After a year, we are once more black top crusaders. In our excitement we may have underestimated the distances in this vast state. Geraldton, the next bigger town, is only 950 k’s away. How that turned into a 4,500 k getaway is still puzzling me…
The appeal of Geraldton? It is the prospect of shopping at Aldi, Bunnings, BCF, visiting a distillery and having more than one cafe / restaurant to choose from. That’s what the outback does to you: Being excited about the little things in life…
We take off late Monday afternoon, to get away from Newman. And work. As fast as possible. We are making it past Kumarina Roadhouse and stake out our camp beside the highway. Admittedly not the nicest spot. But far enough away from civilisation. And while the sun is setting, nearby traffic and the constant drone of the flies will die down too.
The next stretch of road is pretty boring: Mind you, it is too hot to explore and we don’t have the time to give the region the attention it certainly deserves. So, my apologies for the following comments:
Meekatharra is the administrative centre of a vast shire and that’s it. The old charming buildings have all been dismantled and replaced with transportables and interpretive signs of times gone by. Coffee in style? Check out one of the road houses or the van parked in the middle of town. Seriously…
The tiny town of Cue on the other hand still oozes pioneer charm. The main street transports you back to a time when canned turkey was something people went crazy about. “The Queen of the Murchison”, once a grand pub, is now a B&B with a really cute café. Very much home made, but charming. Next door’s general store is still operating using the original colonial furnishings. They even have a flying fox, wich is used to send receipts and change from the office to the till! Unfortunately, most of the town is on the way out. Windows are boarded up. Old facades have been propped up haphazardly. Don't breathe too hard or lean against anything! Cue is hanging in there, but only just…With more to explore, we have got to visit again when its cooler.
We turn towards the ocean at Mount Magnet. This place is a tad more vibrant than the places we just drove through. Being much closer to the big smoke and sitting on an important crossroad makes the world of a difference to the town and its business community. If anything special is required, one is still within easy reach of Perth and Geraldton. Makes it attractive to weekend tourist as well. That’s my theory anyway.
Apparently there ought to be an old mine shaft that offers a nice overnight spot at Yalgoo. Signs to Joker’s Tunnel are as reliable as its name suggests. What we find instead is an old railway siding and a water tower from the days when Yalgoo and Mt Magnet were still connected to the coast via train and sheep were moved by carriage through WA’s Midwest. Worth visiting are the ruins of the Chapel of St Hyacinth: Stunning views, great architecture. Out of this world (or perhaps Mexican?)!
Mullewa is equally impressive. It is one of the western gateways to the WA’s spectacular wildflower country. We stumble into the Church of Our Lady by Monsignor John Hawes, the same who put his name to the chapel at Yalgoo. He turns out to be a constant companion on the first part of our trip. During his 25 years down under he planned 44 churches of which 28 were built.
This one looks very much hand made, somewhat Spanish in style with massive walls. Indeed, Hawes built the church himself from local rocks and material he found laying around. Pretty much a labour of the heart. With room for maybe 50 to 100 people it is not overly big, but in the early 1920’s that would already have been one of the biggest buildings in the shire. Being rather rustic, the imported statues of Jesus and the saints look a tad weird and misplaced. Could a catholic church do without them? Perhaps not in the old days.
In his days, indigenous people were not allowed into places of worship, so Hawes built, an altar in a paddock down the road for outdoor services. The Church of Our Lady is still the centre of the town folk and the local school.
John Hawes is a curious fella. He was born in England to a well off family. Instead of following family tradition into jurisprudence, he studied architecture and theology, then followed his idol, St Francis living a life of poverty in the streets of England. After a short stint at a mission in the Bahamas he migrated to the US in 1911. For several years he travelled while working as a labourer and even a railway teamster. With whatever money he made, he then studied for priesthood in Rome and was eventually ordained a catholic priest in 1915. The bishop of Geraldton liked the young man and his ideas and invited him to Western Australia where he worked as a priest, architect and builder. Hawes was very well liked and described as easy-going and hands-on. He travelled his vast parish on train, wagon and horse back with his trusted Jack Russell terrier. His horsemanship was legendary too, winning him several races. The horse, by the way, was named after his teenage girl friend. I see a lot of parallels to my own life and would love to have met that man.
In recognition of his architectural work he was named a monsignor by Pope Pius XI. He lived and died in the Bahamas as a hermit in 1956.
