Whalebone Bay

Further along the coast towards Denham, Monkey Mia etc. there are a number of camps listed in our Camps 6 book and highly recommended by “Stumpy” (this could be ugly!) which we decided to investigate anyway. All four sites were lovely and we decided on Whalebone Bay for our nightly stop.

At this point we differed from Stumpy in that we rang up for a permit to camp which incidentally cost nothing but we were informed entitled us to one free night’s camping and that’s all. Stumpy stayed for a number of nights and was happy not to be checked up on. Why didn’t that surprise us!

We went for a walk along the beach which was very stoney and not to be undertaken in bare feet. Now you get to hear tell the tale, as revenge for Ian’s lack of sympathy when Suey fell into the water at Cape LeGrande of how Ian was balancing on a rock in the shallows. Sue was just telling him to be careful and if he fell in there would be as much sympathy for him as he showed on that occasion when as luck would have it, in he went and emerged looking very sad with a soaked sneaker. As he only has one pair it was quite a problem for him!

Well, this was a popular place and soon we were joined by a number of other campers but by that stage we were well settled only twenty-five metres from the ocean and in front row position for the best darn sunset you could ever see.

We sat outside the van with our wine and Thai curry and enjoyed the show. What a night. Everyone had told us the sunsets here were magnificent and they are. We even broke out the mozzie coil and stayed outside for a long while as it didn’t get cold at all.

On to Denham after a picture perfect night.

Kalbarri

Off to Kalbarri which had been our intended stop for the previous night, but never mind, better late than never. We arrived at a park where we could have one night as the site was booked for the next night. Allan and Karen had told us we would get the best water here as from here on water is a scarce commodity. Thanks to their advice we had purchased some containers in Geraldton and were prepared to load up a little more.

We drove into our appointed site only to find Allan and Karen parked opposite!  So that was probably our reward for leaving Geraldton somewhat dazed!  We had already enjoyed a couple of nights with them in Geraldton and shared a meal and a number of drinks so it was great to see them at Kalbarri. We decided to have drinks with them only to be invited to dinner of Allan’s freshly caught whiting and homemade chips using their deep fryer, which I only mention because it had the most unique way of draining the oil. Details of which I am prepared to discuss in private, but not really suitable for the blog.

Suffice to say after a magnificent dinner, a couple of wines, discovering a mutual admiration of Bundaberg Rum Liqueur which we happened to have on board and it being Karen’s birthday on Friday  we had a very pleasant evening.

We’re on to different places now but no doubt we’ll meet up with them again as it just seems to be the way!

Leaving Geraldton

Well, we thought we were leaving Geraldton early on Wednesday morning, planning to have the suspension on the van checked as arranged and be on our way. Wrong! Oh, so wrong!

The suspension ‘problem’ that Ian thought he had noticed when we left Perth and thoughtfully took a photo of and took it to the  van repair centre where it was decided that it needed further investigation.

Yup, so far so good. We left the park at Geraldton telling our friends, Allan and Karen that we would no doubt see them later that day at Kalbarri. Not quite. You see the suspension was not only suspicious but stuffed. OK, that doesn’t sound good.

Fortunately we were in early and there was a fifth wheeler booked in to have the suspension replaced. Lucky us, sad for him as they decided to use the suspension that was waiting for him on our van as otherwise we would have had to wait for one from Melbourne. Wouldn’t we have loved that! We don’t know what story the owner of the fifth wheeler got, and frankly ….. care factor …. Nil!

To fill in our day which now looked more than a tea break, we went back to the HMAS Sydney Memorial and had the opportunity to take the guided tour which was well worth the time.

Anyway new suspension fitted, some further reduction on the kids’ inheritance and we are on our way. Good news is, the suspension would probably have given way and knowing us we would have been in the middle of no-where and Ian said we would have been waiting for a flat top to load us up and take us somewhere where it would have cost more. (So there Peter!)

We stopped for the night at a free camp where Ian met a very interesting one legged man by the name of “Stumpy”, had a peg leg not a prosthetic limb (I kid you not!), a picture on the back of his camper of a pirate and a stuffed parrot in his van. God, he really looked like a pirate!  Sue stayed in the van and got dinner whilst Ian gleaned all the knowledge he needed of free camps and how to avoid fees in National Parks. This knowledge will not be used as Suey considered Stump’s credibility somewhat flawed.

Along the way we enjoyed a couple of the wildflowers we are a little too early for, so these ones really stand out amongst the rest  of green only plants at this time of year.

Geraldton Caravan Park

When we arrived at the park we notice signs advertising a ‘Cuppa for Cancer” only it was to be a BBQ with donations for a sanga in bread and of course the customary raffle.  The entertainment was to be the local Batavia Coast Pipe Band. Now anyone who knows Suey knows she is a sucker for the bagpipes. Many will remember our trip to Sydney with Pete and Dawn for the Edinburgh Tattoo and the pouring rain we experienced that night and the wonderful good humour of Dawn who knew we needed peaked caps to deflect the rain because that’s what happens in England. Thank goodness for Dawn!

