Geraldton - Attractions

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 Moore Point Lighthouse was recently repainted and established as another cultural attraction of Geraldton.

The memorial for the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney is located on top of nearby Mount Scott. The memorial recognises the loss of the light cruiser during a mutually destructive fight with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran off Shark Bay in November 1941, with none of the 645 aboard surviving. A temporary memorial, consisting of a large boulder, a flagpole, and a bronze plaque, was erected in 1998. A permanent memorial (made up of four major elements: a stele based on the ship's prow, a granite wall listing the ship's company, a bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea and waiting in vain for Sydney to return, and a dome made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls) was dedicated on 18 November 2001, the day before the 60th anniversary of the battle. In May 2009, the memorial was recognised by the Australian government as being of national significance.

Scenic Beaches such as St Georges beach surround Geraldton, and the town foreshore has recently been redeveloped to host a modern playground complete with water activities, Basketball court and shaded play areas for different age groups.

Surfing is a popular activity in and around Geraldton. Popular surf spots include Flat Rocks, Back Beach, Greenough, Glenfield and Sunset Beach. Geraldton is also an internationally renowned windsurfing location. A popular spot is Coronation Beach, located just north of the town. "Coro" is a spectacular port tack jumping site, with flat water on the inside and unhindered Indian Ocean rolling swell offshore. In the late afternoon, the wind swings a little more offshore and starboard tack waveriding becomes possible.

There are several wreck diving sites off the coast, including the South Tomi, which was sunk in 2004.

Geraldton is home to a horse racing industry and since 1887 has hosted the annual Geraldton Gold Cup meeting.