As I tried to explain in my last, describing the coastline on which Carnarvon sits is difficult. Hopefully this aerial shot will assist. Let's begin our quick topography lesson at the bottom of the photo.
The straight-sided, obviously dredged channel, is the entrance to the fishing boat harbour. In fact, the smallish light coloured dots around the edge of the head of the channel are trawlers lying at their port moorings.
The straight-sided, obviously dredged channel, is the entrance to the fishing boat harbour. In fact, the smallish light coloured dots around the edge of the head of the channel are trawlers lying at their port moorings.
The wider body of water immediately above the boat harbour is that of the Fascine, or, as it was originally, the southern arm of the Gascoyne River estuary.
The northern arm, which still flows directly to the sea (when the river is running, that is) is the narrow strip of water towards the top of the photo. All the land in between these two waterways are the two permanent islands formed by silt deposited at the river mouth over many years. Intersestingly, the south and north arms of the river no longer meet other than as a tidal trickle across the sandy flats.
The northern arm, which still flows directly to the sea (when the river is running, that is) is the narrow strip of water towards the top of the photo. All the land in between these two waterways are the two permanent islands formed by silt deposited at the river mouth over many years. Intersestingly, the south and north arms of the river no longer meet other than as a tidal trickle across the sandy flats.
The Carnarvon CBD is the darkish area on the right of the photo lying along the edge of the Fascine. Whilst the shopping precinct itself is quite small, Robinson Road, the main street which runs east/west through the CBD then continues east for over five kilometres as we shall see shortly.
Well, hopefully that provides some perspective of a town which is truly spread out over the flat desert plain which lies between the coast and the low but dominant Browns Range.
All but one of the town's seven caravan parks are located towards the eastern end of Robinson Road, In our case, at the Big 4, we are five kilometres from the CBD. Let's take the trip into town, something we do often. Indeed, this 5 kms stretch is now accounting for a rapidly increasing score on the odometer!
As we turn right out of The Big 4 gateway to head west into town, we see the first of several lines of towering White River gums which line the southern side of Robinson Road. You may note that they are not exactly upright...guess from which direction the strongest winds blow here?
On the other side of the road we pass some of the smallish mango trees of our immediate westerly neighbour, The Calypso Plantation
before this gives way to the hessian covers of a large table grape vineyard on the same side and another stand of White gums and mangos on the other.
Fields of tomatoes,
banana plantations
As we turn right out of The Big 4 gateway to head west into town, we see the first of several lines of towering White River gums which line the southern side of Robinson Road. You may note that they are not exactly upright...guess from which direction the strongest winds blow here?
On the other side of the road we pass some of the smallish mango trees of our immediate westerly neighbour, The Calypso Plantation
before this gives way to the hessian covers of a large table grape vineyard on the same side and another stand of White gums and mangos on the other.
Fields of tomatoes,
banana plantations
and pumpkin patches all feature along this stretch of Robinson Road
before we come to the stand of gums and palms which mark the approach to the Morel property and their wonderful shop (which we visited in our last).
Gums and palms...how utterly typically Carnarvon. Some property owners have managed to maintain palm buffers in good condition........
others have been less active in this regard! Again, this is typical Carnarvon and in many areas is a reflection of the time it can take to recover from a major flood.
A good cement walking path runs along the southern side of Robinson Road from just to the east of our caravan park to the IGA store some 2 kms to the west.
And what's the 'banana capital of the west' without its own Big Banana? Much is made of these being the 'lunchbox bananas', and, from the perspective of size, they are ideally suited for that purpose (and they are really very sweet).
Here too, is one of Carnavon's several motels, The Gateway. A feature of The Gateway is their nightly buffet....I was keen to attempt the seafood offering but at $45.00 the Treasurer decided that Chef Pierre's home crumbed prawns were a far better option. (I may have to go AWOL one evening...it's within walking distance...."just going out for some milk, love...back soon"!)
More service business on the southern side
soon give way to the bleak expanses of the northern boundary of the Carnarvon airport. I think I mentioned in my first description of Carnarvon that the desert impinges on the town in many areas...this is certainly one.
By now we have covered almost 3 kms of our trip into town. Housing is now beginning to appear, both established, and
a new development is taking shape on the dry and dusty landscape which is Carnarvon.
Beyond this sweeping right hand bend we come to 'motor city' which includes the Honda premises of our good friend Sandy McGinn, the President of the RSL, and the local Toyota dealership. We had the cruiser serviced here a couple of months ago, and have since heard that my satisfaction with the result is not unusual.
As we understand it, folk drive from Port Headland to have their vehicles serviced at Carnarvon Toyota. So what you ask....Port Headland is 850 kms away!
At this junction is one of the largest developments Carnarvon has seen for some time, the new Justice and Police complex.
