Emu Creek – Take 2

After leaving Denham, Shark Bay Area, our next destination was Emu Creek Station. We stopped in at Coral Bay on the way and am I glad we are not staying there! We have both visited before and it is a beautiful place but it was wall to wall tourists, packed into the caravan parks so close the vans were almost touching. Not our idea of fun. We continued on to Emu Creek. This station is 25 kilometres off the main road and turns many tourists off. The road in is gravel but not rough. We call in to reception but no one is about so we continue on to find our spot in the campground. Almost the same spot we parked last time. Up on the main level overlooking the river and large permanent waterhole which has dropped in level considerably since we were here 6 weeks ago. There are quite a few campers here but with plenty of room around each set up, we are not crowded. This is such a relaxing spot and we are setting up for a few days of relaxation. There are families here and the kids are having a ball in the river on kayaks and floaties and a rope swing. It’s great to see them having so much fun and not a iPad or computer game in sight.

Denise and Andrew, station managers, call around later in the afternoon to collect fees and have a chat. I organise to have my hair cut again on Friday morning before heading out on Saturday.

Philip gets a job while he is here, as we are camped about 100 metres from the shower block which has a donkey wood heater to heat the shower water. He has to stoke the fire throughout the day to keep the water hot. Not a terribly difficult job but the campers do like hot showers between 3 and 5 pm.

(P) it pays to “be nice to Phil” when he has a technical job like this! One lady did take the trouble to mention “ her yesterday’s shower was only Luke warm”. My reply was “it is a bush camp lucky there is a shower at all”!)

During our stay here we walk up one side of the Yannarie River to the river crossing and back down the river bed to Emu Creek and back to the campground, about a 5 k round trip. Last time we were here the river was impassable. Not this time, it’s dry and sandy. It’s a lovely walk along the river with quite a few wildflowers about.

Three days of relaxing, reading, stitching and walking and a great haircut again have made this stay immensely enjoyable. It’s such a lovely spot with great hosts and somewhere we can really relax.

We are now on the road towards Karratha and Port Hedland and what a treat for the eyes. Acres and acre of purple Mulla Mulla, as far as the eye can see and then Sturt Desert Pea sprinkled in amongst it. I have never seen so much desert pea, it’s certainly flourishing this year and the bright splashes of red make the view so much more interesting.

(P) even tho it is a pea that I can’t eat! It would have to be one of my favourite flowers! We are so fortunate that we were preceded by a wetter than average season. No matter where you look the countryside is so colourful and picturesque! Not to mention how healthy the cattle look.