This Adventurous Age

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels November 3

FRIDAY 3 NOVEMBER CARNARVON

In the morning drove into town and through to the One Mile Jetty, that is one of the main features of the town.

The One Mile Jetty at Carnarvon

The jetty was built in the late 1800’s for the usual reasons of transport of local produce outwards, and needed goods inwards. It was built this long to get from the solid ground of the town area, across the marshy, tidal flats and out to deep enough water. A rail line runs down the centre of the jetty, and in the hey day of the port, engines were used to haul cargo back and forth.

11-02-2000 Carnarvon jetty and railway.jpg

Railway line down the centre of the One Mile Jetty

We walked right out to the end of the jetty. There was an area in the wider section at the end that was closed off due to fire damage, seemingly when someone fishing wanted to keep warm. What moron lights a fire on a wooden jetty? Restoration work was being done.

Enter at your risk – area under restoration at the end of the Jetty

We watched people fishing. There was a big turtle swimming around beneath the jetty and putting its head up to breathe.

Turtle off the jetty

There was a sign board at the jetty, with pictures that identified fish – presumably ones that could possibly be caught here. The daily catch limit given for each, was an indication of the relative adundance or scarcity of each species. Clearly, there was no shortage of ones like Dart!

11-03-2000 sign One Mile Jetty.jpg

We did some more grocery shopping. Collected my processed film. Got some scripts filled at the chemist.

Went to NorWest Seafoods, at the marina area through the town, and bought prawns and snapper, both in frozen packs. There are a few fishing boats operate out of here.

Did a basic pack up. We have only really been here long enough to do necessary shopping and cleaning, not enough to strew things around and make packing up a chore. We can’t afford the time to stay longer here and explore the surrounding area.

Tea was curried prawns and rice.

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels November 2

THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER CARNARVON

I did the washing, starting before I had breakfast. There were three loads, including the bedding as the last load, after John got up. It was a big job as it was ages since I last did any.

John went off to try fishing at the long jetty, hoping to catch some whiting. He remembered from our ’93 stay, seeing people there, fishing for those. He came back unsuccessful.

I had a phone call from cousin K in Tasmania, to whom I’d sent one of my Kimberley letters. He wanted permission to use it in the magazine of his 4WD club. Fame at last! We had a good talk, for a little while.

A big bus came into the park – a full length touring coach, converted to a motorhome. It was towing a large, enclosed trailer, with a 4WD on it. He had difficulty negotiating the corners of the park roads, and even broke a large piece off the corner of a site slab, going across it. Such rigs are really too big for a lot of parks, from what we have seen. At one point he came a bit too close to us, for my comfort. In the past, I’d driven a school bus that size – there was no way I would want to be touring the country in something that hard to manoeuvre.

The difficulties of a big rig

The washing dried quickly in the sun and breeze, so I put that away, and made up the bed again.

I filled in some time reading a couple of new magazines I bought yesterday, and reading over some old letters on my laptop.

After John came back from fishing, we drove back around the streets and shops. I put in a film for processing. Did a proper food shop.

John posted off the tax paperwork.

Tea was frankfurts – John’s choice – and vegies.

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels November 1

WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER CORAL BAY TO CARNARVON 247kms

We thought about having a final snorkel on the reef, before breakfast, but decided we needed to focus on the pack up and travel.

Left Coral Bay about 9.30am, after topping up the fuel with 20 litres, at $1.31cpl.

The van jockey wheel had been going flat really quickly, since Onslow, and John had not been able to get a new tube in the small towns we’ve been in. So, here, he tried putting silicone on the perished parts, and it actually stayed up longer. Having the flat jockey wheel had made hitching up the van harder for me, so I was pleased with any improvement.

It was a routine, but rather tedious drive to Carnarvon, through featureless, scrubby country.

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn again, before reaching Highway 1. I wondered if/when we would return to the tropics?

Going south again

Just before reaching Carnarvon, we came into the irrigated fruit and vegetable growing area that exists around it, relying on water from bores around the Gascoyne River. This river is another with a really large catchment area. It can flood quite spectacularly. Its waters soak really quickly into the underlying aquifer and that is where the irrigation water comes from. Some say it is a river that flows upside down.

