Barn Hill- 30th August
Wiki camps is a campsite app that most travellers use . We refer to it a lot when we are on the road and looking for a site. Users leave comments for advice. Its a must for anyone travelling .
Now the comments for Barn Hill camp were as polarised as a vegemite sanga survey. – You either loved it or hated it . Many hated it because it has a high proportion of long term grey nomad residents who are here escaping the whole winter and or that the “ablutions” were not up to standard. Others loved it, i think for the same reason , the sunday roast, the bowling matches.craft stalls and “ dice” night.
What is undeniable is that the beaches are amazing. Stretching further than a man can carry a rod and an esky . So we loved it . First day saw us set up , explore the beach and I fished the rising tide up to high tide. I read the beach from the dune at mid tide and picked a spot that was just to one side of a rip that was creating a plume of of muddy water with clear water on each side. I reckoned this would provide good conditions for predatory fish .I caught a Golden Trevally , Threadfin salmon , a Barracuda (catch and release) and a little Queenie on a lure.
This is glamping woodburn style ! Nice glass of chilled on a bait bucket table !
Something big took lots of line from my surf rod and then broke off . Could have been a shark a grouper or a pesky North Korean submarine.
There were around 8 other fishermen on the beach who had no luck . I was of course magnanimous but i remmebered this quote as i trudged up the beach with a few tails sticking out of my shopping bag
“Bragging may not bring happiness but no man having caught a large fish walks home in an alley “
We went on a flight over the Mc Hoxe foothills and the view from above was heady !
In the evening we sat and watched the sun set with Sh club (Shaun and Shannon} our young neighbours. Shaun works in the harbour at Port Hedland and has a 28 days on 28 days off rota which accommodates road trips in the down time ! They told us a harrowing story about when they camped at Mitchel Falls when they travelled the Gibb River Road . They had set camp next to the Helicopter centre . After sunset there was an explosion and fireball coming from the fuel tanks next to the helicopters. S Club along with multiple other campers began dropping their tents and escaping any further blasts. After some minutes of pandemonium it was found that a group of heli pilots had thrown some fuel onto their fire as a laugh and this was the source of the explosion. As all the pilots we saw looked pre pubescent it shouldn’t be a surprise and you would expect more stories of them doing what 12 year old boys do !
The first day of spring landed whilst we were leaving Broome and this ties in with the traditional time that the long term Grey Nomads ( collective term for Grey Nomads is now a Noodle given their predilection for the foamy swim aids that support them bobbing in any body of water for hours) start moving homeward. There was a knees up at the campsite the night before the exodus started and we saw many leaving Barn Hill too when we were getting here. Again our timing was perfect more from luck than any planning effort. The great Noodle migration of the north west means that there are lots of spaces in campsites that previously had to be booked – perfect.
I had a first light fish and landed a Spanish mackerel . I tried to release it but it had died on the hook so it became breakfast . We gave a fillet to Shaun and Shannon.
The walking on the beach was superb with rock structures including caves and blowholes and wildlife from dolphins, whales , turtles to white bellied sea eagles and Ospreys.
We were lucky enough to see two Osprey nests that were both high on rock stacks about 12k apart . One had a fledging that was flying but keeping close to the nest. Mum and Dad Osprey were not to keen on us !
We walked 20k round trip north up the beach to the Ramada resort. Kate supping water and Lattes whilst I had a couple of freezing cold pints of hoppy water.
Our new neighbours Lyn and Sue who hail from Tasmania and 35 years before Wales and Leicester. They were full of fun , wicked sense of humour and adventurous. They are touring the country in a camper trailer whilst their daughter babysits their property and animals .
“Lyn the fish” was showing he other fishos how to catch threadfin on lures and was the only person i saw who pulled this off and on really light gear too.
The four of us drove to the Ramada resort with the primary aim to restock on frozen pilchards ebing that they were the bait of choice . It turned into a full blown lunchtime session with a revisit of those freezing cold pints. Lyn carves objects from Huon pine that grows near his house and generously gave Kate and I a carved feather which is wonderful.
In the end we spent 6 nights at Barn Hill and loved the place to bits even the gatecrashing cows !
My fishing stats were , 13 salmon, 2 Barracuda , 1 shark ,1 Trevally,1 Queenfish, 2 Dart and 1 Mackerel.
Following on closely from Kates fishing triumph at Lombadina our little fridge and freezer was full depsite eating wonderful fresh fish every day . The homemade Salmon Kedgeree (Thready Keddie) was memorable !
Another viewpoint for the McHoxe foothills !