Saturday 30 August 2008

Carnarvon and a Trip to Rocky Pool

Three days at a powered site, quite a luxury after so many days without a hot shower and now also, 'endless' electricity. Had a bit of a problem with the root of one of my molar teeth. There was some tenderness there for some time that never quite went away. So, before going 'bush' again I went to the local Medical Centre (yes, there is a dentist but that one is going flat chat and will not take on new patients) and there, at the Medicall Centre, Dr Cynthia took one look to confirm a cyst that would need to be tackled with two lots of antibiotics. Going into the second day, I already feel some improvement and there are 6 days to go. No alcohol, said the Dr, so in the meantime, my beer in the fridge will have to stay cold for a week. Quite amazing that a town of about 10,000 should only have one Dentist, let alone one, that won't see any more patients….

Carnarvon is quite a nice little town, looks tidy and clean too.

The Civic Centre 'downtown' Carnarvon

It appears that there is quite a lot of fruit and vegetables grown here, even though the landscape looks dry. The secret is, of course, the mighty Gascoyne River which looks like a huge expanse of sand and completely dry, however it continues to flow underground, allowing Carnarvon district to grow about 70% of Western Australia's vegetable supply.

The Mighty Gascoyne River - where is that water?

There is also a large satellite communications dish that was built in conjunction with NASA in 1966. It is no longer in use since 1987.


There is a 'wild' campsite called 'Rocky Pool', about 55km east of Carnarvon, that has been recommended to me, so, this morning I have decided to check it out. I have a last hot shower, breakfast, take my pills and head out again. The sign showing the way, points down a dirt road. Not too bad condition and I decide to brave it out. About 2km down the dirt road, the road is sealed and I can travel the remaining 35km to the turn that will take me to Rock Pool. When I get there, only three trailers are parked there, plenty of space to park my van. It’s a bit windy today and an mostly overcast day and an occasional shower keeps the temperature down and most of the bush flies at bay.

Rocky Pool is a deep water basin, smack in the middle of the riverbed of the Gascoyne River. A sandbed marks the width of the riverbed, which is about 100metres wide. The deep water basin is lined with sand, the surrounding riverbanks support large stands of Eucalypts, a sign there is plenty of water in the ground also.




The colours of some of the tree barks are quite amazing

with shades from white to green, red, grey and silver.

Fragile looking flowers growing on the river bank

The river does flood regularly, on some of the larger trees huge logs of other large trees have been lodged by the flooding waters in their branches.


The water also attracts lots of birdlife that come for a drink

Wednesday 27 August 2008

14-mile Beach to Carnarvon

Its time to continue my journey and to leave 14-mile Beach again. The road back to the main road has not improved over the last 3 days, bumby, corrugated and lots of sand, but no real problem, just slow going. My fuel tank is about half full, so instead of turning right to go towards Carnarvon, I turn left to go back 27 km to Coral Bay again to fill up my tank. Coral Bay is quite nice, full of campers, many of them young people who are on the road, often for months at a time and the majority of them from Europe on a 12-months working visa.

All roads around the village are sealed except those that go into private properties like filling station, trailer park or the local Pub. There is also a small Shopping Mall (a bit of an overstatement, actually) with a visitor information (the one that gave me wrong information a few days ago) a Supermarket that sells anything a traveler may need, a Dive shop, a Bakery that sells fluffy white bread, hamburger rolls and the obligatory 1960s style sugar coated cakes. Definitely not my-cup-of-tea. There are also a shop that sells tourist gizmos, post cards and knick-knacks people buy to 'remember' a place by and a shop that sells 'New-Age' stuff with the everpresent smell of some sweet cheap incence. In other words a 'Love-Trust-and-Pixydust-Shop'. Anyway, seems to work as there are many people in most shops.

Coral Bay, great beach, view from the look-out

I drive down the main drag and track down my fuel station by the side of the road, 3 cars already waiting to get to the fuel bowsers. After filling up I drive up the road to visit the 'Shopping Mall' described above. As I pull up into the parking lot, I see a familiar face, the lady that found herself bogged down in the sand a few days ago. She looks worried, tells me her battery light on her dashboard is not turning off as it should, after starting her engine. She has called RAC for assistance and has already been waiting for hours, probably fairly normal when you are well away from the big centres. The 'assistance-guy' arrives as we speak, asks her to start up the engine and then fiddles about with the wiring harness around the alternator - the light goes off and happiness is restored once more. An interesting piece of information, Diesel Engines require virtually no power from the battery and will run happily for several hours before flattening the battery.

