Depart Hervey Bay at 8.30am.
We’re so excited as we’ve looked forward to this trip for sometime now and over the past weeks it’s all we’ve talked about.
Final packing of the car reveals that all we want to take just wont physically fit, so something must go…sadly it’s the fold up chairs and fishing gear. After some re-arranging we finally hit the road, bound today for Gladstone.
Located 540 km north of Brisbane and 107 km south of Rockhampton, Gladstone is one of the most substantial and commercially successful ports in Australia. In the last three decades this quiet, diminutive port has become a centre with some of the most sophisticated loading facilities in the country.
Gladstone Harbour
Gladstone Harbour
We arrived at Barney Beach Seabreeze Caravan Park around noon and settled into an ensuite cabin, which, as time revealed, had to be the most uncomfortable bed on our entire trip. The bed dipped badly in the middle causing us both to roll to the middle of the bed. Through the night I could stand it no more and opted to sleep in one of the single bunk beds.
After lunch we drove around Gladstone taking in the Harbour, Marina, Industrial Area and the City itself. Whilst Gladstone is a pretty city in places, it’s still an industrial city with a semi-permanent haze and industrial city odour… not a place I could live in.
Day 2. Drove over to Tannum Sands and Boyne Island for a look around.
Tannum Sands is just 9 kilometres from the Bruce Highway and just 20 kilometres from the city of Gladstone. Tannum Sands is renowned for its long white sandy beaches perfect for swimming, sailboarding and surf-skiing. Tannum Sands is home to 4,500 people and is just a stone's throw from Boyne Island.
The twin towns of Tannum Sands and Boyne Island are linked by the John Oxley Bridge over the Boyne River, which is perfect for fishing, boating, outrigging, and water-skiing. The twin towns are also home to Australia's largest Aluminium Smelter, Boyne Smelters Limited. The smelter employs over 1200 people and produces 490, 000 tonnes of metal a year. The Smelter runs tours of the site on Friday mornings.
Beautifully landscaped parklands and recreation facilities were created on this coastal foreshore area named Millennium Esplanade. Millennium Esplanade is on the main beach, where lifesavers patrol during Spring and Summer periods. With only a small variation in seasonal temperatures, the waters of Tannum Sands are perfect for year round swimming.
Whilst they are both pretty spots, the drive took little time, so I hit on the idea of driving to Biloela, as Bev had never been there. The drive was pleasant, the countryside dry and dusty… badly in need of rain.
Biloela is a growing rural town with a very diverse agricultural industry including cotton, sorghum, wheat, herbs and spices. The cattle industry is thriving with the largest number of cattle of any Shire in Queensland.
On the way back to Gladstone we stopped off at the Callide Power Station and Callide Coal mine for a look. I visited these places back in my working days when I worked for Morgan Equipment as Central and North Queensland Service Manager, and seeing them again left me with a feeling of nostalgia.
Day 3. Gladstone to Emerald.
Departed Gladstone at 8.00am and stopped for smoko in a park at Duaringa before continuing on to Emerald, arriving around 12.30pm.
This part of Queensland is so dry and badly needs rain. We soon discovered that this fact was evident right throughout Western Queensland, with many places looking like dust bowls.
Emerald is located on the Nogoa River 263 km west of Rockhampton and 909 km from Brisbane (via Rockhampton).
It is a typical thriving rural centre with a good-sized TAFE college, a rural training college (in very pleasant surroundings), and a large number of farm machinery sales outlets, a cotton gin, a huge irrigation dam and an airport. Established in 1879, it has slowly grown to be the major regional centre of the Central Highlands and the gateway to the Central Western district. The Capricorn hinterland contains the largest sapphire gemfields in the world.
After booking into an ensuite cabin at Emerald Cabin and Caravan Park we drove around Emerald and out to Fairbairn Dam and Lake Maraboon, both of which looked very low, after this we treated ourselves to a counter tea at a local pub.
Day 4. Emerald to Longreach.
Departed Emerald at 7.50am and stopped for smoko at Jericho. Stopped off at Barcaldine to photograph the Tree of Knowledge.
Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine (no longer there)
Barcaldine has the reputation of being the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party and the area, plus the Tree of Knowledge is steeped in Australia folk law.
Located 1080 km north-west Brisbane and 273 m above sea-level, Barcaldine is a sleepy town of 1700 people with a lot of pubs and a wealth of interesting and unusual buildings.
It is hard to imagine that this town was central to one of the more significant events in the political life of Australia: the shearers' strike of 1891, which played an important role in the events, which led to the formation of the Australian Labor Party.
Arrived in Longreach at 12.30pm and booked into very ordinary ensuite cabin at Gunnadoo Caravan Park.
After lunch we visited the Qantas Founders Museum… those early aviators were a courageous lot, the things they did would make your hair stand on end. After this we took in the sights of
Longreach.
Outside the Qantas Museum in Longreach
Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach
Located 1184 km from Brisbane and 676 km west of Rockhampton, Longreach is the largest town in central Queensland. Situated on the Thomson River 191 m above sea level it is the centre of one of Queensland's most prosperous wool and beef areas.
Day 5.
A visit to The Stockman’s Hall of Fame took up most of the day. We’ve both been there before, but it’s still great to re-visit this great tribute to outback Queensland. Longreach is blessed to have both the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum.
Inside the Stockman's Hall of Fame
Outside the Stockman's Hall of Fame
Day 6. Longreach to Winton.
Depart Longreach at 8.07am and arrived Winton at 10am. Just a short drive today as we wanted to visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre… I missed it the last time I was here.
After booking into an ensuite cabin in the Matilda Caravan Park we visited the Waltzing Matilda Centre and must say what a great job the locals have done there. The memorabilia is marvellous, and has been painstakingly collected and displayed.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre.
Completed in 1998 at a cost of $3.1 million the Waltzing Matilda Centre combined Winton's existing Qantilda Museum with an impressive range of new attractions many constructed around the story of the swagman as told in 'Banjo' Paterson's 'Waltzing Matilda'. There is a Billabong Courtyard in which lifesize characters (i.e. the troopers and the swaggie) and caught in action under a full-size coolabah tree. The centre also is home to the Outback Regional Art Gallery which concentrates on both historic and contemporary images of Australian outback and rural life.
Days 7 & 8. Winton to Mount Isa.
We arrived in Mount Isa before lunch and booked into Sunset Caravan Park. Our home for the next two days was an Olympic Cabin, that is, a cabin used by the athletes at the Sydney Olympics. While it was a little on the small size it was comfortable and all we needed.
After unpacking we drove up to the Mount Isa lookout and ran into the first problem on our trip, well it really ran into us.
While we were driving into the parking bay a local resident reversed out of another parking bay, without looking, and collided with the left hand rear side of the Sonata causing some damage to the rear bumper bar and left hand tail light. After getting her details, some murmuring under
our breath, and a phone call to our insurers, we continued our sight seeing.
Mount Isa from the Lookout
Signpost at Mount Isa Lookout
Mount Isa is the largest and most impressive township in western Queensland. Unlike Longreach (its only competitor), which has a very rural feel, Mount Isa is a mining town with an air of self-confidence and sophistication which is rare in outback Queensland.
Located 1829 km from Brisbane, 883 km from Townsville and 356 m above sea-level, Mount Isa proudly claims to be the largest city in the world; a fact born out by its accreditation in the Guinness Book of Records. The argument is that the city extends for 40 977 sq. km, and that the road from Mount Isa to Camooweal, a distance of 189 km, is the longest city road in the world.
Day 9. Mount Isa to Tennant Creek.
An early start saw us on the road at 6.50am. Stopped at Camooweal for petrol, $1.229 per litre. Saw a sign at servo advising motorists coming from the Northern Territory that they were now in Queensland and needed to advance their watches five years plus half an hour... someone has a keen sense of humour.
Stopped for petrol again at Barkley Roadhouse. This time we paid $1.339 per litre.
Arrived at Tennant Creek around 1.45pm and booked into Desert Sands self- contained units for the night. Not much to see in Tennant Creek, but we saw it anyway.
Day 10. Tennant Creek to Katherine.
6.55am,another early start.
Stopped at Daly Waters for petrol and smoko. Then went on to the Daly Waters Pub for a look. It’s certainly well worth a visit… very novel and very outback.
Even people who have never been to the Northern Territory know of the legendary Daly Waters Hotel.
Today, with a population of about 23, the town of Daly Waters has little to commend it apart from its historical pub which is like no other pub you've ever seen before.
On the way into town (the actual town of Daly Waters is located 7 km to the west of the Stuart Highway - it was built on the old stock route not the road) is the Stuart Tree. This remarkably dead looking tree has a plaque which reads: 'The explorer John McDouall Stuart is presumed to have carved the initial S on this tree on 23 May 1862 during his successful journey from Adelaide to Darwin 1861-62. Erected by the Northern Territory Forces in 1944.' If you look long and hard you can see a vague S on the eastern side of the tree.
We read in a newspaper some time later that a few days after our visit the Daly Waters Pub caught fire. When they phoned the fire brigade to come and assist, the fireman told them to get stuffed. It appears he didn’t like the operators. Never did find out what happened to the pub or the fireman. To say the people who live out this way are characters would be an understatement.
Lunched at Mataranka, how exciting! Apart from a number of aborigines sleeping it off in the park, we had the place to ourselves.
10 km to the east of the town, which, in fairness, is nothing more than a couple of roadhouses and a pub on the Stuart Highway, there is a small, 4 hectare park with a superb thermal pool and stands of cabbage tree palms and paperbarks.
Owned and operated as the Mataranka Homestead Tourist Resort this is a popular stopover and picnic spot for visitors to the area.
Perhaps even more importantly Mataranka is near the site of Elsey Station, the subject of Jeannie Gunn's enormously popular autobiographical novel We of the Never-Never.
Arrived Katherine at 2.15pm and booked into an ensuite cabin at the Shadylane Caravan Park on Gorge Road.
Katherine, with a population of over 6 000, is the third largest town in the Northern Territory. Located 340 km from Darwin and 1184 km from Alice Springs, the town is situated on the banks of the Katherine River far enough from the coast to avoid the humid excesses of the tropics (it has a annual rainfall of 960 mm nearly all of which falls between November and March) and yet sufficiently far north not to be surrounded by desert.
The most important tourist attraction in the Katherine area is the 180 352 hectare Katherine Gorge National Park located 32 km north east of Katherine. The Gorge actually comprises 13 separate gorges each of which is separated by rocky areas during the dry season. The Park offers swimming, bushwalking and boating as its main activities.
Sadly, because of the walking involved, I was unable to do the gorge boat trip. Bev had done it before, but I’d missed it the last time I was in Katherine. We looked at the possibility of seeing the gorge from the air, but once we saw the helicopter with no doors we soon dropped the idea. There were no fixed wing aircraft flights available at that time.
Days 11 &12.
We did get to see other sights in Katherine though. These included a visit to the School of the Air… well worthwhile and I’d highly recommend it to anyone. They do such great work there.
We visited the hot springs as well as the low-level bridge, Katherine Museum and Springvale Station. The Visitors Centre in Katherine is a credit to the area, and is most helpful. Went to see the Ghan arrive from Adelaide but found it was already in.
The Katherine Museum, which is located 3 km out of town on the Katherine Gorge Road is definitely worth a visit. It is well organised with a good range of interesting displays including a room on the Overland Telegraph Line, another on the Chinese in the Territory, detailed history of the changes of the town from the first settlement at Knots Crossing to the building of 'The Katherine', to the modern settlement.
They also publish and sell an interesting range of publications on aspects of local history including a booklet on the origin of the town's street names and a fascinating account of Russian Peanut Farming at Katherine 1929-1960. In the annals of local history can there ever have been a more exotic topic.
