Hamelin Station is a working sheep and goat station close to Shark Bay on the west coast of WA. This was bush camping at its best with by far the most well looked after facilities we have encountered so far. A small bit of trivia we learnt from the owners – the USA is the world’s largest importer of goat meat.
On the way to Hamelin Station we came across an unusual sight – a memorial to a small girl who must have died in an accident close by. The memorial consisted of a mound of rocks with a garden gnome on top. Since the original memorial lots more gnomes have been added in remembrance of other loved ones who have passed away.
We visited the famous shell beach which is a 140 Km long beach made of the smallest and whitest shells we have ever seen. Over the years these shells formed hardened rock-like material which was quarried in the form of large blocks which was used to erect large buildings in the area.
Close to Hamelin Station we find one of only a few remaining areas of Stromatolites or stromatoliths. Apparently these provide important clues to the origins of life on earth. The structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms (microbial mats) of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria. They provide ancient records of life on Earth by fossil remains which might date from more than 3.5 billion years ago. In the future given the option of viewing stromatolites or watching paint dry, the latter would be the most attractive.
BOB AND SIOBHÁN'S CARAVAN ADVENTURES 