SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER CEDUNA TO PORT AUGUSTA 470kms
Onwards again……
With only a few brief stops for “comfort” and to alternate drivers, we reached Port Augusta in time for John to see the next football finals match.
We booked into the Port Augusta Caravan Park, onto an ensuite site. For what I had endured over the past six days, I deserved a little luxury, I thought! It cost $34.20 a night, after discount.
John’s TV reception was not as clear as he thought it would be, though. I was not sympathetic!
While John was fiddling about with his TV and watching football, I walked to shops a few blocks away, bought the weekend papers.
It had been quite hot, the past few days, and was still warm here.
FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER NULLARBOR ROADHOUSE TO CEDUNA 300kms
We were away early. Sleeping late was not an option in a place such as this!
Not far from our overnight stop, I did manage to convince John to slow down, for a little sightseeing! It was still the season when whales and their calves were to be seen off the coast, and this was an experience we had not encountered before.
Detoured south from the highway, to go to Head of the Bight. Here, we paid $12 for entry to the whale watching area. From the parking area, walked to the viewing platform area.
We were absolutely thrilled to see two whales with calves, really close in to the cliffs below us.
Whale and calf playing at Head of the Bight
These creatures were fascinating to watch, just lazily and slowly swimming around, with the calves playing around their mothers. It was so pleasing to know that, these days, they were mostly safe in a place such as this, and not subject to the hunting depradations and cruelty of earlier times in the Australian colonies. Just a pity that this is still not the case the whole world over. Superb creatures…..
Diving under mum…..
We stayed there, watching the whales, for over an hour. It was the most interesting thing I had seen for years!
Calf somersault
Then it was pressing on to Ceduna, passing through the quarantine check point not far before that town. We did not have anything to hand over – the food supplies were actually getting quite low. It was ages since I’d done a comprehensive food shop – Broome, Over the last couple of nights, I’d made meals that used up what vegetable matter I had on hand.
We obtained a powered site at the Foreshore Caravan Park, in the town. It cost $19.50, after discount. We were informed about the security gate arrangements and codes. When John asked about the TV reception, he was informed by the lady that it wasn’t the best. He was not happy about this and was actually rather terse with the person.
After setting up, we walked out onto the jetty and along its length. From out at the end, the town looked deceptively attractive. Then walked through the town, and bought some food for tonight and for a sandwich lunch tomorrow.
We were browsing in the Information Centre, when an indigine came in. I think he was demanding something – to use the phone, perhaps, and was very unpleasant to the lady operating the place. He told her it was “a blackfellas town and we can do what we want!” It was quite an embarrassing display to witness, with her speaking politely to him and trying to be reasonable, and him abusing her. I don’t think he was sober. After he wandered out again, she indicated scenes like that were not unusual.
We took Truck out – we’d had to unhitch on this site – and bought a dozen oysters for tea, at a seafood sales outlet. One great thing about the coastal towns in this region is the excellent seafood.
From dusk, and well into the night, there was a gathering of locals on the foreshore area, near the caravan park. They were very noisy and argumentative, and it was not pleasant listening to the ruckus.
We had previously found the Shelly Beach Caravan Park, out of town, a much more peaceful place to stay, but John vetoed going out there this time, because he thought the TV reception was better in town. Thoughts of karma crossed my mind……..
John watched the football preliminary final, after tea. Between the poor TV and the external noise, it was not the quality experience he had been expecting. We might have been better to have stayed in Kalgoorlie until after the weekend, and then had a more pleasant time across the Nullarbor – but I did not think it wise to say so.
THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER FRASER RANGE TO NULLARBOR ROADHOUSE 810kms
Just one very long day of driving today. All familiar from previous trips.
At least, this time was more pleasant – slightly – than the one last December, when we experienced temperatures pushing close to 50 degrees around Eucla.
A little variety was offered by the descent and ascent at the Madura Pass, with its interesting views.
Also by stops for fuel – at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse ($1.75cpl) and Mundrabilla ($1.48cpl). The latter had a reputation for usually being one of the cheaper places for fuel on the Nullarbor crossing.
My plan was that we would stop at the WA/SA border, at Eucla, where we had stayed before and found reasonably pleasant. For me, that would have been quite a long enough day. I was conscious that the impaired circulation in my left leg was not helped by long days of sitting in the rather cramped space of the passenger seat in Truck. A couple of hour-long turns at driving, while John napped, didn’t really help much.
However, when we reached the border, John wanted to press on, and would not be talked out of it.
So we pushed on for almost another three hours, to Nullarbor Roadhouse. Our powered site in the caravan facility there cost $20. It was simply a place to stop. where the Roadhouse offered showers and toilets – convenience offset by the ongoing noise from the large trucks pulling in and out of the place.
