We had decided to explore the northern areas of the peninsula and save the snorkelling at Turquoise Bay for the following day as Matt and Sharon were really keen to do that with us.

After an easy start to the day, we drove first to Bundegi Beach – passing the Naval Comms Centre on the way…

The wind was very strong and the swell still large so even Bundegi Beach which is very sheltered was windswept and did not look appealing to swim at…

We continued on out to the point where the Mildura wreck was still visible despite the swell – the SS Mildura was carrying over 500 head of cattle from Wyndham to Fremantle when she ran aground in heavy seas on 13^th March 1907. The boat was wedged firmly on the reef and the crew stayed put for several days hoping she would float free… which did not eventuate…the passengers and crew were rescued a few days later but the cattle were lost…

The VLF antennae located at the Harold E Holt Naval Communication Station looked so tall and dominated the skyline for much of the way.

The 12 tower VLF (very low frequency) antenna system was built in the mid-1960s by the US Navy in a joint venture with Australia. The centre tower (Tower Zero) rises to a massive 1271ft with the others in a concentric ring around it – it was the highest manmade structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Its original purpose was to fill a gap for the US Navy’s communications with its submarine fleet – for the first 25 years it was run by the US Navy but is now run by the Australian Navy.

The sea was wild and the wind strong at the point….

We then drove back along the beaches having a quick look to see if there were any spots good for a surf or swim…

At Dunes Beach there were a couple of people out surfing and a kite-surfer who was having the best time…

…we watched for a while…

You would not want to come off your board onto the oyster stacks that seem to be prevalent in this area – very interesting collections of oysters growing together into clumps…

The Vlamingh lighthouse was erected not long after the Mildura disaster and still stands today a prominent feature on the headland…

The views up and down the coast from the lighthouse were breathtaking…

A beautiful osprey was riding the updraft above the lookout….

It was really interesting to see the changes in the landscape from red dirt to sandy dunes to scrub all in a short distance…

and you could see both sides of the peninsula from the one point…

There was a defense tower there – remains from WWII –

The anchor from the SS Mildura was also there as a memorial to the wreck…

We drove on and checked out the turtle rookery – even though breeding season was finished you could see the divots in the dunes where the turtles would have nested….

Jacobsz beach was the next stop…. Followed by Jantsz beach – both popular surf spots but too blown out today…

While the Hunters and Wells returned then to camp, the Weiss’s and us drove on to the Milyering discovery centre for a quick look – not too much there – and then on to Lakeside – a popular snorkelling spot.

The wind had dropped somewhat and the beach at Lakeside was looking much calmer and inviting so we grabbed our gear and walked along the beach to the snorkelling area.

Two ospreys perched on poles were overseeing the tourists….

It was actually a good time to snorkel – the water was walk and visibility was not too bad… we saw some beautiful fish, clams and coral…

Beryl even got in for a go at snorkelling – still a bit hard as she is still recovering from her cold/ flu making breathing in a mask a bit difficult… but it was great she was able to get in for a swim!

We finished up our snorkelling and drove back the 40 mins to Exmouth… Matt and Sharon arrived back safely after an awesome day – they swam with a whale shark despite the rough conditions and managed to see some bonus humpback whales breaching near the boat – a great day!