An outback coastline
By WILLIAM BARKER
 Western
Australia is a veritable cornucopia for a holiday goers -
just take a look at its size - it's bigger than most European
countries. Covering an area of about 2,500,000 square kilometres,
Western Australia has a wide range of different environments,
from arid desert to tropical beach fronts. However we'll be
focussing on an oft-forgotten region of the west - the Gascoyne
region.
This area of Western Australia is located about 900kms north
of Perth and the main town in the area is called Carnarvon,
which is situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne river. The
town overlooks a tranquil inlet simply called the Fascine.
The town is accessable via car, but is also serviced by coach/bus
and by air. It isn't huge, but it is the perfect getaway size
- there are three motels, four hotels and numerous caravan
parks. Complementing the accommodation, Carnarvon has plenty
of delightful eateries, from cheap, over-the-counter tucker,
to gourmet dining restaurants.
For those who like to fish, there's an amazing jetty, which
was used for the deep-water exportation of produce to Perth
back in the old days. It's very long, about one-mile - hence
the name, One mile Jetty.
The coastline in the Gascoyne region is reason enough to
get off the couch - how does miles and miles of virtually
untouched beaches sound? The fishing is excellent, though
it's wise to check whether you're on a marine park. 3 Mile
Camp and Gnarloo Bay provide some of the most amazing coral
formations outside of the Great Barrier Reef, perfect for
the avid snorkeler.
 The
Ningaloo Marine Park is home to some of the world's most spectacular
beaches, with crystal clear waters and fine white sands. The
reef is the largest coral fringing reef in the world, stretching
some 260km along the coast and about 2 kilometres out from
the shore. The reef is an amazing place to snorkel, providing
an intimate look into a unique underwater world.
The reef supports over 500 species of fish and about 200
species of coral and for those who would like to see the reef
from other angles there are coral viewing and snorkelling
cruises that depart daily. These cover different areas around
the reef where you can view turtles, humpback whales, dugong,
manta rays, dolphins and the mighty whale sharks unique to
the area.
There's also the wreckage of a ship, the Korean Star, at
the base of the cliffs at Cape Cuvier. Its dire meeting with
fate happening during a cyclonic storm in 1988, breaking the
massive ship in half! The beaches of this area are spectacular,
though the area has been known to receive massive swells -
great for surfers, not so great for swimmers. In fact, the
area has often been noted as having one of the longest rides
in the world - though it's exact location remains a well-kept
local secret.
Another aquatic activity is visiting Monkey Mia. This small
settlement, about 850km north of Perth and located in what
is now the Shark Bay World Heritage region, is a great day,
or even week, spent out.
 Between
about 7:00am and midday, a small group of dolphins visit the
beach each day. Punters can hand feed them, though the feeding
is limited to only freshly caught fish and constitutes only
one-third of the mammals' required food. This ensures the
dolphins don't become completely dependent on humans.
It's also interesting to see how intelligent these animals
really are. They even arrive at Monkey Mia some mornings with
offerings of fish to the poeple. In return for their generosity,
perhaps? The dolphins have also developed a technique, not
seen anywhere else in the world, where they use a tool to
aid in food gathering. The dolphins wedge sponges onto their
noses and it is thought that they are used to fossick for
food on the sea bed. Of course, other theories suggest that
the dolphins carry sponges on their noses for fun - nothing
more. Either way, the dolphins are amazingly bright creatures.
The dugongs are also happy residents of the Shark Bay World
Heritage region, with some 10,000 of them making one of the
larger colonies in the world, and also one of the safest.
The dugong is of two serenians left in the world - the other
is the manatee, found in the Caribbean, the Amazon and West
Africa.
Other points of interest include Australia's largest monocline,
or rock. Located 450 kilometres inland from Carnarvon, Mt.
Augustus is roughly twice the size of Ayer's Rock, though
not as widely recognised. Tours can be booked in Carnarvon.
The Western Australian region of Gascoyne is an amazing place,
with plenty to see and do. The amazing reefs, perfect beaches
and age-old rock formations add even more interest, while
the atmosphere in the region is one of relaxation and tranquility.
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