Day 13

Lake Ellendale - Geralton

" somebody went under a dock and there they saw a rock. It wasn't a rock... it was a rock lobster ....."

It poured with rain last night - real heavy stuff too! We awoke to grey skies but no rain luckily. We had decided yesterday just to drive the 50ks to Geralton, dump the caravan in the caravan park and do the day touring the city and stay the night. We made good time as well - getting into the city itself just after 9am.

First stop was a tour of the Geralton Fishermans Co-Op Rock Lobster processing factory. Wow - lobsters everywhere - but the vast majority of the b*****s don't end up on our plates - they are all exported to China, Japan, Europe and the US! A big order had just arrived from China this morning and so workers were arriving quickly to process it - all backpackers or foreigners too! All the Aussies got better offers from the Mines!!

We watched them grade the lobsters - each country is particular about colour, how many legs they have etc. They can have a lobster caught off the Geralton coast, processed, shipped and on a dinner table in China in under 30 hours! We watched styrofoam box after box packed with 15kg of lobster packaged and loaded on trucks ready for shipping . They put the lobsters to sleep in 9 degree water for shipping and wake them up in 22 degrees when they get to their destination - yep still alive! Wake up lobster it's time for dinner - yep you're it!!

We've been wondering about the massive sea swell that we've seen for the last few days on the coast. Turns out a mini tornado too out the Abrolhos Islands on Saturday just off the coast of Geralton and Whipped the seas into a frenzy - no fishermen out last night the swell was far too big.

The coast has taken a pounding too with lots of erosion and missing sand. Cayla even said to me this arvo walking along the beach "Look Dad seaweed surf" it was just thick with weed. More weed than water!

We drove around Geralton looking at the sights and the kids had a play in the watermark on the foreshore precinct which they enjoyed lots.

Watched a nice sunset tonight from the HMAS Sydney II memorial looking over the port and town. It is a spectacular place and memorial - very well done. It's hard to believe that in 2001 when the memorial was completed that the statue of the woman gazing out to sea would be positioned almost to the exact degree of where they found her 7 years later !

Went back to the foreshore precinct after sunset and had fish & chips overlooking the water (yes lobster was tempting but a bit expensive to feed 5, so next best thing !) Washed that down with a couple of beers of course, and with a distant sound of bagpipes playing, we watched what could only be described as Christmas lights on the water - all red and greens flashing in sync - about 30 lights in all to the horizon!

Continuing North tomorrow to Kalbarri for at least 2 maybe 3 nights. Weather on the improve too and getting hotter. Can't wait !