2010 three month Trip Blog,
September 2010
Wed 1 Sept, Broome, WA.
This morning was busy beginning the process of pulling all the necessary bits needed off the car before it went. Luckily we have a day or two to dismantle everything before the car goes. There were a few things that unfortunately will have to be replaced as the models aren't compatible but mostly it's just a matter of getting all the electricals unwired, the trailer brakes, the fridge, the extra battery etc. then transferring everything over to the new one. Being conscious of the limited time before they will be asking for the car, it's crucial to keep head down and bum up, not always easy in a friendly, curiosity driven park. We headed into Broome before lunch and swapped the loan car over for the new one. Feels pretty good. "Good of you to let us keep our car for a few days to get the bits off" I said to the guy who bought our car, "No worries Mate, just remember, there's only one road into and out of town". The rest of the day was taken up with dismantling the car. A bigger job than putting it all on because of the limited time required to get the job done combined with the never-ending, "How's it going Mate?", chat for 5 mins, then, "Well, I'll leave you to get on with it then". If only. Multiply this by the next dozen or so kind-hearted souls and repeating the same story is certainly losing its appeal very quickly. Good will is appreciated but time I don't have.
Thu 2 Sept, Broome, WA.
Repeat of yesterday. Dismantling, into Broome for a part or two, dismantling, "Yes Mate, we're getting there, thanks for asking". Needed a break, so into Broome for lunch. The day was beautiful as usual, so took time out to take a stroll up Cable Beach and a wade through the shallows. Heard Cable Beach was closed yesterday and again today because of crocodiles but didn't see any of them on our jaunt. If you're going to have a drama have it in Broome, it's impossible to feel anything but relaxed here. The sky clear and cloudless the sea a brilliant bright blue against the white sand, the gentle arc of the beach lazily stretching off into the distance with small half metre waves lapping at the shore. The sun warm against your skin, your legs wet from the surf and the sand squishing through your toes, you wouldn't be game to feel sorry for yourself. Back to the car and finally all the bits are laid out ready for reassembly into the new one. We busied ourselves as our old car unceremoniously made its journey out of the camp. It's only a bit of metal we kept telling ourselves, just move on. Still respect was needed, we had a lot of good miles out of that old thing. Still quite a bit to do, refitting all the wiring etc.. so back to it. 'Yeah Mate, still at it." "Yeah Mate, not much to add to the story since you last asked." "Yeah Mate, I will have to get a move on, it is getting dark." "Yeah Mate, still at it." "Yeah mate, not much to add to the story since last time you asked." "Yeah Mate..........................
Fri 3 Sept, Broome, WA.
Still plenty of work to do to complete mounting and wiring for CB , trailer control, phone antenna, dual battery controller, GPS lighter sockets, new fuel and air filter and a few other bits & pieces, so got stuck into it early. Unfortunately, there are a few things we'll have to do without as we just don't have the equipment here, but the important things shouldn't be a problem. Took the car into Broome Beaurepairs for a wheel balance just for peace of mind and enjoyed lunch at the Plaza in China Town whilst we waited for it. Still haven't found anything we don't like about Broome. We picked up the car then back to Camp to finalize what was started this morning. We finally headed for the shower about 3.45pm, then off to Cable Beach for a Sunset Camel Ride, just for a change of pace. This was a new experience but quite an enjoyable one. As we rode along, the camel guide walked alongside and explained the history of the camel we were riding and anything else we wanted to know about the camel, which was really interesting. Our camel was an ex racer and quite a smart fellow. Instead of a bit between their teeth they have a peg through their nose from which they are controlled, our fellow, not liking the pull of the peg on his nose grasped the cord between his teeth to take up the slack. Very smart camel. The sun was quite low in the sky as we set off and by the time we had turned and were half-way back the sun had almost set. What an awesome sight. Riding along the beach, high in the saddle on the back of a camel with the waves breaking gently on the beach and the sunlight glistening on the water, throwing out shades of pinks and oranges as it set, the clear reflections sparkling in the shallows as a man and his dog walked along the shoreline. A million photo opportunities. Back on firm sand but still smelling slightly of camel, we made our way back to Zanders and had a great meal as we watched the sun throw out its final deep red/orange glow the length of the horizon before fading into the night sky. Very romantic. Even the most hardened cynic would have been moved by such an amazing sunset. We felt like millionaires. What a privilege to witness this beautiful place.
Sat 4 Sep, Broome, WA
Beautiful day, clothes were washed, dried and folded in about an hour. Another lazy day in paradise. We decided on a drive and headed for the street where we came across the Broome Market which is on every Saturday and Sunday. We ambled about the Market for an hour or so before heading off to the Port area to locate the Lighthouse we had spotted the previous night. We lost all the traffic at the turn-off to Cable Beach and were pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful stretch of beach just around from the Port. There were only a couple of other people in sight and we spent a good hour or two just climbing over the amazing rocky outcrops and poking about in the rock pools. We found a couple of little hermit crabs that kept us amused for quite a time. The textures and colours in the rocks were incredible. Weathering and erosion causing extremely interesting shapes and formations, providing plenty of cavities for a variety of creatures. Once again, the deep blue of the water just has to be mentioned and the gentle surf as the waves almost rippled into the shore. We pried ourselves away from here eventually and continued our search for the Lighthouse ending up on a red dirt track that wound around to the other Point. The Lighthouse itself was not as interesting as we had hoped as it was a modern one, but the track that wound down to the cliffs certainly was. The track wound past a beautiful home that would not have looked out of place in the Pacific Islands then down towards the cliffs. We had not realized that we were in quite an historical place and were surprised to see the Dinosaur foot-prints we had read about. This was a great spot and once again, the area was covered in sandstone rocks in varying degrees of erosion, providing incredible interest. We left here, following the dirt track to another area amongst the rocks and spent a bit of time here before heading back to town for lunch, some new sneakers and then back to camp. We didn't realize how tired we were until we both fell asleep on the bed for an hour. Too much of a good thing!
Sun 5 Sep, Broome, WA
Put the final bits and pieces onto the car, we're now ready to hit the road. Received a nice phone call from Kym, Matt & the girls for Father's Day before heading off to the Port area for a final walk along the beach and a clamber over the rocks before we leave Broome tomorrow. We spent quite a bit of time just poking around the rocks and walking along the shore then headed into town for lunch and a bit of shopping to top up the larder. Back at camp we cooled off in the pool, had a shower then decided to top it off by going out to dinner. The week long festival was culminating tonight at Cable Beach and the place was chockers with no carparks available for miles, so we opted to dine at the Divers Tavern, a short distance away, which proved to be a good choice. Back at camp we contemplated our last night in Broome, it wouldn't have taken much to find an excuse to stay on a bit longer. Definitely a place we will come back to.
