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| Sea Grass Beds in the Bay |
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| Retirement/Holiday Homes Hug the Bay |
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| Pretty Little Swimming Beach |
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| Cray Fishing Boats and Dingys at the Je |
Green Head is a tiny fishing hamlet some 300 ks north of Perth (around half way between Perth and Geraldton). The town is one of several along this stretch of coast almost entirely dedicated to Cray-fishing. There is a growing population of retirees, but sadly the exorbitant price of real estate here puts it out of the range of many.
The surrounding countryside is low growing heath-lands set on mildly undulating ground. I imagine during the wild-flower season it could be very pretty, but most of the time the scenery is rather uninspiring. Even the coastline is not particularly picturesque, BUT............ and it is a big BUT, this stretch of coast is a fishing paradise. At this time of the year, the winds do make fishing any distance from shore dangerous, but the bays still offer the intrepid dingy sailor plenty of action. Most folk living here take out a Cray-fish license along with all the other mandatory fishing licenses and during the summer and autumn months enjoy feasting on this much desired shell fish. Aside from the Crays, there are plenty of other fish to be caught. Off-shore there are Snapper, Spanish Mackerel, Groper, the legendary WA Dhufish and just about any other deep sea fish you might wish to catch, closer in there are Herring (Tommy Ruffs), Pike, Mullet and many more. Fishing is both the main work and leisure pastime here.
We are here to catch up with some old friends who have built themselves a delightful holiday/retirement home here. Steve is an avid fisherman and has taken TBBITW out every day since we arrived. As we were here for the first day of the Cray-fishing season, they went out and dropped pots and have ‘pulled’ them each morning since. Sadly, they have only been rewarded with one Cray! Oh well, never mind. Mind you, we are told they are starting at $50 per kilo this season so anyone who can get one or two for themselves will be doing well. The lads have done very well however with Pike, Herring and Squid – they have had good catches of each in the bay (just from the dingy). The winds have really prohibited a great deal of off-shore fishing.
The other draw- cards here are the Sea Lion colonies that abound on the small islands off the mainland. Whilst we haven’t been out to look this time, last time we visited, Steve very kindly took us out to visit these beautiful creatures. It is a special treat to see these playful animals that come out to the boats to have a gander at us! Many people get out and swim with the sea lions and it really is wonderful to see a child and a pup interacting. They are incurably curious and will ‘play’ with people for quite some time. If you ever have the good fortune to experience swimming with the sea lions just be aware of the bulls – they are particularly protective and aggressive, especially if it is breeding season.
One of the reasons for the very healthy marine life here are the abundant sea-grass fields that thrive along this coast. Looking out to sea you can see the intricate reef systems along with the marine grasses that flourish here. Of course, the downside to this is the somewhat overwhelming odour that does waft thru’ the hamlets when the weed accumulates on shore and the heat and prevailing winds combine.
The recently completed ‘coast’ road from the Northern Suburbs of Perth runs alongside all these hamlets and makes them just so much more accessible from town. There are three of these seaside towns all within 50 ks of each other, Leeman, Green Head and Jurien and each of them has a caravan park. The park here is a bit stark, but the amenities are fine and it is quite close to the boat ramps. From a family perspective, there is a nice little beach where children can safely swim and I spotted quite a good playground when I was driving around this morning. There is a small general store here and also at Leeman, whilst Jurien (28ks south from GH) has quite good grocery shopping along with a couple of cafes.
This has been a delightful last stop before reaching the metro area and we are grateful to Steve and Sylvia for their hospitality and unfailing generosity. We have been spoilt rotten with stunning meals each evening along with a few hands of poker and plenty of good company.
If you sense that this ‘blog’ is not quite up to my usual sunny standards, you are right. Without going into too much detail, suffice to say my daughter in law (Nom) has been admitted to hospital pending the birth of her next child. The birth has been scheduled for Dec 3rd and we are now keeping our fingers crossed that all will be well and mum and bub will be fine. All prayers, kind thoughts and love will be gratefully accepted as we move thru ‘ this difficult stage. We leave here tomorrow to re-join our family.
Love each other like there is no tomorrow – Steph.