The drive to Carnarvon, about 210km south, is BORING and tiring, nothing but scrub in a flat country side again. I stop a couple of times to stretch my legs and rest my eyes, finally arrive at Carnarvon in the early afternoon and pull into a trailer park recommended by others on previous occasions, get a powered site and after setting up, turn on my phone. Surprise, it works as Optus has a working network at Carnarvon. Can't recommend any networks other than Telstra's if you are travelling, particularly around the North and the West.

From Tom Price back to the West Coast

It was a cool night, but nothing like that penetrating cold I experienced at Dales Camp the night before. After breakfast I pack up and drive into Tom Price to pick up a few bits of food as well as a large piece of shade cloth from the hardware store. I have seen many campers use it as ground sheets outside their vehicles as it holds down leafs and dust quite well, providing a bit of a 'clean' space before getting into the van.

With all the dust I have been driving through I am beginning to think that the dust is going to be an everpresent thing I will need to deal with. Wiping down surfaces with a damp cloth is certainly a step in the right direction but total removal would be a very big job indeed. For the time being, I am prepared to live with it. Even though the orange dust is very fine, it is very gritty at the same time, something you can feel when I rub my dusty fingers together. Enough of that.

In the mirror, some of my dust behind me...

By the time I am driving out of Tom Price its already after 11.00am. Today I will use the dirt road which is significantly shorter than the sealed road I took on my way in via Paraburdoo. The road turns out well graded, in fact several machines are working on it just outside of town. I have been told that the road is about to be sealed too in the near future. In total, I need to drive about 65km until I finally am back on sealed road highway that will take me back to Nanutarra Roadhouse where I need to top up my fuel again, before driving on the remaining distance of about 75km to Barradale Camp, my third stop at this place to spend the night. I arrive there about 4.00pm, find a flat spot under a tree, get a cold beer out of the fridge, go talk to my neighbors, an English couple who live in Tasmania, also heading for Coral Bay tomorrow. We have a long chat about this and that, in the process of which solve several of the world's problems in just minutes before we all finish our drinks.

In the morning I am on my way nice and early so I can find a good campsite for a few days. I drive into Coral Bay around 10.00am because my GPS takes me in there in order to go to "14 mile Beach", the place I have chosen to stay at. I have noticed though, that the map data for my GPS is often very short on detail since I am travelling in Western Australia, so, when I get into Coral Bay, its asking me to turn left into a non-existant road. I stop at the Tourist Information to get direction, the young girl there seems less than co-operative and gives some vague and as it turns out, misleading information regarding the distance, also that there is no camping available there. I have it on very good authority though, that there IS camping there. I drive the 12km back to the highway, turn right and travel about 17km south where I find a turn-off through a Homestead, quoting a further 12km to a campsite. I already know that the road is dirt and as it turns out, quite badly corrugated where I have to go really slowly.

The road is wide enough for two cars to pass until about 5km in there is a T-intersection, the left turn identified as access to the Homestead, the right-turn pointing to the Beach Camp, another 6km ahead. Behind me a 4-whell drive Nissan is about to pass and take the turn to my right. I follow him and see another vehicle of same size coming up behind me as well. The road is now single lane, sandy and corrugated and bordered on both sides by a sand embankment. A short distance on a motorhome is pulled over hard to the left, the 4-wheel-drive Nissan ahead of me stops and after a few moments decides that he won't be held up by anyone and drives over the embankment on my left, the car behind me follows suite, they obviously belong together. Now why is the motorhome in front of me now, stopped. A lady is signing me to go past her vehicle but I think that would not work. She is obviously stuck. I get out and take a look whats going on. Yes, stuck solid in soft sand on the left bank. Of course I will help her, not shoot through like those two vehicles who were in such a hurry. I get my sh.. Shovel from behind my seat and help move aside some of the sand so the car can at least move again. A couple of backwards and forward she goes back onto the road again, says thank you and drives on.

I follow at a distance and end up right on the beach, still part of the Ningaloo Reef I was staying at, before going to Tom Price. Beautiful white sand, turquoise waters and only a few Motorhomes along the beach. When the Ranger arrives in the afternoon, I book myself in for 3 days.

