GLADSTONE CAMPING GROUND

AGAIN, THE DRIVE IN WAS
RATHER DESOLATE!

MON 21 - FRI 25.10.2013: Left the Shire of Carnarvon and entered the Shire of Shark Bay - loads of feral goats on the drive. Having weathered the wind at Point Quobba we were somewhat loathe to tackle another ocean stay, so when we ventured down the 6km dirt road to the Gladstone Camping Ground a stay of one night was determined - five days later! The campground which faces onto Shark Bay, is now managed by the Yaringa Homestead and is $5.50 per person, with a dump point and accessible bore water. Acreage has been developed into a rustic caravan area where you find your spot and the caretaker will visit each day to see that all is well. Did we mention acreage, there was ample room to find 'a space of your own' - where each person could feel as though they were on their own deserted island. We set up, were sitting outside enjoying Shark Bay and a car pulled up beside us, 5 metres away. The tents were thrown out and 3 children hit the ground screaming - Quobba revisited, we moved!

Sybil saw her first shooting star E-V-E-R! During our travels we have seen some stunning night skies - brilliant milky ways and clear starlit nights.  

COD

Did lots of fishing and love to lay claim to this fish, but no. Peter a fellow camper was responsible for this catch and he kindly offered it to Margaret (another camper), and ourselves. Lovely meal.  

 

FAIRLY DRAMATIC
TIDE CHANGE!

CARNARVON - DENHAM

OTC SATELLITE EARTH STATION

SUNDAY 20.10.2013: Before leaving town we stopped at the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. The museum celebrates the little known history of the role Carnarvon played in the manned space program and the Aust. communications industry. The Carnarvon Tracking station was built to support NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs. It was commissioned in 1964 and operated for eleven years. It was the last station to communicate with the space capsules leaving the earth orbit, and the last in contact before splash down. At the height of the operation it had a staff of 220 people. Carnarvon Tracking Station was the largest manned space flight tracking station outside the United States.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARNARVON TRACKING
STATION'S MOBILE LASER



 

 

 

 

THE GEMINI FULL SIZE
CAPSULE MOCK-UP CARRIED
TWO ASTRONAUTS INTO
EARTH ORBIT




ASTRONAUT PEEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoroughly enjoyed the Carnarvon stay - Genny the Caravan Park Manager, was lovely and prepared to assist with anything. Certainly makes a difference to how you view your experience. We spent the evening with friends at the Edaggee Rest Area some 81kms south of Carnarvon - back to driving extended distances!

OUR FRIENDS!

CARNARVON

ONE MILE JETTY

SAT 19.10.2013: Spent the morning fishing without success so we settled for a bought fish and chip lunch in the park at one of the "more up market" sections of Carnarvon. We had seen a St. Mary's School Bazaar advertisement and decided we would attend. Found out the function did not commence till 4.00pm. Located the school and on entering soon realised that the bazaar was aimed at the school children rather than the adults in attendance. Managed to purchase Rocky Road and a book - minor contribution!

CARNARVON

TWAS A LITTLE WINDY AT THE END
OF THE JETTY!

THURSDAY 17 - FRIDAY 18.10.2013: Went fishing yesterday at the very end of One Mile Jetty, but without any success. So today we exited 'Thomas the Tank' midway and set up on the pier. Carole was the star of the day catching the most fish. Stan, a chap that we first met as a volunteer at the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage joined us on the pier. We kept 2 large Dart fish for our consumption, gave Stan 3 and one other chap 1 fish. Stan was gutting one of the fish we had given him when he cut his finger and as he is on Warfarin called the train driver to bring a bandaid out - did cross the mind that he may well bleed to death by the time the train rattled out! Stan is up having his bandaid applied and a fish jumps on his line - the cry came "the rod". Carole placed her rod securely under the chair and ran (walked briskly), to successfully land Stan's 70cm Tailor - the catch of the day. Carole returned to her seat - NO ROD! Obviously during the excitement a fish had hooked itself onto her line and gone, rod and all. One cannot express how impressed Carole was - worse still, Stan did not even offer the catch as compensation!

FEEL SORRY FOR THE TWO "YOUNG'INS"
DOWN ON THEIR KNEES LOOKING
FOR A ROD, REEL A-N-D FISH THAT BY
NOW WOULD BE OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA!

We went straight to the Tackle Shop to purchase a new rod and reel. The tale of woe was explained and the salesman said that he knew Stan. Next day fishing Stan was there again and reported that he had been given a hard time by the Staff at the shop. First Tailor (b-i-g fish), that Stan caught he offered to Carole - she took it (felt the gesture may have been prompted by the staff)! Needless to say in such a small community the fishing story had circulated (abetted by Carole telling anyone that was  prepared to listen), and at the next low tide people were out looking for the rod! 

DART FISH & OUR FINAL
"IN MEMORIUM" PHOTO OF
'THE ROD'

CARNARVON

WEDNESDAY 16.10.2013: Carnarvon is a lush horticultural region and the town's plantation district lines the banks of the Gascoyne River. A drive along the scenic North and South River Roads (known by the locals as the 'Fruit Loop'), reveals the heart of the horticultural industry. We set forth on the 'Gascoyne Food Trail' and our first stop was Bumbak's Preserves and Icecreams (Best Home Based Small Business of the Year 2010).

