Mon 7 Oct 2013 - Surfing at Red Bluff

The wind died down during the night and so Rodger was able to go for a surf early this morning. I just had a quick dip in the sea to get clean, as it's a dangerous beach. I was also able to hang out the swimmers and towels to dry, without them disappearing over the dunes!

Rodger enjoyed his surf and caught several waves off the gnarly reef break, but grazed himself on the reef as he was trying to get out through a small keyhole in the cliff. 

Guy taking off on the second wave

in the tube

coming out of the tube

nice line

Unfortunately Mel was too busy making our lunches in the van to take any pictures of me surfing - pity but I had a great time out there as the only longboard surfer!

When he got back and we'd had breakfast, we travelled further North to 3 Mile Beach where we'd heard there's a lagoon and snorkelling. This is also on a sheep station and on the way in, we passed the bore, driven by a windmill, where the sheep and some goats were drinking.

We arrived at 11.30 am but the office was closed until 1.00pm, so we decided to find a vacant site, go snorkelling and come back to check in later. However, when we went in the water, we found that the currents were dangerous, most of the coral dead and less fish than back at The Aquarium. While we ate our lunch, we decided there wasn't anything to hang around for and were glad we hadn't been able to book in.

The next and last place on the road is called Gnarloo and it's also supposed to be a good surfing spot, so we headed up there. 

It's a very strange place, completely barren with a caravan graveyard and yet somebody's building some holiday cottages there. They're not near the beach, it was another 20 mins down a sandy, corrugated track before we came to a beautiful and sheltered bay, full of windsurfers and kite boarders. 

It was very pretty, but no surf or snorkelling. A guy there told Rodger that there's a good surf beach next to 3 Mile, called Tombstones, so back we went, along the deserted road and then a track and then suddenly there was a car park full of cars! Unfortunately, Tombstones was also far more suited to windsurfers and kites and there were lots of them out there. 

It was still very exposed and windy here so we decided there wasn't anything to stay for and, as it was only 2.00pm, we could make it back to the retro camping at Quobba Pt for the night.

We got back at 4.00pm after stopping for another look at the amazing blowholes. Where the water had splashed on the rocks and then evaporated in the sun, there were puddles of salt crystals left behind. Our old camping spot was taken but we found another nearby, with a good fireplace. We felt as if we'd been away for a week instead of just one night! 

We had just made the fire when our neighbours returned, a single mum and 4 little boys, who were fascinated with the fire and clearly enjoyed Rodger's company. Luckily we had a packet of marshmallows, so after we'd all had dinner and washed up, we sat around the fire and the boys loved toasting them. 

When they went to bed, Rodger and I went for a moonlit walk along the sand dunes and then had some delicious frozen mango, that we bought at the markets.