THE TOWN OF POINT SAMSON (8 MAY 2015)

As a starting point for seven days of pretty hectic discovery tourism, let's explore our current backyard, the township of Point Sampson.  As you can see from this excellent aerial shot, courtesy of Australiantraveller.com, the small town lies on the point of land just south-east of Cape Lambert (the protruding strip at the top of the photo...much more of this later).

The group of buildings at the bottom of the shot house the various marine industries associated with the John's Creek boat harbour. Below them and to the right (almost hidden in the shadows) is the tiny crescent beach known as Honeymoon Cove. About midway between that and the longer stretch of sand at the right of the photo which is Town Beach, you can see a small cove. Our caravan park is almost directly above that. In the distance, at the right top corner are two ore carriers loading at the far end of the Cape Lambert jetty. Others are closer inshore.  This is huge facility as we shall see later.

So whilst on the subject of things maritime, I shall begin this jaunt around the town from the rear gate of our caravan park. This leads onto a pathway which takes us past the coastal scrub and sand on the cliff top 














300 metres or so to the car park at Honeymoon Cove.






Beyond the bitumen the cement path continues past a rocky outcrop to the small crescent 

of sand which is Honeymoon Cove. At this stage I must pause to quote directly from the North-West tourism authority website, where the description of Honeymoon Cove reads, "Take a stroll at sunset or sunrise along the beautiful beach at Honeymoon Cove....."

Here I have to make a point. This could only be described as a 'beautiful beach' by someone who has never seen any others. Its sands are course and yellow, it is constantly strewn with seaweed and, like a lot of Point Sampson (sadly) it is home to significant numbers of sand flies, which are most active when?.......you got it, sunrise and sunset!!  This is typical of the tourist hype and misinformation which really irritates me.





If the tourism wallas had  banged on about the most interesting rock formations to be found here at Honeymoon Cove, I would have been fulsome in my support!  The different colours and the stratas lying end up were fascinating.




But after that small dose of reality v hype, let's move on to the nearby boat harbour and a spot of Point Sampson history. Prawn trawling in the nearby Nikol Bay began during the 1950's when the fleet anchored in Sam's Creek. At low tide the boats were grounded, and even when they refloated on the incoming tide, the rock bar and sand shoals at the creek's entrance made life difficult for all inovolved.  

It was decided to develop a more suitable port in the not too distant John's Creek. Work progressed incrementally from 1980 and by 1995 the harbour was home to a large number of vessels...by now the prawners had been joined by a fleet of deep sea fish trawlers. Improvement to the harbour began in 1999, with the result we can see today, but as this was happening, the prawn fishery was in decline and most of the fishing fleet moved on. 

Now the port is the home base for a few remaining deep sea trawlers (which we would often see and hear as they made passage to and from their fishing grounds past the back of the caravan park) and a number of vessels purpose built to service the offshore exploration ventures or provide maintenance services for the mining company infrastructure.

The road to the boat harbour is a stone's throw from the Honeymoon Cove car park, where, as the sign next to this large shed indicates

there are some serious players with a wide range of expertise. This soon became evident when I wandered down dockside.

Those in smaller boats wishing to hit the waves in search of a tasty catch are not forgotten. This small ramp next to the mangroves is complemented










by this much larger facility on the other side of the rock wall.










This is certainly a working port. I never quite got to the bottom of the purpose of these impressive looking structures (similar to that we had seen in Onslow), but I can tell you that on approach to Point Sampson they could be seen from many kilometres away.






A deep sea trawler was unloading as I sauntered about the docks (I was still hobbling really and actually moving from spot to spot in the cruiser).  I spoke to one of the crew who informed me that they had been out for over a week and that their entire mixed catch of fish was being transported directly to Perth overnight. From the number of boxes on the wharf I had no trouble understanding that the two waiting semi-trailers would be filled.






What really fascinated me were the 'working boats', ranging from this survey vessel













to others which obviously had been built to perform specialist functions.

And like all working harbours, a drive around always reveals various bits and pieces of marine activity such as in this yard where the beached hull sat side by side with some very large, and now grounded, lateral channel markers.






