January 10, 2018, Geraldton, Western Australia

January 10, 2018, Geraldton, Western Australia

The charming small town of Geraldton was full of very helpful visitor guides, and represents kind of a friendly outpost along the Western Australia coast. Much of the land around Geraldton is desert, sort of wild-west-like. We enjoyed a tour of Oakabella Homestead, a wind-swept farmstead from the 1860s, guided by a very enthusiastic woman who leased it for a while after it fell into disrepair, and was instrumental in getting original furnishings back and finding other period pieces. The tour was followed by a lovely tea, accompanied by a didgeridoo player.

Original living/cooking quarters

Kangaroo skin dress

Didgeridoo 'music'

Loretta, our guide

Kitchen

 Next was a visit to Burnt Barrel BrewBQ, a combination brewery and smokehouse—also way out in the country, miles from anywhere. Fun beer/BBQ tasting (Kansas-style BBQ).

Brews, BBQ, baked goods for sale.

Our tasting included beer, ginger beer, cide, and delicious BBQ.

Teaghan, the Hungarian brewmaster.

See the gullahs, Australian cockatoos, on the vineyard fence posts.

And our final stop was a memorial to HMAS Sydney, destroyed in a battle with a German warship in WWII. On a hilltop with great views of town and the Indian Ocean, the memorial featured an eternal flame, names of the 600+ sailors who died, and a touching sculpture of a woman looking out to sea for her sailor to come home.