A Day Off From “Work”

Today was a scheduled day off from work. They have been working without a day off for a while here, so today was a play day for everyone.

Cindy and I started out with a morning run, then breakfast thanks to the girls at left. 

Then we headed out to Francois Peron National Park for a day trip.Peron NP is located at the tip of the peninsula that is in the middle of the two gulfs of shark bay. To get to the end of the peninsula, you need to travel 40km on a red rugged sandy “road”. We had to let the pressure out of the tires. It was a two way road, but mostly one lane. In some parts the sand was deep and our vehicle (Uncle Neville) would only move in 4WDL. There were a few sections of the road that went through byrrdhas (sp?). These are dried up flat areas that I believe fill with water in the wet season. They were kind of like pitted salt flats with shrubbery. The picture at left is Cindy reinflating the tires at the end of the day.

Cape Peron was amazing. It was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. (I realize I said that last week at Cape Tribulation, but Peron was magical!). Cindy and I went out to a spot to have a picnic lunch over the water. 

From where we were sitting we could see multiple dolphins (with their young), a few different rays (including cow tail rays and shovelnose rays), and schools of fish. We sat there for a long time just watching the critters swim by.

On the way back down the 4WD road we stopped at Bottle Beach, which was lovely, but anticlimactic after going to Cape Peron. More dolphins. You see them everywhere. No kidding. I don't think I have been down to the water once since I have been here without seeing a dolphin.

When we were almost back home at Monkey Mia, we saw an echidna on the side of the road. There were some men there trying to coax him to get away from the road. He did not want to move. Once we all walked away from him, he strolled slowly into the brush.