The Turquoise Coast


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Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Cervantes
December 28th 2010
Published: December 28th 2010
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Having been south it was now time to start the long drive north. We stopped in the first town we got to, Busselton, and found a McDonalds in which we used their free wifi. Having been kings in Asia we were now paupers in Australia and had to find a McDonalds just to get the internet and charge our devices. On the way in to the car park, on a hot Saturday afternoon, we witnessed a horrific car crash. A jeep came round a corner too quick and rolled into a pedestrianised green verge. Luckily nobody was hurt. We were having car troubles of our own. It would not start properly but after a call to John at the garage we learned that it shouldn't be started cold on LPG. It was fine on fuel.

With all well, we were glad to get out of Busselton and drive 500km to Cervantes. The long straight roads sucking us deeper into rural Australia. Arriving under moonlight we found a quiet but windy car park by the beach and slept in the car.

The Australian government is good at providing beach side services. Most towns along the coast have a grassed foreshore with free gas barbecues and toilets with showers. We took advantage of both, knowing that a freezing cold shower could be followed by a steaming cup of Indonesian coffee. However using a hot plate, designed for frying meat, to boil water in a pan was not the most successful. We waited an hour, looking into the pot at the promise of bubbles, but still it did not boil. Although extremely frustrating we had to laugh at the fact that we had waited an hour, watching water boil. The lure of free gas had stopped us using our highly efficient portable stove.

That afternoon we visited Cervantes' main draw, The Pinnacles. Formed over thousands of years, the petrified forest of limestone pinnacles scattered the desert-like scape. The sand dunes that surround them have shifted to reveal this natural wonder, the process of it's formation is still debated by scientists. We were able to walk around the oddly shaped pinnacles despite the vast heat and flies. This was our first proper experience of the excruciatingly annoying Australian fly. They got at our mouths, ears and eyes and turned us into waving lunatics. Unfortunately, the camera decided to stop working so the only pictures we have are from the iPhone.

Back to the fly free sanctity of our car and some air conditioning, we headed on further up the coast to Jurien Bay. Another grassed foreshore and another disaster 'free barbecue' experience. This time with pasta. We vowed to never use these things again. The town of Jurien, like Cervantes before it and many after it, was like lots of West Coast towns. Small hamlets of houses with a shop and maybe a 'tavern'. So far away and removed from everything that they lacked any soul, even any life. Those that were still living were just a little strange. The big debate on local radio was that some shops in Perth had opened for business on Sundays (damn you Perth). People were phoning in saying how terrible this was. Up here things were most certainly closed on 'God's day' but at an 'open' petrol station in the town of Greenhead I was excited to see they sold some cold beers. However, there was a chain around the fridge. I asked the lady why she had such chains around her beer, her solemn reply was "we don't sell beer on Sundays". What normal Australian doesn't sell beer on Sundays? We got out of town fast.

That evening as we ambled up the WA coastline we found a free camp area that is dreamed about by free campers. It was tucked away off the main road and right by the sea. At first the sand posed a problem to our beachside camping wishes but we plucked up the courage to take our trusty Holden down the soft path. We were rewarded with a sheltered camping spot from where we walked to the beach with a bottle of wine for sunset. As we sat there a dolphin swam by within touching distance of us to further add to our dreamy free camp experience. After a good sleep we got talking to a friendly couple from Sydney. They were travelling around Australia and thus told us all of the places we 'must see'. One hour turned into another as the pair argued whether it was a Woolworths or Coles supermarket in the town of Katherine. Needless to say we were relieved to finally get away.

Some of the information we had gained from our long chat had been useful. We were told of another lovely camping spot at Ellendale Pools. So we drove through Port Denison for a coffee and then went up to the quiet pools. Unfortunately the water did not look to inviting for swimming so we stayed on terra firma and read our books instead. From there it was up to Geraldton where we visited the old war memorials and perused the shops, including, shamefully, another stop at McDonalds to check the emails. Geraldton was different to some of the other smaller West Coast towns in that it actually had some life, but the west is more about the wildlife than living the wild life.

The beautiful remote coastline was where we wanted to be. As we drove to Port Gregory, yet another small town, we saw the most amazing sunset. The ball of fire sitting on the sea with not a cloud around to hamper it's descent. We found a car park and tucked ourselves away in the dark. Sleeping in the car so far had been fine. We could roll the seats right back and it was still cold enough to be able to sleep properly.

Port Gregory's raison d'ĂȘtre, at least for the tourist, was it's pink lake. We woke with the rising sun and drove towards a section of pink clouds. Due to high levels of beta-carotene the lake really did have a pink hue that reflected onto the clouds above. Like a scene from a fairytale.

We followed the road along the pink lake towards Kalbarri National Park where we arrived just in time for the pelican feeding. As you do. It was great to see these large cumbersome birds waddle up onto land and be fed. The feeder and the pelicans had to battle with persistent seagulls for their fish. A seagull, at one point, having the audacity to snatch the fish out of the man's hand.

Kalbarri sat in a beautiful bay with blue seas in front of it and monstrous gorges behind. Luckily it happened to be a cloudy day and so we drove out to do 'The Loop' gorge walk. It was a raggedy 25km drive along the worst unsealed road. We winced at every corrugated bump as the car rattled it's way along. The speed we could go at meant that 25km took almost an hours drive. It was all worth it, however, when we reached the mighty gorge. With our boots laced we began the 8km loop, weaving through the sandstone rock formations and peering through 'Natures Window', a large hole cut through the sandstone by years of erosion. We could see deep down into the waterless gorge that the Murchison River cuts through in the wet season. The breathtaking path then took us along the ridge of the gorge and down onto the river bed. It was here the flies took delight in attacking us all the way along the sheltered path. It was, nonetheless, a great point from which to see the different colours and layers of sandstone that towered over us. We were fortunate it was cloudy as this walk would have been unbearably hot in the usual afternoon sun.

With our feet happy to be back in the car we drove out, on route to shark bay, stopping at a '24 hour rest stop'. These places are an ideal 'legitimately free' place to sleep, especially when you want to be on the road early the next morning. They all have shade and toilets and with so little traffic you hardly even notice you're by the road. This particular rest stop was by the Murchison River where we pitched our tent and watched a black swan lull in the small amount of water left, whilst sipping a glass of wine as the sun set. We may not have power, phone signal or a bed in Australia but we've certainly got wine.


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Nambung National ParkNambung National Park
Nambung National Park

aka The Pinnacles


28th December 2010

wow !!!! amazing photographs..n information..specially about pink water........thnx

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