Anyway, the rain on Saturday was not quite that bad but somewhat reminiscent! However we went along and it was a great evening , the entertainment really worthwhile and miraculously the rain stopped for the band.

Another cheery anecdote we picked up from the club at The Pinnacles printed on the wall as a Wanted poster which I thought might amuse.  

WANTED

Woman to cook,

And clean fish

                                                                                          Dig worms         

And make love

Must have good boat

And motor

Please enclose

Picture of boat and motor.

Lucky Ian doesn’t fish!!

Geraldton – HMAS Sydney Memorial

This is a must see for anyone visiting Geraldton and is a most impressive and sobering memorial to the 645 men who perished aboard the HMAS Sydney in November 1941, just off the coast of Shark Bay whilst engaging the German Raider Kormoran. The memorial precinct is located at Mt. Scott overlooking the same ocean where HMAS Sydney fought its last battle. Every one of the men has their name engraved at this memorial on a black marble semi circle as you enter.

Just a few steps away stands a bronze figure of a woman looking out to sea, grieving for her loved one lost at sea. She is called The Waiting Woman.

The dome comprises 645 seagulls which represents one for each life lost and also is significant because at the original dedication of the site the sky was filled with swirling gulls who seemed to be there to share the solemnity of the occasion.

Central Greenough

We booked into a caravan park in Geraldton for a few nights and decided to stay on as we need to have the van looked at before we travel on to parts unknown and more to the point parts where services are limited. At this stage we will move on on Wednesday all things being well.

Whilst we have been here in a park right beside the ocean (we really do fluke this rather well now!) we’ve enjoyed some lovely walks along the beach although nothing compares to Cape Le Grand yet.

We have had mixed weather, although not as bad as home we realise but still not great, so we spent an afternoon exploring Greenough which was fascinating. Greenough is a historic settlement located 25km south of Geraldton and became a thriving agricultural settlement during the 1860’s but the threat of rust on the wheat crops combined with drought, flood and poor prices for agricultural products led to the area’s decline.

What remains is now restored and maintained by the National Trust and comprises eleven buildings. We visited the Greenough Store, Central Greenough School, Police Station and Gaol, St. Catherine’s Church, Greenough Road Board Office, St. Catherine’s Hall, Hackett’s Collage, Presbytery, Goodwin’s Cottage, St. Peter’s Church and the Greenough Convent.

Of note was the Police Station and Residence in which the story is told of how the police sergeant lived there for quite a number of years with his wife and eleven children. In the bedroom as pictured four children slept top and tail in each single bed, in the master bedroom there was a trundle in which three slept when the last outgrew the cot! Presumably the sergeant also kept the numbers up at the school and the Catholic Church. In fact he was such a good parishioner that the nuns gave him a house to live in for his retirement which ironically was much larger than the police sergeants’ residence!

It was a wonderful place to visit and to marvel how the women coped with their lot. The pictures from the school room certainly didn’t indicate that the children had a lot of fun, at least not the day the photo was taken.

On the way back into Geraldton we took a photo of one of these remarkable leaning trees which we seen a number of times in this area. They are red gum trees, and it is easy to see how much consistent wind they had in their formative years.

Cervantes/Pinnacles Desert

After our lovely stay in Perth we moved on not really sure of which way we would go except that our direction would be north. We nearly went off the coast and in fact at the last minute returned to a coastal direction although on the maps (and you know how Sue doesn’t ‘do’ maps!) the supposed coastal road wasn’t all that close to the coast.

What a surprise as we travelled along with the ocean right by our side for a good part of the way. We were really pleased with our decision and stopped for lunch so close to the ocean that the road has partly been reclaimed by the sea and as you can see our view from the van was perfect. We would have stopped for the night except for the really clear sign which clearly indicated that under no circumstances were we to even think of it! They have obviously heard of every reason for camping and would have none of it!

As we were having a walk along the beach we struck up a conversation with a lady walking her grand  daughter of four months (sounds familiar!) who said we absolutely had to go to the Pinnacles which we had passed a little way back and that there was a lovely caravan park nearby at Cervantes. Sold!

The park was really lovely and we didn’t take much persuasion to stay especially when we were offered a voucher for the footy club dinner that night for $55.00 a couple for the best seafood platter including a lobster caught not five minutes away that day and heaps of other local seafood. When Sue reminded Ian that it was their 35^th Wedding Anniversary the next day he was sold too! (I had actually remembered by the way!)

After setting up camp we went to look at the Pinnacles which were amazing and spent a couple of hours walking through the desert which is in the Nambung National Park. In this area of varying coloured sand there are thousands of limestone pinnacles, which range in size up to 5 metres tall and two metres thick at the base.

They were formed thousands of years ago when ancient plant trunks or roots formed a weak cementation of calcite within the dunes and have been exposed by wind and shifting sands. Spectacular, and truly worth the visit.

We left on Wednesday morning and drove on to Geraldton where we will stay until Tuesday morning and have the opportunity to have a good look around.