Port Headland to Broome

We’re getting into the Tropics now and the humidity and temperature is increasing .

Port Headland is also a mining port –  here they also mine salt for export to Asia. It’s strange to see heavy earthmoving equipment mounding up the salt.

 

Tourism is the third largest industry in this area and so the local pub is being refurbished. $9million has been spent so far and it’s a long way from finished. They do serve nice meals though!

 

Yes it’s only make-believe! but there is no swimming here because of the presence of salt water crocodiles.

 

 

BHP Iron Ore is the largest industry in this area.  All the buildings nearby are covered with red dust from the ore.

 

 

From Port Headland we travelled north first to 80 mile Beach to do some fishing – this travelling is exhausting! No fish though. The next Roadhouse up the highway is Sandfire  where dozens of peacocks including this albino wander through the traffic.

The next fishing spot was Port Smith – you’re right – no fish again!!

 

 

 

Let’s try Barn Hill – there’s always fish there. No - but there were beautiful sunsets.

 

 

 

Wow – Internet connection again. We’ve had 8 days without phone service.

Our next stop was Broome.  This is a monument to the pioneers of the Pearling Industry. Broome now services the Kimberley Area and is very much geared to tourism.

 

Sun Pictures in China Town is the world’s oldest operating open-air theatre complete with canvas chairs and a timber floor.

 

 

Boab trees – one originally used as a jail – are a feature of this area. The trunk of the tree grows to a massive size.

 

 

 

 

Looking out over the Indian Ocean at Cable Beach at sunset is spectacular. This was taken from one of the many local restaurants where we were sitting back having a long cool drink.

Karijini National Park

While we were at Tom Price, we went on a bus trip to Karijini N.P. The bus arrived at the caravan park at 7.30 a.m. and off we went-

 

 

We passed Mt. Bruce which at 1235m, is the second highest mountain in Western Australia. As we returned in the afternoon it was shrouded in cloud from a storm which passed through.

Our first stop was at Circular Falls at Dales Gorge which is a great view from the lookout.

 

 

 

After a short walk, this is the view out over Dales Gorge at Fortescue Falls. The waterfall flows all year round.

 

 

Down the steps from Fortescue Falls is Fern Pool. The guys got a great massage under the waterfall. There is decking and seating which makes it a very enjoyable place to swim.

 

The following is the view from Oxer Lookout where the Weano, Hancock, Joffre and Red Gorges meet. These gorges then meet up with the Wittenoom and Knox Gorges.

 

 

The last stop for the day was Handrail Pool at Weano Gorge which proved to be quite a challenge for some.

 

 

We left the Hamersley Range behind and headed toward Port Headland. This was a morning tea stop along the way.

 

 

A few kilometres down the road is the turnoff to Wittenoom Gorge. This is a controversial area as  asbestos was mined in the area 40 years ago. The waterholes in the gorge look cool and inviting.

 

 

 

The rest of the trip to Port Headland was pretty uninteresting. These boulders appear out of nowhere along the road.

 

 

These trucks with four trailers look monstrous when coming toward you on the road!!

The Pilbara

We left Karratha and headed south-east to the Pilbara. It was a relief to see mountains again. This one  has the property named after it –Pyramid.

 

The first National Park we visited is the Millstream/Chichester N.P. which was formally a pastoral lease which expired and the land has now reverted to the government as a National Park.

This area is absolutely beautiful with the Fortescue River running through the area. This river supplies the town water to Karratha.

 

 

The height of the water pipe over the Fortescue River gives you some idea of how high the water can rise.

 

 

Col and Kathy went canoeing at Crossing Pool – too deep for a non-swimmer like me!!

 

 

 

Ah! the beautiful sunsets are starting. This is from our camp at Hamersley Gorge.

 

 

 

Hamersley Gorge is an ideal place to go swimming down the gorge. It was a ‘little’ cool though.  The colours in the rocks were amazing.

 

 

 

 

This is the same pool as above later in the morning. The rocks change colour as the sun moves over the gorge. Yes – there is some climbing involved.

 

After travelling 250 kilometres over some very rough  dirt roads, we arrived at Tom Price which is the highest town in Western Australia at 712 metres.  We based ourselves in town  for three days.

 

Mt. Nameless at 1125 meters is the highest mountain in W.A. that you can drive up. The views from the summit are fantastic.

 

 

This is Mt. Tom Price mine taken from Mt. Nameless at sunrise.

 

 

 

We took a bus tour through the iron ore mine at Tom Price. The down side of the area is that everything ends up ‘Pilbara Pink’ from the iron ore dust.

 

And on the side of the road in town is the flower the area is noted for – the Mulla Mulla which is a very pretty purple against the surrounding red of the hills.

40 Mile Beach to Tom Price

This looked like the BEST fishing spot – but all we got was Sandfly bites. We also later read a sign warning of crocodiles!

 

 

The beautiful Sturt Desert Pea is just starting to flower.

 

 

 

We could have woken up to this scene at 40 Mile Beach every morning but unfortunately had to keep moving.

 

 

We travelled to Karratha. It’s a mining support town built in the 1960’s as housing for mine workers.

 

 

This is the jail at Roebourne (east of Karratha) where aboriginals were imprisoned. There are four wings off a central quadrangle so that only one guard was needed to watch all.

The jail is now a museum where we found this unique chair made from whale bone by one of the early pastoralists for his wife.

 

 

 

 

Cossack was the very busy port for Roebourne but as ships needed a deeper harbour the town was deserted. The stone buildings are in very good order as some of them were never used before the town ceased to be.

This is the interior of the Court House that was never used. It is now a museum,  “Shakespeare House” named after a local pastoralist.

 

 

Dampier is west of Karratha and the port that replaced Cossack. Salt is mined (by evaporation) and exported overseas.

 

 

In amongst the red sandhills  and spinnfiix grass, Dampier is like an oasis with coconut palms growing on the beach.

 

 

  Along with salt and iron ore, natural gas is shipped from Woodside’s North West Shore.