GreenHead, November 2010.

It was Thursday before we left for our trip up to GreenHead but as we were leaving a couple of days early anyway it wasn't important that we didn't get away until 9ish.
First stop was Pinjarra as I had to buy more meds and while we were there Hubby decided to call into Auto1 and check out some bike racks.  We bought one but there was a bit of a drama with it.   It was an hour later before we were on the move again.
We got onto the freeway and it was then a quick drive north but we had to make a stop at a shopping centre off the freeway just before Perth.  We were looking for a book of maps and a bike part.  Found the bike part but not 1 of the 4 shops we looked in had the book we wanted.  I had packed food for munching on in the car but the foodcourt called to Hubby and it was more than an hour and a half before we were on our way again.

CERVANTES.
We stayed at Cervantes Caravan Park on Thursday night but didn't set up the tent  We unpacked the table, stove, esky, then the bikes, had a coffee then walked down to the jetty, back for coffee then Hubby went fishing while I stayed at the car *soloing*
No fish, no squid.  Sandwiches for tea.
We slept in the swag on the back of the Cruiser, woke early, had coffee then a bike ride.  Coming out of the park I saw *something* through the fence on the road.  The road had houses down one side but this thing was a kangaroo.  It was munching on someones front lawn then it went hopping down the street.  So cool.
Left here about 8am.




GREY.
I had never heard of this place, we called in to see it as I wanted to go to Wedge but we missed the turnoff.
There is a sign saying "Grey Sustainable Comunity" and the whole area is covered in ramshackle shacks.  There are tracks going off in all directions and each shack looks worse than the last.  Big blue barrels on the roofs for water.  I thought the place was really cool but Hubby just kept shaking his head and saying "what a mess, they should be pulled down"  I'm surprised some didn't fall down by themselves.


JURIEN BAY.
We have stayed here before but we called in mainly to get some information on the "Blessing of the Fleet" festival that was on over the weekend.  Crayfishing was due to open in a few days time.
The caravan park looked busy and on the way out of town we passed a sign saying " overflow camping" so the town knew they were going to be full and had set up an alternative area.  We checked it out as we were thinking of coming back for the festival but we ended up staying in GreenHead.

GREENHEAD.
We arrived in Greenhead late afternoon, drove around a bit then went to the caravan park and booked in.  We had a powered site at $27 a night for us both.
Unpacked, set up camp, coffee then rode down to the jetty, just to make sure it was still there. Back to camp for coffee then fishing Friday night.  He tried for fish and squid, caight a few Herring but didn't even see a squid.





Saturday.  Woke before the birds at 4.30, up and walked out the back of the caravan park.  There are cliffs out here that give a geat veiw out over the water.  I love walking out there and feeling the power of the Universe.  Saw quite a few fat healthy looking rabbits that would go nice in the pan...
After breakfast and a bike ride we drove out to Billygoat Bay.  We kinda intended to fish for Whiting.  This bay was so calm but it looked like the tide was out, a couple of other cars coming and going.
We drove onto the beach, the beaches are easy to get onto in this area and all seem really hard so there is no problem driving along them.  Set up *camp* I was going to read but thought that a waste so did some beachcombing instead.  Found some pretty shells, one quite big, bigger than any I have seen for years.
Was walking through the water, it was so cold but so clean and clear that even though I don't swim in salt water I had to.  It was very *refreshing*
Hubby made lunch.  Gotta say it, that guy does look after me.
Bike ride in the afternoon.  Went exploring then up to a lookout then up to another one.  Some of the hilly tracks were quite steep and one of us had to get off and walk.  Going down the hill on the bike was scarey though.  Loose gravel then a curve through sand.  Not good but I only landed on my face once, the other few times I managed to save myself.  You'd think I'd learn but no, it was kinda fun and what's a few scratches and bruises when you're having fun.  We did find a Geocache on our travels though.  Back to camp for coffee.   Fishing in the evening and a couple of Herring were caught. 

