Introduction to Geraldton, WA

Situated in the middle of the Batavia Coast, GERALDTON is a crayfishing, mining and pastoral centre whose downtown feels more like a busy Perth suburb than a country town. In fact it's the state's second-largest city as well as a windsurfing haven.

The tourist office is in the Bill Sewell Complex (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm, Sat & Sun 9am–4.30pm; tel 08/9921 3999) on Chapman Road, 2km north of town, and will happily sort out all accommodation bookings. McCafferty's and Integrity buses arrive here daily and Westrail buses alight at the old train station, just down the road. The modern town has little of interest except for a museum and an extraordinary cathedral. The Maritime Museum (Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 1–5pm; donation) on Marine Terrace, by the yellow submarine, focuses on the fascinating tragedy of the Batavia and the many other shipwrecks off the treacherous Batavia Coast, as well as describing the contemporary "treasures" of the crayfishing industry.

St Francis Xavier Cathedral on Cathedral Drive, built over a 25-year period and completed in 1938, was the crowning glory of Monsignor John Hawes' career. He was a qualified architect before taking up the cloth, and there are half a dozen examples of his unique Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style in the vicinity, of which the cathedral is his masterpiece, just as stunning and bold inside as out. There are free tours on Mondays at 10am and Fridays at 2pm. If you're sufficiently impressed, ask at the tourist office about the John Hawes Heritage Trail, which leads you around some of his other works.

Of Geraldton's other attractions, the city's beaches aren't particularly appealing and are often windy, like much of the west coast. There's the obligatory Old Gaol, now a craft centre, next to the Bill Sewell Complex, and a lighthouse at Point Moore, while the old Keepers' Cottage (Thurs 10am–4pm; donation welcome), off Chapman Road, 5km north of town, is fastidiously maintained in its original state.

Information by Rough Guides

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