A little update

Setting out from Broome, we were heading for a roadside stop before getting to Karijini.  Our lunch time stop was a little eventful.  We had pulled into a side parking and had set up our table and just as we were cutting up our tomatoes and cucumber another car and caravan pulled in.  The lady jumped out and asked if anyone was a smoker and please don’t light up if we were.  Next minute another car and caravan pulled in behind us.  The lady then said the second car had a gas leak!!  We all looked at each other as we could hear the hissing of the gas.  John went and asked if the guy knew how to turn of the valves.  Of course he didn’t have a clue.  John then got under the car and started turning off the valves, burning his finger in the proceedings.  We hightailed it out of there as soon as we could put our picnic lunch back in the car.

With adrenalin a little high we continued on to Port Hedland, not bothering with the roadside stop.  On arrival on the outskirts of Port Hedland, there were white 4 wheel utes with iridescent logos on the side, aerials about six feet high with orange flags on them, buzzing around like ants.  Every second house had a 40ft boat parked in the driveway or out the front and there was a huge stock pile of salt, just before we crossed over the bridge.

All caravan parks were full but one receptionist phoned another and we could have an unpowered site if we got there straight away.  On arrival we were told we could have any site around the pool.  John noticed a power point on the side of the swimming pool shed so we set up camp.  In the cover of the setting sun we plugged our van in and enjoyed the free power.  Emma did some running sewing repairs to the neighbour’s little girl’s bathers in the glow of a head lamp, while the girls enjoyed a swim in the pool.

Running repairs

Next day we headed to Karijini where we knew that there wouldn’t be any power or water but we were prepared.  After setting up camp and lunch we headed for some sightseeing of the rugged beauty of the Gorges, beautiful waterfalls and sparkling rock pools.  The pools called so we climbed down to Fern Pool and slipped into the cool water to take some of the ‘pindan’ dust off and cool down.  Next day we drove over some b….. dusty, b…..bumpy, b…..road to more gorges and pools and came back to camp and set off for a swim at Fortescue Falls.  Beautiful.

Relaxing in Fern Pool

Weano Gorge

Next stop was Tom Price.  Only one caravan park in the place and the dearest of all our stops, so we had two showers and handwashed as much as we could and let it drip dry while the girls didn’t leave the pool.  We are going on a mine tour but that will be the next story.