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Day 57 - Cervantes -> Geraldton
Today 260kms / Total 8641kms
While Cervantes was a nice quiet town, the one pressing thought was to find out what the problem with the batteries was. We had a 3 day bush camp booked at the Cape Range National Park (in about 10 days or so), and it would be pointless going there with no power. Geraldton has a population of about 33,000, and at least 10 auto electricians, so we figured that at least one of them might be able to help. It also has a rather good caravan spares and repair facility. This was helpful as the dinette table leg in the van collapsed yesterday and the table was doing imitations of a drunk on a lamp-post and reeling in all directions!
The drive up the coast is very scenic - far more so than the equivalent one on the east coast of the country - with views of the Indian Ocean.
Day 58 - Geraldton
Today 55kms / Total 8696kms
The first item on today's agenda was to find a good auto electrician who could test the batteries. I canvassed a couple of auto parts retailers for more information and they gave me a few names, so I went searching. The first address didn't exist. The second address existed, but looked like it was populated with rejects from the movie, 'Deliverance'. The third was what I was looking for - clean and tidy with a knowledgeable auto 'sparky'. The only problem was that he didn't have the kit needed to test deep cycle batteries, but he did know someone who could. Off I went again and ended up at the right place with the right 'look' and the right piece of kit. I organised that I'd bring the batteries in the next morning.
One of the events that have placed Geraldton on the map is the mutual sinking of the HMAS Sydney and the German raider Kormoran during WW II. This battle took place in the Indian Ocean north-west of Geraldton. All 645 aboard the Sydney were lost while 318 of the 399 on board the Kormoran were rescued.
The location of both vessels remained a mystery from Nov, 1941 until the Survey Vessel Geosounder found both vessels within 5 days of each other in March 2008. Those with an interest in naval history will find some more information at this link.
On a hilltop overlooking Geraldton is a memorial to the loss of the Sydney. It comprises a number of different structures; a bronze of a woman looking out to sea hoping for some sign of a loved one, a canopy of 645 seagulls over an eternal flame, and a soaring sculpture signifying the bow of the Sydney, topped with the Australian flag. The latter item was built after the wreck had been found.
Day 59 - Geraldton
Today 19kms / Total 8715 kms
Battery Day! Out with the batteries from the caravan and off to have them tested. Ten minutes after I got there I was given the good/bad news that there was nothing wrong with them. Good news, because that saved me somewhere around $800~$1000 for 2 deep cycle gel batteries, but bad news as the original problem hadn't been solved. I went back to the caravan park and replaced the batteries. As I was doing so, I found a loose wire hidden behind the battery area that had a bare connection. Could this be the culprit? We'd find out tonight by removing all mains power from the van and seeing if the rapid draining of the batteries reappeared.
You may be thinking we've taken a quick trip to southern Spain by the looks of this cathedral. St Francis Xavier Cathedral was mooted in the late 19th century, building started in 1916, finished in 1938 and it was finally consecrated in 1988, so you could hardly say it was a rushed job. The architect was Monsignor John Hawse who was a qualified architect before he became a Catholic priest. He also designed and built a total of 16 churches in WA's mid-west.
The interior is very similar to designs we've seen in Andalusia in Spain.
Another attraction in Geraldton is the local branch of the Western Australian Museum. In addition to displays relevant to the local area, there are more relics from the wreck of the Batavia as the reef she hit (Houtman Abrolhos) is west of Geraldton.
I know you've all been sitting on the edges of your seats wondering about the battery saga (you have been worried, haven't you?). The good news is that tests have so far shown no repeat of the rapid draining of the battery, so we'll set off tomorrow morning headed for Kalbarri.
Day 60 - Geraldton -> Kalbarri
Today 185kms / Total 8900 kms
On the road again... Only a shortish trip today to the holiday town of Kalbarri. En-route, we called in at a very small fishing village called Gregory. It is along a narrow peninsula with the sea on one side and the salt flats of the Hutt Lagoon on the other.
The delightful pink colour is caused by a bacteria that is a source of Beta Carotene. This is something that I'm told is very good for you.
Approaching Kalbarri from the south, you get glimpses of the coastal cliffs. Further exploration after we'd dropped the van off at the caravan park, revealed how rugged and forbidding this coast must have seemed to the Dutch seafarers in the 17th century.
A little closer to Kalbarri is Red Bluff. It was here that some of the survivors from the German raider Kormoran landed in 1941, as well as possibly some survivors from the Dutch East Indiaman Zuytdorp in 1712. While some relics have been found, no one really knows what became of any survivors. Current thinking is that they were befriended by the local aborigines and ended up living with them until their death.
