Hello from Ningaloo

Hello all

Yesterday was just a transit day, driving about 680km from Tom Price, via Paraburdoo to Exmouth. I decided to push on arriving just on dusk an booking in to Lighthouse Caravan Park. This is the only caravan park I have ever been to without Telstra reception for mobile and internet. It might have something to do with the fact in the distance you may be able to pick up the antenna of the Harold Holt Naval Base. One of only three places in the world to be able to communicate with submarines.

Lighthouse Caravan Park

I am currently sitting at the Lighthouse, and this is the view, as I am writing this, as it is the only way I could get reception, ahh it's a tough office.
Today I visited Cape Range National Park and Yardie Creek, there are a lot of great beachfront campsites all through the park but are booked out years ahead.

SS mildura

Across from the caravan park is the wreck of the steam ship Mildura, it was a cattle carrier and hit the reef in 1907.

Yardie Creek Gorge

Turquoise Bay snorkeling area

Cyclone Vance hit Exmouth on the 22nd March 1999 with wind gusts of 267kmh, an Australian land record, and you thought it got windy in Melbourne.

Osprey nest

The weather has been overcast and windy today, not ideal coral viewing conditions, although still 25c.

A bit of a change after 29c and sunburn yesterday. The forecast is similar for a few days so I am heading to Coral Bay tomorrow hoping for a better day to go glass bottom boating.

Well , that's about it today, I will hopefully have internet at coral bay and be able to read about our change of government.

I think I got sunburnt today !!

hello all, 

I did the Pilbara gorge tour today 7.30am until 5.30pm so it was a big day. If you don't know the definition of terrifying I will explain it to you. Terrifying is sitting in a Coaster bus on a narrow corrugated dirt road with lots of other traffic (creating dust) at 80-90kmh. As you may be aware a Coaster is no sports car. I just put my faith in the driver knowing he does this every day.

First destination was Hancock Gorge.

Hancock Gorge

This was closely followed by Oxer lookout. Oxer lookout is the junction of Weano, Red, Hancock and Joffre gorges.

20 years ago i stood right out at the end (in the centre of the pic) in the days before anyone worried about Occ Health and Safety

It was then a trek into Weano Gorge, these gorges are approximately 100 metres deep

In Weano Gorge

I have been very disappointed in my photos here, it is extremely difficult to take photos here as you have deep dark rust coloured gorges capped by brilliant sunlight and glare reflecting of the spinifex. It has been giving my camera headspins.

Joffre Falls

Knox Gorge

Tomorrow I head towards the coast (about 680km) so don't know if i will get all the way to Exmouth. I will probably have a free camp somewhere along the way meaning I may not have a post tomorrow.

It is currently 20c outside and it is 8.20pm suffer Melbournites.

Wide loads and Gorges

hello all, today was superb 24c, I have just finished reading about the weather in Melbourne, suffer !!!!

There is a saying that everything is big in the Pilbara and I think it is true judging by the wide load I had to give way to today. There was two loads, both having a tow vehicle and a push vehicle. Every rest area they would stop between the entrance and exit of the rest area to let traffic go around. If you happened to come upon it between rest areas bad luck you had a slow trip.

Now that's what I call a wide load!!

I started the day from Newman and travelled to the Eastern entrance of Karajini,

Typical roadside scenery

I don't know if any of these miners on mega dollars up here actually do anything, each one seems to have a company 4x4 and just drives around all day, anyway I headed to Circular Pool first.

Circular Pool from the lookout

Dales Gorge

From the Circular Pool lookout there is a very short drive to Fortesque Falls and the Fern Pool

Looking down Dales Gorge

Fortesque Falls

I climbed down the goat track to Fortesque Falls and another 500 metres upstream is the Fern Pool.

Fortesque Falls from in the Gorge

Fern Pool

I am in Tom Price tonight and tomorrow night and booked on a gorge tour in the morning. This will allow me to see Oxer lookout and Weano Gorge that my camper insurance won't allow. Pretty rough having a 7.30am pickup time while on holidays though. Oxer lookout, if i remember from 20 odd years ago was spectacular so hopefully it will be worth sitting in a Coaster Bus on a corrugated dirt road for 50km
until tomorrow

It rained today.................

But only for a few minutes...........

Left Meekatharra this morning still heading north, Bloody hell this is a big country. I will first show you some of the tourist attractions around Meekatharra.

Beautiful Meekatharra scenic vista

New Motor Vehicle Dealership

and finally Hoyts Cinemas Meekatharra

It was a slow and uneventfull journey to Newman, the weather has been patchy cloud and windy, I think i did about 30km extra chasing the Hiace all over the road arriving mid afternoon. The Iron Ore operation here is massive. The Mt Whaleback mine is 5km long and 1.5km wide.

the camper beside a haulpac at the visitors centre

I was told to do a tour of the mine but I am starting to get worried about running out of time, Karajini and Ningaloo interest me more. So next time it will be. Tomorrow morning it is off to the gorges of Karajini, well the couple you can get to on sealed roads anyway. i will look at my options for Knox and Weano gorges tomorrow night from Tom Price. I definitely want to go to Weano as i went there 20 years ago and I remember it being spectacular. Maybe a day tour or hire a 4x4 for the day and hopefully there is someone doing Helicopter Flights. 
signing off for tonight, I will post again from TomPrice tomorrow night.

not that kew........

hello all

It felt like Melbourne last night in Dalwallinu, it was freezing. I slept dressed in a beanie,trackie dacks and t shirt in a sleeping bag with another sleeping bag over me and shivered all night like a mangey dog. I was rewarded with a beautiful day though with 25c.

It's 6.30pm and i am typing this in thongs and shorts as it's currently 22c 

From Dalwallinu i headed north through Paynes Find and Mt Magnet, both old mining towns to another old mining town, Cue. 

For  you Melbournites not the Kew you are thinking of, this is the other one, the far Cue (think about that one)

I wanted to see the deserted towns of Big Bell and Day Dawn but unfortunately my camper insurance doesn't cover me on unsealed roads. The shell of the old hotel at Big Bell remains and it apparently had the longest bar in Australia for quite some time.

I got to Meekatharra today and had to call it a day as the next facilities are 280km away. In the morning it is off to Newman in the Pilbara and civilisation. Meeka is a nice place if you like flanelette and moccasins and don't mind carrying pepper spray.

The old Gentlemens Club in Cue

Yes it is made of Corrugated Iron.

The old Civic Centre in Cue

 

The old Miners Cottages in Cue

These old Cottages back onto the Caravan Park. The ammenities block used to be the Police cells and have been converted.

On my way North

Hello all

I arrived in Perth safely last night and went for breakfast with friends this morning, before collecting the camper. I am in Dalwallinu tonight after a stop at New Norcia. New Norcia was established in 1846 by a small group of Benedictine monks who came from Spain to save the Aboriginals of the area. There is 27 Heritage listed buildings in the town and the town is still run by monks in the traditional way

This is the old Bakery, the monks hand grind the flour and people travel far to buy their bread

Look out here I come............

well folks, the time is approaching fast. I will shortly be heading to the Airport to head off on my travels.
So it is goodbye sniffle city helllooooo sunshine (I hope)

Stay tuned for some great photos and a few stories (hopefully)

I will catch up with another post on the other side (Western Australia)