Let me begin this blog with an apology and explanation for those amongst you who thought that your scribe was back in action with his usual regularity. That was certainly the plan, a plan disrupted by two events, one of which was far more welcome that the other.
The good bit is that we have actually been on a 'holiday' (and interestingly it really felt like one). We have just returned from four days luxuriating in a park cabin back in Port Denison (500 kms to the south) on my quest to see WA wildflowers. More of this later. Prior to that, however, my ability to bash away at the keyboard had been severely restricted for many days as a result of a clash with the incredibly sharp blade of the mandolin used to slice the onions for the park sausage sizzles. Without going into boring (and somewhat embarrassing) details suffice it to say that the third finger on my right hand has been out of action as far as typing goes until now.....it takes real talent to actually effect a crescent shaped slash through the finger nail!
But all is now on the mend and here we are back in Carnarvon and off to take a look at one of the town's most popular historical tourist features, The One Mile Jetty.
And indeed it is...a mile long that is, with a dog legged end, as this lifted shot from the Internet, which I acknowledge, shows.
As can just been seen, the jetty crosses a sand spit which actually joins the main beach to the south with a strip of sand which separates the Gascoyne River from the sea. Since this photo was taken there have been major infrastructure developments at the shore end of the jetty.
In the first few weeks of our stay here in Carnarvon, a newly built cafe and tourist centre was opened with much fanfare.
The front deck of the cafe does provide wonderful views over the mangrove flats of the river estuary and out along the jetty, but we have yet to actually indulge in the culinary treats on offer which, to our taste are a little 'yuppie' and typically WA priced.
We did find it somewhat odd that the approach to jetty tower and museum takes visitors past an uninviting jumble of discarded machinery and other odds and ends, and although some of the pieces are well displayed their background (to the far left of the shot) resembles a recycled metal depot. This does little for the general amenity and nothing for the promotion of this Carnarvon icon. Odd, but as we have found, not atypical.
But let's get on with the business at hand. Up the impressively bulky water tower we went to take in the promised views of the town and the river.
The tower, which now provides a marvellous vantage point from which to look through 360 degrees, was built in the early 1900's to store water which was then gravity fed along a pipe line to ships docked at the jetty. Take off points along the pipe also allowed for the ability to use the water to fight any fires which may have occurred in the wooden structure of the jetty.
Looking north from the platform atop the tower we could see across the 'junk yard' to the Gascoyne River estuary beyond
whilst in the opposite direction we could see along the coastal flats to the buildings of the large 'Norwesta' prawn and fish processing factory.
To the south-east we could take in the road which travels south along the beach front to Pelican Point and the view across the sandy tidal flats of Babbage and Whitlock Islands. The main township of Carnarvon lies on the far horizon about three kms distant.
Back at ground level we made our way to the beginning of the jetty which is similar to that at Busselton in some ways. It is very long (a tad shorter than Busso), is no longer in commercial use and cannot be freelt accessed. A fee of $5.00 per visit is required from all who wish to make the two mile round trip on foot to the end and back. (there is an alternative which we shall see later) There is even a red 'honesty box' for after hours users....it doesn't take much!
Unlike Busselton, however, the jetty itself is not well maintained. Testament to this fact can be found in the warning notice at the entrance,
a notice which advocates the wearing of flat footwear "due to the condition of the decking".
As we soon discovered, this is not an idle cautionary post. The surface is rough, uneven, and pitted with holes, some of which have been patched, but many not. Pier perambulation at Carnarvon is very much a matter of 'eyes down'.
Notwithstanding the challenges presented, a stroll along this jetty is well worth while for the views on offer. And, as you will shortly see, its length is a direct result of the need to traverse tidal flats and sand spits to reach navigable water, again similar to Busselton.
The jetty was built in 1887 to cater for what become know as 'stateships', a fleet of government sponsored ships built specifically to service the north-western ports of WA, a service which ran from 1912 until 1977. Interestingly, there is a South Australian connection in that one of this fleet of a dozen or so, the 'Delamere', was built at the Whyalla shipyards. The 'MV Koolinda', pictured here, was a typical 'stateship'.
This fleet was busy transporting goods and passengers to Carnarvon from Perth at the rate of two vessels per week. The livestock and wool exports of Carnarvon of those days were dependent on this service.
In 1900 a tramway was built across the flats of Whitlock Island to connect the jetty with the town. Eventually the carriages were hauled over the two kilometre journey by small steam trains as pictured here in this shot taken from the Internet,
but in in the early stages, as could be expected, horses were used. And then the worthy locals of Carnarvon came up with another means by which to propel these carriages across the flats.....wind power. Believe it or not, sails were hoisted on many of the carriages and the strong prevailing winds (we know all about these) which whistled unobstructed across the estuary were put to good use. Sadly, I cannot for the life of me find a photo of a 'carriage under sail'...my quest continues.
Little now remains of the tramway other than a bridge across the southern arm of the Gascoyne at the northern end of the Fascine
which leads to a walking trail through the tidal flats to the jetty which follows the route and defunct rails of the old tramway.
The Whitlock Island station is the only remaining piece of infrastructure
other than the rails themselves.
