Kalbarri

Our journey south is slow. Yes, there was a head wind but the temperatures are colder....not good.

Kalbarri was home for a week.

With a golf course nearby, coastal cliffs with passing whales and dolphins less than five kilometers away, inland gorges and lots of wildflowers there was plenty to enjoy for a few days. That I could pay a weekly fee at the golf club was a distinct bonus. Value for money it was!

Kalbarri is predominantly a holiday destination at the mouth of the Murcheson River. The swimming/paddling is safe along the river and there are a few additional attractions around the town. We visited the wildflower centre and Rainbow Jungle, a parrot breeding centre.



Every day there is Pelican Feeding on the beach at 8.45am. Days one and two were a wipe out - lots of people, no pelicans. The next day Percy turned up, and a few of his friends dropped in regularly after that. The feeding is done by volunteers - and I have forgotten this lady's name. She and Percy made a good double act.

It was a spot for a bit of exercise as well. Beth and I complete the 8 kms Loop walk from Nature's window, and the next day rode to Red Bluff - close to 10 kms return. Add at least nine holes of golf a day, and the leg muscles should be toned up by now.

Shark Bay

This delightful locale is listed as World Heritage area.

It meets all four criteria for listing and is a fascinating place.



The peninsula is separated from the rest of Australia by an electrified fence and the recorded sounds of a dog barking (I'm not joking about this one). It is the site of Project Eden where they have removed the feral animals (foxes, cats, goats) and are trying to keep them out.

We paid good money to see dugongs, dolphins and turtles - and we saw them. As expected they were mainly underwater and our glimpses of dolphins were few and fleeting while the dugongs popped up all around us.


Since you have no idea where they will appear the few seconds they are above the surface to breathe seconds are taken up turning head and body in the general direction. The photographic result is a lot of water, and pictures of the backs of dugongs as they go below to graze on the seagrass banks of Shark Bay.

Our day on the bay was very calm, which made it easier to see them and contributed to a generally good experience. A bonus 'sunset cruise' meant we spent about 4 hours cruising Shark Bay.


At the other end of the scale the park entry was all that was needed at Monkey Mia to see the 'dolphin interaction' area. When few others were around the sight of a small pod of dolphins (6) chasing a fish less than a metre offshore was an amazing bonus.

Add some amazing views, observe a family of emus at a waterhole and other wildlife encounters we had a worthwhile stay at Denham in the Shark Bay shire.

Oh...we also got to play garden golf and have a sausage sizzle for just 5 bucks. That's all about that little exercise though. The food and company were good. The mini-golf course was interesting and well done, but the golf itself was not quite up to par. No more will be said about that little exercise .

Can you believe it?

"Texas State Representative Gerry Mandering introduced
a bill that would require anyone who plans to commit a crime to
give their would-be victim at least twenty-four hours notice in
writing or orally, but only in certain crimes."

Not sure of the date or the details - but this is one of many Governments Goofs in "For Seeing Eye Dogs Only" - and eBook from Free-ebooks.net. Maybe I have got too much time on my hands but this book is good for some laughs - even if the stories are true.

Coral Bay

The wind is a part of life on this coast from September to April. It always blows, sometimes gently and sometimes not.

When the wind is mild the place is magnificent, the sea is calm, the day is warm. If the wind is a bit stronger it is a little uncomfortable.

Here we have experienced both - but the few days spent on the southern part of the Ningaloo Reef have been well spent.

As with all the spots along this part of the coast there are tours to do. Every day could be spent on a boat or a quad bike. And every day could cost $70 - 300 per person as well. We chose one trip, a couple of walks, a few hours snorkeling off the beach, and a little but of sunset watching.

At the end of a hard day on the beach we also had time for cappuccino and cake. I can thoroughly recommend the carrot cake at the Coral Bay bakery.

