Day 2 Overshot Hill to Fanny Cove

Saturday, 19th December 2015

We diesel up and grab some last minute supplies from the IGA at Ravensthorpe. I’ll say it again, this is the second time we’ve shopped here; if you forget it when you leave home chances are they’ll have it, from food to hardware, camping gear to lotto even max tracks!.

Back on the road we head for Stokes National Park and Fanny Cove where we’ll set up camp for a few days. To get to Fanny Cove you need to head for Quagi Beach and then turn off to the right and head in to Stokes National Park.

Along the way we saw a familiar sight – the pilot vehicle of a large load approaching. Now in the old days the signage would say “WIDE LOAD” or “OVER LENGTH” and you knew what you were dealing with. Now they just say “OVERSIZE” and that doesn’t really tell the story. Is it wide? How wide? Do you need to pull off?? I’m not a fan of the new signage but no doubt it was introduced to save money as now one sign fits all!!

We come to the turn off and head down, not long after there is a sign saying 4WD only past this point, we pressure down and fit our flag. The road is single lane but OK and we’d probably rate it easy. There?s some sand and limestone and a couple of blind hills so drive with caution. Our average speed for the 7km trip was about 30kph. Then you see it ? the ocean ? deep blue punctuated with white caps. This will be home for the next few days.

Arriving at Fanny Cove we find there is a day use area and the camp area which has only four camp sites and an Eco Toilet; the first two lower sites near the toilet are taken. We take the highest one and make camp. It?s just before 11.00am. We have ocean glimpses from our lounge room, we got a good spot we think. Then….. the wind starts and it blows all day and night. The awnings have to be repegged many times throughout the day.

We went for walk down to the beach where the sea wages war on the rocks and the soft coastline. The wind is still blowing but it doesn’t seem so bad when you?re out in the warm sun, in fact it’s refreshing.

We came across some ( black with red beak ), a Pacific Gull (white with red tipped yellow beak ) some Crested Terns and your garden variety seagulls. The Sooty Oyster Catcher, Pied Oyster Catcher and the Red Capped and Hooded Plover are shore birds and they use Sooty Oyster Catchers this area to nest between Aug and Feb. Their eggs are laid in a shallow hole in the sand on the shore. If visiting this area during nesting season please take care when walking along the beach and above the high tide line.

The coastline changes from rugged rocky outcrops with the ocean constantly crashing over them to a smooth beach lending itself to some fishing while the waves roar as they break against the ocean.

A young couple pull in around 4ish and take the last spot. Like the other campers here they?re also quiet which is refreshing. It’s nice to have neighbours who enjoy the surroundings and don’t spoil it with noise pollution.

Tea out the way we settle back and watch some TV and listen to the birds. They have a lovely distinct song and although we can hear them in the trees around us, some as close as 2mts we can’t see them for looking. They continue on into the night. We fall asleep serenaded by the ocean?s rhythmic chant and the bird song.

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