BUMBAK'S

DID COME ACROSS
THE B-I-G EGG!

Stocked up on everything and then continued on, but that was it really. We did travel the trail, but the season's produce had finished so we were unable to buy anything further. Undaunted we headed for One Mile Jetty and the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage. The jetty is the longest in the North West of WA and was constructed by Matthew Price in 1897. It was built to accommodate State ships that brought supplies and passengers from Perth and allowed the export of livestock and wool from the region. Carnarvon Jetty in 1900 was the first port to export livestock.   

JETTY 1910

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ‘Coffee Pot’ train (the name believed to have stemmed from the engine's cute funnel), takes you out and back ($7.00 per person), at walking pace and you are able to exit midway or at the end of the wharf if you are fishing, or just take a return trip. If you stay out and are ready to return you simply ring the Guard's Van Kiosk and the train will come out and pick you up – excellent. There is something a little incongruous being transported out to what felt like the middle of the Indian Ocean on a ‘Thomas the Tank’ train.

 

The Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage was completed in 1897. The cottage has been home for many families, the last leaving in 1980.

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S COTTAGE 1897

 

The Carnarvon Lighthouse was erected in 1896. By 1899 the lighthouse had suffered considerable damage in its base due to white ants. The light tower was converted from kerosene oil to acetylene illumination in 1909. In 1961 the current steel tower and automatic light replaced the old structure.

AS IT IS TODAY



BABBAGE ISLAND
LIGHTHOUSE





One final point of interest in the front yard of the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage was the concrete dome. The dome covers an underground water storage tank complete with pump. Water was obtained from the cottage roof or carted from town in times of shortage.

CARNARVON - POPULATION: 9,046

SATURDAY 12 – TUESDAY 15.10.2013: Great features about our stay at Point Quobba were the beach walks for the humans and play for the dogs, campfires, picnicking on the beach and of course the view. By the Saturday we conceded defeat on the wind, but so did the Griswolds! Fortunately we made it  through most of the school holidays and for $38.50 for 7 nights with a dump point and garbage bins, one cannot complain. Unfortunately the wind was the deterrent. Not a slight breeze, but an ongoing wind force that continually rocked the motorhome. The day before leaving Shayden was unwell and we are convinced he had motion sickness! Next stop - Carnarvon, but first we saw two mature aged ladies 'puddling' their way round Western Australia on push bikes. Even in our heyday the Leylands could not have managed that one!

THE CARNARVON B-I-G BANANA

In 1839 Sir George Grey discovered the Gascoyne River. Frank Gregory crossed the Gascoyne River and reached Mt Augustus. In 1883 land sales were offered at Carnarvon and the Gascoyne River mouth. The town was named after Lord Carnarvon the British Secretary of State for the colonies. Despite the arid entry into town Carnarvon is the commercial centre for the rich Gascoyne district, with a town feature being the luxurious plantations of bananas and other tropical fruit and vegetables. Wool production, prawn and scallop processing and solar salt extraction are industries important to the district. The Gascoyne River is usually dry and hiding its ample supply of water for irrigation which is under its sandy bed.

MAIN STREET OF CARNARVON
NOW THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A WIND!

We pulled into Carnarvon Caravan Park and prepared for a mini spring clean. Over the past month we have had a considerable build up of red dust, sea spray and salt so we spent m-a-n-y days washing anything that was not nailed down - inside and out. Had television reception for the first time in what seems like months - turn it on to view the fires on LTP road! Already one great feature of Carnarvon is their radio station - "Classic Hits Triple 6", "Always playing the best tunes E-V-E-R!" There are a continuous stream of songs that we have not heard since we were teenagers - strangely enough we remember all the words!

POINT QUOBBA

POINT QUOBBA HAS SOME 20
HOLIDAY SHACKS THAT HAVE BEEN
CONSTRUCTED WITH ANY AND
EVERYTHING AVAILABLE

THUR 10 - SAT 12.10.2013: Wednesday had been a beautiful wind free day so the Leyland meteorologists determined that there was no need to pull the awning in overnight. At 4.00am we woke to the motorhome being rocked with great gusts of wind from side to side. The momentous decision was made - pull the awning in. Clad in our glamorous pajamas that had been designed to combat the heat (tank top and short shorts), we stood at the door ready to face the elements. Sybil ventured out first and as the thongs were laid on the ground such was the wind that they blew away. Out into the dark to retrieve the thongs! Both assumed our positions and soon realised that this was not to be an easy feat – we thought it was raining, but no it was sea spray and this led to us being unable to see anything through our glasses. Bring the awning in – the wind made it difficult to hold it down long enough to lower the arms – the awning will not wind up – too much wind. Okay, put the awning back up. Not happening! One wind de-flapper broke away and had to be relaced – two university degrees between us, but it took 10 attempts to turn the Velcro round the correct way! The next attempt at putting the awning up both wind de-flappers blew off – all this time the awning is billowing up and down due to the gale force winds, plus the motorhome heaving along with it. Take it down again – finally we heard the click of the mechanism which should automatically withdraw the awning, but the strength of the wind had prevented this from happening. Next step - manually retract it! This was working except force had to be exerted to keep the awning from ‘flying away’. Carole laid her chest and six pack across the arms and Sybil just simply laid on it! The awning was about six inches from being in place and it jammed with neither person able to leave their post to fetch a ladder! It was inched back into place and locked away. It was now time to collect dog beds, seats and mats that had been strewn all over the area. Finally all was in place – Madison and Shayden of course needed to go to the toilet – walked out and Madison nearly became a poodle balloon! After what seemed like an eternity we retreated to Poodle Palace – having had a shower and washed hair that evening we stood covered in sea salt and spray, plus of course sand. The wet tank top look was not a pretty sight - oh if only we’d had a spare hand for photographs to record the night’s activities! The next day one could not count the number of bruises and sore muscles that had been gained from the night’s activity, even the six pack scored some bruising!

