Day 61 – Shark Bay – Travelling the Big Island

11 August 2019

Today was a pretty exciting day. Another bucket list item for me – sighting stromatolites. These living fossils are extraordinary. I first became aware of them after reading Bill Brysons book ‘ Down Under’ (which I thoroughly recommend to all). They are believed to be largely responsible for creating the oxygen rich atmosphere that then proceeded to give rise to the world as we know it. They can survive in environments like Hamelin Pool, which is twice as salty as the ocean and they take in carbon dioxide, and expel it as carbon and oxygen. What are they you ask? Masses of cyanobacteria! The Hamelin Pool population is one of only two left in the world, and I think that is pretty special. Australia is home to one of the first known life forms. Amazing!

After I finished being wowed by what essentially look like rocks in the water (other people’s wow factor not quite as great as my own) we headed over to the old shell quarry. Because Hamelin Pool (not really a pool by the way just what that section of Shark Bay is called) is so salty, it has enabled a particular type of cockle to thrive as they have no predators. They’ve thrived to the point that the shells in the area are 10 m deep and so compacted that in the past, they have been quarried and used as building materials. Humans always find a way…

From there we travelled to Denham via the Eagle Bluff look out (didn’t see any sea animals but still a beautiful view). Denham is a lovely little seaside town. It was a beautiful day and quiet in town. It was delightful. We had a picnic lunch on the foreshore and then went into the visitors centre and watched a short 3D film (2D for Bill who is unable to see 3D) about the fight between the HMAS Sydney II and a German vessel during WWII. It occurred off the coast around the area of Shark Bay and was Australia’s worst maritime disaster with all of the ships crew (well over 600) dying in the conflict. Another reminder of how close the war came.

We went and checked out the local church, one of only a couple of buildings left in the area made of the cockle shell bricks, then too Francois Peron National Park, not far from Denham. We had a look around the heritage precinct, comprised of the old woolshed and shearers quarters and then Mum, Bill and I changed into our togs for a dip in the artesian pool. The water comes up from approx 500 m down and is a constant 40 degrees. We couldn’t stay in for too long due to the heat of the water, however it was lovely all the same.

Back to Denham for fuel and ice-creams. And – exciting news – the IGA supermarkets over here stock the chocolate covered butternut snap biscuits. Bill has been looking for them for years, and here they are! We bought 3 packets. They won’t last long.

Our last stop on the way back to Hamelin Station was shell beach (different location to the aforementioned old shell quarry). The beach really was just shells. I decided to go for a swim, wanting to see how much difference water twice as salty as sea water makes to floating oneself. I walked out 60 – 70 m and was still only up to my knees. I plonked in anyway. I think it was easier to float. Or maybe I just wanted it to be.

Back to camp and straight in the shower. That salty water certainly was icky on the skin.

The stromatolites. Amazing aren’t they!

The old shell quarry.

View from Eagle Bluff.

The artesian pool. Looks a bit gross, but the water was actually clean and was constantly flowing through the pool. The colour is from all the minerals in the water.