THE BIG TRIP -2008
AROUND AUSTRALIA 2008
Saturday 8 November – Friday 14 November
Geraldton - Fremantle
Blog 14
The area of Geraldton includes the ghost town of Greenough. There were the usual buildings made of stone; the police station, gaol, school house, Anglican Church, Catholic Church and a few cottages. We stopped for lunch at the Hampton Arms, a pub that was built in the 1860s as we were told that it made a great lunch.
After lunch we drove down to Lucy beach where the waves were crashing onto the rock and producing holes in the sandstone. It was lovely and wild with white sands and the beautiful blue turquoise water.
We continued south along the highway and then east to Ellendale Pool which is on the Greenough River with great sandstone walls and a “wonderful” but very dangerous swimming hole.
On the way we stopped at the largest wind farm in WA with its 54 wind turbines. They are certainly a majestic sight and add the electricity they produce to the states energy grid. We are now well and truly in Cray fishing country which is the main industry keeping many of the little towns alive. We just happened to arrive at Dongara-Port Denison on the Irwin River on the one day of the year where they have the blessing of the fishing fleet.
We drove into Leeman and Jurien Bay on the coast before stopping for the night at the tiny town of Cervantes.
Thirsty Point Lookout near the town overlooked the Indian Ocean with the now familiar, beautiful white sands and turquoise water. We followed some dirt tracks along the coast near Hanson Bay.
It was a short drive from Cervantes to the Pinnacles in the Nambung National Park and we really enjoyed our drive through the limestone pillars. Their formation is still not completely understood with different scientists presenting conflicting theories.
When we were in Kalumburu we were told not to miss visiting the little town of New Norcia. It is the only monastic town in Australia and a beautiful little place.
At its peak the town housed over 700 children in their boarding schools. They had separate schools and chapels for the white girls, the white boys, the aboriginal girls and the aboriginal boys. They were all kept separate but still managed to meet each other in the cemetery late at night and share the food that some of the boys had stolen from neighbouring farms. The monks ran the farm, wheat and sheep, they made wine and their bakery is quite famous and it now run in their name under licence.
From New Norcia we took the little back roads to Perth and Fremantle which was our home for the next week.
We drove north along the coast to Cottesloe beach, City Beach, Floreat Beach and Scarborough Beach. It was sunny, clear blue skies but very windy and cold and there were crazy people actually swimming and “sun baking”.
We spent a wonderful few hours in Kings Park visiting the War Memorial and the 150 year old boab that was transplanted and transported from the Kimberley.
The Perth Botanical Gardens, part of Kings Park, were started in 1965 and have different sections representing each part of WA with the native plants for that section so we saw most of the wild flowers all in a small space!!! We walked on the tree tops walk which also overlooked the beautiful Swan River and the city and back through the area that was dedicated to the progression of women’s rights.
Saturday 8 November – Friday 14 November
Geraldton - Fremantle
Blog 14
The area of Geraldton includes the ghost town of Greenough. There were the usual buildings made of stone; the police station, gaol, school house, Anglican Church, Catholic Church and a few cottages. We stopped for lunch at the Hampton Arms, a pub that was built in the 1860s as we were told that it made a great lunch.
After lunch we drove down to Lucy beach where the waves were crashing onto the rock and producing holes in the sandstone. It was lovely and wild with white sands and the beautiful blue turquoise water.
We continued south along the highway and then east to Ellendale Pool which is on the Greenough River with great sandstone walls and a “wonderful” but very dangerous swimming hole.
On the way we stopped at the largest wind farm in WA with its 54 wind turbines. They are certainly a majestic sight and add the electricity they produce to the states energy grid. We are now well and truly in Cray fishing country which is the main industry keeping many of the little towns alive. We just happened to arrive at Dongara-Port Denison on the Irwin River on the one day of the year where they have the blessing of the fishing fleet.
We drove into Leeman and Jurien Bay on the coast before stopping for the night at the tiny town of Cervantes.
Thirsty Point Lookout near the town overlooked the Indian Ocean with the now familiar, beautiful white sands and turquoise water. We followed some dirt tracks along the coast near Hanson Bay.
It was a short drive from Cervantes to the Pinnacles in the Nambung National Park and we really enjoyed our drive through the limestone pillars. Their formation is still not completely understood with different scientists presenting conflicting theories.
When we were in Kalumburu we were told not to miss visiting the little town of New Norcia. It is the only monastic town in Australia and a beautiful little place.
At its peak the town housed over 700 children in their boarding schools. They had separate schools and chapels for the white girls, the white boys, the aboriginal girls and the aboriginal boys. They were all kept separate but still managed to meet each other in the cemetery late at night and share the food that some of the boys had stolen from neighbouring farms. The monks ran the farm, wheat and sheep, they made wine and their bakery is quite famous and it now run in their name under licence.
From New Norcia we took the little back roads to Perth and Fremantle which was our home for the next week.
We drove north along the coast to Cottesloe beach, City Beach, Floreat Beach and Scarborough Beach. It was sunny, clear blue skies but very windy and cold and there were crazy people actually swimming and “sun baking”.
We spent a wonderful few hours in Kings Park visiting the War Memorial and the 150 year old boab that was transplanted and transported from the Kimberley.
The Perth Botanical Gardens, part of Kings Park, were started in 1965 and have different sections representing each part of WA with the native plants for that section so we saw most of the wild flowers all in a small space!!! We walked on the tree tops walk which also overlooked the beautiful Swan River and the city and back through the area that was dedicated to the progression of women’s rights.
posted by Mike and Carol at
11:43 AM
