Walking to Dongara

We found a paved path along the foreshore and decided to follow it towards Dongara, a neighboring town about 4km (2.5 miles) away. The views of the pounding surf on the reefs and the beaches were gorgeous in the morning sun.  

After a klick (km) or so, we came to a boardwalk that led to a lovely estuary teeming with birdlife.

We saw huge Australian pelicans, ducks and the usual cormorant and gulls sharing the calm waters with pied stilts and red-capped plovers. A very serious-looking great egret oversaw all the activity from his vantage point above.

There were lots of wildflowers in bloom along the coast … pigface (I love that name), gazania and so many others that I was unfamiliar with and need to find the names for. We found it fascinating that some had tiny snails living on them, clinging tightly as the tall stems blew in the breeze.

We weren't sure which way the trail went, but we decided to continue on in the direction of the little town of Dongara. It turned out there wasn't much in Dongara. The main street, Moreton Terrace, is lined with Moreton Figs planted in 1906 which provide a shady, pleasant walkway past a string of restaurants, motels and shops, including an IGA supermarket.

Closer to the Brand Highway, is a giant crayfish … very appropriate for the area.

We visited the tiny Visitor's Centre which also housed the town library and the licensing bureau. Not much was going on, but we did pick up a trail map and she assured us that the path we had not taken along the beach provided a sand bar for walking across to get to the other side. With this in mind, we headed back to Port Denison along the Irwin River coastal trail. With our extra sidetrips, we had walked about 5 miles so far and with another couple of miles to get back, we figured it would be a full day.

We walked along the muddy brown Irwin River. Sandstone cliffs lined the side and we could hear the buzzing of thousands of bees hard at work in their hives tucked into the the cracks and crevices.

The river meandered, but wasn't a particularly pretty river until it neared the ocean. This is where we'd viewed all the birds from the other side. We could see the red and white Fisherman's Obelisk far in the distance. We were nearing home and glad of it. Then we saw the mouth of the river as it emptied into the Indian Ocean. Unpassable! We took off our shoes and walked out into the surf a bit to see if we could get through. We tried to determine the depth of the fast running water. We reckoned at least chest deep, if not more. If we'd had dry bags for our cameras and perhaps were wearing swim suits, maybe.

We reluctantly turned around (silently cursing the Visitor's Centre lady) and retraced our steps. Add another 3 miles to our little walk. We followed the trail along the river to the bridge at Point Leander Drive, then walked along the sidewalk back to the port. We did see one sight of interest en route … an old-fashioned drive-in movie which still seemed to be functional … at least in season.

Finally, we were back at the jetty … hungry, a bit tired and ready for a glass of wine and dinner aboard Cups. All in all, a full day.

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.

Neptunes and Waugals at Two Rocks, WA

When we decided to stop at Two Rocks, I googled the little town to see a map and determine what there might be of interest to check out. As I mentioned earlier, there's not much here, but I did happen to see a giant Neptune statue in the area and I started wondering what it might be and where. When we climbed the hill to the IGA, we were surprised to see what was waiting for us.

Just south of shopping center, we could see the giant Neptune on top of a nearby hill. On our way to get a closer look, there stood a grouping of limestone sculptures of very large “celebrity heads”. There were no plaques to tell us who the celebrity heads belonged to nor was any other information provided. They kind of looked familiar. Perhaps if we were Aussies, we'd know, but we were in the dark. We found out later that the heads were rescued from the abandoned Atlantis Marine Park just up the road and laid here to rest in their own little paddock.

As we wandered about looking at the heads, we saw another group of sculptures entitled the Waugal Monoliths. A plaque indicated that these were interpretations of the Aboriginal Dreamtime. The work, by American sculptor, Mark LeBuse, was commissioned in 1976 to celebrate Western Australia's 150^th anniversary. Waugals, legendary serpent-like creatures with supernatural powers, lived deep within the Yanchep waters for thousands of years and are prominently featured in mythical rites and regarded with fear and awe by the local natives.

Waugals are associated with water, lakes and rivers and their slithering actions are believed to have caused the creation of many geographical features in the area. Aboriginal folklore handed down for generations tells how the waugal dragged its victims down into the depths of the lake to imprison them there forever. This Waugal was carved from wood and he lorded above all the other creatures.

We checked out each sculpture … fourteen in all. Some were whimsical like Quork the frog and there was a koala mother and joey, and a rather buxom Aboriginal woman, but others had frightening, pained looks on their faces … depicting birth and death or perhaps the fear of getting dragged down to the depths of the lake. All looked decidedly a bit worse for the wear.

On to Neptune! From his vantage point on top of the hill, he can oversee the port, but why is he there? In 1981, the Atlantis Marine Park was built as a theme park in Two Rocks. It closed in 1990 due to financial difficulties and has since been abandoned and vandalized. There's quite a bit of graffiti on old Neptune. The deserted park is fenced off with “No Entry” signs, but a well-worn path to Neptune's throne at the top of the hill was very obvious.

Against David's advice, I scooted through a hole in the wire fencing. I immediately became caught in the fencing when I saw a huge, occupied spiderweb only a nose length's away and then a bobtail skink slinked out of the bush. Needless to say, after an adrenaline moment of untangling myself, I was happy to take photos from afar. Further down the road, we saw remnants of dolphin sculptures. These pix, too, could be, and were, taken from outside the fence.

As we walked back down the hill onto Neptune Cafe's veranda, we saw another Neptune sculpture in their garden, in keeping with the cafe's theme. Even here in little Two Rocks, there is a plethora of public art. You just need to look for it.