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Tom Price Mine Tour
The wheels were huge.Day 47 - Friday 19 May 2006
Exmouth to Tom Price
Well what can I say but it was a long day. We were warned of a huge dead kangaroo on the UHF radio that was lying on the road and boy was it huge. We had to cross over the other side of the road to avoid it. 670 km’s we travelled today. The scenery changed vastly. From sea and sand to big mountains and red dirt and green grass. There were hugh mounds everywhere and little either. We stopped at the only roadhouse which was 300 km’s from Exmouth (Nunuturra) - 1.89 per litre of diesel, $5.50 for a hot pie and $12.00 for a hamburger. We stopped on the side of the road for lunch in the middle of nowhere and no-one was following us. Every car and very limited at that was going the opposite way. 4.30pm we arrived and we were exhausted. We found the only caravan park for a powered site in the town. Tom Price is a mining town and has very good facilities considering they are in the middle of WOOP WOOP.
Day 48 - Saturday 20 May 2006
Tom Price
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GEOFF
This morning we went on a tour of the Pilbara Iron Mine Tour that commenced at 10am. We had to wear enclosed shoes and a hard hat and goggles when getting out of the coach. This is a huge place (refer photos). The tour conductor explained that it is a wholly mining town that people earn huge amounts of money. Apparently if you are employed by the mine you get accommodation provided and pay only approximately $250 per month in rent and $50 in electricity per two months. The company subsidises everything. He explained that it is a very young town and lots of kids in the area (two primary schools). But the question is what do they do here? A huge Coles Supermarket here. We asked the visitor centre and they told us that there is only the tour to do here and other than that Karinjini National Park. The trucks were huge (refer photos). We really enjoyed this tour and how the mine operates. The train picks up the iron ore and then travels to Dampier, off to shipping export.
All I can say is that there is RED DIRT everywhere. After the
tour we drove to Karijini National Park that is about 100 km’s away. We decided that we were going to bush camp in the Park. We arrived at Dale’s Gorge which is a campground that has a sealed road (for the caravan). We met up with a girl named Tracey and her 5 year old daughter Satia who were volunteer hosts for this campground. They volunteer their services for a period of time and collect fees for the CALM office. We found out that she lived in Balmoral Drive in Parkdale, one street away from the Meribah Court in Parkdale. She was only 1 year old when Graeme was 10 years old. Her surname was Jay (do you remember this family Colin). She also knows the family of kids that attend Aspendale Gardens Primary School - Connor, Patrick and Sebastian. Duane knows of these kids and if you can pass it on we have a letter from Tracey and Satia (not sure of the spelling). Kiera especially loved Satia and played with here all the time. They lived in a teepee (refer photo). After settling in that afternoon we walked to Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. How spectacular this place
is!!! The photos don’t do any justice. It gets very dark very quickly here and 6pm it is dark so we made sure that we were out of the gorges well before this time. Fern Pool was spectacular and we all went for a swim - a huge waterhole that has little fish that nibble your feet. Graeme swam under the waterfall and exclaimed it was like a fire hydrant going off on your head. If ever you come this way you must not miss this National Park (it is spectacular) but you must remember there is no A1 motel here and only bush camping allowed. You could hear the dingos in the distance and was told to keep your rubbish up high so it wouldn’t attract them. There is no rubbish bins provided and you have to take your rubbish with them. Because we had no power and only the generator the computer got good use and we watched a DVD that night (our own little Rimmer drive-in). We set the kids and ourselves up outside with blankets and nuts to eat. It gets very cold here at night but beautiful during the day. Trackies and jumpers on again.
