Day 53. Cervantes. 18.8.26

Day 34 of our tour. 

Make our own way to Greenough Historical Village. Be ready to depart a 1 pm.

Distance to travel 227 kms.

Time on the road 3+ hrs.

This morning we departed about 9.30 after a pretty quiet night (Marks coughing was a lot less). We want to be at the Historical Village at 11 ish so we can do the tour and have lunch before we depart at 1 pm.

We visited the HMAS Sydney II memorial on the way out of Geraldton. It was hauntingly beautiful. 

The memorial site includes a commemorative dome made of 645 stainless steel seagulls representing each lost crew member, a 'Waiting Woman' bronze statue, and a curving black granite Wall of Remembrance.

Bottom of the flag poles had propellers.

645 seagulls representing the number of lives lost on the ship.

AI Overview

The monumental ship-prow stele shown in the image is part of the HMAS Sydney II Memorial located on Mount Scott in Geraldton, Western Australia, commemorating the 645 sailors lost when the light cruiser sank in November 1941. 

Design and Symbolism: The tall, slender concrete stele shaped like a ship's prow points toward the ocean site where the vessel rests, featuring numbered markings ascending vertically up the structure.

Very moving 😔 

We headed out to Greenough,  stopping for a quick look at the Gardens and an old building. 

The back half of the building was falling down and not accessible. 

Wheat fields.

Finally we made it to the Historical Village.  Entry was part of our tour.

I loved poking around in the old buildings.  They were cold and musty and they all had open fire places. 

We detoured slightly into Dongara to see the Royal Steam Roller Flour Mill. It had been converted to a motel but is now a private residence and the yard was a mess.

On the way out of Dongara we stopped at the war memorial and at Tyrepower to checkout the art work.

Big western lobster.

Last stop was a quick stretch of the legs in Jurien Bay at a beach.

Interesting tracks.

A shell crawling its way up a tree.

Today we travelled 235 kms, for a total of 7785.

The temperature range was 8-19°, not as windy thankfully.