Quondong Point to Tom Price

Thursday 11 July – Barn Hill Station

Leaving one of our favourite bush camps so far, Quondong Point, we travelled the 50 klm back into Broome to check on mail, top up shopping and fuel then headed south to go to Barn Hill only around 140 klm away.  We had to stop at roadworks on the way out of Broome and the signage on Wickedcamper stopped in front of us kept us amused.  

Road into Barn Hill

Turning west off the Northern Highway we travelled the relatively good dirt road for 10 klm to arrive at the pretty and very busy Barn Hill Station Caravan Park.  We jagged a powered site right at the front of the park overlooking the red cliffs and ocean beyond.

I connected up to the water and power which was followed by several trips back to the power box after the power kept tripping off.  After speaking to our neighbour I was informed the power is only 4amps (instead of 15amps) so that it is insufficient to run anything with a heating element.  Our hot water system, kettle, microwave and air conditioner were all banned substances for our time at Barn Hill.  Our hot water system is gas or electric so I switched it over to gas so we could have showers and hot washing up water.  Having hot shower water was a good outcome as the amenities block here are a little different – they have absolutely no roof/ceiling/overhang or anything else that provides overhead protection of any sort.  All sounds, scents and singing go up and out all around the park.  I assume that one carries an umbrella and waterproof toilet paper and soap to the toilet and shower when it is raining.

With the van set up we set off down the red cliffs onto the wide beach out front.  We walked for a couple of hours along the beach timing our return to coincide with yet another beautiful orange sunset over the ocean.  Like Broome, this event is enhanced by enjoying ones favourite drink while waiting for the inevitable sinking of the sun into the Indian Ocean around 5.35pm.  Whilst we didn’t have a drink ourselves we still drank in the beautiful event with the many people gathered with us.  The following are some photos from Barn Hill:

Friday 12 July to Sunday 14 July - 80 Mile Beach

Leaving Barn Hill we set sail south again travelling a couple of hundred kilometres before turning right again and travelling another 10 klm over good dirt road to 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park. Knowing we wouldn't get a powered site due to the school holiday crowds we took an unpowered site and were placed one row back behind the sand dunes – just perfect.  We have tap water and a large perfectly grassed site.  The weather remains beautiful with balmy days, cool nights, light winds and cloudless skies – just as it has been for most of this trip since Wyndham. 

We booked for two nights, extended by another and could have easily stayed a week.  The combination of great beach walks, beautiful weather and a little local community of friendly campers around us made for one of those classic beach-side holiday atmospheres.  Each night eleven of us would gather after dinner at Ian and Barb’s annex for a hilarious game of 30 year old Trivial Pursuit, Boys v’s Girls.  During the day we would catch up around the campsites swapping travel stories and ideas and stirring the other team about how bad they were.  Long walks on the beach each morning were rewarded with unusual shells and beautiful views.  Lots of large thread-fin salmon are being caught along the beach as well as numerous sharks and large sting rays.  It is not a place for swimming here.

Again the beauty of this special place is best shown through some photos we took:

There is no phone or internet connection here except intermittent phone reception sometimes late afternoon or late at night.  To obtain this requires the right timing and to stand on the highest rock on top of the sand dunes in front of the van park.  Space is at a premium when the signal arrives.  On Friday sometime a message came through to call Amy’s partner, Jamie.   When I finally got through some hours later, I was overjoyed to find out that Jamie was asking me for Amy’s hand in marriage.  Through the static, I think he heard that I couldn't be happier as next day there were multiple messages on my phone from Amy and when I finally got through she filled me in on the proposal and her excitement was contagious.  We’re so happy for them.

Monday 15 July 2013 - Albert Tognolini Lookout

Leaving 80 Mile Beach this morning was sad as we said goodbye to the lovely people we had met and friends we had made over the last three days.  Handshakes and hugs over with, we headed off with hula dancing and waving going on in our rear view mirrors.  We will certainly catch up with at least one couple from the group, Ian and Barb, as they live just 10 minutes from us on the Gold Coast and are due to return home much the same time as we are.

260 klm south of us is Port Hedland, a very busy and large mining port.  Tourists are not at all well catered for here and van parks charge $50 per night for sites with no shade and all bitumen surface.  We stopped here for food and fuel and headed off at noon towards Karijini NP in the Hamersley Ranges. 

The road to Karijini is very sparse as far as bush camps go although we had three options in our sights.  The first one was empty and close to the road, the second (Bea Bee) was good, down a sand track beside a dry river bed with just one caravan in, whilst the third was just right. 

Albert Tognolini Lookout is located 17 klm south of the Auski Roadhouse, the last fuel stop before Karijini.  Perched high up along a ridge, the lookout has spectacular views over the iron laden ruby red mountains covered in golden spinifex.  Given we didn’t arrive until 4.30 pm we were expecting the worst as far as site selection was concerned, however we jagged a great site on a little ridge jutting out into the valley.  With 270 degree views of the scenery below, we set up camp, got out the chairs, put dinner in the oven to cook, cracked the top off a beer and a bottle of champagne, toasted family and friends, all of whom we wished were here to experience this with us (but you would have to find a camp somewhere else) and realised that this was living.

As expected, the sun again set in the west this time creating a silhouette of the ghost gum tree located just behind our camp.  The stars came out, the beer glass emptied; our dinner was cooked so inside we went after a long but rewarding full day of travel. 

Tuesday 16 July – Day 1 Karijini NP

Up early to watch the sun rise over the eastern range at our Albert Tognolini Lookout campsite, we set up our chairs and had breakfast as the morning sun started to flood the valley below us. The yellow coloured spinifex carpeting the deep red iron laden ranges slowly lit up under the clear blue sky above.  This bush camp has been one of the most picturesque we have had on this trip. 