Sunset on 14-mile Beach

Sunday 24 August 2008

Back to Tom Price and Hamersly Gorge

The early bird catches the worm. True or not, I don't know but left Dales camp ground before sunrise, about 6.00 am this morning with the aim to be at Tom Price before 8.00. With the light of the starting new day behind me, the horizon ahead lights up in a spectrum of colour displays, in the middle of it all the moon.

Its cold this morning and I have my heater on full blast to help blow the chill out of the air inside. It’s a nice and easy drive, a fair amount of traffic in the opposite direction.

This is the western sky being lit by the rising sun in the east, nearlk full Moon too.

The sun is up now, straight into my rearview mirror so I have to adjust it. I arrive at Tom Price Visitor Centre about 20 to 8.00 in the hope to catch a seat on a tour bus doing the gorges. Unfortunately, no bus today and I need to write off this opportunity this morning. As its still early, I need to wait till the centre opens and while I do that I get on-line, collect my email, update the blog.

When the centre opens I enquire about the Heli Tour in the brochure. The lady tells me, the company has ceased operating for the moment and so I can't take this opportunity either. Last choice, drive out to Hamersley Gorge myself, do my own tour. First I need to book myself in for another night's stay at the trailer park, find my allocated spot, chat with the neighbor and finally make some coffee and have something to eat.

I leave shortly after to drive out to Hamersley Gorge, about 70km out of town, 45km of which are dirt road.

A well maintained dirt road to Hamersley Gorge

It’s a beautiful bright day, the dirt road is in excellent condition, me travelling my usual 85-90kmh, followed by a giant cloud of dust at my stern. The last 5km in, turn out to be pretty corrugated, so I can drive only very slowly until I get to the car park at the gorge. Its beautiful down the gorge, much smaller than Dales but equally stunning.




Above are several views from Hamersley Gorge

When I return to Tom Price a few hours later, my van is covered in a veneer of Pilbara Pink, or fine dust, that seems to find its way into everything. Re-fuel and back to the campsite for a hot shower and shampoo, do a load of washing that shows various shades of orange. Call it a day.

Tuesday 19 August 2008

Karijini, Dales Gorge

It is cold and windy this morning, on goes the t-shirt and long-sleeved polo shirt, a warm vest and a jacket. Not cold any more. I make a pot of coffee, have breakfast and say good bye to Phil and Tracey who are leaving this morning to go back to Paraburdoo, where they both live and work for a mining company. I am going down Dales Gorge this morn.ing and take water, my camera and the map I got from the visitor centre.

Its only a short walk from my campsite to the entrance to Fortescue Falls and I am already stunned by the magnificent view from the top of the gorge as I make my way down to the bottom.


Half way down

I take some pictures, all the way down and at the foot of the Falls, then make my way along a bush track to Fern Pool.

Fern Pool

There is no-one down here except me, so nice and quiet, the sun coming in behind me, very little wind down here and I am thinking what a great place this is for meditating. On my way back to the Falls I meet the first lot of visitors that want to visit Fern Pool for a swim, as they are carrying towels and swimmers. Good luck to them, definitely too cold for me.

Back at the Falls I meet about a dozen 'oldies' who came down here to have a look and take pictures. From here I make my way further down the gorge, climbing over many rocks and crossing the creek on some larger rocks that have been laid across the water so my feet don't get wet.



Look at those rock formations


What about these?


I am following the gorge all the way to the end at Circular Pool.

The views along the gorge a fabulous and I am beginning to feel, that this walk alone has justified my driving over.




Circular Pool at the opposite end of the gorge.

From Circular Pool I retrace my steps about 300m where a path branches off and upward the gorge to the rim. I follow this route as I want to return to my initial entry point, now walking along the rim of the gorge where I get a birds eye view as well.





A tree clinging to life, making the best from the available space by the side of my path climbing to the rim of the gorge.