I've never made any secret of the fact that I love ports and harbours, but I'll spare you any more....the editorial brakes have been applied. We'll move onto something entirely different, but also dear to my heart....the Point Sampson Tavern.....where the use of the word 'dear' in its other sense is entirely appropriate.


To my initial delight I found that the rear entrance to the local watering hole was directly opposite the caravan park entrance. This could be dangerous, I thought. When I gleefully reported this important discovery, The Treasurer obviously agreed (that it could be dangerous). Her back stiffened and her eyes took on a steely glint, but she graciously consented to join me 'across the road' in the late afternoon of the day of our arrival.






The Point Sampson general store is to be found right next door.  We strongly suspect that it and the Tavern are owned by the same person or syndicate.











As can be more clearly seen from the front, the Tavern is a two storey affair.













Its upper level is accessed by a rear stairway 













which climbs past the lower dining deck.









From here we could also see into the caravan park attached to the Tavern, Point Sampson's second, but this does not take pets. From what we could see, this did not bother us.











The upper storey bar and dining area does provide views over Town Beach 













and some of the vans at the back end of our park.







These are views we saw only once, consistent with the fact that after our first sortie we never returned. Liz and I eagerly breasted the bar.  "A pint of Swan and a glass of house sav blanc, thank you young lady". The drinks arrived. "That will be $21.90, thanks."  "You must have misunderstood me, miss, I only ordered two drinks, not shares in the pub".  

I'm afraid the Irish backpacker who was serving us had a very limited sense of humour and a highly developed proprietorial affiliation with the place....at first she didn't get it and then she became quite huffy when I asked for a breakdown.  $12.90 for the cheapest draught beer in the State.....you have to be kidding me.  Even a tin of Kilkenny, which I used to quaff at the Carnarvon RSL for $4.00 a can, would set me back $10.00 at the Point Sampson Tavern, but as I said before, only once!


As if this alcohol outrage were not enough to scar a man for life, let me present the 'specials board' for the night. A tad under $40.00 for grilled fish and chips (bluebone is nothing special) and a similar price for pork spare ribs, one of the cheapest portions of the animal. A park neighbour actually ordered the lobster special and reported that it would have been overpriced at $20.00. What a complete rip off.



Unfortunately the nature of the local industries means that there are  sufficient numbers of highly paid young folk in this area to allow these ridiculous prices to prevail.



The Tavern does have competition. The Bar and Grill beside the road into town was offering restaurant specials, but after our Tavern experience we were both too gun shy to even think about venturing in. 









Point Sampson does offer the less well heeled (or entirely more sensible) tourists some 'freebies', one of which is its Centennial Park.  At first glance the dry expanses of this park seem somewhat austere, but a closer look belies initial impressions....this is a beauty....a celebration of what history and nature have to offer in this area.










Here stylised manta rays swim towards a lumbering turtle, 











a marine raptor launches from its eerie,

small fish swarm around the piles of the old town jetty

where the venerable grandfather cod rules supreme.

For those wanting to just sit and take this all in, even the benches are small works of art.








What an ideal time for a quick look at the history of Point Sampson. I can do no better than to quote directly from the excellent 'Point Sampson Heritage Trail' brochure.

"In 1863, Walter Padbury, one of the first Pilbara settlers, led an expedition along the Western Australian coast to claim pastoral land for sheep grazing.  The ship landed in Cossack, originally named 'Tien Tsin' after the ship they were sailing.  Padbury named a nearby point, 'Point Sampson' after Michael Sampson who was the second officer of the ship.

Point Sampson was first established as a deep water port in 1904 to replace the tidal port of Cossack........[It] played a pivotal role in the development of the Pilbara.  By the time Point Sampson  was gazetted on July 2, 1909, it had become the main port for the Roebourne area, taking over from Cossack and Balla Balla. At its peak [it] was the third largest port in the state, surpassed only by Fremantle and Geraldton."

Sadly the original jetty, which was for many years a port of call for the WA State Ships and those off-loading mining equipment for local mining companies (until the Dampier and Cape Lambert facilities were completed) fell victim to disrepair and cyclone damage after air and road travel saw the end of the State Ship service in the early 1970's. 

