Wildflower Trip – Part 7

By now you will have realised neither Ken nor I are flower people.  We’re weren't in the 60’s either!

We’re also not fly people, which is why we were wearing our head nets.

The west coast of the state is famous for it’s rock lobster (crayfish) industry which annual accounts for some $400m.  Approximately 230 professional boats are licensed to fish the waters mostly using pots.   The stock was almost exhausted, but in 2015 a sustainable limit was set on the size of the annual catch and stock levels have recovered.  More than 95% of the catch is exported by air from Perth to China.

Our planned coastal route south saw us stopping at

• Geraldton
• Dongra
• Port Denison
• Leeman
• Greenhead
• Cervantes

The memorial to HMAS Sydney is located on top of a hill in Geraldton.   HMAS Sydney was the second Australian warship to bear the name and was launched in England in 1934.  She was one of three light cruisers purchased by the Australian government in the years leading to WW2.  Sydney served with distinction in the Mediterranean before returning to Australia in 1940. 

In 1941 Sydney relieved her sister ship, HMAS Hobart in patrolling the Indian Ocean.  Sydney was returning to Fremantle, WA from the Sunda Strait on 19 November 1941 when she observed a merchant ship.   The merchant ship didn’t respond to Sydney’s signals and eventually Sydney got so close to the merchant ship that her superior (longer) gun range was negated.  The merchant ship was actual the German raider Kormoran.  When Sydney was within a mile of Kormoran the raider lowered it’s dutch ensign and hoisted the German Naval Ensign immediately opening fire.  During the ensuing battle both ships sank.  Sydney never managed to send a radio message and all 645 crew were either killed or drowned without trace.  There were 317 survivors from the Kormoran found in 5 lifeboats and two rubber rafts. 

In 1998 the rotary Club of Geraldton erected a memorial to HMAS Sydney.  Whilst there is no direct affiliation between the ship and the city (it had visited three times) there was also no memorial in Western Australia. 

The ‘Dome of Souls’

Wall of Remembrance

Eternal flame

Statue of ‘The Waiting Woman’

In 2008 a search for the wreck of HMAS Sydney was undertaken and on 12 March Kormoran was found.  Four days later the search team found HMAS Sydney at a depth of approximately 2500 metres.

Port Denison

At Cervantes were decided to turn inland and find a quiet freedom campsite.  I was at the wheel when we rounded a bend only to see an Echidna waddling across.  I managed to avoid it and quickly stopped to take a photo.

By the time I’d run back it had reached the far side of the road and we heading into the bush. Echidnas can grow up to 40cm and weigh 7kg.  They are also known as ‘The Spiny Ant-Eater’. 

Whilst Echidnas are mammals they are unusual; like Platypus; as they lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young.

Some 11km from Cervantes were found a quiet off road rest area and set up our campsite only to have a large off-road caravan and dual cab ute arrive.  The couple were originally from Liverpool and mum still had the accent despite them emigrating 13 years earlier.  She informed us they had absolutely no intention of going back to UK weather

Early the next morning we quietly packed up and departed for home.