Site 51 Kangaroo Loop - Karijini

Packing up and leaving around 8am we headed down the mountain into Karijini NP.  With WA school holidays only half way through we were concerned about getting one of the 112 campsites in the Park.  A couple of days ago the WA ABC radio advised travellers not go to Karijini as it was overfull.  We arrived around 9.15am and sat in a queue to get into the national park.  As it turned out we had no problem getting in as there were 65 sites turning over that day.  We were allocated a good sunny and private spot in Kangaroo Loop site No. 51.  We ended up camping two sites from a lovely couple we met at 80 Mile Beach, Dino and Rose.  They were out sightseeing for the day but we spent a very pleasant afternoon and evening with them later in the day. 

Karijini has two sightseeing areas in a T shape.  We are camped at Dales Campground with Dales Gorge just 400 metres away.  At one end is Fortescue Falls with Circular Pool about 1 klm at the other end.  Day one we did a three hour walk along the ridge looking down into the Gorge.  We have already decided to extend our planned 2 night stay into a 3 night stay.  There is absolutely no phone or internet reception so by the time we leave we will have been over 3 days without contact with the outside world.

Wednesday 17 July – Day 2 Karijini NP

Up early and dressed for a solid walk, we spent 3.5 hours in Dales Gorge going up and back.  We arrived so early we had both Fortescue Falls and Circular Falls to ourselves.   The sky was cloudless, the temperature was moderate, and a cool wind kept us very comfortable as we explored Dales Gorge from one end to the other and back again with a short trip to Fern Pool at the end.

Dales

A little waterfall

Circular Pool

Thursday 18 July – Day 3 Karijini NP

Flooded track to Handrail Gorge

Knox Lookout

Weano Gorge - Kirijini NP

 Up early once more, and with temperatures quite cool, we set off to drive the 43 klm of mostly dirt road to the Weano Recreation Area, still part of Karijini NP.   We started off to walk Hancock Gorge only to find we were likely to get wet doing so. Not deterred, we set off to walk to Handrail Pool only to find that due to recent rains we couldn’t find a way through the water to the Pool.  Still not deterred, we walked along the base of the beautiful Weano Gorge and and along its ridge.  We then stopped in at Junction Pool then Oxer Lookouts for further breathtaking views.  Oxer Lookout provided magnificent views of the junction of Red, Weano, Joffre and Hancock Gorges 130 metres below. It was here we found a rock to sit on right on the very edge of the gorge and had morning tea.

Oxer Lookout

On our way home, we decided to call in to Knox and Joffre lookouts only to find they also had walks available.   Given we still had plenty of energy, after looking at the views from Knox Lookout, we drove to Joffre Waterfall Lookout and walked/ climbed/ scrambled/ slid our way down a Class 5 (bloody hard) walk of 3 kilometres return to the very bottom of the waterfall and back.   

Most of the other walks we’ve done over the past three days have been Class 3 or 4 walks so this was quite a bit more challenging particularly once we left the marked track to inch our way along a very narrow ledge above the water just a few metres below.  We were rewarded by standing in the base of the cathedral like plunge pool with the waterfall tumbling down the rocks in front of us.  We felt quite exhilarated by the end of the days walk and returned back home for a late lunch. 

Joffre Gorge - almost to the waterfall

Lonely Planet states that Karijini NP is “arguably one of WA’s most magnificent destinations” and we can support that sentiment.

  

Friday 19 July – Karijini to Tom Price

Leaving Karijini, we travelled to Mt Bruce (Punurrunha) lookout.  Mt Bruce is WA’s second-highest mountain because there is another mountain higher.  Below us was one of the numerous mines in this region with a kilometre long iron ore train lumbering past us.  Given we had plenty of time for our short (110 klm) drive to Tom Price we pulled into a roadside stop signed as a photo opportunity.  It turned out to be very unusual in that it was basically a large circle of memorial stones on top of a hillock overlooking the Pilbara plains.  The stones were ordinary rocks containing various messages about departed loved ones. Initially we thought the place was badly graffitied but a close look showed how special this place was for so many people.

Nameless Mountain - Tom Price

We drove to our caravan park in the mining town of Tom Price to start our chores after a week or so without power and with limited water.  The washing machine got a workout and the car and caravan a hose down. We finally have phone and internet so quite a while was spent going through nearly 100 emails and several phone messages.   

Nameless Mountain - Tom Price

After braking the back of our chores we drove a 4WD only track up to the top of Nameless Mountain to look down on the town of Tom Price and the iron ore mines in the hills around us. This drive is the highest drive in the whole of Western Australia.  The day was clear and cold with high winds.  They weren’t joking about it being 4WD only – the steep, rutted, rocky and windy track required low range 4WD for the duration of the journey however the views were magnificent and the drive was a “boys own adventure” experience.

 Saturday 20 July – Day 2 Tom Price

The wind started howling through the rigging over night (aka caravan awning) so we were both up during the middle of the night in the cold (5 degrees) taking in washing then putting the awning away.  

This morning we drove the 70 klm, including 30 klm of dirt, road to Hamersley Gorge and walked a short way to a stunning gorge with a small waterfall and enticing pool.   The waves in the rock formations tell of turbulent times in the past as the rock wall of the gorge formed and reformed over the last 2500 million years.   

Morning tea spot - Hamersley Gorge

Once back at the van we finished off our chores including trying to rid ourselves, the van and the car of the red dust and soil which permeates everything.  

Our plan is to start heading towards the coast from here, some 650 kilometres away.  It will take an overnight stay somewhere before we head into Cape Range NP, south of Exmouth.  The distances between things to see is quite staggering up here.

We both remain healthy and are still enjoying our time on the road.