Dongara/Port Denison (Cliff Head) 11 November 2006

After a walk along part of Seven Mile Beach, we had a short trip to Dongara, usually a quiet fishing town, but today celebrating a fair. The main street is lined with 100 year old fig trees and they had various stalls selling produce under them. Heather was in her element and we were soon loaded up with jams and fruit. Spent a few hours right on the town beach around lunch, then over to Port Denison for a relaxing afternoon and evening waiting for the crowd to build up for the fireworks over the harbour. We moved out of town to camp and up and back to the water front for breakfast ready for the next big event, the Blessing of the Fleet. We were about ready to join the gathering crowd to line the harbour when a knock on the door came with a surprise invitation to join a big cray boat that was one of the boats to be blessed! It was such a random act of human friendship we were taken a back. This was marvellous fun and Peter and Lyn (our hosts) made us very welcome. Cray fishing is a big industry around here and there were about 30 brightly decorated boats in the parade. After the boat was blessed by the local priest, we headed out to sea for some high speed tag (full throttle in million dollar boat) and a water battles with water bombs and water guns. Managed not to get wet even when another boat used a water cannon!
Peter, the boat owner gave us some very interesting information about the industry including the annual licence fee per basket is $23,000 EACH. He has about 140 and is not allowed to put them all in at once, but has to stagger their release. He was very positive about the regulations that he believes will sustain the industry for hundreds of years and felt that WA is the world leader in this sustainability system. Can’t wait to get our first fresh crayfish when they hit the shops!