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28 June
As we get ready to farewell the Turquiose water of Exmouth and head for the ochre red dust of Karijini we have some last minute grocery items to collect as well as some bread from the bakery then it's time to hit the road for the 700k + drive.
As we leave Exmouth, there ar lots of sheep that keep wandering onto the road, fortunately we do not hit any of them, though there were several episodes of hard braking to avoid them.
Along the way there are lots of slow moving caravans and motorhomes. I don't know how they do it but they always seem to turn up just as they approach solid white lines where you can't overtake them. Naturally lots of roadtrains along this stretch of road also. Once we turn off highway 1 just after Nanutarra Roadhouse the amount of traffic diminishes significantly. The landscape changes continuously from rolling hills to long straight flat stretches. There are also more signs of large hills as we approach the area surrounding Karijini. Not surprising as the majority of WA's highest peaks can be found in this region.
There are 2 ways to get
to Tom Price a graded unsealed road or a bitumen road that leads through Parabadu. As we have not been through this area we decide to take the Parabadu option to see what the town looks like. With Parabadu having the only commercial airport in the area it is a hub for mining workers and tourists coming into and getting out of the area by air. The amount of traffic around the airport increases dramatically with lots of white 4x4's with orange flags and lights on the roof with headlights on and 2 occupants with safety vests heading for the airport. In the distance we can see the reason why. Another QANTAS flight is visible on the horizon and heading for Parabadu.
We pull into Tom Price to get some last minute supplies and the "winning" tatts ticket for Saturday night as well as refuel before heading into Karijini. Not long after leaving Tom Price we see our first dingo in the wild. Casually fossicing around on the roadside.
The last 26k into Karijini Eco Retreat is a graded dirt road, although from the number and size of the corrugations the grader has not been through for some
time. We arrive at 5:00 and quickly set up the tent before the sun drops over the horizon. Debbie and Steve have cooked up a roast chicken in their BabyQ that goes down very well. We also catch up with Steve's sister Veronica and her husband Moyle. Also from Victoria they are going to do some more traveling with Debbie and Steve for a while after we head home.
It turns out the last 26k of unsealed road was not kind to Debbie and Steve's caravan, something fell off in the shower, a pelmet broke loose in the main living area and the 240v power inverter no longer works. Let's hope no more breakages occur for them along the way!
A clear star filled sky with no wind during winter can only mean one thing up here. A cold night! I'm glad we brought a warm doona.
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