Exploring Greenough River : Jo’s Monday Walk.

The Greenough River, at the moment, is a tranquil, meandering water-way. There is a 17 kilometre walk-way that takes you along one side then back along the other bank. We decided to cheat a bit and drive from one section to the next and walk in between. So technically this is a drive-walk-drive-walk…

The impressive barber pole striped Point Moore lighthouse, built in 1879, was the first stop for a walk onto the beach.

Leaving Hector in the car park we head for the beach

 

Come on Pauline, hurry up

Clear blue sky reflecting in the water

The 4WDs can drive along the beach, it is firm sand, and they can launch their boats to go out for a day’s fishing.

Looking in the other direction the beach sweeps around the bay

At the river mouth of the Greenough River a couple of fishermen try their luck

Now it is back into the vehicle to drive a short distance inland to the start of the river walk.

The start of the walk

The recent rain has made the grass grow and the shrubs are sprouting new leaves. It will be a good wild flower season this year.

Greenough River, wide and tranquil as it flows to the ocean.

3 canoeists paddle slowly along.

This bloke has brought along his best friend

We disturb this bird and he spots us and flies away before I can get any closer for a better photo.

As the river meanders further inland it narrows to a stream

A small bridge takes us across Devlins Pool

We are not the only ones using this track.

Time is passing and it is past lunch time so it is time to go back to Hector and find some where for lunch.

Still following the river I am searching for Hampton Arms an old wayside inn built in 1863.

Maley’s bridge was built by ticket-of-leave convicts in 1864 and has weathered many floods and storms. It is a very solid construction.

History of Gray’s store

Gray’s store

We found it.

 

Hampton Arms Inn

 the two-storey stone and iron building, which had single-storey wings each side of the main section and a stone stable block, was an excellent example of the Victorian Regency style.

“Unlike other surviving buildings which once functioned as inns, the Hampton Arms was a purpose-built hotel,” she said. “Francis Pearson, who designed the first smelter in Western Australia and was a key figure in the early settlement of the Mid-West, built the hotel in 1863 with his two sons.”

The Hampton Arms was officially opened on May 1,1863 and named after John Hampton, Governor of the day. The district’s first ploughing match was held in 1868, adjacent to the hotel and for several decades it was a centre of social life. However, hard times and economic developments began to affect conditions in the area. By the 1870s a series of droughts, floods and fires had reduced the cropping capabilities of the region, which had been important in supplying the colony with much needed flour supplies. A disastrous flood in 1888 further reduced the area’s profitability and population and when the Midland to Walkaway railway line was completed in 1894, road traffic along the Perth-Geraldton road decreased. The combination of these events led to a decline in patronage of the Hampton Arms and eventually it closed in the 1890s. The building was used as farmhouse and gradually deteriorated until it was bought in 1978 by Alistair and Robin McKechnie, who began restoration work. They opened a restaurant in 1979 and completed work on the ballroom in 1981, subsequently being granted the first Historic Inn licence in WA.”

It was almost 2pm but meals were still being served, so we ordered then had a look around.

We decided to sit in the court yard for our meal. The single story wing is a treasure trove of second hand books

Over 30000 second-hand and out of print books to choose from

This would be a lovely cosy place to sit near the fire to browse through the books

What a great find this place is, almost  like an old-fashioned English pub. At the other side of the court-yard we discovered a room filled with antiques and bric-a-brac. A quick look in the ballroom before our meal arrived.

A group had decided to eat in the dining room that was originally the ballroom

A man in shining armour guards the room

After a relaxed and tasty meal of Atlantic salmon with salad we were ready to move on but as we paid our bill and chatted to the land lord he told us

“you must look at the river it actually has some water in it”

Every one is urging us to admire their river. So it seemed fitting that our day started with exploring the river and now should end with one last look.

The walk down to the river’s edge

It had been a perfect day, the sun was shining and the temperature was a comfortable 25degrees. This is a day trip back in time and I still have one more place to visit the historic Greenough heritage village. But that will have to wait for another day.

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I have joined Jo’s cyber walk-about group. Each week Jo invites us to take a walk in our areas and show the group where we have been. Jo is walking in Poland go here to walk with her.