Anna Plains Station, WA.

 Our first long drive for a while and we drove 6 hours until we arrived at Anna Plains Station on 80 mile beach. It is a quiet little family run cattle station that usually only let 12 caravans in at a time, however due to the crazy tourist season this year (thanks COVID!) they are letting a few more people stay. But it was still very peaceful. And they had the cheapest washing machine so far on our travels ($2/load) which was a lovely change after Karratha.



We woke up to the Brahmen cattle mooing in the mornings and the resident camel would wander around with the cows. Each evening the calves would need to be fed, so all the kids in the camp would get a go at feeding the baby calves and they could also pat the older calves as they have their pellets.





The beach is a short 6km drive through the cattle paddocks. We spent a few days down there fishing and looking for shells. They have the biggest shells we have ever seen, and some of the most brightly coloured shells as well. 





We caught some sharks. Kylie was very proud to catch a little Black Tipped Reef Shark, and then throw it back in to live another day as it is a protected species. Saul caught a very big one the next day and had trouble throwing it back in without getting his ankles bitten. For this reason, even though it was a beautiful beach, we were not allowed to swim. We wanted to keep our ankles safe from the sharks.





Saul made friends with a long term regular at the campground named Jim and he let Saul in on some local fishing knowledge and even gave Saul a lure to help him get started. Saul caught a Giant Thredfin Salmon. It was a beautiful fish and fed our family for 4 days!! Thanks to Jim for the help!!



One morning we were still in our PJ's and the lady in charge was walking around the camps telling the kids a helicopter was going to come past if they wanted to see. Thinking it would just fly by we went out to look, but then it came right in and landed right next to our caravan!! A very fun way to start the day. Turns out they were mustering on that day and the man in the helicopter had come from Broome for the day to help with the muster. He also came and "buzzed" us on the beach in the afternoon - in all the excitement Kylie thought she was filming the event but she actually wasn't so we have no videos of such a fun thing. (The picture below is of the kids watching the helicopter, which is just to the right out of view. So very close!)


Our campsite was the closest one to the pool much to the kids excitement. It was a nice 30 degrees during the day so a swim in the pool was nice to cool off in the afternoons. Zara and Elsie have found their confidence in the pool and now will swim in the deep end without help. Bridie is still yet to find swimming legs.



There was a pair of eagles that liked to come in and sit on the tower next to the pool. They were so graceful as they glided in and they would sit there for ages just watching the paddock. There was other interesting birds as well - Kylie scared one with the car one day and it flew in front of her. 


And just because we didn't do much else this week, here are some more photos of cows, camels and sunsets.







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