Mad March Continues

Sunday dawned clear but still windy and we had a late start, a hearty breakfast, packed up some drinks and a lunch and headed out to the Promontory itself.

Despite booking the closest accommodation to the actual Prom that was possible, it was still a good hour’s drive into the national park before we reached the campsite and general store. We’d done a bit of research about walks, and told the park staff where we were off to, just in case. Ever since the fires in the park last year, they like you to let them know where you’re likely to be, just in case.

We’d chosen a short walk, a couple of hours around a little cape with views to the Squeaky Beach. There were lovely views all over the place. Looks like an easy enough walk, doesn’t it? It got harder.

The river leading to the beach near the campsite.

People making their way to the beach.

Squeaky beach, from on high. And rocks. This is where we started heading back downhill, and it got hard on the knees and ankles, and a bit slippery underfoot as well. I need better hiking shoes (add that to the list of things we can’t really afford).

Dead tree with hill.

Random wildflowers.

Weird fungi I spotted.

The view of the campsite as we rounded the final bend.

There was a guy there about our age walking the trail with two intellectually challenged and one Down Syndrome kid. They were all teens actually, and they were having the time of their lives, while the bloke was doing it a bit tough, like me. We were treated to the magical picture of the Downs kid doing pirouettes on the trail while he waited for the others to catch up with him. I was inspired to do a few pirouettes of my own:

I did it!

(Darren’s been walking The Tan every day at lunch and a lot fitter than me at the moment)

Following that adventure, we judged we deserved a bit of a swim and headed to the Squeaky Beach. Which lived up to its name. The sand is so fine and white and clean that it squeaks as you walk on it. I have to admit though that the water was so cold, I chickened out when I was waist deep. It’s not like swimming in the topics down here in the Southern Ocean, not at all, and it seems our holidays in Broome and Darwin (where the water is warm and the pools are heated anyway) have made me into a big wussy. Never mind, I had a nice laze on the beach while Darren proved himself hardier than I once again.

After that, we decided to head back to our cabin for a well-deserved shower, spotting a huge wedge-tailed eagle on the way, and had a big dinner and were in bed early. Which meant the next morning, we woke up and dragged our blankies outside to sit and watch this:

But it got weird. Can you see it?

What about now?

How about now?

I did a search of satellites, comets and other space objects and even spacecraft (thinking it might be the shuttle, but I found out it takes 18mins for orbit, so it wouldn’t have been visible and near-stationary for so long, and also, it wasn’t out at that time) when we got home and could not find any explanation for it. It stayed visible for at least 5mins before it disappeared (presumably as the sun moved and was no longer lighting it). It was not a plane or meteorite as it would have passed from sight sooner. If anyone can tell me, I’d love to know what it was.

Soon, though we were just left with this:

And finally this:

And that was our last morning on the Prom. We drove around a bit and had a good mooch at a local market on the way home (where I found six sixpence for $15, intending to put them in a Christmas pudding, and then Darren declared that most of them were too valuable and he was keeping them!). Barry was happy to see us on our arrival, and we’d had a lovely break.