Alistair Bates
Carnarvon, WA
Alistair Bates is a journalist with ABC News, based in Carnarvon and covering WA's Gascoyne region. Formerly a producer at ABC News Breakfast.
Latest by Alistair Bates
Couple navigate bad weather, sharks and isolation to complete epic row across Indian Ocean
After 86 days of isolation on the water, Fanch Landron and his partner Sophie Bernier reach Reunion Island in their bright pink rowboat.
Rex's 'vital service' continues for now in WA, but uncertainty leaves regional residents with grave fears
Rex services Albany, Esperance, Carnarvon and Exmouth, but locals remain in the dark over the airline's latest issues and what the future may hold.
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Two years on from hikers' inquest, locals say proposed upgrades aren't making Australia's 'largest monolith' any safer
The WA government has committed millions of dollars to improve safety at a national park after four people died there within a year. But locals fear not enough has been done.
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Climate change 'car crash' looms for 'overlooked' WA reefs
A researcher says WA's Shark Bay and Ningaloo will bear the brunt of rising global temperatures more than their more widely recognised east Australian counterparts.
How Indigenous language became a part of everyday life in this country town
Conversations in Carnarvon often blend Indigenous and English languages. Linguists and community members alike say the town should double down on its cross-cultural vocabulary before it is too late.
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'I've been hit': Man describes pulling mate bitten by shark from waters off remote WA coast
Geraldton man Matthew Watson had a bad feeling when his friend didn't return to the boat during a spearfishing trip near Coral Bay on Monday. Then, he spotted him bleeding in the water.
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Shark behind spearfishing bite incident in WA's north believed to be a bronze whaler
Fisheries officers believe a one to two-metre bronze whaler was responsible for biting a man who was spearfishing in WA's north on Monday morning.
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Man in hospital after reported shark attack in remote WA
A man has been taken to the nursing post at Coral Bay after a reported shark bite near Fourteen Mile Beach.
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Space trackers and trailblazers reunite to celebrate Australia's starring role in lunar history
It's been six decades since NASA first touched down in outback WA, and it's given current and former residents of Carnarvon plenty of reasons to celebrate.
From Nigeria to the heart of Western Australia, Chef Omo has travelled a long road
Olashinde "Chef Omo" Omotosho's journey has taken him 12,000km from Lagos to Gascoyne Junction, where he's head chef for the small cattle town's only pub.
'Rainmaker' sounds the alarm as Western Australia's longest river runs dry
Bridging the gap between scientific monitoring and cultural knowledge, traditional owners say persistent pools along the Gascoyne River are changing with dire consequences.
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West Australian town divided as fight over shack squatters looks set to continue
The local council vows to continue its fight to remove the remaining 23 shacks at the Carnarvon Blowholes, despite the State Administrative Tribunal throwing the shack owners a lifeline.
In this outback town, a plague of flies has a silver lining
An "absolutely shocking" number of bush flies has caught both locals and visitors to the Gascoyne off guard, with a hot summer followed by a mild autumn blamed for the outbreak.
Remote community travels 600km for first junior footy match in years
It's Saturday sport not quite as you remember it. A Western Australian remote community comes together to ensure a special day that meant "more than just kicking the footy around" could go ahead.
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Wildlife warning after osprey 'matriarch' is injured by drone strike in WA
A Shark Bay osprey known as Pearl was seriously injured after being hit by a drone, prompting a warning for drone pilots from local wildlife carers.
Sighting of first orca calf at Ningaloo Reef in years gives hope to researchers
Having waited years for a new calf at Ningaloo Reef, researchers say the sight of a new baby killer whale is especially good news after several calves were lost on WA's northern coast.
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