We were very relieved to see Geraldton, because it felt like returning to civilisation. It is really the first "real civilisation" since Darwin, except for Broome. And while I have absolutely enjoyed a lot of the top of WA, I have discovered I also like my comforts and a much more reasonable price for groceries. I would say, on average, our grocery bill has been $20-50 more per week shopping at the more remote towns and I truly feel sorry for people who have no choice. Their grocery bills must be horrendous. There is quite a lot to do in Geraldton, from the pretty great foreshore, which has a long pathway along the waterfront and multiple playgrounds and a water park, to the (donation requested) museum, the HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the lobster tour at Geraldton Fishermans Co-op. There are also beautiful blue beaches complete with very white sand. It was too cold and windy for us to enjoy the beaches but I could imagine living there.
The Foreshore has a long path along the waterfront. I'm not sure how long ago it was completed but it is a fantastic outdoor space. It goes from a walkway/esplanade which takes you to a lookout over the harbour, where you can see the working port and sea lions lazing on the rocks, all the way to the marina and residential areas a couple of kms away. As you walk you pass a couple of different playgrounds designed for kids of all ages and a water park. The big slide on the big kids playground is so much fun!!! It goes pretty fast and is pretty awesome. I loved it. I am such a child still.
This is the awesome slide
Rory climbed the rope ladder up into this to get to the slide. He has no fear
The Museum entry is by donation. It showcases the area's natural and cultural heritage. The kids were fascinated by the shell collection and pearls from the Abrolhos Islands.
It also houses a room dedicated to the shipwrecks of the Batavia, Zuytdorp and Gilt Dragon. The way the information is presented, and the way the stories are told, makes it so incredibly interesting and I could have spent quite a long time in there. The Batavia was carrying massive sandstone blocks in its ballast. These were going to be built into a grand portico for a castle at Batavia once they reached the shores. These rocks were rescued from the bottom of the sea and the arch has been created as the massive centrepiece of this room. It is an awe inspiring sight.
The stone archway is stunning. This photo doesn't show just how amazing it is and I can't believe they were shipping it.
A cannon from the Batavia
Some beautiful metal detail on the Batavia canon
The suspected layout of the inside of the Batavia
They had a temporary display called Rough Medicine. It is all about medicine on the ships voyages from the 1800s through to recent history. There was a wonderful collection of items, from doctors tools to a book donated to a young boy for his good behaviour on a long sea journey, and all sorts of things in between. One of the facts I read that stayed with me was that many babies died between the ages of 6 and 36 months, which is when babies do most of their teething. There was a belief that the teeth coming through somehow caused many of these deaths and so it became practice to lance the gum above the teeth to enable them to come through. In the age when medical equipment was not sterile, I'm sure that practice caused even more deaths. I am so glad I live in an age where we know so much more. And I can't help but wonder what people 100 or 200 years in the future will think about our current medical knowledge? Will they think we are ignorant and stupid?
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