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Published: July 29th 2013
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Why would you want to drive across a desert to the ugliest rocky shoreline in Australia?
Marg was talking to a couple of caravaners who complained about how boring the area is. They should have gone to Specsavers as the ad says!
The 45 minute drive to Quobba Point is through a desert type area, but it is full of interest. Firstly you cross the Gascoyne River, well dry bed. Interestingly, this river provided Carnarvon with water year round for many years. It flows below the sand all year, and only on top of the sand during the wet season. There was a small pool at the edge of the river and two pelicans were taking a dip.
Once again wild life share the road to the coast, and there is plenty of evidence that some drivers do not take enough care. We dodged cattle and emus today. In fact this was our first encounter with frightened emus who were having trouble escaping and ran in a haphazard manner at the edge of the road. One jumped the fence with ease, the other was in panic mode, so we stopped until it could get away.
Wild flower
season is starting to bloom in this area, and in several places there was a colourful carpet contrasted with the red soil.
Just a little short of Quobba we passed a large salt lake. This is mined for export some distance from the highway, but right beside the road is a pink lake where carotene is extracted from the salts.
You get a hint the Quobba Point isn't far off when you see a lighthouse high on a hill top, then the desert scene gives way to a brilliant ocean vista.
The coastal rock is very ugly, uneven, and along with king waves, has taken a few lives of those venturing too close. So why do people come here? The Quobba Blow Holes work 24/7, and even on a relatively calm day like today, the holes and the crashing surf enthralled for a couple of hours or more.
While on the rocky foreshore we saw a pod of dolphins swimming which I tried to photograph, but got the back of a hump back whale close to the shore. Didn't know I got it until looking at my photos on the computer! I then was walking to
where Marg was gesturing me to come quick when a mighty humpback got fully airborne. Marg had her camera up in a shot, got the splashdown and then the barrel roll that followed. WOW!!!!!!! What a sight. Glad I went to Specsavers! Marg is glad to have taken over my SX40 camera, but was heard to ask when the SX60 is coming out!!!
Our day out was not yet complete, we did a small diversion to Bumbaks. Now If you haven't been to Carnarvon, you might wonder why Bumbak's is world famous: well it is world famous for its Mango Smoothies. It would be sacrilege not to have one so we bought one each plus a couple of Bumbak's famous chutneys.
The weird thing about Carnarvon is that the river is (appears) dry, a desert surrounds the town, but it has an incredibly fertile river delta that produces about 70% of WAs winter vegetables, plus table grapes, mango, tomato and lots more.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Venting
Great photo