further we got away from the crowds the more Flag Poles and White pointers we saw :) ha ha ha ha ha

Well folks thats about us up to date.  Today is another easy day relaxing.  We are off to see Transformers at the movies and then on our sunset camel ride.  Oh I almost forgot tomorrow is a big day we are booked on a Barramundi Fishing trip!  Lets see who catches the biggest fish!  And so the competition starts again at 6am!

Love ya's all

xxxxxxx

Geraldton to Exmouth

Well followers its time for another blog, And to my pesky sister that has been hinting for days for an update, Bugger off! We're on holidays!!!

Since Geraldton we have ventured further north into warmer and what seems like much windier weather. The days have finally cleared up, but with the clear skies, unfortunately the winds are up and the boating has been cold and wet. I have persisted to Sharna's dissapointment, but the fishing has got a lot better.

We left Geraldton and drove straight to Denham (25km from Monkey Mia). The weather was crappy (rain again!) but we tredged on and went to Monkey Mia to see the dolphin feeding. Which was great!  There was only 1 dolphin (Puk) to feed 5 fish, which neither of us got to do it to Sharna's annoyance as she put in all the hard work with the guide and then she picked a girl that wet Sharna.  NOT A HAPPY CHAPPY!

We then headed to Francois Peron National Park for some mean 4 wheel driving.  This was the most westernly point we could get too without getting permission. Can you see the "Westside Sign"?

Next day we took the boat out although it was blowy as hell!  Caught a few fish and a thumper squid that was trying to take Sharna's small reef fish off her line.

This is a BARRA!!!  ok the nickname is called a False Barra but still has barra in the title so its my first BARRA!  Its actually a sand bass and we caught them on Nuclear Chickens Gulp! (Soft Plastics for the non fisher people)

Once again Sharna caught the biggest fish!

This is the Carnavon Blowholes on the Quobba Coast.  Went for a drive and matt saw fish in the water and that was it.  We were stuck there for hours!  We continued up the coast finally in hope of seening ballooning.  Once again for the non fisher people ballooning is where the fisherman floats his bait over the water out to sea in hope of a large game fish to jump out and grab it.

We came back from the Quobba Coast and was going to walk out onto the One Mile Jetty but it cost money and thought stuff that so Sharna went for a walk along this beach while Matt tried to catch a fish.  Didn't work!

We headed to Coral Bay the next day and decided to go to Five Finger Point.  On the way we spotted a bit of wild life :) 

Same day we went to Mauds Landing.  Matt tried once again to catch a fish with the Nuclear Chicken but caught a big wooden post instead and had to swim out to it to release the lure.

Next day it was now or never.  The wind was up and so were we at 7am to get ready for a BIG BIG BIG day of fishing and as the fisher people say the bigger the bait the BIGGER the fish and man were they right!  This was matt's first catch Chinaman Reef Cod.

Sharna's first catch a Reef Triggerfish

Matt's Gold Spot Trevally (Skippy)

Somehow he managed to catch a Octopus but had to cut the line because he kept sucking onto the boat and matts hand!

This was a secluded beach for a quick pee stop.

Now finally a BIG fish!  Matt's had finally beat me in the biggest fish contest and caught this 50 plus Spangled Emperor (Nor'west Snapper)

UNTIL.......... Sharna caught this 50 plus PLUS Spangled Emperor :) ha ha ha ha  They were superb eating :)

Matt also caught a Garfish to use as live bait.  We threw it out and after about 30 mins we thought there was no way anything was going to go for it until....... the line went zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and both of us were looking at each other watch each others rods until it clicked it was the floater and matt was onto it in a flash and yanked back to try and hook whatever it was.  He obviously hit the mark when a bloody 2 metre shark comes out of the water spiralling like a dophin and bolts and snaps the line luckily.  We both looked at each other in amazement then cracked up with laughter!  It was the most bizarre thing we have every seen but also scary in a 3 metre boat with our caught fish hanging over the side in the water to keep them fresh.  Man did they come in fast then!

This is us on the main beach this morning waiting for our Coral Reef tour (Glass Bottom Boat) to start.

The view from the boat.  Man we wished this sucker was in the non sanctuary zone.  He was a thumper and so was his friends!  They all followed the boat.

Well folks thats it for another blog.  We have arrived in WINDY Exmouth this afternoon and have checked out the local area (in 10 mins) and have our plan for tomorrow. Yep you guessed MORE FISHING! Oh some more sunbaking and reading for me.  Hopefully a day out of the boat tomorrow........ maybe got to keep my skills up :)

Lots of love to all and especially to all the WORKING SUCKERS oh wait thats all of you! 

 HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Talk soon

Cheers xxxxx