Day 13. Katherine to Darwin.
Depart Katherine at 7.30am and arrived Darwin around 11am.
Booked into an ensuite cabin at Palms Village Resort on the Stuart Highway. The cabin wasn’t ready so we drove into Darwin for a look around the port, city, markets and casino etc.
Booked a flight over Kakadu for Friday.
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory. Located between Beagle Gulf and Port Darwin and situated on Fannie Bay, Darwin is a thriving centre of over 110 000 people.
Day 14.
Had a lazy morning. Visited Mindil Markets in the afternoon. Drove down to Fannie Bay and East Point … made a mental note to return to East Point at sunset.
Day 15. Day Trip to Kakadu.
Drove down to Kakadu and went on a flight over Kakadu… really spectacular and so worth the time, effort and money. After that we visited Jabiru, Cooinda and Pine Creek. We wanted to take the Yellow River Cruise from Cooinda but arrived too late in the day and missed it. We drove back to Darwin in time to see and photograph the sunset at East Point… spectacular. This had been a really memorable day, and proved to be one of the most memorable on our entire trip.
Day 17. Day Trip to Litchfield National Park.
Drove down to Litchfield National Park and spent the day looking at the various sights. I couldn’t access some spots but found much pleasure in the ones I could, such as the termite mounds, Wangi Falls and Wangi Pool, the township of Batchelor.
Kakadu National Park may be world famous, but in the Top End locals often say their favourite park to visit is Litchfield.129 kilometres south of Darwin and 268 kilometres from Katherine the park is full of monsoon rainforest, streams and waterfalls, walking tracks, majestic magnetic termite mounds and wonderful escarpments.
Before leaving Darwin I enquired about a boat cruise on one of the billabongs in Litchfield National Park only to be advised that they did not run anymore. I had done a similar cruise in 1998 and wanted Bev to experience the wild life on the pristine billabongs too. We later found out that the information I’d been given in Darwin was incorrect and at least one cruise was still running. Grrrrrrrrr.
After Litchfield we drove down to Adelaide River and then back to Darwin.
Days 18 & 19.
Both quiet days. Washed the car one day and had it serviced the next. Sat around recharging the body batteries and watched some tennis on TV.
Day 20. Darwin to Katherine.
On our return trip to Katherine we detoured to see the Darwin Dam and the Berry Springs Nature Park. After arriving back in Katherine around lunchtime we booked into the same cabin we’d stayed in on the way to Darwin. After lunch we drove out to see the Ghan arrive from Darwin.
Day 21. Katherine to Kununurra.
Left Katherine at 7.30am and arrived Kununurra at 12.30pm after moving our watches back one and a half hours.
Just before entering Kununurra you pass through a quarantine checkpoint for fruit and vegetables. No fresh fruit or vegetables are allowed into Western Australia as they may carry fruit fly. Kununurra is a major fruit and vegetable growing area, getting its water from the Ord River.
Kununurra is a very long way from just about everywhere. If you take the short route from Perth, via the Great Northern Highway, it is 3184 km and if you take the long route it is 3336 km. It is also 1057 km from Broome (the nearest major town in Western Australia) and 1057 km from Darwin. And if you want to drive from Sydney it is about 4300 km.
We checked out the cabin we’d booked back in Darwin only to find it very unsatisfactory. You need to book ahead out this way as it gets very busy, however, part of the problem booking ahead is that you’re booking something sight unseen. As we intended staying for a week we wanted to be comfortable.
After looking around we were lucky to find a newish cabin at The Hidden Valley Caravan Park for little more per night than the cabin we’d originally booked. The management at Hidden Valley were a helpful lot, and through them we booked a flight over The Bungle Bungles, and a boat cruise on the Lower Ord River.
After this we did some much needed shopping, mainly for fruit and vegies, and looked around Kununurra Township.
Day 22. Boat cruise on the Lower Ord River.
We were picked up from the caravan park at 9.30am in a small bus and our first stop on the way to the boat was the Melon Farm for some melon tasting.
This farm grows a number of different types of melons and transports them to the southern markets.
The Ord River Scheme has enabled farming in what would otherwise be desert. The irrigation system is simple, but effective. It consists of a series of channels or ditches running parallel to each paddock, and the water is pumped from these over the crops, with the excess water draining back into the channel.
Since the building of Lake Argyle, the area has had an abundant supply of water, and a dam on the Lower Ord River ensures that there is little water wastage.
The bus trip was fifty-five kilometres to Carlton Hill Station, where the boat operator has a bush camp with a boat landing, and a shelter with tables and seating.
After a sumptuous barbeque lunch, cooked by the skipper and his helper, we boarded the boat and cruised up river for over an hour and a half before heading back to the landing for smoko.
After smoko we cruised down river as far as possible before heading back to the landing.
On this cruise we saw countless estuarine crocodiles on the riverbank and in the river itself. Cattle graze freely along the riverbank and often fall prey to these crocs.
It was dark when the bus dropped us back at the caravan Park, and like everyone on the cruise, we’d had a wonderful day.
Day 23. Flight over the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park).
Another small bus picked us up from the caravan park at 8.30am and took us out to the Kununurra Airport.
There are two different sized aircraft that do this trip and we’d booked the larger one for an extra $15.00 each. This proved to be well worth the money because as soon as the pilot realised that I walked with the aid of a walking stick he seated us right at the rear of the aircraft. We had lots of legroom as we were sitting in an aisle.
The trip was breathtaking and, upon reflection, we consider that it was the highlight of our entire trip. The scenery was spectacular and nothing like anything we’d ever seen before.
As part of the fight we also flew over Lake Argyle and the township of Kununurra.
After the trip we bought some post cards and a video of a flight over the Bungle Bungles so we can remember this experience for years to come.
The Bungle Bungle Range, in Purnululu National Park, is one of the most fascinating geological landmarks in Western Australia. From an aircraft, the Bungle Bungle Range is an imposing sight. The orange and black stripes across the beehive-like mounds, encased in a skin of silica and algae, are clearly visible as you approach from the south. As you sweep further over the range a hidden world of gorges and pools is revealed, with fan palms clinging precariously to walls and crevices in the rocks.
Sadly, our flight came to an end and we’d been bussed back to the caravan park around 11.30am.
After lunch we drove out to Ivanhoe Crossing and the Zebra Rock Gallery.
Ivanhoe Crossing was once part of the major route to Wyndham; it is now a favourite fishing spot for locals. The road crosses the Ord River but is flooded over. Water pours over the edge which creates the ideal breeding environment for the Barramundi fish, which grows up to a metre long and puts up fierce resistance. The unique flavour makes this fish highly sought after.
The Zebra Rock is coloured white and chocolate brown and generally is layered to form a Zebra like appearance. It is found near Kununurra and is unique, as it is not found anywhere else in the world. Some small polished pieces were purchased, as the larger items were quite expensive.
Day 24.
Drove out to Lake Argyle and had smoko in the lovely park overlooking the lake and the Upper Ord River. We could see fresh water crocodiles on the opposite bank.
Lake Argyle is amazing; it’s huge and a real inland sea in the middle of the Kimberley.
Lake Argyle was built as part of the Ord River scheme. A placard at the lookout explains that stage one of the project involved the building of Kununurra Diversion Dam and the development of 12 000 hectares of irrigable land on Ivanhoe plain and the establishment of Kununurra township. It was officially opened by R. G. Menzies in 1963 and the final allocation of farms was made in 1965.
Day 25.
Drove up to Wyndham, checked out the start of the Gibb River Road, visited the five Rivers Lookout overlooking Wyndham, and lunched on barra at the Wyndham Hotel, Windham Port.
Wyndham, Western Australia's most northerly town, is about as isolated as any town in Australia can be.
It sits on the edge of the Cambridge Gulf slowly boiling under the oppressive tropical sun, surrounded by salt lakes, desert and mudflats, which stretch to the horizon. It is located 3351 km from Perth via the North West Coastal Highway and 930 km from Derby.
It is, like so many of the towns in the Kimberley’s, actually two towns. There is old Wyndham (known as Wyndham Port) sweltering in the heat under that part of the Erskine Range known as 'The Bastion' and, a few kilometres up the Gulf on the road to Kununurra there is Wyndham Three Mile (sometimes known as Wyndham East). At the entrance to Wyndham Three Mile there is a huge 20 metre long concrete crocodile in the middle of the road. It is hard to avoid it.
Days 26 & 27.
Apart from a drive out to the other Zebra Rock Gallery, where Bev bought a really nice pair of Zebra Rock earrings, we had two lazy days re-charging our body batteries, grocery shopping and laundry.
Day 28.
Depart Kununurra for Halls Creek.
Gee, what can I say about Halls Creek?
We arrived there about midday and tried to book into our overnight accommodation, The Kimberly Hotel Motel, only to find that check in time was 2pm. With two hours to kill in Halls Creek we decided to go and visit Old Halls Creek and the China Wall. The road out to Old Halls Creek was just red bull dust and the drive out was punctuated with idiots all wanting to pass us, and each other, on this horror stretch of road.
There’s not too much left of Old Halls Creek, and the drive out was hardly worthwhile, considering how dirty the car now was.
We arrived back at the Kimberly Hotel Motel at 2pm only to be told that our room still wasn’t ready, Grrrrrrrrr, it just got worse from there. Upon finally entering the room it stunk of cigarettes. A phone call to reception did no good when the receptionist said, “It’s the only room we have available. What would you like to do?”
It was Thursday, pay day for the local aborigines, who spent much of the night howling like dogs outside the Kimberly Hotel Motel, and continuing their binge drinking, started earlier that day. Needless to say we were away early the next morning, before dawn in fact, beating a hasty retreat for Broome.
The aborigines both fascinated and intrigued Bev as we travelled throughout the Kimberly and Pilbara areas. She would watch them with mouth wide open as they yelled at each other and staggered about in their drunken state. Many times we saw them just lying on the ground, too drunk to stand. It’s a sad state of affairs just what alcohol has done to them, and how many of the ones we saw no longer had any pride or direction in life.
Day 29. Halls Creek to Broome.
As I just said, we left Halls Creek before dawn as we had a long drive ahead of us. Our first stop was Fitzroy Crossing for breakfast.
Originally we were going to overnight in Fitzroy Crossing and do a boat trip through the Geikie Gorge. However a phone call from Darwin revealed that the only accommodation in Fitzroy Crossing on the night we intended to stay was a motel room for $150.00 per night, at that price it was out of our reach, hence our change in plans. I’d done the Geikie Gorge trip back in ’98, but wanted Bev to see the gorge too.
After breakfast, and a quick drive around Fitzroy Crossing, we were on our way again.
We had also intended staying overnight in Derby on our way to Broome, but like Fitzroy Crossing, a prior phone call revealed that at that time there was no reasonably priced accommodation available. So instead we decided to call in to Derby for an hour or so on our way to Broome, which proved to be a great idea because anyone who has been to Derby can verify that there is not a lot to see.
Like Geikie Gorge, I’d been there before in ’98, but wanted Bev to see it too.
We popped down to the Harbour and I showed Bev just high the tides get, drove around the town, had a counter lunch in a pub, and then drove out to the Prison Boab Tree and cattle trough before continuing on our way to Broome.
We arrived in Broome and booked into the Ocean Lodge Apartments on Cable Beach Road. We’d try to get a cabin in one of the caravan parks but they were booked out due to the school holidays. After unpacking we ventured down to Cable Beach, the port area and China Town for a look around.
While Broome is a pretty place, it’s also very over rated in my opinion. It’s a great place to laze around in for a while, but there’s not really a lot to see.
Days 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.
