Denham- Fancois Peron National Park-Cape Peron-Skipjack Point

We had decided the day before after a spectacular day that we would visit Francois Peron  National Park as our second day and travel to the top of Cape Peron and had heard that Skipjack point was well worth it, and this was only a matter of  2 km between the both. We set off at 10 am and it took about 5 mins to get there and drove into the National Park. A fee if course to enter of $11, into an honesty box, and then drove  to the homestead which is 4 km in from the beginning. This is where you get nervous as we had to deflate the tyres as we were to travel 4WD in sand. The last time Mark and I travelled 4WD in sand was up at the beginning of Fraser Island,Qld, and we got bogged and had to wait for kind people to help us out. So of course feeling a little anxious as we were about to embark on sand once again. The difficult part is ,you don't know what it's like until you come across it and it's all about quick thinking, just drive fast, is what I would say. 

Deflated tyres- check,read signs-check, read signs again- check, well we're off and here we go. A drive of about 40 km on a sandy track and it was one way, having turnouts every now and then, to let people pass. Driving along and it's all red sand, it's not bad as we go along maintaining speed of about 50 km an hour, and we can see on our map we are almost at the end of Francois National Park and at Skipjack Point, our first stop, until we hit a turn and it's so so sandy and it's looks like metres high. " oh my, just drive, fast really fast, as you don't slow down in sand", I would basically yell loudly. I hated sitting in the front seeing everything coming up and Dylan had said " I know now why these handles in the car are for, to hold on tight." I could tell Mark was a little nervous as he gripped the steering wheel and told everyone to be quiet, he was concentrating. There were dips in the sand as well as it being so sandy Snd we went up and down like bring on a roller coaster, even our fridge in the back we heard it jump up and back down. I had a headband on my head and it went flying into the back seat and Dylan even hit his head on the Dodd window. Oliver being in the middle had nothing to hang onto. Sliding, jumping, and bumping is how we described this trip down the         4 WD track to Cape Peron. I really felt for the poor car, but it has now been put to the test and can do some real4WD.  

We stopped at Skipjack Point first and this is a small boardwalk out to the edge of the coastline up extreme high and overlook the water looking down at the marine life. It was like a game, see who could see what. "There's a school of fish, there's a manta ray, oh look a shark", were some of what we were yelling out. We even had Galahs flying above us also.

It was so amazing, seeing the marine life. We hoped back in the car and drove around to Cape Peron, and this was the peak, and climbed up the red dirt to view the ocean again, and guess what we see Dugongs, wow, they are shy animals and look a lot like seals. Some people were fishing down below and we had thought maybe the Dugong might of swam away but they didn't just moved to the side and had fun swimming in a rip. The water here is crystal blue in close to shore and then becomes darker as you move out further. As it was crystal you could see more and that's why we happened to see so much. We had lunch here on a picnic table over looking the ocean, how lovely to have such sceanary.  That's it we are going back to Skipjack point to watch more marine life again, it was fun spotting it all. We arrived back and just missed dome dolphins playing , some old couple had said. They were chasing fish and through it up and caught it in their mouth. Now that would of been a fight to see. We could see dolphins from a distance jumping but not catching fish. We had better hop aboard the roller coaster and start to make our way back as it takes awhile and we wanted to check out the homestead at the beginning of the National Park. All aboard and strapped in, as we knew this time what to expect on the sandy road ahead. We start off and of course this is where it's really sandy, Mark fish tales slightly and the kids are saying " we are swerving at the back dad".  Mark concentrates, as he has precious cargo on board, ha!all of us.  

Speed, and keeping that foot on  the excelerator was the key and of course holding the steering wheel straight too. We did a fish tale and I could see a tree stump coming straight for me, as in we were about to drive into the bush. Ahhh, Mark had it under control, well that's what he said. Thankfully he's an experienced driver, thanks to the police force. We counted how many more sandy spots to go. Passed the last one and it was a relief, we had done it and an experience not to be forgotten. Drive back to the homestead and did our self guide around it. This had a artesian hot tub, bore water that was sunk 540 metres below  ground back in 1922, and used at the homestead to supply stock not for drinking it was too salty . The temp is constantly at 40 deg.

We were told to go down a track as there was a bird hide, we walked about 20 metres and was met with a 6 foot high corrugated wall with small openings for your eyes to look through. We all peeked and was met with Emu's just right in front drinking from the waters edge. I had never seen an Emu squat down on his knees before and drink, interesting.  Kids loved it, but had to be extremely quiet.  Over to the original sheep station that was here many years ago, boys loved this, working out the order of where the sheep first go and then to the holding pen, and then shawn and then kicked out the back into another pen, the along a concrete swimming area to be dipped in case they had lice . They really enjoyed the process and then there was the wool process as well. On the wall was how to shear a sheep and then the wool is sorted into grades. Dylan thought he would loved to have been a shearer back in those days. We walked over to check out the shearers quarters and could see how they lived etc. All very interesting and kids loved seeing this.

Now we inflate the tyres to the correct air pressure, there's an area where you deflate and inflate, and you can't miss it, it has a gigantic stop sign, making sure you stop.

A short drive back towards camp and we decided to check out the little Lagoon, which was near by. We could actually drive onto the beach and we could see right around the lagoon. We stayed in the car and viewed from there, kids wanted to get back, but Mark had promised Lily a play at the foreshore park early that day. Lily never forgets so we had to go. Must always keep your promises to kids. 

What we could see from the boardwalk

The Emus we could see

Driving on the beach at Little Lagoon

Hooray! Lily said. Now to sit back and watch the kids play and I had a chat to mum and dad on the phone, just keeping them in the loop of where we are heading next as our itinerary keeps changing.  Mark goes to  the so  called supermarket, here in Denham, which apparently is hopeless they have not much stock  at all and we need something for dinner, well he goes to the butcher and pays the price of course. If you wanted to open a woolworths or a Coles this is the place.  Okay  home for dinner. The end of our journey at Denham.  Sorry if I write a lot but remembering this is my diary.