Day 49 - Sunday 21 May 2006
Karijini National Park
This morning we visited the Weano Gorge area which was 50 km’s from our campground along red unsealed roads. It is amazing where the red dirt gets (everywhere). We went to the Visitor Centre which is in the shape of a lizard. We had a picnic lunch at the Gorge then we decided to go on a Class 5 walk down to the Ampitheatre and Spider walk to Kermit’s Pool. We were told you shouldn’t take kids down there but of course Graeme and I didn’t want to miss out, actually they were better and faster at it than us (especially Duane was like a mountain goat). It took us 1 ½ down the gorge along all these red rocks that move underfoot and in spaces you had to walk through water and walk along narrow ledges. It was a little difficult with Kiera but we made it to the Ampitheatre where it is well underground and the red rock (gorge) all around you. It was definitely like a open air theatre. Kiera was not able to do the Spider Walk as her legs were too short to reach
Satya and Kiera
Kiera's new friend. Please pass on this photo to Sebastian, Patrick and Connor at Aspendale Gardens PS. between the tunnel. You had to spread your arms and legs and walk between the rocks with water underneath you. Duane and Graeme did it first then I did it with Duane. There was a little pool at the end of it and it was quite scary as if you lost your footing you would end up on sharp rocks and in the water. The pool was freezing cold. Lot’s of older people gave up. We are so glad we are doing it at this age because I think you would miss out on a lot.
Day 50 - Monday 22 May 2006
Karijini National Park to Point Samson
We were actually sad to leave as there was so much more gorges and walks to explore. Bush camping was a really good experience this time. Kiera was sad to say goodbye to her new friend Satia. We had quite a big drive today. We stopped at Auski Roadhouse for a $5.50 pie for morning tea then drove on to Whim Creek pub for lunch. Whim Creek only has a pub but there is lot’s of construction happening around (I am not too sure what for). We decide to stay
Wildflower
Some of the flowers are so spectacular! at Point Samson which is about 40 km’s drive from Karratha. Point Samson is a sleepy little seaside village. They rave over their Honeymoon Cove Beach but the water is very murky and I think that is because of the recent cyclone. Lots of dirty seaweed hanging around. When we arrived there was suppose to be two caravan parks to choose from. We went to the first and the only one we could find but there was no vacancies. This was the first time ever we have been knocked back for a powered site. We were just about to get in the car and drive to Karratha when some people came up and told us about the supposedly 2nd caravan park. This caravan park was brand new and not officially open. They told us that they were staying there and to go and ask the man. We asked the man and he hummed and haaed and told us he shouldn’t be doing it because he hasn’t got his licence yet but he let us in. The showers and toilets were brand spanking and it felt a little like home. They were beautiful. We had tea at the tavern overlooking the
beach - garlic prawns and fisherman’s basket. The prawns were fantastic. We then went for a walk down to the beach where girls were fire baton twirling. Graeme had a go and nearly sent his goatie on fire. Mum you wouldn’t like Graeme at the moment as he is trying to grow his goatie really long.
Day 51 - Tuesday 23 May 2006
Point Samson
Today we didn’t do much and had a look around the regional centre of Karratha. The kids were happy to see McDonalds. There is a Kmart here and a fairly large shopping centre. We went to the Visitor Centre and tried to find about Millstream-Chichester National Park. People have told us not to miss this - it is like palms in an Oasis. We missed out on the Iron Ore tour which we were really disappointed. They only run in the morning and only certain days of the week. This is a real working (mining) town. The houses are very expensive for what they are and the rent is approximately $700 a week for a less than non-average house.
