Going to Carnarvon & Shark Bay

22/07/2009. Left Onslow this morning, heading for Carnarvon with a few free camps before getting there. The weather is fine with cooler nights and warm days. Fresh Fruit and veggies in Carnarvon, straight from the plantations.
In 1966 the O.T.C. dish was built in conjunction with NASA as a satellite communication 7 tracking station. The station was involved with the Gemini & Apollo space missions,the dish is 29.6 metres in diameter and weighs 300 tonnes.
Carnarvon has the largest Jetty at 1 mile long, the largest in W.A., a few years ago a local person
had the dirt's over something and set the jetty
alight and burnt a large part of the jetty, roughly about in the middle it is now sectioned off awaiting repairs.
The banana industry is very big here with the 1st bunch being picked in 1928. The Seafood industry produces over $73 million per Annam. The town also produces some 300,000 tonnes of fruit & vegetables a year from its 176 plantations worth about $86 million.
Carnarvon is home to Australia's rarest bird the Thornbill, also known as The Singing Bush Lark. Mount Augusta which is in this location, is twice the size of Ayers Rock but is covered in shrub and is said to be between 1650/1750 million years old.
25/07. Today Sandra & I drove 25 Kms out of town to check a camping area at Quobba, it was a very windy day and the famous Quobber Blowholes were really firing, with spurts as high as 20 metres. A sign as you enter here says beware of Killer Waves, as many lives have been lost from the huge waves.
We have decided against staying here as it is to windy, close to mangrove trees which means the dreaded Mosquito and the place looks like a Shanty Town, with all kinds of self accommodation from old - new caravans old and new Motorhomes as well as a lot of very old tin shacks, a lot like Deliverance Country.
26.07. Drove to the H.M.A.S. Sydney 11 memorial drive, the Avenue has 645 Plaques & Palm Trees along the drive in remembrance of the tragic Sea Battle between Sydney and the German Battle Ship - Kormoron. This is the greatest single Australian Maritime loss of lives
during the 2nd World War. And also Charles Kingsford Smith had a mail run in Carnarvon.

29/07. Said goodbye to Coral and Peter they are Nomads on the road like us. Drove down to Edaggee rest stop about 80 km from carnarvon for the night stay, had happy hour with Peter & Marilyn - Neil & Chris.
Next morning onto Wooramel Roadhouse to fuel up and then to another free camp at Fowler's Camp 25 km east of Denham, what a lovely piece of Paradise, with a lake and the Ocean at our doorstep, you have to get a permit to camp here and it is for 24 hours only, just us and another couple Jim & Chris.
Next morning before leaving camp for Denham, I cooked breakfast for San & I - Bacon and Eggs over a camp fire.
We are now at the Shark Bay Caravan Park in Denham, this park is different in that there is no grass here instead they use crushed sea shell to cover all the ground area, there are painted murals on the amenities blocks, a nice change.
Went for a walk on the water front and jetty, saw a fishing charter boat with large Snapper, Honeycomb Cod, Coral Trout and all types of reef fish on board.
Shark Bay is a world heritage area with an abundance of aquatic life such as Turtles,Dolphins,Prawns,Scallops,Sea Snakes, Fish and Sharks an estimated 10,000 Dugongs, with a sea grass area as big as metropolitan Perth.
03/08. This Morning we went for a drive out to Monkey Mia to see the Dolphin feeding on the beach, Sandra stood in the cold water to get a closer look at the Dolphins, she always gets a buzz when she see's these mammals.