Week 7 part 1: beach or bush?
Week 7 beach or bush?
This week we spent time on the beach and in the bush which prompted the question: which is best? Beach or bush? It’s a difficult one to answer.
Lucky Bay
The ranger at Milligan Island gave us the tip to drop into Bowes River and Horrocks on our way to Lucky Bay. We stopped for a quick swim on another sweltering day and, of course, picked up some more beach rubbish. It is everywhere, tragically.
We had three glorious days camping by the lagoon where temperature reached 39 degrees everyday by 11 am before dropping to a more comfortable 33 or so. The Lagoon is protected by a reef about 150 metres from the beach, creating the perfect haven for swimming, crabbing, snorkelling, fishing, boating. An idyllic place to spend time in the heat.
We arrived on Thursday and there were a few other parties already set up, tucked under the northern shoulder of the dunes protection. There were caravans and boats and trailers. A caravan had earlier been bogged on the beach. Easy to do. I wonder how you un-bog a caravan? On Saturday a few other 4WDs with boats arrived, mostly day trippers.
Snorkelling, we saw several parrot fish and loads of others I can’t name. Back in Geraldton, I bought a fishing rod, knowing that we had Lucky Bay and Dirk Hartog Island coming up, both renowned for their fishing. And we are seeing that West Australians take their fishing very seriously. I didn’t rig my line here. Instead, I watched some youtube videos for research on how to rig a line and casting for beginners.
Knowing we were heading to Kalbarri and Murchison House station where we could top up on water, we luxuriated in a shower each night, albeit quick ones to conserve water.
On our last night as Jeremy was setting up the camper and car for a shot, I tried starting the car. Nothing. Dead battery. No power at all. We had a portable jump starter purchased in Victoria high country two years ago for specifically jump-starting the camper lithium batteries. Fortunately it works for deep cycle batteries, too, having assisted someone in the Vic high country in December, so we were able to restart the car.
Being five kilometres up a soft sand beach, with the camper to tow out, it was a bit of a worry. Jeremy drove over to the campers at the southern end of the beach to ask if they had a Scan Guage, a device to diagnose isseus with engines and reset the car computer. They hadn’t even heard of it and neither had I. Our Brunswick Heads mates, Tony and Lee, have one and Tony highly recommended it to Jeremy.
The big question, apart from getting out, was what was actually wrong with the vehicle? We hadn’t left any ligths on and we couldn’t see any reasons for a battery or engine failure. Not only that, with many thousands of kilometres to go on the trip, what is actually going on with the Prado? Up until now, apart from the day 2 oil explosion, she had been driving like a dream.
Our plan of action: hitch up tomorrow, join the NRMA so we can access the RAC who might be able to diagnose a bigger issue, get a ScanGuage. There wasn’t much we could do up the beach at Lucky Bay.
Travelling, living outdoors, monitoring water and power, food and washing, we are constantly learning. Every past moment contributes to today and how we respond to the hiccups we face.
The next day the car started no problems, towed out smoothly and we arranged to meet the RAC guy that afternoon at Murchison House Station, near Kalbarri.