Indee Station

On the way to Port Headland, I saw a car alongside the road and an Aboriginal waving, so I stopped.  He'd run out of petrol, then flattened his battery: While he had a jerrrycan of petrol, he needed to be jump started.  He said he and his wife were from Coober Pedy, traveling around visiting friends & relatives, and had been there for two days broken down.  I asked about food and they said they were OK, but I opened a pack of biscuits and shared them around:  They were quick to grab as biscuit so I left the pack with them.  We connected up leads, and shortly a couple of stockmenn also rolled up.  In summary, it turned out his immobilser had been engaged and needed resetting, requiring bringing the car to a mechanical garage:  As it was an automatic transmission, it couldn't be towed and needed to be loaded onto a truck/trailer, such as most towing companies now use.  One of the stockmen said Indee Station may have one so as there was nothing more I could do, I agreed to drive on to Indee Station ("...only about 30-40 km up the road" and then another 9km off the highway on a gravel road into the station) and ask them to help.  On arrival, they said they had no vehicle capable of loading the car so in the finish we passed the information on to the Police.  Meanwhile, I discovered they had a caravan park on the station so I booked in for a couple of nites.

NB:  I have subsequently been warned that it is very dangerous to stop for anyone in remote areasI am doubly happy in this case that I didn't come to grief and that I was able to help.

Every evening at 5:30 PM they have Happy Hour - they have an open section (roofed over) in the middle of their homestead, with living quarters on either side.  It has a table that seats about 30 people and it was full both of the nites I was there!  A retired quarry owner was there and volunteered to take a group on a tour of the station & quarry for a donation to the RFDS, an opportunity quickly seized by half a dozen people.  It was quite amazing, he showed us two railways running thru the station, they are about 500m apart and one belongs to BHP & the other FMG; they run parallel virtually all the way to Port Headland, but they cannot agree to share so each have their own rail.  Gina Rhineheart is in the process of building a third parallel line as no share arrangement can be negotiated.  He also gave us a good background into the quarry, which was set up to provide basecourse for the railways (he was happy they built two!).

The large bridge was nearly underwater not many months ago, as the area was virtually an inland sea after heavy rains.  Hard to imagine, when at the moment it looked pretty dry and thirsty country.  The station is 250,000 Ha and runs about 1,000 head of cattle - understocked at the moment due to previous drought.  They were hit hard financially by the sudden halt in exports to Indonesia and relatively recent drought.  The station was wiped out by a cyclone a number of years ago and the owner spent three years with a brickmold making the concrete blocks to build a new, cyclone safe homestead.  It was hit again in 2007, and while much damage occurred, the homestead survived.  They were mustering at the time so while we didn't see the boss cocky, his wife was supervising meals for the stockmen & Happy Hour at the station:  Apparently the owner came in the second evening with a bad gash in his thigh but said he wasn't going to hospital:  A fellow who knows him and saw the wound reckoned he should go to hospital, and also reckoned his wife would order him to go!

A pleasant stay, the tour was fascinating and a small glimpse into an operating station.

Karijini

We set off at 0730 and covered 630 Km to a freecamp near Karijini:  We stopped at Nanutarra Roadhouse for lunch and met up with Vida, another solo Grey Nomad traveling around the country counter clockwise and now on the way to Perth.  The Pilbara is an ancient land, some 3,500 million years old.  It is a wildly beautiful place, with large open flat areas out of which arise hills & mountains, showing red bands of the iron rich rock that abounds in the area.  There are flat areas with (relatively) small heaps of rock, looking to all intents as if they were dumped there, but on closer inspection, the size of the rocks themselves are much larger than the largest trucks about today:  Perhaps like everything else in the days of yore things were bigger.  Within some of the ranges are deeply cut gorges and some of the best in the region are in Karijini.

We arrived at Dales Camp Ground in Karijini, booked a site for three nites and went to the well set up Visitors Centre.  Then off to explore Dales Gorge;  we walked along the top, then descended into the Gorge to Circular Pool at one end.  This is a pool at the bottom of a sheer circular cliff and is quite spectacular.  It also is a popular swimming pool, as evidenced by those doing just that (Heidi joined them).  From here we walked along the bottom of the gorge about two Km to Fortescue Falls, at the other end of the gorge.  This gorge is narrow, steep and beautiful, being cut through layers of rock, mainly rust red but with some yellow as well.  The bottom has a creek flowing thru it supporting a range of vegetation.  Surprisingly, there are fig trees growing here, remnants from the rainforest era, we were told.  There are large melaleuca trees, as well as the white snappy gums.  This is pretty well the pattern for all of the gorges we visited.  A short walk upstream from Fortescue Falls is Fern Pool, a lovely swimming pool with twin waterfalls off a ledge on the far side. 

The following day we drove to Weano Gorge over a diabolically corrugated road, avoided after this day.  There is a lookout here where four gorges come together:  You look straight down into the steeply cut gorges, which is awesome.  We then set off for Handrail Pool, which involves a bit of wading, a walk through a very narrow section and steps with a handrail down into the aptly named pool.  Early on, the water was a bit higher than normal, so a swim or spiderwalk along a sheer section of gorge was involved:  I waded over to the spiderwalk area but didn't feel confident to traverse it so turned back (at worst I would have fallen into the water but didn't have waterproofing for my camera, thus negating swimming across the pool also, which I could have done easily).  Heidi continued to the end, which she described as phenomenal!  

