To Warburton & Warakurna

Travelled via Warburton, once a mission settlement, & checked out their great local Art Gallery, part of their Council building complex. Couldn't resist another piece of artwork.

Second stop on Great Central Road at Warakurna Roadhouse, just near Warakurna community and Giles Meteorological Station. Roadhouse another  place showcasing local artwork.

Tjukayirla

First stop on Great Central Road.

Stayed at Tjukayirla Roadhouse, decided not to camp and took "backpacker" accom - donga with 2 single beds.

Pleasant camping spot, doesn't feel like you are in the middle of the desert.

Great Central Road

Great Central Road ... and Warbuton is only half way to Alice Springs!

Good dirt road, part of The Outback Way.

The Outback Way unsealed, mostly 4WD & truck route through the Great Victoria & Gibson Desert country.

From Laverton WA, to Warburton, Giles, Docker River, Kata Juta & Uluru, Alice Springs & then the Plenty Highway to Winton in QLD.

Laverton

Laverton, nickel & gold mining area, small town, basic supplies (in three different locations as the supermarket is no longer operating), fuel ... & the friendliest touist information office ever! Great welcome, super friendly staff, coffee!!! and books, souvenirs, permits and an outback display to view and browse your way through. Then on to the Great Central Road up to the Centre ...

Gwalia & Leonora

Gold & more Gold, this area has mining in its past as well as in the present. Leonora, 230km north of Kalgoorlie has a wide main street with some older buildings still in use as they were intended, such as the Royal Hotel (no surprise really), and others that have been restored and are now in use in other ways, such as the Library&InformationCentre!  

The township of Gwalia is now an historic site a few kilometres from Leonora, famous for the Sons of Gwalia gold reef discovered in 1896 and mine established in 1898. 

The mine manager at that time was a young 24 year old American mining engineer, Herbert Hoover - later to become the 31st President of the US! Whilst there he designed the angled headframe in the photo, other mine buildings still on the site, and designed and had built the mine managers house, today known as Hoover House. It has been beautifully restored, operates as a B&B, and was where we enjoyed coffee and a snack on the verandah. Lovely! 

    

Meekatharra

Meekatharra, old gold mining town from the past and again now. Plenty of activity with mines and mining in this area.

Arrived at sunset, interesting town, main street, old buildings, 3 hotels, 1 motel ... and all booked out ... except for one basic motel room ... ours! Many vehicles, trucks, road trains & people passing through, mining company personnel, tourists, a busy Monday night in town.

Apparently Meekatharra was first town in Australia to be powered by solar energy. That was in 1982, don't know about 2012.

Area history includes pastoralists, gold mining & the Indigenous people's traditions & rich connection to the land. Interestingly, in the1920's Sir Charles Kingsford Smith & Keith Anderson had a transport business & mail run in these parts, long before their aviation exploits made them famous.

Newman, Pilbara & Iron Ore country

Newman, Iron Ore mining town. BHP Billiton's Mt Whaleback mine is here, the largest single open cut iron ore mine in the world! Mining operations all over here and personnel, mining vehicles, moving  big machinery, make for a busy place.

Karijini National Park

Karijini National Park in the Hammersley Ranges, deep in The Pilbara of WA.  Wittenoom close by as well as Port Hedland, Tom Price, Newman and other huge iron ore and mining ventures.

Karijini scenery and gorges are magnificent - Dales Gorge, Fortescue Falls, Hancock, Kalamina & Joffre gorges amongst others. Deep red stony gorges, red, red soil, amazing spinifex grass, wildflowers. Rocky campsite though!

Camping here became quite interesting on our first night when a Dingo decided to visit our tent site! Howling loudly to its mates across the way. Pretty special.

Wildflowers - enjoy!

Port Hedland - all happening here

Arrived late afternoon, not a good time in caravan park land as most parks are full by then ... But we were lucky! Port Hedland is huge! The port itself handles huge quantities of iron ore and other minerals for export. Long ore trains from mining areas inland, huge salt stacks, lots of mining accommodation camps & utes & trucks of all shapes & sizes buzzing around. Fishing is apparently good here too, but not for us.
Caught up with friend from Melbourne working up here at the moment. He lives in one of the newer work camps, bit like a resort without all

the frills. They have modern motel room type accom, swimming pool, tennis & other sports courts, big gym & a huge dining room with really good fresh food of every kind to keep everyone happy & well & ready for work. Other work camps are not so well appointed. Good to see first hand.

