Windy Cape Range National Park

We were warned by Geoff Blacklock that it could "blow" at Cape Range National Park in September. And blow it did. We had northerlies, nor-westers, sou-westers, sou-easters etc. We understand a giant wind storm ripped through Perth 1000km south of us during the week! We still had a great time, getting a paddle, many snorkels and lots of wildlife into our six night stay.A bunch of Melbourne kids arrived the same day we did so the kids disappeared into the dunes for a few hours every afternoon to make shell houses. The park is famous for the 260km Ningaloo reef that runs along the coast. The snorkelling was great. Tony got a 10km paddle from Turquoise Bay down to the camp site on fathers day which he really enjoyed (he had a 3-4m Tiger(?) shark swim under his kayak. We saw many turtles and rays in the shallows, as well as some very beautiful fish.

We have reached the western extent of our travels, and will turn left tomorrow and head for home via Mt Augustus, Uluru and the West McDonnell ranges. Cheers to all.

A very cool Emu with five (count them!) chicks in the park.

A wrasse on the reef.

Laura being awesome.

Max being awesomer. The outer reef was about 400m offshore. This provides a perfect wave break, and means the water is calm along the beach.

Tony's fathers day cake! 

Laura at (the aptly named) Turquoise Bay. 

One of many camp goannas.

Our last paddle of the trip in Yardie Creek, a coastal gorge. 

The cliffs had many large bird nests (ospreys) and a colony of rock wallabies.

Our home of six nights.

Snorkelling on the reef.

The view south from the dunes beside our camp.

Laura and Max's dune mates; Hannah, Isaac and Asher.

Pilbara National Parks

The Fortescue river (which drains the Karijini gorges) flows through Chichester-Millstream National Park (a most aboriginal name!). It was once a sheep station. We had a beautiful kayak on a long still pool of the river. The cool starry nights were somewhat marred by the massive diesel generator located an impolite 1km from the campground (Crossing Pool has been closed!). Apparently the area overlays a massive aquifer which supplies water for the coastal towns. We are heading for the west coast for eight days before we turn left and head for home.

Fortescue Pool

Campsite in the trees.

The old homestead has been looked after and is part of the park.

The lilos being put to good use after Karijini!

Deep reach pool

A goanna that we stopped for on the Panowonica road,

More mine kit!

Karijini

Karijini National Park was amazing.  Shades of red, green and purple on the curved hills filled with iron and covered in green spinifex bushes. The area is drained by a number of deep gorges which flow into the (in)famous Wittennoom gorge. The blue asbestos and fibres could be seen in some of the gorges we visited. We stayed six nights here - our longest stay to date. We spent hours down some of the gorges, floating down narrow pools on lilos (blow up beds - the term seems to be a bit outdated). 

Laura on the "spider walk" in (presumably Lang) Hancock gorge.

Kermit pool in Hancock Gorge.

The amazingly cute spinifex pigeons that ate our crumbs everyday.

At Fern Pool, Dales Gorge.

Fortescue Pools

Rock layers in Dale's gorge.

Swimming in very cold water.

Dales Gorge at sunset.

Camp site at the Karijini eco-retreat.

Weano gorge

Handrail pool in Weano gorge.

The tortured rocks at Hammersly gorge.

Knox gorge

200m lilo ride down Joffre gorge.

K

Iron and the Hammersly Range

The Hammersly range is part of the Pilbara, one the areas in Australia containing massive iron ore deposits, Tony climbed Mt Bruce (2nd highest in West Australia - at the staggeringly unimpressive 1234m - evidence of an ancient land! We visited the oddly named town of "Tom Price" to take a tour of the Rio Tinto mine of the same name. The scale of the mine was astounding 100m of rock has been excavated above our heads, and a 100m deep pit was below us. The town was name after an American geologist who declared 50 odd years ago that there was enough iron to supply the world in the range (there was/is!).

Ten steps to running the Australian economy. 1. Excise large areas and a rail corridor from your national parks. Steps 2 through 10 are provided in the photo.

Ex-Mt. Tom Price. The mine was very quiet - a "mayday" had shut the mine down. Not a truck or excavator to be seen! The tour guide cannot even ask what the mayday was!

A tiny old-fashioned digger.

The plant for minor processing of iron before it was dumped into trains and shipped off to Port!