Situated 400 kilometres North of Perth in the heart of the Batavia Coast, Geraldton is the major regional City of the Midwest region of Western...

Situated 400 kilometres North of Perth in the heart of the Batavia Coast, Geraldton is the major regional City of the Midwest region of Western Australia. Geraldton is the main hub for the fishing, farming and mining industries of the surrounding areas and serves as the only deep-water port for the region. The surrounding waters are well known for quality rock lobster fishing and Geraldton is often referred to as a world leader in this area, a result of the pristine reefs and islands created by the Leeuwin current flowing Southward along the coast in this region.

Geraldton was surveyed in 1850 and in 1857 was a convict settlement. In the 1890s it became the major port for the Murchison gold rushes, promoting major growth. The name Geraldton is derived from Charles Fitzgerald, the governor of the state at the time. During this period the surrounding hinterland was settled by farmers, using the available convict labour to develop their farm land.

Geraldton is a well know destination for adventure water sports men and women. With it's strong winds, it is one of the worlds best locations for windsurfing and kite-boarding. The many reefs and coastal breaks around Geraldton make the City an ideal starting point for surfing expeditions along the coast. Other water sports enjoyed in the surrounding waters include diving, sailing and fishing.

There are a wide variety of activities in and around the City and its surounding environs with the annual wildflower season bringing large crowds of Flora and wildflower fanciers to the area. Visitors are often amazed at the colours and diversity of the local flora. All visitors to Geraldton are well catered for by a large amount of hospitality outlets including Hotels, Motels, Farm Stays, Bed and Breakfasts and 2 nightclubs - The Nitey and The ZUU.

This content is licenced under a creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 licence and has been copied from World66.com.