Terrific Turtle Thursday

Just back from two hours of being on the beach in the total darkness, watching Turtles dig holes and lay their eggs and tiny turtle hatchlings racing to the sea. Absolutely amazing to witness but has to be done using red lights so as not to disturb them.  Sad moment spoiler alert........ Was watching one turtle dig her nest when two hatchlings from another nest stumbled straight into this nest, we managed to get one out and missy J the turtle heroine set him on course for the sea but alas the other was never seen again, we are hoping that as it managed to dig itself out of a nest initially, it will be able to manage the same again.......

Pity there was no moon tonight as that would have helped, however the sky, stars, Milky Way and planets were amazing, as there is absolutely no light, so no light pollution, heroine J states she has never ever seen such a brilliant sky.

Now you may recollect that I have what some would say, implied a certain level of critism towards the Australian tourist publicity machine in that they exaggerate somewhat, all I can say about tonight it is the most understated event we know of in Australia and beats the opera House and the bridge by far.  That said, we had enough imbeciles here tonight as it was, so just maybe there is some method behind the absence of publicity.

If you see the first picture of what looks like tyre tracks, it is in fact turtle tracks just by the beach entrance, so you can imagine how many turtles come ashore between October and March with 80 miles of beach to choose from.

No photos of actual laying as we are requested not to take photos until the turtle is on its way back to the sea after the laying. No prizes for guessing where we will be tomorrow night.....

Ps: I take back all I have said about the Aussies going to bed early, tonight was great, after about half hour, they all left to go to bed at nine and so we had the beach to ourselves plus the odd turtle or so.......

    Turtle Tracks

    That was hard work

    Can't a woman do anything without.........

    Out of my way, I'm coming through.........

    The tide is supposed to be in, where is it.......

Turtle Thursday

Am I up before the sun? Not quite, it's the first early morning walk for me where there has not been a visible sunrise, the storm clouds have moved on but the remnants remain in the east.......
Tea, shower, depart camp for breakfast, it's our first cafe breakfast since arriving and o boy do they send their workman off on a full stomach.......
Let's walk it off by following the joonjoo botanical trail, it recommends 1-2 hours to complete it and it's supposed to have everything.  We get there and the sign says, Watch out for snakes and other biting creatures.  We begin our walk and after ten minutes, start thinking the Australian publicity machine has been working overtime again, we do not hear a bird chirp, any leaves rustle, do not even see any ants or have to swat away any flies, this botanical woodland walk is like Monty Pythons parrot, Dead!
Half hour in, give up and turn back, let's drive the 536kms to 80 mile beach.......
This journey is now embedded in our minds forever as being the most boring journey undertaken so far this trip, it starts off going through Cattle Farming territory and stops and starts repeatedly because of cows on the road....... But after that, Yawn! It was dull, although we did get overtaken twice......
In at 80 mile beach and wow what a lovely camp site, right on the beach, hardly anyone here and when we ask about the turtles still laying/hatching, the receptionist says, "YES"
We skip out of office, park up and go to look at beach, OMG........
Not only is the sea a stunning turquoise colour, the beach is white sand with thousands upon thousands of sea shells and better still, there are so many, what look like tyre tracks, but are in fact turtle tracks coming up the beach, we get so excited we go look for the toilets......... We also spot small turtle tracks going in the opposite direction, high tide is about 9pm tonight, I feel a very late night coming on but unfortunately no photos as the flash disturbs and frightens the adult turtles and disorientates the baby turtles.........

    Moo ve over.......

    80 mile beach losing its colour

    40 miles of sunset..........