The next day we drove to Kalamina Gorge.  On descent into this gorge, you arrive at a picturesque waterfall and pool.  We met a couple here who were taking photos for the NP Service on a volunteer basis.  He seemed totally involved in the business, ignoring his wife who followed along as best she could.  We then followed the valley downstream to Arch Pool, the end of the trail.  While some were swimming in this pool, it was well shaded and cool.  We met some trekkers returning from further on but they said it was rough and unspectacular so we returned along the same track, heading for a more pleasant pool we passed earlier.  Here we had a pleasant rest which involved lunch and a swim for Heidi.  While here, we saw aforementioned  photographer single mindedly striding back  - but we never saw his wife.  We arrived back at camp with enough time to visit Fern Pool again and a very pleasant swim.

 Our last day, we packed up and left the Dales Camp Site and drove into Tom Price as we needed petrol.  We checked at the Visitors Centre, as one option I had was going north along a gravel road to Millstream Chichester NP and I wanted to check the road condition - it was badly corrugated & rough so I canned that option.  We then went to Hammersley Gorge, which was a fitting finale as it was superb!   The rock layers are much thinner, more varied in colour and bent & twisted into fascinating forms.  There are two pools for swimming, the top one finishing in a grotto where the water has cut a short tunnel through the rock.  Again Heidi swam, I ate lunch & took photos. 

And then it was time to leave.  We stayed at the Tom Price Caravan Park and the next morning drove to Parabardoo, where Heidi caught her flight to Perth.  In the ten days we covered some 3,100 Km and had some unique and wonderful experiences.  I returned to Karijini for three nites, then intend heading towards Port Headland & then turn east. 

So far this year my travels have covered 13,873 Km (8,648 miles) and have a minimum of 5,631 Km (3,513 miles) to Brisbane.

Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef

A 1,214 Km run from New Norcia to Exmouth, lunch at Geraldton and an overnight at a freecamp south of Carnarvon:  We drove into Carnarvon for a quick look also.  On arrival at Exmouth, we checked at the Visitor Centre and discovered the place was packed out - School Holidays, and what better place to take the family!  We managed to get one night at Yardie Homestead, on the other side of the peninsula (we subsequently booked two more nights in an overflow accommodation).  The main attraction here is Ningaloo Reef, and Heidi organised a boat tour to snorkel on the reef and to swim with whale sharks.  On this particular boat they also have a number of research scientists, adding another dimension.  They were interesting and happy to discuss their particular area of expertise which, as may not surprise you, comprises of ocean and reef ecosystems plus whale shark studies.  We had an extra day waiting for our boat tour so we went to Yardie Creek National Park where we walked along the Gorge, visited the Myerling Visitor Centre and lazed about on a beach or two. 

Then the following day we went on the boat tour.  We were picked up by bus, drove to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, where we were ferried out to our boat and then set off for a bit of snorkeling.  Plenty of reef fishes and coral but sadly coral bleaching has taken its toll.   While we were snorkeling, a spotter plane found a whale shark, so we were hustled back aboard and set off in pursuit.  On the way to it, we were organised into two groups and given our specific instructions by our team leader as no more than ten people can swim around the whale shark at any time.  Once in the water, said leader located the shark, brought us to it and we followed along as it slowly (for a fish!) cruised foraging for plankton.   What a terrific experience to be three or four metres from an 8 metre fish just below the surface!  We had a couple of dives at this shark (the groups take it in about ten minute turns and there was also another boat) and I thought that would be it, but we ended up observing four whale sharks, the smallest at three metres long.  But that wasn't all, we also observed humpback whales nearby (the other team actually had a mother & calf swim right next to them while they were observing a whale shark!), I saw a sailfish leap clear of the water and others also observed some turtles and a giant ray leap clear. 

The scientists were busy taking photos, movies and gathering any pertinent information on the whale sharks as research on these creatures is in its infancy.  They took water samples and plankton samples plus gathered other data in relation to their particular expertise, which they freely discussed with us, encouraging questions from any and all.  We were on the water about eight hours and arrived back at the boat ramp pretty well exhausted!  But what a totally unique experience - and a sumptuous lunch provided as well!  Being privy to the research was a terrific bonus - it added so much.  We rested well that night, as we planned an early start to Karijini.    

NB We were promised an email link to some of the underwater photos but none received at this stage, so the photos are a bit light on.

New Norcia

A Spanish Mission in Western Australia?  Oh yes!  It is as fascinating as it is big!  Fleeing religious persecution in Spain, a group of Benedictine Monks established this Mission in 1846.  Initially to work with Aborigines, it expanded to become a local producer of meat, wheat & flour, bread, honey etc. (it has significant land holdings), a boarding school and now mainly a tourist attraction.  The buildings are ornate in an architectural style more in line with Spain rather than of Australia - this includes the decorations as well.  The churches and chapels contain elaborate paintings and woodwork in the European style and are spectacular to view.  Sadly today it is mainly unused, as the school no longer operates and production equipment is outdated and doesn't comply with current OH&S standards.  The number of Monks has seriously declined also, to the point where the future of the Mission is in doubt.  Nearly 30 buildings are classified by the  National Trust.  

The tour of the Mission is fascinating and excellent value.  However, the afternoon light is not sympathetic to many of the buildings so we stayed the night so we could have a quick look around the Mission in the much better  morning light, and then a 'quick' run to the next port of call.