A D VE N T U R E S
R
MU
E DNG
B LOUNP,
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SW
but there are few facilities on offer. No
drinking water is available and while
there are toilets in the day-use area,
campers are required to have their own
toilet on board. There are bins and
dump points on site, and generators and
dogs on leads are permitted. Overnight
camping fees are $11 for adults, $8 for
seniors and pensioners, and free for
kids, payable to the onsite ranger.
THE ROAD NORTH
A sandy track hugs the coast north of
Quobba Blowholes, passing a cliff-top
memorial 7.5km on. This poignant spot
with grand sea vistas commemorates
the WWII battle that resulted in the
largest loss of life in the history of the
Royal Australian Navy. On the night of
November 19, 1941, RAN light cruiser
HMAS Sydney II was sunk in a battle
with German raider HSK Kormoran
with its full complement of 645 on
board. While 319 of the Kormoran’s 399
46
ADVENTURES
personnel survived the brief, 30-minute
engagement and were subsequently
held as prisoners of war, there were no
Australian survivors.
The incident has fuelled much debate
around one question: how could a
modified merchant vessel like the
Kormoran defeat the purpose-built
warship Sydney? After decades of
searching, the wrecks of both ships were
located off Shark Bay in 2008.
Just 2km up the track you’ll reach
Quobba Station homestead, the
headquarters of a sheep property that
covers 75,000 hectares with 80km of
spectacular shoreline. Tourism has
long been part of the pastoral mix for
the station leaseholders, the Meecham
family, who were no doubt spurred to
build facilities at Red Bluff to cater for
surfers, anglers and solitude seekers.
There’s easy-to-access camping at
the homestead with hot showers, power
and fresh water for drinking – things