I managed to get packed and leave just before the rain started and it rained on and off all the way from Gregory to Monkey Mia, 435 km in 4:40 hrs easy drive. I got soaked when I stopped to fill up and a rain cloud decided to let go at just that moment with a downpour which lasted for 5 minutes, Zeus and Indra playing with us mortals.

When I first visited Monkey Mia on my bike in 1981 it could only be accessed by a dirt road from Highway 1, after that 2 more visits with the ankle biters, the last one in 1999. Since then they have levelled the place and built a huge resort with the most expensive rooms going for $568/night, my tent site cost me $38 with the RAC 20% discount. This has to be the worst campsite I have stayed on, no trees, no grass, rock hard ground and blowing a gale hahaha but the facilities were the best I have ever seen definitely 5 star, very organised and fast Wifi. In 5 years time once the trees grow it should be much better.

.

.

.

Interacting with the dolphins has also turned into a real circus, no more just wandering down to the beach, there are specific times and you have to get a ticket and a token and form a queue, etc. They have commercialised and ruined what used to be a very simple and natural experience that has been going on since the 60’s and there are fewer dolphins. It is still a unique experience.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I went for a drive to Point Peron about 50km of sandy track 4 wheel drive only as the sand is deep in parts and if you don’t have the ground clearance your vehicle will get beached. You have to drop your tyre pressures to 20psi at the start and there is an air pump to reinflate them when you return. There is a Museum at the start of the track where there used to be a Sheep Station.

.

.