Where the Nullarbor Plain meets the Great Australian Bight
It was a relief to stop for the day. I had shooting pains in my legs, my feet were swollen, and my lower back was hurting. Just too much sitting and being inactive, I guessed.
In bed at night, I could still “feel” the motion of travel. It was not actually all that unpleasant.
WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER LEONORA TO FRASER RANGE 490kms
Before our morning departure, we gave M and R a bottle of wine, as thanks for having us stay there.
I tried, unsuccessfully to fix the non-functioning fax machine there – it was the one I had at RV2. I really had no idea what was wrong with it and not enough knowledge to even make an intelligent guess.
On wards, south to Kalgoorlie. There were places. like Menzies and Lake Ballard, that I would have liked to be able to stop and explore, but not to be. There was a lot around that area to the north of Kalgoorlie that was unfinished business, for me.
Found places to park the rigs in Kalgoorlie, where we had to check for mail. It was a bit of a hike from where we parked, to the Post Office, but that at least offered a chance to have a little look about.
Topped up the fuel – $1.33cpl.
Parted company again from M, who was staying on in Kalgoorlie for a few days, to explore. She did not want to do such long days as we were now having to, or to hang around somewhere boring in SA, to watch football.
We continued on, over roads driven before, to Norseman – another fuel top up – $1.45cpl. Then turned to the east, onto the Eyre Highway, which crosses to Nullarbor Plain, to SA.
Decided to overnight at Fraser Range Station. This was a caravan park set up, not all that long ago, on a sheep property. It was now well enough established for trees to have grown, and to become quite an attractive place. Our powered site cost $20.
After the usual basic set up for an overnight stay, we went for a late afternoon walk, out along one of the walking trails that had been established, for a couple of kms. There were good views over the surrounding countryside, from the top of the low range. It was a pleasant way to finish off the day. This was a much nicer place to stay than one of the roadhouse caravan facilities along the way.
We were away early, again, with another long day of driving ahead of us.
Stopped to refuel at Capricorn Roadhouse – $1.51cpl.
This was all previously driven country for us, but new to M, once south of Newman.
The country became flatter, south of the Pilbara range region. The scrub became saltbush dominated. Regular west flowing floodway crossings – all dry – were the most interesting feature, as the scrub was thicker along the waterways, and there were some trees.
We made a toilet and drinks stop at Kumarina Roadhouse.
About 90kms south of Kumarina, turned onto the unsealed Neds Creek road – the “short cut” south east, past Neds Creek and New Springs, to Wiluna.
Corner Neds Creek track and the Great Northern Highway
There were lots of wildflowers along this section, but for the most part it was flat and scrubby, with occasional crossings of dry waterways to liven things up.
The last 40kms or so of this road, before Wiluna, is actually the first part of the legendary Canning Stock Route, which heads N-NW to eventually reach Halls Creek in the Kimberley. This was on our bucket list, to drive, sometime soon – a trip of at least 21 days, from Wiluna to Halls Creek, and not a track on which to take the caravan! Except for the section from Well 2 to Wiluna, which we were doing now.
When the Canning Stock Route was established as a droving route, wells were sunk at regular intervals, to provide watering points. Some of these have been, in recent times, restored, to provide water for 4WD travellers doing the Route. Well 1 is near Wiluna, Well 51 is by Lake Gregory, south of Billiluna Community, where the Canning Stock Route joins the Tanami Track.
We turned off, briefly, to have a quick look at Well 2 and stretch our legs.
Stopped at Wiluna to refuel. $1.60 cpl. Apart from that, it was not a place that tempted one to linger.
From Wiluna south, the road was a good, sealed, one again. The country was increasingly arid and scrubby.
Country south of Wiluna (Google)
We did not call in to Leinster, just off the road south. We had seen it before – just the typical purpose built mining service centre.
Continued on to Leonora. Refuelled – 1.44cpl.
There, we stopped at the accommodation lodge that was owned by the NT construction company we worked for, last year, in the Pilbara. We wanted to catch up with a couple of our co-workers from RV1, who were now managing the lodge. Also, having heard so much talk about it last year, and having despatched my office supplies and other gear there, towards the end of the project, I was curious to see the place.
R said we could park our rigs in the grounds, and even hook up to a power point. We did not need a second invitation!
The Lodge was quite an impressive set up. There were lots of donga rooms, which M had looking really good inside – comfortable and clean. These were linked by covered walkways to give a more unified appearance than the separate units of the rail villages. The gardens were coming on and the pool looked inviting.
With all the recently renewed mining and exploration activity in the surrounding area, there was a real need for this type of short term accommodation.
