Blow Holes, Space Junk and Fish Tales

Point Quobba, Carnarvon and Shark Bay

Western Australia

November 13 to 21, 2015

Point Quobba blow holes turned it on for the NSW blow ins as they travelled south from Coral Bay and Ningaloo Reef. A spectacular show from a heaving, seathing Indian Ocean. 

As we set up camp at the Point, we noticed a problem with Myrtle's water works - a growing puddle in the middle of the van - which sent us scurrying. Not to worry. Mr Fix-It was straight on the job, with his trusty apprentice trailing behind proffering advice and taking photos. 

Everything turned upside down as we tracked the leak inside Myrtle. We finally found the hot water tank had corroded and was spouting multiple pin-prick leaks. Garry managed to isolate the hot water so we still have cold water. Myrtle will have a major op in Perth when she receives a new hot water bladder.

Later Point Quobba turned on a special sunset for us. This one is a bit different cos I managed to catch the waves in silhouette smashing against the point. Just a few piccys but you can fast forward if you are totally over sunset snaps from Western Australia. 

Onto Carnarvon, a very attractive town that has several claims to fame, including the Overseas Telecommunications Centre which helped put man on the moon in 1969. The station is now the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, it is run by a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers and was terrific fun for two not-so-grey nomads. We played at being astronauts, launched into space in a capsule and attempted to dock a shuttle to a space station (failed dismally). Plus we learnt a lot.

The 30m wide dish that tracked satellites and transmitted the first satellite TV program between Oz and the UK.

Oh, and where's Wally?

One Mile Jetty was built in 1897 in response to Carnarvon's thriving pastoral industry - livestock and wool. It's obsolete now but has been restored and is part of the heritage precinct.

Today market gardens dominate Carnarvon's agricultural sector. Beneath the Gascoyne River - which was bone dry while we were there - runs an incredible aquifer that provides water year round to the farms dotted along the banks. The district provides 70% of WA's winter vegetables. Former tomato farmer Garry cornered one farmer and quizzed her mercilessly.  

But there is more! Carnarvon is situated on the only point of the Australian coast where the central desert reaches the sea.

Enough of all that. The World Heritage Area of Shark Bay Marine Park was calling. We pulled into Denham on the Peron Peninsula and were back to turquoise water. 

There is very little coral in this marine park but acres of sea grass which sustains a multitude of marine animals - sharks, turtles, stingrays, fishies of all shapes and sizes, and 10,000 dugongs. Sadly, the dugongs didn't want to make our acquaintance this time. But we met everyone else, initially at the rescue and conservation aquarium Ocean Park (below) and later in/on the waters of Monkey Mia.

Ali G, a loggerhead turtle who lost a flipper after becoming entangled in fishing line.

Lemon sharks vying for food. The message is that all species of sharks are endangered and must be protected. A hard one to get across when there is so much hysteria surrounding the few shark attacks that occur.  

A spotted eagle ray less it's barb. Ali G, the turtle, bit it off during a food skirmish!

Monkey Mia was picture perfect. We watched them feed the dolphins - a carefully controlled affair but very appealing - and then took to the waters on a kayak. We saw heaps of turtles, stingrays, sharks, a manta ray but no dugongs. Nonetheless a beautiful day on the water.

Sometimes there are 700 people present for the feeding.
There were 20 when we visited - the benefits of being out of season.

A selfie using the camera's timer. It required much balancing skill on the beach. I impressed myself!

We paddled around the bay, about 10kms in total, dipping in and out of beaches and sea.

Monkey Mia Bay. Some people (Deb McE?) would be amazed I included a photo of my distinctive toes in this blog but they were painted coral and kept insisting. A rare sighting.

Red sand meets white. Another rare occurrence.

Jen n Gaz in picture perfect Monkey Mia. Thanks Ray and Paul for pic.

Speaking of sand. The Francois Peron National Park was once a sheep station. Garry and I could not fathom how anyone would think sheep could survive and thrive in this wind-swept, sand-strewn environment. The station is now an important part of a conservation effort called Project Eden which seeks to eradicate feral animals and repopulate with native fauna.   

What were they thinking? Fine wool sheep? 

A dip in the 40 degree hot tub fed by artesian water at the old Peron Homestead.

One of the features that earned Shark Bay its World Heritage status was the stromatolites in the hypersaline waters of Hamelin Pool. They don't look much but they are a very old life form - up to 3.5 billion years - and were an essential building block for more complex life forms. Incredibly, we owe our lives to the microbes beavering away within these rock-like structures.

Our friends Paul and Raylene invited us to join them on a sandy 500km return trip to Steep Point, the western-most point in Australia. We declined and went kayaking. They made it and have offered to photoshop us into the shot. Nope, we settled for a beer and cider at the most westerly pub in Australia - Shark Bay Hotel. 

Oh, and two sunset shots from Australia's western-most caravan park. Hee hee. Last ones!??

The view from our camp site with seagull in flight.  

Goodbye to another beautiful day on Australia's west coast.