22/09/18 Carvarvon

22/09/18  To Carnarvon

I got away around 9.30 (time is irrelevant to us oldies).
The Kalbarri motel was almost deserted by then except for the family of dark people sitting outside next door.  (I'm guessing Sri Lankan.)  I said good morning, but got no reply.  That tough biker thing again?  -Doubt it.
I should have taken some photos.  The motel complex was huge, the room quite nice, flash pool, (the promised WiFi useless).
On my way out, this, to prove there are still some playgrounds where you can get splinters.  The foreshore on the river really is nice for families.

Denham being full up, I rode straight to Carnarvon.  The road out took me past the Kalbarri national park (where I went yesterday).  22C, no traffic, bliss.
Lots of these plants along the roadside, with occasional huge paddocks of them.

They looked intriguing.  I went looking for seeds, thinking Michele could grow some.  But they aren't flowers poking out, they are sticky cones.  Maybe they dry out and drop fine seed.  Dunno.  But I don't think our honeyeaters at home would like them.
Sorry, this closeup ended up out of focus.

I stopped at Billabong for fuel, leg stretch and a bit of grub.
Did the same as at Kalbarri, saw after I'd filled up, that I wasn't at the cheapest servo.  The name in the app for the servo I used here was even Meadow BLOCK COMPETITORS PRICES WA.  I'd stopped at the first servo I saw, which is what they'd rely on.  -Went on to get grub at the next one.
I don't bother too much about price on the bike, I take so little fuel.  But travelling in a car, it'd be useful to have the passenger check the app before stopping.  -It's called Fuel Map.  (Came with the WikiCamps app.)

After the quiet park road, I was amongst it all on the North West Coastal Highway.  A few semis, but mostly 4WDs pulling caravan, camper or boat.  Very busy.  And the paddocks changed from wheat, to low scrub, to sandy scrub.
You know you are heading north when you see the raptors circling overhead.  Even saw a a pair of those sky clowns, galahs.  Makes a change from crows (ravens).

40km out of Carnarvon, a gusty sidewind hit.  No fun at all, though it did drop the temperature from 33C to 25C very quickly.  At this point I just wanted to get there.  The aching legs were ready for a stretch too.
In Carnarvon, I went to the visitor centre to get info to peruse tonight.
Closed.  Don't they know 90% of their customers are us old farts who don't know what day of the week it is?  Unfortunately not only is it Saturday, but a long weekend, and start of school hols.  I'll try tomorrow.

The folk at the motel look like islanders, as did the ones at Billabong.  No problem, they are all nice and friendly.  Very good motel (again), and cheap online via Agoda.  I don't understand how its cheaper to go through an online service than book direct.

Here is what a room looks like after I've unloaded.

I've had a nice shower, the receptionist said its happy hour from 5 to 6.  So I'm going to get happy, and have a bangup expensive meal.  -Will suss out the cheap takeaways tomorrow.
They didn't say I couldn't park here -right outside my room in a service alley way.

$33 for a buffet.  Quite nice, but not cheap.  No fruit.
That was preceded by a happy hour ale.  Not a great environment for relaxing.  TVs spruiking the footy, screaming and whining kids bashing the entertainment machines and pool table, outside OK until smokers turned up.
The noisy kids made it into the dining room too.
So I didn't hang around the bar for more drinks.  I must be just old, but I can't abide grizzly noisy kids who are totally ignored by their parents.  Are they deaf, or just tuned out?  Too bad for the rest of us.
Fortunately its quiet in my room -or at least will be once I get that mozzie!

23/09/18  Sightseeing round Carnarvon

A slow start after continental breakfast included with room.  Surprisingly good.  Included ham, cheese, tomato etc to have on toast, as well as a decent array of cereals, yoghurt, and a pikelet machine.  (Had drip coffee in my room though.)
Got to the tourist centre around 10.  Got my map of the town.  From there moseyed around and out to the boat harbour.  These big boats were two-deep at the wharf, with quite a few further round.  I guess the fishermen take time off on a long-weekend Sunday.  (Or maybe the tide wasn't favourable at that time.)

