18th April - On the road by 0750hrs, after cheerio's to Gary & Pam, a great two weeks.
Contacting Gary & Pam later in our trip they did not get much more fishing in as the weather was getting colder and more inclement.
A long day 272k's and 4hrs 6min driving, average speed 68.4 kph.
Coord's - S 32 23 698 E 121 46 460
Dundas was just getting established but became a gost town overnight when gold was found at Norsman 25km to the north in August 1884. The pub, Wardens Court survived until 1929.
The Dundas town location was orginally selected due to the low rock hills and perfect gully to build this small dam for their all important water source. As with most of the gold fields area the ground water was very salty, thus distillation plants were set up, hence the lack of large trees in the area having been used as fire wood. In fact good water was more valuable than gold.
'Furry' caterpilla nest
Some of the street signs, very English!
Old fence lines still standing after all this time!
Don't walk around here in the dark!
Going on 100years, they don't make tin buckets like this any more!
Magic camp spot 2k's off the Hwy, and logged in the camps 4 book.
Generally we find if the camp spot is isolated and off the hwy, road or track we are the only one's in residence for the night.
Now! how would you like to be pushing all your worldly belongings on this thru the scrub 100
odd years ago!
Got to the super pit to early and clouded in and light mist, came back later!
It sure is a 'BIG HOLE" in the ground!
And a 'BIG BUCKET'
1330hrs after re-stocking the panty and fridge, we were glad to get out of the hussele and bussle of Kalgoorlie. Plus it's not a very caravan friendly town, no where to park close to facilities! Not that we mind walking but when loaded with supplies!
100k's up the road and 60k's south of Mensies we called it a day and camped in gravel pit amongst the trees that had taken over.
100k's up the road and 60k's south of Mensies we called it a day and camped in gravel pit amongst the trees that had taken over.
This is in the middle of no where, across a train track and a broken down fence, a short walk in the scrub and you will never know what you may find!
Rugby must be on! Actually test our Optus card! It works!!
Rugby must be on! Actually test our Optus card! It works!!
Early morning coffee with the Pup's watching!
On into Mensies, the shire office and Tele-Centre is in a great old building one of the old PUB's. Good e-mail connection and local information.
A collection of 'SIGN'S at the Mensies Servo! - below
Niagara Dam - 60k's north east of Mensies on the Kookynie Road. A magic oasis in this dry land. Built for the railway constrution to Leonora back in 1897-8. The dam is a 255 metre wall and
7 metres thick. It is built in a natural rock collection area, as you will see____
It's now a popular picnic and camping location. Mensies shire has provided camp fire rings with BBQ plates, rubbish bins, drop dunny. A dump point and water tap have been recently installed below the dam wall.
Plus an added bonus the dam contains - 'YABBIES'
Dog biscuits tied in a sock were the go! We dug out our dog biscuit supply previously used for Red Claw in Queensland - Home Band, and these were very productive.
How ever our new supply we purchased in Kal, the only one's we could find had a 'LIVER' coating, needless to say 'YABBIES' don't like LIVER! We later found out even 'DOG'S don't like them.
Top end of the dam. Notice the water level ______
Hi Tech - even had phone reception with the Hi Gain aerial.
Good feed of 'YABBIES'
It started to drizzle during the night steadly increasing until 1400hrs, out for a hike around the dam, and the natural rock collection area works with very good effect.
Now check out the water level!
Just as well I had pulled our Yabbie traps earlier, or I would have been wading for then now!
Another BT pulled in during the rain storm and parked on the lower level below the dam wall. Graham & Barb - just came off the Great Central Road. They had no problems, except waiting 3 days for the road to dry out.
Kept trucking dropped into Leonora Shire office & Tele-Centre (free) checked e-mails etc.
Another BT pulled in during the rain storm and parked on the lower level below the dam wall. Graham & Barb - just came off the Great Central Road. They had no problems, except waiting 3 days for the road to dry out.
Kept trucking dropped into Leonora Shire office & Tele-Centre (free) checked e-mails etc.
Checked out Leinster, a mining town.
266k's for the day - 4hrs 12min driving - that's enough!
