Karratha, Tom Price, Cue

A Nomad Friend has reminded me that I havent posted for a while......
Left Port Hedland rather annoyed that my $44 CP didnt have a shower that worked properly - either hot or cold and lacking pressure. Should complain but....

Headed off  to Peawah camp. Backed up and set up then read for an hour but after a text from friend decided to get further south to meet him at Nanutarra. Thought Karratha roadhouse looked like a good stop – fuelled up then found they don’t allow campers anymore - $100 fine if you stay there so off down the road again. Got to Maitland river and see people under the bridge. Found a spot there for the night. River looks very inviting – lots of water.

Lovely drive – vast areas of very flat green ‘pasture’ with hills in the distance. Roebourne is a very unusual small town = the old gaol museum seems to be the main building.

Down to Robe river camp. Big area, dump etc. again. Read all afternoon. No water in river which is a surprise considering how full Maitland was, and all other rivers at least had a bit of water. Robe has grass growing everywhere!

Fri 12^th  Nanutarra for lunch with friends. Decided I wanted to do Newman after all so headed to Beasley camp for the night. Called in here last year but flies everywhere! Another dump etc. Quite a few here. Cold during the night – had to shut windows. Fuel consumption seems to have gone up rather drastically – 17 – 19 now – that is nuts.!!! Will go slower tomorrow?

Sat 13^th Tootled along at 80 km today - groceries and fuel at Paraburdoo but gas $50 so went to Tom Price = stay 2 nights a Caravan Park. Has gone from $20 to $32 single since last year – ouch again! Still – nice to have a shower, do washing etc. Lovely quiet road – a few coming towards me around 10am and a couple of trucks passed me. No white lines on the new seal all the way to Paraburdoo – and no signs even telling us to be careful – wow!

Mon 15^th – to Karijini - $5 day pass + $5 per night concession. Didn’t realise no phone here and so many places to camp. Sat outside in the shade and read all afternoon. Next day off to Mt Robinson camp – 110km  north of Newman. Went for

a WALK – up the track. Should have put the shoes on and taken hat and water but did go quite a way – for me anyway. Got  a good sweat up. About 10 lots here o/n.Went for a walk along the gorge – pretty neat! Would be lovely when the stream is running.

Amazing how the trees cling to the cliff faces. Cold wind today inspite of the sun. First day since I left Perth that I have had a jacket and sox on all day!!!! Read again – loving that Kindle. Happy hour with Perth couple. Bloke with a couple of kids arrived around 8pm, set up camper trailer – then was gone by 6.30 – so much hurry!!!!

Thurs – a cold night – extra blanket and everything shut! Off to Newman – with Irish and another couple to Kalgan Caravan Park  - $36 with senior discount ($2) Enjoyed the drive through rolling hills with lots of smaller white trunked gums. More big trucks than vans for a change! Heard the pilot say ‘wobbly approaching the corner‘ referring to me! Still windy though. Dinner with the 2 couples - free bus to Capricornia bar & grill. Expensive ($31 for chicken, $8.50 – half glass of wine) but a lovely change.  Heading south - Kumarina roadhouse is only $20  - too many dusty trucks roaring in so got fuel and on to Gascoyne river 64km south. Lovely spots all along the river. WATER in it and birds singing. Will stay a few days I think. Still a cool wind. Another day of big loads but nowhere near as many nomads on this road! Thank goodness for these wonderful road edges so that I can get right out of the way easily!

Sat – Mon What a lovely spot to stay. The neighbour left on Sunday so I move the 50m down by the river where he was. Could stay for weeks!  Chatting to a French cyclist who flew in to Alice then biked across country to Newman, heading to Meekathara and over to Sandstone. He stopped here for lunch. Another kiwi couple in  a bus, others from Perth doing their first free camp – otherwise just reading and taking photos. Bird photographer looking for the Bower bird – his wife makes post cards and sells them. Was sitting out reading this morning and chucked a bit of bread out for the Butcher birds – and had 2 Bower birds visit. Birds are so quiet here.

Tues 23^rd packed up and left reluctantly for Meekatharra! Another nice drive – thank goodness for these wonderful wide roads and floodways where I can get out of the way of trucks. 2 more massive loads today. Have decided to use the radio to listen for convoys now – more trucks than nomads! A carpet of purple got me interested – tiny flowers. Found a dump in town so fuelled up and drove the 20km south to Bluebird camp. The Caravan Park in Meeka is only $25 but decided not to stay – right by the road.  Much more desert on this stretch of road, but still cattle grazing on something – saltbush I think. Scrub rather than trees. A few dead ones also – more cattle than roos it seems. Made me think of elephants 'caring' about their dead - have seen several cattle around a carcase beside the road. Several mines close to the road. Copper, Talc, Gold

 
Wed 24^th Restless night – woke at midnight to hear rain so shifted the van on to the hard road area in case the rain made the camp spot boggy. Several trucks parked there – one with a gen going most of the night. Several vehicles turned up late at night also. Must have finally slept soundly finally – didn’t hear the trucks go!!!! Grey day with spits most of the way to Cue. The park here has had a major make-over in the past 3 years. New power/water etc. toilet…. Only $25 so staying 2 nights. Starting to see more flowers – small yellow and white ones.