After a crazy few weeks on the road, Francois Peron National Park was exactly the reset we needed. Two days of red dirt, soft sand, glassy water and wildlife everywhere we looked. From sharks and stingrays in the shallows to a sunset dinner at Cape Peron and a glassy final morning at Little Lagoon — here's how it unfolded, plus everything you need to know to plan your own trip.

Cyclone Narelle shut down Francois Peron National Park, so we activated Plan C and rolled out to Shelter Bay near Steep Point. The run in across the big sand dune, a running repair on the rooftop tent, two to three hours a day when the wind eased, and some of the clearest water in Western Australia. Not the plan we started with, but one of the best camps of the trip so far. Here is how the shoulder season, a cyclone and a locked gate led us somewhere better.