Had a pretty lazy time around Broome. We went to Cable Beach a few times to photograph the sunsets, Bev had a good look around China Town while I sat on a seat and watched the world, and all its “ odd people” pass by. As I said before, I think that Broome is over rated and a week in Broome is much too long, unless of course you go fishing. As we’d left our fishing gear at home that was out for us.
One thing we wanted to see was “the staircase to the moon”, a phenomenon seen at certain phases of the moon where the moonlight over the mudflats resembles a staircase. Unfortunately, the moon phases were not favouring us and this phenomenon was not taking place for a month or more.
Day 35. Broome to Port Hedland.
Another long drive, another early start.
Located 1761 km north of Perth via the North West Coastal Highway or 1660 km via the Great Northern Highway, Port Hedland is one of the major iron ore ports in Australia. With a population of over 15 000 it is an industrial centre totally committed to the extraction, processing and exporting of iron ore. Its key symbols are the huge iron ore crushing mill at Nelson Point, the port with its gigantic iron ore carriers and the seemingly endless iron ore trains (as long as three kilometres and with up to 300 wagons) which move backwards and forwards from the mines at Mount Newman.
It is hard for the visitor to get too excited about Port Hedland. The accommodation is overpriced (presumably on the basis that miners and mining company executives can be charged anything), although there is backpacker and budget accommodation around, and the town is covered in a permanent layer of red dust from the Nelson Point crushing works.
Ho hum was Bev’s description in her hand written diary notes, and I guess that really says it all. However, it does offer excellent fishing, whale watching, mangrove crabbing, Harbour tours, bird watching and turtle nesting. It has a new and attractive town park (which sadly is over run with drunken aborigines) and it also makes a convenient base for tours of adjacent towns and national parks.
We booked into an overpriced cabin at the Cooke Point Caravan Park for 3 nights.
Days 36 and 37.
Explored around Port Hedland and South Hedland until we knew the place like the back of our hand. Nothing we saw or did altered our first impression of the place, and we came to the conclusion that Port Hedland could be seen in just one day.
Day 38. Port Hedland to Karratha
Depart Port Hedland for Karratha. On the way we deviated to Port Samson and Cossack for a look. Both were very interesting places, especially after just spending three days in Port Hedland.
Located 12 km from Roebourne and 1480 km north of Perth, Cossack is an historic ghost town at the mouth of the Harding River, although an active revitalisation program is fast turning it into one of the premier tourist attractions in the Pilbara.
After a very pleasant morning, we arrived in Karratha, did some essential grocery and then booked into a cabin in the Pilbara Holiday Park. On this drive we noticed that the famous Western Australian wild flowers were becoming prominent. In fact we saw our fist Sturt’s Desert Peas outside the Tourist information Centre in Karratha.
Price wise, they see you coming in these places. After our Big 4 discount we still paid $109.00 per night. We’ve stayed in brand new cabins on the Gold Coast for $65.00 per night. That aside, we found Karratha to be very interesting, with lots to see and do around the area. It is an 'open town' providing a variety of accommodation (albeit very over-priced) for visitors and purporting to have some attractions which go beyond the mining industry.
After we’d unpacked we drove around the township, and familiarized ourselves with the sights.
Located 1557 km north of Perth, on Nickol Bay, Karratha is a modern town providing accommodation and services for the employees of Hamersley Iron, Robe River Associates, the Dampier Salt Company and the workers on the North West Shelf Gas and Petroleum project.
Days 39 and 40.
Drove over to Dampier and explored around there for the morning before venturing over to the North West Shelf Gas Venture at Burrup Point, very interesting.
North West Shelf Project Visitors Centre.
The main attraction for visitors is the North West Shelf Project Visitors Centre on Burrup Road, which features viewing areas of the plant complete with models and a theatrette where a film of the project is regularly screened.
Day 41.
Depart Karratha for Exmouth. Another long drive (565 K’s).
This trip was relatively boring and we encountered the first rain on our trip so far. I guess we’ve been really lucky to date to have the 40 days of blue skies, lots of sunshine and warmth. This would soon change, but we didn’t know that at this time.
We were booked into a cabin in the Ningaloo Holiday Park, and while we paid $91.70 per night, the cabin was almost new and had everything we needed, even a stereo system.
Days 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46.
We spent time visiting all the sights in and around Exmouth that we could.
The places we visited included, Yardie Creek, North West Cape Light House, Cape Range National Park and Turquoise Bay.
Located on the eastern coast of the North West Cape 1270 km north of Perth and 13 m above sea level, Exmouth was, historically, a naval town serving the US Naval Communication Station, Harold E. Holt, and the Learmonth RAAF Base. The US Navy left in the early 1990s and while part of the old naval base is still used by the Australian Navy (another part has become accommodation for backpackers) today the town is driven primarily by tourism with deep sea fishing, the beautiful Ningaloo Reef and the complex coastal wildlife (whale sharks are prevalent in the area) attracting visitors to this hauntingly beautiful region.
Day 47. Exmouth to Carnarvon.
Depart Exmouth for Carnarvon. It has rained on and off during our stay in Exmouth, and at one stage, we heard that the road to Carnarvon was cut by floodwaters. We noticed deep pools of water alongside the roadway, and on two occasions we had to drive through water covering the road.
On our way to Carnarvon to popped in to Coral Bay for a quick look around. We had intended staying there overnight but a phone call ahead revealed exorbitant for cabins so we decided to just pop in for a visit. There’s not much to Coral Bay, just two caravan parks and some other accommodation, some shops and of course the attraction is Ningaloo Reef.
Located 234 km north of Carnarvon, 154 km south of Exmouth and 1131 km north of Perth, Coral Bay is a small holiday resort for people wishing to avoid the more conventional tourist destinations. It is really nothing more than a couple of caravan parks, holiday homes for fishermen, and a few basic facilities to ensure that visitors do not have to make the 143 km journey to Exmouth every time they want a loaf of bread or a tub of ice cream.
The town's great appeal is its access to the 260 km Ningaloo Reef which lies close to the shore and forms a kind of natural lagoon which is ideal for people wishing to fish (although the waters of Coral Bay itself are a sanctuary area and 'no fishing' regulations apply), snorkel, scuba dive or explore the reef.
Days 48 and 49.
Checked out the sights and visited One Mile Jetty (and were eaten alive by sand flies), Munro’s Banana Plantation, Town Lookout and NASA tracking station.
Day 50. Carnarvon to Denham.
On the trip between Carnarvon to Denham we ran into a number of showers. It looked like the sunny days and blue skies we’d experienced further north we gone, for now anyway. The inclement weather really didn’t hinder us though, and we were still able to get out and see and do things.
On the way we popped into Nanga Bay for a look around. I’d stayed here for a few days back in ’98 and found it to be a beautiful place to relax and do some fishing. In ’98 the caravan park was full, and the fishing huts were full too with fishermen from mainly Perth there to catch the plentiful West Australia Snapper. This time the place was almost deserted… I’m not sure why!
After booking into a chalet at the Blue Dolphin Caravan Park we headed over to Monkey Mia for a look around.
Denham is both the western most town in Australia (at the 113°32" East meridian of longitude) and the gateway to Monkey Mia with its friendly dolphins. Located on the western coast of the Peron Peninsula it is 23 km southwest of the dolphins and 831 km north of Perth.
Days 51 and 52.
Went back to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins being fed, but arrived to late.
Booked a two-hour cruise on the catamaran “Aristocat 2” for 11am. By the time we got under way the sun was shining through the clouds and it looked like being a really nice day. It was beautiful cruising on the Indian Ocean, and we saw lots of dolphins at play. Also we saw flocks of sea birds chasing baitfish, and the dolphins joined in on this too.
The rest of the day, and the following day was spent exploring around Denham and Shark Bay in general… what a beautiful place.
Day 53. Denham to Kalbarri.
Up early and on our way. The wildflowers along the roadside are just spectacular. Closer to Kalbarri they were growing in fields as far as the eye could see. Witnessing this was a real highlight and something we’d both looked forward to.
After arriving in Kalbarri we booked into a nice cabin at the Murchison Caravan Park, and drove around the town, then did some grocery shopping.
Located 586 km north of Perth, Kalbarri is a delightful tourist and fishing village surrounded by one of the most beautiful regions of wildflowers in Australia.
Day 54.
Today was spent exploring the inland gorges in the Kalbarri National Park, and the coastal gorges around Kalbarri. While exploring the coastal gorges we were privileged to see whales breeching in the Indian Ocean. What a day!
Day 55.
Today we visited the Kalbarri Wildflower Centre and some of the souvenir shops, and then lunched at the Black Rock Café.
Day 56.
Lazy day today mainly spent with Bev doing washing and just relaxing.
Day 57. Kalbarri to Geraldton.
The countryside along the way was just magnificent… lush green paddocks filled with fat cattle and sheep. On the way to Geraldton we deviated to Port Gregory for a look. While there’s not much to see at Port Gregory, the Pink Lake is quite spectacular.
The pink colour comes from algae growing in the water.
After arriving in Geraldton we booked into a very new cabin in the Belair Gardens Caravan Park at Point Moore, and then went for a drive around the city.
Day 58.
Today we’re doing a day trip to Mullewa, some 100K’s to the east of Geraldton to see the wild flowers. This area has the reputation of being the wildflower centre of WA. I missed it when I was in Geraldton in ’98, and was thereby determined to see it this time.
Then we stumbled upon the Tourist Information Centre, which as luck would have it, was open.
The lady volunteer on duty was most helpful, plying us with maps and lots of local information. She said that if we wanted to see some spectacular wild flowers we should drive out to Coalseam Conservation Park, and gave us a home made mud map of just how to get there.
From Mullewa this scenic drive passes through some of the finest wheatlands in the district. As mentioned previously, in earlier times this same area saw some of the State’s earliest conflicts between Aboriginals and European settlers, resulting in the spearing of a shepherd, and the hanging of those responsible.
The site of this hanging is on Butterabby Road. The drive then continues to the picturesque Coalseam Conservation Park and the top of Irwin Lookout; a must see for artists and photographers.
At this time of the year (early Spring) the Everlastings carpet the landscape. The total round trip is some 122 K’s.
Everyone who travels through WA in the spring wants to see fields of wildflowers – those featured in advertisements and calendars. Those fields of flowers do exist, although not everywhere, and in some years they are more spectacular than in others.
Days 59 and 60.
Spent these days checking out all the points of interest in and around Geraldton.
Day 61. Geraldton to Perth.
On the way to Perth we detoured toward the coast and popped in to Cervantes for a look at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. On the way we passed through the seaside township of Jurien.
Located 245 km north of Perth, Cervantes is a pleasant, rather underdeveloped, fishing village and holiday destination with three jetties, a very good motel, a caravan park and a rock lobster processing plant.
There is little doubt that The Pinnacles rate with the dolphins at Shark Bay and the cliffs at Kalbarri as the premier attractions on the coast between Perth and Carnarvon. These strange, much photographed, limestone pillars look like no other landscape in Australia. There is a quality of moonscape or some science fiction movie about the whole area.
We arrived in Karinyup, to the north of Perth, around mid afternoon and booked into a cabin in the Karinyup Waters Resort. It seems now that many caravan parks call themselves resorts; in my opinion this is done to justify the prices they now charge.
Karinyup was to be our base for the next six days. From here we would do day trips in and around the Perth area in order to see the many sights.
Days 62 to 67.
Explored around the area and visited, Kings Park, Perth City, and Fremantle. The weather wasn’t the best; cold and showery, and when we weren’t sight seeing we stayed in the cabin and watched the Olympic Games on TV.
It was whilst we were in the Perth area that we sold our Hyundai Sonata sedan, and made the change up to a small motor home, which I've covered in the post "Our Cars and Caravans".
Day 68. Karinyup to Rockingham.
