Today we left Denham to go to Carnarvon. The first thing we stopped at was Shelly Beach which was just like its title. If you look closely the sand is actually loads of little shells. We also stopped at the stromatolites at Hamelin pool. When we got to the caravan park we went to the pool for a swim and played Marco Polo. We bought a new TV to replace the one that started smoking. Apparently there are 7 caravan parks in Carnarvon.

Editor’s Note: Hamelin pool is covered in microbial mats, communities of microscopic lifeforms. Because of the extremely high salinity in this region the microbial mats are undisturbed by other life forms allowing the cyanobacteria within them to trap sediments. Over long periods the sediments form into rock structures known as microbialites, or more specifically stromatolites if they are tall and layered. The composition of the microbial mats varies at different tide depths in response to the amount of light, heat and water they are exposed to. Consequently the rock structures they form are different sizes and shapes with the taller stromatolites forming in the deeper water. The cyanobacteria in these microbial communities release oxygen into the atmosphere making them particularly significant from a historical perspective. Around 2 billion years ago these organisms converted Earth’s atmosphere into an oxygen rich environment, which ultimately made it possible for cellular respiration and more complex life to evolve on Earth. These microbial communities have been the last to be affected by past mass extinction events. Perhaps Earth’s first life forms may also become Earth’s last life forms!