The flies are bad in Coronation Beach as we slowly make our way up the Western Australian coast. We constantly sweep up the bodies and must wear nets on our hats, at all times.

A large crowd is in attendance at the Northampton Anzac Day service. Wearing T shirts proudly displaying their heritage are Australians and New Zealanders of many races heads bowed together. Hands slowly brush flies, eyes squint in the sun and a dog with a halo of flies waits.

That afternoon we drive into Eagle Gorge at Kalbarri where the rocks look to have been laid down by a dry stone wall mason. However the view isn’t what is foremost in our minds. We are assaulted by hundreds, no thousands of flies and four backpackers wanting to know if this is normal. Do we look like we’d know? We later find out that they (the flies) have hatched since the recent cyclone and all it will take to kill them is a nice cold night. Bring on the nice cold night. How cold? Dunno.

Back in Kalbarri we buy roo sausages from the butcher and he asks “do you want flies with that?”

Now getting back to those flies…we’re weaving left and right across the road because Woody likes to swat them on the windscreen with his fist as he drives. The driver’s field of vision is covered with little flecks of fly. Apart from swatting we open the sun roof each time we get back in the car and eventually, with a lot of waving, they get sucked out.

At Shark Bay we find Eagle Bluff camp site after more than one U turn and for those who are interested it is not at the lookout but down the unmarked road then down a narrow track to your left just before the lagoon. It is a good camping spot but we are instantly blitzed by flies, which is probably why there is no one else camped there.

At Hamelin Pool, standing on the boardwalk are two Canadian bikers in full leathers and helmets, an Aussie drawl behind me says “now there’s the perfect fly cover.”

We meet a couple travelling in a motor home and over a few drinks we discuss the pros and cons of caravans and motor homes. They win the argument with a crushing blow. “The advantage of having a motor home is that once you’ve got all the flies outside you don’t have to open the doors again to eat your lunch or use the loo”.

Where did the flies go? Well, we had to wait at Carnarvon while a cyclone passed to the north of us. We got not a drop, of rain nor a puff of wind but we did wake to find that the flies had gone. They’re probably now pestering the good folks of Madagascar.

Fly Lessons

I soon learn that fly spray is only an anaesthetic, they leap back up and fly off as soon as you pick up the broom.

When wearing a fly net it is best to lift the net up to eat and drink.

How do you keep the flies off your dinner? Take a fresh cow pat and slap it between your shoulder blades.- ‘John’, Barradale Rest Area