Bunbury and Gnomesville

We prefaced our visit to the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury with a warning to the children that as wild animals,  the dolphins do not perform on cue and there's no guarantee of even seeing one. So it was with great delight that we rushed down to the beach less than 10 minutes after arriving to see a young male dolphin swimming in the shallows, clearly visible,  at times only a couple of metres from the beach. He stayed for 10 or 15 minutes, before swimming off again.

We ventured inside then,  to inspect the displays of sea creatures. Two octopus kept us entertained for quite some time as they interacted with us,  squirting water,  pressing a tentacle against the glass tank and changing colour and shape. There were tanks of clown fish,  seahorses,  freshwater crayfish and starfish.  We saw the clown fish being fed and were able to touch a star fish. We experimented with placing an assortment of sea creatures under a microscope to examine more closely and got very close to a recuperating marine turtle in the rescue area.

Our afternoon was spent visiting a completely different creature -  garden gnomes.

Gnomesville was started by locals in the early 1990’s to brighten up a new roundabout. Passers-by added to the collection and it soon became a tourist attraction.  The gnomes had to be moved to the side of the intersection as they outgrew the roundabout and the collection has kept growing ever since. Tens of thousands of gnomes and other garden ornaments decorate the side of the road,  stretching back into the forest for about 50 metres.

The children adored the gnomes and raced around looking at all the different types. I was impressed by the sheer number of gnomes but mostly enjoyed the natural environment.  The area of Gnomesville is a lush green forest complete with a trickling brook, lined with ferns.  It was idyllic, my idea of paradise. It was a pleasure to wander through the forest,  across little wooden bridges as the creek meandered down the valley. 

The Pinnacles

The geology explaining the formation of the Pinnacles is still a matter of debate among experts.  Apparently they're too young (only 500,000 years) to warrant much research. However they were formed,  there's absolutely no doubt that they are extraordinary and whoever first discovered them must've had quite a shock! The surrounding area is typical coastal land - white sand dunes partially covered by scrubby shrubs and succulent plants. In the midst of all the normality is a patch of alien landscape in such contrast to the surroundings that it looks artificial!

The sand is bright canary yellow and perfectly uniform in size and colour. 

The pinnacles themselves look like rock termite mounds. Sharp pointed rocks ranging in size from ankle height to 2.5 metres.

 The overall effect looks like the set of a movie set on a hostile alien planet.
The kids had a great time running between the pinnacles and hiding behind them,  while Mats and I took plenty of photos. 

Lynton Station and Geraldton

Because we'd had such a great time at Hamelin Station,  we gladly followed their recommendations for another farm stay and so we came to Lynton Station.

Unlike Hamelin,  Lynton is a working station, with sheep and cattle. It is also the site of a former convict settlement,  with the remains of a village built in 1852.

We set up in a sheltered spot beside the shearing shed as the gum trees along the driveway had indicated that we should expect some wind.

We first explored the old stables which have been transformed into a museum of farm implements. From there,  we hiked up the hill to the Governor's residence,  a magnificent two storey building with wide wrap-around verandahs providing breath taking views of the surrounding farms and out to the ocean. Sadly the house fell into complete disrepair over the past century, but is in the process of being restored. The exterior looks amazing,  but inside has yet to be attempted.

The rest of the village lies at the end of the farm driveway and ranges from a few rocks in the tall grass,  to some buildings with foundations only or just a couple of walls,  through to two fully restored.

We took great interest in wandering around trying to imagine life in the 1850’s, when the baker,  blacksmith,  magistrate and infirmary would all have been bustling. The little cemetery apparently contains 11 graves but only three headstones remain - two infants from the same family and a mother who died in childbirth, along with her newborn son. It was a very sobering reminder of how fortunate we are to live in these times,  with access to modern medicine,  clean drinking water etc.

While staying at Lynton, we drove one hour into Geraldton,  enjoyed a stroll along the waterfront (where we were lucky enough to see a tall ship,  returning from the 400th anniversary celebrations at Dirk Hartog Island) and visited the Western Australian Museum.

The museum had excellent displays of local wildlife and birds,  stuffed and mounted,  which were very interesting,  but our favourite exhibit was the shipwrecks. The coastline in this area is infamous for its many shipwrecks, some of which have been explored and artefacts salvaged. It was extraordinary to be able to touch the actual cannon from the Batavia, which was cast in the Netherlands more than 400 years ago.  Artefacts included cups,  ammunition, buttons,  scraps of cloth and a large collection of silver coins -  actual pirate treasure!

Our time at Lynton Station wasn't entirely devoted to history lessons though. A lovely retired couple from Bunbury invited us to join them at the top of the ridge to hit some golf balls into an empty field below. Mats,  Luka and Freya had a fantastic time perfecting their long shot. 

The couple generously gave us their clubs and balls to keep,  so Luka and Freya have been entertained by hitting the balls into an old box in our campsite in addition to enjoying the simple pleasures of farm life.