siskinbob

Kalbarri to Jurien Bay / Perth

Despite Gerry tweaking her back, we enjoyed Kalbarri and would really like to go back and spend more time there. Unfortunately, we’ll have to save that for another trip. And so we headed out on the road to Jurien Bay a journey, of approximately 350 kilometers, that was supposed to take just under four hours.

I was expecting to take the coastal route out of Kalbarri but the satnav had other ideas and we found ourselves back, heading South, on the Northwest Coastal Highway before rejoining the Brand Highway. We made good progress and soon made the turn onto Indian Ocean Drive.

Indian Ocean Drive is a much quieter road. I had read that there were no road trains on this road. Not strictly true, we did encounter a couple but they are less intimidating as they are having to travel more slowly due to the winding nature of the road.

AS we followed the road to Leeman we became aware that the clouds were thickening and that somewhere up ahead it looked like a lot of rain was being dumped. By the time we pulled into Leeman it had gotten quite dark and the ever-present coastal wind was winding itself up into a frenzy. We topped up with fuel and continued down the road.

Shortly after leaving Leeman we saw a huge lightning strike. What I called a floor to ceiling bolt. I think the storm we had been trailing stopped and waited for us. And there we were driving with windscreen wipers going full pelt, headlights on and our speed less than half what it was.

I became aware of flashing lights coming up fast behind me and I pulled off onto the verge to let them go by, three fire service trucks on a mission. On our way again but a short distance up the road we moved over to allow some more to go by.

We eventually cleared the storm, the rains petered out and it became brighter. At Green Head we pulled off the road to look out over the ocean and at the storm clouds.

Storm Cloud, Looking South – Green Head, WA

This was the filthiest stop we had made, north of Perth. Alongside this view-point there was heaps of litter and just off the tarmac was masses of used toilet paper and disposable nappies as well as the bane of the modern world, wrappers and containers from numerous takeaway establishments. I was surprised that there wasn’t a supermarket trolley.

Storm Cloud, Looking North – Green Head, WA

Arriving in the Jurien Bay area we prepared to locate the B & B. This was easier said than done as the satnav had decided that the B & B was located off-road to our left. At the next turn we hung a u-turn and headed back thinking we had missed a farm entrance or something similar. But no, the satnav seemed to be suggesting that we go off-road and follow a line of power lines disappearing into the bush. Not prepared to do that we continued down the road and towards the centre of Jurien Bay where we came across an information board and map. There we found an ad for our B & B, helpfully marked with a grid reference. The only problem was that the map wasn’t sporting a “you are here” arrow. As luck would have it a truck pulled in to empty the bins. The driver was very helpful and knew exactly where we needed to go.

Firmly on the scent of our accommodation we headed back the way we came. It was around this time that Gerry began to feel unwell. Not just her back but also some kind of skin irritation. She was itching all over. We think it was probably a reaction to the pain killers she had just taken. Either way she didn’t want to stay anywhere, she just wanted to go home. Given we were so close to the B & B, I said we had to do the courteous thing and go in an explain why we wouldn’t be stopping the night.

The landlady was very understanding, even offering us tea before we headed on back to Perth. When we declined, she pointed out to us that, South of Jurien Bay, Indian Ocean Drive was closed due to bushfires. That explained the fire service trucks that had passed us earlier. Her recommendation was for us to go back to the Brand Highway, which is what we did.

As we headed on our way to Perth we began to see the smoke from the bushfire, mingling with the clouds. The smoke stack was to be visible to us for most of our journey back to Perth…

Bushfire Smokestack – viewed from Emu Downs Wind Farm WA

Bushfire Smokestack -viewed from Brand Highway

After around seven hours of driving, broken up by pee and fuel stops and, much to my son-in-laws surprise, we arrived back home, a whole day early.

We were sad to have missed Jurien Bay but never has a cup of tea tasted better.