I have taken about a hundred photos on this walk and the exercise has taken about 3 hours. When I get back to my van, the wind has almost dropped completely and I get rid of all my warm clothing and then make my way back 10km to the visitor Centre to check on my planned day-trip through some more gorges. Unfortunately, bad news, The tour bus still broken down, no idea when the ordered part will finally arrive at Tom Price, the owner, most apologetic. What now? The brochure shows a Helicopter excursion from the Visitor Centre, but the phone number given cannot be connected. The Centre is not able to help. Sounds as if Karijini has turned on me. Again I ask myself, What now? There is another tour of the gorges but that one starts only at Tom Price and if I am serious about wanting to visit more gorges, I am going to have to be at Tom Price tomorrow morning before 8.00am. So be it. I'll leave here about 6.00am tomorrow and try to get onto the bus at Tom Price instead. Yes, I am also forfeiting 1 nights stay, already paid for.

Tom Price, Rio Tinto Mining Operation


On the road to Tom Price

I have taken the long way via Paraburdoo because of the sealed road, not knowing how good the dirt road was.

Coming into Paraburdoo

The powered site came into its own this morning, also for a little while last night when the wind got fresher and chillier. Lucky me, I have an electric heater stowed away and with power available I used it to keep the operating temperature inside my van at a more comfortable level. It was a cold night! This morning I am giving breakfast a miss (for the moment) as I want to make an appearance at the visitors Centre to make a booking for this morning's Mine Tour and have breakfast while I wait for the bus to arrive at 10.00 am.

Yes, there are still a few spots available to be taken up for this morning's tour. I make my booking and then make a coffee and some toast at my van in the parking lot after picking up the mandatory helmet and goggles that will have to be worn at the Mine.

A whole bus load of peole are waiting as the bus pulls in, right on-time. The driver, Bob, (no, not Bob-the-builder but Bob-the-bus-driver) seems quite a jolly fellow with plenty of funny remarks: "…the town of Tom Price was setup in the mid sixties to accommodate the workers for the Mine, mostly single men that were housed in small apartment-like housing down the (then) main street of the town, the local pub just across the road. In those days Tom Price was referred to "as a Drinking-town with a Mining problem". The wealth of this town is derrived from iron ore. Mind you, we also have a Gold Mine, its also called the local Service Station or Petrol Station…."

Having done the Tour I am beginning to realise just how gigantic this operation is, with several trains every 24 hours leaving for Dampier (not Port Hedland) to be shipped overseas. Each trainload consisting of 230 carriages, a 3.5 kilometres long train, each train worth about 5 million Dollars. The demand for this high-quality ore far outstripping the supply.

Just look at the size of those tyres...


A view from the top. The bottom of the mine is not visible

The ore is carefully blended to an iron content of about 64%. Any ore that has an iron content of less than 50% is discarded as waste. Wow! I wonder how many countries would just love that waste and turn it into perfectly good steel!! During my time when I worked at a steel mill in Germany, our iron ore contained only around 36% iron…

All of it is mined in open-cut mining with giant loaders moving the material from the mine face to the relevant places within the mine. Each of the loaders can carry in excess of 300 tons, uses almost 5000 litres of Diesel every 24 hours. Each of the 4 tyres are more than 3 metres tall and cost around (wait for it) around $100,000.00. That is just for the tyres! Anyway, just a few bits of data I remember. It was enjoyable.

I leave Tom Price about 1.00pm to head for the Karijini National Park. Great views of an ever-changing landscape, again mountains of various sizes, shapes and colours on the way, prompting me to stop at several places to take a few pictures.

Saturday 16 August 2008

On the way to Tom Price

Yesterday's trip took me as far as Barradine Camp where I stayed for one night on the way into Exmouth last week. I left this morning about 8.30, my navigator telling me 360km and I decide I can do this in one day. Mind you, its headwind all the way, Diesel being guzzled at a premium rate.


I re-fuel at Nunatarra Roadhouse ($2.20/L), no choice, I follow the main highway for about 4km to the turn-off to Tom Price.

Mount Murray by the side of the road

Flat country here initially but about 25kms into the turn-off the landscape changes to a huge variety of hills, rocky outcrops and bizarre looking mountains, some just gently rounded and covered to the top with green cushions of spinifex, looking very much like Aboriginal dot-paintings. Others are sharply outlined against a blue sky, in a variety of colours.

The white clouds we are having today, together with that really beautiful and interesting view of the land, reminds me a lot of drives across New Mexico, many years ago. Each time I cross one of these rocky paths in my road, a new vista opens up yet again. Definitely not a boring drive today, coming down this road in the morning light. Finally, I am given a choice to drive straight ahead on a dirt road, or to turn right to stay on the sealed road and drive via Paraburdoo, another mining town. As I don't know the condition of the dirt road, I take the longer road via Paraburdoo.