Similar to what we had seen in Esperance, the Point Sampson jetty became a popular fishing and promenading venue, but unlike the 'Tanker Jetty' of the southern port, the ravages of Cyclone Orson in 1989 were the last straw.  Despite strong local support for its restoration and retention as an historical landmark and recreational venue, the jetty met its end at the hands of a demolition team in 1991.  What a shame, and how short sighted. Today Point Sampson relies heavily on tourism and the recreational use of the town by those from nearby Wickham, Roebourne and Karratha.





The mixed use and population of Point Sampson is obvious when driving about. Like so many seaside towns, streets of older houses,












some of which are clearly originals, 








   





now share urban space with abodes of much greater grandeur.












Some are complemented by delightful gardens,













whilst the surrounds of others demand much less attention.

Holiday cottages cater for those who visit regularly or rarely,

and for those who can afford it, units such as this in the wonderfully manicured gardens of the Point Sampson Resort, offer a more luxurious style of recreational accommodation. Guests here eat at the Tavern!






Let me end this whistle stop tour of Point Sampson with the view looking north from the end of Meares Drive, the town esplanade.

From here the outlines of ore carriers loading at the huge Cape Lambert wharf can be seen on the distant horizon.  This is a facility of mind numbing size.  We took a closer look a few days later.

THE POINT SAMSON COVE CARAVAN PARK AND AN 'X' RATED STICKER (6-12 MAY 2015)

The first thing which has to be said about our stay at The Cove Caravan Park, Point Sampson, is that it was fun. We met some terrific folk, had several great happy hours, made some running repairs and saw a great deal of this part of the world.

The Cove is different. Unlike many parks in which we have stayed this is relatively new and 'purpose built' for the environment. 

We had been told it was close to the water, and as we approached the entrance and office, this was clearly apparent.

The park office is well set out indeed. It includes a cafe from which our hosts dispensed very good food at most reasonable prices. My one indulgence, a lunch time hamburger (yes, and chips!), was as good as I have eaten, and a mere $10. This is a modest price anywhere, but for WA is bordered on miraculous. We did see many of the locals take up the breakfast option on numerous mornings.

Beach wear, grocery items, souvenirs 

and a good range of fishing gear is all on display.

But for us, the piece de resistance was the bar mat on the office counter.  Let me now warn you all, dear readers, that for the first time the MobileMarshies blog is going into 'X' rated territory.

Before we venture into the 'adult rated' section, I must briefly set the scene. As you may be aware, the Pilbara was home for many years to the famous wandering red heeler which, after the death of its owner, hitched rides on trains, buses and cars all over the countryside. 'Red Dog' has become a real symbol of the area in the same vein as 'The Dog on The Tuckerbox' near Gundagai. Red Dog is immortalised in bronze on the outskirts of Dampier. For those of you familiar with his story, you will recall he became great mates with the ferocious cat which lived in the same caravan park as he, but only after they had fought a few monumental battles. 

This is what greeted us when we approached the office counter at The Cove,

a bar mat which shows the cat giving Red Dog his comeuppance in very blunt terms.

The wall sticker equivalent now adorns a van locker door. As crude as it is, we both agreed this was one of the funniest things we had come across. We did note that the counter bar mat disappeared a few days after our arrival....the managers had decided that folk with our sense of humour may well be in the minority, and the busy season was about to begin.

For me in particular, this set the Point Sampson scene.  I was still laughing as we drove in past the first row of sites

and set up on ours. Here you can see just how different these are to most parks....full cement pads with red gravel vehicle aprons. 

There are strips of lawn behind each row of sites and some shade. This park was designed to cope with the fact that water is a scarce commodity in Point Sampson.

Another point of difference here comes in the shape of anchor rings on all slabs. Whilst I am sure these would be of great value in cyclonic conditions, they did present a mooring challenge in that they have the potential to inflict significant tyre damage.  Our movement onto our slab was most cautious. 

Our immediate neighbour, a permanent, had made good use of his.