Kalbarri WA

On arriving at Kalbarri we managed to locate our accommodation, despite the best efforts of our sat-nav which was intent on sending us off-road again. We were also confused by the name of the motel. All of my paperwork from the booking referred to Kalbarri Reef Villas. On the same street we found Kalbarri Seafront Villas and immediately behind was Reef Villas. No mention of Kalbarri on their signage but a quick chat with the manager confirmed we were in the right place. So Reef Villas it was and we were soon checked in, car unloaded and ready to explore.

The beach was just five minutes walk from the motel.

Kalbarri is to be found at the mouth of the Murchison River where it joins the Indian Ocean.

5J7A3421_edited — River / Ocean Meeting Place – Kalbarri, WA

Unfortunately, Gerry ricked her back on our first morning here. This meant that we had to curtail some of our exploring. So a tour of the gorges to see Natures Window & “Z” Bend was kicked into touch. The problem with these attractions is that they are only accessible along some sixteen kilometers of dirt road, not really conducive to reducing back pain.

As an alternative we decided to visit the numerous local ocean lookouts, all of which have paved roads right up to the car parks and also, in most cases, smooth pathways to the lookout. The following are a selection of the photo’s I took. I hope they give you a flavour of this area.

The Island – Kalbarri, WA

Coastline – Kalbarri,WA

River Mouth – Kalbarri,WA

Ready for Australia Day

View – Kalbarri, WA

River / Ocean Meeting Place – Kalbarri, WA

Natural Bridge – Kalbarri, WA

Pot Alley – Kalbarri, WA

Pelicans – Kalbarri, WA

Daily Pelican Feeding – Kalbarri, WA

Natural Bridge – Kalbarri, WA

Coastline – Kalbarri,WA

Blue Holes – Kalbarri, WA

Natural Bridge – Kalbarri, WA

Coastline – Kalbarri,WA

River / Ocean Meeting Place – Kalbarri, WA

Daily Pelican Feeding – Kalbarri, WA

View – Kalbarri, WA

Coastline – Kalbarri,WA

Daily Pelican Feeding – Kalbarri, WA

Bush Loo – Kalbarri, WA

Daily Pelican Feeding – Kalbarri, WA

The Island – Kalbarri, WA

Daily Pelican Feeding – Kalbarri, WA

Tree – Kalbarri, WA

Some of the Aussies were really chuffed to see a car, with references to an English football team, sporting the Aussie flags.

While we were at the Blue Holes, a fellow Brit spotted the Pompey stickers and the rego plate. He was originally from Salisbury and knew all about our home area in Hampshire.

Every day pelicans are fed down on the Kalbarri foreshore. There is a seated arena for the early risers to use and children are invited to feed the pelicans. The couple that run the feed are very informative, with a touch of humour.

After touring the coastline, we returned to Kalbarri and found a site on the foreshore so that I could go fishing.

DSC03893 (2)_edited.jpg — Me Fishing – Murchison River, Kalbarri, WA

Although I did get a few bites, I didn’t manage to catch anything.

DSC03907_edited — Chatty canoeists – Murchison River, Kalbarri,WA

The fish weren’t the only things biting. There were crabs in the river who were taking a repeated interest in my feet. The canoeists were friendly and chatty, interested in how I was doing. I think they were also amused by how far out in the river I was.

Later the same day we were, again, down on the foreshore to watch the Australia Day fireworks.

During our all too brief stay in Kalbarri we were lucky enough to eat at the Black Rock Cafe. Here we had our evening meal on the day that we arrived. Good food and a table to watch the sunset. For our breakfasts, we visited Angies Cafe where they do a really tasty Bacon, Egg and Tomato Toasty as well as filling Tuna Patties (fish cake). Both establishments seem to be very popular.

5J7A3610_edited — Angies Cafe – Kalbarri, WA

Angies was our last stop in Kalbarri, before heading off to Jurien Bay.

Carnarvon Revisited

Having spent a couple of nights in Exmouth we headed back south to Carnarvon. As we left Exmouth, heading along the Exmouth Minilya Road we stopped very briefly to visit the Potshot Memorial site.

