The magnificent rust-red landscapes of the Kimberleys have given way to the vast tidal flats of the Pilbara coast from Eighty Mile Beach to Exmouth (yet to come) as we have come south from Barn Hill. Inland the Pilbara's soil is as red as the Kimberleys due to the rich iron ore deposits. But the above photo shows the beginning of Eighty Mile Beach.
Our next stop was at Cape Keraudren Coastal Reserve which is contained in a nature reserve that is not a national park but an West Pilbara Shire run natural reserve. There is a one off $10 entry fee into the reserve and $7.50 charge for two people per day thereafter. But they give a discount if you stay a week or longer and there are many long stayers here too as there were at Broome and also at Barn Hill. For $45 per week many retirees find the place attractive and much cheaper than Broome or even Barn Hill, with opportunities for fishing and bird-watching. Many retirees from Perth, SA and also from Victoria come west or north to spend the dry winters here.
The cape is the southern most part of the Eighty Mile Beach along the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The above photo shows one of the camp spots in the reserve with the ocean as the backdrop.
Above is a photo of the lovely spot on the reserve that we chose to camp. The colour of the water is due to the whiteness of the sand. Theoretically, estuarine crocodiles may come here (they are spreading further and further south along the coast on the western side of Australia), but the water is so shallow here and so clear that we safely bathed in the creek. It was a delightful spot to camp.
This photo is of the ochre coloured rocks at sunset.
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