Barn Hilll, Port Hedland, Karijini NP and Karratha/Dampier

Barn Hill, red sand and rough roads, after traveling for 9 Kms of rough corrugated road we booked in for one night, non powered site on the wall or edge the beach was a car drive, or walk the rough red dunes for a nice sunset but the wind blew most of the night so it was good to get out the next day.

We wanted to visit Port Smith but all the reports let to a 21 Km very rough road and per our friends Lyn and Errol who went in and took a look at the park, found it was also invested with Sand flies so we went on and continued on to Eighty mile Beach.

Eighty Mile beach nice for fishing and to relax, got the rod ready and to the beach, caught a few Blue nosed Salmon but unfortunately could not eat them due to worms through the flesh but it was fun all the same catching them, walked a bit here fossicking for shells and drove many a Km along the beach once again no swimming due to the sharks and the tide is, one moment, out by a couple of Km or high up the dunes and rough, stayed for 4 days and than of to Cape Keraudren, and how great this was we had a spot on top of a cliff with views to die for 2 nights and of to Port Hedland and here we were for 3 days

Put Prado in for service and a hole was found in the radiator and this delayed us for 2 extra days, luckely we have RACV Total Care, they provided us with rental a car so we were able to get around.

Port Hedland is the Ore town and is BHP/Biliton Ore Trains from Newman 8 times a day and 2 Km long forgot the tonnage but it is big.
The loading docks here handle 6 Carriers and it takes 30 hours to fill them generally 2-3 Ships depart a day and only at high tide, tides here are around 6-7 meters high.and as you can imagine this is all along the coast with miles of Mud flats and again no swimming unless you are somewhere, where there is a pool.

Visited a few sights in PH but generally there isn't much to visit so after 5 days and a $1000 dollars poorer we headed for Karijini National park for 2 Nights, staying at Dales campground, This camp ground was in Dales Gorge and had 3 swim holes swam both the Fern Pool and Fortusque Falls temperture around 20 degrees the third Circular pool we where told was 6 degrees so we did not attempt to swim that one the camp site was great, and able to run the genie so no power problems.

How beautiful this national park is although again more dusty corrugated roads the canyons here are spectacular and the lookouts show great views, we visited Joffre and Knox Gorge, than onto Weano Gorge area this gorge has several look outs ie Junction pool lookout where 4 Gorges merge, Oxer gorge, we than decided to walk Weano Gorge and this meant wading and swimming some of the trek in fairly cool water and one part was up to the neck that is how deep it was, Bianka walked as far as Hand rail pool and I further to the Weano Falls approx a further half a Km.

Than to complete the round trip for the day we drove to Mt Bruce to view the Rio Tinto Iron Ore mine from the look out, here we managed to see the Train coming and going from the mine.

Next day of to TomPrice for a over night stay so we could visit the Tom Price Iron Ore Mine interesting to see but very dusty.A Desert Pea in bloomAfter Tom Price we stayed at a free camp half way to Karratha and arrived in Dampier late morning and met up with Eroll and Lyn our friends we have been traveling with they, they had to vacate the CP they stayed in, as you can only stay for 3 nights at a time and they had found this small council park and hid in the back of it where no one could see them ( it is illegal to camp outside of CPs) so we decided to save some money too and joined them for the night, strange feeling when you do something illegal.

Next day we moved to the Dampier Transit CP for 3 days, this place is also interesting, as it is also a port for loading Iron Ore, the Cp overlooks the loading facilities, we shopped in Karatha and day tripped to Point Sampson, the North west Shelf gas plant how massive this is, Wickham open air cinema a in smal town for the gas works workers Cosack the abandoned town due to cyclones and now being rebuilt for tourismThe courthouse with me as the judge
These are drying Salt pools, they look like Ice on a lake with snow drifts these are just out of Dampier

We left for Exmouth on the fourth day where I am writing this from we are going into the national Park ofter our stay here so till than Bye

Sig & Bianka

Broome & Cape Laveque

Hi once again and this time from Broome we have been here now just over 2 weeks it is Sunday 13th and are getting ready to move on I am writing this in case we have no Internet from here on for a while.

Well Broome what can I say it is a small quaint town with not much to do except pearl shopping and pearl shopping as these shops are everywhere, two supermarkets a few restaurants and repair shops for cars etc. the Airport is literally in the middle of town thus the street lights are build half the height every where else. It has a two Movie theaters an old open air and a twin cinema, Broome is surrounded by resorts with the most popular area being Cable Beach, this is nice but nothing like the East Coast it has a pub a few cafes even the beach area has a small kiosk with limited hours.

Cable Beach is renowned for its resort and although we walked trough one most have nothing to offer but if you are a beach lover yes the beach is superb white sand and lots of sun, you are able to drive on the beach here and travel for some 22 Km along it this stretch is also used for nude sun baking and it has a super sunset

We did the usual tourist things and visiting the site of the dinosaur footprints Brooms Japanese Cemeteryand where lucky enough to have a full moon for the viewing of the Stair Way to the Moon a phenomena across the mud flats at low tides very hard to capture unless you have a good camera went to the open air Cinema and saw David and Delila a story of the outback aboriginal kids and is effect on sniffing petrol etc.

During our stay at the Broom CP we decided to visit Cape Laveque and stored our van here for 3 days. We travelled 250 Km north with approx 130 Km on Red sand corrugated road which took approx 2 hours and amazingly at the other end of the road the last 120Km, beautiful bitumen road this has tracks of it which were just as bad Sandy and corrugated with depth of 6 - 10 inches. side of the road the aboriginals way of saying Keep Australia beautiful

The trip was well worth it as the country side is great with supreme beaches, visits to Aboriginal settlements and swam in 27 degree oceansSame spot Low tide, stayed in our tent at Cape Laveque.Sunset at Cape Laveque

Settlements visited: One arm point, Beagle bay with a Beautiful Catholic Church which on a photo looks like what you would put on top of a wedding cake, Middle Lagoon, Lambordina with its pristine beach and the whitest sand you are able to get, Cunningham point, all of these areas there was pay this and pay that despite the hand out they get from our government, the excuse is that it is for the roads and its up keep.

The way back was tougher and rougher than inwards and I ended up with Damage to my radio aerial and lost a driving light when I traveled to fast over a section of road that was very corrugated and also had a wave in it and the Prado bounced across it as if it was a boat in a storm, luckily the suspension did not falter.

Back in broom and clean up of the car and Caravan and than of to Barn Hill 120 Kms south

See you next time