Port Smith & 80 Mile Beach

Just south of Broome, 23km off the highway, down a dirt track is a caravan park ... Port Smith. A haven for those who love fishing!

People relaxing & fishing & talking about fishing & us. Lovely spot, beautiful sunset - always important.

And just a little bit further down the coast is 80 Mile Beach.
Fishing, beach walking, collecting shells and a caravan park for those wishing to stay.

Broome ... aahh Broome ...

Beautiful Broome and Cable Beach ... What more can I say ...  

18 degrees south of the Equator, perfect water, multicultural population, plenty of tourists of course, and Roebuck Bay. Gantheaume Point site of prehistoric dinosaur prints in the rocks, visible only at low tide. Chinatown, pearls, pearling history & the Roebuck Bay Hotel - still a popular watering hole.

Premiere screening of "The Sapphires" movie here this week (missed it as we have missed most  events, including writers festivals in both Kununurra and Broome !).
Premiere was at the Sun Picture Theatre, famous outdoor/indoor picture palace from the early days of Broome still in operation.








Toes in the Indian Ocean at Cable Beach and coffee in town whist the car had a good wash to get some red dirt off it ... everyone happy! Quick stop here this time, spent a few days here in 2010, back again another day.

Derby sunset

Sunset over the jetty at Derby, the bottom of King Sound on the Buccaneer Archipelago and place of the highest tidal range in Australia. High or low tide good to see.

 

 

The jetty is popular place for fishing and to be at the end of the day, as is a seafood dinner and wine at a little restaurant right at the jetty ... Perfect at the end of a week of dirt road and bush camping.

 

Gave the tent a miss here and had a room at a little caravan park on the edge of town.

Derby itself has grown, looking good with well watered green grass and boab trees down the main road into town, and a new tourist info centre.

Windjana Gorge

Windjana Gorge is spectacular!
This is the view at the top of the range and the river and gorge is below the gap in the rocks.

This range, once a reef under the sea, boasts plenty of fossils, features in the indigenous & early cattle station settlers history with Jandimara and his stand against the white people in earlier times.

The Lennard River flowing through it boasts
heaps of crocodiles! Saw heaps but camera battery flat, no photos ... Next time!







Arrived at sunset to see the best view of the gorge ... And the camera battery gave out!

So both photos at left are from our last trip in 2010.

Barnett Gorge

Not a great photo of Barnett Gorge but it is a lovely waterhole in the middle of the hot Kimberley country. Mt Barnett Station is here as well as the local indigenous community, Mt Barnett Roadhouse (much better equipped and run since we were here 2 yrs ago), camping area & the beautiful Manning Gorge. First came to this area in 1980, changed quite a bit since then. Road is much better for one!

Mt Elizabeth Station

Mt Elizabeth Station, a favourite spot here. 

Peter and Pat Lacy's working cattle station. Peter's father Frank Lacy is one of the original Kimberley cattle pioneers. They have accommodation, campground, station tours & access to tracks & great spots such as this on the property. Friendly wallabies too.

Gibb River Road from the top down

The Gibb River Road, 660km to Derby, wide open spaces and huge mountain ranges, dirt roads and plenty of corrugations, some sealed sections as well.

After Mt Barnett, about half way, road becomes more varied with jump ups and winding sections, plenty of gorges to check out.

Had planned to go up to the Drysdale River but not doing that now, so straight down the Gibb River Road it is.

Ellenbrae Station

Ellenbrae, a little paradise ... with scones, jam and cream!

5km off the Gibb River Road   and we were enticed by the fresh scones sign and discovered this little oasis.

Unfortunately their cabins were all booked that night, so we camped, did 4km walk the next morning ... and went back for a second serve of the scones, jam & cream. Lovely! Homestead here is all green, big trees, birds aplenty.

Camping area nearby not so green but great set up with outback toilet & shower & plenty of hot water. They still run cattle but station is now owned by a company and run by resident manager. Great waterholes on property.