There were not many guests in, today, so R and M were able to give us just about their full attention. Their 4WD had been stolen, very recently, by “locals”. They had broken a locked gate into the yard to get at it. It was recovered, quite wrecked, but R intended to try to rebuild it. There were big problems in the town, apparently, from the “local” element and their friends and relations from Kalgoorlie.
In the grounds, there was one accommodation donga building that had been brought down from RV1. It was somewhat cyclone battered. My old office donga from RV2 was also there. It had been rolled over by the cyclone, which had still been strong enough, some 250kms inland, to do that! It was a real mess inside – jumbled up desks and filing cabinets; obviously nothing had been done to clear it out after it had been trucked down here.
We talked about the company’s current projects, and got news of other people we had worked with.
Eventually, we retired to our rigs – R and M had work to attend to and it was time for us to cook our dinners.
A 10litre cask of water had shifted around inside the van, and worn itself a hole in the liner, and leaked onto the floor where it had been sitting. Fortunately, most of the water had been soaked up by the floor rugs, but some things on the floor of some cupboards and under the bed had gotten wet. I probably should have carried the cask in a bucket or the washing dish. Hindsight is wonderful!
MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER EIGHTY MILE BEACH TO NEWMAN 690kms
We were away from Eighty Mile Beach reasonably early.
M had phoned while we were packing up. She’d had enough of the Tom Price visit and proposed to meet up with us tonight at Newman.
Last November, when we travelled back to the Rail Village from our R&R stay, there were fires along the highway before Paroo Roadhouse. Now, some of that burnt country appeared to have regenerated quite well.
Did a quick stock up on some food supplies at the South Hedland shopping centre, and refuelled there – $1.44cpl.
As we drove south on the Great Northern Highway, passed the dirt road that was the way into the Rail Village 1 camp, that had been “home” for three months last year. We could glimpse in the distance, the old Fly Camp site and a white dome that was the workshop of one of the rail building contractors, obviously replaced after the big cyclone of last March.
It was a bit tempting to drive in and have a look at the Rail Village 1 camp – to see how it had been cleared and rebuilt after that cyclone – but we didn’t. Thought it might not have been politic for anyone associated with the first version of the Camp to go visiting!
There were lots of wildflowers along the roadsides, mostly oranges and yellows – the colours of the Pilbara. And of course, the ubiquitous mulla mulla.
The amount of mining associated development we passed through in the last couple of hundred kms before Newman, was amazing. So much had changed through there, in less than a year. A lot of the change was associated with the new Hope Downs Mine project. This mine was in the area we had explored in 2004, and I hoped that, somehow, some of the lovely rock pools and waterholes we had seen had been preserved.
We reached Newman in the late afternoon, after a long day of driving.
M was already there, of course, given that she did not have so far to come. She had gotten us a site in the Newman Caravan Park, for which we were grateful. With all the mining development now, around Newman, one could not take accommodation there for granted.
Our site cost $23.
Shower, quick tea, and early night.
The caravan park was so noisy, through the night, with shift workers coming and going.
John had a last fish in the morning and added another meal’s worth to the freezer stock.
I had a last, long, leisurely walk along the beach. I would miss this place and the daily beach walks. Suspected this would be the last beach walk of this trip.
We took down the awning roof and hooked Truck up to the van.
Fish and fries for dinner.
Yet again, the stay here had been most enjoyable. Wonderful place.
I read, did some beading, spent some time chatting with the neighbours from the fifth wheeler. I went for my walk on the beach in the afternoon, after the fishing activity there had dwindled.
M left in the morning, first intended stop Tom Price, where she could stay with a friend who was there. Then, she planned to make her way home to our place, gradually, stopping to explore places that caught her interest, along the way.
There had been a heavy dew overnight, and her day tent was really wet in the morning, so she delayed packing up until it had dried out.
John went down and fished and caught four threadfin salmon. That would ensure my supply of fish dinners for the trip home.
I used the rest of the shark to make sweet and sour fish, for tea.
Now that we were only staying a few extra days, we were no longer on a weekly rate, so the cost went up to $28.50 a night.
I went to the beach and made a video of them fishing, near high tide, on the beach crowded with other fisherfolk.
Baiting the hooks – and being careful not to stand on one….
John caught a small shark.
For lunch, I turned some of the shark into fish burgers – like the ones I had to make when working at the cafe at Litchfield, last year. But there we used Nile perch, pre-cooked and frozen. The shark from here was much nicer!
Got talking to a lady from a fifth wheeler rig, parked next to us. Turned out that she had a birthday lunch, back in July, at that cafe. From what she told us, it sounded like nothing had really changed there. I did wonder if the men had found any cooks who would stay for any length of time?
This Adventurous Age 