Going South - Coral Bay to Carnarvon

23rd June 2014

Carnarvon is a pleasant green oasis after seeing so much desert.  The source of all the water is the Gascoyne river, the 2nd longest in WA.  Despite this the river bed is dry but the water is only just under the surface, common in rivers in these parts.  Extensive irrigation has been set up in the region and an abundance of fruit and vegetables is grown to supply Perth.  One of the major crops is bananas which are quite different to the ones on the east coast;  they are small and sweet.

I had a great time stocking up on fresh produce from the farm gates, we have only seen really tired looking 'fresh' produce for many weeks.  I bought the most enormous avocados ever and a type of papaya I have not seen before along with citrus fruits, squash, tomatoes, beans and broccoli.  Plus some lovely fresh rocket.  We will be eating well for the next week or so.

Jetty from the water tower

In the afternoon we parked on the foreshore, which is actually the estuary of the Gascoyne river and all sand flats.  The edge of the ocean is about 3 kms away when at low tide as it was this afternoon.  In 1897 a mile long jetty was built from the edge of the outermost sand island in order to reach water deep enough to moor ships.  Livestock [and wool] from the Gascoyne area were kept in holding pens on the sand island then driven along the jetty onto ships to be taken to Perth.  The jetty was soon fitted with a tram track and the tram track extended a further 3 kms across the sand islands to the edge of the settlement.  At this point it was used not only to transport sheep and cattle, but also passengers and incoming goods from ships moored at the end of the jetty,

Sand island section of the walk with old tram stop in background

View toward shore from the end of the jetty

We walked the entire length of the system and back again. The tram tracks are in the process of being restored and a tourist train runs along the jetty.  We were quite shocked at the dilapidated condition of the jetty as many of the original jarrah timbers have not been replaced.  Not only were there broken planks and rotting piles, but also no fencing and no lifebuoys in the event of someone falling into the ocean.  I guess it is all down to insufficient funding to make a proper restoration.










Before we set off we parked our car [still covered in red dust] under some palm trees which seem to be a favourite spot for hundreds of corellas.  They used our car for target practice!

Corellas by the hundreds