Roadside Marker – Operation Potshot Memorial

Memorial Marker – Operation Potshot

Tank Float – Several secured together formed floating docks as part of Operation Potshot

Ball Float – Possibly used to moor boats or barges involved in Operation Potshot

The Potshot Memorial commemorates the use of the West Australian coast for the allied attacks on the Japanese. US submarines used this area as a refuelling base and an airstrip was built for the fighting squadron

We returned to Carnarvon, to stop overnight, for no other reason than to break the journey to Kalbarri. I know many folks like to dose up on energy drinks and punch on down the road and get the journey over with. Some folks have told me that they drive from Perth to Exmouth in one continuous bash, stopping only for fuel and pee breaks. Madness is what I call it, certainly asking for trouble.

Driving all that way is tiring and boring, yes boring. Long, very long, flat, straight stretches of road with countryside that doesn’t change very often. Nothing to keep you alert. Which is why we purchased some CDs. Nothing like singing along to ELO, Fleetwood Mac and of course, it had to be done, Men at Work’s greatest hits.

At times the bush is fairly close to the edge of the road, meaning that you get a form of tunnel vision. You become mesmerised staring off into the distance. That is the time that you get a cow, sheep or herd of goats or a kangaroo wander out into the road. There are plenty of signs along the roads, where collisions were not avoided.

Rkill

We observed some very fresh road kill, a young cow that was decapitated and it’s entrails spread along the road, providing fresh food for the scavengers. Not a pretty sight. On our journey I learnt to look ahead and spot the dark clusters of crows which would reluctantly scatter as we got nearer. As soon as I saw the crows I would slow down and prepare to deviate around whatever carcass was laid there. The roadsides are littered with skeletons and desiccated corpses. I dread to think what it must be like to hit something the size of sheep, let alone a kangaroo or even a cow. Although our car had “roo bars” fitted, I suspect hitting a cow at the state speed limit of 110 kilometers per hour would be pretty devastating for all involved. Luckily, whenever something chose to cross the road in front of us, I spotted them early enough to slow down. And, on at least one occasion come to a complete stop. Luckily there was nothing following behind me. I wouldn’t want to be stopped in front of a road train.

On arrival at Carnarvon we booked into the Best Western Hospitality Inn. Very friendly receptionist who dealt with us most efficiently and we were soon stretched out having been folded in the car for several hours.

After our last experience, looking for an eatery, in Carnarvon we chose to eat in Sails, the motel restaurant. The food and service was very good. Although, the breakfast was another story. The food quality was okay but the service was somewhat off kilter since this was provided by a very pleasant, chatty lady. However, her normal role was in the laundry. Consequently, she didn’t have all the information regarding food options.

Overnight, the weather had changed. There had been a nice sunset in the evening but we were greeted with a dull and overcast morning. As I packed the car, ready for our onward journey there was a pleasant surprise waiting for us.

Tucked under our windscreen wiper blade was a card, left by Cecil. He had cleaned our windscreen while we were tucked up in bed. A nice touch.

5J7A3405_edited — Moored on the Fascine – Carnarvon, WA

5J7A3406_edited — Fascine View – Carnarvon WA

5J7A3407_edited — Satellite Earth Station – Carnarvon, WA

This satellite dish dominates the Carnarvon skyline. The following has been lifted straight from Wikipedia.

The OTC Satellite Earth Station Carnarvon was established to meet the need for more reliable and higher quality communications for NASA’s Apollo Moon project. NASA contracted Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) “to provide an earth station nearCarnarvon, Western Australia to link the NASA tracking station in that area to the control centre in the USA”

5J7A3403_edited — Foreshore Fascine – Carnarvon, WA

Play Misty For Me

On The Water – Swan River Cruise

Today we drove into Perth, had lunch at the Lucky Shag, strolled around Elizabeth Quay and took a cruise down the river to Fremantle.

James Stirling, Captain Cook Cruises, Perth, WA

The following are just some of the photo’s that I took during the cruise.