Lots of boats around Carnarvon, both commercial and pleasure.  Probably not much else to do?

Off to the tracking station museum.  The planetarium was a blow up dome, inside which was a low resolution projector showing a film on the ceiling.  The spacecraft 'simulator' was lying down in a mock spacecraft watching a video screen. Both would have been better just watching good videos in a home-theatre environment.  I didn't bother with the actual film they had, of past NASA folk narrating their stories.
The exhibits were interesting.  Electronic stuff from my day.  And I know exactly where I was the day man landed on the moon, in the Adelaide uni physics lecture theatre watching it live on TV.  It was a momentous occasion for all, and museums like this help to remind us.  The museum has expanded in stages, and had various NASA celebrities come out to 'launch' bits, including this year.

The LED tracker antenna here, was turning.  Its supposedly being restored.  (Dunno if there was someone inside driving it.)

 Now unused, its looking a bit sad.

 Supposedly the last of the mohicans, this one.

 Two current comms dishes in the background.

Rode out to the 1 mile jetty.

Which is closed because it's too dilapidated to walk on safely.

I consoled myself with a mango smoothie in the cafe there.  The adjacent lighthouse museum was closed.  Rusting old railway gear, engines etc was nearby outside a museum also closed.

Further round the coast is The Fascine, a body of water which has a very dubious mouth to the sea.  Looks like it'd be too shallow for boats some of the time.  A couple of windsurfers were enjoying the coastline in the distance.

Rode to the Gascoyne Hotel for tea (should have walked, it isn't far).
Steak hamburger with the lot, washed down with a pint of Orchard Crush cider.
Filled me up nicely, and no whiny grizzly kids there.  :)
The beauty of a decent bathroom sink -can do the washing in it.  All up to date now, with an extra day for things to dry.  :)

24/09/18 Planning

Bit of a lousy sleep.  Dunno why, maybe worried about accommodation.  That buzzing mozzie didn't help.  Funny thing is, I got her in the bathroom this morning, and no sign she fed on me.  What, I smell bad?
Another nice breakfast.  Among all the ones there, only one kid was a real pain.
So with no sights I particularly want to see, its down to sorting out where to from here.  (Again, thankful for my phone's fast data.  The WiFi here is useless.)

I'd like to visit Coral bay, and see the reef, either snorkelling or by glass bottom boat.  Well, the place is booked out.  Not even a tent site!  Its probable I won't get to hire gear or go on a boat either, but I'll have a look.
John is meeting up with me at Exmouth on the 28th.  So now my plan is to pass through Coral Bay on the way there.  Have booked a room at Exmouth for 25th to 29th.
Again, booking sites vary to hell on price and availability.  Trivago has proved mostly useless.  Google maps sort of works, but I mainly just randomly hammer a location and see what comes up.  In this case, booking on the resort's website direct (Potshot Hotel Resort, still booked through a 3rd party site) proved to be the cheapest option. 
Again, school holidays are influencing what is available at Exmouth.

The plan from Exmouth is to head for Tom Price, provided it isn't too hot -and it looks like it won't be.

Well that was a first.  Grilled fish n chips at the Gascoyne Hotel was exactly that.   Nothing else except for a side plate of tartare sauce.  Lots of chips, but a bit of salad would have been nice.  (The fish was OK.)

Snapped some shots in the twilight on the way back from the pub.
Like many west coast towns, Carnarvon seems to wrap around all the little inlets.  It would help to be a sea lover if you lived here.

Entrance to the motel.  The palms tell the story.  Windy.

This is the first motel on this trip to feature electronic locks.  You get a keytag to place on the lock to open the room door, and a wireless fob to open the carpark sliding gate.  Should be more of it.  Its quite a nice motel, the Carnarvon Motel. Big!