Sunday, May 24, 2020

Trip to Dongara

We went to Dongara, a coastal town 64 kms south of Geraldton.


The Irwin River.




Blacks swans on the river.  They glide along in a rather majestic fashion.







A small stone cottage.







Another old building, once the Roads Board Office,  that seems a great favourite in the town.  It now houses Poppies, a cafe that has not closed during the Covid19 restrictions, serving takeaway coffee and cake to the population.



The rather more imposing Dongara Hotel, built in 1867, which has just reopened its doors for meals.  This was the first inn in Dongara and was known as the Irwin Arms.  The original structure forms the core of the present building.

Priory Hotel which was originally built as a hotel in 1881 but purchased by the Dominican Sisters in 1902 for the purpose of opening a school and it operated as the Dominican Ladies College until 1971.
After being beautifully restored the building has had its historic inn licence reinstated.


Overlooking wetlands.

Sculpture bench.









Murals on the side of a couple of buildings,






A few examples of whimsy.  Teddy bears along a fenceline.  A couple of cute sculptures below.


The Western Rock Lobster, the emblem of Dongara and indeed much of the west coast.  The crayfish industry is a lively and vigorous activity in these parts.


After a couple of nights in Dongara, instead of heading straight back to Geraldton we detoured to the nearby small inland town of Mingenew.  This is view from Mingenew Hill.  In season, which sadly is not now, this is supposed to be the true heart and soul of wildflower country, according to the brochure.






Sculptures cut out from sheets of iron seem to be a feature in WA.  We have seen them elsewhere.


The stockman and his dog.

This is commemorating a rifle range training ground for WWII outside the town at Depot Hill where Andrew did a walk.

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