DAYS 40 - 41 BARN HILL

8-9 April 2008

DAYS 40 - 41 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

BARN HILL

Tuesday 8 April

We will always remember today, 8 April, as a very special day.  This evening we heard that our daughter gave birth to a healthy little boy.  Surprisingly we were in contact range and we heard within a half an hour of the birth.  Had we stayed at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park we would have missed out on the news.

We are just so happy for them!

As you can tell from the title we decided to move on to Barn Hill today.  Hot and humid and it did hit 41 today.  Not a pleasant day at all in respect to the temperature as humidity must be in high 90s.  At Sandfire Roadhouse termite mounds lined the entry/exit and a group of peacocks were strutting there stuff going backwards and forwards across the road with not a care in the world as cars took care to avoid them..

Car electrics still a problem.  The new charger gave up the ghost last night.  Problem still not solved and causing more and more headaches for dear hubby.  It is beginning to have its toll.  I just hope the problem will be solved in Broome.

I am thankful to a friend who travelled here last year and told us about Barn Hill as the rock formations on the beach are truly very unusual. We managed to go for a walk as the tide was going out.

The unusual colours of the rocks was also intriguing.

I intend to explore them further tomorrow.



Wednesday 9 April

After a hot and humid day we got up to face the day.  We managed to go for a walk on one side of the coastline before the tide came in.  There was a 9 metre high tide forecast for Broome today so it was similiar here. 

The colours on the rocks are so different – pinks against a dark crimson red earth. The beach is pristine.  A few shells splattered along the coast line.  We were absolutely soaked with perspiration by the time we got back.  So we had a shower and sat in the shade to read.  The showers are open to the sky and the water is supposedly cold but comes out warmish.  The showers were very refreshing.

Hubby again got into the electrics and found that the solar panels were producing the voltage but it was being lost between the battery and alternator.  The fridge was using more power than we were generating.  So he’s back checking the alternator.  It is really getting to him.

I went for another walk as the tide started to go out.  This time I went to the other side.  Again more fascinating formations.

The formations look rugged and strong whilst at the same time have a sense of fragility.  One has a sense of the ephemeral  - here today maybe gone tomorrow.

The sand was so pristine except for the many interestingly coloured rocks, a splattering of shells and jelly fish.

 Hubby came to meet me as I had been gone a while.  On the way back, as always if there are any stairs, he did his stretches in preparation for the ski season.  This time I had the camera handy to catch him at it.

DAY 39 EIGTHY MILE BEACH

7 April 2008

DAY 39 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

EIGTHY MILE BEACH

Moved on today from the Cape to 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park – only 114 km further north. The caravan park is like a little oasis. Lots of trees provide shade. The shore line is not as captivating as on the Cape. Lots of sand, shells but no swimming as there are too many stingers in the sea.

Caught up with the washing as I wanted the sheets to have a wash and an airing because of the humid nights we have been having. We have been waking up in the night absolutely soaked in perspiration – as if we had been for a shower and not dried ourselves. Lots of friendly chirpy visitors.

Hubby went fishing again and he finally caught not one but three fish.

So we had a lovely blue snapper for dinner tonight. I finally got into my book. A very relaxing day but we needed a shower to cool down from the humidity.

DAY 38 CAPE KERAUDREN - EIGTHY MILE BEACH

6 April 2008

DAY 38 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

CAPE KERAUDREN - EIGTHY MILE BEACH

As we had dinner last night and army of hermit crabs descended on us. What a combination of shells they were camouflaged under. What a sight!

After some unsuccessful fishing off the rocks we decided to explore the area.

The Cootenbrand Creek was running high as the 7 metre tide was coming in. The water was flowing very fast.

This is what it looked like as the tide was going out.

We drove onto the beach and joined the construction team from Pt Headland in the waters of the creek. We were invited to join them for a barbeque lunch that was absolutely delicious. After sitting in the water some more and going for a walk to look at shells we finally explored the area. Onto Mosquito Creek we went where a salty makes a home.

We changed campsites as we wanted to try and catch a breeze. So we camped close to where hubby had fished. No water in sight now that the tide was out. What wonders were revealed below the high tide water line.




And what amazing imprints in the sand.

The tide was out to reveal a most amazing rock labyrinth.

Many rocks had shell encrustations.

Saw some mud crabs hiding in the rock orifices. Came across an octopus and watched it camouflage itself in the rock pool.


It is hard to see it now!

The mangroves were totally exposed to the elements.

One mangrove looked like a figure carrying a weight.

Mangrove roots were exposed and drying till the next tide.

There was evidence of new formations forming.

There were beautiful impressions on the sea bed.

Sea eagles flew above us.

What a lovely day!

DAY 37 PORT HEADLAND - CAPE KERAUDREN via MARBLE BAR

5 April 2008

DAY 37 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

PORT HEADLAND - CAPE KERAUDREN via MARBLE BAR

What a day today!

First of all the charger we bought stopped working during the night. So in the morning we headed back into town and exchanged it. When they tested it, it was dead. What a waste getting a powered site in the caravan park!

We then headed to Marble Bar with the intention of spending at least a night here if not two or three. As usual we checked in with our daughter to let her know our intentions.

The very distant ranges were very unusual. They were too far to capture them on film. They looked jagged.

