Karratha to Carnarvon

While based in Karratha, we drove along the coast to Cossack. Here there are a few surviving buildings of a once-thriving settlement. Originally it was called Tien Tsin after the barque which landed there in 1863. However, after Governor Weld visited in 1871 aboard HMS Cossack, the town gained its current name. Having quite a good harbour, Cossack provided a point of access for the settlement and development of the Pilbara region, including a gold-rush in the 1870s. There was also a significant pearling industry which attracted a wide variety of different nationalities. The most tangible reminder is the Japanese cemetery and in its heyday, the town had areas know as "Chinatown", "Japtown" and "Malaytown" - not very politically correct! Cossack grew quite quickly over a period of some 40 years but when the pearling industry moved north, the goldfields petered out and the harbour's limitations became more evident, the population shrunk even more quickly. The town staggered on and by the early 1950s, was virtually abandoned. Thankfully, some of the main buildings have been maintained and provide a fascinating insight into life on the coast in the 19th century. (Acknowledgements to the "Emma Withnell Heritage Trail" booklet, produced by the Roebourne Visitor Centre, for this information).

Bonded Store and Customs House

One of the ruined buildings

Flowers and shrub, Aerva javanica - a weed apparently

Cossack Cafe, at the rear of the Customs House

Thirsty Spinifex Pigeons!

The ubiquitous Willie Wagtail

Police Lockup - complete with bushranger!

Heading out of town, to the coast, we reached Reader Head Lookout which gives great views over Settlers Beach and Jarman Island (named after the captain of the above-mentioned "Tien Tsin") sitting in the Indian Ocean, as well as back along Butcher Inlet towards the township. Near the lookout, is the cemetery in which many of the headstones refer to people who died at very young ages - it was a tough place to settle. On our way back through town, we went up the Tien Tsin Lookout and then down past the old schoolhouse. A cyclone destroyed an earlier building and children had to go by tramway to Roebourne for their schooling

Panoramic view over Settlers Beach

View from the lookout towards Jarman Island

Nankeen Kestrel in flight

The little cemetery

Panoramic view from Tien Tsin Lookout over the township and the land-backed jetty on Butcher Inlet

The old Schoolhouse

What is left of one of the trucks used on the tramway to Roebourne

We used to have a kelpie cross (courtesy of someone who dropped her, at about 5 weeks old, over our fence in Perth). She was a black and tan and she was the light of our life, so we became great fans of kelpies. Naturally, we had read Louis de Bernieres book "Red Dog", so had to make the pilgrimage to Dampier where they have a statue to this famous peripatetic dog as the town had been the main base for Red Dog's adventures. We had time for a brief stop at the North West Shelf Visitor Centre (natural gas being brought in from the seabed) but unfortunately were too late to visit the wonderful collection of Aboriginal petroglyphs a little further along the Burrup Peninsula.

Dampier was named after William Dampier (1651-1715) who was a colourful character. He had been a buccaneer and a privateer (i.e., a pirate!) before being being given command of HMS Roebuck, in which he explored the north-western coast of WA and then into the islands to the north of Australia. He landed at Shark Bay and collected the first known detailed record of Australian flora and fauna. Unfortunately, the Roebuck became unseaworthy and foundered at Ascension Island when Dampier was attempting to return to England. The wreck was found in 2001 by a team from the Western Australian Maritime Museum. He and his crew were picked up by an East Indiaman after about five weeks and returned to England. On his return to England, Dampier was court-martialled for having his lieutenant jailed in Brazil while on the outward voyage. He was found guilty, his pay was docked and he was dismissed from the Royal Navy. About a year later, he was appointed, as a privateer, to command the St George in order to act against French and Spanish interests during the Spanish War of Succession. He sailed with another ship on which was a seaman by the name of Alexander Selkirk. When he complained about the seaworthiness of his ship, the Cinque Ports, he was marooned for nearly five years before Dampier rescued him. Selkirk's experience is believed to be the basis for Daniel Defoe's story "Robinson Crusoe". Dampier's ship, St George, was eventually abandoned on the coast of Peru and he returned to England in 1707. He made a third circumnavigation 1708-11, still privateering but it seems unlikely that he received his share of the expedition's gains, as he died in 1715, in debt.

Red Dog welcomes visitors to Dampier

Statue of what I presume are riggers or drillers

The gas burning off can be seen from a great distance

After our, as usual too short stay, we drove about 458km (via Fortescue River and Nanutarra Roadhouses) to Bullara Station, about half way between Exmouth and Coral Bay. On our way south, we stopped at Miaree Pool where we saw a small colony of Royal Spoonbills and the first Black Swans we have seen on this trip!

Some of the Royal Spoonbills

Royal Spoonbills and Black Swans

Flower of Solanum lasiophyllum

At Bullara we had a very good cosy hut, set among trees which were filled with birds throughout our stay. There are some good walks on the station and also plenty of opportunity to meet other guests - look out for Pommie John and his delicious damper!