Drove down to Rockingham, a pretty beachside suburb to the south of Perth. Booked into a caravan park for the night so we could check out the sights.
Days 69 and 70. Rockingham to Mandurah.
We decided to spend two days in Mandurah, as there seemed to be much to see around this area.
Day 71. Mandurah to Margaret River.
We had heard so much about the Margaret River area we decided to go and see it for ourselves. On the way we passed through Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough. It was our intention to spend time in both Bunbury and Busselton, but due to the bad weather we experienced, we just kept going.
After stopping for a counter lunch in Dunsborough we continued on to Margaret River, arriving there late afternoon. On our arrival it was still raining, blowing a gale and freezing, so we booked into a caravan park for the night. It’s a very popular area, and accommodation was difficult to find.
One of the great attractions of Margaret River is the vineyards and wineries, which lie between Busselton and Witchcliffe. The climate in the area is perfect for wine growing. It is classically Mediterranean with cool frost-free winters, good soils which retain the moisture, low summer rainfall and a long, slow ripening period.
This is a new industry in the area. The first grape vines were planted as recently as 1967 but already the region is producing Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. There are now over 40 wineries in the area. People wanting to do a little tasting should contact the Margaret River Tourist Association, which has maps and details of opening times.
Margaret River is also very popular with the surfing fraternity as it boasts some of the best surfing spots in Western Australia, some say in all of Australia.
In my opinion Margaret River is very over rated. If you don’t drink wine or surf there is very little to see or do.
Day 72. Margaret River to Northcliffe.
This proved to be a very interesting day. After departing Margaret River we headed south and drove down to Cape Leeuwin and Augusta. This was a very scenic drive and well worth the effort. After stopping at the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin we doubled back and headed for Pemberton, which was to be our destination today.
The drive to Pemberton was very interesting and we saw a diversity of landscapes, from lush green farming land to huge Karri Forests. Our intention today was to ride the little red tram at Pemberton through the Karri Forest.
I had done the tram trip back in ’98, but wanted Bev to enjoy the experience too. We arrived in Pemberton too early for the tram so popped into a local pub and had a counter lunch. The pub was lovely and warm; they had a fire going, so we hung around until it was time to board the tram chatting to a couple of fellow travellers.
The tram trip was great, the rain held off for most of the journey, and we got to see some wonderful timber country. This particularly interested Bev, as I knew it would, as she spent many years working in the timber industry.
After our tram trip we looked at booking into the local caravan park, but found it to be totally unacceptable. So, not know what lay ahead of us, we set off looking for somewhere else to stop for the night.
It was very dark when we drove into the sleepy little town of Northcliffe, and it had started to rain again. We decided this would have to be our destination tonight and booked into a lovely little motel, as there was no caravan park.
Days 73 and 74. Northcliffe to Albany.
On the way we passed through the sleepy little towns of Walpole and Denmark. I say sleepy because it was Sunday, and nothing or no one stirred as we passed by.
After arriving in Albany we booked into a caravan park for two days.
During our stay we explored the town and all the surrounding areas, including, Whale World, The Wind Farm, Frenchmans Bay, the Blow Hole, Natural Arch, Albany Harbour, Middleton Beach, Princess Royal Fortress, the replica of the brig Amity, Dog Rock, the old post office and other historic buildings and then took the tourist drive to Torndirrup National Park.
What an extraordinary town! A main street, which seems to go straight into the Princess Royal Harbour. Magnificent views across the Harbour from just about every vantage point. Gracious churches, public buildings and historic harbourside stores and wharves. Superb stretches of dramatic coastline weathered by the timeless forces of the Southern Ocean. There is no debate: Albany is one of the truly remarkable places in Western Australia. A beautiful town in a beautiful setting.
Day 75. Albany to Hyden.
In ’98 I missed going to Hyden to see Wave Rock, so we decided that we would go out of our way as we journeyed toward Esperance and go there to witness this strange phenomenon.
On our way we stopped for a counter lunch at the Ravensthorpe Pub.
It was late when we arrived at Wave Rock and we decided that we would come back the next day. We checked out the caravan park close by and gave it a miss. The woman in the caravan park shop was quite rude, and I’m intolerant of rude people. We drove into Hyden and booked into the hotel motel for $107.00 per night, another rip off.
Hyden is a small wheatbelt town, which lies 336 km south east of Perth. It would be a rather unimportant and insignificant town were it not for the remarkable Wave Rock, which lies to the west of the town.
The main reason people visit Hyden is to see the remarkable Wave Rock, which is part of the much larger Hyden Rock. It is located 4 km east of Hyden. Wave Rock is but one of hundreds of granite outcrops which dot the whole of the Central Wheat Belt. They were formed 3000 million years ago.
The main attraction with Wave Rock is its shape, which is like a huge collapsing wave. It is over 100 metres long. It is likely that this remarkable shape was caused by the weathering of the rock below ground before it was exposed. This unusual shape has been greatly highlighted by vertical streaks of algae, which grow on the surface of the 'wave' as dark black stains which change to brown during the dry season.
It was early when we rose and drove back out to Wave Rock. It had rained through the night and Wave Rock looked spectacular in the morning sunlight.
Day 76. Hyden to Esperance.
We retraced our steps back to the Coast Highway, and then continued on our way to Esperance. Upon our arrival we booked into a caravan park, looked around the town and did some necessary grocery shopping.
This is where we traded our newly aquired motor home in, and drove away in a Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD...I've covered this experience in the post titled "Our Cars and Caravans!"
Many people believe that the drive from Esperance west along Twilight Beach Road past West Beach, Chapman's Point, Blue Haven Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Twilight Beach is the most beautiful stretch of coastline to be seen anywhere in Australia. The impossibly white sands, the gently rounded granite cliffs, and the ocean changing from aquamarine near the shore to a deep blue out near the islands of the Archipelago of the Recherche is a combination of natural beauties which make Esperance one of the true wonders of the Australian coastline.
Days 77 and 78.
After an extremely uncomfortable night (it blew a gale and rained most of the night) we booked out of the caravan park and booked into a lovely holiday apartment nearer the beach for two nights.
Over the next two days we explored all around the Esperance area, taking in as many sights as possible.
Day 79. Esperance to Kalgoorlie.
It was still raining off and on when we left Esperance for Kalgoorlie. On the way we passed through Norseman, which is at the beginning of the Nullarbor crossing. We noticed that we were back in wild flower country again, and enjoyed seeing the spectacular show.
Upon our arrival we looked around for suitable accommodation and finally booked into a nice cabin in a caravan park. After settling in we drove around Kalgoorlie and were impressed with the old buildings.
We visited the Super Pit, the mine site right on the edge of the town. Seeing the machinery I was taken back to my days with Morgan Equipment, and swapped a few yarns with some other tourists looking out over the mine site from the lookout.
Days 80 and 81.
Continued sight seeing around Kalgoorlie.
Day 82. Kalgoorlie to Nundroo, South Australia- Nullarbor Crossing.
Depart Kalgoorlie early for what was to be a long drive, though we didn’t know it at the time.
Our aim was to get as far as the township of Nullarbor, which is some 1085 K’s; however upon our arrival there around nightfall we discovered that there was no accommodation available. We noticed a tour coach parked beside the motel and learned that this was the cause for the lack of accommodation.
We had no option but to press on, and, after consulting our map, set out for the next stop, Yalata. When we arrived there the roadhouse was in darkness so we set off for the next place on the map, Nundroo.
Nundroo is little more than a roadhouse, with a pub and motel attached, but late at night it was a very welcome sight. After a meal in their roadhouse restaurant we booked into a motel room for what was left of the night. Our speedometer indicated that we had covered 1300 K’s that day, and we were both really tired.
Some people enjoy crossing the Nullarbor, I’m not sure why, but I personally detest the boredom and distance involved. In my opinion there is little to see, and the cost of petrol is exorbitant… to each his own.
Day 83. Nundroo to Port Pirie.
Up early and away. Today our destination was Port Augusta, where we intended spending a few days exploring around the area, in particular the Wilpena Pound area. Little did we know we would be faced with lack of accommodation yet again?
We stopped along the way for breakfast, and passed through Ceduna and a number of other small towns on our way to Port Augusta. Upon arrival there we quickly discovered that there was some event on relating to all the schools in the area and there wasn’t a spare bed to be found. We pushed on to Port Pirie, changing our plans regarding our visit to Wilpena Pound, deciding instead to go through the Borossa Valley and on to Renmark, on the mighty Murray River.
We looked around Port Pirie, visited the Tourist Information Centre, booked into a motel, had Chinese for dinner, before getting an early night… we were exhausted.
Days 84 and 85. Port Pirie to Renmark.
Up early again and breakfasted at Mackas. Acting on the advice we’d received at the Tourist Information Centre the day before we had decided to drive through the Clare Valley, passing through Crystal Brook, via Gawler, in order to get to the Borossa Valley. The drive was just spectacular; the countryside was lush and green, everything looked beautiful.
Clare is the major township in the Clare Valley. Located 136 km from Adelaide it is an ideal place to stay if you intend exploring the thirty wineries, which stretch, from Emerald Estate in the north to Grosset Wines south of Auburn in the south.
We passed through many quaint little country towns on the way, and stopped at one, Auburn, just to buy a post card, as the buildings were so impressive.
After the Clare Valley we entered the Borossa Valley via Gawler, and drove through this magnificent part of South Australia. While Bev had visited here before, I hadn’t and appreciated her commentary on the drive through. As neither of us are wine drinkers we didn’t stop to sample the product from the many cellar door outlets, but did appreciate the countryside.
We arrived in Renmark and booked into a cabin at the Riverbend Caravan Park right on the banks of the Murray River… what a magnificent spot!
After we’d settled into the cabin we explored around the township of Renmark.
Renmark is the oldest settlement on the Murray River, and is located 256 km north east of Adelaide, 145 km from Mildura and 20 metres above sea level. Renmark is a large and prosperous town in the heart of an area of an orchard area where limes, olives, apricots, grapes, plums, garlic and a wide range of fruit are all grown.
Like so many of the towns in the area Renmark is characterised by extraordinarily wide streets with virtual parks in the middle of the roads.
Whilst in the area we paid a visit to Angove's Winery, which is located in Bookmark Avenue, Renmark. Our purpose in visiting the winery was to purchase some wine for Kim for looking after our mail while we travelled. We also tried to book a river cruise, but found that the boat would not be operating while we were going to be in Renmark.
Day 86. Renmark to Mildura - Victoria.
The drive between Renmark and Mildura is very pleasant and we were in Mildura before we knew it.
I’d never been to Mildura before and was suitably impressed with the gardens and buildings as we drove into the city… it’s a very clean city with a huge amount of pride.
We booked into a lovely holiday apartment and then went for a drive out to Red Cliffs where we visited Woodsie’s Gem Shop. The weather in Mildura was fantastic, clear blue skies and warm days.
Mildura is a major regional city of some 22 000 people located near the north-western tip of Victoria and at the centre of an area known as 'Sunraysia'.
Mildura is also a riverside resort, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In this regard it is literally an oasis in the desert and its paddle steamers, lush golf course and other attractions are a welcome site after many kilometres of consistently dry brown terrain and wheat fields.
Days 87 and 88. Continued to explore around Mildura and did a river cruise on the old paddle steamer PS Melbourne. The cruise took us down river through lock 11 and back again. The journey both ways through the lock was a real experience as when you enter it one way the level is low, and the other way it’s high.
We also visited the township of Wentworth, which is not far from Mildura on the way to Broken Hill. This town is on the junction of the Darling River and Murray River and is quite historic.
Day 89. Mildura to Cobar NSW.
Our original destination was to be Broken Hill, where we were going to spend a few days looking around and visiting Silverton, the site used in a number of Australian movies.
