A beach in the middle of nowhere

Tamala Station  

2 April 2013

We’re camping on a station on our own beach. The water is so still and clear that I can see stars sparkling in its reflection. There’s not a sound, not even of lapping water (other than the click clack of the keyboard as I type). 

Tamala Station is nicely positioned for us between Denham and the most westerly point of Australia’s mainland.  We think it will take us 3 hours from our campsite to reach Steep Point tomorrow – although it’s only about 130 km from here.  We (Simon and I) are both really excited as we’ll get to see the Zuytdorp cliffs, the southern edge of Dirk Hartog Island and if we have time, some blow-holes. The kids really couldn’t care less.

Simon and I doubt this will happen again – that our campsite is on our own beach.  Maybe we’ll be the only ones camped at a beachside campsite along the way, as has happened at Walkers Rocks on the Eyre Peninsula in SA, but to have every campsite as your own beach as you do here at Tamala is very rare and a very special privilege we’re enjoying.

Out in the dark somewhere, Simon is catching bream for our dinner tomorrow night.  It’s so dark that from his fishing spot down the beach a little way from the tent, you can’t see the white car or the tent. 

Off in the distance looking east we can see a glow that we assume is the tiny town of Denham  - so small that the chicken takeaway shop only sells hot chickens on Thursday and Friday and where we struggled to buy fresh bread it was in such hot demand.  So small that emus stop the traffic on the main street and sea snakes are regular visitors near the town’s jetty (not that I saw any). But because we’re out in the middle of nowhere, that tiny town glows in the dark night sky. 

Meanwhile on the other side of the continent my darling, sweet brother will fall asleep on the night of his birthday, and might briefly think about us visiting Steep Point tomorrow (known for its awesome game fishing). Simon’s sister and her family might be having a restless sleep in Brisbane as in the morning they jet off to the US for their epic  6 month camping trip of the east coast. 

And here we are, at the southern tip of the Henri Freycinet Harbour, in the World Heritage listed Shark Bay Marine Park, a long way from anywhere… and liking it.

Sweet dreams. 

Note: Isobel, Hugo and I ran out onto Shell Beach today and Isobel had a quick dip.  The water was so clear and beautiful it was a shame not to be able to stay longer.  What a spot!  Isobel loved it.

In the background you might be able to see a fence going into the water - it's the Project Eden fence

Shells, shells and more shells - 10 m deep and a few km long. 

Grid to get through the Project Eden fence (see earlier post about Project Eden)

She's so hip.

Before we arrived at Tamala we re-stocked at Denham and phoned Tony for his birthday.  This is what we saw!