BEACH, CORAL REEF AND LAGOON

POINT QUOBBA

SOMEWHAT 'EERIE' DRIVE INTO
POINT QUOBBA

SAT 5 - WED 9.10.2013: As always we attempted to locate a venue that ticked all the boxes – pleasant outlook, minimal people, away from school holiday activities and above all, children. We found it at Point Quobba which is located some 73kms north of Carnarvon. No toilets, no entertainment, no facilities – nothing of note to entertain children. There is a beach, protected by a coral reef which contains tropical fish and shells. There are also Blowholes which sometimes reach a height of 20 metres. As we drove in we noticed several signs:

WARNING: Parts of the area can be dangerous. Keep a wary eye on the tides and beware of king waves.
“KING WAVES KILL”.

SALT EVAPORATION POND

If one had been a tad more nautically inclined one would have spared a thought regarding the cause of king waves! We drove down a rustic sandy road following the ‘Camp Host’ signs. Did not find the ‘host’, but another camper suggested we just find a spot and the caretaker would come round at 5.00pm for payment. There are no designated spots as such, just areas that have been cleared beyond the beach scrub. We finally found a space that was appropriate and pulled in. Some 25 metres walk from the beach, our own area and no children. Having set up we sat down to enjoy an afternoon refreshment – the ‘Griswolds’ arrived. Five children, two adults and two dogs (with one child and father always having to yell above the wind), set up their pop top and tents next to us. Then the children began the walk back and forth through our camp collecting rocks for their fire. Sybil retreated to the motorhome and left school teacher Peel to deal with the situation. The following morning after being woken at 6.00am by the yelling Madison and Shayden made a request for relocation so the ‘Grumpy Old Leylands’ obliged. Even after moving you could still hear the noise – definitely as they say on ‘Big Brother’ their stay impacted our time in the house! 

POINT QUOBBA BLOWHOLE

 

CORAL BAY - POINT QUOBBA

FRIDAY 4.10.2013: On the way to the Lake MacLeod Rest Area 90kms north of Carnarvon we pulled in at the Minilya River Roadhouse to top up on our supplies for the next stop - $20.00 for 10 litres of drinking water. Each person and dogs are permitted one tablespoon of water per day!

IN AN ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS THIS.......



YOU FIND THIS AND.....

THIS

 

 

CORAL BAY - POINT QUOBBA

TODAY WAS A DRIVE OF FLAT
PLAINS AND ENDLESS TERMITE
HILLS, BUT WE DID TRAVEL ACROSS
THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN!

THUR 3.10.2013: Reluctantly we left Bullara Station and headed for Coral Bay and hopefully a glass bottom boat tour of the coral reef and snorkeling. Coral Bay is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn and is the southern gateway to Ningaloo Marine Park. The reef forms a natural lagoon which runs for 80kms. As there are only two caravan parks in Coral Bay we knew because of the school holidays we could not book accommodation, so we decided to look for a vet to mind the dogs during the tour. Bought supplies and petrol, then asked the question, “no, we don’t have a vet as there are only 3 resident pets in town.” Okay, next stop the Information Centre – the lady suggested a local 12 year old lad that could mind the dogs for $20.00. He was not allowed pets so enjoyed minding dogs (obviously not one of the 3 pet owners). Sounded great, booked the tour, paid and she rang to confirm. “Oh, the boat is full, what about a tour later in the day?” We advised that we needed to find accommodation for the night and the afternoon tour would make our exit out of town too late. Much to the lady’s delight (not), she reversed the transaction. Coral Bay is lovely, but it is a dedicated holiday area. The two caravan parks, shops and beach area were packed to the brim with school holiday travellers. Stayed for the evening at Lyndon River (West) Rest Area 190kms south of Exmouth.

BULLARA STATION

TUES 1 - WED 2.10.2013: Returned to our original site at Bullara Station - sat back and enjoyed the experience.

SHEARING SHED



DAY 1

DAY 2



DAY 3 - HANSON INVITED
HIMSELF TO LUNCH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Bullara also package and sell meat at more than reasonable prices so we made a point of overstocking our fridge - beautiful meat.

FARM DOG MADISON