On our arrival in Broken Hill we tried to find cabin accommodation in a number of caravan parks, however the standard of the cabins was way below what we would stay in. In a couple of words they were both small and grotty. We then went looking for motel accommodation only to find that there was something on in Broken Hill and all the motels were full. That left us no option but to press on.
We left Broken Hill just after lunch, heading east toward Wilcannia. The drive through the desert was even more boring than the Nullarbor crossing, and we had a howling northerly wind at our side creating a haze of dust as far as the eye could see.
We stopped in Wilcannia just long enough to grab a cold drink, and then kept heading for Cobar, where we would stay tonight. We decided enroute to change our itinerary, and instead of heading north to Bourke we would head south to Sydney and catch up with family.
Bev phoned Mike and told him of our plans, asking him to contact the other family members to arrange a get together at Panthers Rugby League Club.
It was dark when we arrived in Cobar and booked into the first decent looking motel we found, and headed off for a counter meal at a local pub. This proved to be the biggest pub meal we’ve ever had as we left half on our plates. Bev and I are pretty good on the tooth, but this one stopped us.
Cobar is a reasonable sized town and appeared to be well kept.
Day 90. Cobar to Penrith.
Another early start as we had another long drive ahead. We stopped for breakfast at a truck stop in Nyngan, and shared breakfast time with a group of hungry truckies.
On our way to Penrith we passed through many towns such as Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. The drive was very pleasant as the scenery changed all the time.
While passing through Bathurst Bev was driving and deviated to Mount Panorama to show me the race circuit. We actually drove on the circuit and I had to remind Bev a few times that is wasn’t race day.
At Penrith we booked into a nice villa at Nepean Shores, right on the Nepean River.
Day 91. Visited Kerrie in the morning and found Ella and Cass there too. Kerrie had kept them home from school to catch up with us. That night we all met at Panthers for dinner and a catch up.
Day 92. Penrith to Laurieton (North Haven).
The drive from Penrith to Laurieton was pleasant, apart from the Sydney morning traffic.
We visited Laurieton last year while staying in Port Macquarie and both fell in love with this tranquil little seaside paradise.On arrival we booked in to a cabin in North Haven for two nights, then set off to explore the area.
In the heart of the Camden Haven area, Laurieton offers an extensive range of water related activities, a comprehensive an attractive shopping centre, trade park service area, library, tennis courts, squash courts, sporting facilities, swimming pool, community health centre, hotel and ex-serviceman's club with excellent facilities, a selection of fine restaurants, caravan parks and all the services and amenities expected of a thriving holiday town.
Day 93. Drove up to the lookout at North Brother Mountain and witnessed the most spectacular views. We were fortunate to be there when a group of hang glider pilots arrived and launched themselves right off the edge of the mountain.
After this we continued on our site seeing excursion of the area.
Days 94 and 95. Laurieton to Tweed Heads – Gold Coast.
The drive to Tweed heads was enjoyable as the road has improved and no longer runs through many of the smaller towns. On arrival at Tweed Heads we booked into a nice new cabin at the Pyramid Caravan Village as we’ve stayed there before.
I phoned Kim that night and arranged to meet up with her after she finished work the following day.
The following day Bev and I went to the movies at Tweed Heads and saw Jennifer Garner in Suddenly Thirty. A bit of a chick flick, but not too bad. In the afternoon we headed for Kim’s to catch up with her, Jesse and Cameron. We bought pizza and apple pie for dinner and had a good catch up.
Day 96. Tweed Heads to Hervey Bay.
Homeward bound! We had an uneventful trip home, arriving about lunchtime.
While Bev was glad to be home after being away for three months, I, on the other hand, could have kept going. Perhaps I never know when I’ve had enough?
Funnily, on the way home we were discussing just where we’d go on our next trip… who knows?
Day 9. Mount Isa to Tennant Creek.
An early start saw us on the road at 6.50am. Stopped at Camooweal for petrol, $1.229 per litre. Saw a sign at servo advising motorists coming from the Northern Territory that they were now in Queensland and needed to advance their watches five years plus half an hour... someone has a keen sense of humour.
Stopped for petrol again at Barkley Roadhouse. This time we paid $1.339 per litre.
Arrived at Tennant Creek around 1.45pm and booked into Desert Sands self- contained units for the night. Not much to see in Tennant Creek, but we saw it anyway.
Day 10. Tennant Creek to Katherine.
6.55am,another early start.
Stopped at Daly Waters for petrol and smoko. Then went on to the Daly Waters Pub for a look. It’s certainly well worth a visit… very novel and very outback.
Even people who have never been to the Northern Territory know of the legendary Daly Waters Hotel.
Today, with a population of about 23, the town of Daly Waters has little to commend it apart from its historical pub which is like no other pub you've ever seen before.
On the way into town (the actual town of Daly Waters is located 7 km to the west of the Stuart Highway - it was built on the old stock route not the road) is the Stuart Tree. This remarkably dead looking tree has a plaque which reads: 'The explorer John McDouall Stuart is presumed to have carved the initial S on this tree on 23 May 1862 during his successful journey from Adelaide to Darwin 1861-62. Erected by the Northern Territory Forces in 1944.' If you look long and hard you can see a vague S on the eastern side of the tree.
We read in a newspaper some time later that a few days after our visit the Daly Waters Pub caught fire. When they phoned the fire brigade to come and assist, the fireman told them to get stuffed. It appears he didn’t like the operators. Never did find out what happened to the pub or the fireman. To say the people who live out this way are characters would be an understatement.
Lunched at Mataranka, how exciting! Apart from a number of aborigines sleeping it off in the park, we had the place to ourselves.
10 km to the east of the town, which, in fairness, is nothing more than a couple of roadhouses and a pub on the Stuart Highway, there is a small, 4 hectare park with a superb thermal pool and stands of cabbage tree palms and paperbarks.
Owned and operated as the Mataranka Homestead Tourist Resort this is a popular stopover and picnic spot for visitors to the area.
Perhaps even more importantly Mataranka is near the site of Elsey Station, the subject of Jeannie Gunn's enormously popular autobiographical novel We of the Never-Never.
Arrived Katherine at 2.15pm and booked into an ensuite cabin at the Shadylane Caravan Park on Gorge Road.
Katherine, with a population of over 6 000, is the third largest town in the Northern Territory. Located 340 km from Darwin and 1184 km from Alice Springs, the town is situated on the banks of the Katherine River far enough from the coast to avoid the humid excesses of the tropics (it has a annual rainfall of 960 mm nearly all of which falls between November and March) and yet sufficiently far north not to be surrounded by desert.
The most important tourist attraction in the Katherine area is the 180 352 hectare Katherine Gorge National Park located 32 km north east of Katherine. The Gorge actually comprises 13 separate gorges each of which is separated by rocky areas during the dry season. The Park offers swimming, bushwalking and boating as its main activities.
Sadly, because of the walking involved, I was unable to do the gorge boat trip. Bev had done it before, but I’d missed it the last time I was in Katherine. We looked at the possibility of seeing the gorge from the air, but once we saw the helicopter with no doors we soon dropped the idea. There were no fixed wing aircraft flights available at that time.
Days 11 &12.
We did get to see other sights in Katherine though. These included a visit to the School of the Air… well worthwhile and I’d highly recommend it to anyone. They do such great work there.
We visited the hot springs as well as the low-level bridge, Katherine Museum and Springvale Station. The Visitors Centre in Katherine is a credit to the area, and is most helpful. Went to see the Ghan arrive from Adelaide but found it was already in.
The Katherine Museum, which is located 3 km out of town on the Katherine Gorge Road is definitely worth a visit. It is well organised with a good range of interesting displays including a room on the Overland Telegraph Line, another on the Chinese in the Territory, detailed history of the changes of the town from the first settlement at Knots Crossing to the building of 'The Katherine', to the modern settlement.
They also publish and sell an interesting range of publications on aspects of local history including a booklet on the origin of the town's street names and a fascinating account of Russian Peanut Farming at Katherine 1929-1960. In the annals of local history can there ever have been a more exotic topic.
Day 13. Katherine to Darwin.
Depart Katherine at 7.30am and arrived Darwin around 11am.
Booked into an ensuite cabin at Palms Village Resort on the Stuart Highway. The cabin wasn’t ready so we drove into Darwin for a look around the port, city, markets and casino etc.
Booked a flight over Kakadu for Friday.
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory. Located between Beagle Gulf and Port Darwin and situated on Fannie Bay, Darwin is a thriving centre of over 110 000 people.
Day 14.
Had a lazy morning. Visited Mindil Markets in the afternoon. Drove down to Fannie Bay and East Point … made a mental note to return to East Point at sunset.
Day 15. Day Trip to Kakadu.
Drove down to Kakadu and went on a flight over Kakadu… really spectacular and so worth the time, effort and money. After that we visited Jabiru, Cooinda and Pine Creek. We wanted to take the Yellow River Cruise from Cooinda but arrived too late in the day and missed it. We drove back to Darwin in time to see and photograph the sunset at East Point… spectacular. This had been a really memorable day, and proved to be one of the most memorable on our entire trip.
Day 17. Day Trip to Litchfield National Park.
Drove down to Litchfield National Park and spent the day looking at the various sights. I couldn’t access some spots but found much pleasure in the ones I could, such as the termite mounds, Wangi Falls and Wangi Pool, the township of Batchelor.
Kakadu National Park may be world famous, but in the Top End locals often say their favourite park to visit is Litchfield.129 kilometres south of Darwin and 268 kilometres from Katherine the park is full of monsoon rainforest, streams and waterfalls, walking tracks, majestic magnetic termite mounds and wonderful escarpments.
Before leaving Darwin I enquired about a boat cruise on one of the billabongs in Litchfield National Park only to be advised that they did not run anymore. I had done a similar cruise in 1998 and wanted Bev to experience the wild life on the pristine billabongs too. We later found out that the information I’d been given in Darwin was incorrect and at least one cruise was still running. Grrrrrrrrr.
After Litchfield we drove down to Adelaide River and then back to Darwin.
Days 18 & 19.
Both quiet days. Washed the car one day and had it serviced the next. Sat around recharging the body batteries and watched some tennis on TV.
Day 20. Darwin to Katherine.
On our return trip to Katherine we detoured to see the Darwin Dam and the Berry Springs Nature Park. After arriving back in Katherine around lunchtime we booked into the same cabin we’d stayed in on the way to Darwin. After lunch we drove out to see the Ghan arrive from Darwin.
Day 21. Katherine to Kununurra.
Left Katherine at 7.30am and arrived Kununurra at 12.30pm after moving our watches back one and a half hours.
Just before entering Kununurra you pass through a quarantine checkpoint for fruit and vegetables. No fresh fruit or vegetables are allowed into Western Australia as they may carry fruit fly. Kununurra is a major fruit and vegetable growing area, getting its water from the Ord River.
Kununurra is a very long way from just about everywhere. If you take the short route from Perth, via the Great Northern Highway, it is 3184 km and if you take the long route it is 3336 km. It is also 1057 km from Broome (the nearest major town in Western Australia) and 1057 km from Darwin. And if you want to drive from Sydney it is about 4300 km.
We checked out the cabin we’d booked back in Darwin only to find it very unsatisfactory. You need to book ahead out this way as it gets very busy, however, part of the problem booking ahead is that you’re booking something sight unseen. As we intended staying for a week we wanted to be comfortable.
After looking around we were lucky to find a newish cabin at The Hidden Valley Caravan Park for little more per night than the cabin we’d originally booked. The management at Hidden Valley were a helpful lot, and through them we booked a flight over The Bungle Bungles, and a boat cruise on the Lower Ord River.
After this we did some much needed shopping, mainly for fruit and vegies, and looked around Kununurra Township.
