Monday, 3 June 2013

From Dongara we went north along Coral Coast. We made a quick stop in Geraldton (population 40,000) for groceries, but forgot it was closed due to Western Australia Day. Formerly known as Foundation Day, this holiday honors the date of 1 June 1829. On this date the Western Australia first settlers (British) completed their long journey by sea to the Swan River aboard the ship Pamelia. Other than shops being closed, we didn't find any other ways of celebration.

In Geraldton, there is a beautiful monument for the tragic HMAS Sydney II loss. The HMAS Sydney II lost all 645 sailors in November 1941 near Shark Bay while fighting with a German Raider. We saw the memorial but unfortunately did not stop to take photos. The memorial is designed with a silver dome on top made of 645 metallic seagulls representing each of the fallen sailors.

Northhampton

Later, we stopped in Northhampton (population 2,000), one of the oldest settlements in Western Australia. This area was declared a town in 1864. The beautiful stone St Mary's Catholic Church was built in 1936 by renowned architect and Monsignor, John Hawes.

There is also convent which has been converted to a hotel.

Horrocks

With glorious ocean views along white sandy beaches near the town of Horrocks, this is the part of the trip where I spend the next week talking about the beautiful northern beaches. I can't wait to spend a beautiful day out of the Amarok and in the coral blue waters…even if the water is a bit chilly.

We passed many farms on way to the beach, and the scenery was pretty and peaceful.

Port Gregory

Hutton Lagoon

As we neared Port Gregory, a fishing village surrounded by exposed coral reef, we saw a pink lake! Yes…the lake was pink.

This lake is known as Hutton Lagoon. It is the color of pink because of naturally occurring beta carotene or due to Dunaliella salina, a bacteria trapped in salt granules…not sure. Very intriguing site, especially if your favorite color is pink.

Basf Chemical Company mines the beta carotene. Here is a photo of a portion of their operation.

Hectie hanging at the beach.

Kalbarri (population 2,000)

Our last stop today was outside of Kalbarri to hike along the Bigurda trail. The Bigurda Trail is an 8km walking trail which allows you to discover Kalbarri’s coastal cliffs. It is built high above the ocean and the views are mesmerizing.

Hector and I agreed this trail would make a beautiful run. With the spectacular sights reaching out forever, your legs would never tire. You likely wouldn't even realize you are running, because it is so lovely.

The trail from Natural Bridge to Eagle Gorge gives great views of the rugged cliffs, and there is a chance you might even see some dolphins or whales migrating along the coastline. We saw a number of dolphins swimming below and stopped to watch them for a long time.

Oh and the name Bigurda comes from the Bigurda Kangaroo which can be found in the area.

Ten minutes after leaving the cliffs, we entered Kalbarri and were on the search for an inexpensive motel. We found a room at empty and probably haunted motel, the Palm Resort. It didn't even have a reception desk, so we went next door to a “higher end” resort to collect the keys. We had a few concerns with the empty parking lot and wondered why we were the only ones there, but decided we would stay regardless. On a more positive note, the room was clean and didn't see any bugs!

Pelican at sunset.

Watching a pelican swimming in the bay was a nice way to end the day.

Drove 296 Kilometers.

Hiked 5 kilometers.

Posted with Blogsy