Point Sampson can be windy. Our good friends the Vogts, with whom we had planned to say here last year before we were offered the job in Carnarvon, were quick to tell us that it did blow. Fortunately the days were relatively calm during our stay, but it did hoot in overnight. One soon learns here that awnings come in at dusk if a good night's sleep is on the agenda.

There are two amenities block here, one of which was conveniently located right across the road from our site. They are very good....clean, spacious, plenty of hooks and a good strong shower.

This is but the beginning. A stroll to the other end of the block brings one to this door. Your eyes are not deceiving you....a kid free adults room no less. What a seriously good idea this is.

And the interior lives up to its name. A library, good seating, a soccer game table

a dart board, and, through the doorway

the theatre room, complete with a large screen

and elevated lounge seating. Here guests can watch normal television programmes or their own DVDs in real style and comfort. We had planned a night with our 'Eagles' DVD, but the hectic social whirl of the park put paid to that idea. There is a kiddies' equivalent, but I forgot to photograph it.

.

Next to this marvellous park amenity is the equally good camp kitchen

where the cooking facilities are complemented by more than adequate dining seating, all spotlessly clean.

One of two guest BBQs is located under cover at the end of this building, 

whilst the second, an brick outdoor affair, stood on the edge of the large lawned area just beyond the 'happy hour' seats and tables.

In the row beyond ours, the en suite sites were yet to be occupied....as we had planned, we were here just before the start of the two to three month 'silly season', when any without an advance booking will have great difficulty getting in.

At the end of this row are the few park permanents, most of whom work at the nearby Cape Lambert ore loading facility, 

whilst in the opposite direction is yet another The Cove innovative idea, a fully equipped car wash bay with the fish cleaning station adjoining.

One of our newly acquired park mates made good use of this area on more than one occasion. Greg managed some good catches of trevally on several days....fish he later cooked and shared with several of us at happy hour....what a champion. 

Beyond this excellent facility are some of the park cabins

and at this end of the park, the covered childresns' playground and a second amenities block. Another thing we noted and applauded in this park was the fact that new arrivals with children in tow were sited at this end of the park where the playground was easily accessible and, more importantly from our perspective, those of us at the other end of the park did not have to share the inevitable early morning noise of excited children.

Mind you, we did make our own racket most afternoons. The central location of the community seating area did much to encourage folk to congregate socially. We took full advantage at gatherings small (note the plates....delicious fish nibbles)

and large. Here we encountered several who had shared the park with us at Coral Bay, and we have subsequently caught up with many we met here as we have moved further north. We are all heading in the same general direction!

It was not all beer and skittles here at The Cove....there was some serious work to be done. In the course of one happy hour I was bemoaning the fact that our 12 volt lead had come to grief some weeks previously at the Billabong Roadhouse (thank you....it was before our big night!)  "Not a problem", was the immediate response from our back neighbour. "We'll fix that tomorrow".

Les is, amongst other things, a skilled auto electrician, and like so many of his kind, travels with all sorts of kit and caboodle. And true to his word he was on the job the very next day, with wonderful results.

But wait, there is more.  I also happened to mention the great idea I had picked up from the redoubtable Bruce at Horrocks Beach, that of connecting an Anderson plug to the compressor leads so as to be able to plug it in directly to the fitting at the rear of the cruiser rather than having to attach clips to the battery.  This set up make life particularly easy when inflating the rear coil airbags.

"Easy fixed", said Les.  And blow me down, he even carried the right plug. This was a job where I was able to provide some assistance, but once this initial stage had been completed, I was banished.

Unless he needs a second pair of hands Les prefers to work alone. I left him to it.

And again he shined.  A complete success. As I wandered back to pick up my newly adapted piece of kit, Liz, who had come with me, noticed Les's cap. She insisted I put it on.

I'm not sure she was being entirely kind....I'm only grumpy when provoked...by idiots!

We were well and truly settled into The Cove. Good amenity, good service, good mates, good views and good fun. 

But now we have to get busy...there is much to be seen. The town of Point Sampson itself, and nearby Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham, Cossack and Cape Lambert all await our attention.