Exmouth is on a cape (not sure what it is called, I haven't been able to find any name anywhere), that is sometimes referred to in weather reports etc as north west cape area. I don't think that is actually the name. There is a limestone range running north south down the centre of the cape. Yardie Homestead is on the west side and Exmouth on the east side. It is only a few kilometres as the crow flies, but there are no roads across the range. Yardie is about 35kms from Exmouth.
Yardie Homestead was established in 1884 but now makes it's money from tourists, not sheep. Much more profitable I would think. The beaches along the Ningaloo Reef shoreline are about 1 km from the park. Unfortunately not walking distance as there are sandhills in between. The park isn't manicured lawns and fancy playgrounds. The sign at the gate says that it is for serious fishermen.
There's very limited mobile phone coverage, generator power which limits appliance use and bore water for washing. However, the folk here are very friendly, the fishing is good and the beaches and the National Park are beautiful. The sites are large, so we have plenty of room for everything (unlike Coral Bay!)
Cape Range National Park starts a couple of kilometres south of Yardie and of course we can't go there with Millie. There is a lot of wildlife in the park, kangaroos, wallabies, emus, echidnas and other small creatures we don't get to see. We have been into the park a couple of times which Millie has been "dog sitted"! The limestone ridge, Cape Range, is quite spectacular.
Yardie Creek is at the south end of the National Park.
The better swimming beaches are also in the National Park.
The ones near us are beautiful, but most of them have quite strong currents so not great for swimming. However they are lovely to look at and nice to dip into a little bit. The bonus with these beaches is that we usually have them to ourselves and Millie gets to have a big run.
That's part 1 of our time at Yardie.
Merrilyn x
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