Sunday. Up just after 4am again.  Out the back for my walk, explored a little cove that we had discovered the day before.  Back to wake him up for coffee.  Fishing down the jetty but only caught 1 Wrasse.  On the way back to the car we saw some blokes dragging a net out off the beach so went over for a look.  They had pulled in a few dozen Mullet and gave us some so another meal sorted. 
Around 10am we left and drove out to the Stockyard Gully Cave.  We have been here before but I really like it so we went back for another look.  We saw  parts of the cave that we never noticed last time and I explored a cave within the main cave.  So dark with the torch turned off and scarey in a fun sort of way.  Back to camp for lunch then I read/slept while he went squidding out the back.  Caught 2 so tea was sorted.
It was very windy most of Sunday afternoon.  Hubby made Salt and Pepper Squid for us for tea.  I did put together a salad to go with it and as I had grown most of it I didn't feel too bad about him doing most of the cooking.  In bed by 7.30.

We were planning on leaving GreenHead on Monday but on Sunday the bloke in the campsite next to us invited us out in his boat.  Hubby agreed I declined, it wasn't a very big boat and it was windy and I don't fish...blah, blah, blah...Wish I went now though.

Monday.  Walked again, this walk will be a regular thing whenever I am up here.   Out the back squidding by 5.30 but nothing there so back to camp for coffee and beakfast.  The boat was suposed to be leaving at 7 but it was so windy it was put off for a bit so we went for a walk then back to wait and see if the wind dopped.  It did so the men left around 9.  I was going to tidy up camp but went for a ride instead.  I was back around 10, a quick tidy then read 'til the boat came back.  Doesn't seem like boat fishing is much better than any other fishing as he only ended up with 5 Herring.  At 2.30 we went out the back, caught nothing off the rocks so went down to the cove and caught a blowie.  Back to camp at 5.30.  We did see an Eagle Ray at the cove sand a big, yellow beaked bird so that was good.  Went down the jstty but didn't have any decent gear with us so caught nothing.  Lots of Wrasse swimming arounf but we couldn't catch them.  I must look up on how to as they are nice to eat and there was a lot of them, taking the bait but not the hook.  A lady down there fishing had caught a squid, a wrasse, some herring so hopefully it was just our lack of gear that was stopping us.

Tuesday.
Slept in and didn't start my walk until 5.  Went down to the cove and saw a small shovelnose shark swimming along the shoreline.  Back for coffee then walked out the back again with Hubby.  Back at camp and had breakfast and was packed up and ready to leave by 8.20.


WEDGE ISLAND.
Called into here on the way home.  With the new road going north from
Cervantes there are quite a few places that are now easy to get to but why do all the best spots have *No Camping* signs up?  I had heard of this place years ago but thought that it had been closed down and was just an area where motorbike hoons went for their fun.  I was wrong, there are heaps of shacks there and most looked in a lot better condition than the ones in Grey.  We drove down onto the beach for a look and it is one of the loveliest beaches that I have seen for a long time.  Wide clean white sand beach, blue water, the island way down the south end.
We drove down to where some boats were on the sand and could see right away how the place had got it's name.  The island is just like a wedge.  It looks like something a giant would stick under his door to stop it slamming shut.
The beach was hard and easy to drive on. It was windy but not too bad but we weren't there long. We decided to come back another day and went back into the shack area.  We stopped and I spoke to a couple thatwere outside their shack, they have been going there for 38 years, that's a long time but according to them it is the only place to go.


I will add to this over the next few days as I remember stuff.

Going to GreenHead.

We are off to GreenHead again, either this afternoon or early tomorrow, depending on when I can be ready by.  I have had 3 months since our last trip so more than enough time to have everything organised but I didn't do a damn thing and now I have to do it all.  In fairness though I did think we were leaving on Saturday and that I would have 3 days to get everything sorted but he sprung it on me that we would leave earlier and stay away longer.  I should have been ready anyway but I am such a S.A. that I never do things until the last minute.