5J7A3651_edited — West Australian Rowing Club Boat House – Perth, WA

5J7A3698_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3699_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3707_edited — Dolphins, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3730_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3733_edited — Wind Surfers, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3734_edited — Wind Surfers, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3736_edited — Wind Surfers, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3738_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3739_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3742_edited — Wind Surfer, Swan River – Perth WA

5J7A3711_edited — Tugs Wambiri, Svitzer Falcon & Svitzer Eagle – Fremantle, WA

5J7A3712_edited — MS Astor – Fremantle, WA

5J7A3713_edited — Bulk Carrier SBI Orion – Fremantle, WA

5J7A3714_edited — Container Ship Maersk Gironde – Fremantle, WA

5J7A3719_edited — Unknown – Fremantle, WA

5J7A3753_edited — Fishing Boat , Narrows Bridge – Perth, WA

5J7A3762_edited — Bridge Arches, Elizabeth Quay – Perth, WA

5J7A3766_edited — “Cube” Boat – Perth, WA

5J7A3767_edited — Flotilla Sailing, Swan River – Perth, WA

Exmouth, WA – Part 2

In my previous post I had mentioned that we booked to go on a glass bottomed boat tour. Consequently we found ourselves up at the unearthly hour of 06:30, packing our bags into the car, so that we could both check-out from Ningaloo Lodge and be ready for our 07:30 pick up.

We were picked up ,on time, by Alek in his bus. He gave a running commentary on what were to see and what our itinerary was going to be. On the way down to the boat he took us down to see the SS Mildura and on the way back we popped up to Vlaming Head Lighthouse. As I have already covered both in my previous post I won’t bore you again.

By the time we arrived at the Tantabiddi boat ramp there were twenty-three passengers.

Alek, left us on shore while he clambered into a canoe and paddled out to his boat which was anchored offshore.

IMG_5449_edited — Tantabiddi Boat Ramp – Glass Bottom Boat just below the horizon

IMG_5450_edited — Alek paddling out to the glass bottomed boat

Soon he was motoring back into the jetty ….

IMG_5453_edited — Alek motoring in to the jetty

After a short informational pitch we were all aboard and heading out to the reef. As you can see from the photos, the sun was hiding and the reef was not well illuminated. The following shots have all had to be adjusted to try to remove the reflections so are not truly representative of what we actually saw. Hopefully they will give you a hint….

After a tour over the reef Alek tied up to a mooring to allow some of the passengers to go snorkeling. The wind was rising and this session was curtailed. Although the boat was very stable, turning from the mooring brought us across the wind and tide which made an uncomfortable ride, for a short period of time.

On the run back to the Tantabiddi boat ramp we were joined by a couple of dolphins who played across our bows and in the wake.

After returning to Exmouth we headed to See Salt for brunch before setting off back down to Carnarvon.

Exmouth, WA

We arrived in Exmouth in the early afternoon of Friday, We were spending two nights so that gave us plenty of time to take a look around. What we didn’t realise is that, although it is summer time, we had arrived in the off-season. This meant that many of the tour companies were taking a break. It also meant that the whales were elsewhere along with the whale sharks who presumably were off on their holidays.

This left us to entertain ourselves, which we duly did.

On arrival at the Ningaloo Lodge we were greeted by this character …..

He was back again the following morning too !!!

During our first afternoon we went exploring and discovered Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt …..

VLF Antenna – Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt

The station provides very low frequency (VLF) radio transmission to United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships and submarines in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean. The thirteen towers are huge, the tallest is called Tower Zero and is 387 m (1,270 ft) tall. These towers are visible for miles.

…… further along the road we arrived at a car park with access to the beach to view the wreck of the SS Mildura …..

5J7A3312_edited — SS Mildura – Exmouth, WA

The SS Mildura was carrying Kimberley cattle south when it foundered on the reef during a cyclone in 1907. No human lives were lost but many cattle did not survive. During WWII, allied planes used it for bombing practice.

We spent an hour or more on the beach overlooking the wreck. Paddling and just sitting in the sunshine. We were the only ones on the beach for quite some time. We did have some wild company …

The wreck can be viewed from the beach at the end of Mildura Wreck Road. As I said we had the beach to ourselves until, just before we were about to leave, three guys turned up to fish.

