Western Australia

E L L O R Y K E A R N S

Part 1

Margaret River
Ellory Kearns Weekly Newsletter

Shark Bay

New Norcia

Kalbarri
Issue #5

Margaret River
! The community of Margaret River is a remarkable place; It is surrounded by Karri forests, has beautiful white sand beaches and is known for exceptional surng. The small but lively town was very welcoming and had an abundance of activities, shops and cafes. The area is also world renowned for its many thriving vineyards. Another great aspect is that it has Perth so close by. ! The local waters are well known for their immense surf, many pro surfers come here from around the country. Signicant competitions are held here often. The surf here is magnicent in color, the waves are beautiful but very dangerous; most surfers wear helmets and wet suits for

protection against the cold and the reef right below them. Sharks are not uncommon to be seen in these waters, although shark attacks have been rare in the past, this year nine attacks have taken place in the waters surrounding Perth. Not only are there sharks but whales , dolphins and rays that can be seen from the beautiful white sand beaches. ! The region also holds a nationally protected forest of Karri and Jarra trees. They are both a type of Eucalyptus tree. While driving the winding dirt roads through the National Park we came upon the exquisite Boranup gallery. This spot is in the midst of the forest. Not only did this gallery have ne wood crafts made from the local trees but also paintings and sculptures made of other materials such as metal, stone and mosaic. All made by artists from the community.

! The large dining tables and other furniture are made out of the largest of the trees. (the only trees used for making the furniture are ones that have fallen, died or are diseased). The trees are cut into large slabs and dried for at least three years, in that time the majority of the pieces develop a crack, these pieces are used to make smaller tables or multiple sectioned tables. The slabs of wood that survive and are not damaged are used for amazing dining tables. They are of course sanded and polished, many are inlaid with intricate designs and transformed from a tree to a priceless work of art. ! The people that live her are very fortunate to call a place like Margaret River home. I would tell anyone coming to Australia to take the time and visit. !

New Norcia

is a quiet

place, it is an oasis in the midst of nothing. The birds and bees chirp and buzz all day long without disturbance. It is still a fully working monastery. New Norcia was founded in 1847 by a Benedictine Monk from Spain named Rosendo Salvado. Salvado came here to befriend and help the local aboriginal people and spread his religion. Later the government commissioned him to build an Aboriginal mission and a school for girls of all ages to be taught christianity. Salvado took many voyages back a forth between Australia and Spain, gathering items and support from back home and bringing them to his monastery in the outback. He died at an old age while traveling to Rome. He was lucky to have survived as many rough journeys as he had.  These monks have found a way to incorporate the modern world into what they do. They run the New Norcia Hotel and museum. They sell their homemade goods in the gift shop. Aside from the commercial end of things they still live by the strict customs such as the time of silence; from 8pm to 6am when they are forbidden to speak to

New Norcia
E Q U O I A C L

each other or anyone else during this time, just as monks from older times did.  At 6:45 in the morning people staying at the hotel are welcome to join the monks in their morning prayers. They sing and chant for about 30 minutes. I went with my mom and it was a very interesting experience. They had very serious expressions and didnt say a word to any of us. After the monks were finished they calmly got up a walked out of the room. It made me think about how simple their lives were; they had the same routine everyday until they died. I observed that all were quite old and had glasses. It made me wonder how much longer Benedictine monks would exist. As we were walking back to our room the grounds were deserted and it was almost spooky how silent it was.  The monks have been here for 160 years and all that time they have lived off what they can provide for themselves. They are some of the only people left in the world that are not wrapped up in the modern world and all of the unnecessary things it has been filled with, They live a simple life away from all the craziness that is our lives.

A Historical Monastery in the Outback

Kalbarri
! Kalbarri is a place where the outback meets the sea. Among many things we learned, it fascinated me most that a settlement of this size could be found in the middle of the outback. We took amazing walks on the high coastal cliffs and in the dry outback too. ! The Kalbarri National Park is renowned for its hardy desert wild owers in the Spring. As we drove through the isolated territory it was stunning to see colors of pink, purple and bright orange. When we were there they were beginning to pass, for the heat was very intense. ! Kalbarri was where we saw the most kangaroos of our entire time in Australia. It was a very worth while stop.

Shark Bay
Home to One of the Worlds Most Unique Marine Environments
A group of dolphins we sighted while sailing further out in Shark Bay Mira and I feeding the dolphins The dolphins coming in to feed at the beach. A day old calf was here with her mother

! Shark bay is a marine reserve located over 800 kilometers North of Perth. The bay is well known in the scientic world for the marine animals. Marine Biologists come from all over the globe to study the dolphins of this World Heritage Site. A few of the dolphins come to the beach regularly to feed. The dolphins do catch a lot of their own food but are also fed by tourists during a safe feeding program run by the scientists. Dolphins requires about 12 kilos of sh every day, the scientists only allow the public to feed them a total of 1.5 kilos per day maximum; This ensures that the dolphins continue to hunt for their own food and stay wild. A resort has been opened in the bay for people to come and learn about the dolphins. ! Dolphins have special hunting techniques that are passed down from generation to generation. In the rst few years of a calfs life they stick close to their mother as she teaches them how to survive alone. A few techniques that we learned about really stood out to me. One was a bottom feeding technique; the dolphins scrummage with their noses along the ocean oor stirring up the athead sh that bury themselves

underneath a thin layer of sand. The dolphins then chase the sh and eat them. In doing this the dolphins had scars on their noses from rocks and shells on the bottom. Although, they noticed that other dolphins using the same technique did not. They were able to witness on lm that these dolphins were placing a sponge on their noses to protect them! ! Another technique is when the dolphins scare a sh into the shallows (mere inches of water) and trap them where they cannot swim away. What amazes me about this technique is the dolphins can skim across 3-4 inches of water regardless of their size. ! Dolphins are amazing creatures that are incredibly smart. They are like humans in many ways, including the fact that they have strong family relationships. The 1200 dolphins in Shark Bay have excited scientists and visitors for a handful of generations. This place is where so much of the worlds knowledge of dolphins has come from. I feel so lucky that I was able to experience the dolphins and meet the researchers in person.