January 2017

At the end of Jurien Bay Jetty, two young fishing enthusiasts peer over the edge into the sea.  One has a rod, the other a bucket.  Azlyn and Linkin Yates aged 8 and 9 are brother and sister. They were here at four thirty in the morning trying to catch fish with their Dad and are now back again.

“We love Jurien Bay as it is great for fishing,” says Linkin. “We have an old two metre tinny boat and we’ve been trying to catch fish out on the water too.

“It’s great here. Do you know I’ve got two web pages about fishing?”

“I’ve also won competitions. I have a record for the biggest salmon which weighed in at 7.8 kilos.  I caught that in King Ash Bay and won $500,” he adds rather proudly.

“That’s the best thing about Jurien Bay, the jetty and the beach, the play area too.  Mum says we can come down here and do what we want if we don’t fight with each other. If we do, then we’re not allowed to watch a dvd at night.”

“We’ve been staying at the caravan park, there’s a huge inflatable trampoline,” says Azlyn.

And at that moment there’s a pull on the rod and Linkin winds his line to see he’s caught a puffer fish.

Maybe not quite what they were hoping for, but it doesn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

Remember those holidays you used to take where pleasures were a lot simpler? They still exist and you only have to drive a couple of hours north to enjoy them. Take a break from the stresses of city life and visit Jurien Bay.

It’s mid-afternoon on a Sunday and a group of children are giggling and scrambling on a climbing frame in the play area. Two women are chatting on a bench. They’re old school friends.  Jodie Connors lives here; Melanie Giles is visiting from Perth.

“As a family, we used to regularly come for holidays. I’d had enough of living in Perth, my husband was FIFO so I said let’s go and we moved here three years ago,” Jodie explains.

Jodie has three children aged 13, 12 and 4 who are settled in school and have been welcomed into the Jurien Bay community.

“I’ve kept in contact with Melanie who’s an old-school friend.”

“Yes I am here with ten other people, all relatives. We are staying in the local caravan park. Between us we have hired a caravan, chalet and tent. It’s my first time up here but I can see the appeal,” Melanie adds.

“My kids are dirty, messy and grubby and that makes them happy. They’ve been fishing and done some sandboarding.”

“We’ll be back to visit Jodie again and I have already started planning next year’s trip.”

Jodie butts in;

“Oh I am glad you are coming back. That’s the beauty of Jurien Bay, it’s not miles away so people can come and visit.”

“I’m glad we made the move. It’s a less stressful lifestyle, as soon as I drive into Jurien Bay, I feel relief, it’s just like I’m back home and can relax.”

Remember those holidays you used to take where pleasures were a lot simpler? They still exist and you only have to drive a couple of hours north to enjoy them. Take a break from the stresses of city life and visit Jurien Bay.