Monday, March 17, 2008

Yes Dad, the Southern Ocean is freezing

Sunday 23rd February 2008
We have decided that as it is Sunday and we wouldn’t be able to get much done business wise we would go out for a drive and spend a bit of quality time with the kids.
We decided to head South to Augusta and quite by mistake ended up on the coast road, it was beautiful, driving through Vineyards and Forests, from time to time we drove through an area that had been caught in a Bush fire and the Bark on the Trees would be totally blackened but there would be fresh green leaves and branches shooting out of it and where the ground had been blackened Ferns and Bushes had re grown, it was quite a spectacle to look at as we meandered along the road hardly seeing another vehicle as we went.
When we got to Augusta we carried on through the town until we got to a place called Flinders bay, it is beautiful, there were a load of older people sitting at the waters edge all dressed up in their Sunday best and a few other families scattered around on the beach. This is the Southern Ocean, we have got to go in it, so we got changed into our swimming gear and went into the sea, it was definitely colder than up where Sharon lives but unlike up there the water is Chrystal Clear and not very salty. Ian was swimming underwater with his eyes open and could see really well without any bother at all. The sun was starting to get hot and you can’t afford to spend long out in the open in the middle of the day so we dried off and headed further round the coast to have a look at a Lighthouse and what is left of a very old Waterwheel that was used to pump water to the building site when they were building the Lighthouse. Then we drove back into town where we found a Deli/Café where we had a most delightful lunch.
After lunch it was back in the car and off to find another beach this time it was Hamelin Bay, a beautiful Bay with Golden Sand and Crystal Clear waters, it was hot so we all went for a swim , this was still the Southern Ocean and we can’t get over the difference between the water down here and a couple of hundred Km up the coast. Again the sun is still hot so we are only there for about ½ hour before drying off and heading up the coast road again, we went down a few side turnings along the way and some of the views and houses out in this remote area are amazing, if you want to lose yourself somewhere this is the place to be.
We then went to a beach which is probably one of the Closest to Margaret River, Gnarabup, yet another lovely beach and as it was about 5pm and starting to cool down we were able to spend a bit more time there which pleased the kids. After a couple of hours we headed back to the Chalet and while the kids were getting showered Ian went to the supermarket to organise the evening meal, the kids favourite, Picky Bits, just simple nibbles that they can eat with their hands and then another early night.

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