Tag: Onslow

15th May 2017 – New & Old

Distance: 96 km
Fuel: 54 L

Up early… and yes, the sun rises within the ANZAC Badge.

170515 003 Onslow Dawn

Went for an early morning walk on the Onslow boardwalk along the waterfront.

170515 013 Onslow Boardwalk

From it you caught glimpses of the two local industries – salt mining and LNG export.

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I wanted to see the old town. After a long drive along a dirt road beside the Ashburton River…

170515 046 Old Onslow Ashburton River170515 047 Old Onslow Ashburton River

…I got close. Actually I didn’t find any old buildings but there was the town’s cemetery.

170515 035 Old Onslow Cemetary170515 040 Old Onslow Cemetary170515 042 Old Onslow Cemetary170515 043 Old Onslow Cemetary

It was amazing how young the people were when they died; mostly in their thirties or forties very few were over fifty, It must have been a hard life a century ago.

On the other hand, when I got back to new Onslow I was pretty hungry so called into the only pub for a meal.

170515 050 Onslow

Funny thing, I asked for a schooner of beer but they only sold pints or middies. Never come across that before, silly really because I would have bought two schooners but not two pints (I had to drive to get fuel)

At 9.30pm the power went out so I had to upload this using candle power. (The bit about the power going off is true)

14th May 2017–Carnarvon to Onslow

Distance: 498.1 Km

A warning…

170513 002 Carnarvon Sign

I have about 35 litres of water and 20 litres of fuel plus a full tank on board so all should be well.

Tom Tom reminded me this is not going to be a complex journey. (Turn left in 406 km)

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For a few hundred k’s the landscape wasn’t complex either but first we finally arrive in the tropics.

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It’s a flat dry land with termite mounds as far as the eye could see until, at last, some variation with some ridges and hills.

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After the turn off to Onslow some salt pans and signs of industry.

Arrived at the caravan park mid afternoon, checked in, parked and went for a walk.

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Almost adjacent to my camp site is the beach and a small park with an odd combination of memorials.

Of course the ANZAC Memorial which apparently faces the rising sun. I hope to be up early enough to check this out in the morning.

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Then a tribute to a couple of local fishing boats lost at sea (during a cyclone?)

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I have to say the following one struck me as really odd.

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Finally a bronze showing where we are.

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Then it was a stroll into town, past the pub, General Store (I bought an ice cream), not one but two service stations, the council chamber and the town’s library with it’s own public art.

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There was more…

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As I returned past the pub I heard some loud voices and laughter (not much) but a WA Police paddy wagon came round the corner. As they stopped outside a young fella just opened the police car’s back door and got in. The policeman got out, opened the paddy wagon door and told the fella to get out of the back seat and into the paddy wagon part which he did, the policeman got back in and drove off. It was the politest and most low key disturbance I have ever seen.