Day 22. Boat cruise on the Lower Ord River.
We were picked up from the caravan park at 9.30am in a small bus and our first stop on the way to the boat was the Melon Farm for some melon tasting.
This farm grows a number of different types of melons and transports them to the southern markets.
The Ord River Scheme has enabled farming in what would otherwise be desert. The irrigation system is simple, but effective. It consists of a series of channels or ditches running parallel to each paddock, and the water is pumped from these over the crops, with the excess water draining back into the channel.
Since the building of Lake Argyle, the area has had an abundant supply of water, and a dam on the Lower Ord River ensures that there is little water wastage.
The bus trip was fifty-five kilometres to Carlton Hill Station, where the boat operator has a bush camp with a boat landing, and a shelter with tables and seating.
After a sumptuous barbeque lunch, cooked by the skipper and his helper, we boarded the boat and cruised up river for over an hour and a half before heading back to the landing for smoko.
After smoko we cruised down river as far as possible before heading back to the landing.
On this cruise we saw countless estuarine crocodiles on the riverbank and in the river itself. Cattle graze freely along the riverbank and often fall prey to these crocs.
It was dark when the bus dropped us back at the caravan Park, and like everyone on the cruise, we’d had a wonderful day.
Day 23. Flight over the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park).
Another small bus picked us up from the caravan park at 8.30am and took us out to the Kununurra Airport.
There are two different sized aircraft that do this trip and we’d booked the larger one for an extra $15.00 each. This proved to be well worth the money because as soon as the pilot realised that I walked with the aid of a walking stick he seated us right at the rear of the aircraft. We had lots of legroom as we were sitting in an aisle.
The trip was breathtaking and, upon reflection, we consider that it was the highlight of our entire trip. The scenery was spectacular and nothing like anything we’d ever seen before.
As part of the fight we also flew over Lake Argyle and the township of Kununurra.
After the trip we bought some post cards and a video of a flight over the Bungle Bungles so we can remember this experience for years to come.
The Bungle Bungle Range, in Purnululu National Park, is one of the most fascinating geological landmarks in Western Australia. From an aircraft, the Bungle Bungle Range is an imposing sight. The orange and black stripes across the beehive-like mounds, encased in a skin of silica and algae, are clearly visible as you approach from the south. As you sweep further over the range a hidden world of gorges and pools is revealed, with fan palms clinging precariously to walls and crevices in the rocks.
Sadly, our flight came to an end and we’d been bussed back to the caravan park around 11.30am.
After lunch we drove out to Ivanhoe Crossing and the Zebra Rock Gallery.
Ivanhoe Crossing was once part of the major route to Wyndham; it is now a favourite fishing spot for locals. The road crosses the Ord River but is flooded over. Water pours over the edge which creates the ideal breeding environment for the Barramundi fish, which grows up to a metre long and puts up fierce resistance. The unique flavour makes this fish highly sought after.
The Zebra Rock is coloured white and chocolate brown and generally is layered to form a Zebra like appearance. It is found near Kununurra and is unique, as it is not found anywhere else in the world. Some small polished pieces were purchased, as the larger items were quite expensive.
Day 24.
Drove out to Lake Argyle and had smoko in the lovely park overlooking the lake and the Upper Ord River. We could see fresh water crocodiles on the opposite bank.
Lake Argyle is amazing; it’s huge and a real inland sea in the middle of the Kimberley.
Lake Argyle was built as part of the Ord River scheme. A placard at the lookout explains that stage one of the project involved the building of Kununurra Diversion Dam and the development of 12 000 hectares of irrigable land on Ivanhoe plain and the establishment of Kununurra township. It was officially opened by R. G. Menzies in 1963 and the final allocation of farms was made in 1965.
Day 25.
Drove up to Wyndham, checked out the start of the Gibb River Road, visited the five Rivers Lookout overlooking Wyndham, and lunched on barra at the Wyndham Hotel, Windham Port.
Wyndham, Western Australia's most northerly town, is about as isolated as any town in Australia can be.
It sits on the edge of the Cambridge Gulf slowly boiling under the oppressive tropical sun, surrounded by salt lakes, desert and mudflats, which stretch to the horizon. It is located 3351 km from Perth via the North West Coastal Highway and 930 km from Derby.
It is, like so many of the towns in the Kimberley’s, actually two towns. There is old Wyndham (known as Wyndham Port) sweltering in the heat under that part of the Erskine Range known as 'The Bastion' and, a few kilometres up the Gulf on the road to Kununurra there is Wyndham Three Mile (sometimes known as Wyndham East). At the entrance to Wyndham Three Mile there is a huge 20 metre long concrete crocodile in the middle of the road. It is hard to avoid it.
Days 26 & 27.
Apart from a drive out to the other Zebra Rock Gallery, where Bev bought a really nice pair of Zebra Rock earrings, we had two lazy days re-charging our body batteries, grocery shopping and laundry.
Day 28.
Depart Kununurra for Halls Creek.
Gee, what can I say about Halls Creek?
We arrived there about midday and tried to book into our overnight accommodation, The Kimberly Hotel Motel, only to find that check in time was 2pm. With two hours to kill in Halls Creek we decided to go and visit Old Halls Creek and the China Wall. The road out to Old Halls Creek was just red bull dust and the drive out was punctuated with idiots all wanting to pass us, and each other, on this horror stretch of road.
There’s not too much left of Old Halls Creek, and the drive out was hardly worthwhile, considering how dirty the car now was.
We arrived back at the Kimberly Hotel Motel at 2pm only to be told that our room still wasn’t ready, Grrrrrrrrr, it just got worse from there. Upon finally entering the room it stunk of cigarettes. A phone call to reception did no good when the receptionist said, “It’s the only room we have available. What would you like to do?”
It was Thursday, pay day for the local aborigines, who spent much of the night howling like dogs outside the Kimberly Hotel Motel, and continuing their binge drinking, started earlier that day. Needless to say we were away early the next morning, before dawn in fact, beating a hasty retreat for Broome.
The aborigines both fascinated and intrigued Bev as we travelled throughout the Kimberly and Pilbara areas. She would watch them with mouth wide open as they yelled at each other and staggered about in their drunken state. Many times we saw them just lying on the ground, too drunk to stand. It’s a sad state of affairs just what alcohol has done to them, and how many of the ones we saw no longer had any pride or direction in life.
Day 29. Halls Creek to Broome.
As I just said, we left Halls Creek before dawn as we had a long drive ahead of us. Our first stop was Fitzroy Crossing for breakfast.
Originally we were going to overnight in Fitzroy Crossing and do a boat trip through the Geikie Gorge. However a phone call from Darwin revealed that the only accommodation in Fitzroy Crossing on the night we intended to stay was a motel room for $150.00 per night, at that price it was out of our reach, hence our change in plans. I’d done the Geikie Gorge trip back in ’98, but wanted Bev to see the gorge too.
After breakfast, and a quick drive around Fitzroy Crossing, we were on our way again.
We had also intended staying overnight in Derby on our way to Broome, but like Fitzroy Crossing, a prior phone call revealed that at that time there was no reasonably priced accommodation available. So instead we decided to call in to Derby for an hour or so on our way to Broome, which proved to be a great idea because anyone who has been to Derby can verify that there is not a lot to see.
Like Geikie Gorge, I’d been there before in ’98, but wanted Bev to see it too.
We popped down to the Harbour and I showed Bev just high the tides get, drove around the town, had a counter lunch in a pub, and then drove out to the Prison Boab Tree and cattle trough before continuing on our way to Broome.
We arrived in Broome and booked into the Ocean Lodge Apartments on Cable Beach Road. We’d try to get a cabin in one of the caravan parks but they were booked out due to the school holidays. After unpacking we ventured down to Cable Beach, the port area and China Town for a look around.
While Broome is a pretty place, it’s also very over rated in my opinion. It’s a great place to laze around in for a while, but there’s not really a lot to see.
Days 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.
Had a pretty lazy time around Broome. We went to Cable Beach a few times to photograph the sunsets, Bev had a good look around China Town while I sat on a seat and watched the world, and all its “ odd people” pass by. As I said before, I think that Broome is over rated and a week in Broome is much too long, unless of course you go fishing. As we’d left our fishing gear at home that was out for us.
One thing we wanted to see was “the staircase to the moon”, a phenomenon seen at certain phases of the moon where the moonlight over the mudflats resembles a staircase. Unfortunately, the moon phases were not favouring us and this phenomenon was not taking place for a month or more.
Day 35. Broome to Port Hedland.
Another long drive, another early start.
Located 1761 km north of Perth via the North West Coastal Highway or 1660 km via the Great Northern Highway, Port Hedland is one of the major iron ore ports in Australia. With a population of over 15 000 it is an industrial centre totally committed to the extraction, processing and exporting of iron ore. Its key symbols are the huge iron ore crushing mill at Nelson Point, the port with its gigantic iron ore carriers and the seemingly endless iron ore trains (as long as three kilometres and with up to 300 wagons) which move backwards and forwards from the mines at Mount Newman.
It is hard for the visitor to get too excited about Port Hedland. The accommodation is overpriced (presumably on the basis that miners and mining company executives can be charged anything), although there is backpacker and budget accommodation around, and the town is covered in a permanent layer of red dust from the Nelson Point crushing works.
Ho hum was Bev’s description in her hand written diary notes, and I guess that really says it all. However, it does offer excellent fishing, whale watching, mangrove crabbing, Harbour tours, bird watching and turtle nesting. It has a new and attractive town park (which sadly is over run with drunken aborigines) and it also makes a convenient base for tours of adjacent towns and national parks.
We booked into an overpriced cabin at the Cooke Point Caravan Park for 3 nights.
Days 36 and 37.
Explored around Port Hedland and South Hedland until we knew the place like the back of our hand. Nothing we saw or did altered our first impression of the place, and we came to the conclusion that Port Hedland could be seen in just one day.
Day 38. Port Hedland to Karratha
Depart Port Hedland for Karratha. On the way we deviated to Port Samson and Cossack for a look. Both were very interesting places, especially after just spending three days in Port Hedland.
Located 12 km from Roebourne and 1480 km north of Perth, Cossack is an historic ghost town at the mouth of the Harding River, although an active revitalisation program is fast turning it into one of the premier tourist attractions in the Pilbara.
After a very pleasant morning, we arrived in Karratha, did some essential grocery and then booked into a cabin in the Pilbara Holiday Park. On this drive we noticed that the famous Western Australian wild flowers were becoming prominent. In fact we saw our fist Sturt’s Desert Peas outside the Tourist information Centre in Karratha.
Price wise, they see you coming in these places. After our Big 4 discount we still paid $109.00 per night. We’ve stayed in brand new cabins on the Gold Coast for $65.00 per night. That aside, we found Karratha to be very interesting, with lots to see and do around the area. It is an 'open town' providing a variety of accommodation (albeit very over-priced) for visitors and purporting to have some attractions which go beyond the mining industry.
After we’d unpacked we drove around the township, and familiarized ourselves with the sights.
Located 1557 km north of Perth, on Nickol Bay, Karratha is a modern town providing accommodation and services for the employees of Hamersley Iron, Robe River Associates, the Dampier Salt Company and the workers on the North West Shelf Gas and Petroleum project.
Days 39 and 40.
Drove over to Dampier and explored around there for the morning before venturing over to the North West Shelf Gas Venture at Burrup Point, very interesting.
North West Shelf Project Visitors Centre.
The main attraction for visitors is the North West Shelf Project Visitors Centre on Burrup Road, which features viewing areas of the plant complete with models and a theatrette where a film of the project is regularly screened.
Day 41.
Depart Karratha for Exmouth. Another long drive (565 K’s).