Coming into Paraburdoo
This road does add a few kilometres, but I am not running the risk losing half a muffler or worse on the corrugations.

I arrive at Tom Price just after 1.00pm, go into Coles Store to buy some Sour Cream for a salad I want to make today, then drive out of town to fill up my tank yet again. Turns out, I used 55 litres for just over 350km. Battling a headwind does dearly cost, particularly, when you consider that today I wanted to get there in a hurry...

Friday 15 August 2008

Osprey Bay, yet more...

You may well have guessed, its not a bad place to stay at, private, secluded, nice neighbors, lovely view at the edge of the water and views of all shades of turquoise, watching the waves crash over the reef, about half a km out to sea, a cold beer….

Yesterday I saw the first heavier clouds forming, humidity, signs of some coming rain, but that did not happen until late last night. Quite a welcome sight, clouds. I had none since way back in my travels in Queensland. I drove to Exmouth in the morning, to do some washing, shopping, fill up with water and fuel and returned to Osprey Bay in the late afternoon to extend my stay for yet another 3 days. As a reward I get allocated a new spot right at the front of the beach, "Millionaire's Row" my fellow campers call it. I am quite pleased with myself for having scored that spot with the camp hosts, a nice English couple.

Like I said earlier, going to bed last night made me realise that it was quite a mild night, much warmer than the ones earlier. Woke up to the sound of thunder and flashes of lightening which kind of passed over, to be replaced with a good dousing of rain. When I check my van in the morning, it looks almost clean, most of the accumulated dust has washed off during the night. The sky is also beginning to clear as I move my van into the new position by the water. After putting out my awning I hang out some pieces of washing that weren't quite dry from yesterdays washing excursion and it takes only a very short time to have it back for folding and putting away in my storage bin under the seats.

By the way, lots of campers are flying the Ozzie flag and I decided to fly the Bavarian Flag instead, if only as a bit of a stir. A few questions have already been asked as to what it stands for and I tell them that it’s the flag of the "Kingdom of Bavaria"...



You got to show Flag, after all, I bin a Bayer!

Soon I will need to get my mind around a continuation of my journey. The Hammersley Range and Tom Price will be my next destination before returning to the coast to head further south to "Monkey Mia" on Cape Peron. The weather down south is still a major impediment, or should I say, encouragement, to stay north for the warmer temperatures. As I am in no particular hurry to go further south, I may yet extend my stay at Osprey Bay a little further…

This morning I have added another day's stay, which means that I will be leaving on Friday morning for the "Pilbara Region" and some of the fabulous gorges of the Hamersley Range. Its been very windy last night and early into this morning, the empty beer carton filled with some empties and rubbish, I had left by my front wheel has been blown right across my camping space. The Bavarian Flag on my areal has been raging most of the night and is still fluttering, making lots of noise. By early afternoon, I hope the wind will stop to help make today yet another beautiful day to enjoy. My neighbor, a few vans further back is a hairdresser, a real God-send when I consider that I am looking a bit rough around the edges and a trim will go a long way to restoring my proverbial "Good Looks". (Yes, I know…. No need to rub it in!)

Today, Friday, 15th August. Time to move on towards the Hamersley Range. Now at Exmouth for water and shopping. Turns out my mail was never forwarded from Lane Cove, I now requested the lot to go to Denham instead as I should be there in about 8-10 days.

Monday 11 August 2008

Osprey Bay Camp at Cape Range


Cape Range Peninsula with Ningaloo Reef

The Ranger said that "Osprey Camp site" had available spots. Osprey is right down the peninsula, the last campsite on the reef. Driving down the road this morning it is evident just how dry this part of the country is this time of year. Again it is hard to imagine that part of this landscape will be flooded during the "wet" season and at the same time have temperatures in the 50s (C). I get partial views of the ocean and the reef on my right as I drive down the peninsula. Osprey is about 25km from the Ranger's Station which is check-in point. The water colour is a bright turqoise and shades thereof - just beautiful.

Finally, the turn towards the ocean on my right and I drive down the dirt track that leads to Osprey. When I arrive, I am already expected, as the Ranger had communicated with the "hosts" that look after the site over the radio. I get site #12, a little way back from the front-row places but with very good view of the reef, the bright coloured clear waters inside the reef. What a magical place to be! I book in for an initial 3 days stay.

