9th Dec - New Norcia

This part of the country is amazing, sand dunes as far as the eye can see and this was on the left side of the road.  All part of Nambung National Park where the Pinnacles are located.   When we set off from Cervantes, I had intended for us to take the inland route to New Norcia, however according to the map I was looking at the road should have been directly opposite if not a bit south getting back to the Indian Ocean Road, but it wasn't it was a little ways north.  We ended up heading south down the Indian Ocean Road.

We travelled via the Wanagarren NR and Nilgen NR to Lancelin.    We are still fortunate enough to be spotting some wild flowers along the way, even though we are now into summer.   This one of the prettiest we have seen, the fringed lily.  It was one of those drives, we probably only had a couple of hundred kms to travel today, but it took us about 4 1/2 hours, as we had so many stops taking pics along the way.  We have never seen so many black boys, growing wild along this stretch.

And some of them are quite tall, taller than the one we have at home in the front garden.   The skies are looking dark and dismal but we are managing to avoid the storms and rains so far.

My Darl just happens to find some flowers by the side of the road at different points, just a little collection to enjoy as we are travelling along.....
The first we even heard of New Norcia was way back at Weipa, people who had been said we must do this place.   We had heard the same thing from other travellers along the way, so make this one of our must do towns. 

We arrive at New Norcia just after lunch, check out the accommodation options, either $7 to park across the road by the sports fields, you need your own amenities, or $14 a night for power, shower and toot.   We go for the latter.   Looking at the skies we are hoping it doesn't rain tonight, as we can see the water tracks of previous rains running through the ground right through our camp site.  We have to camp there as there is only one power board to connect up to, so have to camp within reach on the most level grounds available.  We check out the info centre, in the museum, art gallery.

We do a bit of a self guided tour around town on our pushies.  First stop the shed, housing all sorts of farming implements, including this scrub roller above.  It is made from trees, bolts, wire used to clear land in preparation for seeding. Originally pulled by horses, then tracters, how hard did they do it back then.  New Norcia is a one off experience, it is the only Monastic town in Australia, founded by a Spanish monk back in 1847 and to this day the Abbot and monks still live and work here.  The buildings are so majestic and large, some I am flat out fitting in the camera scope.

Above is the centre and right side of the Visitor centre, Museum and Art Gallery (ex Old convent), we lost ourselves in there for a good couple of hours.  Left is the St Ildephonsus College, this was the boys boarding house and college.  We ran into a cook just outside who was there catering for a school group.  Apparently they have lots of school, church groups visiting for retreats etc.   This lady stays in this building when working there and told us of her ghostly experiences, now that would be something else. We took a peek inside the ground floor.

This is the chapel inside St Ildephonsus.   The girls had their own separate accommodation etc., St Gertrudes, also with in built chapel.  Though the monks live in their Monastery, which is off limits to visitors, unless you are a paying guest, you often see them out and about in the streets.  You are however guaranteed to see them in action at any of their 7 pray sessions throughout the day in the Abbey Church and they have church open to public every Sunday.   People get married here, have christenings etc.

Now this is a sight to behold, this is the New Norcia Hotel.  See the monks are very enterprising chaps.   Built in 1927, this is no ordinary country pub, still owned by the monks offering accommodation, meals, function facilities and tantalise your taste buds with an Abbey Ale or glass of New Norcia Wine.  Other local produce on sale here is olive oil, bread, nut cake, biscotti and Dom Salvado Pan Chocolatti.  We only tried the nut cake, very rich and yummy. We also caught half hour of the happy hour, half price drinks!   The best happy hour we have come across, who would've thought.

The piano room in the hotel.   The only down side to this quaint little monastry town, is that the Great Northern Highway, runs right through the guts of it.    This highway is most popular for transporting heavy, oversized mining machinery. We saw two humungi dump truck buckets go through while there and then on our way out of town the next day, we had to pull over for a few oversized trucks.

They do it well, with pilot vehicles and these are so huge they also have police escorts.  This one here I counted on the trailer and prime mover 112 tyres.   What amazed Darl and I even more was that this then had another prime mover attached in front, all up 1800 horse power to pull this rig through the hills.  The tyres belonging to this mining rig were transported on another semi travelling behind.   We quickly got off this highway and headed through the back roads to our next destination Toodyay (Toojay).

8th Dec - Pinnacles and Sights

You never know what to really expect when visiting some places for the first time, but the Pinnacles did not disappoint us.  It is an amazing spectacle.   We did the 1.5km walk through the pinnacles, then we did the 4km drive through.  The drive does not close so you are able to do at sunrise and sunset.  At these times there's more chance of seeing some of the native life.  We did spot a couple of galahs, nesting on one of the pinnacles, that was a bargain.  As with all National Parks we have come across an entry fee applies, $11 per car.

I knew early on in the peace that my Darl liked to get back to nature on occasions...... and this was one of them, he did a little "tip toe throught the Pinnacles".   The Pinnacles are truly amazing, the more you look, the more you see the different colours, sizes, shapes.  They range in size up to 5 metres tall and 2 metres thick at the base.

