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Published: September 2nd 2009
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Making the most of the hire car we had decided to head up along the northern coastline a bit so that once we had the campervan we could skip this part. It would also give us a feel for the open roads that lay before us in the campervan. As we headed up the highway we started to get a feel for the huge distances that we were going to be travelling in the not too distant future as km after km was eaten up, the road stretched endlessly in front of us and the amount of traffic on the roads dwindled down to the odd campervan or 4wd. After brief pit stops at Eneabba and then Dongara we approached Greenough, just outside of Geraldton. The winds obviously cut across the open plain here and we could feel the car being pushed by the winds. We could see some of the red river gum trees that had been so battered by the winds that they were now growing at strange angles from the ground (also had apparently decided to lean to escape the high concentration of salt in the soil here)
We finally make it into Geraldton by late afternoon and
decide to stay at Drummond Cove holiday park. This time we are prepared for camping out so pitch our tent and discover we are the only ones camping here tonight (later that evening another group turn up and camp next to us) I must admit I was a little bit apprehensive about this camping out lark (aren’t there wild animals lurking out there??) However, John reassured me that we’d be fine! After securing the tent we headed off back into town and parked up overlooking the beach to catch the sun setting with the most vivid and vibrant colours seen. After downing some fish (snapper) and chips we head back to the caravan park as its now dark and everything seems to be closed in the town. The campers kitchen (outside area) is lit up so we head over there to read and chill out before bedding down for the night in the tent. (Bit of a restless night as every noise outside gets me sitting up...am I being paranoid!!!!)
The following morning we are awoken by a million birds chirping away...the campsite is next to an aviary! Both are feeling a bit stiff and realise that this camping
lark is going to be harder than we imagined it to be! After heading back down to Geraldton town we head up to Mt Scott to the HMAS Sydney 2 memorial. This pays tribute to 645 men lost in battle with a german raider off the coast of West Australia during WW2. The seagulls on the memorial (one for each man lost) was inspired by a flock of seagulls flying overhead on the moment of Mt Scotts dedication as a war memorial site. At the site there is also a Wall of Remembrance and a bronze statue of a waiting woman looking out to sea for her loved one. The whole site is extremely moving yet at the same time very calming and peaceful.
We head down to the town beach for a quick stroll before passing by St Francis Xavier cathedral, designed by the parish priest in 1915 and completed in 1938. As we head out of town we take the coastal scenic route that we had bypassed on the way up and head along Indian Ocean Drive which has absolutely stunning views of the sea. Every so often turnoffs taking us up to lookout points such as Grigson
lookout which provides panoramic views of the lakes, hills, farming land and coastline for miles and miles around. We decide to stop for the night at a place called Jurien Bay and pitch our tent in the tourist park there. At least tonight there are a few more tents with us but boy is it windy as we are right near the beach so we have a tough time getting the tent up and trying to stop it blowing away! After a quick walk around the area we treat ourselves to a pizza and John heads off to bed whilst I stay in the campers kitchen area doing my diary - big mistake as by the time I come to go to bed it seems everyone else on the whole campsite has already gone to bed so I have to walk back in pitch darkness, then have to try and get into the tent without waking John...no chance!!
The next morning after packing up the tent we continue down the coast road which has become very windy and is blowing the car around. We arrive at the town of Cervantes which is the “Gateway to the Pinacles”, grab a
drink then head over to Namburg National Park which covers an area of just over 17 thousand hectares and contains “The Pinnacles” and the Pinnacles desert. The Pinnacles are limestone pillars that rise from the sand dunes in the desert. There are thousands of them and no one is really sure how or why they are here. We drive the car loop around the desert which allows you to follow a track around in your car but also be able to stop and get out of the car when you want to. Standing up close to the rocks some are over 4m tall in places and its slightly eerie as to how or why they are here!
As we head back towards Perth we are feeling absolutely exhausted and as we head back down the Brand highway we realise that we are going to be extremely late in meeting John B and his wife Ali, just back from England. The easiest thing to do would be to go straight to the meeting place but, like all good plans we think we have enough time to go home and change first - and then get completely lost. By the time we
meet them we are over an hour late...why are things never simple!!
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