Day 61 - Kalbarri (Murchison Gorge)
Today 140kms / Total 9040 kms
Kalbarri is at the mouth of the Murchison River. At 780kms (490 miles), it's the second longest river in the state. In its final stages approaching the coast, the river flows through the Murchison Gorge in the Kalbarri National Park and has some spectacular views from the lookouts along the top of the gorge.
Sitting at the Rock Window, Sue grants us a small lifting of her fly veil! She's such a tease!
Hawk's Head.
Normally the river ends up as a series of pools, but due to late cyclonic rain in the headwaters, the river has sufficient flow to have small sets of rapids all through the park.
Day 61 - Kalbarri -> Hamelin Pool
Today 278kms / Total 9318kms
Back on the road and heading north again, but as you'll see from the map the initial direction is south-east. We're heading for the Shark Bay region which is a World Heritage listed area. The whole of the peninsula that pokes north into Shark Bay has been turned into a wildlife sanctuary for the reintroduction of native animals. There is an electric fence across the narrowest part to stop feral cats, dogs, foxes, rabbits and goats from gaining entry as well as a baiting program to keep any feral animals already in there under control.
We decided to stop at the caravan park located at the old Telegraph Station at Hamelin Pool. This location is very isolated and relies on bore water for washing and a diesel generator for power. The facilities were very basic and a bit old but it enabled us to drop the caravan and not tow it another 120km to the next town, Denham.
Probably the only thatched roof post office in Australia, and with picnic tables too! :-)
(Actually, the post office is on the other side of the road)
Those who have been following our travels may recall we came across stromatolites near Cervantes. Here at Hamelin Pool is the best example of their type in the world.
With a growth rate of about 0.5mm per year, they're hardly about to take over the planet.
They look like rocks, and with their growth rate, do a really good impression of one. This is probably why the early settlers just ignored them and drove their loaded carts of wool out to waiting vessels across the stromatolite beds.
These wheel ruts were made about a hundred years ago and the stromatolites still haven't regrown.
One of the original reasons to come to the Shark Bay area was to visit Steep Point, the most westerly point on the Australian mainland. It is rather an adventure to get there and the roads are very changeable. While we were in Perth, I had e-mailed the park ranger at Steep Point and she'd replied that the road was open, but she'd be able to give me a better idea if I was to ring the day before we were thinking of coming.
As there is no phone/internet reception at Hamelin Pool, I rang from the Overlander Roadhouse on Highway 1 before we turned off to Hamelin Pool. The ranger confirmed that the road was in very bad condition with 80~100kms of "hideous" corrugations and 4 very high sand dunes that "were like climbing stairs in your car" due to being cut up by people not dropping their tyre pressures to suit the conditions. As we really need The Beast to stay in one piece, and we are currently travelling alone, we agreed that we'd give Steep Point a miss this time. As a consolation prize, I was allowed to plan a trip to Cape Peron and Skipjack Point in the François Peron National Park.
Day 62 - Hamelin Pool (François Peron Nat Pk)
(Google doesn't calculate too well on dirt tracks so there's no route on this link)
Today 320kms / Total 9638kms
Off bright and early as it was an hour and a half to Denham, then an unknown time to get the last 40 kms from the Peron Homestead to the top of the peninsula and Cape Peron. We stopped off at the Homestead (now part of the National Park) to deflate our tyres and were amazed to find a tyre deflating and inflating pump provided by the Nat Pk! We just keep being impressed with the facilities provided to travellers in WA.
As I was dropping the tyre pressures, a couple of locals wandered by.
While the road to the Homestead was dirt/sand, it was suitable for all vehicles. The road onwards into the park was not and had large signs indicating that it needed a high-clearance 4WD to get through.
So there was a lot of this, followed by occasional bits...
...of this. These salt lake flats can be very treacherous as they have a thin crust over a fudge-like bog beneath. In the Middle East it's called 'sabka', and we've seen numerous vehicles come to grief in it.
Points will be awarded to any non-Australian who knows what creature we should avoid here.
Every now and then, you'd find a lookout that was spectacular.
The sea is so crystal clear that you can see the bottom as well as anything swimming. The darker areas in the picture above are sea-grass beds that are grazed by dugongs (manatees).
The sand seems to change colour as you go further north until you arrive at Cape Peron.
Red sand and blue sea.
At the bottom of the cliff at Cape Peron was a colony of terns, gulls and cormorants. They seemed quite happy as most of their feral preditors had been removed from the peninsula, and it was too steep to get easy access for a normal human. However, they hadn't counted on...
...the arrival of The Cormorant of Doom!
Cape Peron from Skipjack Point.
Skipjack Point from Cape Peron. Looking down into the water we saw two Eagle Rays quite close to shore.
Day 63 - Hamelin Pool -> Carnarvon
Today 230kms / Total 9638kms
Really just a travel day today, so not much to report.
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