Mon 6 Sep, Eighty Mile Beach, WA
Didn't rush off this morning. Took our time packing up then reluctantly departed the camp around 0930 and found an excuse to head back into town before heading out of Broome. With all excuses exhausted we took one last look around the town then headed to the Great Northern H'Way and South towards Port Headland. This was the first run with the new car towing the van and it passed with flying colours. Heading South, we lost the Boabs but there were still plenty of ant-hills everywhere. The landscape became quite flat with long yellow grass and spindly low shrubs. The road South was quite straight with very little traffic, but once again no fences, so vigilance was required to watch for cattle. There were a number of carcasses on the side of the road, so either slow stock or fast drivers. We caught a glimpse of some wild camels but were surprised that there was not a lot of other wildlife, especially kangaroos. We called into Sandfire Roadhouse for fuel then headed South again for about 45kms before turning West onto dirt for another 10km to camp on the coast at Eighty Mile Beach. It was mid-afternoon when we arrived and after setting up camp we hiked off to take a look at the beach. As we were crossing the sand dune to get our first glimpse of the water, a disgruntled kid about 15yo came towards us, fishing rod in hand and mumbling away about how the tide was out 'too far'. We didn't think much of this until we hit the top of the dune and saw the shoreline about 1km out. Now we understood why he was grumbling. There were a couple of people out near the water, who looked like little dots they were so far out. The area between the beach and the water was covered by mud flats with mud crabs, sea slugs and numerous other little creatures that we've never seen before all swimming about. The amount of shells that covered the beach was incredible, ranging from very tiny well-formed shells to quite large beautifully coloured shells, all intact, not broken as you would normally see on the beaches. We even saw the mating ritual of two moluscs which was quite amazing. We finally reached the shoreline with the water appearing to be quite shallow for quite a distance out. It was a really awesome feeling to stand in the water gazing out to the vast sea ahead then turning around and looking back at the shore, such a long way back to the beach. We paddled around for awhile then moved out of the water to chat when a short time later we noticed the water up around our ankles again. It was quite funny as one of us, not saying which one, suddenly panicked and started splashing back to shore. "Hurry the tide's coming in". After the initial pacnic subsided we ambled back to shore and sat on the dunes to watch the sun set over the water. Another spectacular sunset.
Tue 7 Sep, Port Headland, WA
Went for a walk along the beach early to check out the tide. It was a beautiful morning, especially for a beach stroll. Back at camp we were surprised when a guy came up to us and said, "Heard you had a large expense in Broome". We've never seen the guy before. Word definitely travels fast around the campfire. We decamped, headed back to the highway then South to Pardoo Roadhouse where we stopped for coffee. Anthills still dotted the landscape but they were lower mounds. As we neared Port Headland it was obvious it was a mining area. It seemed to go for about 20kms before we actually reached the town area. Crossing the over-pass there was a large salt mine operating, the large white salt heap a stark contrast to the red earth and the bright blue sky. Port Headland itself was very brown looking. Everything looked brown, the street lights, the pavement, the corrugated iron, the roofs, the trees, everything. For such an enormous area there was very little in the way of a shopping area. One short street with basically a P.O. a couple of cafes and an Emporium, which by the way had everything imaginable that you might want, from art materials to furniture and more. As the parcel we were expecting had not arrived, we decided to stay in Port Headland for the night and booked into the Big 4 about 8kms from town. Never again. We dropped off the van then headed to South headland for a bit of a look, only being slightly more impressed than with Port Headland. It appeared to be a lot cleaner and a little less chaotic but still not very inviting. Sorry to both Headlands. We were just about back to camp when we had a call that our parcel had arrived. We headed back into Port Headland, picked it up then back to the Big 4 for a long night. Looking forward to hitting the road again tomorrow.
Wed 8 Sep, Marble Bar, WA
Quick pack-up and decamp and on the way back along the Great Northern Highway to the Marble Bar turn-off. The road to Marble Bar was quite good. There was quite a bit of road-work going on but not much of a hold-up. We called into the Des Streckfuss road-side stop for a lunch-break then off again. The scenery was great, high green rolling hills topped with large deep brown boulders, making a striking contrast. The hills were unlike any we have seen to date, the colours were quite vivid. The deep brown extremely darker than the usual red brown rock. Coming through the Gorge was especially picturesque. The necessity to keep the CB tuned to Ch.8 apparent when a 4 trailer road-train passed. Arriving in Marble Bar we were greeted with welcome signs and a sign stating that Marble Bar was an entry in the Tidy Town for 2010. It's a bit hard to say Marble Bar and Town in the same sentence as there is really only a Roadhouse that isn't quite, a Restaurant that isn't quite and an Hotel that isn't quite along with a very large modern Civic Centre which didn't quite seem to fit in. But all in all, we loved the place. It looked clean, proud, quiet and really interesting. We booked into the local C'Van park and it suited us fine. No more Big4s for us. Another couple of hours spent fitting a set of polyair air bags to the rear springs of the new 100 series was far less a chore done in such pleasant surroundings.
Thu 9 Sep, Marble Bar, WA
Mounted the valves for the air bags before we had an early lunch then headed off to Marble Pool, a unique area with a small lagoon surrounded by huge rocky outcrops of Jasper. These have to be seen to be fully appreciated. Standing on these huge boulders of multi-coloured Jasper is just something else, the rocks being worn smooth in places by the many footprints that have passed over them. A $10,000 fine for any removal of the Jasper seems too lenient, as this place is definitely unique. We spent some time here before heading off South of Marble Bar to Corruna Downs, 35kms along a dirt track that wound its way through low rolling hills to a once secret WW2 Air Base but now just a shadow in the red sand along with some debri and relics of the past. A fair amount of time was spent looking over the area and musing at what once was. Driving along the now over-grown runway and poking around the revetments, trying to imagine that 2,000 people were once based here, was definitely intriguing. The drive back to Marble Bar was as interesting as the drive out with the sighting of some bush turkeys and a couple of run-ins with stock that were reluctant to leave the track. We were welcomed back to the C'Van Park by the resident Kangaroo who hopped up to us for a pat before ambling away to find a dusty patch for a lay down and a scratch.
