Exmouth to Newman

Saturday, 28^th June we left Exmouth and after 86 kms the GPS was showing E as we drove towards the North West Coastal Highway to Nanutarra, so I suppose we are now heading towards home.   On our last drive along this road the landscape was just red dirt and mulga, but this time there was much greenery and very healthy, young spinifex.    After a refuel at Nanutarra Roadhouse,  we travelled along Nanutarra-Wittenoom Road to our overnight stop at the Beasley River.    This was our longest day’s drive in many weeks – 460 kms.   Luckily we reached the camp area by mid afternoon and found a good spot before other areas quickly filled.

Beasley River campsite (no water for paddling here)

A type of hibiscus

Sunday we continued to Paraburdoo, a Rio Tinto mining town, then in to Tom Price, also Rio Tinto, to refuel.    Unfortunately the bakery here had closed, so I only have memories of the delicious vanilla slice I had there 2 years ago. 

Coming in to Paraburdoo

  It was only about 60 kms to Karijini National Park, where we were allocated a very generous site.

Monday morning we awoke to just 3 degrees, so the diesel heater was given a good workout.    We left at 9am to walk down to Circular Pool, along Dales Gorge to Fortescue Falls.    There was much rock scrambling and short water crossings on strategically placed rocks, but a very scenic walk.    After climbing the rocks near the Falls, we went in to the Fern Pool, where 2 brave Scottish girls decided they would go for a swim.

The local corellas were having their midday nap in the trees nearby.

A pair of spinifex pigeons

Circular Pool from top of the gorge

Circular Pool after a rocky climb down

A vein of asbestos (blue in its natural state)

Fortescue Falls

From top of the Falls back down Dales Gorge ( a very good climb)

The Fern Pool with resident corellas

Looks like  mini mulla mulla

After leaving Karijini on Tuesday it was a short distance to the Great Northern Highway, then 100 kms south to Newman.  This is a very busy road used for moving mining equipment through the Pilbara.   We had to park right off the road a couple of times to allow wide loads to pass.   We arrived at the caravan park at Newman by lunch time.    We are now well and truly into red dirt territory, so a good supply of napisan for soaking socks, etc. is on board.  

This morning we enjoyed a tour of the BHP Mt Whaleback Iron Ore Mine – it is huge and apparently has about another 60 years of ore left to be mined.    The daytime temperature is a very acceptable 23 degrees.