This is an impressive building (which we are still to visit)
"Are we there yet, Mum?"...."Almost". The low bougainvillea shrubs and palms on the centre island heralds the last bend on Robinson Road before we reach the main CBD.
A few hundred metres further and we arrive at the first of the three 'main street' roundabouts. Here Robinson Road undergoes its final transformation.....the central road of the CBD. To the east of 'Carnarvon Central' (seriously!) here seen on the right of the shot,
is an open space which appears to be a park, but which is only marginally grassed. We soon learnt why......
and this is on a quiet day! Caravaners will park anywhere in their quest to replenish supplies. We have seen this patch absolutely chockers with vans and mobile homes. If I were the town gardener I would be more than a touch grumpy about this, but obviously commercial interests win out...."spend please and park where you choose....we can always grow more lawn".
This actually brings me to another of my limited but heartfelt peeves about the behaviour of some of our fellow travellers. It can be a real education in the stupidity of some of them to stand in a large shopping centre car park for a while and watch the complete lack of common sense or common courtesy in their selection of parking spots.
One of the best scraps I have ever seen occurred here a few weeks ago at the IGA where some numpty had left his vehicle and attached van in such a position as to prevent three vehicles from leaving their legitimate parking sites...it was on for young and old when the surprisingly young owner of the rig returned to drive off. To make matters worse, he felt no inclination to apologise or look even vaguely embarrassed. I have to admit even I gave him a serve on behalf of all of us who do the right thing! It would have been fun if he had been in our park. Liz complains that I never learn, but there are times when remaining silent is just not good enough!
Well, having gotten that off my chest, what is on offer in the Carnarvon CBD? 'Carnarvon Central' for a start....a somewhat grandiose name for the building and arcade which houses
the ubiquitous Woolies, which I have to say does not meet the usual standards of stock and service we have come to expect from this company (a view shared unanimously by all fellow travellers when the subject has been broached). Mind you, some of the customers we have observed would understandably leave the staff somewhat jaded from time to time and we do wonder if the Carnarvon Woolies is an example of a business only reaching a level of local expectation in the face of little competition.
The arcade itself is bright and cheery enough, but does become the playground of unruly and loud youngsters more often than is pleasant.
I was foolish enough on one occasion to suggest to the youngish parent of one group of brats (as I had to dodge around the soft drinks puddle which had been a direct result of them throwing cups full of the liquid at each other) that a bit of parental control would not go astray. The immediate and strident rejoinder, which included all the expected accusations of racial bias, was couched in what could best be described as 'colourful language' to say the least. I decided that disengagement was the wisest course but was somewhat heartened by the affirmative comments I received from the many older shoppers in the vicinity as I moved on. We have now learnt to avoid the arcade of Carnarvon Central at certain particular times.
Despite its shortcomings, Woolies is always busy. This is half of the car park on a Sunday morning....the quietest time of the week! At its worst, it can be sheer bedlam, not least because of the fact that many are visitors unfamiliar with the layout. We have our own special spot...easy to access, out of the way and equally easy to leave. Ah, the benefits of local knowledge!
The 'main street' houses all that would be reasonable expected by way of commercial business and it is fair to say that we have not been unable to obtain any goods or services we have needed since our arrival, with the oddest of exceptions.....there is no local dry cleaner. After much enquiry I discovered that the Men's Wear store is the local dry cleaning agent. In I went bright and early on a Monday morning, good sports slacks in hand, with the aim that I would be able to wear them clan and well pressed to Vietnam Veteran's Day the following Saturday. Only if it was to be VVday 2015! "Yes, sir, we are the agents for the Geraldton dry cleaners. When did you want them back? Sorry, sir, it will take at least two weeks".
But enough of the occasional trials and tribulations of commercial life in Carnarvon, let's get back to the street itself.
Beyond Carnarvon Central, the excellent local fish and chips shop and the more standard Eagle Boys pizza bar, and on the same side of Robinson Road, we come to the first of our local pubs, the Port Hotel, one of the grander buildings in Carnarvon. It is used for backpacker accommodation in the main, but does sport a bar and cafe on the ground floor. From breakfast to late afternoon the footpaths of both streets are crowded with outdoor tables, rarely empty.
We have yet to sample the wares on offer a situation which will change this coming Saturday night when 'The Port' is to be the venue for the 'Winter Blues Gala', a function in aid of 'Bright Blue', the 'Police Commissioner's Fund for Sick Kids'. I hope to meet a good number of the local boys and girls in blue at this bash.
Moving further west we come to the second roundabout. This shot was taken on a Sunday morning, the time I generally use to wander around town CBD's so I can snap away without having to worry too much about traffic. And this shot also highlights another local controversy.....the angled main street parking. This has been introduced as part of the redevelopment of the street, much against the wishes of the majority of Carnarvonites. We are with them.
