near Geraldton WA Western Australia Caravan Trip 2007Travel through Geraldton WA Caravan Trip 2007 Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located 424 kilometres (263 mi) north of Perth. According to the 2001 census, Geraldton has a population of 29,996. Today the city is an important centre for mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism. Attractions The construction of the St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral started in 1916 but was not completed until 1938. The cathedral was designed by Monsignor John Hawes who was both an architect and a priest. The lighthouse located on Point Moore was recently repainted and established as another cultural attraction of Geraldton. Geraldton is also an internationally renowned windsurfing location. The most popular spot is Coronation Beach, located just north of the town. Nearby North of Geraldton is the town of Northampton, as well as the Hutt River Province, an area which claims to be an independent nation since its self-proclaimed secession from Western Australia in 1969. The Houtman Abrolhos islands are 60 km to the west of Geraldton. They are famous for the 1629 wreck of the Batavia. A stone portico recovered from the wreck has been reconstructed at the local museum, along with other artifacts. Twenty-five kilometres south of Geraldton near Walkaway a windfarm was completed in August 2005. It consists of 54 turbines, each producing 1.8 MW and 80 metres high with 40 metre blades. [edit] Old Port The original port has be dredged to a depth of 9.4m at the berths, which is suitable for ships of 64,000 metric tons of deadweight (DWT). [edit] New Port In 2006, it was proposed to establish a new deepwater port at Oakajee, about 25km north of Geraldton. This port would serve the mining industry, especially iron ore. wikipedia