ONSLOW

 This is one of the little gems we've found along the way.  Our last visit was in 1996, not long after Onslow had been the victim of a cyclone.  We only stayed overnight back then, so our memories are very scant - and of a tiny settlement with very ordinary accommodation.  We stayed in some sort of ramshackle unit at the back of the pub.  The town has grown considerably since then, and has a lovely main street lined with white trunked gums. 


Onslow Hotel

The caravan park is right on the beach, at the tip of a peninsula.  So there was a Sunrise Beach and a Sunset Beach right on our doorstep.  It's more of a fishing village rather than suitable for swimming.  But plenty of opportunity to pick up a few shells.  One thing that caught our eye was this unique war memorial on the clifftop. It's positioned so that the sun rise can be viewed through the centre every Anzac Day.

Up until recently the main industry in the area has been salt mining.  However the town is about to boom with the opening of a liquid gas plant.  You can tell by the upgraded roads that something is happening.  And we discovered that the cost of housing has skyrocketed - nothing below $1 million.


Old Onslow Police Station


The town itself was moved from another location in the 1920's - so we drove along the edge of the Ashburton River to the site of Old Onslow.  Here we saw what remains of the old Police Station and Lockup. 

Lots of people were free camping beside the river, and if you were set up for it, it would have been a lovely place to stay.  We made do with a cuppa by the river, watching some zebra finches darting around in the trees. 

 At a different spot where Geoff was fishing, we noticed a pair of sea eagles had made a nest on top of a light pole.  We were lucky enough to see them come home to roost.

Towards the end of our week at Onslow, a couple camped beside us, and as usual we got chatting.  We discovered that they were from Boronia - and that we knew their son and his family.  In fact, I had taught their grand-daughters at Heathmont East.  It's a small world.

We finished our stay with a delicious meal at a restaurant overlooking the sea, to celebrate our joint birthdays.

Another year older.