On the Jetty at Port Denison - Western Australia

The night could have not been more calm and peaceful tied up along the Port Denison jetty. The lobster boats began fueling at about 0345 which reminded us exactly where we were. No matter. They fueled and were gone quickly and all was calm again by 0500. But we were awake by then and wondering if the winds would be favorable for heading to Geraldton. Actually, there were no winds at all and it took little convincing to stay another day here.  

What to do? A little research indicated that there was a Fisherman's Lookout with a good view of the harbor and entrance not far away. There was also a Live Lobster Facility at the head of the jetty which supposedly offered tours. After some phone calls home and a few hours writing, we set off to see what we could see. A lobster boat was coming in and a friendly local fellow, Nick, was standing on the dock to accept the catch for the lobster facility.

I watched and snapped away and asked questions. This lobster boat, Norah, was unloading 300-400 lobsters. A conveyor belt was moved into place and the men lifted the 30+ kg (66 lb) crates of lobsters from the boat onto the belt. A waiting lobster processing crew unloaded at the other end. That's as far as I got, however. The tours of the lobster facility had been discontinued. Bah!

We walked up the hill to the Fisherman's Lookout Obelisk. We questioned the “obelisk” nomenclature … it looked like a big red and white buoy. No matter … this monument was dedicated to the HMS Beagle (same HMS Beagle that transported Darwin around, but a different voyage) which surveyed along this coast. Small world, huh?

The views of the harbor below, the reefs and the entrance were outstanding. They don't call this the Coral Coast for nothing.

As usual, we found the harbor area picturesque and interesting. Unused lobster traps are piled high. Odd floats and lines, never to be used again, are in a heap. Overturned tinnies (aluminum dinghies) line the shore.

There's not much more to Port Denison. A small, local supermarket, a news agency and a bakery/cafe were all housed in one little complex. There are a few caravan parks (ie. RV parks) and holiday cabins along the foreshore and a restaurant or two. There's no post office in town, but luckily the news agency (like a convenience store) sold postage stamps and a single post box outside saved our bacon. We had forgotten to leave our marina key at Two Rocks and we certainly did not plan to head back to drop it off. The $100 deposit, however, kept us honest about returning it.

Perhaps we'll walk into Dongara, the next little town up the coast, if we have the time and the energy. Right now … time for a cuppa.