Day 52 - Turtle Time, Boggy Sand and a Creek Crossing,

SOUTH LEFROY TO EXMOUTH

we were sad to have to leave, we had just kicked off the start of a good friendship with our neighbours and we were not really ready to move on from this piece of paradise. But we didn't want to forfeit our bookings up ahead and had no reception to negotiate prepayments. We got packed up early to give time for a last minute snorkel. The weather was perfect, the sun was out and the visibility was good. To cap it off Clint found our friend the sea turtle who came out to play and swam for a good few minutes together. Seeing countless species of fish from large trevally to sea urchins it was so gratifying. There is something about swimming with turtles that makes you feel so happy. Claire who jumped in straight after had a similar experience and also met our turtle friend. Leaving now didn't seem as hard coming off the high of that expirience. The kids took it a bit harder and their new friends said good bye through teary eyes 🥺.

Driving up the muddy corrugated track we met an older couple who stopped us to ask where we were headed and warning us that the once tame Yardie creek crossing was now a full flowing tidal crossing and shouldn't be attempted until 5pm. It had only just gone 11am and we were only 30mins from Yardie Creek so this had thrown a real spanner at our plans.  We contemplated going the long 4 hour loop back around only to miss the snorkelling at iconic Torquoise Bay on the way through. We continued on fueled by the high and optimism of our turtle encounter, when we got there we could see that it was going to be a substantial crossing.

Claire was confident in our set up including last minute snorkel addition to CRUZIE "there is no point getting it if we are not prepared to take a risk and use it". After walking through it was up only just past the knees but surging. 

A fisherman stopped to offer some advice from what he had seen in the past hour. Apparently with the super moon had caused the sand dune that had previously separated the ocean and the creek to get torn down by the extreme high tide. 

There were a couple cars that had gone through on high tide which included a SUV Hyundai and we watched the Parks Ranger in his 79 series Toyota who confidently passed through. Clint was also concerned about the salt water getting into important bits of the car. So we kicked back, cracked sandy and waited a couple hours until the half low tide and fresh water begun to flow out stream. 

Claire spent to time reading in the shade of CRUZIE. Clint spent the time fishing. Judd and Marty played bridges. And Micah slept in Sandy which Clint parked in a nice part of the point where there was soft sand for the boys to play around. 

When Micah had resurfaced after his midday nap we attempted to make the crossing, however our plans were thwarted because the nice spot Clint had parked Sandy had got us bogged. But not for too long thanks for our MaxTraxx which were strapped to the roof of the car not just to look cool.

Lined with with 2 cameras pointed on her CRUZIE waided slowly into the water not letting it get above the top of the tyres before popping back out the other side. This gave confidence to the 2 caravans and 1 camper trailer that were poised waiting on the other side with their fists in their mouths. 

Now just gone 4pm we were still 1 hour from Exmouth which meant we had lost our chance to snorkel Torquoise Bay today. We arrived into our site just before 5pm reflecting on the adventure today had been!