By Hook or By Crook - Trips out of Geraldton
Whether you travel by hook (via Kalbarri) or by crook (out to Denham) or even in a more or less straight line (to Mullewa), Geraldton’s surroundings have a lot to offer.
GERALDTON
Founded as a sleepy outpost of the Swan River colony and later a port that relied mainly on shipping out the bounty of wheat produced by its hinterland, Geraldton is now quite a tourist centre, and is well worth a visit – especially if you’re heading up or down the Coastal Highway. The climate is mild in winter and hot in summer, when Geraldton also gets most of its rain. There are several museums in town worth seeing – check with the Visitor Centre at 246 Marine Terrace, call 1800 visit gero or email info@visitgeraldton.com.au. There is plenty of accommodation of all kinds (although see next item below).
DONGARA/PORT DENISON
My favourite memory of Dongara is of sitting in a canvas café chair in the shade of an enormous fig tree (I think) which was one of many lining the streets of the town and providing a welcome respite from the brilliant summer sun and broiling summer heat of the Coastal Highway. I can still taste the icy apple juice I used to cool my insides.
Dongara and Port Denison are pretty seaside towns, and the latter especially has a substantial range of accommodation at prices generally lower than Geraldton’s. The Visitor Centre is at 9 Waldeck Street, call 08 9927 1404.
MULLEWA
About 100km east of Geraldton along a good road, Mullewa is famous for two things: its wildflowers, especially the rare wreath flowers which grow in few other places, and the Church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel and the Holy Apostles St Peter and St Paul. The latter was designed and built (often as a labourer) by Monsignor John Hawes, a remarkably talented and vigorous priest. It and Hawes’ house, which is now a museum, make a visit to Mullewa worthwhile even by themselves. And that’s from a non-Catholic! Late winter and spring are the best times for wildflowers.
NORTHAMPTON
There isn’t really much at Northampton, but the town has a bit of a nice arty-crafty vibe. The Geraldton to Northampton railway was the first government railway built in Western Australia, and the Mary Street Railway Precinct has all sorts of rolling stock and other railway bits and pieces. Call Bob or Mary on 08 9934 1118 if you want a guide, otherwise just wander around. I like the way they’ve put the Visitor Centre in the old police station.
Call 08 9934 1488 or write to info@northampton.com.au. Port Gregory and Horrocks are beach holiday spots nearby; the former lies on the road up to or back from Kalbarri.
KALBARRI
Last time I was in Kalbarri, I stayed at the Murchison River Caravan Park, which faces the - you guessed it – Murchison River just before it flows into the sea. It was exceptionally well located and pleasant. Kalbarri is a pleasant town all round, with two attractions that I’d consider outstanding. The remarkable Kalbarri National Park is accessible from the road that leads in from the highway, and Rainbow Jungle lies a little to the south of town. It’s a kind of artificial rainforest, and among other things is famous for breeding rare species of parrots. Worth a look.
HAMELIN
Considering that hardly anyone lives there, it’s remarkable that Hamelin has two remarkable tourist attractions. One is the Old Telegraph Station, which is just what it says but has been turned into a fascinating museum. Well, fascinating to me – I love old technology and its stories.
The other attraction is the pool of stromatolites of Hamelin Bay. These look like rocks but are in fact the oldest “living fossils” on Earth. They date from some 3.5 billion years ago and were instrumental in producing the oxygen that made it possible for animals, and eventually humans, to evolve. So don’t forget to go down there and say “thank you”.
You can stay at the caravan park or the homestead, but it isn’t far from Hamelin Bay to Denham and Monkey Mia.
DENHAM
As the nearest town to Monkey Mia, famous for its dolphins, Denham sees a regular flow of tourists. It is a bit of an attraction itself, especially for fishing and boating, With many of its buildings made of compressed seashells and a remarkable view of Australia’s most westerly islands, Denham makes a useful and pleasant package. The caravan park/resort at Monkey Mia is favoured by many people, but I quite like the additional choice of accommodation and eating that the town offers.
The area around Geraldton is remarkably rich. Whether it’s the bounty of the land – mainly wheat – or the wealth of seafood pulled from the ocean by the town’s fleet of trawlers, it has made Geraldton a rich place too. But these days it also has a lot to offer its holidaymaker visitors. Beaches, impressive rock formations like those in Kalbarri National Park, historic buildings and machinery, the beautiful though quirky church out at Mullewa – and of course the staggering variety of wildflowers all combine to make this a place worth visiting. Perth residents know this already, and many of them holiday up here every year. Interstate visitors deserve a slice of all this as well!
MONKEY MIA (GREEN)
This is mainly a long haul up the highway, but there aren’t all that many connecting roads up here and I have kept to sealed roads for all of these rides. Leaving Geraldton, just stick to Highway 1, here called the NW Coastal Highway. There’s fuel at Northampton, Binnu, Billabong Roadhouse and then at Overlander Roadhouse, right at the turnoff to Denham. There’s fuel at Denham and Monkey Mia, as well, and at Nanga Station on the way. You’re not likely to run out. But then, you never know… Road surface in general is very good, with the main exception of the driveway into the Old Telegraph Station and the stromatolite pool.
KALBARRI (BLUE)
A worthwhile loop off the main road, the Kalbarri route takes you past Kalbarri National Park first off, if you’re coming from the north. One oddity of the turnoff is that there is no roadhouse or town there, as there is at most other connecting roads. You still can’t miss it, signposting in WA is very good – unless you’re asleep at the handlebar, which is never a good idea anyway. Check out Window Rock and the other rock formations in the National Park. Kalbarri itself doesn’t really offer much beyond a selection of accommodation and some shops, but it is a nice town and worth an overnight stay.
The road running south via Red Bluff is also an interesting ride, following as it does the cliffs and beaches of the Indian Ocean coast. It connects back to the highway at Northampton. Port Gregory, along the way, is a typical beach resort.
MULLEWA (RED)
You want the Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road for this ride. Its 100km can seem a little dull, but only outside wildflower season. If the flowers are out, in late winter and spring, you will find yourself riding through an enormous painter’s palette alive with all the colours of the rainbow. The little township itself has not only the church but also a museum and a few other historic attractions worth seeing. Keep an eye on your fuel – it’s 100km each way, and there is fuel only at the ends of the ride.
DONGARA (YELLOW)
Two choices here: straight down the Brand Highway or a little more inland along Geraldton Walkaway Road, before joining the Brand Highway at South Greenough. Both roads are pretty much the usual up here, running more or less straight on flat land through paddocks and fields, with occasional stands of stunted trees. Doesn’t sound very interesting? In fact it is; it’s so typical that it will give you a good impression of what much of Australia is like. If you don’t get the feeling for our Big Country up here, you probably never will. But okay, I’ve mainly included this because it leads to the shady streets of Dongara…
