Not So Smart

March 9, 2010

Hut River and Shark Bay.

Well for the last 2 day we have been heading North up the West coast of Australia, and I would like to start off with a trivial persuit question.

Q. Australia is the only country that encompases an entire continent?
True or False

Well if you are answered True to this question you are one of a majority of people who think they know everything.

If you answered False to this question you are probably making the argument that Indonesia, and it's sourounding islands are quite often considered part of the Australian Continent (which they often are). However if you answered False right now for a reason other than that you are either guessing or you know about this guy.

Meet Prince Leonard Casley, Prince of Hutt River Province in Western Australia. Now while some of you go roaring accross the internet to go looking up who the heck this guy is, let me tell everyone else with slower internet. In 1970 Leonard Casley was appauled at the new government quotas imposed on wheat and decided to seceed from the commonwealth. Of course the Australian government tried to overturn the Secesesion, but the Prince knows his law and smoked them in the court room. This guy has a great sense of humor, not to mention balls of steel to be able to pull such an insane thing off, and still be a separate country over 40 years later. He and his wife the Princese Shirley still run the farm, and counrty. Of course he isn't young anymore, but he still welcomes visitors with smiles, and even stamped our passports, giving us a demonstration of how imigration did it in Sydney, with the excemption of doing it in full eye view, pointing out all the security features pasports have, including the ultraviolet imprints in the paper. He showed us around the place and showed us some really cool stuff, telling us about the history and cool stories. The most interesting fact is that I could apply for a Hutt River pasport, and become one of the more than 13,000 Hutt River citizens world wide. I lauged at that, and I asked him if any one of his 7 kids have ever tried to dipose him and take over the country. He said his kids thought about it, but then they remember the amount of work involved in running a farm, and that usually changes their mind by the time he gets back from town. I have to admit this guy has class, and a sense of humor. I would definately have to add this guy to my list of really cool Aussies. Anyway after saying goodbye to the Prince (the only royal I have ever met in person) wandered around the farm checking out the government office, post office, statues before departing the only country that came into existence without bloodshed. We drove farther North into the Shark Bay region and to Hamelin station where we stayed for the night. This is also a really cool little place, it is a working sheep station that you can stay at and use the kitchen and camp for the night. It is a really cool place, and we couldn't help but get a picture taken with outback hats on. Anyway, we drove through to the telegraph station just up the road were we went and looked at the stromatolites, like the oldest lising things in the world, bacteria in rock form. We ordered a really good milkshake there (it was 42 degrees out) and got the plesent surprise when they arrived in those old 50's style metal cups. Anyway we asked were a good place to snorkle would be. The guy told us we should drive up to Eagle Bluff to see the sharks from the boardwalk and that if we wanted to snorkle we should do it to Whalebone bay, as it is easyier to see the sharks comming. That is were the conevrsation got fun.

Christian "There are sharks up here?"
Local "Well they call it Shark Bay for a reason"

I tried not to spit my strawberry milkshake over Ella when I burst into laughter. Chris later said he felt like a stupid tourist when he asked that question. I told him that he looked and sounded like a stupid tourist when he said it. Well the snorkling was fine, if not a bit short, but we may wait until Coral Bay as there is supposed to be really good snorkling up there. But seeing some of the sharks from the boardwalk overlooking Eagle Bluff was really cool, and quite safe. About 1 hour North of Shark Bay the never ending flat stretch of road was inturupted by these little hills that had a look out on top of them, which is when I spotted this pile of rocks, and on each one of these wrocks were the names of loved ones who have died recently. I found a flat stone and wrote Mae Astle, as a gift to her, placing it there amoungst 2 others from Canada facing out over the long open plane facing the setting sun. I stood beside the cairn for a little while waiting for the emotions to settle before leaving the hill. Heading to Carnavon tonight were we will probably call it a night.