Geraldton

Description
Located 424 kilometres north of Perth is the bustling coastal town of Geraldton. Blessed with beautiful beaches and warm, sunny weather, Geraldton provides a smorgasbord of water-based recreational and sporting activities, with special emphasis on yachting, surfing and diving. The town is also world renowned as a Mecca for windsurfers and kite-surfers. It’s also a major export centre for far flung pastoral, mining, agricultural, manufacturing, construction and fishing industries. Situated on Champion Bay on a spectacular stretch of coastline known as the Batavia Coast, Geraldton offers culture, entertainment, shopping and sporting facilities. The newly redeveloped foreshore offers two children playgrounds, a water park, cafes and barbeque facilities. Among Geraldton's many attractions are the Western Australian Museum-Geraldton, which houses relics of ships wrecked off the rugged coastline, and the magnificent Memorial to the 645 crew members who were lost when HMAS Sydney II went down on 19 November 1941. The beautiful St Francis Xavier Cathedral offers guided tours and the Old Gaol is now a museum and craft centre. Geraldton is an ideal base for self-drive tours, especially during the famous wildflower season from July to November. Throughout the year there are scenic flights along the Batavia Coast to Monkey Mia (where wild dolphins visit), Kalbarri National Park and the spectacular Murchison River gorges. Tours to the amazing 122 Abrolhos Islands are also available by boat and plane, offering fascinating views of these unique islands and offering a snorkelling experience to remember. Operators can help you explore the surroundings using small buses or four wheel drives. Visitors can get a deeper insight into the local Yamiji culture, explore the surrounding sand dunes or tour the city’s iconic buildings in air-conditioned comfort. A marine commercial centre, it’s distinguished as the world leader in rock lobster fishing, producing world class quality as a result of the pristine water conditions. A guided tour of the rock lobster factory is available in season. Geraldton boats three resorts, five hotel/motels, numerous holiday houses and self-contained apartments as well as five caravan parks and three bed and breakfasts. An excellent range of restaurants and cafes are available.