Day 11: Galena - Shell Beach - Monkey Mia

Today, Samuel is the first one awake again and he wakes us up. Since we have a bit of driving to do today, we are not upset about it. We grab a quick bite to eat, empty our toilet, and leave at 9 o'clock towards Shark Bay - our destination for the day.

The first leg of the trip takes us along the North Western Costal Highway. It is typically Australian - straight for kilometers on end. We see a family of ostriches crossing the highway. We take a break at the Overlander Roadhouse, buy some toys, and treat ourselves to a steak, fish & chips, and of course an ice cream.

In the early afternoon, we stop at Shell Beach. The entire beach consists of billions of little white shells. A beautiful spot! Unfortunately, in the past, it was allowed to drive vehicles on the beach, which is why there is a lot of 'shell breakage'. We have a picnic and splash around in the sea. The water is pleasant and it's easy to stay afloat because of the high salt content in Shark Bay.

On our way north, we make a stop at Whale Bone Bushcamp and Eagle Bluff (in the shallow water, we spot a small shark). We consider spending the night at one of the four beach camps tomorrow. We still need a permit from the Office in Denham for that anyways.

On a whim, we decide to drive the 26 kilometers to Monkey Mia from Denham and spend the night there. Then, tomorrow morning, we will already be with the dolphins. What we didn't think about: Western Australia is currently in the middle of a 2-week school holiday. The campground in Monkey Mia is packed with locals. We can't help but marvel at the sight: huge off-road vehicles, top-class off-road caravans, and mega-tents with all imaginable accessories. We manage to snag the last spot on an ensuite site (a site with a private toilet/bathroom) and pay 105 AUD for it. The resort has just been renovated and all facilities are brand new: a great, albeit very refreshing, pool, spacious communal kitchens...

The kids take another swim in the pool. Then we treat ourselves to a sundowner beer on the beach and a shower in the private bathroom. We end the successful day with rump steak and wedges. Even though it is very touristy here, we really like it. We would have liked to stay one more night, but tomorrow the place is completely booked.

September 22, 2018

Accommodation: RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort / Monkey Mia (1 night, 105 AUD, very nice newly renovated place, huge)

Weather: sunny & cloudy, 30 degrees Celsius

329 kilometers today out of a total of 1,253 kilometers traveled