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Besides being ultra-informative, the tours are also entertaining. On the day we visit, the lobster tanks are running at almost full capacity. We walk around, peering in at the endless rows of red lobsters, worth a staggering $6 million in their entirety. The lobsters live in 488 tanks filled with fresh salt water pumped in from the ocean. Amazingly, there is a 99% recovery rate from all crayfish brought in. As more lobsters arrive by boat, they are sorted by hand. The lobster’s color and size determines which tank it will end up in. Most of the lobsters here are exported all over the world and different countries prefer different lobsters. After we’ve finished gaping at the crayfish, the tour guide takes us outside to get up close and personal with two of the stars of the show. She holds up two lobsters, one male and one female, and shows us the difference between the two lobsters. Afterwards, we gingerly pass them around, posing for photos in our hairnets. A video detailing the rock lobster
industry in Geraldton finishes the tour. We learn that the lobsters sell
for $120 (Australian) a plate in Japan. What’s even more interesting is
how they arrive overseas alive. The lobsters are put to sleep by immersion
in freezing cold water. They’re then packed in wooden boxes layered with
pine shavings and shipped off immediately, arriving in Japan within 36
hours. Now that’s efficiency! Before you leave you can purchase some lobster
for dinner; you’ll also receive some recipes and tips for cooking it to
perfection.
Other must sees in Geraldton include the handicraft market in the Old Geraldton Gaol, St. Francis Xavier Cathedral – one of famed architect’s Monsignor Hawes finest works. Geraldton Regional Art Gallery is also worth a visit to see stunning artwork by local artists. As Geraldton backs away from the waterfront, it rises gently upwards. At the top of the hill sits the HMAS Sydney Memorial, a beautiful site built to honor 645 Australian sailors lost during a battle in World War II. A poignant bronze statue of a woman looking out over the sea, shading her eyes, takes center stage. You can almost feel her despair as she waits for her loved one to return. Behind her, a silver dome of 645 seagulls represents the lost sailors. The views of Geraldton from here are unbeatable. If you’re looking for a cozy place
to stay in Geraldton, look no further than Champion Bay B&B
Nambung National Park Leaving Geraldton, we drive south towards Western Australia’s most populated city, Perth. Although it is only about 400 kilometers from Geraldton to Perth, there is plenty to see along the way. Just outside of Geraldton near the tiny settlement of Greenough exists a natural wonder unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You’ll undoubtedly notice the peculiar shape and angle of many trees that line the highway. The leaning trees in this area are famous for their exaggerated tilt; the trees here grow along the ground, instead of reaching upright. The trees seem to have jumped straight out of a cartoon in one of those scenes where the wind blows so hard that even people bend over at the ankles. But the trees are smarter than they look; they’re actually leaning away from the harsh salty wind that blows in from the sea. About halfway to Perth, you’ll find the perfect place to get out and stretch your legs. Nambung National Park is situated 245 kilometers north of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, and contains one of Western Australia’s most remarkable landscapes; the Pinnacles Desert. This is the ideal place to experiment with all those settings on your digital camera. The landscape is dominated by thousands of limestone pillars rising up out of the yellow orange sand. A one way loop winds its way through
the desert and takes about one hour to walk at a comfortable pace. It’s
an eerie landscape; you could easily believe that you’re walking on the
moon. The pillars vary greatly in shape and size. Some reach up to five
meters; some are just tiny lumps on the ground. Others are jagged, while
some round out with soft edges. And if you use your imagination, you can
see almost anything you want. One pillar takes on the form of a tiger head
as we walk through the desert, another is a perfect koala.
First thing next morning, we’re up early to explore the city. Perth is one of the easiest cities to get around as it offers a free bus around the city center – Central Area Transit or CAT. There are three different routes and each has been designated its own color. It’s a brilliant concept and perfect for tourists. Since we’re unfamiliar with the city, we head down to the nearest CAT stop, just down the street from the Saville, and hop on the first bus to arrive. We complete a full loop, noting places we’d like to get off and explore. Perth is a lovely small city; it’s open, clean and dotted with palm trees. The city is also quite spread out, avoiding the sometimes claustrophobic feel of larger cities. The central streets are full of souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, jewelry stores and street performers. We wander around and eventually make our way to the Perth Mint (on the red CAT line). The oldest operating mint in Australia, it’s also one of the oldest in the world still operating in its original location. On display is a fabulous collection of gold crystals, gold jewelry and the largest gold nugget collection in Australia. It sure would be nice to stumble upon something similar to the 11.5 kg “Golden Beauty” on display here. It’s one of the largest gold nuggets in the world. Medals from the Sydney 2000 Olympics are also on display. In addition, you can try lifting a bar of solid gold weighing 12 kg. But don’t think you’ll get away with hiding it in your pocket – it’s enclosed in a glass case with only a small opening for your arm. Besides, it’s a lot heavier than it looks and I can’t even get it off the table with one hand. Next I step on a huge scale, something, I should mention that I rarely do in public, to find out what my weight would be worth in gold. For the first time in my life I appreciate the few extra pounds I’ve put on while traveling as I discover that I’m worth over a million and a half dollars. Probably the most fascinating part of the whole experience is the Gold Pour which takes place in the original Melthouse in a late 19th century factory. It’s like going back in time, not much has changed in this room since the mint’s opening in 1899. You can watch as a heavily protected worker transforms 200 ounces of 99.99% pure, molten gold into a solid gold bar, not unlike the one I tried to pick up. As he works, he explains the process in great detail. A bowl of shining, liquid gold sits on the metal table in front of him. He shows us the safety gear he must wear, including a heavy duty apron, gloves and a helmet with a face cover. The temperatures he deals with can reach up to 1300ºC, so safety equipment plays a large role in the Gold Pour. Next, he takes the bowl of liquid
gold and holds it high so we can see. The liquid inside is a fluorescent
yellow, and it moves like lava from a volcano. He pours the gold into the
bar mold and it flows like mercury, several small drops landing on the
table, perfect circles of dancing fire.
But perhaps the most famous inhabitant of the museum is the Megamouth shark preserved in its own tank in the courtyard. Little is known about the Megamouth, one of the largest species of shark, as less than ten have ever been captured. But here you can gape at the huge shark body with all the other tourists. It’s one of the only places you’ll see a real one, so don’t miss it! Entry to the museum is by donation. The Swan River runs through Perth
and out to the Indian Ocean, and the perfect end to our busy day is a stroll
down the path running parallel to the river. We walk up to one of Perth’s
most famous landmarks, the Swan Bell Tower, just as dusk is turning the
city pink. The Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields in London donated twelve
historic bells to Perth which are now housed in the Tower. The tall glass
tower is encased by two copper sails.
The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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Dawnelle Click Here
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Western
Australia Part Two ~ 