We’ve just spent three beautiful days at Samurai Beach Campsite, tucked into the sand dunes just a few steps from the sea. The water was clear and bright, waves rolling in over a stretch of white sand that seemed to glow in the sun.
Evenings brought their own soundtrack — the sharp screech of crows, the soft warble of magpies, and the persistent hum of sandflies. The birds knew exactly how to work a campsite, swooping in with bold eyes and louder voices whenever food scraps appeared.
Lurking in the scrub were two or three goannas, each around a metre and a half long. We’d catch glimpses of them moving through the dunes or sunning themselves on the rocks near the beach, their heavy bodies gliding with surprising grace. One afternoon, after returning from a swim, we found the unmistakable track of a goanna etched across the sand, disappearing under the Ranger before looping back into the dunes. A quiet reminder that we were only visitors in their world.