This trip was relatively boring and we encountered the first rain on our trip so far. I guess we’ve been really lucky to date to have the 40 days of blue skies, lots of sunshine and warmth. This would soon change, but we didn’t know that at this time.
We were booked into a cabin in the Ningaloo Holiday Park, and while we paid $91.70 per night, the cabin was almost new and had everything we needed, even a stereo system.
Days 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46.
We spent time visiting all the sights in and around Exmouth that we could.
The places we visited included, Yardie Creek, North West Cape Light House, Cape Range National Park and Turquoise Bay.
Located on the eastern coast of the North West Cape 1270 km north of Perth and 13 m above sea level, Exmouth was, historically, a naval town serving the US Naval Communication Station, Harold E. Holt, and the Learmonth RAAF Base. The US Navy left in the early 1990s and while part of the old naval base is still used by the Australian Navy (another part has become accommodation for backpackers) today the town is driven primarily by tourism with deep sea fishing, the beautiful Ningaloo Reef and the complex coastal wildlife (whale sharks are prevalent in the area) attracting visitors to this hauntingly beautiful region.
Day 47. Exmouth to Carnarvon.
Depart Exmouth for Carnarvon. It has rained on and off during our stay in Exmouth, and at one stage, we heard that the road to Carnarvon was cut by floodwaters. We noticed deep pools of water alongside the roadway, and on two occasions we had to drive through water covering the road.
On our way to Carnarvon to popped in to Coral Bay for a quick look around. We had intended staying there overnight but a phone call ahead revealed exorbitant for cabins so we decided to just pop in for a visit. There’s not much to Coral Bay, just two caravan parks and some other accommodation, some shops and of course the attraction is Ningaloo Reef.
Located 234 km north of Carnarvon, 154 km south of Exmouth and 1131 km north of Perth, Coral Bay is a small holiday resort for people wishing to avoid the more conventional tourist destinations. It is really nothing more than a couple of caravan parks, holiday homes for fishermen, and a few basic facilities to ensure that visitors do not have to make the 143 km journey to Exmouth every time they want a loaf of bread or a tub of ice cream.
The town's great appeal is its access to the 260 km Ningaloo Reef which lies close to the shore and forms a kind of natural lagoon which is ideal for people wishing to fish (although the waters of Coral Bay itself are a sanctuary area and 'no fishing' regulations apply), snorkel, scuba dive or explore the reef.
Days 48 and 49.
Checked out the sights and visited One Mile Jetty (and were eaten alive by sand flies), Munro’s Banana Plantation, Town Lookout and NASA tracking station.
Day 50. Carnarvon to Denham.
On the trip between Carnarvon to Denham we ran into a number of showers. It looked like the sunny days and blue skies we’d experienced further north we gone, for now anyway. The inclement weather really didn’t hinder us though, and we were still able to get out and see and do things.
On the way we popped into Nanga Bay for a look around. I’d stayed here for a few days back in ’98 and found it to be a beautiful place to relax and do some fishing. In ’98 the caravan park was full, and the fishing huts were full too with fishermen from mainly Perth there to catch the plentiful West Australia Snapper. This time the place was almost deserted… I’m not sure why!
After booking into a chalet at the Blue Dolphin Caravan Park we headed over to Monkey Mia for a look around.
Denham is both the western most town in Australia (at the 113°32" East meridian of longitude) and the gateway to Monkey Mia with its friendly dolphins. Located on the western coast of the Peron Peninsula it is 23 km southwest of the dolphins and 831 km north of Perth.
Days 51 and 52.
Went back to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins being fed, but arrived to late.
Booked a two-hour cruise on the catamaran “Aristocat 2” for 11am. By the time we got under way the sun was shining through the clouds and it looked like being a really nice day. It was beautiful cruising on the Indian Ocean, and we saw lots of dolphins at play. Also we saw flocks of sea birds chasing baitfish, and the dolphins joined in on this too.
The rest of the day, and the following day was spent exploring around Denham and Shark Bay in general… what a beautiful place.
Day 53. Denham to Kalbarri.
Up early and on our way. The wildflowers along the roadside are just spectacular. Closer to Kalbarri they were growing in fields as far as the eye could see. Witnessing this was a real highlight and something we’d both looked forward to.
After arriving in Kalbarri we booked into a nice cabin at the Murchison Caravan Park, and drove around the town, then did some grocery shopping.
Located 586 km north of Perth, Kalbarri is a delightful tourist and fishing village surrounded by one of the most beautiful regions of wildflowers in Australia.
Day 54.
Today was spent exploring the inland gorges in the Kalbarri National Park, and the coastal gorges around Kalbarri. While exploring the coastal gorges we were privileged to see whales breeching in the Indian Ocean. What a day!
Day 55.
Today we visited the Kalbarri Wildflower Centre and some of the souvenir shops, and then lunched at the Black Rock Café.
Day 56.
Lazy day today mainly spent with Bev doing washing and just relaxing.
Day 57. Kalbarri to Geraldton.
The countryside along the way was just magnificent… lush green paddocks filled with fat cattle and sheep. On the way to Geraldton we deviated to Port Gregory for a look. While there’s not much to see at Port Gregory, the Pink Lake is quite spectacular.
The pink colour comes from algae growing in the water.
After arriving in Geraldton we booked into a very new cabin in the Belair Gardens Caravan Park at Point Moore, and then went for a drive around the city.
Day 58.
Today we’re doing a day trip to Mullewa, some 100K’s to the east of Geraldton to see the wild flowers. This area has the reputation of being the wildflower centre of WA. I missed it when I was in Geraldton in ’98, and was thereby determined to see it this time.
Then we stumbled upon the Tourist Information Centre, which as luck would have it, was open.
The lady volunteer on duty was most helpful, plying us with maps and lots of local information. She said that if we wanted to see some spectacular wild flowers we should drive out to Coalseam Conservation Park, and gave us a home made mud map of just how to get there.
From Mullewa this scenic drive passes through some of the finest wheatlands in the district. As mentioned previously, in earlier times this same area saw some of the State’s earliest conflicts between Aboriginals and European settlers, resulting in the spearing of a shepherd, and the hanging of those responsible.
The site of this hanging is on Butterabby Road. The drive then continues to the picturesque Coalseam Conservation Park and the top of Irwin Lookout; a must see for artists and photographers.
At this time of the year (early Spring) the Everlastings carpet the landscape. The total round trip is some 122 K’s.
Everyone who travels through WA in the spring wants to see fields of wildflowers – those featured in advertisements and calendars. Those fields of flowers do exist, although not everywhere, and in some years they are more spectacular than in others.
Days 59 and 60.
Spent these days checking out all the points of interest in and around Geraldton.
Day 61. Geraldton to Perth.
On the way to Perth we detoured toward the coast and popped in to Cervantes for a look at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. On the way we passed through the seaside township of Jurien.
Located 245 km north of Perth, Cervantes is a pleasant, rather underdeveloped, fishing village and holiday destination with three jetties, a very good motel, a caravan park and a rock lobster processing plant.
There is little doubt that The Pinnacles rate with the dolphins at Shark Bay and the cliffs at Kalbarri as the premier attractions on the coast between Perth and Carnarvon. These strange, much photographed, limestone pillars look like no other landscape in Australia. There is a quality of moonscape or some science fiction movie about the whole area.
We arrived in Karinyup, to the north of Perth, around mid afternoon and booked into a cabin in the Karinyup Waters Resort. It seems now that many caravan parks call themselves resorts; in my opinion this is done to justify the prices they now charge.
Karinyup was to be our base for the next six days. From here we would do day trips in and around the Perth area in order to see the many sights.
Days 62 to 67.
Explored around the area and visited, Kings Park, Perth City, and Fremantle. The weather wasn’t the best; cold and showery, and when we weren’t sight seeing we stayed in the cabin and watched the Olympic Games on TV.
It was whilst we were in the Perth area that we sold our Hyundai Sonata sedan, and made the change up to a small motor home, which I've covered in the post "Our Cars and Caravans".
Day 68. Karinyup to Rockingham.
Drove down to Rockingham, a pretty beachside suburb to the south of Perth. Booked into a caravan park for the night so we could check out the sights.
Days 69 and 70. Rockingham to Mandurah.
We decided to spend two days in Mandurah, as there seemed to be much to see around this area.
Day 71. Mandurah to Margaret River.
We had heard so much about the Margaret River area we decided to go and see it for ourselves. On the way we passed through Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough. It was our intention to spend time in both Bunbury and Busselton, but due to the bad weather we experienced, we just kept going.
After stopping for a counter lunch in Dunsborough we continued on to Margaret River, arriving there late afternoon. On our arrival it was still raining, blowing a gale and freezing, so we booked into a caravan park for the night. It’s a very popular area, and accommodation was difficult to find.
One of the great attractions of Margaret River is the vineyards and wineries, which lie between Busselton and Witchcliffe. The climate in the area is perfect for wine growing. It is classically Mediterranean with cool frost-free winters, good soils which retain the moisture, low summer rainfall and a long, slow ripening period.
This is a new industry in the area. The first grape vines were planted as recently as 1967 but already the region is producing Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. There are now over 40 wineries in the area. People wanting to do a little tasting should contact the Margaret River Tourist Association, which has maps and details of opening times.
Margaret River is also very popular with the surfing fraternity as it boasts some of the best surfing spots in Western Australia, some say in all of Australia.
In my opinion Margaret River is very over rated. If you don’t drink wine or surf there is very little to see or do.
Day 72. Margaret River to Northcliffe.
This proved to be a very interesting day. After departing Margaret River we headed south and drove down to Cape Leeuwin and Augusta. This was a very scenic drive and well worth the effort. After stopping at the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin we doubled back and headed for Pemberton, which was to be our destination today.
The drive to Pemberton was very interesting and we saw a diversity of landscapes, from lush green farming land to huge Karri Forests. Our intention today was to ride the little red tram at Pemberton through the Karri Forest.
I had done the tram trip back in ’98, but wanted Bev to enjoy the experience too. We arrived in Pemberton too early for the tram so popped into a local pub and had a counter lunch. The pub was lovely and warm; they had a fire going, so we hung around until it was time to board the tram chatting to a couple of fellow travellers.
The tram trip was great, the rain held off for most of the journey, and we got to see some wonderful timber country. This particularly interested Bev, as I knew it would, as she spent many years working in the timber industry.
After our tram trip we looked at booking into the local caravan park, but found it to be totally unacceptable. So, not know what lay ahead of us, we set off looking for somewhere else to stop for the night.
It was very dark when we drove into the sleepy little town of Northcliffe, and it had started to rain again. We decided this would have to be our destination tonight and booked into a lovely little motel, as there was no caravan park.
Days 73 and 74. Northcliffe to Albany.
On the way we passed through the sleepy little towns of Walpole and Denmark. I say sleepy because it was Sunday, and nothing or no one stirred as we passed by.
After arriving in Albany we booked into a caravan park for two days.
During our stay we explored the town and all the surrounding areas, including, Whale World, The Wind Farm, Frenchmans Bay, the Blow Hole, Natural Arch, Albany Harbour, Middleton Beach, Princess Royal Fortress, the replica of the brig Amity, Dog Rock, the old post office and other historic buildings and then took the tourist drive to Torndirrup National Park.
What an extraordinary town! A main street, which seems to go straight into the Princess Royal Harbour. Magnificent views across the Harbour from just about every vantage point. Gracious churches, public buildings and historic harbourside stores and wharves. Superb stretches of dramatic coastline weathered by the timeless forces of the Southern Ocean. There is no debate: Albany is one of the truly remarkable places in Western Australia. A beautiful town in a beautiful setting.
Day 75. Albany to Hyden.