Fri 10 Sep, Bea Bea Creek, WA
Really enjoyed our stay at Marble Bar C'Van Park. Rustic but clean and quiet with the added attraction of the resident pet kangaroo. We stopped off at the P.O. that wasn't quite, that was located in the Roadhouse that wasn't quite (an old tin shed which from the outside looked deserted with petrol pumps that were out of fuel). We only ventured into it because we saw the P.O. sign and was actually surprised when the door wasn't locked but inside was a greater surprise when we found a well-equipped grocery store. Just goes to show you can't judge by appearances. We went back up the hill to the Restaurant that wasn't quite (signs everywhere stating Licensed Restaurant, Take Away, Great Food etc.. but inside was a very megre array of small grocery items and a few pre-packaged sandwiches in the fridge) but they did have diesel in their bowsers. With a full tank we headed West along a dirt track to the Comet Gold Mine, which also had a small museum, rock display and memorabilia. The outside of the museum was just as interesting as the inside with all the old wrecks and pieces of junk that had been collected over the years. We stopped at the Jasper deposits but didn't dally too long. There was so many beautiful rocks that they were better left where they were. We continued West through some beautiful countryside, the long, green rolling hills, the interesting Gorges and the amazing colourful rocks all presented a million photo opportunities. We stopped for a coffee break at Coongan river and had a fossick around all the interesting types of stones and rocks that were along and in the river bed. On our way again and the spectacular scenery didn't disappoint. The long rolling hills covered with tufts of light green spinifex, neatly arranged as if dotted on with a paint brush with deep brown black boulders spilling over the top as if poured over like chocolate fudge over icecream. These were a magnificent backdrop to the large flat plains covered with spindly low shrubs, sparse spinifex and bright red ground. The dirt track cutting through the green shrubs like an orange ribbon into the distance. The long rolling hills sweeping across at various angles accented by small domed hills in the foreground that looked as if a giant dump truck had indiscriminately dumped piles of rocks and rubble. We stopped for lunch just East of Shaw River, making a small camp-fire and enjoyed a walk up to the top of one of the hills for a better view. A great place to stop. Just before reaching the rail crossing about 10kms East of the Great Northern H'Way we spotted a dingo. There has been surprisingly little wild life seen to date, kangaroos especially being few and far between, except for the poor unfortunates left lying on the road. The railway line was the BHP Iron Ore line. These lines and roads to and from the mines are always in top condition. We reached the Great Northern H'Way and turned South until we hit the Bea Bea River where we set up camp for the night.
Sat 11 Sep, Tom Price, WA
GPS Trip Log 9158klm
We awoke to steady light rain that had been coming down on and off all night but with the temperature still a pleasant 28 degrees. We decamped and continued South along the Great Northern H'Way. We came across the largest trailer we've ever seen carrying a huge ore hopper, a metal structure 10m wide and about 40m high. At first we thought it was a large weigh station at the side of the road with all the transports around it, but as we neared it was amazing to see this huge metal structure loaded onto the back of a trailer with at least 224 wheels under it and hauled by three tractors in front. There were escort vehicles and hazard vehicles coming and going along the highway as far down as the Munjini Roadhouse. When these huge transports were ready to move, the road was closed in both directions for 45 mins. We were past them before they moved off and were not affected by the wait. We stopped at the Munjini Roadhouse for coffee before continuing on South then turning West through the Karajini National Park. Unfortunately light rain was still coming down steadily which obscured the views through the Park and made any photo opportunities disappointing. Our timing was excellent as we reached the Hammersly Iron Rail line just as 1km+ ore train rolled through. It seemed endless. With the rain easing off a bit we reached Tom Price, also an entrant in the Tidy Town contest. From our first impressions it seems it would have a pretty good chance. Interesting that Tom Price is the highest town in WA. We stopped off at the local supermarket and stocked up then had a quick deliberation as to 'where next' as we had detoured a bit from our original plan. We decided to stay over-night in Tom Price and head North again tomorrow, of course this could change by morning but tonight we are resident in Tom Price Nameless C'Van Park.
Sun 12 Sep, Snake Ck, Millstream-Chichester NP, WA
Great start to the day with a couple of phone calls home. Departed the Camp and stopped off at the Tom Price Visitor's Centre to obtain a Mining Road Permit. This entailed the compulsory watching of a 20 min DVD on road safety when traveling on dirt tracks, courtesies required when approaching other vehicles and general safety rules when traversing corrugations, dips, wash-a-ways, bush fires and other possible hazards that may be encountered. This DVD was extremely well put together, outlining knowledge that all drivers on dirt tracks should be aware of when traveling on any unsealed surface. With Permit in hand and vehicle refueled, we headed out of Tom Price and North along the Railway Access Road which had quite a bit of water over the road in places due to yesterday's unexpected rainfall. This provided an opportunity to see just how much iron oxide was in the soil, as the water across the road was a deep bright orange, extremely eye-catching in the sunlight. The red dust that billowed out even when going slowly had, over time, covered the usually green spinifex in bright orange dust as well as most of the shrubbery within 100m or so on either side of the road. It almost looked like everything had begun to rust but this in turn, added to the already beautiful colours in the landscape. We turned off the Access Road and onto the dirt track into Karinji National Park to take a look at the famous Hammersley Gorge. This track was very badly maintained and heavily corrugated but the views were worth the drive in. We sat on top of the Gorge and had lunch, the views were great. Back onto the corrugations, we headed back to the Access Road and turned North. We were hoping to get a look at one of the many Hammersley Iron Ore trains which can be up to 7kms long, but found we were so excited just to see the rail-way line that we hadn't gone very far when we were out of the car taking photos of the track. These are beautifully constructed tracks, well maintained as if new. The ballast looked like it had been placed down and smoothed off with a cake knife. Over our initial excitement we continued on and saw one of the few lizards that we have seen here in the West. Other than the water that covered the road on occasions this was an excellent road to drive on, with few other vehicles using it we had the opportunity to stop for photos and other interesting things that caught our eye. Our luck was in and enroute we had three large iron ore freight trains pass us. You'd think jumping out of the car, grabbing the camera and making a dash for the side of the track would have been natural for the first freight, but these huge freight trains are so mesmerizing that each time we saw the headlights in the distance, we just had to pull over and jostle for position to get the best photo. Being only 5 metres from the track was awesome, you could feel the power of the huge engines as they purred past on the super shiny tracks. No clackety clack for these beauties. A cheery wave from the driver and a blast of the horn just topped it off. We continued on the Railway Access Track until turning off into the Millstream, Chichester National Park. Embarrassing to admit but neither of us knew anything about this Park or why it was a National Park but were interested to find out. As we drove further into the Park the landscape flattened out to rolling plains, covered in short bright yellow grass that reached all the way to the horizon, the dirt track just a strip of red winding into the far distant hills. The site we had planned to set up camp at, was 19km into the Park and we found ourselves getting quite intrigued as to why this was made a National Park. It was a beautiful expanse of rolling yellow plains that made you feel like you were driving on top of the world, but was there more to it? We were about to find out. Upon reaching the hills, the ground became very rocky, red and full of gibber rock that glistened in the sun. Very different from just a turn away. Then from this the whole valley opened up in front of us. What a stunning, amazing, breath-taking and unexpected view lay before us. We had been driving on top of the world and now wound our way down into the valley below, each turn of the road offering an even more astonishing scene than the one before it. Memories of the Grand Canyon, Zion & Arches National Park in Utah and Badlands in South Dakota all came to mind. Why hadn't we ever heard of this amazing place? Why isn't this beautiful place being heralded as a major tourist attraction? ( Good thing its not - we got the place to ourselves) We were so glad we had decided to come this way and to find a campsite here. We set up camp at Snake Creek, a very limited cleared area full of large gibber stones and spikey spinifex. Hardly what you would expect for such an amazingly beautiful National Park as this one. But the camp site was irrelevant compared to the beauty of this secluded spot with no other sound than the crickets and other little creatures of the night. A gentle cool breeze wafted into the trailer as we lay in bed with the door and windows open, looking out at the multitude of stars that glittered and danced in the dark night sky.