Camped - Jones Creek, 110K's south of Wiluna on Gold Fields Hwy.
L to R = Barry & Jim, Tom & Sue + Sue. Barry & Jim eneded up here as Great Central Road closed due to flooding.
Inverter playing up - Comm's error = bugger, will have to use Gen. Set for anything 240v.
Wiluna
Barry & Jim arriving at our gravel pit camp 46k's east of Meekatharra, Tom & Sue had also caught up and parked earlier.
Yet another 'HAPPY HOUR' or TWO!
Yep! the flies are still active!
We are off, Barry & Jim get a fire going to cook breakfast before moving!
It sure is DRY out here!
Classic outback!
Back in the 1800's there was a need for police and a jail out here, miles from no where! It moved a lot slower back then!
Gravel pit - 50k's south of Gascoyne River. The road in reasonable condition, and meet the grader 10k's from their shire border, great while it lasted - 247k's 4hrs 56min average 51.6kph.
Tires all at 30psi on the dirt and corrugations.
Heading in the right direction! Mt Augustus.
When the Gascoyne River was in flood the mail still had to get thru, even used as a people ferry.
The winch mechanisim.
This track was The Kingsford Smith Mail Run, we generally associate Kingsford Smith with aviation!
Now we know!
Dry river crossing, Barry and Jim just stirring from their camp, we left them cooking breakfast!
Getting closer - The Mt is some what disappointing, it's a scrub cover rocks or 'BUSH ROCKS' along with the Mt Augustus Resort disappointing, not that we would camp there will millions of sq k's out here to camp in solitude.
Mt Augustus is in fact a 'MONO-CLINE' the largest in the world, not a 'MONO-LITH' as Ayers Rock is.
Cattel Pool - a permanent water hole
Short walk up a smaller ridge and just had to add to the rock pile.
Mt Augustus from 9.2k's up.
As Mt Augustus disappears in the distance, all tracks a signed - No Entry!
Not that any one would find you or likely to come across you camping!
It was a good day for driving and did our limit of 250ks actually 252. It was worth the extra 2k's for this camp spot.
We only saw three vehicles all day and one past our camp late evening. Kept it slow due to road condition 43kph average.
View down river. Not much point trying the 'LIVER' dog biscuits!
A quite beer and wine, with cheeze and cracker's = magic!
How still is this and whisper quite, you hear the birds flying!
Sunrise with reflections on the Lyons River - another beauty!
Leaving the Lyons River, the fence across here had been washed away in recent floods, our gain!
This 'KNITTING' is easy!
Next good rain and that pile of rocks is history!
Hence the name 'TEMPLE GORGE'
Sunrise on the cliffs! Then the camera battery went dead!
No inverter to recharge as mention earlier unless I crank up the generator !
Rocky Pool 55k's east of Carnarvon (no phone reception) Had a great swim here, it got rather warm during the afternoon - no croc's!
In and out of Carnarvon resupplied, laundry, fuel, water & air from Shell on Nat. Hwy 1.
After 12 days and 2,641ks on the road, we take a break from driving and head into the ASHBURTON RIVER south of Onslow for a month and a spot of 'FISHIN' - see 'FISHABOUT'
One month later back on the road, with freezer full!!
Miaree Pool - 35k's south of Karratha - must stop, 1st round 'STATE of ORGIN'
Sue testing her grey matter with Linden's kids.
The transformer dropped onto the main ribbon and fractured it also, no wonder it would not fire up. Lucky no fire!
'LIVER' coated dog biscuits, even Rocky would not eat them, and Sherperd went and buried his!
Helping Linden literally flush out the mice in his bird cages, we got 49 total with BJ's help.
Domonic's 60th, who's birthday was it?
Help yourself BJ!
The economy 'bites'. Actually Port Hedland Shire have been pro-active to clean up the environment. $6 for bags of crush can's and or street litter and ten cents each for glass bottles.
Next door had a party = Kid's pocket money!
Mitre 11 specials - Linden found these lace up leather upper 'CROC'S, to small for me or him, we had the perfect recipient - they are nearly worn out already!
That's it folks till our next tour - Sept. 09