Cape Range, as this peninsula is called, has only one sealed road in coming from Exmouth which means that this is the only road in and out. There is a dirt track leading out on the southern end but I am told its strictly 4-wheel drive territory, following a dry creek bed of gravel. I am not tempted to go down this road.

Yardie Creek Gorge

On my first day I take a drive down towards Yardie Creek Gorge and walk in through and around the gorge which is the only one down here with water in it, as well as having a connection with the ocean across a sandbar at high-tide. Its not difficult to walk around the perimeter, simply good shoes are a definite must, a bottle of water also a good idea.

Some of the deadwood lying about the trail around the gorge.

On my second day here I drive back the way I drove in, visit the tourist centre which has some beautiful exhibits about the Cape, the animals found here and also the reef, its dangerous currents. It is a truly beautiful place, quiet, a balm for sore eyes. A big Emu keeps wandering around my campsite, totally oblivious to my presence. A grey Wallaby with a Joey in her pouch also came visiting, camly walking around the caravan on the next site.

All the sites here are clean, everything tidy and in good order. Organic toilets that are NOT surrounded by that often awful smell downwind, quite a surprise at the prevailing high temperatures. Simple sun shades have been put up along most beaches, providing a bit of protection from the very bright lights along all the beaches.

My "front-door Beach" at Osprey Bay

I have extended my stay for another 2 days, checking out again on Monday, 11th August, when I will post this blog on-line again, as there is no connection to anything down here.

Onward to Exmouth

I must admit, I have had a good rest and respite at Miaree Pools as I spent more than a week at that spot. The weather report indicates the end of the cooler wetter period that seems to have caught even places like Exmouth, where I intend to travel to over the next couple of days, or so. First things first though, some more food items re-fill my wter tank in the van and, a now empty water bag needs to be re-filled at the tourist centre at Karratha. Topping up my fuel tank is probably not such a bad idea either. The quality of drinking water varies greatly between townships. I have refilled at Karratha before and already know their water to be very good, a topping-up of my water tank will be perfectly ok - no vile-tasting bore water.

There have been a few days with clouds but today everything is back to normal, blue skies, also plenty warm. Its 30kms into Karratha and the trip will add 60kms to my journey as I need to double back over the same distance to head out south west. By the time I finally leave Karratha, a rapidly growing mining town with many new housing projects and new housing along the street, letting the visitor know about the wealth that is being created from ironore mining as well as the gigantic plants out on the peninsula that convert NG (natural gas) into LNG (liquefied Natural Gas) that is loaded directly onto a fleet of Tankers that transport it in that form to Japan and China.

By the time I leave Karratha its after 2.00pm (I did have a quick lunch). My planned destination is only about 155kms to the south west, a roadside carpark for campers, which turns out quite nice when I finally get there about 4.00pm. There is a fair amount of traffic in the opposite direction and I am also passed by four-wheel-drives that usually accompany the large and often over-sized trucks that come in the opposite direction from time to time, usually carrying heavy equipment or construction elements which are sometimes much wider than the trucks that carry them.

It is flat country and dry, except, on my left a range of hills form an interesting outlook, ever changing as my van passes through this landscape. The sun is mostly on my right and even though my windows are open, it gets quite warm. A cold drink would be good but the stuff in the bottle on my console is good and warm.

I have an early night, surprising to note that the traffic of road trains subsides to nothing. I wake up just before seven, road trains are fast catching up with generating lots of noise as they pass across the bridge that spans the river by my campsite. The sun finally comes up, painting the riverscape in gold.

A curious phenomenon as the sun comes up from the horizon behind the highway, each time a road train goes by, its almost as if someone is turning the sun on-and-off as the long vehicles pass across the path of the sun.

Today, its on toward Exmouth as I will be able to get away early. Great driving this time of the morning, the road just passing underneath. Today, more cattle grids and their associated fence lines, each time I pass over one, the rrrrrrt and every so often a bit of a jolt. It is flat country still, but a range of hills still to my left. There is a huge layer of smoke to my left, definetely not a grass fire, as the smoke is very black, streaming away in a layer, driven by the strong easterly wind. It is gas exploration country, so I assume its just a bit of a burn-off.

