Geraldton

The sun had barely made it's presence felt when we hit the road for Geraldton, though in the Aussie tradition of shortening a lengthy word and adding an 'o' at the end, I learned the locals refer to the city as 'Gero'. Usually a 150 km distance wouldn't require such an early start but we had an appointment scheduled at Beurepaires first thing. The left tyre on the Jayco was considerably worn (interestingly the right side still has plenty of tread - go figure) and Tomoko was adamant it be replaced immediately. I reckon it still had a good couple of hundred kms in it but this was one arguement I wasn't going to win over the safety conscious Tomoko. I was feeling seedier than a Monsanto factory with the symptoms of stomach flu and after 50km stopped in a parking bay for Tomoko to take charge of the rig. We were close to Hutt Lagoon, aka Pink Lake. As the name suggests, the waters of the lake are varying shades of pink, the unusual colouring said to be caused by a carotenoid-producing algae, Dunaliella salina that becomes trapped in salt granules. Home to the worlds largest microalgae production plant, the algae is farmed for it's ß-carotene and used as a food colouring agent or in dietary supplemants for it's Vitamin A content. In between stomach cramps I snapped off a couple of photos from a distance but cloud cover and the early morning light meant it was unremarkable on this day.

Having spent the last two months in the wilderness, Tomoko and I were excited to be in a city environment again. Although if we were expecting a sophisticated urban experience we were in for a little dissapointment. As I negotiated our way through the unfamiliar maze of traffic lights and roundabouts I noticed many of the cars sported personalised number plates, setting the bogan meter on high and a worrying sign. Some of the local business names also provided a hint to the city's culture - the 'Lash and Nail Me' beauty salon and the 'Get your Locks Off' barber shop suggesting the double entendre is far from dead in Gero. Still...the city does have a modern cinema complex and the latest Bond film was first and foremost on the agenda. After months of anticipation, 'Spectre' hit the big screen on the 12 November when I was a good 800km from the nearest cinema. It was only till now, a good three weeks after the premiere, that I had an opportunity to see it. Tomoko's also partial to a bit of Daniel Craig so we took in a Saturday afternoon session. Despite a few glaring gaps in the plot, we enjoyed it immensly and the 21/2 hours passed effortlessly. I give it an 8/10.

With the exception of 007, the first 5 days in Gero was a subdued affair. My stomach complaint had me feeling worse for wear so I slept a lot, read books, watched TV. In additon to sedentary activities, I was on a self prescribed but very boring BRAT diet (banana, rice, apple sauce and toast) and having probiotics for dessert in an attempt to heal my GIT. When sufficiently recovered, my mind turned to fishing and I drove 25km south to Greenough to check out Flat Rocks. On the way I spot the leaning trees that Greenough is known for. The perfectly healthy trees have been so pummelled and shaped by the strong, salty southerly winds that they grow horizontally. It's almost like they begin life headed for the skies before the harsh climate batters them into submission. The wind is a constant in these parts, making it a prime kite surfing location but not offering up great conditions for the angler. Flat Rocks is an long rock platform that I found to be exposed to the wind and returned home not fancying my chances of fishing it anytime soon. I did manage a beach session in front of the caravan park though, frozen prawns tempting only an undersized whiting and what I think is an Australian Herring.

Our airconditioning troubles has been well documented and we finally found a technician who would have a go at repairing it. In Exmouth the problem was identified as a faulty capacitor, an item that seemed difficult to replace and I was pleased as punch when the Gero guy claimed it simply had a broken switch. This provided an easier solution but required us to stay another week in Gero while we waited for the replacement part to arrive, thus extending our otherwise brief stay. Ironically, despite moving into the summer months the weather has cooled down enough to do without the aircon. We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn a little south of Denham and the easing temperature has been noticable since, even requiring the donning of a light jumper late in the afternoon.

Gero is a major port on the west coast, iron ore and grain the main goods that are transported from here. Our caravan park is a stone's throw from the port and sits behind the train line. It's not unusual to hear the trains pass at 2am in the morning, reminding us of our former home in Cairns. It sat adjacent to a cane line and the noisy trains would prompt Shaka to race up and down the fence line, barking frantically at all hours of the night.

The main tourist attractions in Gero seem to be the Museum and Crayfish Factory but I settled for a visit to the HMAS Sydney II memorial. Located on the elevated position of Mt Scott, the site overlooks Gero and it's surrounding waters. In 1941 the HMAS Sydney II was sunk by a German raider off the coast of Shark Bay with all hands lost. The 645 who lost their lives are each represented by a silver seagull on the 'Dome of Souls' while the bronze statue of the 'Waiting Woman' looks anxiously out to see towards where the shipwreck was found in 2008.

A week soon passed, the aircon got fixed and before departing I squeezed in a surf at Back Beach. It was 2 foot of wind blown chop but my first surf in 6 months and highly enjoyable. It's usually a frustrating exercise getting back into surfing after a period of absence. Lacking condition, the arms don't get you onto the wave quick enough. This often forces a late takeoff, a challenging exercise at the best of times and one that usually sends me over the falls. I must be fitter than I thought because I avoid such a situation and am looking forward to finding some WA juice at our next destination. Until then...adios amigos.