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| Quobba Blowholes and Hamelin Pool |
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September 3 - 4 2024 |
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past Red Bluff. |
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There is salt production at Lake McLeod which needs
exporting. |
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We are past the southern limit of Ningaloo Reef. The coast
is exposed to the Indian Ocean. |
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Looking back we are a tad surprised to see Warroora on the
road furniture. A gazetted, open, road.
We suspect tales of people becoming lost belong to an age before the
shire council called it a road and closed the management tracks. |
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A warning a bit late for us. Its open. |
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A reward at Quogga Blowholes was fish and chips. We
guessed correctly. One fish and chips was sufficient for two of us. |
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We walked another 25m towards the blowholes. Looking south.
Wary of waves which may engulf us. |
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Then the blowhole decided to blow. |
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As did the infant blowholes. |
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Then a bit more vigourously. |
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Could this be a mistake? Its time to stop. There's 2km of
campsites so surely a home for us.
There was. We paid using internet.
Not as bad as it looks. But really just an overnight for us. |
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Headed south to Hamelin Pool we cross the Gascoyne River
and stop briefly in Carnarvon again, water, loo, food, fuel. |
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Really the only interruption to flat plain in 100km. A
lookout we didn't stop at. |
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But we notice the flowers. |
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Every day different flowers. |
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We stop for the night at Hamelin Pool Caravan Park. An
old telegraph station. |
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A walk. Past the shell quarry. |
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The water in Hamelin Pool doesn't have much tidal movement,
it is saltier than normal sea water due to evaporation. Fragum Cockles
like salt. Nothing to eat them. The shells form coquina, a form of
limestone.
Which is then cut into blocks for building. |
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Coarse limestone. |
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The boardwalk to stromatolites is closed following cyclone
damage. Due for repair by 2022 it seems National Parks are a bit slow.
We are here after becoming fascinated by billions of years old fossil
stromatolites in the Pilbara. The prospect of seeing "living fossils" was
too much to miss, regardless that its only a glimpse.
Something to fire the imagination! |
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We can see microbialites at a distance. Mats of microbes
collecting sand, forming rocks. |
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Not only is the boardwalk closed (we knew that) but we've
also mistimed our visit. It will be another couple of weeks before there is
a tide low enough for us to see stromatolites exposed. They are more
columnar microbialites.
Another day perhaps .... |
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We content ourselves with walking and flower arranging. |
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And watching the cormorants. Wondering what they eat in the
very salty water. |
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More microbialites in the evening sun. |
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The track from quarry to campsite made with shell blocks. |
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As was one of the old telegraph station buildings. |
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A final look at the partly destroyed boardwalk.
Stromatolites beyond. |
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| Wandina Station, Drovers Pool |
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September 5 2024 |
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