On this occasion I am not as daring as my Darl, chosing to keep my gear on.... There are thousands of limestone pinnacles in this desert.  They were formed thousands of years ago when ancient plant roots formed a weak cemenation of calcite within the dunes and have been exposed by wind and shifting sands.

Colours of gold and purple in these pinnacles.

The road way through the pinnacles is quite narrow in spots.

We are a little amused back towards Cervantes the touriest information board is a little blank and transparent.  Lucky they have a tourist info service in town at the local store, post office which is a bit more informative.

On the way back to town from the pinnacles we stop via Lake Thetis, this is the 2nd site we have seen stromatolites (last Hamelin Pool and way better display).  Apparently there is only 4 known sites where stromatolites are found.  We did the walk around the lake 1.5 kms, bit windy but fine day.

A little further down the road is Hansen Bay Lookout, 360 deg views from bush to bay, town, sand dunes, lake.  This view looking back towards the township.   We decided to walk down the other side of the lookout over to the beach, however found that walking along the track would eventually lead us back to town.  That would be  no good, as the ute is at the lookout car park, so we returned the way we come.

Back in town we met Jason the Canadian on a bit of a journey with his 3 wheeler bicycle.  The 3rd wheel acting as a "trailer".  Jason does 150 - 200kms per day and can carry up to 7 to 8 litres of water, which one would need on such big rides.  He is one fit dude!  Maybe we can look into doing that for our next adventure.......or maybe not!

7th Dec - To Cervantes

We left Dongara-Denison this morning headed south along the Indian Ocean Road, this is a reasonably new highway on the coast and takes in a number of small townships. It makes a nice change the short drives between towns instead of the few hundred kms or more we have sometimes travelled to find a sign of civilisation.  Our first stop was Leeman, this is a small jetty there, the gulls took a liking to.  Here we make our plan of attack for Perth and Xmas.  We book into a caravan park in Perth for 10 days and then head further south booked into a park at Waroona for 10 days, for Xmas and New Year.

Next stop is Green Head and this is Dynamite Bay, a pretty little spot and a nice walk to a couple of look out spots.  All these coastal towns are obviously fishing villages, come holiday destinations.   They all seem to have new estates being built, we have been told either the fishermen or fly in fly out miners are building for living or holidays.  We pass through Jurien Bay, one of the bigger centres with a couple thousand population.  We're heading to Cervantes today, looking forward to exploring the surrounds including the iconic, Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park.

We jump on the treddlies for our usual famile of the area, after checking into the only van park.  There is a  mix of old and new housing and a few little surprises in between. This house would be the  most colourful we have seen in all the little coastal towns we have visited.  Cray fishing season is in full swing and I am dying to try one, Darl not so keen, but I talk him into checking out the bowls club as we have been given the tip, they do a  nice seafood  platter, including a cray.

$65 - oysters kilpatrick, salt and pepper squid, snapper, prawns, cray and chips plus salad bar, a good bargain we feel.   I had the cray, Darl had the oysters, squid and most the prawns and we shared the other.  We're starting to get into the swing of Xmas a little, I think this one clashes with my shirt really..... 

5th/6th Dec - Dongara / Port Denison

We leave Allendale Pool this morning, via the wheat fields, Alinta wind farm, Walkaway.  Hay is a big industry out here also, the fields and sheds are chockers with hay bales.  It's pretty amazing country side, fields of wheat or grass lead up to the sand dune hills along the coast, as we travel south the Dongara - Denison.

Every town has one right, the old historic police station and gaol which is transformed into a museum.   At this one at Dongara - Irwin District Museum, my Darl has a mate to share his cell with.  

This is the best kept display of old tools and relics from household to blacksmith to farming etc., we have seen so far, all so neat and everything clearly displayed, also old mate gives us a personal tour of the shed and demonstrates all the workable items.

The main street is lined with Moreton Bay Fig Trees, all bought for 18 shillings and six pence a lot of years ago, and look at them now!  They have blossomed now, today with their roots dominating the foot paths.   Quite a few historic buildings in this street, a heritage trail walk is marked out for those interested.   We did quite a few of them on our own little custom made tour.

One of the main industires in this town, besides wheat is Cray Fish!   If I haven't said before, it is cray fish season now.  We met an interesting chap at the van park, Bill, he was a cray fisherman for 48 years, so has seen a lot of changes over the years and knows the crays inside out.  He told us how now the fishermen have got reduced quotas and they have to leave the pots out for 3 days before harvesting and during this time the Oca's come and help themselves to the pots, day after day. When we queried what Oca's were, Octopus.  They go into the pots, strangle the necks of the crays and suck the meat out, then leave when they have had their fill, amazing.   Stuff you just wouldn't know unless you talk to the locals.

