For The Love of Travel

What a night, thunder, lightening and a sustained heavy rain downpour! Caravan park is rather wet as an aftermath!

Visited the Space and Technology Museum. Carnarvon has played a major role in the world’s space program and in the nation’s satellite communications industry since 1966. There’s a treasure trove of space memorabilia and paraphernalia; interactive displays and space theatre.

Then a drive along a plantation area just on the town’s outskirts with offerings of banana, mango, veggies, melons and grapes. And a cactus garden.

Bumbak’s Preserves and Ice-Creams offers a wide range of Award Winning preserves, ice-creams, dried fruits, gourmet rocky road, cakes and of course, their ‘world famous’ Smoothies! Yummy caramelised fig ice-cream, in particular!

Lastly, headed down to the port area to get some seafood from Shark Bay fishery. Delivery of king prawns and scallops right off the boat into my frypan! Yum.

A very warm night, I was tossing and turning despite evaporative cooler chugging away in budget cabin @ Caravan Park. Thought to self: if you get a cabin, make it a good ‘un!

On the outskirts of Carnavon, close to the ‘School on Air’, is a lovely bit of wall art. In town, it’s fabulous to see a strong indigenous presence in the shopping centre, shopping at Woolies, getting stuff from the pharmacy ….such an Anglo-centric life I lead back in Melbourne!

Did some map study and thought I’d venture to New Beach/Bush Bay ( as you do)! They are 40kms south of Carnavon, a mangrove paradise and perfect for drone lovers seeking some nice aerial shots of the Shark Bay World Heritage area. Woo hoo! Whiting and flathead are caught just off the beach, a great spot to launch a ’tinnie’.

The marine stromatolites found in Hamelin Pool of Shark Bay are considered to be the best example of their kind found in the world. These ‘living fossils’ grow successfully and undisturbed because the sea water is twice as saline as usual sea water, due to a bar across the entrance of the bay and due to rapid evaporation of shallow water.

Managed by Yaringa Station, Gladstone Bay campground is located in the Shark Bay World Heritage area across 3 kms of pristine coastline, featuring a historic jetty, crystal clear water and an abundance of marine life. 

Gladstone used to be an important port from the early 1900’s when boats freighted wool and sandalwood, brought by teams of camels from the Murchison Station, to ports further south.  The 287 metre stone causeway led from a wool-store shed to a 77 metre timber jetty, the footings remains of which can be seen today.

There’s a lookout at Gladstone Bay, very dry and flat-as-a-tack topography for as far as the eye can see!

Carnavon Hotel for a barramundi dinner tonight. Amazing sunset as I was waiting for meal to arrive.

While I was at the hotel, I discovered that the WA Govt, as a test case, has placed limits on the amount of alcohol (1 litre of wine; 1 litre spirits; 11.25 litres of beeer/cider/premixed drinks) that residents can purchase in a day, in an attempt to reduce alcohol-related harm and violence in Carnarvon. No takeaway purchases on Sundays and Mondays and only between 12 noon and 7pm other days. Alcohol consumption in Canarvan is 2.4 times the state average. Wowsers, who knew crime was high in Carnarvon??? Glad I’m treating myself to a cabin in the Tourist Park.