Mon 13 Sep, Karratha, WA
There is just something magic about waking up as the first rays of sunlight slowly light the day and the numerous birds start twittering and chattering as they begin their daily activities. Looking out the open windows of the camper watching the sunrise over the hills, surrounded by nothing but nature, makes you appreciate just how good it is to be alive and able to enjoy this beautiful country. We rose leisurely and ambled about, undecided as to whether we would camp here another night or move on. Whilst pondering on this, we set up the shower, lathered up then let the warmth of the sun dry us off. This was about as relaxed as you could get. Very tempting to stay on here, but we decided to move on to Karratha. Before leaving, we retraced our steps back through the Park to the Panoramic Lookout for some more photos, it being a bit late in the afternoon yesterday to capture the good light. We also stopped to climb up some of the amazing huge boulders that cover this area, making sure to avoid the vivid green porcupine grass that looks soft but has needle points that give a 'bite' that you feel for the next 24 hrs. We managed to get some great photos from this spot. Moving on, we stopped at the Python Pool, a natural deep water-hole surrounded by sheer cliffs of brightly coloured rock. Making our way to the water-hole through the dry creekbed, littered with large boulders and stones we came across a very unusual little skink, about 8cm long, coloured a bright orange with black wavey stripes running down his body, his tail being totally orange and the brightest part of him. We were really lucky to get a photo as he was an extremely agile little fellow and was gone in a flash. This place was full of interest with a lot of old trees of different species, gnarled and knotted and shedding their bark and many varied types of rocks, stones and wildflowers. Quite a beautiful spot. It was also interesting to see some Sturt Desert Peas growing amongst the boulders, very colourful against the chocolaty brown of the rocks. We continued on North and out of the Park until we hit the North West Coastal H'Way where we turned West to Karratha, stopping off in Roebourne for a quick look on our way. We arrived in Karratha in time to check at the Post Office for a parcel, but no luck, perhaps tomorrow. With quite a bit of washing to do, more than our trusty little bucket could handle, we booked into the local C'Van Park and headed for the laundry. Will stay for a couple of days to enable us to have a bit of a look around at the many points of interest in this area. Quite a long but enjoyable day today.
Tue 14 Sep, Karratha, WA
We were pleasantly surprised to wake up to a steady light rain this morning. Once again being told that it is unusual and more rain than Karratha has had in 2 yrs. The rain seemed to freshen everything up and with the temperature in the mid 20s we were not disappointed at all. We spent the morning fitting new seat covers to the 100 series and catching up on a few emails. The extra length of shade cloth we purchased soon had eyelets in it and was strung along the side of the awning to add a bit more shade. Although we have a full annex that affixes to the awning, it's not worth the hassle of putting it up for a short period of time, plus it reduces the ventilation and restricts the breezeway that is most welcome on hot days. We had lunch in the Plaza and watched the rain pour from the roofs onto the pathways like a well constructed waterfall. It was interesting to note there were no gutters on the housing because of cyclone hazard. We had a look around the shops then made our way to Chris & Becs, (sister's daughter) and had a great evening with their family. Not only were we treated to the amazing spectacle of Chris's pet blue carpet python having his monthly feed of rat, but we were also given a great tour around the Burrup Archipeligo which was quite a fascinating sight at night with the millions of lights and the huge flare stacks that threw out huge orange flames as it burned off the excess gas. We also drove to the area where Chris pointed out the local Petroglyphs that we could check out tomorrow in the daylight, and then on to the Dampier wharf area. It was after midnight when we got back to the C'Van Park, tired but really having had a great evening.
Wed 15 Sep, Karratha, WA
Getting up at sunrise and heading for bed not long after sunset for the last 6 wks has put us a bit out of condition for late nights so we were a bit slow getting up and about this morning. Another load of washing a bit more fiddling around with the car, a few emails then we headed for Burrup Archipeligo to check it out in the daylight. The flare stacks were obviously not as spectacular in the daylight but were still quite an awesome sight, sounding like a jet plane as the large orange flames spewed out. Standing within near proximity you could feel the heat from them. We next headed for the petroglyphs which we would never have found had Chris not pointed them out the previous evening. These petroglyphs have been estimated to be around 10,000 yrs old and were located in a very ordinary pile of rocks in a very ordinary track that ran around past the shoreline. You would not know they were there if you hadn't been shown them. We stopped off at the Rail Bridge in Dampier and took some great shots of one of the huge iron ore trains as it rolled in. We made comment a few days ago that the spinifex etc.. along the Rail Access Road had been covered so much in red orange dust that it looked rusty, well as we headed back to Karratha there by the side of the road having a bit of a peck around were about five 'rusty' white cockatoos. Back in Karratha to stock up the larder again and then around to Chris & Bec's to say farewell (not before helping fix young Matt's Nerf Raider cs-35 for a full on Nerf war). We've really enjoyed our stay in Karratha but it will be back on the road again tomorrow.
Thu 16 Sep, Robe River, WA
We fueled up then left Karratha with one final look over our shoulders, a really buzzy little town that we had really enjoyed. We turned South off the Dampier Road, crossing the North West Coastal H'Way to head South East along the Dampier/Tom Price Rail Access Road that runs along the rail-line. Finding the turn West onto the Pannawonica Rail Access Road proved a bit tricky but the delay proved to be fortunate as we had just crossed the rail-track and paused to lock the hubs when a large iron ore freight came by. This is what we had chosen this route for so we were most excited. How many photos can you have of freight trains before you get bored with them? Countless!! Cameras out, a dash to the track-side and clicking away once more. A wave to the driver, the toot of the horn, the rumble of the endless cars as they roll past and a feeling of sheer pleasure as you watch the last car fade away in the distance. Before we had a chance to put our cameras away we heard a putt, putt, putt, and up rolls a young guy from Tassie who was trying to find the 'pipeline track'. No map, a litre and a half of petrol strapped to his back in a back-pack and riding a tiny 4 stroke Chinese PeeWee 'motor-bike'. Quite a nice guy, hope he still isn't looking for the track. Other than this fellow, this was the only other person we sighted all the way to Pannawonica other than a few rail workers. With one of us opting to walk to the top of a very steep rocky hill to have a look at the line and the other opting to poke around taking photos of some really interesting rocks at the bottom.......a sudden yell from the top......."there's a train coming!" Training for the Olympics couldn't have been harder than the scramble to the top of that darn hill, only to be told upon reaching the top......."Sorry, it was only the wind!" There is a payback coming for one of us. Of all the tracks we've been on, this would have to be up there with the best. Along with the benefit of having such a close encounter with these huge freights, the scenery was superb and the rail-lines themselves extremely interesting. The huge rail bridge over the Fortesque River was quite awesome, with the river teaming with bird-life, ducks and swans. There was quite a bit of water over the road under the bridge because of yesterday's rain but no trouble crossing through. This was such an interesting route that we felt like turning around and doing it all over again. We finally reached Pannawonica and stopped in to grab a bit of lunch. Not so easy. Quite a strange little place. The coffee was good though and gave us the zip we needed to continue on West to the North West Coastal Highway where we turned South and set up camp at the Robe River. Very tired tonight but a fabulous drive today.
