55. Hougharry Beach

When I left Hosta Beach on this warm sunny evening, a few lively midges had started to appear, following me back to the car and showing a bit of interest in an early dinner. But as I work my way a few miles around the coast to the Balranald Nature Reserve, my winged friends fail to follow and I am barely bothered by them for the rest of the trip. From the small Balranald car park, I take the short walk to impressive Hougharry Beach, backed by a small campsite and with a few cottages sitting pretty at one end. The white sand and broken shells, framed by the high machair dunes, make this a perfect picture-postcard family beach and a great location for an evening walk. The sun is going down and only the north end is still bathed in sunshine. I’m not knowledgable about birds but with its location within the nature reserve, I imagine a keen twitcher could fill their boots in a place like this. So far, the Outer Hebs are completely living up to expectations.