Day 51: 10 Attractions of Canarvon
The trip so far has been full of spectacular waterfalls, jaw dropping gorges, panoramic remote beaches and breathtaking reefs. When your last 7 weeks has been an overload of scenic wonders, sometimes a place can find it hard to compete. Canarvon is a lovely sea side town, and it’s waterfront and long white beaches are nice. But there is no doubt the local tourist site has a much harder sell. Despite this we decide to spend the day ticking off some of the ‘Top 10 Attractions in Canarvon’.
First up we head down to 1 mile jetty, “the longest jetty in the western part of Wester Australia” - yes they worked hard to get this title. I have been told they unofficially changed the name to 1km Jetty as the last part has been closed due to disrepair. But on arriving we realise it should be called 1 metre Jetty as a large gate and board is erected at the beginning with a large ‘Keep Out’ sign welcoming tourists. The best we could do is walk the adjacent 35 metre long boardwalk through the mangroves. It appears the boardwalk also goes to nowhere with a sign saying this is the first stage. Unfortunately that was more than 10 years ago so I guess future tourist will have a long wait for this landmark.
Deciding ‘number 2’ on the list might be better, we make our way to Pelican Point only to discover the Pelicans did not red the tourist brochure and obviously found a better spot to spend their time.
We had better luck with ‘Number 3’ taking a nice walk along the beach. By itself this stretch of coast is lovely, but when compared to some of the amazing coastal scenery we have experienced, i didn’t even pull out my proper camera and left it to the iPhone to capture the moment.
Not being dishearten, ‘Number 4’ on the list, the Carnarvon Fascine/Foreshore. This is actually a pretty, well kept foreshore so it was an ideal place for lunch. At least I learnt a new word:
noun: fascine; plural noun: fascines: a bundle of rods or plastic pipes bound together, used in construction for filling in marshy ground and for strengthening the sides of embankments, ditches, or trenches.
We decided to give ‘Number 5’ a miss which was the plantations that line the river. This area grows all manner of fruit and vegetables on the flat fertile river deltas. The claim to fame is it provides 80 percent of the produce to Western Australia - which is not that many people really.
In hind sight we should have tried ‘Number 6’ the OTC Satellite and Space Museum. They describe it as a “huge communication satellite dish dominating the skyline” but don’t think anything like the famous Dish in Parkes, but more like one you would see on top of a grey nomads caravan (ok may be I’m am being harsh and it is bigger than that). The dish was opened in 1966 but is now closed (a bit like 1 Mile Jetty).
And finally I should mention ‘Number 7’ the blowholes. However these are technically not in Canarvon, but 75 km north. As we didn’t really want to retrace our steps and go backwards we decided to leave this number off the list.
I won’t bore you with the last three but let’s just say we exhausted what we could do, or wanted to do. With the exception of one compulsory activity. And that is to go and watch the sun go down over the water. While Carnarvon may not have the sights of other places we visited, it still has the same amazing setting sun that is worthy of any ‘Top Things To Do in Canarvon’ List.
Day 52: As West as it Gets
I have been to many different kinds of beaches in the past. There is the talcum white sands of northern Queensland, the yellow sands of Sydney, the red rocks of the Dampier Peninsular. But walking along this white beach there is the distinct crunch under the feet. Looking down it is not sand or coral but millions of the same type of shell, the size of a pea. These tiny Fragum Cockle shells have accumulated over thousands of years forming a beach stretching into the distance.
Shell Beach is a unique quirk of nature. The bay is twice as salty as sea water due to a bed of sea grasses offshore which allows water to flow in, but not out of the bay. Over time the salt concentrates due to evaporation. While this means very little can survive in the bay giving it its clear waters, the Fragum Cockle thrives.
We are heading to the most westerly point for our trip to a place called Shark Bay, also known as Gathaaguda to the Malgana aboriginal people. We have already been spoilt visiting two World Heritage Sites at Ningaloo and Purnululu, but Shark Bay joins this very elite group. It’s 2.2 million hectares of natural beauty where crystal clear ocean waters joins fire red geological formations with rich marine and terrestrial biodiversity only found in this area.
On the way, we stopped in to Hamelin Pool where stromatolites are found. These prehistoric microscopic organisms, the earliest forms of life on earth, concentrate together to form concentric underwater domes. Unfortunately a cyclone in 2021 destroyed the viewing platform. We can only hope they are quicker at repairing this than 1 Mile Jetty.
While we may not have been able to see the stromatolites, we were given a wildflower display with thousands of yellow pom-poms interspersed with purple pea flowers lining both sides of the road into Shark Bay.
While I may have been a little unfair on Canarvon (see day 51), it is hard to not consider it being the ugly middle child stuck between two beautiful siblings. The town of Denham, the most westerly settlement of Australia, had amazing views, good facilities and yet still retained its seaside charm.
We could easily spend weeks here exploring the bays, beaches and nooks and crannies but unfortunately we don’t have such luxury, so we make our way to Francois Peron National Park for the next 2 nights.
While this is the most westerly point we will reach, unfortunately time does not allow us to get to Steep Point, the most westerly point of mainland Australia. But that is the great thing about this country. There is always a reason to come back.
