Month: February 2021

Knobby Head

Knobby Head South

Knobby Head (South) used to be a free camp ground (back in 2021 when we visited it), 3.5 hours drive north of Perth. It is half way between Leeman and Dongara. There are two entrances 20 to 40 meters apart running in parallel from Indian Ocean Drive. If you are travelling from Perth, use the first entrance, if you tow a small caravan. Second entrance has soft sand and not levelled (towing and driving could bog the vehicles). Both tracks are short and very soon you find yourself in front of the ocean! There are only 3 or so spots there, 80 to 100 meters apart, so there is a lot of privacy and the spots are quite big. We had our friends in a Land Cruiser Sahara and a huge tent staying with us for the first night.

Knobby Head South campground

There is also Knobby Head north campground, a short drive further up north, which has more spaces.

We tried fishing… although didn’t catch anything.

However, we were lucky to be gifted with a freshly caught lobster (after our friends left) by a friendly neighbour whom we saw every morning passing by and launching a boat to go out in the sea.

A gift of freshly caught lobster from a friendly neighbour

There are no facilities in this campground, so please take rubbish with you. It is a nice stop over for a night or 2, or a place to get away for a weekend.

Update: Things have changed a lot since we camped at this place in 2021. The shire has put up basic facilities and is charging now $20 per site per night. As we have not been there since 2021, we can’t provide any more updates.

Complete wildeness at corner camp

Corner Camp

Corner Camp is a basic and facilities free campsite, off Paynes Find-Sandstone Road in Australian Outback. It is accessible to 2WD.

Getting to Corner Camp

Leaving Mount Magnet and its rock formations at around 4pm, we set off along Great Northern Hwy, travelling south for our last overnight stop for this trip. Our Captain Andrei, a very adventurous and courageous man, decided to change my plans and drove 30 km off the highway on a dirt road just to spend a night in complete wildness. We found Corner Camp or Wikicamp. It is 30 or so km off Paynes Find. It wasn’t sign posted (or, perhaps, we took a wrong turn?) and when we arrived, it was total darkness. Driving through the bushes, we navigated our way to a secluded place where we settled for the night. Potato and freshly made bread prepared in Aboriginal way in the charcoal was our meal for the night. Only the stars and warmth of the burning fire were our companions that evening.

Upon waking up in the morning and getting out of caravan (with only 6 degrees inside), I went for a little walk. It is there, among bushes, far away from civilization, I stood and listened to complete silence. Not a single sound interrupted it – neither bird, nor man, nor wind. Only Silence. It was full, indescribable and completely fulfilling. Merging into the Silence, I realised that it was worth driving 30km off the road to experience and absorb it.

Corner Camp in the morning

Leave no trace

Leaving a place in a better condition than you found it means taking rubbish with you, burning organic waste, extinguishing the fire and burying the traces. Kids learn along the way and take active part in the process.

Learning how to start a car when the battery is dead is a must when you travel in the bush on isolated roads. Being self-sufficient, relying on your own skills and knowledge coupled with Trust in Life and Creator is the key not only to survival in harsh environment. It is what turns survival into adventure and enjoyment of the process along the way.

Time to leave Corner Camp and go home…