We finally left Onslow after a glorious eleven days. We had loved the laid back lifestyle on a beautiful location where the outback meets the sea. But move on we did. Michael was hanging out for his Marble Bar date at the end of July, but first we wanted to attend the Cossack Art Awards, stay at the gorgeous Point Samson beach and revisit the shining star that is the oldest town in the Northwest, Roebourne.
We arrived at the Cove Caravan Park in the late afternoon. Like most of the places we'd stayed, there were plenty of engaging people on site, including a family of five who were living full time in a caravan and annex. The central playground certainly provides the younger set with somewhere to jump, run, tumble and climb.
The beaches and rockpools at Point Samson invited the dogs and us to paddle and explore. The new jetty's white structure had been softened by the shrubbery filling in the empty space. The views to Cape Lambert, the iron ore port nearby were as stunning as ever.
Cossack, due south of Point Samson as the crow flies is the venue for the annual and very eclectic art show. We still were somewhat aghast at some of the winners, but art is and always has been in the eye of the beholder...or judge. Some of the artwork was exquisite, including a piece by Narelle Higson, whom we hope will soon be an East End Gallery artist.
Narelle and her husband Brian have become great friends and Brian participated in a one-on-one workshop with Michael and came away with a quite fabulous sculpture. We had promised Narelle we would take a photograph of her art on the wall at Cossack and we were also thrilled to note that it had a red sticker on its number, meaning sold.
We visited Roebourne twice over two days and continue to be delighted with its splendid metamorphosis. Back in 1969, Roebourne ceased to be a town only for non indigenous people. Chaos descended as the "skins" struggled to interact meaningfully with each other, let alone run Roebourne together. Plus, a substantial police presence did not aid unity and integration of the town, so strife, including the death of Yindjibarndi teenager John Pat, scarred the town for many years.
Now, education, art, history, local employment and the embrace of country are the foundations of Roebourne. There are well tended parks with sculptures and children's murals, the Ganalili Centre, the radio station, two cafes, aboriginal corporations, art collectives and the reclamation of what was the Victoria Hotel. Roebourne's charm and character, hidden for so long on the Harding River has blossomed into a vibrant community.
We left Point Samson three days ago. We were en-route to Port Hedland for me to receive my second Pfizer vaccination. This encounter was filling me with both anticipation and a bit of unease (feeling rather like a persistent itch).
Coastal view.
No comments:
Post a Comment