We watched for a while, to check out their methods. However their method entailed wading a long way out until they were waist deep, fishing with a lure until they got it caught on the rocks and lost it. Then they would wade back to shore, re-tackle, and wade back out. One of them lost his tackle several times. I think they spent more time tramping back and forth than they did fishing.

Having decided that there was nothing to be learnt we headed back to Exmouth to search out somewhere for an evening meal. We eventually settled on 5 Kennedy St.

The food here is superb and if you are ever in Exmouth I highly recommend a visit. To give you a hint of what is on offer I had Chilli Pepper Squid, Berry Vinaigrette, Chilli Lime Sauce as an entrée, followed by Lamb Shoulder, Israeli Cous Cous Salad, Baba Ganoush, Dukkah. The lamb was quite a substantial dish and I didn’t think I would make it to desert. However, I struggled manfully on to round of the meal with Churros, Chocolate Chilli Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream.

Feeling pleasantly plump we took ourselves back to the Ningaloo Lodge for a well-earned kip to prepare for the next day.

Saturday morning saw us up and out searching for a breakfast venue. And for the early morning jump-start we settled on See Salt. Suitably fueled we set of in search of the visitor centre.

They confirmed that we were indeed visiting out of season but informed us that one tour company was still operating and that they still had spaces available. We duly booked ourselves onto a glass bottom boat trip out over the reef. Our departure time was to be 07:30 Sunday morning.

That left us with the whole of Saturday to go and explore. After studying maps and brochures we decided that we would follow Yardie Creek Road which winds its way down the western side of the North West Cape. Our target was to follow this road all the way to Yardie Creek and then to wend our way back to Exmouth, stopping off en-route to go swimming and even get in a little fishing. As always our plans are flexible and any trip is likely punctuated by numerous stops to admire the views and take pictures.

Consequently we hadn’t been on the road very long when we detoured of to visit Vlaming Head Lighthouse.

The wreck of the SS Mildura was directly responsible for the building of this lighthouse. Vlaming Head was also the site for a radar station. There is quite a comprehensive set of information boards pertaining to the history of the area and providing information about the views and wildlife that may be spotted. It is well worth the visit.

Continuing along Yardie Creek Road we did eventually reach Yardie Creek. This is pretty much the end of the paved road. To continue on requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle and the courage to cross the creek.

As you can see from the photos this area is absolutely swarming with tourists. No room to move on the beach. Honestly though, I’m sure it would be busier here if it wasn’t out of season. Would love to have taken the boat trip up Yardie Creek Gorge. Perhaps next time.

So, we managed to drag ourselves away from the creek and start our meander back to Exmouth. Although there are many tracks off Yardie Creek Road, to various beaches, we had decide to visit Turquoise Bay. We were not disappointed ……

We spent a good couple of hours here. The water was warm and very clear with loads of fish. They, the fish, were big enough to have given great sport to a fisherman. Unfortunately, fishing is not allowed here as this is a protected zone. Great for snorkelers who can observe the fish and the corals on the reef. Once again the beach was absolutely swarming with people…… not.

Alas time, as always, moved on and we had to set off back to Exmouth. As the sun sets the kangaroos and other wildlife become active and it becomes decidedly risky to drive after dark. We saw several kangaroos as we motored along and Gerry managed to get a couple of pictures ….

Back in Exmouth we again ate at 5 Kennedy St and with it being Saturday night the restaurant was very busy. The food was really good, five-star. My compliments to Dexter and his chef.

Carnarvon To Exmouth

One of the features of Carnarvon is the One Mile Jetty and at the landward end is the Jetty Railway Museum. We couldn’t spare the time to visit the museum but I took a few photos of some of the vehicles dotted around the outside.

Back to the trip, after a buffet breakfast at the Carnarvon Motel, we headed out onto the North West Coastal Highway to continue our trek up to the north. Once again we topped up with fuel and set off.

We hadn’t been on the road for very long when I felt the need to stop and snap off a few photos. Carnarvon sits on the Gascoyne River and the road out-of-town crosses the dried up river bed.