In ’98 I missed going to Hyden to see Wave Rock, so we decided that we would go out of our way as we journeyed toward Esperance and go there to witness this strange phenomenon.
On our way we stopped for a counter lunch at the Ravensthorpe Pub.
It was late when we arrived at Wave Rock and we decided that we would come back the next day. We checked out the caravan park close by and gave it a miss. The woman in the caravan park shop was quite rude, and I’m intolerant of rude people. We drove into Hyden and booked into the hotel motel for $107.00 per night, another rip off.
Hyden is a small wheatbelt town, which lies 336 km south east of Perth. It would be a rather unimportant and insignificant town were it not for the remarkable Wave Rock, which lies to the west of the town.
The main reason people visit Hyden is to see the remarkable Wave Rock, which is part of the much larger Hyden Rock. It is located 4 km east of Hyden. Wave Rock is but one of hundreds of granite outcrops which dot the whole of the Central Wheat Belt. They were formed 3000 million years ago.
The main attraction with Wave Rock is its shape, which is like a huge collapsing wave. It is over 100 metres long. It is likely that this remarkable shape was caused by the weathering of the rock below ground before it was exposed. This unusual shape has been greatly highlighted by vertical streaks of algae, which grow on the surface of the 'wave' as dark black stains which change to brown during the dry season.
It was early when we rose and drove back out to Wave Rock. It had rained through the night and Wave Rock looked spectacular in the morning sunlight.
Day 76. Hyden to Esperance.
We retraced our steps back to the Coast Highway, and then continued on our way to Esperance. Upon our arrival we booked into a caravan park, looked around the town and did some necessary grocery shopping.
This is where we traded our newly aquired motor home in, and drove away in a Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD...I've covered this experience in the post titled "Our Cars and Caravans!"
Many people believe that the drive from Esperance west along Twilight Beach Road past West Beach, Chapman's Point, Blue Haven Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Twilight Beach is the most beautiful stretch of coastline to be seen anywhere in Australia. The impossibly white sands, the gently rounded granite cliffs, and the ocean changing from aquamarine near the shore to a deep blue out near the islands of the Archipelago of the Recherche is a combination of natural beauties which make Esperance one of the true wonders of the Australian coastline.
Days 77 and 78.
After an extremely uncomfortable night (it blew a gale and rained most of the night) we booked out of the caravan park and booked into a lovely holiday apartment nearer the beach for two nights.
Over the next two days we explored all around the Esperance area, taking in as many sights as possible.
Day 79. Esperance to Kalgoorlie.
It was still raining off and on when we left Esperance for Kalgoorlie. On the way we passed through Norseman, which is at the beginning of the Nullarbor crossing. We noticed that we were back in wild flower country again, and enjoyed seeing the spectacular show.
Upon our arrival we looked around for suitable accommodation and finally booked into a nice cabin in a caravan park. After settling in we drove around Kalgoorlie and were impressed with the old buildings.
We visited the Super Pit, the mine site right on the edge of the town. Seeing the machinery I was taken back to my days with Morgan Equipment, and swapped a few yarns with some other tourists looking out over the mine site from the lookout.
Days 80 and 81.
Continued sight seeing around Kalgoorlie.
Day 82. Kalgoorlie to Nundroo, South Australia- Nullarbor Crossing.
Depart Kalgoorlie early for what was to be a long drive, though we didn’t know it at the time.
Our aim was to get as far as the township of Nullarbor, which is some 1085 K’s; however upon our arrival there around nightfall we discovered that there was no accommodation available. We noticed a tour coach parked beside the motel and learned that this was the cause for the lack of accommodation.
We had no option but to press on, and, after consulting our map, set out for the next stop, Yalata. When we arrived there the roadhouse was in darkness so we set off for the next place on the map, Nundroo.
Nundroo is little more than a roadhouse, with a pub and motel attached, but late at night it was a very welcome sight. After a meal in their roadhouse restaurant we booked into a motel room for what was left of the night. Our speedometer indicated that we had covered 1300 K’s that day, and we were both really tired.
Some people enjoy crossing the Nullarbor, I’m not sure why, but I personally detest the boredom and distance involved. In my opinion there is little to see, and the cost of petrol is exorbitant… to each his own.
Day 83. Nundroo to Port Pirie.
Up early and away. Today our destination was Port Augusta, where we intended spending a few days exploring around the area, in particular the Wilpena Pound area. Little did we know we would be faced with lack of accommodation yet again?
We stopped along the way for breakfast, and passed through Ceduna and a number of other small towns on our way to Port Augusta. Upon arrival there we quickly discovered that there was some event on relating to all the schools in the area and there wasn’t a spare bed to be found. We pushed on to Port Pirie, changing our plans regarding our visit to Wilpena Pound, deciding instead to go through the Borossa Valley and on to Renmark, on the mighty Murray River.
We looked around Port Pirie, visited the Tourist Information Centre, booked into a motel, had Chinese for dinner, before getting an early night… we were exhausted.
Days 84 and 85. Port Pirie to Renmark.
Up early again and breakfasted at Mackas. Acting on the advice we’d received at the Tourist Information Centre the day before we had decided to drive through the Clare Valley, passing through Crystal Brook, via Gawler, in order to get to the Borossa Valley. The drive was just spectacular; the countryside was lush and green, everything looked beautiful.
Clare is the major township in the Clare Valley. Located 136 km from Adelaide it is an ideal place to stay if you intend exploring the thirty wineries, which stretch, from Emerald Estate in the north to Grosset Wines south of Auburn in the south.
We passed through many quaint little country towns on the way, and stopped at one, Auburn, just to buy a post card, as the buildings were so impressive.
After the Clare Valley we entered the Borossa Valley via Gawler, and drove through this magnificent part of South Australia. While Bev had visited here before, I hadn’t and appreciated her commentary on the drive through. As neither of us are wine drinkers we didn’t stop to sample the product from the many cellar door outlets, but did appreciate the countryside.
We arrived in Renmark and booked into a cabin at the Riverbend Caravan Park right on the banks of the Murray River… what a magnificent spot!
After we’d settled into the cabin we explored around the township of Renmark.
Renmark is the oldest settlement on the Murray River, and is located 256 km north east of Adelaide, 145 km from Mildura and 20 metres above sea level. Renmark is a large and prosperous town in the heart of an area of an orchard area where limes, olives, apricots, grapes, plums, garlic and a wide range of fruit are all grown.
Like so many of the towns in the area Renmark is characterised by extraordinarily wide streets with virtual parks in the middle of the roads.
Whilst in the area we paid a visit to Angove's Winery, which is located in Bookmark Avenue, Renmark. Our purpose in visiting the winery was to purchase some wine for Kim for looking after our mail while we travelled. We also tried to book a river cruise, but found that the boat would not be operating while we were going to be in Renmark.
Day 86. Renmark to Mildura - Victoria.
The drive between Renmark and Mildura is very pleasant and we were in Mildura before we knew it.
I’d never been to Mildura before and was suitably impressed with the gardens and buildings as we drove into the city… it’s a very clean city with a huge amount of pride.
We booked into a lovely holiday apartment and then went for a drive out to Red Cliffs where we visited Woodsie’s Gem Shop. The weather in Mildura was fantastic, clear blue skies and warm days.
Mildura is a major regional city of some 22 000 people located near the north-western tip of Victoria and at the centre of an area known as 'Sunraysia'.
Mildura is also a riverside resort, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In this regard it is literally an oasis in the desert and its paddle steamers, lush golf course and other attractions are a welcome site after many kilometres of consistently dry brown terrain and wheat fields.
Days 87 and 88. Continued to explore around Mildura and did a river cruise on the old paddle steamer PS Melbourne. The cruise took us down river through lock 11 and back again. The journey both ways through the lock was a real experience as when you enter it one way the level is low, and the other way it’s high.
We also visited the township of Wentworth, which is not far from Mildura on the way to Broken Hill. This town is on the junction of the Darling River and Murray River and is quite historic.
Day 89. Mildura to Cobar NSW.
Our original destination was to be Broken Hill, where we were going to spend a few days looking around and visiting Silverton, the site used in a number of Australian movies.
On our arrival in Broken Hill we tried to find cabin accommodation in a number of caravan parks, however the standard of the cabins was way below what we would stay in. In a couple of words they were both small and grotty. We then went looking for motel accommodation only to find that there was something on in Broken Hill and all the motels were full. That left us no option but to press on.
We left Broken Hill just after lunch, heading east toward Wilcannia. The drive through the desert was even more boring than the Nullarbor crossing, and we had a howling northerly wind at our side creating a haze of dust as far as the eye could see.
We stopped in Wilcannia just long enough to grab a cold drink, and then kept heading for Cobar, where we would stay tonight. We decided enroute to change our itinerary, and instead of heading north to Bourke we would head south to Sydney and catch up with family.
Bev phoned Mike and told him of our plans, asking him to contact the other family members to arrange a get together at Panthers Rugby League Club.
It was dark when we arrived in Cobar and booked into the first decent looking motel we found, and headed off for a counter meal at a local pub. This proved to be the biggest pub meal we’ve ever had as we left half on our plates. Bev and I are pretty good on the tooth, but this one stopped us.
Cobar is a reasonable sized town and appeared to be well kept.
Day 90. Cobar to Penrith.
Another early start as we had another long drive ahead. We stopped for breakfast at a truck stop in Nyngan, and shared breakfast time with a group of hungry truckies.
On our way to Penrith we passed through many towns such as Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. The drive was very pleasant as the scenery changed all the time.
While passing through Bathurst Bev was driving and deviated to Mount Panorama to show me the race circuit. We actually drove on the circuit and I had to remind Bev a few times that is wasn’t race day.
At Penrith we booked into a nice villa at Nepean Shores, right on the Nepean River.
Day 91. Visited Kerrie in the morning and found Ella and Cass there too. Kerrie had kept them home from school to catch up with us. That night we all met at Panthers for dinner and a catch up.
Day 92. Penrith to Laurieton (North Haven).
The drive from Penrith to Laurieton was pleasant, apart from the Sydney morning traffic.
We visited Laurieton last year while staying in Port Macquarie and both fell in love with this tranquil little seaside paradise.On arrival we booked in to a cabin in North Haven for two nights, then set off to explore the area.
In the heart of the Camden Haven area, Laurieton offers an extensive range of water related activities, a comprehensive an attractive shopping centre, trade park service area, library, tennis courts, squash courts, sporting facilities, swimming pool, community health centre, hotel and ex-serviceman's club with excellent facilities, a selection of fine restaurants, caravan parks and all the services and amenities expected of a thriving holiday town.
Day 93. Drove up to the lookout at North Brother Mountain and witnessed the most spectacular views. We were fortunate to be there when a group of hang glider pilots arrived and launched themselves right off the edge of the mountain.
After this we continued on our site seeing excursion of the area.
Days 94 and 95. Laurieton to Tweed Heads – Gold Coast.
The drive to Tweed heads was enjoyable as the road has improved and no longer runs through many of the smaller towns. On arrival at Tweed Heads we booked into a nice new cabin at the Pyramid Caravan Village as we’ve stayed there before.
I phoned Kim that night and arranged to meet up with her after she finished work the following day.
The following day Bev and I went to the movies at Tweed Heads and saw Jennifer Garner in Suddenly Thirty. A bit of a chick flick, but not too bad. In the afternoon we headed for Kim’s to catch up with her, Jesse and Cameron. We bought pizza and apple pie for dinner and had a good catch up.
Day 96. Tweed Heads to Hervey Bay.
Homeward bound! We had an uneventful trip home, arriving about lunchtime.
While Bev was glad to be home after being away for three months, I, on the other hand, could have kept going. Perhaps I never know when I’ve had enough?
Funnily, on the way home we were discussing just where we’d go on our next trip… who knows?
