Getting out of the campsites at Milligan Island had to be a coordinated affair as each one had to manoeuvre in order so the next could get out…

Dave jumped the gun and went out hot causing some consternation amongst the others… but there were no taillights cracked this time so Branch had no need to appear…

We drove out through farmland which was very dry – it’s hard to imagine how crops could be grown in this area…

Unfortunately the next section of the Indian Ocean Drive was closed for maintenance and won’t re-open til December 2024 so we had to take a detour via the Brand Highway – thankfully not adding too much length to our journey to Coronation Beach.

Klaus had to make a brief unexpected stop to “check a vent” – was that code for a toilet stop???

Grass trees lined the road again and the cattle and sheep were grazing in very barren paddocks – however they did look in great condition!

The farmhouses were situated well back from the road and sheltered behind the scrub covered sandhills – such a harsh environment to live in but still strikingly picturesque.

We arrived in Geraldton stopping for fuel and some filled up their water tanks…

The township has grown since we were last here and the foreshore has been really well planned and developed. We drove along the foreshore and passed the Big Marble…

Driving out to Coronation Beach which is just north of Geraldton the landscape started to change with mesas and rolling hills appearing on the skyline.

We took the turnoff to Coronation Beach and as we drove down the hill the view was breathtaking over the turquoise sea….

The place we were staying was Coro Park – a relatively new station stay right on Coronation Beach – Tracey the camp host was extremely helpful and welcoming and we all pulled into our sites and set up camp.

The wind was quite strong and unfortunately the flies were out in force, so we all had to put on the flynets pronto….

After setting up in the heat and fly plague, we went down to thew beach for a swim and much to our relief there was a lot less weed than at Green Head. The water was cool and refreshing and a great relief from the heat and flies!!!

Back at camp we all cooked our meals – Matt developing a very strategic approach to barbequing in the fly plague…

As the sun set over Coro Beach we sat outside in the cool of the evening enjoying the now wind and fly free ambience….