Driving along the narrow, single lane carriageway, running the gauntlet of vehicles reversing from both sides at the angle, and often 'blind', is not for the faint-hearted during busy times. Twenty kph is a speed bordering on daring along this strip on occasions! From what we have been told, this whole shemozzle is a 'work in progress'. "This must be re-thought" are the words on many local lips.
From this next intersection, the end of Robinson Road and the Fascine beyond it come into view. Let me pause here and have a look around.
Looking south from the roundabout we have a veiw down the junction of Francis and Stuart Streets, with the War Memorial taking pride of place in the apex.
This was the venue for the VV Day service to which I referred earlier. Our close association with the local RSL will be the subject of later news.
This intersection is also the home to the only (and somewhat incongruous) art deco building I have found in the town.
In complete contrast a few steps south along Stuart Street, is the first of a number of murals I discovered at this end of town. "Where the Desert Meets the Sea' adorns the wall of the local mental health centre in a most striking fashion.
Beyond Carnarvon Central, the excellent local fish and chips shop and the more standard Eagle Boys pizza bar, and on the same side of Robinson Road, we come to the first of our local pubs, the Port Hotel, one of the grander buildings in Carnarvon. It is used for backpacker accommodation in the main, but does sport a bar and cafe on the ground floor. From breakfast to late afternoon the footpaths of both streets are crowded with outdoor tables, rarely empty.
We have yet to sample the wares on offer a situation which will change this coming Saturday night when 'The Port' is to be the venue for the 'Winter Blues Gala', a function in aid of 'Bright Blue', the 'Police Commissioner's Fund for Sick Kids'. I hope to meet a good number of the local boys and girls in blue at this bash.
Moving further west we come to the second roundabout. This shot was taken on a Sunday morning, the time I generally use to wander around town CBD's so I can snap away without having to worry too much about traffic. And this shot also highlights another local controversy.....the angled main street parking. This has been introduced as part of the redevelopment of the street, much against the wishes of the majority of Carnarvonites. We are with them.
Driving along the narrow, single lane carriageway, running the gauntlet of vehicles reversing from both sides at the angle, and often 'blind', is not for the faint-hearted during busy times. Twenty kph is a speed bordering on daring along this strip on occasions! From what we have been told, this whole shemozzle is a 'work in progress'. "This must be re-thought" are the words on many local lips.
From this next intersection, the end of Robinson Road and the Fascine beyond it come into view. Let me pause here and have a look around.
Looking south from the roundabout we have a veiw down the junction of Francis and Stuart Streets, with the War Memorial taking pride of place in the apex.
This was the venue for the VV Day service to which I referred earlier. Our close association with the local RSL will be the subject of later news.
This intersection is also the home to the only (and somewhat incongruous) art deco building I have found in the town.
In complete contrast a few steps south along Stuart Street, is the first of a number of murals I discovered at this end of town. "Where the Desert Meets the Sea' adorns the wall of the local mental health centre in a most striking fashion.
Plenty! The Civic Centre takes pride of place on the north-west corner of Robinson Road and Camel Lane.
This is a busy spot. In addition to housing the much used Visitor Information Centre, the arcade of this complex is home to the two Carnarvon 'cultural venues',
the Camel Lane Theatre
and The Woolshed which is to be the venue of the 'Cocktails with Andy Thomas' function next month (I won't rabbit on again...but I'm still excited).
The arcade and the courtyard at the rear is also the venue for the weekly Saturday market, which we shall visit later.
The front of this building is decorated with two more of Carnarvon's excellent public murals, this depicting the bustle of early town jetty business
whilst the other pays tribute to the role of camel trains in the early development of the wool industry around Carnarvon.
Looking further to the north along Camel Lane, we find the Carnarvon Tavern, the second of the town's four watering holes. Despite my penchant for ensuring thirst has been slaked in every establishment the town provides for that purpose, we have yet to darken the door of this tavern. Plenty of time left here yet...my primary challenge is to convince the keeper of the purse that I have well and truly earned another $10.00 pint!
To the west of this major intersection we can see the somewhat (or at least, relatively) stately edifice which is the ANZ bank
and looking beyond that Robinson Road reaches its end at the waters of the Fascine.
The Bankwest building, situated on the opposite of the road to the ANZ is a much more modest structure, but does present another in the series of Carnarvon's fine public murals.
The current Court House and Carnarvon Police Station are the last of the buildings to be seen on the western end of Robinson Road,
opposite 'Shelton's Corner', which sits on the third and last of the CBD roundabouts on this long stretch of bitumen which takes us from the right hand bend of the North-West Highway the entire 5 kms into the Carnarvon CBD. As I said at the beginning, this is a road which, for us, is much travelled.
In the next 'letter from Carnarvon' we shall turn to the water with a look at the Fascine, the fishing boat harbour and the One Mile Jetty.
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