Day 53: The 12 sights of Francois Peron
“On the 12th sighting at Francois Peron, it brought to me,
12 pelicans fishing
11 different wildflowers blooming
10 dolphins cruising
9 black and white fairy-wrens flying
8 sharks swimming
7 spotted eagle rays flapping
600 gulls a squawking
500 Pied cormorants resting
4 emus a walking
3 kayakers paddling
2 drones buzzing
And 1 Gidget Skink scaring Kathy thinking it was a brown snake.
Today we ventured out to explore Francois Peron National Park and the wonders it protects. Francois Peron was a naturalist who explored much of this region in the early 1800s.
Leaving camp for our own natural exploration, it is not long before the narrow sandy track turns soft enough to require the 4WD and a bit of momentum to prevent us getting stuck. The advantage of having a more difficult track is that it dissuades many people from venturing this far but the rewards are well worth it.
Travelling through the sand hills, the roller coaster motion starts to make you think if you should have taken ‘quells’ before leaving, but this is finally broken as we come out onto the hard packed clay pans. Luckily for us there has not been any rain as this could be a very sticky situation guaranteed to bog any car.
Eventually we make the very tip of Cape Peron, and the need to overcome the motion sickness has us take less bumpy walk along the cliffs to Skipjack Point. At every turn along the trail a vista of sunburnt red cliffs, white sands and multi hues of blue ocean greet the eye. Looking more closely a profusion of flowering native plants adds to the scenery, their subtle and delicate flowers contrasting the red sands. Shark Bay has over 820 plant species unique to the area due to the meeting of two botanical provinces at Shark Bay.
And while this biodiverse smorgasbord would make anyone happy, the desert at the end is always the best. As we stand and look out from the cliff top of Skipjack Point we are greeted with pods of dolphins, sharks and rays cruising below us.
While the plan was to go snorkelling at a place called Gregories, either the colder water or thoughts of the sharks we had seen earlier, meant that we opted for a walk along the beach instead. Making our way back to camp we stopped in at the old station. This areas was once a sheep station from the 1800s up to 1991, and was only designated a National Park in 1993. Walking through the old shearing shed and shearer’s quarters, the remnants of life on the land is still scattered through the buildings.
As the afternoon was slowly approaching we would normally head back for our activity of watching the sun go down. However, today it seems for once the clouds put a stop to this. Luckily, the sheep station provided the perfect alternative. Stepping into the outdoor hot tub the initial rush of heat is enough for you,to look around for the cold tap. But in this hot tub the only tap is that of the bore water that is pumped up from 540 metres below the surface providing a 40 degree soaking perfect to wash off the sand from the day. Sitting in the tub with a drink in hand may not be the same as watching the sun go down however it’s not a bad way to finish the day. As the French say - “beaticimo”.
Day 54: No monkeys here
I had several trepidation’s coming here. The thought of an animal tourist show with crowds fighting for a view were in the back of my mind. But these fears were quickly erased as I stand on the shore looking out into the bay at Monkey Mia. As many know, this place is unique for wild dolphins coming ashore to be hand fed. While in the past this was a general free for all with anyone feeding the dolphins, it has become a more carefully managed activity.
Watching on 2 dolphins arrive, half interested in what may be on the menu, but equally happy diving for wild fish. Not wanting to disappoint the crowd, they eventually decide to come and take a small fish from one of the handlers.
Dolphins are offered about 10 per cent of their fish dietary requirements to ensure they do not become dependent on the program and continue to maintain their natural foraging behaviours. Despite this, this is still some concern over the long term impact.
While it was exciting to see these placid creatures up close, we wanted to experience seeing them out in the bay. Even more hopeful, we wanted to get a glimpse of a dugong. Boarding the boat, the flat glassy waters make it easy to see anything break the water surface and it is not long before our first dolphins cruises past searching for fish. Soon after several others appear until we have at least 7 swimming beside the boat, two of them the cutest of juveniles. Like little kids playing, they role and weave in an out of the older ones still appearing to learn how to master their flippers.
While the dolphins are exciting, we are also on the hunt for dugongs. I should not use the term hunt as these creatures were almost hunted to extinction for their fat. It is also hard to see how they were mistaken for mermaids, their large snout looking more like a walrus than a female. The sailors must have either been drunk on rum or spent far too long at sea.
Fortunately, Shark Bay is home to almost 10% of the world population, so it is not long before one is spotted. While the dolphins are inquisitive creatures and willing to put on a show, the dugongs are more illusive. You have to be very quick to catch a glimpse as they rise up from feeding on the sea grasses to take a breath before quickly descending again. Most of the time all you see is the hump like a miniature whale surfacing.
With the cruise over, we squeezed in one more activity with a kayak on the bay. With the water being like one big bathtub it was ideal for paddling the afternoon away. And while we didn’t manage to see any more dugongs or dolphins, 4 large rays cruised within arms reach of the kayaks, like flying birds underwater.
With our share of wildlife spotting over, we opted for dinner and drinks at the ‘Monkey Bar’ as this was Kathy’s last day before flying out of Geraldton tomorrow. And while we did not manage to see any monkeys today, the experience of seeing dolphins, dugongs and rays was equally memorable.
