Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
Well today started far too early (0600) especially for a Saturday when I’m on vacation but that’s ok. There was a ton to see today. The loaded up the bus right on time and we headed to our first stop of the day which was at a place called Pot Alley. Pot Alley is an ocean gorge and a really beautiful spot........especially with the sun still making its appearance this morning.
A beautiful sky even this early in the morning. So worth getting up early to check it out.
After loading up the bus again (would be the pattern for the day) we made our way towards another gorge. This one was a little more inland the plans was to hike down, through and then back up it. However with all the rain the road to the gorge was closed and the ranger recommended that we not drive down it. We actually thought about driving through the barricade (not physically......we would have moved it) but the Ranger changed our mind. It didn't stop some much smaller vans from driving through it but I think we made the right choice. Instead we went to a different gorge. Still great. It just meant a shorter hike.
Our mode of transportation these 10 days. It is pretty good. Even though it is full, there seems to be more than enough space. It's not a 4x4 though and I would hate to see what happens if we get stuck in a mud puddle.
Our hike down from the Ross Graham lookout lead us here. You will find it in Kalbarri National Park. That's where we headed instead. Probably a good warm up climb for the hiking we will do a few days from now. The lookout is named for Ross Graham who was the first headmaster of Kalbarri Primary School. He was a keen conservationist and protector of the gorge that now bears his name.
Sitting down by the water. It was a very nice and relaxing place and since we had actually visited a much smaller gorge than planned, we had plenty of time to just hang out and take some pictures. Nice to see the sun out. We were all hopeful it would stick around.
Here's the view from Hawks Head which was our next stop along the way.
It was a little disturbing when we first noticed the SES (State Emergency Services) trucks in the parking lot but it turns out these guys were just practising. Apparently if you fall here......it's a pretty intense rescue situation. I'm glad to see they practice.
Our next stop was for lunch.......always one of the most important stops of the day. Or it sure seems that way sometimes. One of the downfalls of travelling with a group........you have to stop and eat when the group does.
This is the Billabong Roadhouse.....our lunch stop for the day. Trust me, it looks a whole lot like every other Roadhouse along the highway north. If you were using them to guide your way.....you'd get lost. The tour bus obviously stops here all the time because Candice knew the owner very well and was able to park the van in a clear no parking zone.
Once lunch was all cleaned up we started back on our way. We were heading towards the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. Some people might spend their time looking for sharks, but since I'm not a fan I was very happy that we were actually on the look our for stromatolites at Hamelin Pool.
Now I wasn't sure what a stromatolite was but the fact that they are only found in like 4 places in the world (3 of them here in Western Australia) made them very intriguing. So what is a stromatolite? They are often referred to as "living rocks" as they are formed by single celled cyanobacteria. Basically they are layered limestone rock and when these stromatolites were found in 1954, they were linked to life on the planet about 3.5 billion years ago. They produce oxygen which helped marine life evolve into land walking oxygen breathers.
And here is a look at some stromatolites. They regenerate very, very slowly. The marks you can see in these stromatolites is damage from when the first Europeans ran carts through them while unloading boats. It will be sometime before we no longer see this evidence of settlement in the area......at least by looking at the stromatolites.
Sitting with some of the stromatolite family. They come in many different shapes and sizes which is affected by the tidal movement, waves and the abrasive actions of swirling sand and shells. They grow outwards, similar to the growth rings on trees. The outer ring is active with life while the inner rings can tell us all about the local environmental changes that have occurred in the stromatolites' life time. It was all very interesting to learn about. By the way, the other place you can find them......the Bahamas.
Once leaving the stromatolites, our day was not done.....not quite yet. We had a few more things to see and do. Our next stop....Shell Beach, so named because it is covered with shells. No soft white sand here. Just crunchy, sharp shells.
The water was pretty but a tad bit cold. Swimming was not in the plans today anyway.
A handful of the shells you will find on the beach. Most of them will be brought up by waves during storms. They grind the shells down and make them into bricks that are used to make buildings and fences.
A jelly fish that I found in the water. Not sure what kind it is but I decided that I shouldn't touch it.
From Shell Beach we made our way to Denham, which was our final destination for the night. Ok so we got there a little early so we made a stop at a placed called Little Lagoon first. From there we made the 4.5 kilometre (2.8 miles) walk back into town. It was a pretty walk and kind of nice after all the time on and off the bus today.
We saw these guys along the way. My very first wild emus. They are such a cute couple don't you think?
The sun on its way down over Little Lagoon.
A cute little slogan on this Supermarket. Makes me laugh.
Our last stop of the day was at the Old Groper Restaurant. It is said to be the most western pub in all of Australia. Yes that claim was enough to convince us to have a drink.
And that was day two. Pretty good if you ask me. More fun days ahead.
Julie
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