Carnarvon
Sunday, August 3
Ian's thumb was still very sore, so we
worked together to pack up and had some help from a friendly
neighbour to hitch up. He was OK to drive, so we took off for
Carnarvon.
We were disappointed with Carnarvon –
it was nothing like the brochures. However, when they say 'it's where
the desert meets the sea' it is true. As you are driving in, you see
the desert on one side of the road and lush orchards on the other due
to the Gascoyne River entering the sea here. We were looking forward
to paddling the Gascoyne, but it was nowhere to be seen! This is
because of the fact that it flows through underground aquifers for
the last part of its journey. As a result, the area has plentiful
water and is a major producer of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Our caravan park was the cheapest of
the seven in town, but there was not much to choose between them.
Ours seemed to be 'grey nomad central'. However, the owner was very
helpful – reversed the van in for Ian to spare his hurt thumb, and
filled our gas bottle for $20 ($24 at Noosa, $34.50 at Tom Price for
a 4 kg bottle). The van park backed on to an IGA, bottleshop and
bakery, with a big Mitre 10 across the road, so we didn't have to go
far for supplies. The new Library in town is very modern and spacious
and has internet, so we picked up some more e-books there.
Despite the variety of services on
offer, Ian was continually frustrated by the lack of assistance for
any of his maintenance problems, so gave up in the end. And the only
place we could find open for dinner was the restaurant at the Best
Western.
We did venture out to see the sights
out of town. We particularly enjoyed seeing the blowholes at Quobba
Point and watching the huge waves pounding the craggy cliffs. No
place for boogie-boarding! Quobba Bay just down the road from there
is a secluded little bay with calm water over coral – perfect for
swimming and snorkelling, and you can camp there (toilets and dump
point provided). On the day we were there, flies and wasps drove us
crazy, but it would be a lovely place for a day or two when the bugs
are not around.
We decided we ought to venture out onto
the mile-long jetty, but the charge of $5.00 each to walk along a
jetty was too much to ask, so we had a mediocre coffee and went
'home'.
I had more ear trouble while at
Carnarvon and had to visit the surgery twice to get my right ear
cleaned out and the perforated eardrum checked. I am so sick of all
this. Some days I am nearly completely deaf – so frustrating.
As you can tell, we were not sad to
leave Carnarvon.
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| Quobba Blowhole |
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| Majestic swell surge at Quobba Point |
Hamelin Station
Thursday August 7
We LOVED it here. No power for sites,
but wonderful, modern amenities, a huge commercial-type kitchen,
enclosed 'mess' with fireplace and covered eating area with
full-sized lidded barbecue.
Hamelin is a sheep and goat station -
although we are shaking our heads at how it is possible to raise them
on such sparse and tough country. They do well, apparently and last
year 5000 goats were shipped.
I became instant friends with the
caretaker, Rhonda, with whom I found so much in common. She made
scones for 'happy hour' on our first day there, which everyone
attends. Leanne and Don, who were doing the cleaning in exchange for
free camping, also became good friends, and we met up with them again
when they continued on their holiday.
It was great to be able to use a real
oven again, so I got stuck in, making fruit cake, bread and pizza.
One overcast day, I felt the need to bake, so made the Earl Grey
fruit cake and some savoury scrolls for everyone for happy hour –
around 40 people!
It is such a lovely place – so much
space, so peaceful. The campsites are levelled, marked out with rocks
and covered in tiny shell-grit from the surrounding area. This is the
area around Hamelin Bay, and many buildings have been built in the
past from shell-blocks cut from compounded tiny shells laid down over
millennia.
Naturally, we went down to see the
stromatolites (microbial mats) – ancient living creatures which
have been here on earth for over 3 billion years, whose ancestors are
said to be the first living organisms to produce oxygen, and thus the
beginnings of life on earth. They have been here on the earth for
more than 75% of earth's geological history. The ones we looked at
are themselves up to 3000 years old and still growing. Amazing!The
water is extremely saline in this area and we were amazed to see
little fish and plants which have adapted to living under these
extreme conditions.
We also visited the Hamelin Bay caravan
park and were very glad we didn't stay there. Run-down, expensive and
with an owner who believes the world has 'done her wrong'.
We stayed an extra two days at Hamelin
because we loved it so much.
How could you not love seeing
magnificent sunsets and sunrises in an uncluttered sky from your own
campsite, and then sitting out under the stars around a campfire to
finish off your evening?
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| Our campsite at Hamelin. Our own campfire under the stars to our left. |
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| Tiny cockle shells from our campsite. These are used all over the area for roadwork, paving and even brickwork. Check out the 'selfie' in Ian's wedding ring!! |
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| Hamelin shearer's quarters on right; amenities on left. |
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| Sunset on our back window. |
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| Hamelin Station kitchen area. |
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| Microbial mats / Stromatolites In Hamelin Bay |
