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Published: August 6th 2007
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Gene and I decided to take the 250 kilometer drive north of Perth to see yet another of Australia’s unique attractions, the Pinnacles. According to the Lonely Planet guide, the main town closest to the Pinnacles is Cervantes, located 17 kilometers northwest of the attraction. Not wanting to make the long trek twice in one day, we phoned the first hotel listed under accommodations, the Cervantes Lodge. An overly eager voice answered on the first ring, reporting that there were still rooms available and that we could have the ocean view room if we booked by telephone. Trying our best to stay within budget, yet avoid hostels at all costs, we decided not to look any further and made a reservation for one night’s stay.
Cruising into the town of Cervantes with a population of only 400, Gene and I exchanged a
‘what in the hell?’ look, feeling as though we were about to enter the twilight zone. As we pulled into the driveway of our hotel, we noticed the sign hanging in the window: “Restaurant closed until further notice. Coffee and cake still available.” Assuming that the restaurant was closed as a result of a failed health inspection, Gene
and I exchanged yet another disconcerted look.
Behind the front desk stood a haggardly looking woman who appeared inconvenienced by our arrival. She provided us keys, directions to our room and instructions on the facilities available all without saying more than a dozen words.
Anxious to fill our bellies after a long drive, Gene and I inquired regarding our dining options. “Well, there’s a tavern in town that serves a decent meal or you can try the café directly across from it. Other than that, there is a motel down the way that also serves lunch.”
“What do we take to get there?” Gene asked, hoping there was an urban town tucked somewhere behind our desolate surroundings.
“Just follow this road over the hill and you’ll run right into it. Everything you need will be found in town.”
The so-called
town consisted of a tavern, post office, café, movie rental/liquor store and a small grocery store. Gene and I speculated as to why anyone would choose to make a life in Cervantes. Joking about the interbreeding that must take place in such a small town, Gene was quickly silenced as I teased him of our
twisted family tree.
Upon discovering that the café served pizza and pasta, my two Lental sacrifices, we made our way to the tavern. As we walked through the door, we were surprised to see that the tables were filled with locals shouting at the television and jumping up and down from their seats. A few seconds passed before we grasped that the people were gambling on the horse races, placing their bets at the bar.
Realizing that it was early afternoon on a weekday, I whispered, “Don’t these people work?”
“Apparently not,” Gene observed.
As we grabbed a menu and took our seats, we watched as a group of children played hide-and-seek, running in and out of the tavern. “No wonder Australia has a problem with underage drinking,” Gene jested.
As we would later come to find out, the mining boom consuming Western Australia has forced irregular work schedules on most employees, consisting of four straight weeks of work for every week off. The mining companies are paying so well that local businesses are suffering from a shortage of workers - hence, the closing of our hotel restaurant. Apparently, the mining companies are paying their
chefs a $100,000 salary, which is more than the local businesses can afford.
Satiated by our lunches, Gene and I set off to Nambung National Park to explore the Pinnacles, comprised of thousands of limestone formations which eerily protrude from the sands. We spent the next several hours walking amongst the oddities of nature, certain we were about to witness the living dead emerge from the grounds of an ancient graveyard.
A Little History on the Formation of the Pinnacles “The base material for the limestone came from sea shells which were broken-down into lime-rich sand. This sand was then blown inland by natural wind patterns, forming high sand dunes. Rain caused the lime to seep to the bottom of the dunes, where it stuck together and formed limestone. Small plants began growing on top of the dunes, protecting the dunes from being blown away again by the wind. This also helped to create an acidic layer of soil over the top of the dune, which further contributed to the leaching of the lime from the soil. A layer of calcrete formed over the soft limestone under the dunes. Small cracks in this hard layer allowed plants
to send down deeper roots, which had the side-effect of allowing water to flow in also, gradually eroding the soft limestone beneath. This was replaced by quartz sand from the dune above. This continued until only columns of limestone that sat protected from the encroaching water remained. These columns were exposed when the vegetation on top of the dune died, allowing the wind to blow away the dune and sand between them.”
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Krankberg
non-member comment
Sounds like a swinging town for sure. Maybe you should go work the mine for a week or so and build up your resevres. If a chef is making 2 grand a week, your eanrning potential could be limitless. Youu could sit in the cave in a cage and substitue for the canary. I would think that would qualify for hazard pay. As far as the pinnacles are concerned, that looks like the best place to play paintball i have ever seen.