The sign ahead says ONSLOW 80km. On the spur of the moment I decide to turn right to have a look at Onslow. Fellow travelers have told me of a good camp ground there, would love a nice hot shower for a change and there is a large bag full of dusty (Pilbara Pink) clothes, much in need of a wash. Lots of large termite mounds again on this stretch of highway. Large evaporation pools from the salt mining company, the water in various shades of blue or pink, depending on the various concentrations of salt. Near the "Salt Jetty" in Onslow township, large mountains of salt await shipment. The conveyor belts on the jetty are operating to load a ship at anchor, at the end of the jetty, out in the bay.

Not a lot to do in Onslow, walk along the beach, lots of shells have been washed up onto the sand.

War Memorial at Onslow

Not really surprising that shells should be thriving here as this township was the first where the pearling industry got started in the 19th century before moving up to Broome. I spend the night at an unpowered site at the centre of town, close to the beach. The place is just about fully booked. I get the washing going and have a beer while that is happening. There is hardly any humidity in the air. In about an hour all is dry and put away again in my storage.

Barradine River Camp is my next stop. Another free campsite, very large and although quite a few fellow travellers have chosen to spend the night here, its not crowded at all.

Sunset at Barradine Rivercamp

One thing needs to be ever present though its called "WA", obviously stands for Western Australia, others say it stands for "Windy Always" or on a slightly funnier note, "Wery Axpensive". Naturally, the higher prices are put down to the increased costs for transport, whether you buy a tank full of Diesel or just a litre of milk. Most of us Grey Nomads think this is just bullshit, you simply charge whatever the traffic will bare, after all, we ARE a captive audience and so get milked for all its worth to the locals.

Still flat country, mostly covered in spinifex, no termite mounds all the way, low range of hills to my left and the highway is crossing, what looks like successive red sand dunes which intersect at right angles every few kilometres. Late in the morning I come to a T-intersection, the sign pointing right says "Exmouth". Less spinifex here and I notice the termite mounds are back, dotting the landscape around me. A bit further on the road runs closer along the ocean, the deep turquise of the water providing a colourful backdrop to the harsh Australian land. I drive down the main street of Exmouth about half an hour later. Coming into town, on my right, a large marina is under construction which looks like a giant project, well under way but still a long way from being completed. Another town on-the-move to accompany the ever increasing load of tourists. After a re-fuel and picking up some groceries, filling my water tank, I head towards one of the many campsites on the other side of the peninsula. The Ranger tells me they are all full for the day and I stay at a Homestead to return the following morning to try my luck once again.

Monday 4 August 2008

Tranquil Miaree Pools

Well, Miaree Pools looked just like many other stop-overs that a traveler may stop at, to take a break. I am still here after seven days, perhaps I just needed a bit of a rest, also to remind me, there is no rush, I don't need to be at any other point on the map at any perticular time. Good to get away also from so much blowing red dust in most of the other places I have been to recently.

One of the many wild flowers near where I am camped.

I am parked at a high point with a lovely view across the water, so relaxing to look at, no matter what time of the day. There have to be plenty of fish in the water as there are lots of Cormorants sitting about during the day on a formation of rocks, drying their wings after another fishig expedition. My neighbors call the birds "Shags", which lends yet another meaning to the term "shag-on-a-rock". The Ranger was here a few days ago and told us that a big Burramundi has been sighted in the water as well. I know many have tried to get that one onto their hooks, no luck I am afraid to say. This fishing sport does require a great deal of patience and (Ithink) an enormous amount of plain old "Good Luck"!

The hills surrounding my site are covered with hummocks of Spinifex, all of them looking like soft pillows, particularly in the early morning light when the rising sun lights them just so, creating light and soft shadows.


Hills covered in spinifex, reminding me of Aboriginal dot paintings

When I do walk between them on my walks around here, I always make sure to wear Jeans, as Spinifext has so many spikes and thorns on it that are just looking to get under your skin. So much for something that looks so benign yet hiding a real sting.

I am wanting to move on to Exmouth soon. For the first time in many weeks I am experiencing overcast skies, quite a nice change, to be sure, but Exmouth is right on the Ocean, the weather on the radio saying there is rain in that area also, so staying here seems to be a far better option right now. Maybe tomorrow…

I have no phone connection in here and Internet is not working either, so my update onto the travel blog is going to have to wait till I get to a place where I get signal again.