Denham - 16th May, 2022

 Will be third night at Denham. It’s been beautiful and a great stop over. Tomorrow we are off to Carnarvon just for one night. In an ideal world it would be great to have two or three nights at each place but of course we would need a lot more time. We started our days adventure when we left at 7.45am  at the Denham wharf to take a boat ride to do a tour of Dirk Hartog Island with Sharkbay Tours. This tour started off with a 45min drive across the bay . 

This map shows the two peninsulars the right one is where Denham is located on the dot and  left, half way up is the top of the mainland the most western point of Australia called Steep Point. Then above that is the long thin Island of Dirk Hartog Island. 

This map shows where Denham is and the Francois Peron National Park. The island of Dirk Hartog which is Alison, a National Park. In the picture you can see the gape between the Island and Point Steep on the most western point in the Australian continent.

 

We have just left the Denham Jetty at 7.45am. You can see that it is early as the sun is still coming up

We have now reached the Island and the first six passengers are being taken to shore in the tender boat. The other six of us have to wait for the second drop off.

Now it’s time for us to go ashore, what a beautiful isolated place it is.

The first thing everyone noticed is the old outboard motor on the very flash flushing toilet block. Probably the only one on the Island.

On our way for our island adventure on the bumpy surface of the sand dunes. I thought sand dunes would be soft to ride over but oh no quite the opposite. On the right is Luke our tour guide/driver on land, in the middle is one of the passengers and on the left, whom you can’t see is Russell the sea captain and the guides helper.

First stop we were taken to a bay looking over to Steep Point  the most western tip of the continent of Australia. This is near the bottom of the island and main land.

It’s like being on the moon everyone walking back to the cruiser!!

They brought us here to see. The baby sharks that swim round in this area which is protected by a reef. It was hard to see them at first just looked like a lot of rocks out there but no, most of that were the baby sharks. They stayed under water, we didn’t see their fins once. The only way we could tell they were there was that they were moving around. We also saw some turtles. 

Waiting for everyone to get back on board to be taken to the next spot

Now for the exciting part, the high cliffs with waves three metres high pounding against the cliff making all this wash.

This is the blowhole, you can see the spray coming up through the hole in the rocks down below. The noise was very loud even though not much water comes through, there is so much noise with just the pressure of the build up of waves.

The blow hole is down behind us. I was so worried about the old lady to the right she was getting so close to the edge and even bending forward and looking down to take a photo. Her husband was taking no notice. Gosh that wouldn’t pass health and safety in NZ.

A better shot looking along the coast.

Truck in the background waiting.

Looking back up the coast the other way.

Now for our return back to where we started from.

On our arrival back there were hot scones, cream and jam waiting for us at the bar. Yummy 😋 PT had three, he then didn’t need any lunch. The food and coffee were all part of the cost of the tour.

Now having our coffee in front of the bar.

Looking back to the bar. Just so quiet and peaceful out here.

As they have accomodation out here I think that this could be the dinning/lounge area

 Now looking along the other way from the bar you will see the accomodation. So quiet over here that only the nearly dead or the newly weds would want to stay there. 

Little of the old rusty pieces out here, could call it island art.

Just getting everyone together to get back to the boat. Time to go.

We were the first six back to the boat. Now waiting for the next six to arrive.

Every one on board all set to go. The captain Russell was ducking down as he wanted to get into the picture as well.

Then Luke, tour leader wanted his photo taken as he missed out in being in the last photo.

All set and we are away to return to Denham by 1.00pm. It was a great tour  and everyone seemed to enjoy it. A good team lots of fun. 

Now back at camp enjoying a cup of coffee. We have enjoy Denham. Makes such a difference if you can stop three nights or at least two but just isn’t possible with the time we have allowed. We have allowed ourselves 43 days with the motorhome then four days at the end in an apartment in Darwin.