Fri 17 Sep, Yanmarie River, WA
We had checked the weather and knew it was going to be windy today and sure enough not long after sunrise the dust started to swirl around. By the time we were ready to pack up the hot wind was gusting red dust in all directions. Fortunately we have packing up down to a fine art and this organisation certainly came in handy when everything had to be done with head down and eyes shut to avoid the fine dust getting into every orifice. With packing up done in record time we headed South over the Robe River until the Onslow / Peedamullah Road. Although dirt, this track was excellent to drive on. The landscape was sparse, low, vegetation with ant-hills appearing spasmodically at first and then the entire landscape on either side of the road was absolutely covered in them. We couldn't believe how many there were, as far as the eye could see. Pity us if ants ever grow to human-size. We reached Onslow, fortunately leaving the wind behind us and had a look around before stopping for lunch at the local Pub, which seemed to be the only place to get something that wasn't fried. Onslow was a reasonable little town but we decided to push on. On the way South we stopped at the large salt pans and went for a walk. The salt had crusted on the shore and formed small mounds of salt crystals, beautiful but fragile. The low waves rippled in and lapped at the shore leaving foamy salt residue that was caught by the wind and tumbled across the sand, leaving a damp saline residue. We moved on and headed SW on the Twitchin Road, another dirt track that linked up with the NW Coastal H'Way. About a two thirds of this track was not maintained and recommended for 4WD only, but other that it being quite narrow in places, a few sand patches and some areas of rough corrugations it actually wasn't too bad. We watched a small helicopter weave and dive a short distance off mustering some stray stock, as we rounded the bend the cattle headed onto the road and toward us. With a low swoop and a double twist with pike the pilot had the stock turned off the road and back into the spinnifex. Very skillful. We arrived at Yanmarie River and set up camp for the night in a large cleared area. We were both quite tired tonight, so glad to set up camp early.
Sat 18 Sep, Exmouth, WA
GPS Trip Log 10,458km
Our campsite was set down near the creek but still near enough to the road to hear the large transports go by. We may be a bit strange but we actually enjoy hearing the large freights coming and going, especially at night when they are lit up like Christmas trees and with quite a majority of them triples that means a lot of lights. We awoke this morning to another beautiful day and with memories of yesterday's wind gusts we took the precaution of packing up early and not too soon, as we had just finished when the wind took hold and gusted through the camp site. Most strange was the fact that both yesterday and today, there was a ferocious wind come through the camp around 0730 but as soon as we hit the road it was gone. We continued on South down the North West Coastal H'Way until turning NW to Exmouth. The landscape was similar to that out to Onslow, flat with low shrubs and spinifex, mildly undulating. Even the ant-hills made their appearance as we neared the Coast. Hundreds of them. We spotted a few emus as we neared Learmonth, the first we have seen for quite awhile, unbeknown to us, we were to spot many emus wandering around the town quite tame. Exmouth was a nice clean looking town, surrounded by the bright blue clear water we have seen all along this coast. We stopped off for fuel and grabbed some lunch at the same time, before taking a quick look around the town. All campsites in the National Park were full so we headed for the Lighthouse Caravan Park just on the North of the Park entrance. Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to find a great Park located right on the shore with spacious campsites, shaded by native trees and Palms. A quick hop, step and a jump took you to the sandy bluffs overlooking the ocean with an easy walk to the beach. We set up camp then headed for the lighthouse that overlooks the Park, about a minutes drive around the bend. What a fabulous view! The lighthouse, anchor and WW2 radar tower were of great interest, especially the 'sand-bags' placed around the radar tower for fortification that had turned to 'rock', the hessian still visible. Some local ravens had built a nest in the upper window of the lighthouse and were fiercely protective. They especially took a dislike to Don and swooped him continually as he tried to get some closeup shots of the lighthouse. Uncontrolled laughter prevented any really good photos of this incident. We next headed down to the beach where the turtles come up to lay their eggs. The surf was powerful and awesome, rolling in and washing over the smooth hollow rocks along the shoreline. We sat on the beach for awhile, once again contemplating just how lucky we were to be able to experience these wonderful places. Back to camp to finish off a few things that we never seem to get time to do, then a walk over the road to the sandy bluffs over-looking the beach. Sitting on top of the sand dunes watching the ocean has got to be one of the most relaxing things you can do. Back at camp, with our campsite closest to the beach, we sat back, relaxed and listened to the waves as they rolled into shore.
Sun 19 Sep, Exmouth, WA
It was nice to wake up to the sound of the waves hitting the shore and an amazing sunrise that lit up the sky with reds, pinks and blues. It had been quite windy throughout the night with the wind quite strong until early morning but the sun was out and by the time we had pottered about and were ready to head out, the wind had completely died down. We made out way into Exmouth for a few necessities and a look around the few shops that were open then headed back to the Park, stopping off for a look at the Mildura Wreck, a cattle ship transporting cattle from Karratha to Perth when it ran aground off the coast here in 1907. No lives lost but 481 bullocks perished. The wreck was sitting about 100m off shore so we were unable to get up close to it, maybe at low tide perhaps. The road to the wreck ran parallel with the U.S. Naval VLF Communications site, the most powerful Communications Base in the Southern Hemisphere. Back to camp for lunch, relax, read and generally do nothing, then rousing ourselves we went for a walk up along the sandy bluffs and down onto the beach. The waves were about 1m high and pounded into shore thrusting their power against the rocks. It was quite an awesome feeling when they caught you unexpected and rushed up the beach and over your legs. We walked for quite a way then headed back and climbed up the sand dunes to the bluffs and sat and watched the ocean. We could just make out a couple of gas platforms spaced along the horizon. These lights had intrigued us last night, glowing bright orange in the darkness. A zoom lens provided a great photo of the outline of the platform, encased in lights. Quite a lazy day today just chilling out.
