18th September. Geralddton, Coronation Beach.

On the road again, stopped for 2 nights at Nerren Nerren Rest Area, a nice big area with lots of parking areas within it. On the second morning, our friends found that they had a flat tyre, Brian helped change it and they decided to head straight to Geraldton to make arrangements for a full set of new tyres (5), then camp at Coronation Beach. We stayed the second night then straight to join them because they were able to get the new tyres delivered from Perth & have them fitted on 16th. We stayed with their caravan while they attended to things in town, 33k away.

One of the New tyres, only done 33k!

Our van is the one on the extreme left. It is a beautiful spot $14 per night, toilets that are clean, a caretaker, a dump and many Rubbish bins. No water or electricity.

Brian has developed a hacking cough & has also now shared it with Fred😠😠😠. It appears that they will both live.😃😃😃

The flies are a trial, they have driven us to this!!!

Saturday 17th was Christy's Birthday. Happy Birthday.

i didn't make. It but gave it to her with love.

It was a chilly, windy morning so we decided to go into town for a look around. It's a big Port Town, huge export of Iron Ore and Wheat. The silos around the wharfs are HUGE

There were 7 ships lying at anchor, waiting in the bay. A long way out, reminded us of Newcastle.

They would be for iron ore as its not the wheat season for another month. There are 2 shopping centres as well as all the other things. We visited 'Kentucky Fried' for the first time this trip! Then missed the Information Centre because it closes 1pm Saturday's! There is a caravan parking spot very close by that you can stay in 24hrs. We will go there on Friday morning, go to laundromat, supermarket, Fuel up , Vist the Info Centre and see the sights we missed.

We drove the foreshore, it is beautifully presented

and then went to the museum until it closed. The most interesting display to us was the story of The Batavia, a shipwrecked in 1629, with one of the most horrific mutinies in history.

this a a reconstruction of what the bottom of the ship was carrying. The rocks were for balist & were to be used in a construction like this at Batavia now Djakarta.

There was also another display about the sinking of The Sydney on 19 November1941 by the German raider which also sunk, 82 killed  & 317 eventually captured.

The wrecks were not located until 2008.

We could see the 'Dome Memorial' for the 645 who went down with her, but will visit it on Friday.

From previously:- As we were driving out from The Blowholes at Point Quooba, we could see a 'blockage' ahead......Brian had waved goodbye to a guy towing an older pop top van , and his mate following in his own Ute......Our friends were ahead of us & had stopped, , they then drove on as no help was needed. The first vehicle & camper had rolled twice, the vehicle was back on its wheels and the van was in a thousand pieces. There was nothing on the road, it was all on the side of it. The road was straight with a very slight incline, we don't know anything except the van began fishtailing.....could have been a blowout or???? Oh it was horrible, very thankful that there was no injuries, but he had lost EVERYTHING. A very sad sight & a sight to make us extra careful. We also did not stop as he had all the help he needed.