Day 81: Fri 7 Jun 24 - Carnarvon

Fri 7 Jun 24 - Carnarvon

CHOOK ALERT!!!!

13 to 27 Deg, clear and sunny and a gentle NW wind most of the day. I can't believe our good fortune with the weather so far this trip. 

Before I went to bed last night, I had a rare look on Facebook, and discovered an Ex Navy Chef mate who I served with in Darwin, at HMAS Creswell and at sea - Pauly Green was in town for an overnight stay on his way to Coral Bay. So I sent him a message, and we caught up for coffee at 09:30 this morning at the Old Post Office Cafe in town. It is always nice to catch up with someone you know, but its even more special when you randomly bump into an old ship mate. After a bit more than an hour reminiscing, Paul and his wife left, but we will catch up again tomorrow at Coral Bay. They are also planning to visit Exmouth next week while we are there, so we will see plenty of each over the next week.  

When we parted ways, Noel and I set off to drive the 'Fruit Loop' Trail. Carnarvon is referred to as the 'food bowl' of Western Australia, producing 80% of the state's total fruit and vegetable crops and much of its seafood, although it's been impossible to find any fresh seafood in town. The Gascoyne Food Trail along the North and South Gascoyne River Roads, aptly known as 'The Fruit Loop', takes you past working plantations - some of which operate roadside stalls where you can pick up a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, preserves, dried fruits and ice-creams made from fresh fruit. Our frozen mango Ice Creams were delicious, so nice in fact that I had two (one plain and one chocolate coated). We also bought some very nice fresh fruit and vegetables from a few of the stalls which were very reasonably priced.

The 865 kilometre-long Gascoyne River, the longest river in Western Australia, supplies the water for Carnarvon's fresh produce, but not from on the surface of the river as you might imagine (it's as dry as a bone), rather from underground water systems beneath and next to the river. Around 47,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables are grown in the region each year, worth approximately $100 million, including a diverse range of tropical produce such as bananas, pawpaw, mangoes, grapes, tomatoes, avocados and beans. Interestingly, Carnarvon claims to be the first location in Australia where bananas were grown. 

Afterwards we returned to the van for lunch then we went back into town to try and get myself a haircut, but I could only find one hairdresser who couldn't do it before next week, so it will have to wait. Back at the van, I logged on to do some Navy work, then set off to refuel the car and refill an empty gas bottle, then returned to top up the water tanks and start packing up to leave tomorrow morning. 

It was a much quieter day than planned, but it seemed to disappear just as quickly as all the others. Just a few token photos today.



Carnarvon Indigenous Wall Art

Carnarvon Indigenous Wall Art

Carnarvon Indigenous Wall Art

Carnarvon Indigenous Wall Art

Ship mates

Fruit Loop Plantation

Free Range Chickens with 'FIFO' high vis vests.

Fruit Loop Plantation stall
















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