Day 5 – Anson’s Bay to Swimcart Beach

We get up just before 8.   Bacon and eggs off the Barby, then a shower.  So nice to be able to do that while camping up.

Liam and I go out for a walk. There’s a sandbar just in front of the campsite that was isolated when we drove in yesterday, but as the tide must be lower we can walk out to it now.

A guy is out there fishing, but it doesn’t seem he’s having much luck.

It’s a beautiful sunny morning and not really cold at all.

We pull out just after 10 and are surprised that we did everything, no rush or panic and we’re on the road in under 2hrs.

We’ve only got about 55km to go today, so we’re not really in any rush.   Surprisingly the road is dirt pretty much the whole way into St Helens.   Goes to show, just because a road is in yellow on the map, doesn’t make it some sealed highway.

We stop just outside of town to empty the dunny, we must have pick the wrong time, as a group of three vans pull in just before we do, we wonder if they are the same three we passed yesterday on the way into Policeman’s Point?

The plan was to stop in St Helens for an early lunch, but the place appears packed and I can’t see any van parking options, so we continue up the coast.   There are heaps of camping spots up here, but the one I’ve got my eye on is called Swimcart Beach, it’s a line of maybe a dozen sites right on the beach.  I’ve seen photos and it looks pretty good.  I try not to get my hopes up as it will be pot luck for us to get a spot.   We arrive, and given it’s a one lane road, I suggest to Justine to walk up and see if there are any spots, better that than trying to reverse out if needed.

She and Liam go for a walk, in the meantime another van just drives by.  If he gets the last spot I’ll have a sense of humor failure!  In the end there are a couple of spots, both small, and less than level, but we make do and have this sensational view of the ocean.   What a location!

After some lunch, we take a drive north to some rocky outcrops, after all, that’s what this area is famous for, those reddish coloured rocks. Initially the kids really didn’t want to come, and wanted to lounge around in the van, but as soon as they where out there, they were running around the rocks and searching the rockpools for life.

I’ve got to say, particularly in the sun, the colour of the water is absolutely sensational.  We’re trying to get to the headland with some rocks out in the ocean, but we’ve come up short, we try the next road, but again we’re one to soon.   The kids have a ball, but the wind is getting fresh so we elect to leave and we can come back again tomorrow.

From here we drive into St Helens to get a few more supplies, then back to the van for a quiet afternoon.

Out of the sun and in the wind, it ends up being quite fresh, so we get out some warmer clothes.

Every once in a while, another camper or van drives by, only to drive back a few minutes later.  I know we got super lucky yesterday, but turning up here after 12 and expecting a spot is really wishful thinking.

Justine goes for a walk to the rocks at the southern end of the beach, the kids don’t want to go and my foot is not up to it.  While it was a great walk, by the end the walk in the soft sand is more that she bargained for.

As the sun goes down it started getting very cool.  Dinner had, and there is nothing for it, it’s time for the heater.

After an early movie, the kids go to bed and we pop outside.  While it’s only a half moon, it so bright outside, you could read by it.   We do a bit of stargazing, but the cold beats us and we retreat for the night.  Still, we get to hear the sounds of the waves.