And instead of being out there doing it this morning I have been out in the garden planting stuff.

I need to find my list and check the camping box, decide what food to take...but I'm not sure how much I need...lots to do...so I better get out there and make a start.

I am hoping to get some use from my Whiz while we are away
and then do a report when we get back so that will be a post for
you all to look forward to. 

GreenHead, 12-15 June, 2010.

A couple of months ago we drove up to Jurien Bay to buy some fishfood and while there we ventured further north to a place called Green Head.  I loved it.  It was a quiet, close to the water,  very lovely area.

We promised ourselves that we would come back and stay and we did that last weekend.

Green Head is less than 300km north of Perth and an easy drive.  I think that even I could do it if I needed to though Hubby did turn a couple of corners that I wouldn't have.   If I was driving though I hope I'd be concentrating more and have a better idea of which way I needed to go.

There is no free or inderpendant camping allowed in this area so we stayed at the Green Head Caravan Park.  We were going to be tenting so booked a powered site for 3 nights.  The daughter that came with us had an on-site caravan.

I was very impressed with this park.  I had read on some camping review thing that the toilet block wasn't the cleanest or the best and so I was a bit concerned but I must say that I was pretty impressed with it.
It was very clean, there were plenty of showers and toilets,
heaps of hot water.
A nice little play area for kids adjacent to the cooking area.
Nice barbecues that cost $1 and were clean with plenty of seating.  A fridge was close by in the laundry.
The grounds were clean and tidy, no rubbish laying around anywhere.
A small shop was in the office and the prices were very reasonable.  We bought squid jigs there cheaper than in the *big shops* in Mandurah.
I thought that it was a tad expensive at $25 a night for a powered site but our site was huge and we had 2 couples on it. 2 cars and 2 tents and could have fitted more.  There was an extra fee for people over the 2 allowed but only $8pp.pn

Unpowered sites were $20. but smaller and didn't seem as nice.  I think maybe because they were on dirt not grassed like ours.  I really don't know if the fees were high though as this is the first time we have camped this year.  They may be on par with other parks.  Definately cheaper than a hotel though.  The on-site van that the daughter stayed in had a solid annex and was lovely and clean with plenty of room for the 3 that stayed in it.
It was just across the road from us and as the park was really quiet the grandaughter was able to come and go quite safely and it was a great time to teach her a bit about road safety and to stop and check for cars before crossing.

The main idea of this trip was to catch some squid without travelling all the way up to Shark Bay.  There is a bit of weed in different areas but the guys mainly went squidding off the jetty.  Caught a few but not as many as they wanted to.  Fish were also caught from the jetty.  Son and his girlfriend also caught different sorts of fish off of Pt. Louice.  There are so many different bays and beaches in this area that I think that you could catch a feed whenever or whereever you went.

I am not a fisherperson so I sometimes stayed back at camp and looked after the grandaughter so T could go and have a go.  Because I wasn't out near the water as much as the othes I missed seeing Sealions.  How sad is that!  Next time I will go and sit near the water until I do see one.  The first night there though we were all down on the jetty and we saw a massive Stingray.  It was huge.  There were a few smaller, different types of ray swimming around as well but the stingray...Huge.  It would have covered the top of my car.

What I like about this place is the different outlooks from the coastline.  There are cliffs, sandy beaches, rocky outcrops.  Absolutely snunning views from everywhere.




One thing that disapointed us was the fact the there are no campfires allowed in the area.  There were no fire rings or anything at the caravan park so we didn't get to try out our campfire cooking.  We used an eleftric frypan on the sat night and then the barbecues the following 2 nights.  Breakfast was bacon and eggs or leftovers done in the frypan.  Water for coffee was heated on a gas bottle with a ring on top.  We did take a couple of small stove thingies but they were not used.

Hubby and I took our pushbikes and they were used by everyone to get to different places so I think they will go with us on our trips.

We had a great time and plan on going back to this place a few more times this year.  Who wants to come with us?