ONSLOW WA

From Exmouth we travelled 250klms to an overnight camp spot. Next day arrived in Onslow around lunchtime and enjoyed lunch at Sunrise Beach.

Onslow originally located near the former mouth of the Ashburton River was moved to its present site at Beadon Bay in the mid 1920's because of the silt build up at the mouth of the river causing problems with the loading and unloading of visiting ships.

Onslow is a small coastal town population around 790. It supports an excellent prawning and fishing industry, small pearling industry and off-shore oil exploration. A solar salt field has been constructed on tidal salt flats surrounding the town. A 3.5klm conveyor belt transports salt from a holding area to large ships for exportation.

Onslow used to be a submarine base and was bombed by the Japanese in the Second World War.

Beautiful Indian Ocean views can be seen from both Sunrise and Sunset beaches. At Sunrise Beach lookout Onslow's War Memorial was erected in 2008. This interesting memorial depicts the Diggers badge minus the bayonet points and has been designed for the sun to rise through the centre each and every Anzac Day.

We camped for two nights along the beautiful Ashburton River at 3 mile pool about 5 klms from the original township now known as 'Old Onslow'. We visited the Old Onslow town site (all that remains are the ruins of the Police Station and Gaol as well as the cemetery)