Weeks @ Worship 2

Port Hedland
The Uniting Church was near our caravan park and there was a small group of people who met for worship. A Frontier Services pastor was leading, in the absence of the regular minister, and I was the lone male. It was a comfortable and welcoming environment where visitors were over half the total worshippers. One other visitor had been to Africa a number of times with Medicin sans Frontiers. Having recently read "The Heart of Darfur" by Lisa French Blaker it was interesting to chat with one of the team who had been there before her. While each persons perspective and experience is different the perseverance and quiet suffering of the people remains a common theme.

I was taken by an image which seemed to be the mission statement of this small congregation. It was good, but there seemed to be something missing.

Tom Price

After some quieter times of worship it was a bit of a shock to be in a congregation were children and adults were present in equal numbers. 26 adults and 26 children worshipped at the Baptists on SAO Sunday. In this tradition SAO meant 'Save an Orphan', and has morphed into 'Share an opportunity'. During the service it was good to learn that at least l0 children were being sponsored by families in this congregation. Here was a lively, noisy, active, connected congregation that had a quiet focus beyond themselves.
I was reminded of the orphans and urchins of Mbeya, of kids who hang around the markets and mothers who sit patiently trying to sell some fruit or vegetables to feed, clothe and educate their children. Child sponsorship makes a difference, but the needs remain great.


Exmouth

Where the range meets the reef we worshipped with the Exmouth Christian Fellowship. There were many children present, and the service was largely led by the lay people. I confess to being surprised that the pastors were an older couple (recognition of two birthdays indicated that the sixty mark had already been left behind) and confess that I was not sure what to expect as the message bega. At the end I left with food for thought and a bit of a challenge. Perhaps I should not be surprised about the people God uses.

Personal and practical life experiences were used to illustrate Scripture - in a very sound, straightforward, and helpful message.
The idea that David learned to trust God through his parents was not new, but the contribution of his working environment to his faith development had not been given enough attention. Perhaps it was the naming of those barren hills as his place of work, and as a hostile place, that emphasised it. Or it may have been the connection with our own hostile and uncomfortable working environments that drove it home. Yet in those environments we can, and must, trust God for safety, protection and wisdom. Thanks to Pastor Linda for that reminder.

Where the range meets the reef!

A week at Exmouth has been relaxing and refreshing.

No traffic lights, just a few traffic hazards as we drive through Cape Range NP on our way to some of the snorkeling spots on Ningaloo Reef. Emus were more a problem on our way to the Exmouth township, but kangaroos that don't move off the road, plus an echidna and perentie that caused a minor stir on the road (three or four cars stopped as people got out to take photos) added to our driving experience. The perentie just kept moving slowly, but the echidna applied its defence mechanism and simply curled up into a ball as people approached. It eventually got across the road.

Photos were taken of these natives, but no pictures are available of the underwater scenes at the snorkeling spots - Lakeside, Oyster Stacks and Turquoise Bay. It is amazing to swim just 10 meters offshore and be on the edge of a coral reef - and it is quite magnificent. Ningaloo Reef is well worth a visit if you like the water. Goggles and a snorkel make a bit of a difference too!

Add the Lighthouse and spots for whale watching - its not a bad place to visit.

Just down the road we have an Australian Navy Communications base. There they can probably get in touch with ships (including submarines) all around the world.

Here, at the caravan park below the lighthouse, we cannot even get Telstra reception.... amazing that technology can be so advanced, and yet so incomplete. Still we came here for the reef, not mobile phone reception.

Congratulations to the Cats

The Fire Station at Exmouth was the location to watch the 2009 Grand Final.

As a neutral I was not concerned one way or the other, until the game got underway. It would be good for the Saints to win for the first time since 1966. Or so I thought. As the game got underway my 9 years in Geelong kicked in, and I was barracking for the Cats.

It was a good contest, with some interestingly bad umpiring decisions that probably balanced out in the end.
That great South Australian Premiership Coach Malcolm Blight maintains that there is only one statistic that counts - the numbers on the scoreboard at the end of the day. Saints kicked poorly and that statistic showed that the Cats won by 12 points.

Two out of three ain't bad