We decide to Wiki-camp on the salt lake at Tenindewa. It is teeming with wild flowers. What a nice spot! A replica of an old school house sits within walking distance of our home for the night. Established in 1914 it used to be a tiny timber building, iron roof, hessian walls. Fabric walls keeps the flies out and (as per Paul) - sprinkled with water - the insides cool. Natural air-conditioning. The kids had to cross the lake to get to school. After rains the shallows would be impassable so parents dropped stepping stones, creating a picturesque causeway. No more rescues required as little one cannot get stuck in the salty mud anymore. Charming! And worth a photo or two.
After a 41 degree scorcher of a start, the night is surprisingly cold - nothing that the first coffee can’t fix. Back in our rigg, we are following the railway line towards the coast. Arid gazing changes to fields of lush grain. At Kojarena we visit St. James, another one of Hawes’ churches. And a tiny one!
It sits on a plot, donated by the pious Irish family next door. That was in the 1920’s. After it fell into disrepair there was talk about turning the chapel into a residence. Instead the 48 offspring of the original family stepped in, purchased and restored it lovingly. “None of us are church goers. But this family heirloom certainly brought us back together,“ uttered the lady at the Hawes Centre & Museum in Geraldton. Turns out, she is one of the 20 or so surviving grandchildren. The chapel is now used for weddings and family get-togethers. What a story!
Hawes’ Geraldton cathedral is massive. The romanesque basilica cowers into the landscape. It is far more formal than the one in Mullewa, yet beautiful in its austerity and strength. No frills, everything has its place. The dark blue ceiling in the entranced decorated with tiny golden stars, a surprisingly personal touch. One should come back for a visit of the crypt.
We are having morning tea and toasted sandwiches at Jaffles, a container restaurant right on the beach (the coffee is a killer too!). Fits so well into the beachy parkland, with funky artwork and beautiful gardens. The public toilets are just a stone throw away, neatly disguised as Rubick’s Cubes. The nearby Ilgarijiri eggs are a reference to the dark emu populating the indigenous night sky. Geraldton mixes history and modern liveability extremely well!!!
Around the corner we visit Bellington Foreshore with the Horizon Statue, an impressive crystal ball and tourist magnet for the infamous Geraldton sunset pics.
Up the hill is the installation commemorating the sinking of the HMAS Sydney II together with the German raider Kormoran in 1941 just off the coast. Paul and the poor darling lady in the photo are still waiting for the sailors to return. The 639 seagulls of the memorial represent the souls of the ones now wailing in their 2,400 metre deep, salty grave.
You know that you are culturally deprived when you get lost in the wonders of Wonda Bake just to emerge hours later with cream on our faces and blissfully happy. Or watch a movie at the local cinema - what a treat! And finish off the day at The Snazzy Cafe & Kebabs. Hmmm…
Next morning is sleeping-in time and then a quick catch up on social media. We can take it easy, the distillery won’t open until 9 am - at least we hope so. Covid has certainly turned the tourism world upside down with tours and attractions either operating at different times or not at all. The factory is at Port Denison, about 60 k’s south. Heading down the coast, we stop for pics at the leaning trees of Greenough and dive into an old homestead, now a museum. The curator is an absolute character and great to chat to. He confirms why Geraldton is know as the windy town: Even century old gum trees bow to the elements.
The Illegal Tender Rum Co is awesome. Tiny family business. Everything done by hand. The smell is outrageously good! Their products are based on raw sugar. Which makes the rum deliciously nice and smooth. Cattle are happy here. They get to devour the left overs of the first run through the still. After a second run, the alcohol matures in oak barrels. This is where the magic happens. Two fold: As the rum draws flavours from the timber, a bit evaporates, leaving behind a black resin that should be harvested and sold: Man cream - seriously! One just wants to constantly rub oneself on the barrels. Like a cat. Solidified happiness!As we are only four visitors, tour and taste testing take much longer than anticipated. But what the heck, we are on holidays. I can feel the rum, his brother spiced rum and father gin running through my veins. So lets’ bunker down for some local fish’n chips before hitting the road again.
On the way back we are chasing a jokey wheel for our trailer. Ours is truly fucked. The one we ordered into Geraldton has not arrived. With profuse apologies we are passed on to a competing company down the road. Turns out that that one have a cheaper and better fitting one. Has to be modified slightly by a mobile mechanic. But all good. People in Geraldton are seriously nice and helpful!
Below some pics from Point Moore and the lighthouse - just around the corner from our caravan park. What a great place to stay at!
Comments