We stopped at a roadside produce stall on the approach to town and bought tomatoes and capsicums. They were cheap and fresh – lovely.

Booked into Wintersun Caravan Park, for $16.50 a night. John paid them an extra $3 so we could wash the van and get the Coral Bay salt off.

We ate lunch as soon as we arrived, then set up the camp.

Less arid here than at Coral Bay

Drove into town – this caravan park was right on the outskirts. There were banana plantations lining both sides of the road as we drove.

John was able to buy a new tube for the jockey wheel – hooray!

Bought a few supplies and meat for tea at Woolworths.

Carnarvon is rather a strange town – there seems to be no really defined central focus to it, just straggles of shops and businesses. There were quite a few closed businesses, which would seem to indicate some sort of local downturn.

John wanted me to make stuffed peppers for tea. They take quite a while to do, so tea was late.

I missed the sound of the sea at night, that we had at Coral Bay.

11-01-2000 to carn

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 31

TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

It was a sunny day with little wind.

We changed the daily routine and went snorkelling before breakfast. I finished off the film on the underwater camera. Saw a sea snake on the sandy sea bed and seemed to remember reading somewhere that they are amongst the most venomous creatures of all. So I stayed clear.

Striped sea snake on the sea bed

The water was more chilly first thing, but it was great. We came back on a real high – and hungry!

John has gained greatly in his confidence in his swimming and snorkelling, during the week here.

Strange sea creature

He had to do some more tax work. A change associated with the introduction of the GST means that we now have to submit a Business Activity Statement, because of my share trading, so John has been agonizing over completing the first of these. They do not make it easy!

We were intending to snorkel again in the afternoon, but didn’t get around to it.

This week had gone so quickly. If we hadn’t had to change plans, we would certainly have stayed considerably longer here because we were enjoying it so much.

Tea was Kailis reef fish from the freezer and bought chips.

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 30

MONDAY 30 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

It was a sunny day, though with some cloud.

We snorkelled in the morning. There was quite a current running today, and it was hard work to swim back to the start of the drift.

This branching coral looked like it had buds on the tips of its branches

Brain shaped coral formation

I took some more underwater photos, but it was a bit sandy and dull for the best results – yesterday’s wind has stirred the sea up.

After lunch, went for a drive, south along the coast and through Old Cardabia station country. It was the typical semi-arid scrub and saltbush country of these parts.

Coast to the south of Coral Bay

The coast itself became quite rugged. We parked at one point and went walking, down a hill to the rocky shore, on a foot track, to get a good look at it. We didn’t see any other vehicles during the couple of hours we were out there.

Tea was Mongolian lamb stir fry with rice.

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 29

SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

It was another sunny day, but windy. Too much so to snorkel, because the chop on the waves stirs up the sand and reduces visibility, as well as making the swimming uncomfortable.

I bought the Weekend Australian – only a day late up here, and read that for a while.

We drove back to Mauds Landing where John fished again and I beach walked. Again, the fish stayed away!

10-28-2000 coral bay from around the bay.jpg

Looking back to Coral Bay from Mauds Beach

Tea was bought fish and chips. The fish was cobbler and not very nice at all.

December 21, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 28

SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

It was the same sort of day, nice and warm.

I bought a single use underwater camera to try to record some of what we are seeing.

After breakfast we snorkelled. I took some photos.

10-28-2000 blue fish.jpg

Underwater world

We walked on the beach again.

However, John had to complete some tax work, and that occupied him for much of the afternoon. I read a couple of magazines I’d bought at the shops.

Through much of this month, we have been hearing reports of regular thunderstorms happening up in the Kimberley – about two months early. The Gibb River Road is impassable and closed again. That made it a very short tourist season this year!

An interview with the owner of Ellendale Station highlighted that he hadn’t even been able to muster most of his place, this year. The streams ran so late, and then the water table was still so high that the first storms started everything flowing deeply again.

Tea was spicy chilli prawns and rice.

Phoned V and had a chat and told her all our woes about having to come home. Given the couple of nomadic years that they had, she can understand my sense of loss.