We got up this morning and thought we would take our treddlies for a spin, it wasn't the nicest day as you can see, but nice and cool for the ride.  We rode along the foreshore, they have a nice boardwalk there for viewing black swans, pelicans etc.   We didn't see any of them today, they probably away somewhere breeding.  This pic taken at the lookout, about 135 steps to the top.

We went over the bridge from Port Denison to Dongara (bit like twin towns down the coast).  We looked at this treddly in awe, 3 wheeler with motor, rear view mirrors and plenty of compartments for shopping, I want one Darl!  It was here I suddenly realised my Darl had left the back pack at the bikes with my wallet and phone, geepers, we hurried back to the bikes past a 4WD with 2 dogs sitting in the back, not that unusual to see really.

Only these dogs were 100% pure bred dingoes. Boss and Streak, these are alpine dingoes, Phil the owner also has 2 pure bred Desert dingoes.  What he didn't know about dingoes.  He has had cattle dogs previously but will never go back to them, the dingo one of the most intelligent dogs around.  They keep Phil's block clear of roos, rabbits, cats.  Alpines can do up to 80kmph, desert up to 90kmph.  He has made a business of it for the tourists or anyone wants to have a look, Dingo's at Dongara.  We have had our interaction today in the main street.

Saint Domonic's Priory, built in 1881, first served as the Dongara Hotel, before being run by the Dominican Sisters for 70 years as a school and boarding college.  These days it is run as the Priory Resort Hotel.  The pic only shows a third of the property with a huge court yard, an adjoining building to the right is the accommodation rooms, with swimming pool and a beer garden to the left of this pic.  Yes we did enjoy a coldie at this one.

When we arrived at Dongara Tourist Park we noticed this awful smell.  We asked the receptionist what it was, seaweed!   Never seen seaweed like it, washed ashore on South Beach, usually a pristine, white sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see.  Not today........

I finally jagged a decent shot of an eagle, it took me several to get this one, lucky for digital and delete option.    This fellow on a sign post in the marina from Fishermen's lookout where an obelisk is built in memory of sailors lost at sea.   There seems to be a lot of that happening right along the WA coast.   Down along the harbour, they have a lot of shelters for picnics and also a Shipwreck walk, a short stroll walking patch lined with plaques, naming the ship downed with details of each one.

Check this for a barby area, it is like a green house, lots of plants, walls lined with artworks and nice big tables, 2 of the most spotlessly clean barby's we have come across in our travels.  Good idea they supply the water, scourer and town to clean them down, so this probably encourages people to do the right thing.  We like to use our barby mat, makes cleaning even easier.  The other amenities here the same, abablutions look brand new, nice tiles, even curtains and kitchen facilities great also.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run!! before my Darl gets you......  Yes he did have a go with one of our walking sticks, I think he thought he was an aboriginal out hunting, but it didn't work, they just ran away, stopped turned around, looked at my Darl, kicked up a bit of dust.....blow it!!  They have big bugs here too and big hornets.

3rd - 4th Dec Ellendale Pool

We’re out of Geraldton today and not quite sure where we will end up.  As it turned out not very far we did 65kms to get to Ellendale Pool which if going direct is 44kms from Geraldton, we took the scenic route.  A nice cruisy day we stopped off first to take a pic of the famous horizontal trunk of a Red River Gum on the side of the Brand highway. Now we really know it’s the wind that does it. 

Then on to Greenough Historic Settlement where we had some fun in the old school house, it brought back some fond memories for my Darl…  Other buildings included the store, Police Station and Gaol, churches, convent, cottages etc.

BAD BOY !!

The friendly resident Alpacas

Oh yeah Darl, ring my bell!!

All buildings kept neat and well preserved

We did a little pub crawl, Hampton Arms Inn first stop another historic old pub, built in 1863, if only the walls could talk.   The Inn also incorporates Hampton Books, over 30,000 rare and out of print books which would be haven for any book worm.  We asked by barmaid was Ellendale Pool worth a look, she said absolutely, so we made that our destination for the day.  Our friends Bill and Lyn had already planned to stop there so we will have some good company too. 

Before we got there we drove through Walkaway and we just had to stop at Walkaway Tavern for another coldie.   We passed the Alinta Wind Farm, the largest in WA with 54 turbines, the blades are 41 metres long alone, so it is a sight to behold.  

We got to Ellendale Pool finally by mid afternoon.    What a top little spot.  $5 a night per car and they have FLUSH toilets!  And an outdoor shower.    We go for a bit of a walk, push bike ride and swim, relax and enjoy the scenery and of course catch up with Lyn and Bill for happy hour.   Weather is a little hot, bit windy (not too bad) and a few flies, we can handle this.

Note the pegs holding the tent down! We are improvising.

Ah, by the pool, on our 6th anniversary....

I put my collection of casks to good use, air bags!

Pillows........LLD in the arvo. I know we get bored.

Happy hour with Lyn and Bill, don't mind the flies.....

 

Ellendale Pool, beautiful spot and great facilities.