Day 52 - Wednesday 24 May 2006
Millstream National Park
We thought we would
Weano Gorge 1
This is the ladder that we had to climb up and down. go for a day trip today. This is along an unsealed road for approximately 70 km’s. This was really rough with some big rocks on the road. A lot of river crossing’s. We were told that Dampier/Karratha has had over a metre of rain where they normally have 200 mm’s a year. We went into the supposedly magnificent Python Pool. Very average - Karijini beats it hands down. Then we went on a 4 km return walk to McKenzie Springs. This turned out to be about an 8km walk as the trail was no better than a goat track. Very hard on your feet and it was hot. We weren’t sure whether we were heading in the right direction as there were hardly any signs. We met up with a couple that was from Queensland. The guy turned back but she kept walking with us. Appoximately 300 metres before the springs we were going to give up because Kiera was exhausted and Duane didn’t want to go on when we met these other walkers who told us we were nearly there. When we got there it was crap - a small waterfall coming over these rocks. How pathetic! The worst
thing was that we had all had to walk back. Kiera ended up on Graeme’s
shoulders. Poor Graeme but Duane just kept talking to this lady and didn’t take a breath. We were so hot and exhausted by the end of it we decided to go back to Python Pool for a swim. On the drive back we saw the same walkers on the side of the road. They had been walking since 9am and it was 2pm now. I felt so sorry for them, they looked much worse than we looked so we picked them up and drove them back to their campsite. We didn’t have to ask twice if they wanted a lift. We squashed in and they were so appreciative. We had lunch at Python Pool and then we all went for a skinny dip (sorry no photos). The pool was so cold and there was all these little fish swimming.
We didn’t think much of this National Park
Day 53 - Thursday 25 May 2006
Dampier
This is our last day in Dampier/Karratha so we went for a tourist drive around Dampier. The landscape is lots of red mountains with green coverage all over it.
Dampier
I have finally seen what all the WA's guys talk about now. Bent palm trees everywhere and the port is huge. I saw Barrow and Thevenard and amazed at how close you are but you cannot get there. Thevenard or Mackerel Island is best accessed from Onslow boat or air charter. I can see why the guys from work only fly in and fly out (FIFO) from Perth as not much to do.
Day 54 - Friday 26 May 2006
Point Samson to Port Hedland
Only 200 kms drive today. Everybody tells us to bypass Port Hedland. We visited the School of the Air and the Royal Flying to Service at the airport. Duane was really interested as he saw the teachers talking to the students on the outback stations from afar. They showed a map and photos of where the kids were in the outback. I am still amazed how big our country is and how vast our land is. We drove past the huge piles of salt - Dampier Salt that were being harvested. Kiera kept joking that she wanted some for her dinner. The port is huge here too with large ore-carriers and salt ships. Red dust is all over the buildings. Unlucky again we were as we
missed out on the tours as they only run Monday to Fridays and only run in the mornings. We have found that a lot of the things that they advertise are closed this time of the year or being modified. Duane was disappointed as he is doing a project for Distance Education on the Iron Ore process. We went for a cheap meal at the Port Hedland Yacht Club that evening to watch the ships depart. Really interesting.
Day 55 - Saturday 27 May 2006
Port Hedland
We had to stay an extra night as Graeme wanted to go to the Port Hedland horse races. We don’t like one night stops either too much because we feel like we are unpacking and packing. This was our last major town to stock up on before we get to Broome (12 days before we are due to met up with Jan and Ade). When we went to buy meat and get it vaccum packed Woolworths told us that their machine had broken down and wasn’t due back in town for 3 weeks. There is no other butcher in town and Coles in South Hedland don’t vac pack. We were in a quander of what to do and we were thinking how much canned food we could eat (YUK!) so Graeme had this idea to buy a vac pack machine as Harvey Norman (a small Harvey Norman) was in the same complex. I thought he was stupid. $250 later we walked out with this machine and needless to say we have lovely vac packed meals for the next 12 days. Graeme enjoyed the races as it was a real country field. Most races had only 6 horses in it and he found it strange that there was no admission. The kids and I stayed back and went in the pool as it was hot but cloudy. At the end of the horse race meeting they had a two up ring with betting done outside the ring. The people on the boundary of the ring would say “$50 tails” and if you wanted to bet against them you would have to give them $50 and they would hold the money until the throw. Graeme had a throw in the middle but lost.
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Longshaw Family
non-member comment
Hello
Hi Rimmer family, what a wonderful time you are having! From your photos it seems that you are seeing parts of Australia that most of us only dream about. We will keep watching your adventures with keen interest. regards and safe travelling. The Longshaws