Mon 20 Sep, Exmouth, WA
A nice breeze had sprung up this morning so we took the opportunity to get our washing done early and on the line. We had hardly pegged it all out when some things had already dried. Fiddled around until lunch-time then headed off to the entrance to Ningaloo National Park, about 20 mins away, to get some info on camp sites etc.. On the way back, we drove into a couple of the many tracks that led to the beach. The water was a magnificent bright emerald green, crystal clear with very low swell that hardly raised a wave. We went for quite a long walk along the beach, looking at the shells, rocks and other marine debris that had washed up on shore. There were a number of glass bottom boats anchored not far from the shore, taking tourists to the reefs that abound with beautiful corals and colourful fish. Unfortunately, we are not boaters nor snorklers, so paddling in the shallows is about as close as we will be getting to the reefs. We did watch the DVD though. Walking back to the car we noticed a large nest on top of a weathered steel pole where a Peregrine Falcon had just landed and began feeding her chicks. Standing at the bottom of the pole you could hear the chicks as they sqawked to be fed. A bit hard to get photos though. We next pulled into an area that had huge sand dunes between the vegetation and the beach. The dunes were about 40m high, the wind having erased all former foot-prints, so it was great fun to scramble up the dunes making prints in the virgin sand all the way to the top, across the top and down again. Standing on top of the dunes facing the ocean, the wind in our face and the sand stinging lightly against our skin, required more than just a few moments. It was such a beautiful view it needed time to fully take it in. Back at camp we made a coffee and with no jobs to do, settled in to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
Tue 21 Sept, Coral Bay, WA
Decided to pull stumps today and head off. Although booked into the Park for another two days, weighing up the pros and cons, it was agreed that today was the day to move on. We turned South and headed into the Cape Range National Park that borders the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park. We pulled into one of the beach stops for a look at the Ocean and a walk along the beach. The surf was quite high today with quite a strong wind and plenty of sand to chew on. We continued on South through the Park and were pleased to see a few kangaroos hopping about, although not too pleased to also see a few on the side of the road, not hopping about. Another beach stop, this time it was more sheltered and the water crystal clear. As there were quite a few campers nearby we hit the road again and made another stop at Trealla Beach, which was harder to access. This was definitely a good choice. It was a beautiful sheltered little beach, crystal clear water near shore, turning a bright turquoise a bit farther out, then a bright deep blue. Because of the reef, the pure white of the surf breaking over the reef was stark contrast against the bright turquoise of the water. There was no wind and very secluded. Clothes off and a quick dip was too tempting to pass up. It was hard to tear ourselves away from this beautiful place. On the way back to the car we stopped at a large tree that had about 25 galahs sitting in the lower branches, they must have either been very hot or quite tame as they didn't seem to mind us approaching right under the tree and taking a few photos. We saw a few more kangaroos, a goanna and a skink before we reached the end of the Park which ended abruptly with a small camping area. We had anticipating driving on through to Ningaloo, but the road proved a large disappointment, single track, very deep sand drifts and obviously a bit fool-hardy to try to get through with the trailer. With no other option, we turned around and headed back to Exmouth, where we fueled up, grabbed some lunch and kept going. The most wild-life we saw on the North West Cape were the many emus that wander around the town quite tame. We turned South on the Minilya Exmouth Road which was quite picturesque and good to drive on. Still haven't left the ant-hills behind yet as they continued to feature regularly along this route. We turned West to Coral Bay and hoped it would be all that we had heard it was, arriving there about 1530. It was quite a nice little seaside camping town, with a few small shops and plenty of activity. We wasted not time setting up camp then walked down to the beach to check out why it was so popular. There was a small inlet, very sheltered, with the same crystal clear water we had become used to along this coast. As we paddled along in the shallows with the water up to our calves, we were amazed to see these large fish swim slowly by us, giving us a sideways glance as they swam past. We spent a bit of time on the beach before heading to the shops to buy a water-proof bag for the camera, then back to camp to change then back to the beach. It was nearing sunset as we paddled out again into the water, camera in hand. Sure enough, these large Red Emporers came gliding by, one after the other, within touching distance. You only need to swim out about 20m before you can view the many colourful reef fish that inhabit the reef. This is the only place in the world apparently, that you need only swim out a few meters to see this amazingly beautiful spectacle. It was getting a bit chilly and the sun was very low, so we towelled off and sat on the beach and watched the sunset. Another fabulous day.
Wed 22 Sept, Pells Range, WA
Made the decision to move on again, which was hard because this is such a great place, but want to head inland for a few days before heading to Perth. We turned South on the Minilya Exmouth Road, stopping at the Minilya Roadhouse to fuel up, then continued on to Carnarvon. We were lucky to see two magnificent eagles feeding from a recent roadkill. They didn't take flight until we were almost upon them. Sad to see the roadside dotted with dead roos almost every km or so. Sometimes two or three laying together. Nearing Carnarvon there were quite a few banana plantations and fresh fruit stalls. Carnarvon itself, had quite a nice entry into the town with palms and native trees lining the streets. We had a look around the shopping area then lunched at the Yallibiddi (Emu) Cafe at the local Aboriginal Cultural Art Centre. The food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. Smoked kangaroo. smoked emu, lemon myrtle chicken, local prawns, the largest oysters we have ever eaten and a large selection of locally made bush fare. The service was excellent and the staff friendly. Definitely a place to visit if ever in Carnarvon. We left Carnarvon and headed East towards Gasgoyne Junction. Although dirt, the road was really well maintained. One thing we noticed since hitting W.A. is how thin their cattle are compared to the cattle in the N.T.. The poor things were very thin and lethargic with their bones protruding, not plump and agile like the stock we had come across further up North. We saw quite a few wild goats, sheep, eagles and a dingo, but no live kangaroos, emus or lizards. We reached Gasgoyne Junction where we fueled up then continued East, keeping our eye out for a good camp site. With dusk approaching, we settled on a nice little spot near Pells Range to set up camp. The moon was extremely bright tonight and the reflective light on the red earth lit up the night with a warm, pink glow. Very unusual.
Thu 23 Sept, Meekatharra, WA
GPS Trip Log 11777 klm
Up early this morning to see the sunrise. Absolutely nothing can beat awakening to the first rays of the sun, the local birds twittering about and nothing but 360 degrees of bushland. Every time reinvigorates your awareness of this beautiful world. With quite a distance to go today, we were on the road by 0730. There was quite a bit of road-work happening along the track, it seems the upkeep on this track is quite good and by the look of the road-work there are preparations underway to seal it. We made quite a few stops and fossicked about around the rocks then stopped for a coffee break at the 'Woolwagon Track'. There are quite a few tracks heading off in different directions throughout this area and they are not very well sign-posted but we managed to find our way onto the Dalgetty Station Road that took us to Landor where we turned SE for Meekatharra. These tracks always have something of interest along the way, so our stops were numerous. We pulled into a cleared area opposite Mt. Gould and made a small campfire to cook lunch. It was quite tempting to camp here but we continued on, mindful of the distance we still had to travel. We stopped for a look at the Old Gould Lock-up, which it says on the sign has been restored, but either the restorers have lost interest or no-one has checked here lately, as the only visitors appear to be the local stock, who drink at the local watering hole and obviously use the two restored buildings as respite from the sun. Dodging the cow dung we managed to have quite a good look around before heading off again. About 10kms West of Meekatharra we hit a sealed section that looked like it had only just been finished. It was quite nice to glide along the tar after about 450kms of dirt, the last 175 kms full of corrugations. We arrived in Meekatharra very tired after quite a long day, so it didn't take long to fuel up and set up camp. With the local pub being recommended for a good meal we headed there but found they wouldn't be cooking for another half hour, so opted to grab some groceries from the local store and cook our own. With the stores eftpos down and accepting cash only, we grabbed a few items with the cash we had on us then headed back to camp to cook, eat then sleep.