The Whitlock Island station is the only remaining piece of infrastructure
other than the rails themselves.
I mentioned earlier that the jetty traverses a sand spit which is actually an extension of the main beach south of the jetty, which, to the north of jetty forms a barrier between the waters of the Gascoyne estuary and the sea.
This patch of sand is well used, both to the north where intrepid fisher folk park their 4WD's on the sea side and cast hopefully into the surf,
and on the main beach south of the jetty where the residual wheel tracks are clear evidence of similar activity. I have yet to make an attempt here, but it is very much on the 'to do' list.
Beyond what I'll call 'the spit', we walked past the only fishing platform on the jetty. This certainly presents a far more amenable fishing spot than elsewhere along the structure in that it is but a short distance up which to haul 'the big catch'. And believe me, there are some large fish caught off this jetty. On my one and only sortie to date I lost a large 'doggie' mackerel and watched whilst a fellow fisherman was unable to haul a good sized tuna up over the rail. This has to be the ultimate in frustration!
Another advantage of this fishing platform lies in the fact that it is only halfway out along the length of the jetty.....hauling heavy buckets and rigs over half a mile is much better than twice that distance.
But we unencumbered 'tourists' plodded on undaunted. The end was in sight, or was it? This is as far as most folk can go.
The 'dogleg' section of the end of the jetty lies beyond this barrier. Looking at the state of disrepair of much of this it is understandable that the Shire burghers are keen to exclude the great unwashed from the perils inherent in a scramble beyond the barrier, but I can tell you it is no impediment to the keen locals who clamber past. And there is a good reason for this civil disobedience.
The pile structures of the jetty (there are over 300 of them in the end section alone) have become a wonderful fish haven....a virtual artificial reef, teeming with, in particular, yellow fin bream. And where are the biggies to be found? You guessed it....on the dogleg.
But for the remainder of us who are beyond the rigours of a scramble past the barrier or not of a mind to thumb our noses at City Hall, there are plenty of fish to be had elsewhere
and plenty of triers.
For those disinclined for what ever reason to tramp to the end of the 'One Mile', there is an alternative...The Coffee Pot. This odd little train potters back and forth along the jetty (in reverse for the return trip!) carting all who are prepared to stump up the $10.00 fee for service.
And if there could be any doubt as to the importance of fishing on this edifice, the rear carrier of the Coffee Pot puts all that to rest. Believe it or not, this old ironing table frame is carried to act as fish scaling table for any who may need it....now that's an impressive bit of local innovation and service if ever I have seen it.
Well, there we are. All that now remains is the jaunt back, eyes peeled for surface irregularities which could result in a nasty fall for the unwary. We found that the only way to take in the scenery on offer was to actually come to a complete halt....I learnt the hard way that this is not the place to be rubber necking whilst under way when I stumbled and snapped the tip off one of my best rods.....yes, there were a few words spoken!
At one of our stops I took a photo or two of this quite large boat which we had been lying at anchor in the bay since our arrival. What a story our enquiries revealed.
In late 2004, her then skipper Chis Packer, was arrested as he entered Benoa harbour in Bali and accused by the Indonesian authorities of gun running. After three months languishing in a 'Bali Hilton', Packer was able to convince the powers that be that he was carrying weapons for self defence against the notorious (and at that time quite active) pirates who operated in the Malacca Straits and surrounding waters.
The vessel was later bought by an ex-SAS soldier, Mack McCormack, an enterprising character who, in 2010, sailed the Lissa to Timor on a 'humanitarian trip' (exact details unknown). On the return voyage she broke down just off the Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth and was placed under tow. We are not sure if she is yet seaworthy, nor exactly why she now lies at anchor in Carnarvon, but there is clear sign of activity on board from time to time. My enquiries are continuing!
McCormack himself has been the subject of recent news items as he attempts to convince the Government of the value of his plan to begin a tourist venture on the Swan River....using seaplanes to take tourists on flights over Perth and its surrounds. As I said, an enterprising chap.
On our return jetty jaunt we also paused to snap this delightful little egret as it poked and prodded its way through the shallows of the mangrove tidal flats in search of a tasty tidbit.
I have commented before on the degree to which Carnarvon reminds us both of Port Augusta. Here at the shore end of the jetty, looking out over the mangroves, we could have easily been on the far upper reaches of Spencer Gulf.
As the final part of this day's exploration of the One Mile Jetty we ducked back into the cafe/tourist centre where, in a back room, we found this old metal lifeboat which had washed ashore near Carnarvon many years ago. So what's so special about this? It's from the Kormoran, the German raider which sank HMAS Sydney.
Next to it is a wooden longboat, similar to those used as lifeboats on Sydney. This is a serious lump of timber...I would much rather row a surf boat.
Time was against us on this particular day. There is another museum at the end of the One Mile which I plan to visit when the weather is poor and other commitments do not interfere.
Commitments I hear you scoff...you are on holidays! Not at the moment. More of our park life later.
And let me finish this offering with an an embarrassing admission and correction. I have previously made reference to Carnarvon's Robinson Road....it is Street! Oops! One could possibly be excused if in for one night only, but two months? And I travel it every day....my apologies to all who have spotted this error.
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