December 20, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 27

FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

I did some chores in the morning and just relaxed, sitting outside the van, enjoying the warmth, birds and a little breeze.

Then we went snorkelling again. It is so much pleasure. I could live here for weeks, just doing this every day!

After lunch, drove out to Maud’s Landing, just to the north of the village, along a rough track. There is a big controversy here at the moment, due to a proposal to build a resort and marina here. This is being hotly opposed by those who feel it will threaten the reef – both from pollution and over use. I hope it does not go ahead – I love the laid back, village nature of the place.

Track to Mauds Landing – letting the tyres down to drive in the sand

At Maud’s Landing, John fished, without catching anything. I wondered if the fish knew where the marine conservation zone ended and stayed away from the fishing areas!

Mauds Landing

I went for a long walk along the beach. Beach walk days are just the best days!

Tea was chicken pieces done Greek style – marinated in lemon, garlic, herbs.

December 20, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 26

THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER CORAL BAY

It was a lovely day, about 30 degrees.

I went for a beach walk in the morning, while John slept in.

About midday, we walked across the road and went snorkelling again. Spent about ninety minutes in the water. The swimming was engrossing again. John was becoming more confident and prepared to go out further and stay out longer.

10-28-2000 coral.jpg

It was a late lunch

After lunch we went walking along the beach to the south of the little rounded point.

I was going to have chicken marylands for tea, but after defrosting them, decided they were freezer burnt and too old, so I went to the shops and bought some frozen chook pieces – for tomorrow night – and sausages for tonight, which we had with salad.

There was a huge perentie lizard wandering around the caravan park. Up here. they call them bungarra. I was a bit wary the first time I saw it, but it just seemed intent on going where it wanted, irrespective of my presence.

Bungarra

December 20, 2017
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2000 Travels October 25

WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER EXMOUTH TO CORAL BAY 180kms

Our pack up and departure was quite routine.

We stopped in Exmouth to refuel – $1.22cpl.

Bought some oddments at the shops, including a paper.

On the way south, could not resist the temptation to stop again at the Kailis prawn factory, where we bought a kilo of reef fish and a batch of prawns – all frozen. I left the prawns out to defrost for tea, but quickly repackaged the reef fish into three lots for the freezer.

Kailis operate their own fishing boats in these waters, so the chance to buy from here was not to be missed.

After that, it was an uneventful trip to Coral Bay – but rather uninteresting. There were some wildflowers in places, but other areas that looked severely over grazed.

We went to the Bayview Caravan Park in Coral Bay. This was not the one we’d stayed at in ’93, which was higher up the hill.

We initially booked in for three days only, but they said we could convert it to a weekly rate later, if we decided to stay on. This we eventually did, so the cost per night became $16.

We had a pleasant site, with a cement slab, which was good here because it reduced the amount of gritty sand getting tracked into the van.

Our Coral Bay camp

The park was fairly empty at this time of year. It was a pleasant park, with shade trees and even grass around – something that is hard to grow in these parts where water supply is an issue.

Set up, had lunch, then took our snorkelling gear and walked basically just across the road to the beach, and went snorkelling.

The coral comes really close to the shore here. it is possible to enter the water and drift with the current, looking down on the corals and fish. The water was warm. The corals were varied and so pretty, big rounded ones, branching ones, some like big leaves, lichen like ones. Lilac and bright yellow were notable colours.

There was a real assortment of fish, some with bright tropical colours. Snapper and dart came in round our feet whilst we were standing in the sand, attracted by us stirring it up. Little black and silver striped fish acted like our escorts, staying close all the time.

Magic!

10-28-2000 coral bay.jpg

Near where we were snorkelling was the mooring area for boats, where the gently rounded point of the bay curves around. A couple of these were day trip tour vessels. In ’93 we’d done an outing on a glass bottomed boat here, and seen the corals and teeming fish that way. The operator fed the fish, so there were lots of large snapper came round the boat. Again it is a no fish area, which helps to explain the multitudes of fish we met today.

After an hour or so in the water, we came out and walked back to the van.

After a shower, I peeled the prawns for tea – nice big ones! We had them on shredded lettuce with a seafood sauce. Yummy.

10-25-2000 to cb