They were a mixture of steep triangle like structures with a pimple on top, a two hump camel back to vertically straight sides with a flat top. It looked very peculiar. Then after the turn off to Marble Bar for a while the land was flat as a pancake except for the odd rocky outcrop. Then you got some ranges again but they looked very weathered and had no trees or few trees on them.

As we were driving along the electrics were really annoying hubby. He believed he was getting incorrect readings of oil, voltage and temperature.

Anyway getting back to the trip. We crossed the Coongan River. I was very glad it was dry as it would not have been fun crossing it if the water was flowing. The landscape is just unreal. There is no shade. The countryside is stark, dramatic. In a way I could see parallels between here and north Alaska. Both places have extremes of temperature, the country side adapting to the extreme conditions. Survival of the fittest – in the tundra trees that are hundreds of years old are small with narrow trunks providing no shelter. Trees here are small with narrow trunks, offering no shade. As we got closer to Marble Bar ranges appeared again.


As we drove into Marble Bar our expectations grew as there was a lovely series of sculptures welcoming you to the biggest shire in the world – the East Pilbara Shire.


There was a very well maintained race track and then we hit the town before midday and . . . and. . . only a tiny little corner shop was open and the proprietor was looking at the clock and said “20 minutes and I am out of here”. Nothing! One local suggested we head out to Comet Mine and they will provide information on the area. And guess what – it hit 41 – AGAIN!!!!

So we headed to Comet Mine. It is no longer a working mine but they had a very interesting display of rocks of the area and some jewellery for sale. They were also the de facto information centre for the area. After spending some time here we headed for the Jasper deposit. It was an interesting track to get there.

We headed for Marble Pool. The water was not inviting but the rocks were stunning if you splashed water on them. Just like in the brochures.

But, how long is one prepared to keep splashing the water in this heat. To get into the water proper you would have had to make your way over some very, very slippery rocks.

Met a lovely young family from Cooma here – they moved to Pt Headland for work. Chinaman’s Pool was our next stop. It was a beautiful area. A pity you cannot camp here.

Marble Pool and Chinaman’s Pool are in actual Marble Bar. We looked at each other and decided not to stay here. We had been given a mud map of the best way to get to Cape Keraudren so we decide to go back part of the way and then take the turn off to Bamboo Creek and follow the track via the Muccan Shay Gap Rd. The scenery was stunning!!! It made our day.







The road was good but unsealed.

We crossed the De-Grey River – a very wide river crossing.

We both considered whether we should check the depth by wadding through it. We were in salty croc country according to some. We later heard they were definitely here. Hubby examined the flow and said it is not deep because . . .
So we crossed it. Then before we knew there was a railway line parallel to the road. Apparently this part of the road is a private BHP road to Yarrie Mine.

We were met at the entrance to Cape Keraudren by the ranger and birds in the tree. I am sorry but I could not get the picture to be rotate correctly on the blog.

After some discussion we moved on to find a campsite for the night with million dollar views. We were not disappointed.

And . . . another beautiful sunset.
Something I have been meaning to mention in the blog and then slips my mind is the fashions out here in the west. From Kalgoorlie all the way up the Pilbara one constantly sees the orange, yellow, blue outfits with reflective stripes. Caravan clothes lines are full of them. And you see them all behind the wheel of a ute, covered in Pilbara red, with an orange flag and a blinking orange light.

DAY 36 YULE RIVER - PORT HEADLAND

4 April 2008

DAY 36 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

YULE RIVER - PORT HEADLAND

Woke this morning to find the river flowing much higher and faster than last night. During the night the bark owl made its presence felt. In the morning wherever you stepped there were little ant mounds.


It didn’t take us long to get to Pt Headland. The town itself takes great pride with its appearance. It is a very neat and tidy place. However, the big steel structures tend to dominate and steal the show. We drove over the bridge where the two great industries meet – salt and steel. The people at the visitor’s centre were helpful although we were very disappointed at not being able to go on a BHP tour. Someone else mentioned they had tried to get on the tour the whole week they were there with no luck.

After posting off the GPS for a check hubby contacted the auto electricians here. He arranged to get the electrics checked out. The verdict was that everything was charging but the meter wasn’t showing it. So a decision was made to get a charger for the gel battery.

We managed to see some turtles swimming in the sea from the Pt Headland Community Park lookout and watched the ships being loaded. We were very lucky to be here today as we saw the Martumili artists of the Western Desert exhibition at the Courthouse Gallery. Martumili artists is the art enterprise of the Martu people who come from the East Pilbara desert regions. The works were vibrant and interesting. Some of my favourites were already sold and the exhibition was only opening that night. It was a delightful gallery with a well lit gallery space.

There were quite a few sculptures around town that captured the spirit of what Port Headland is about and of course they were made of steel.

We spent some time in the Seafarer’s Centre as they had wireless internet. Finally we went onto Pt Headland Caravan Park near the airport so that we could charge up the gel battery using the charger. Met some contractors staying here. Apparently it is too early for the “crazies” as they call the grey nomad migration along the coast. We were asked what we were doing here so early – we said we just wanted to beat the rush.

It is interesting that we have not come across many caravans or motorhomes moving up the coast. We have met many Europeans, especially Swiss and Germans in their little Britz vans or sleeping in the backs of station wagons travelling a similar route to us.