Gascoyne River – Carnarvon, WA

Parrots – Gascoyne River, Carnarvon, WA

Gascoyne River – Carnarvon, WA

While I was taking my snaps the local parrot population was very vocal, heckling me from every vantage point.

Once more en-route and after an hours motoring I felt the need to empty my bladder. So cue my visit to a bush loo. This one was at Yandoo Creek …….

As an aside I have noted, regarding Australia’s public loo’s in remote places, is that they tend to be clean, not smelly or vandalised. Quite often they have toilet paper and sometimes even soap and water. The reason I mention this is that coming from the UK I find it surprising. Typically, back home, any loo in as remote a place as the Yandoo Creek example, would have been vandalised and covered in graffiti. They don’t even have to be remote to have been trashed.

Well done Australia and shame on you UK.

Our journey continued and, after another 80 kilometers, our next stop was Minilya Bridge Roadhouse.

5J7A3273_edited — Minilya Bridge Roadhouse

5J7A3274_edited — Minilya Bridge Roadhouse

After a snack, comprising some dubious sandwiches and a Magnum each, we continued on our way. A short distance up the road we left the North West Coastal Highway and struck out onto the Minilya-Exmouth Road and after approximately 50 kilometers further we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.

What a pair of posers !!

Moving on we started to see new features in the countryside …..

We started off seeing the odd one or two nests alongside the road. The further we travelled, the more we saw. There were literally thousands of these nests, scattered as far as the eye could see. And they aren’t small …

Termite mounds – Each mound is an entire kingdom, complete with a king, queen, soldiers, workers and thriving cities. Millions of termites may live in a single mound and each termite has a role of its own in maintaining their complex social environment e.g. worker termites (smallest) build the mound using dirt and saliva. They have no eyes or ears but work by smell. They make tunnels to help keep the mound cool. These mounds can last up to 100 years. The King and Queen have their own room and the soldier termites keep quard outside their door. The King and Queen can live up to 30 years.

The above description was taken from an information board via this blog

Eventually we arrived in Exmouth and located our accommodation for the next two nights, the Ningaloo Lodge.

Geraldton to Carnarvon

Awoke in Geraldton to wet pavements and fairly heavy rain. Seemed just like home in the UK, except that the temperature was up in the twenties. First things first, we had a full cooked breakfast. The Ocean Centre Hotel has so much going for it, but the breakfast let it down. Soggy toast, tasteless scrambled eggs and poor service.

Car loaded up we set out for Carnarvon. After a while the rain stopped but it wasn’t to be the last time that we saw it. After about forty minutes of driving, we are heading up the Northwest Coastal Highway and soon approaching Northampton. Having been following a road train for some time, we were presented with a much-needed overtaking lane. So I hit the pedal and we were soon speeding past the leviathan of the road. Admittedly by the time I passed the truck I was probably doing approximately 120 -130 km, which is exactly when I spotted the dark vehicle parked at the side of the road. The one with the strange device facing out of the back window. No flash, no blue meanies on motor bikes like back home, in fact no indication that I had been nabbed. I’ll just have to wait and see if this turns into a ticket.

A general comment for driving in Australia but it is amazing how often the highways folks put in place an overtaking lane and just as you reach it they will reduce the speed limit from say 110 km down to 80 km !!! Especially when the overtaking lane is on a long incline. Does that make sense ?

We passed through Northampton which looked to be a pretty rural town. I made a mental note that we should stop and have a wander on our way back to Perth.

5J7A3207_edited — I can see for miles and miles and …….. somewhere near Alma, WA

A few kilometers north of Northampton I stopped to take a photo of the never-ending countryside. According to the GPS on the camera we were near someplace called Alma.

On we traveled until we reached the Billabong Roadhouse some 180 km north of Northampton.

We topped up with fuel, made good use of the toilet facilities and stretched our legs at the roadhouse before continuing northwards.

Travelling along the North West Coastal Highway you begin to realise the name is something of a misnomer. Mile after mile of generally straight roads bounded on both side by sandy soil based bush might give one the feeling that you are driving over a very large beach but close to the coast ? Nope, I don’t think so.

