Tuesday, Oct 21 - to Bremer Bay

Pics: ouor cottage at Bremer Bay, Southern Ocean view

Overcast, but warm. Up at 5;30 and out for a walk around the retreat. I finally got good views of the Elegant Parrots - beautiful, yellow parrots with bands of turquoise across their bills that grazes quietly on the ground. Bob spotted a hole in a tree and was lucky enough to spot a Australian Owlet- Nightjar peeking out, a very cute fuzzy owl-like bird.

I cooked French toast with jelly for breakfast and we cleaned the cottage and packed up and left this wonderful nature reserve about ten. I drove southeast away from the Stirling Range Mountains and once again into flat wheat fields and scrub. We stopped to bird several times and were amazed to see that none of the highway signs are full of gunshot holes as they are throughout the American West and by the lack of trash. The population density is much lower, but even so…

We arrived in Bremer Bay about 2:30. Bremer Bay is a strange little town right on the coast of the Southern Ocean. There are three places to stay: Bremer Bay Caravan Park, Bremer Bay Resort, and Bremer Bay Beaches Resort and Caravan Park, all hidden in the six foot high coastal scrub, none with an ocean view and very confusingly named. Finally sorted it out and got our BB Beaches Resort 2-bedroom chalet, a very nice house with front porch, TV and full kitchen, but a mile from the water!

Mark took a nap and Bob and I drove off to find the ocean. We suddenly emerged onto a small fishing harbor with a pure white beach and turquoise water. The absolutely clean sand “crunched” beneath our feet and we found giant limpet shells - quite tropical and warm (67 water, 73 air) considering it’s the same latitude as San Luis Obispo. It’s a very complicated coastline here and there are islands and coves and beaches everywhere you drive.

We drove into town to the one general store and stocked up on food and rum. Got two T-bones for tomorrow as our cabin comes with an enormous grill. Returned back to the cabin where we all took showers and dumped all of our clothes in bags and sprinted over to the large coin laundry facility - four machines!! Laundry issues resolved, we had drinks, out to dinner at the Bremer Bay Resort for amazingly good food: chicken and pumpkin curry, pork ribs and lamb cutlet. Rain, thunder and lightening.