Hamelin Station Stay & the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool

Hamelin Station Stay & the Stromatolites 

It was a short run from Gladstone camping area to the Hamelin Station Stay. We had decided to stay there as we thought there were lots of things to see & do around it & we needed to do some washing & have a shower. We pulled up to Hamelin Station stay & were very impressed. It is easily the best set up station stay we have been to so far on the trip. They have taken a piece of baron rocky land & made it into something lovely. The buildings & amenities are new or improved, but still have a country feel. The cost was $24 a night for an unpowered campsite, they only have unpowered. 

We were soon set up & had the washing on, once that was hung out to dry we decided to have a look at Hamelin Pool where the stromatolites are. We parked & the car park was really busy, they are obviously popular. A boardwalk has been built around the stromatolites to protect them & to give you a good view. 

For those who don't know stromatolites are solid structures created by blue green algae that form in layers, trapping sediment in the layers that react with calcium carbonate in the sea water, that then forms limestone, these grow very slowly & are therefore extremely old, the ones at Hamelin are said to be 3000 years old. They only grow in 2 places in the world & the salty conditions of Hamelin Pool is an ideal place for them. So pretty cool to see. To be honest they just look like rocks in the water! But I guess we can say we have seen them now. 

After that we headed down towards the Hamelin caravan park which is another park in the area, it has an old telegraph station & bits and pieces to see. The park itself was deserted, only one camper trailer camped, we could see why as it had nothing on the station stay. We went into the little shop & cafe they have. It was filled with all sorts of junk really, cheap souvenirs & clothes. The lady behind the counter was yelling at a customer about what came with the fish & chips & how much it was. We soon decided to leave, due to her rude behaviour & would not spend any money with them. 

So back to the station & it was only 11am. We probably should of kept going, but we were already set up. After a bit of lunch, Mat checked over the car & found a bracket lose & on closer inspection it was broken. He went to ask the caretaker about getting a bit of metal to fix it & they were only to happy to help. Really great service. An hour or so later, he had cut & drilled the metal & had replaced the bracket, so all fixed. Nothing major, but good to have it done & the rattle gone. A bit more maintenance jobs & bits & pieces & it was time for some dinner & bed. Again the nights have been windy & chilly. 

The next morning we were up early & packed & ready to go by 7.30am. We were heading towards Denham & hoping to go up to Francois Peron National Park, but it was school holidays so not sure if we would get a spot. More on that next time.