Travelling South
We left Broome, Lorraine crying, sobbing, kicking and screaming, but life goes on!!!!! Get over Lorraine.
From Broome to Port Headland was a trip of just on 600kls, so we couldn’t tarry around. The country is very different, very few trees, lots of termite houses, dead stock on the side of the road.
Port Headland is a very industrial town, exports of Iron Ore, salt, yes salt. Big ships moving in and out of the port. The caravan park was very nice, very crowded, and we were lucky to be able to get in, there was only 2 sights left. As Port Headland was only an overnighter, the next day we drove to Point Sampson.
Point Sampson is a new township, it has a small fishing harbour, and there are some lovely fish and crustaceans being sold. From Point Sampson, we drove to Cossack nestled at the mouth of the Harding River near Roebourne, Cossack beckons the traveller and offers a unique glimpse into the past.
The town features many fine stone buildings, which have been fully restored and now offer an array of services describing Cossack. Cossack was the first port in the northwest servicing a growing pastoral industry. It played host to thousands of people seeking their fortunes in the Pilbara gold rush. Cossack was also the home of the fast growing pearling industry. It was after the Cossack pearling grounds were fished out that the pearling fleet moved further north to Broome. Cossack’s growth was spread over 40 years, however its decline was more rapid. By 1900 the pearling fleet had moved to Broome, the gold rush had diminished, vessels became larger and the Cossack port was no longer suitable as a harbour. In 1904 a jetty was established at Point Samson and all shipping movements were relocated there. Cossack had lost her position as the most important port in the northwest. The Municipality of Cossack was dissolved in 1910 however people still lived in the town until after World War II. The town was abandoned by 1950.
27th May we drove to Karratha and Dampier. At Karratha we did some necessary shopping, this township is the entrance to the gas fields and also to Dampier. We drove to the gas site, huge. This is where natural gas is bought ashore and cleaned, then liquefied for export and also local usage. A huge complex. There is a pipe line being laid from Karratha south, miles and miles of pipe, 7 metre lengths being welded together with pumping stations spread out, to pump this gas south.
On the road to Dampier, we passed acre’s and acre’s of salt pans. Sea water being evaporated and salt residue being scraped and trucked to Dampier port, never have we seen so much salt. Dampier is the port for the export of salt and again iron ore, Australia is truly a resource rich country
From Point Sampson, another 600kl’s drive, to Exmouth. Don’t anyone correct me, but I was in Exmouth in approximately 1976, and the first thing you saw from the ocean, was these huge sticks in the air, no land, just sticks. These sticks are in fact 12 aerials of approximate height of 1200 feet. In those days, we tied up at a wooden jetty, and drove into town along a sandy road.
Today, these aerials are still there, they are in fact this is the largest VLF transmitter aerial in the world. The jetty is still there, the roads have been sealed, and Exmouth has grown. We drove out to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, overlooking Ningaloo Reef, then into the National park. I must say, that Western Australia certainly looks after its National Parks, they are well presented and preserved from damage. The reef is absolutely beautiful, the water crystal clear, and fish in abundance. In many areas along the reef, fishing is banned, a great idea!
30th May saw us arrive in Coral Bay. A bit of history for you all…when we, Lorraine and I lived in Elanora, we had a house that had a granny flat underneath. Now this flat, primarily was for visitors who came our way. One day, Lorraine came home and said that she had come across a homeless waif, the name of this waif, was Kirsty. Kirsty was in fact a group leader in a child care facility, pity the poor parents. Anyway, Kirsty moved in, we sort of accepted her.
A few years later Kirtsy left us and ventured west, to Coral Bay. The seldom received letters from her told us how beautiful Coral Bay was and that if we ever travelled west we must make Coral Bay a stop over. Well here we are, and yes Coral Bay is beautiful. Kirsty has left the area but from reports she still travels up here.
The history of Coral Bay really begins at "Maud's Landing". The landing of the schooner Maud in 1884 is the earliest recorded European activity in the region.
In 1896 a town site reserve was gazetted to protect the site of an existing jetty and government goods shed. In 1915 the town was officially named Maud's Landing. Maud's Landing played an important role in the settlement and development of the North West of Western Australia. The woolshed and jetty which included a tramway served the local pastoralists in the provision of supplies and in the outward shipment of wool and sheep from 1898 until 1947. Wood from the jetty was taken away and used at the whaling station at Ningaloo station near point Cloates. Only old pilings from the jetty remain today.
Three kilometres to the south of Maud's Landing a very beautiful bay called Bill's bay was fast becoming a popular recreational area both for locals and for the more adventurous fishermen. Bills Bay was named after Ruby May French, affectionately called 'auntie Billie'. She was the wife of Charles French, the owner of Cardabia Station, the property surrounding Maud's Landing and Bills Bay. The first building in Bills Bay was a holiday shack built in 1933 by Jack McKenna, the manager of Mia Mia station and used by him as a summer coastal retreat.
It was not until 1968 that formal settlement began at Bills Bay with the establishment of a hotel, caravan park and a service station. The Hotel was named the Coral Bay Hotel probably because of the outstanding Coral Reef. Consequently the settlement became known as Coral Bay.
Coral Bay is a real unwind, eat, drink, swim, look and see, a lovely place to visit.
From here we travel to Carnarvon for a couple of days, still heading south, unfortunately it is getting cooler.
