Geraldton 31.10.12 to Perth.

We've had a busy time so far in Geraldton and you'll all be delighted to know we have a new broom purchased from IGA which has a comprehensive supply of Asian goods. At last!

We caught up with my nephew Jason and had a delicious dinner at 'Tides' overlooking the harbour. We continued the chat the next night when he came to sample Glenn's chicken curry. It was great to see him so well and happy here.

Behind the Visitor's Centre is the old goal with beautiful thick, white-washed walls, small cells and a terrific collection of stones, many of them presented as highly polished spheres. The colours and patterns in the rocks were really amazing. Most of the cells are rented by artists and craftsmen who display and sell their work there. Each cells has the original heavy door with some of the original locks still in place.

From there we drove up to the HMAS Sydney II Memorial which overlooks the harbour. We had an informative and enthusiastic guide who explained the various features and the significance of each one as we walked around. The silver dome made of 645 seagulls, represents each sailor lost and the wall of remembrance lists each man. With the discovery of the wreck, the final part of the memorial has been installed.. a pool of remembrance.

Next was the Museum which kept us interested for the next few hours. It has a permanent exhibit presenting the history of the Batavia shipwrecked near the Abrolhos Islands, insights into the Aboriginal history as well as some smaller exhibitions. I particularly liked the one showing dolls made by local people, hand stitched and naive.

There was also an exhibition featuring the work of Max Dupain, one of Australia's most renowned photographers, with over 80 striking images from the 1940s to the 1970s. He was famous for his modernist, documentary style of photography and his images of post-World War II Australia are widely regarded as important records of a changing society. The photos of steel girders and other architectural features were superb.

We went to the Byzantine style St Francis Zavier Cathedral where the Bishop was saying Mass and a relic of the saint was on display. We took a guided tour of the crypt, unusual in an Australian church, which had displays of early vestments, and historic memorabilia. The architect was a Monsignor Hawes, a man of many talents who designed other buildings in the town as well. He felt that a Byzantine style church was more suited to the Meditterean climate of the area than a Gothic cathedral.

My nephew Jason, works in a caravan supplier/repair business and offered us a great price on a new fridge for the van. Ours has been struggling on gas and is showing its age in other ways. The fact that the door jumped off on the atrocious road from Drysdale station didn't help!! The 3-way fridge had to come from Perth so we headed out of Geraldton to look around the local area while we waited for the delivery.

Firstly we headed north to the recommended Coronation Bay but the wind was almost gale force. The kite surfers were loving the conditions but they were unpleasant for campers so and we opted to go south and inland to Greenough and Walkaway.

Just before Greenough we saw the bizarre sight of trees growing horizontally. They are an icon of the area and opinions differ as to the cause of their surreal appearance. Some say it is the result of prevailing winds but others say the roots hit a chemical layer in the soil which effects the trunk structure. The village of Greenough is renowned for its restored heritage buildings which are charming. There are eleven stone buildings, remnants of a thriving 19th century pioneer community, and a lovely cafe.

After we left the village we saw windmills on the horizon and gradually approached a wind farm with 54 giant turbines dominating the surrounding rolling hills. They pump massive amounts of electricity into the grid and pay for the cost of construction, maintenance and decommission in three to six years, of a twenty five year life. They have no carbon emissions after construction.

We drove through back lanes looking for Ellendale Pool, recommended as a great campsite. True enough, it is a scenic, well treed area on the edge of a long pool with cliffs across the water. There are flush toilets, water, cold showers and a swimming hole, all for $5 pn. We were welcomed into the established group for happy hour and are at the moment spending our second day here. The heavens opened in the night and we have our first rain since Melbourne. over six dry months. It's now quite muddy and cold and we don't like it but the land does. We are enjoying the peace and the bird watching.

 

Four days later we were back in Geraldton to pick up our new fridge. Jason got us a trade price which we were very grateful for and he and Glenn installed it. Jase was great and even managed a front for the fridge to match our decor! Our thanks Jason.. Wonderful nephew.

We went back to Ellendale Pool for the night and the next day drove south along the Indian Ocean Road which follows the coast closely. We drove through Dongara and Port Denison to Jurien Bay and then stopped on a deserted beach for lunch and soaked up some sun out of the wind. The coast is sparsely populated and sparsely vegetated and the wind is a constant at this time of the year. The reef is visible a few hundred metres off shore and the sand blindingly white against the deep blue ocean

We stayed at the caravan park at Cervantes and had to unearth our woollies as it was so cold. Next day we drove a bit further south to The Pinnacles in the Nambung NP. We had to unhitch the van and leave it in the car park as the track between the limestone pillars was narrow. It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of pillars of differing heights dotted over the undulating landscape. I loved the soft yellow ochre colour of the sand against the sky and dark blue sea. While we were there Glenn had an overwhelming urge to do a 'Billy Connelly' streak!!!

The sandhills at Cervances were the whitest we have ever seen and they often just rose above the horizon as we drove towards Perth.

We headed south, ducking in and out of the small places along the coast. We ate our sandwiches on the pretty beach at Lancelin and watched a lone dolphin cruising under the wharf where the fisherman were, and along the beach in front of us. It was a joy to watch as it moved with incredible ease and grace. They are beautiful creatures.