On the Road in September 14

Hi to all our lovely friends,

This is September's Blog, I know October is nearly finished but that's fine. In September we left Broome for our trip south, we had some free camps and expensive parks. We passed Jack and Sandra  at Sandfire Roadhouse and at Roebourne they passed us. We got to Karratha and stayed 3 nights. We went on the Rio Tinto Resources Tour on Thursday and had a great time. On Friday we went out to the Gas Plant and the Rock Art. The gas plant is amazing lots of info, the rock art was astonishing, in the evening we had tea out at a hotel in Dampier (ho hum) then of to the Gas Plant for some night photos. Whilst in Karratha the caravan got attacked by little ants and I got bitten by something that caused a big reaction.

Dampier salt evaporation ponds

Iron Ore loading dock at Dampier

Trains and loaders

Ore loaders

Marilyn at Red Dog statue, Dampier

Iron Ore with Salt in the background waiting for loading

We did a tour of our own to the Woodside North West Shelf Project Karratha Gas Plant, this plant produces, Domestic gas, LNG, LPG for Australia and export. We also went to look at the Rock Art on the Burrup Peninsula not far from the NWSP, this required climbing over rocks to find petroglyphs which are very old indeed, between 25,000 and 30,000 years old. This rock art was still being done in 1860's.

Gas Processing plant

Rock art, Petroglyphs, 

Petroglyphs, 25 - 30,000 years old

We went back to Dampier the next night for some night shots of the ore loading dock and the gas plant, mind the wind is still blowing so it was tricky getting the tripod to stay still.

Iron Ore loading dock Dampier

Iron Ore loading dock

Gas Plant at night

Gas plant at night

From Karratha we headed to Exmouth with  a free camp along the way, we nearly ran out of diesel but a lovely couple in a Cell Homestead sold us 20 lts which was enough to get us to Exmouth, because the head winds were so strong. In Exmouth we had to fix the power cable that goes between the truck and the van as it got chopped up when we went onto gravel road at road works just outside the town, we had to replace the fuse in the truck as well, a bolt fell out of my chair so Ian had to fix that, It was very busy time fixing things and we only stayed 2 days. From Exmouth we overnighted in Carnarvon and a free camp then into Geraldton for a few days as we wanted to see the wild flowers. On Friday we purchased a new coffee machine (finely for the one I wanted at a really good price) Saturday we went on the wild flower drive. We had a great time and finely found the Wreath Flower which was the object of the drive. The little towns on the drive are very sad places, nothing open at all, good thing we took lunch and hot water with us. On Sunday we did the boring stuff, but late in the afternoon  a 5th wheeler went passed our van and it was friends Peter and Rose, we meet them about the same time last year in Kunanurra, had a great catch up. 

Everlasting daisy's

Our day out on the wildflower drive took us to Mullewa, Canna, out Gutha East Rd to see the Wreath Flower, then down to Morawa, Mingenew, west to Dongara and back to Geraldton about 400 km's for the day. These little towns are very sad places, also miles and miles of grain but very dry.

Trying to get fuel at Canna

Canna visitor centre

Wild Flower walk behind the church at Canna

Fringed Lily

the home of Frank Ewin Macklin out in the bush

Everlastings

Wreath Flower

The 400 km day drive to see a few hundred of these "Wreath Flower"

Wreath Flower

After leaving Geraldton still travelling south with the wind still blowing from the south west we stopped overnight at Ledge Point Caravan Park, then onto Perth. While in Perth we visited with many friends, Shirley and Brian, Micheal and Loraine, Bev and Paul, Mike and Ang, Sue and Vic. We had a great time in Perth but it was time to move on so on October 1st we were on the move again heading East, more on that part of the trip in the next edition.

Cheers Marilyn and Ian

Broome in August

Hi all,

Well we had a quite August, the Usual Friday down on Cable Beach sometimes with friends but mostly by ourselves. We tried going swimming, the water was a bit cool but we had fun. At the beginning of the first week we had our friends John and Wendy over for happy hour, on Friday Jack and Sandra joined us at Cable Beach for sunset then we went to Divers for dinner. The meal was huge, we had Bara and chips which was lovely. 

Tourists enjoying sunset cruise

Me trying to be arty with my photos 

The Itombi at sunset off Cable Beach

What a sunset

These guys got stuck in the sand by revving the engine and had to phone a friend for help to get snatched out. The front guy nearly got stuck as well. Also John and Wendy ran into some people that had a Cell caravan and were staying at the Pistol Club so off we went to see them. There were actually 3 Cell vans there, 2 with Viewfinders and 1 River, had a great chat with both the couples in the Viewfinders, do hope they make it to the muster.

He got stuck in the mud and had to be snatched out

The colours are great with a lot of smoke around

I tried to get moving Camels

 This week we had a very busy time, what with the Stair Case to the Moon and a Reef walk. Monday night saw us on a beach between Town Beach and the Broome Wharf, we got there early, set our selves up and what do you think happened, a bloke decided to set up right in front of us (not for to long) We watch the Hydrofoil buzz by after looking at the flying boat wreaks (might try that next year). It was a lovely evening we had drinks and nibbles as the moon rose from the sea, it is always beautiful and different. We have now tried all 4 places in Broome to photograph this.

Mud flats between Town Beach & the Broome wharf    

All ready for the Staircase to the Moon

Broome Wharf at night

Last Stair Case to Moon for 2014

 Later in the week saw Broome with very low tides, that is lower than .60 mt. so this meant we could walk on the Coral Reef at Cable Beach, mind you we had to get up early as we had to be down on the beach before 6.30 in the morning. Ooh what a beautiful morning it was, very few people out. We walk around in the water, not wanting to walk on the reef and hurt the coral we stuck to the water. Having a low tide meet later in the day would be high tide over 9.5 mt. so it was off to Streeters Jetty to see the high tide. 

Cable Beach at 6.29 am, sun just rising 

True North racing across to Broome

Plants and Coral at Cable Beach Reef

More plants in the water

Orange, lemon and other types of Coral on the reef

Cable Beach about an hour later, still no one around

Ian watching the tide coming in

High tide at Streeters Jetty Broome

The locals enjoying the high tide

Broome had fires north of the town up on the Cape Leveque Rd for most of August,  the smoke was terrible but mad for good sunsets, on Sunday I got quite concerned about the smoke riding home from the market, thick, black smoke, I was told by the tourist info centre that the fires were about 10km from Broome but not to worry, all is fine.

Camels with the smoke from the fires in the background

More Camels on Cable Beach

 Ian and I got busy cleaning the caravan, he swept and washed the roof, I sealed the floor again, getting ready for the drive back to Melbourne. We went to Armin and Alexandra for drinks one night later in the week we were at Bob and Carla's place as well as Jack and Sandra's, on Saturday John and Wendy popped over as it was our last weekend in Broome.  

Ian cleaning the roof and solar panels on the caravan

Fishing on Cable Beach

Checking out there photos of the sunset on Cable Beach

I love the reflections of the Camels

A little bit more of the wild life

Heading West to somewhere

So on the September we left Broome for another year, after having a good time up there. We will see you all soon somewhere in the great outdoors of this great country we have.

Love Marilyn and Ian