It was great to see the change from arid, treeless plains to the lush productive plantations of the Gascoyne River as we approached Carnarvon. We checked into the Big 4 caravan park which has more don'ts than do's. Washing machines are $5, the most expensive we have seen so far and there is an extra DIY charge of $5 each to wash car or van. Makes me wonder what the nightly tariff of $35 is for and explains why there are enormous numbers of travellers opting for off road camping, especially as most have toilet and shower facilities of their own.
We spent the morning catching up on washing, email etc. and then went to the pub for lunch. We sat overlooking Carnarvon's central waterway, known as the Fascine (literal meaning is 'water held back by sticks'), which is lined with palm trees and ate very good snapper, prawns, squid and scallops with a cold beer!
From there we drove along the memorial drive where there is a plaque stating the name and rank of every man who perished on the HMAS Sydney II, and a palm tree growing behind. A big effort we thought.
The town is dominated by the OTC dish which was built in conjunction with NASA and was involved in the Apollo space missions. We climbed to the platform from where there is a panoramic view of the town, plantations and surrounding countryside. The phone rang while we were standing there and I had a long conversation with my brother Peter. The reception was excellent... maybe due to the height!
The plantations on the fertile river delta are watered by the large artesian water supply and produce tropical fruits, melons, vegetables and gourmet treats of all description. We followed the Gasgoyne food trail which led us along one side of the river and then the other, to products available for sale directly from the producer, and came away with delicious peaches and nectarines, beans, pumpkin, mango, eggplant and eggs. It was interesting to cross the bridge and look down at a river of sand and red dirt with pumps sitting on the surface, drawing water from well below the surface! Quite amazing really!
Gascoyne river bed with pump in distance on the right.
produce (Spanish onions and bananas in distance) grown on river banks.
No comments:
Post a Comment