Mike and Sheryl's Awesome Aussie Adventures: Carnarvon

Monday, 27 September 2010

Carnarvon

The 234 kilometer drive from Coral Bay to Carnarvon was fairly uneventful. We passed what seemed like endless sand dunes brightened up by the occasional smattering of wild flowers.

Carnarvon is known for it's plantations of bananas and tropical fruits which are watered with water pumped from underneath the dry sand bed of the Gascoyne River.

Perhaps we've been spoiled, but it's not exactly a tourist destination. You know you're in trouble when the "20 things to do in Carnarvon" pamphlet features things like "post a postcard from the post office" (not dissimilar to Derby's list which included "hug a boab").

Although it wouldn't rank a place on my list of "must see" places, Carnarvon is a pleasant enough town and does have a few interesting things going for it. One is the mile-long jetty which is rumoured to be a great fishing spot. We didn't try, mostly because we couldn't be bothered to walk a mile carrying all our fishing gear. They're in the process of refurbishing the jetty and to help raise money for the project their's a fee of $4.00 to walk to the end of the jetty and a tram that will take you back for $7.

Another suggested attraction was the Old Post Office Cafe which they claim has the "best pizza in the world". We took a drive past the cafe and sure enough there was a sign proclaiming the cafe's pizza as having been selected as one of the top 5 in the world by The Lonely Planet.

Having visited Italy and being raised in New York I was more than a little skeptical. As a pizza lover there was no way Mike was going to miss trying it, so off we went to share a pizza for dinner one night. I don't know about "best 5 in the world", but I've got to say that they do make a really good pizza. Probably the best I've had in Australia. Quite surprising to find in such a small town, but there it was.

I think Mike must have been inspired by the meal, because as I write this he is cutting up a pizza he made (from scratch!) for tea tonight.

The Blow holes, located 73 kilometers north of Carnarvon were well worth a visit. We walked to the rocky edge (which looked more like a walk on the moon), to see the holes in the rock which water is pushed through with such force that it erupts into a spout of twenty meters or more.

Thar she blows!

One of Carnarvon's claims to fame is the huge satellite dish which was established in 1966 and was Australia's first satellite communications ground station. Now part of Telstra, it transmitted the first overseas television broadcast and was involved in the first moon landing and in controlling a probe of Haley's Comet.

That's one huge dish! Can you spot Mike standing on the platform?

The platform at the top gave us a great view of some of the local plantations. We visited one and bought fresh fruit and veggies, one of which we'd never heard of before called "Black Sapote - The Chocolate Pudding Fruit".