Carnarvon

14th April Saturday

Fantastic nights sleep, up at 7am. This is such a nice place. It is still a working station and you can visit the shearing shed if you wish. it is so peaceful with wonderful facilities. Decided to stay another night and to help Margaret and Owen get ready for the 40 odd students arriving later today. After breakfast we helped them stip the rooms of bedding and clean them. There was a breeze first thing in the morning when Bob and Sarah left but gradually died down and day got very hot. After lunch sat and read a while th en Colin went off with Owen in a lorry to move some of the white shellsused in the campground. we were invited for roast Lamb dinner by Margaret and Owen along with Brian another camper, had to eat at their van as the students had arrived and they have taken over the kitchen for the week. it was a lovely meal followed by homemade pineapple cheesecake(yummy), by this time Jason the American joined us, it was a really good evening. This really is such a nice place and so friendly.



15th April Sunday

Cloudy start. Moving out today. Rose had a lovely sleep on her new pillow, a gift from Margaret as she had a spare one which she gave to her yesterday. After packing up we sat and chatted till just before noon when we said our goodbyes, exchanged Email and blog addresses.

We are very sad to leave. Text came through from Al and DD, they are heading to Northampton today, when we arrived at Overlander Roadhouse we had a phone signal so sent a reply as to where we were heading, Gladstone Campground which is only 90kms from Hamelin. Just put in $50 fuel at Overlander, price has come down from $1.76 to $$1.67 per litre but still expensive. Only further 60kms to campground, scenery has changed to very little vegetation and some hills.

Final 6kms on dirt road. Camp next to beach and is $5.50 pppn. Toilet is flushing but not working, caretaker told us you have to get water from sea and flush it that way, tide is out!!! Found a good area, very private, only about 3 other campers on site. Early to bed as very tired, lovely sunset.

16th April Monday

Windy night, sunny start to the day. Tide goes out a fair way and no sand to speak of. Had a walk up to a broken jetty, it seems this used to be a port from which wool was shipped,

 now it's a marine park where it is one of the few places the Dugong comes to mate(it looks like a Whale), it is a manatee also the Pink Snapper comes to spawn from the beggining of May,spotted some Pelicans in bay.

 Mid afternoon sat down contemplating a shower when Al and DD arrived (not forgetting Lily the dog), great to catch up with them, they are here till Thursday/Friday, so we decided to stay another night and maybe try some fishing tomorrow. Spent evening chatting with Al and DD. Late night again.



17 April Tuesday

Good night's sleep, sunny but bit chilly first thing. Spent morning reading and went for morning tea at Al and DD's, then decided to go fishing out on the rocks just before the wooden jetty. Reel has seized but Colin gto it moving then lost a ring on the rocks, caught some weed then called it a day. Back at tent Colin took reel apart, oiled it and put back together, seems ok now. Showered and made our way to Al and DD for campfire barbie, they had collected wood in the morning we found a small amount. I took spuds wrapped in foil to cook in the coals, good to contribute. Had another lovely evening, late night 9.45pm.



18 April Wednesday

Chilly night but sunny this morning, we are moving up to Quobba Blowholes for next site. Al brought us over a campfire fork he had made from a wire coat hanger. DD was practicing on her bongo drum this morning. Said our goodbyes to Bob and Sarah then Al and DD, who are having a clearout and tidy up day. Will probably meet up at Quobba. Seeing a lot of goats roaming on the road verge and big eagles. It is treeless, Colin says it's starting to look like his picture of Oz. Arrived in Carnarvon just before lunch to find Coles Express fuel station has closed. Drove into town centre, what a mess with major roadworks, found the library and updated the blog. found visitor centre to find our that you need a chemical toilet to camp at Quobba Blwholes as toilets are closed. We went to a cafe for lunch and talked about whether to buy a chemical toilet spending $150 or stop in Carnarvon for a week, decided to stay in Carnarvon and after getting a few bits of shopping booked into the Carnarvon Caravan Park for a week (visitor centre told us $135 pw but is £160 pw), all sites are powered and nice shady sites, so we will be able to do some touristy things for a change and won't need to fill up with fuel till next week keeping us within budget. Had a curry for dinner which was very tadty, hadn't had a curry for ages.



19 April Thursday

Noisy neighbours, talking loudly till late then playing the same Doors album till 12.45 when another camper told them to shut up, it worked. Warm night, leisurely morning and at 11am went for a walk, popped into nsite office and told the girl in the office of the problems in the night, she said she would pass on details to manager. We are situated near to the Big Banana.

Colin got some free stickers from a hardware store where we bought some clips to hold the big umbrella inside the vehicle. Popped into IGA and bought a blueberry pancake mix for lunch(it was scrummy). It has got hot but breeze is very cooling, saw a lot of fourbys with roof tents or towing camper trailers on the road. We can see the big satelitte dish in the distance which we hope to vist whilst we are here. After dinner spent evening chatting with our neighbours Ann and Des, they are from QLD and have travelled extensively in Europe and Ireland, living in Ireland for 12 months, a country they have been back to many times in the winter time (they don't mind the cold which is unusual for Ozzies). The noisy neighbours have already started, Colin the site manager has been to have word and has given me his mobile number if he is needed. we had gone to bed and Col already asleep when I heard site manager talking to the noisy ones and telling them to be quiet, which they eventually did, they left music on but not too loud so could sleep.



20 April Friday

Friday fact - Carnarvon was the first port to export livestock in WA

Cloudy start, Colin came round to assure us noisy neighbours leaving today (yippee), he offered Ann and Des a free night but they wanted to get moving. Went sightseeing to the OTC (Overseas Telecommunication Centre),

 it is a huge satelitte dish that opened in1966, it was from here that Australia received it's first satelitte broadcast, the station closed in 1987 after assisting in the tracking of Halleys Comet. IT WAS CLOSED UNDERGOING RENOVATION. We then went to the Gwoonwordu Mia (Aboriginal Hertiage Centre) PARTS OF IT CLOSED, so just had a look at some of the artwork on show, very expensive to buy, we also saw some beautifull decorated emu egss. Then onto One Mile Jetty

 and we walked it, THE END PART IS UNDERGOING RENOVATION

 SO CLOSED, it is one of the longest jetties in the southern hemisphere and was built in the 1800s so that wool could be shipped and exported to Freemantle. It was a very windy walk and could watch the seagulls just floating in the wind.

After lunch went to visit the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage Museum to find IT CLOSED AT 1PM. In another shed is the story of the sinking of HMAS Sydney II by a German ship HSK Kormoran off the coast of Carnarvon in 1941, all crew lost from the Sydney. HMAS Sydney II Drive was constructed in 2001 with 645 plaques and palms lining the road, with the names of the lost crew. Al and DD rang,they are in Carnarvon and another Caravan Park, Will see them tomorrow. Bed early as both of us very tired.