Monkey Mia

In my last post I spoke about the shell quarry. Last night I ate in a restaurant built from the shell bricks taken from the same quarry. The food may as well have come from there as well, it was pretty ordinary.

The Old Pearler

I ordered a rare pepper steak, you could still see the thickening agent in the sauce. It came served with potato bake and fried rice. Then I ordered a coffee ($5.00), that's O.K. but not if it's instant. The waitress was rude and mean, the entire place was packed (about 50 seats) and the patrons were petrified. Enter at your own risk, take a photo from the outside and dine somewhere else.

Alright enough bitching. I bounded out of bed at 6.30am this morning (I know it's making me nauseous just thinking about it), fed myself then headed out to Monkey Mia to see the dolphin feeding. Prior to 1994 you could actually swim with the dolphins and they were fed an unlimited amount of fish (they eat 12kg a day normally in the wild). I remember seeing TV programs where people were "cured" because they swam with them, the lame could walk and the blind could see. People with impressive titles under their names extolled the virtues of doing this. Then too many people came and ruined the party, a few people got bitten and so you swim with the dolphins no more........unless, you happen to be swimming about 50 metres away and one comes up to you. Let's just say if you really wanted to swim with the dolphins I think you could.

It was an awful start to the day.

8.00am Monkey Mia

By the end it was much better.

4.30pm Monkey Mia

In between there was lots of sensational wildlife. Dolphins (innumerable), dugong (one and a long way away), a turtle (diving deep) and the world's biggest pelican. I did an afternoon and an evening cruise on Shark Bay, simply spectacular. 

It was very relaxing and very impressive at the same time. I also visited the local Discovery Centre and saw a replica of the Dirk Hartog pewter plate along with lots of ship wreck salvage. I learnt a couple of thing as well. Where Dirk landed is not on continental Australia but on an island just off the coast near here (now named Dirk Hartog Island). No white Australian ever saw the infamous pewter plate is situ, it was collected and replaced by another Dutch explorer 80 years later who transcribed the Hartog text and added some of his own before returning to Holland with the original. 

From there I went to an Aquarium and saw a pretty awesome shark feeding along with some other nice fish. The marine biologist showing us around knew his stuff but on a practical level also told us which fish were the best eating plus gave us a few recipes. Its nice to meet someone who can eat their work when they're finished.

Tomorrow will be spent mostly on the road so unless something fabulous happens (and who knows it probably will) I doubt I will be posting. However (drum roll followed by dramatic music) the next day (all going well) I believe will be the highlight of the trip. So stay tuned.