Hale Hut and the Beast MkII

Inside our hut

A Grey Shrike-thrush liked our vehicle but looked better in the bush

Blue-breasted Fairy-wren

A treeful of Zebra Finches

Cockatiels finding a roost in the late afternoon

Juvenile Butcherbird strutting its stuff

Rainbow Bee-eater with a snack

The Grey Shrike-thrush came back - obviously the Hilux makes a good perch - or is it vain?!

Sunset from our hut

Our original plans had included a cruise out to Ningaloo Reef but, after our dire experience on the Great Barrier Reef a couple of years ago, as this entailed taking a whole day - with a 6am start - we reluctantly decided to remain land-based. Outside the reef the seas were more than a little choppy, so we felt that it was probably a sensible decision. Our hosts had advised us to head for Exmouth rather than Coral Bay, so we took a drive north to Exmouth, stopping to look at the Potshot and Operation Jaywick memorials, just south of the town.

In 1942 the United States Navy established a submarine base under the code name “Operation Potshot”. Extensive facilities were built adjacent to where Learmonth Airforce Base now stands. Although the submarine tenders only stayed in the area for a very short period, the base continued to operate as a refuelling facility. Australian Army, Navy and Airforce personnel operated early warning radar, radio stations, anti-aircraft guns and provided fighter cover for submarines.

The famous Operation Jaywick which attacked shipping in Singapore Harbour departed from Exmouth Gulf. The Japanese bombed the location in 1943. A cyclone in 1945 extensively damaged the base and troops were withdrawn.

Road sign to the memorials

Potshot Memorial

The scrub was fairly bland and the town did nothing to excite us but we stopped in a beach-side park to have our lunch.

In February 1818, the explorer Phillip Parker King was forced into the gulf now known as Exmouth Gulf. He spent eight days exploring the region and named the gulf after Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth. It would appear that there was no 'town' here until the US Navy built a submarine base (the above-mentioned Operation Potshot). Even then, the town was not really established, and named after the gulf, until the US Navy established a communications station here. They finally handed control of the station over to Australia in 1999.

Steve enjoying lunch by the sea

A Silver Gull eyeing us hungrily

We continued round to Cape Range National Park and enjoyed some bird-watching in Mangrove Bay. We had a pleasant time in the bird hide there but would probably have seen more birds if the water level had been lower. The bay itself was more productive and generally a very worthwhile stop.

A Mangrove Grey Fantail kept us amused

Eastern Reef Heron

Little Egret in flight

Mangrove Bay

Wildflowers at Mangrove Bay

We returned along the coast, stopping at Tantabiddi, where we saw a White-bellied Sea-Eagle on its nest, right in the middle of the car park. A little further north we dropped in at the Jurabi Turtle Centre which was very interesting and must be wonderful to visit during the nesting or hatching seasons. Nearby Vlamingh Head Lighthouse stood tall at the end of the peninsula. As far as I can establish, Phillip Parker King named Vlamingh Head, when he visited the area in 1818, in honour of the Dutch explorer Willem Vlamingh who had visited the area 200 years earlier.

Brown Falcon

Rocky coastline near Vlamingh Head

Vlamingh Lighthouse

The Big Prawn in Exmouth

In all we spent 4 nights at Bullara, enjoying walks, relaxation, trips out and very good birdwatching. The station covers 250,000 acres in a region known by the local Yingarrda people as punurrba, meaning 'sea breeze'. However, the station was named after a state-owned boat that sailed up the coast in the 1900s. We enjoyed a few more birds near the hut before finally, and reluctantly, leaving.

Juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk

Diamond Doves

Rufous Whistler

Crested Pigeons

Finally, it was time to leave and head further south to Carnarvon, some 315km, via Coral Bay. The latter is a delightful spot and we wished that we had had an extra day to come here. We could at least have snorkelled in the clear waters over the corals and perhaps seen some of the interesting underwater life there. It looks as if we are going to have to come back - yet again!

Our first view of Coral Bay

Judith with Jet Set at the viewing point

Jet Set solo at the viewing point

Jet Set really enjoyed the sand at Coral Bay

View over Coral Bay from the viewing point

When we reached our cabin at Norwesta Lifestyle Park (an AirBnB place) only find that it was very compact and had no cooking facilities - far from the "complete flat/house" advertised! We were also not impressed to hear that our neighbours had paid considerably less than we had. We made our feelings known and Michelle, the new owner, was very apologetic and sympathetic. She quickly had the description changed and refunded one night's accommodation, so we felt that we had a fair deal.

The camp kitchen, which was close to our cabin, was brand spanking new with all mod cons. As the park is convenient and the cabin reasonably priced, we would probably still have booked it - but with the knowledge that there would be limitations.