It was around a year ago as I was driving north along the Western Australia coast that I stopped by Carnarvon. I had no idea it was such a huge fruit growing area, and quite a busy place. It has a number of caravan parks, but there were no vacancies, and the motels were booked out too. I did get a room in a rather sleazy hotel - the room was old and decrepit and I was glad I only needed somewhere to sleep, shower, and prepare for the next day's driving.
I would have liked to stay longer in Carnarvon, but NOT in the accommodation I was in. Couldn't get out of that fast enough.
The Gascoyne River, which is described as the life blood of the area and provides the precious water for all the fruit growing looks like a sand pit - with little water to be seen, as it is apparently all underground. The river does flow after heavy rains, but the water is there, unseen, at other times.
One place of much interest is the One Mile Jetty, and the little train that goes out along the wobbly jetty. I took a ride on it - and marvelled at the sea and surrounds, and the little train.
From the Carnarvon Heritage website
"The Carnarvon One Mile Jetty was built in 1897 and was the first port in Australia where live stock was transported regularly on a commercial basis by sea. State ships came to Carnarvon on an average of twice a week until they stopped using the jetty in 1966. This was due to the main road south being sealed. The first steam locomotive to run along the jetty was the Kia Ora in 1909. The train was affectionately called the ‘Coffee Pot’ because of the shape of its smoke stack and this tradition has carried on to the present day. The last steam train to operate on the Jetty was the Kimberley in the 1950’s, after this time diesel trains were used. The Jetty experienced over 50 years of being a hive of activity and the major lifeline of Carnarvon."
So much history, and so interesting. I would love to do it all again.
The Gascoyne River, which is described as the life blood of the area and provides the precious water for all the fruit growing looks like a sand pit - with little water to be seen, as it is apparently all underground. The river does flow after heavy rains, but the water is there, unseen, at other times.
One place of much interest is the One Mile Jetty, and the little train that goes out along the wobbly jetty. I took a ride on it - and marvelled at the sea and surrounds, and the little train.
From the Carnarvon Heritage website
"The Carnarvon One Mile Jetty was built in 1897 and was the first port in Australia where live stock was transported regularly on a commercial basis by sea. State ships came to Carnarvon on an average of twice a week until they stopped using the jetty in 1966. This was due to the main road south being sealed. The first steam locomotive to run along the jetty was the Kia Ora in 1909. The train was affectionately called the ‘Coffee Pot’ because of the shape of its smoke stack and this tradition has carried on to the present day. The last steam train to operate on the Jetty was the Kimberley in the 1950’s, after this time diesel trains were used. The Jetty experienced over 50 years of being a hive of activity and the major lifeline of Carnarvon."
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| Massive Solar Panels |
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| Fruit Trees |
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| Looks like tomatoes |
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| The colour of the soil/sand is amazing. |
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| The One Mile Jetty |
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