The Pilbara Region . . .
Roebourne . . .
Roebourne is a very quiet little town that sits right smack dang on either side of the North West Coastal Highway.... don't blink - or you'll miss it! Make sure you stop in at the Roebourne Visitor Centre; the old Regional Prison has been turned into this info centre, and for a small donation you can get fresh drinking water to fill up your tanks and water bottles, as well as take yourself on a stroll though the old prison and check out all the memorabilia. Oh and best of all - Dogs are welcome to come in to the shade and have a drink of water.
Cossack . . .
We took a leisurely stroll through the old town of Cossack. Amazing old buildings are all around town; most are restored, and all are open for visitors. This is the town where Red Dog was buried. Apparently it is in an unmarked grave on your way into Cossack - but we couldn't find it! The lovely ladies at the Karratha visitor Centre said that the Vet who buried him is back in town and running the same veterinary practice. According to them, locals are wanting a little more recognition for this well known pup - and so a memorial stone and a few other delights will be placed at Red Dogs burial site within the near future.
The jail house in Cossack was creepy, but was filled with photos of early settlers so that gave it a little bit of warmth. Alexander and Katherine Pead arrived in Cossack in 1872, they are among a few people along with their children who are buried here in the local cemetery. .
The old school house was just so quaint and functional, complete with a nice sized room with desks a nice sized store room and a separate teachers quarters. It was completed in 1898 - but replaced an earlier built schoolhouse that was destroyed by a willy-willy in 1894. While the new school was being built, parents sent their children on the horse-drawn tram to Roebourne for schooling. The story goes......a young child of 10 accidently stood on a nail in the school grounds, and from this, she unfortunately died of tetanus.
Point Sampson . . .
We spent a glorious day with our good friends Kris and Rob at Point Sampson. It's a nice little town with an expensive but beautiful caravan park. We couldn't afford to stay there but if we were to splurge for a couple of nights, I would definitely stay here! The most amazing place in Point Sampson is Honeymoon Cove. This gorgeous little cove has big tides; but high tide is the most pleasurable time to swim. We caught squid and had a nice feed of calamari - thanks Matt! And yes dog lovers - this is a dog beach. Very nice place - worth a visit!