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.