Fri 24 Sept, Barlangi Crater, WA
The Meekatharra C'Van Park is an area behind the local S/Stn and after re-fueling there last night, we were lucky enough to get the last space available. This was definitely a bonus as the water was good and the showers were excellent, one of the best we've had on the trip so far. With our water topped up and feeling refreshed after a good shower, we called into the local store and stocked up on a few groceries (eftpos now working), took a few photos within the town then headed up to the look-out over-looking the town. Some beautiful rocks had been placed there to enhance the area and it was disappointing to see that there had been quite a few of these rocks defaced with large bits chipped out of them. Some people are ignorant morons. Next we went to Peace Gorge which is only 1.9kms to the West of the town. This area known as 'The Granites' was renamed Peace Gorge after a picnic was held here by the Shire to celebrate the end of WW2 and the returning service personnel. Not sure why it was called a 'Gorge' with large granite outcrops on flat open space, but it was a very interesting area and not too far out of town for a visit. We left Meekatharra and headed SE on the Meekatharra-Sandstone Road. We hit road-works straight away, once again by the procedures happening and the type of equipment being used, it appears it's being prepared for sealing. Pity if you were a dill, as there were none of the usual 'sign holders' or anyone there directing any traffic and with the road completely chewed up and dirt piled everywhere, it was a bit of trial and error as to which way was best to get past or around or through all the activity. None-the-less we ended up past it all with no major mishap and continued on for about 45 mins before pulling into the scrub and having a bit of a fossick around. The place we stopped at was abundant with interesting rocks of all descriptions. It's quite amazing how far you end up walking when you have your head down concentrating on every rock you see, it wasn't soon before the car was lost in the bush, luckily we weren't, and headed back for a much needed drink. The sun had a real bite to it, so caps off and wide-brimmed hats on. We hadn't intended stopping here for lunch but had pottered about for so long that our coffee and sandwich went down very quickly before we headed off again. We had only been on the road for about 20 mins when we pulled off the road again into an old abandoned mine. We had no idea how large this mine was and scaling the large 'hill' were quite surprised to see it was a large open-cut mine, the 'hill' being the contents of the hole. The hole was vast and extremely deep with an unnatural looking, bright bluey green lake at the bottom. We walked around the 'hill' to the open-cut area, not venturing too close to the edge as there was a lot of loose rock and shale. The thought of slipping into this vast hole and into the blue depths below was not one we wanted to entertain. Looking all around us, it seemed quite criminal that this huge hole had been allowed to remain as such with nothing but rock and rubble for hundreds of meters around it. A few pathetic little green clumps struggled for life among the rocks and rubble but these were few and far between. It would be idealistic to think someone might come along and put all the dirt back in the hole again. But it was hard to imagine a greater eye-sore on the landscape than this huge, barren hole. The Gabanintha Mine was not just a little abandoned mine shaft but a huge open-cut mine. We spent quite a bit of time here as it was quite a distance to walk around . Hitting the road again, we had hardly got up speed, when we came across Barlangi Rock, the remnants of an ancient Meteor Crater. Barlangi Rock is a huge rocky outcrop, formed by the molten rock residue when the Meteor hit. The size of the Meteor cannot be determined because of the amount of erosion that has taken place since, but it is estimated that it was at least 10kms in diameter. We decided this was the perfect spot for a campsite as it was mid afternoon and there was no way we were going to make it to Sandstone today, so we set up camp then made our way up the rocks to the summit. What an amazing view. You just don't realize how vast and flat this area is until you see it from a height. Flat shrubby bush for as far as the eye can see, 360 degrees. Just breath-taking. Back at the campsite, Val was curious to hear a whoop of joy from Don, and didn't quite get his excitement when he said he had discovered an old broken T.V. not far from the campsite. With daylight still left, it soon became apparent as Don proceeded to pull his gold detector apart and using some borrowed bits from the old T.V. and his trusty soldering iron, he began to 'operate' and soon had a large grin across his face as the familiar 'beep', beep', could once again be heard emanating from his detector. His disappointment at this being broken, now replaced with anticipation as he scurried away to try it out, happy when he came back with a bullet and a ring-pull. Boys! Ho Hum! Once again, another amazing day.
Sat 25 Sept, Sandstone, WA
GPS Trip Log 11995 klm
Another great campsite with a beautiful red moon that rose up over the horizon like a sunrise, bathing the surrounding night in an orange glow. Great night also for star-gazing, with a very gentle cool breeze, no mozzies and a dark clear sky. We awoke to find a visitor camped outside our door, a small grey & white gecko, about 6cm long. We decamped and kept South on the Meekatharra-Sandstone Road but it wasn't long before we had pulled into the scrub again for a bit of detecting. Don was anxious to test his newly 'operated on' detector and was really pleased it was now working as it should. Being more fossiskers than detectors, we ended up poking around the rocks and taking a multitude of photos rather than doing any serious detecting. We set off again until another bit of interesting bit of scrub caught our eye, so we pulled off the track and poked around for another hour, same scenario, photos, fossicking and a bit of detecting. We had only been back on the road again 10 mins when we stopped at the No.1 Vermin Fence which was erected in 1907 to stem the rabbit hordes from eating their way West across from the other side of Australia and spans 1,833 kms from Starvation Harbour on the South Coast of W.A. to Cape Keraudren on the North West Coast just South of Broome. With all our hard work' this morning, we took the opportunity of the stop for a coffee break. Back on the road and heading South, we continued on until we reached Sandstone, a nice, clean little town that we had visited last trip. It was still nice, still clean and still an interesting little town. One of the interesting features of Sandstone is the 'Service Station' that has fuel & gas but no building, just the pumps on an otherwise vacant lot. We grabbed a few supplies then headed out to London Bridge, an amazing rock formation believed to be 350 million years old. We had visited here on our last trip and opted to set up camp here with the possibility of catching a really good sunset over the rocks. Too hot for much else today so were forced to sit back and relax. Life can certainly get tough sometimes.