If you look at a map of WA you will see that the road does run sort of parallel with the coast but in reality you are usually many kilometers away.

A few kilometers up the road from Billabong we topped a rise and I stopped to attempt to show how long and straight these roads are. These two photos show the north and south views of the North West Coastal Highway from a point near Carbla.

Looking South

Looking North

And so we moved on….. and eventually we made it to the 26th Parralel.

5J7A3216_edited — Your’s truly at the 26th Parallel

Now we were truly into the north of the state. The roads looked pretty much the same but the accompanying countryside had changed and soon we came upon signs for a lookout. We didn’t see any signs giving a name and there were no information boards explaining what you could see. Subsequent googling identified it as White Bluff or the Gladstone Lookout.

Cairn – White Bluff

Road North – White Bluff

Plains – White Bluff

Road South – White Bluff

Cairn – White Bluff

View To Sea – White Bluff

On top of this, very windy, flat-topped, hill we discovered a couple of “cairns” comprising all manner of memorial artefacts. Some were formal, cast iron, plaques. Most were just rocks that had been written or painted on. One of the “cairns” comprised various gnomes, dolls and other figures. White Bluff gives an almost 360 degree view over the Wooramel countryside. Showing the highway disappearing northwards and southwards, views across the plain and out to the sea at Shark Bay (I think).

descending, from White Bluff, we once again commenced our journey north. Pausing at the Wooramel Roadhouse to top up again with fuel. Shortly after leaving the roadhouse we crossed the Wooramel River ….

This picture doesn’t really show just how dry this land is. This river is actually just a sandy river bed. You get used to seeing signs on the road for such and such a river or so and so creek. Never seeing a drop of water or even mud in the little, narrow, gully passing under the road. However, the Wooramel River is quite a reasonable size. The pictures below show how wide and how dry.

Wooramel River Bed

Tree near Wooramel River

Tree and Pump near Wooramel River

After only another 115 kilometers we arrived in Carnarvon and checked into the Carnarvon Motel.

5J7A3259_edited — FootBridge – Carnarvon

This foot bridge was once part of the railway line from town to the One Mile Jetty. It now provides a pleasant walkway along the same route.

5J7A3260_edited — Fascine Boardwalk – Carnarvon

The Fascine is a picturesque bay in Carnarvon. The boardwalk is apparently popular with the locals for walking and picnicking. It wasn’t very busy while we were there.

We had thought to freshen up and go into Carnarvon for dinner. It, the town, appeared to be closed so we returned to the motel and had dinner in their restaurant. Which, as it turned out, wasn’t bad at all.

Heading North

So, having spent a brief week travelling South, from Perth to Albany, we turned our sights North. Our aim was to visit Exmouth, but to break the journey into manageable chunks.

The morning of Wednesday, 20th January, found us driving to Geraldton. The port of Geraldton is just over 400 kilometers North of Perth.

View from Brand Highway – Beermullah, WA

View from Brand Highway – Mimegarra, WA

Leaning Tree – Greenough, WA

The Leaning Trees of Greenough are a species of Eucalyptus, the River Gum. This leaning behaviour, a natural phenomenon, is caused by the airborne salt content of the strong winds that blow in off the Indian Ocean.

Ocean View – Our room at the Ocean Centre Hotel, Geraldton, WA

Geraldton was to be our first overnight stop. The Ocean Centre Hotel set a standard that subsequent hotels/motels failed to meet.

Ocean Centre Hotel, Geraldton, WA

After relaxing on the balcony with a cold beer we took a walk around the area and met some of the local residents ….

A Local Geraldton Resident – Possibly feral harbour cat

….. got an art infusion ….

Local Art – Geraldton, WA

…… and watched the lifeblood of Geraldton flowing out …..

Guo Yuan 32 Leaving Geraldton – Bulk Carrier sailing under the Chinese Flag

…. and in …..

Santa Rosalia – Bulk Carrier entering Geraldton

We had a very pleasant meal at Topo’s On The Terrace, a short walk away from the hotel. Then retired to recharge the batteries for the next step of our northerly journey, on to Carnarvon.

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