Sun 26 Sept, Lake Mongers, Yalgoo WA
Packed up early this morning after watching the sunrise over the rocks. Stopped off at the Old Brewery Site on the way out. We enjoyed seeing this last time and it had lost none of its appeal. We were glad we stopped here again as last time we didn't discover that you could climb to the top of the rock over the old cellar and look down into the cellar from above. The view was also amazing, looking right out across the flat shrubby plains. The soft green heads of the saltbush belying the prickly shrubs below. Coming into Sandstone, there is a large abandoned open-cut mine only about 50m from the road. We didn't look at this last time so we pulled over and went for a hike across the rock barrier between the road and the large mine hole. It's rather amazing that such a huge hole can be so close to the town without any protective fencing. A 6ft high rock barrier is hardly adequate and we certainly weren't the first to climb over it judging by the worn path-ways here and there. The mind boggles at what they might find if they dredged the bottom of the pit. Back on the road, we headed SW on the Sandstone-Paynes Find Road. This was an extremely pleasant surprise as we hadn't expected this road to be so well maintained. Road-works were in progress, although being Sunday the heavy equipment lay idle. The scenery along this stretch was extremely picturesque with the red earth of the track contrasting with the many different greens of the various shrubs and trees that lined the route. These trees were quite lush and healthy looking except for the ones directly lining the track, which were covered in red dust with a lot of them dying off. Sealing this road will obviously be very good for the vegetation. As usual, we made quite a few stops to have a bit of a poke around, there are so many interesting things to see on these dirt tracks. One of these stops was at the now abandoned Microbe Well, just a pile of rubble basically but still with a lot of interesting photo opportunities and a bit of a look into the hard times of the past. Another 4 or 5 stops at various windmills, wells, bores and wildflower areas before we came across one of the few snakes we've seen on this trip, unfortunately this one had met his end not long before, and was laying belly-up in the middle of the road. He was fully intact, with no visible injuries and even though he had gone to God he was still a very scary character and we certainly treated him with respect as we gingerly laid him to rest by the side of the road. We arrived in Paynes Find, which was basically a road-house with a large area behind, designated as the C'Van Park, but this needed a stretch of the imagination. Never-the-less, it was a good little oasis after a long drive and the home-made pies were excellent. We fuelled up and headed South down the Great Northern H'Way for about 50 kms before turning North onto the Yalgoo Road. Once again being surprised at the standard of the dirt track with the odd bit of sealed road here and there. As it was getting late into the afternoon, we kept our eyes out for a likely campsite and opted to pull into Mongers Lake, a dry lake-bed about 50kms North on the Yalgoo Road. It's always a bonus when you can get the camp set up quickly and still have time to have a bit of a look around. It was quite a great feeling looking out over the white clay pans of the lake, the hills shimmering and hovering above the mirage of water in the distance. We walked out onto the Lake Bed for quite a way, the soft sand spongy beneath our feet. Walking back we captured the long shadows cast onto the vast white sands by the setting sun before taking the last photos of the day, as it sank below the horizon.
Mon 27 Sept, Perenjori WA
Both woke up this morning after one of the best night's sleep we've had. A quick glance out the window reminded us that we were camped on a dry lake bed. Nothing but white sand in front of us and a few new animal tracks around the campsite (no sliding ones, which was good). We took our time to decamp as it was such a nice place to be and headed off about 0930. We had chosen a couple of minor tracks to make our way across to Perenjori, hoping to see a bit more wildlife and a few interesting mine sites. We weren't disappointed and made quite a few stops checking out a few old ruins, some wildflower areas and of course some rock sites. The dirt track proved to be an excellent choice, so much more interesting than belting down the highway with no chance of dawdling along to look at things. Everyone seems to be in a hurry. We took a short detour to check out the abandoned Rothsay Mine and an old cementary along the same track. We cut our visit short at the Mine site as during a bit of a poke around one of the mine shafts, 15 or so 4WDs descended on us at a great pace, CBs chattering and wheels sliding in the soft dust. No respect being shown as they slid around the bend, showering stones and dust in every direction. They had to be weekend warriors from the city as no serious 4WD enthusiast would be so ignorant. Anyway, moving on, we headed back to the Perenjori track and continued on West, with no-one around us but the flies. Not just ordinary flies, but ones that could perform amazing acrobatics whilst they dodged and weaved between your ears, eyes, nose and unfortunately your mouth if you happened to open it. We thoroughly enjoyed traversing this route with its dusty, bushy tracks and felt a twinge of sadness as the first sight of open land, crops and sealed road came into sight. We knew we'd seen the last of the bush for awhile. We arrived in Perenjori around 1230. Being a Public Holiday in W.A. nothing was open but the local Service Station which was enjoying a boom trade as every long weekender descended on this little oasis for food and fuel. We located the local C'Van Park and set up camp. Time to do a few chores before heading South to Perth. We had done most of our washing at the lake site, the warm wind drying things very quickly, but sheets were definitely left for when a washing machine was available. A great little Park with especially clean facilities.
Tue 28 Sept, Perenjori WA
First impressions of this Park didn't disappoint. A very quiet Park with the layout of the sites allowing for your own private little area. The amenities were fresh-smelling and spotlessly clean with good shower facilities. The Managers had just the right mix of friendliness and respect for your privacy. The camp kitchen was spotless and inviting. Anyone intending to do a bit of touring around this area would certainly appreciate their stay here. With nothing but time on our hands today, we did our washing, cleaned out the camper, washed the sheets and bedding and spent a bit of time working out our route to Perth before finally deciding to head straight there using the minor roads. With still plenty of time on our hands, we fueled up at the local servo, washed the red dirt off the car, had lunch, stocked up on our supplies at the local store, had a bit of a look around, then headed back to the Park. Afternoon tea, relax, chat, read, emails, relax, chat then relax again then bed to relax after a hard day.
Wed 29 Sept, Rockingham WA
GPS Trip Log 12,900 km
Awoke at sunrise with the birds chirping and the first light filtering through the open window. A great night's sleep and ready to hit the road again. We were packed and on our way by 0730 and looking forward to the change of pace heading into the big city. We headed SW to Carnamah and were pleased to spot a very active yellow bellied stumpy tailed lizard. We were quite surprised at how fast this little fellow travelled, especially this early in the morning when they're usually still warming up. His little legs were only about 3cm long and were a blur of movement as he scurried across the road. We noticed a fresh wound on the end of his tail so this is probably what prompted the quick dash. The Midlands Highway although narrow, was quite a good road with very little traffic. Nearing Perth, it was a bit of a shock to suddenly find ourselves confronted with traffic lights and cars going in every direction, we had become a little bit too used to seeing the odd car every hour or so. The drive across the city to the West side and down along the coast to Rockingham as quite good and we arrived at the C'Van Park without any hassles. The Park is shady with large sites so being here for a few days should be quite pleasant. We set up then headed out to Val's sister's place for tea. We're looking forward to seeing a bit of Perth over the next few days.