LEINSTER LAGS ... a bit

W.A. roads are fantastic, at least the main ones are, in these mining areas. What a fabulous road from Sandstone to Leinster. Couldn’t help remembering when they used to run the London to Sydney car race through this area. From Perth, they’d scream up the Great Northern Highway, turn right at Mount Magnet, then south-east along the Agnew traffic lane to Youanmi and bash their way south through tracks, at break-neck speed, to Southern Cross; over the Great Eastern Highway and eventually Left-hand down onto a track to Norseman, across the Nullarbor and on to Sydney. I suppose those sort of races aren't allowed any more.

Speaking of which, rules that is, the absence of signs telling you not to go near the edge of chasms and gorges as you poke around the mining areas such as Afghan Rock, and Lawlors Lookout, is a great improvement: doesn't clutter up the scenery. Out here common sense still prevails. Common what? Ironically, the only extra item which clutters up the scenery and gets in the way of spectacular photos sometimes is a rubbish bin!

But, on these long straight roads, with minimal traffic, there’s plenty of time to observe and cogitate. All the flowering shrubs seem to be on the sides of the road … not many in the adjacent rangelands. Why is this so? Along the sides of the road today were expanses of purple shrubs, interspersed with yellow and lime-green, with the occasional stand of white everlastings, pink hakeas and orange grevilleas. QUESTION: Do you think the Tourist Authority, to lure more nomads, give the road constructors the seeds to plant as they upgrade the roads??? And then, as they grade along the gutters and the camber of the road, it sort-of cultivates them? If they do, it’s working very well. The operators must also observe when the soil type changes as different species grow in the different soil-type areas.

Well, as I said, there’s plenty of time ponder as you cruise along.

I like the GPS as it tells us the altitude. Today we ascended 100 metres up onto a plateau to pass by Depot Springs cattle station … great to see the change of vegetation as the mulga gave way to white-trunked eucalypts until we descended to the plains.

Everywhere you look in this Northern Goldfields area, you see massive mountains of tailings, where prospecting firms have been digging up the earth and discarding it looking for the elusive minerals … mainly gold and nickel here. How much do they find? And there are hundreds of amateur fossickers heading out with their metal detectors every day. It’s a disease!

However, Leinster had an earthquake last year which stuffed-up BHP’s mine; it’s working at only a quarter of its capacity now. But is it any wonder? With everyone boring great holes into the earth I think ‘earthquake’ is the planets’ method of retaliation!

Garrulous Galahs

Ever watched galahs trying to perch on a power line? It's hilarious. Incidentally, I'm told it's no longer politically correct to call them galahs. From memory they're now pink parrots but if you see them trying to use a power line for a landing zone, they're definitely galahs.

At Mt. Augustus each morning a flock would arrive from a perfectly good perch in nearby gum trees and proceed to land on the only power pole. There was never enough room for them all so some would select the power line. The first brave feather would swoop down, extend its landing gear and grab at the line. Immediately it would over-balance and turn upside down. After much squawking and flapping of wings it would right itself ... just.

Its mate, seeing that success, would then lower its undercarriage and land on the line with the same disastrous results as the first. With the line wobbling from this failed landing, the first bird immediately loses its balance and joins its companion, upside down.

Now we have two birds trying to right themselves. As soon as one gets upright the struggling of the other turns it over, and over and over. It's hysterical! Imagine the chaos when a third and fourth arrive. Tip: If you are having a coffee when the show begins, put it down immediately or you'll wear it!

Talking of galahs and their antics; one consistent observation by fellow nomads is a comparison between galahs and pollys in our Nation’s capital. Very perceptive are our nomads!

Today we took a drive to a tourist lookout on a small ridge. Lyn said it was called Agnew Bluff. Sure had me fooled! 

Composed by John ...!

SANDSTONE SWINGS

What a beautiful town! Colourful street gardens. All buildings neatly maintained. No graffiti or rubbish anywhere. Only 40 residents, but in the tourist season there are more people per night in the well-equipped caravan park. There are three jobs available at the Shire Council if you’ve got the right tickets, and a house for sale at $112,000. A 5-bar mobile signal keeps you in touch with everyone.

Thursday to Sunday there are markets: Lady Di makes pies and sells them just off the main street … you place your order and she cooks them for you. One pie is a complete meal – her grandmother’s recipe. Delicious. Xiau grows produce and sells it, along with beautiful sauces; Lorraine makes and sells jewelry.

Lorraine, Xiau, Di

The tourist drive takes you to the old brewery. Established in 1907, water was pumped to the upper level where the beer was brewed, then sent down the chute to the lower level cave, which being solid rock, kept it at the right temperature even in the hottest weather.

                                 Lower level and chute from upper level of the old brewery

London Bridge is a colourful geological feature. And the wildflowers are superb. A very interesting little place with unexpected features.

London Bridge

RABBIT PROOF FENCE

For you movie buffs who saw Rabbit Proof Fence the following photos show you the genuine article. The old cottage film set, made mainly of polystyrene, is set up in the Mt. Magnet museum, which we saw on Monday. It showed the processes of making polystyrene look like old timber, and old corrugated iron.

Here the genuine Fence crosses the road between Mt. Magnet and Sandstone. The girls would have walked along here on their way from Moore River Institution back to their country at Jigalong, way out east of Newman.

However, there was a hole where certain animals could get through so John, forever the farmer, arranged some temporary repairs.

The country along the fence was brilliant with wildflowers this morning. It was a great highlight for our first time heading EAST for several months.

Karalundi Aboriginal Boarding School

KARALUNDI is a boarding school for aboriginal kids from all over the State. It is 50 km north of Meekatharra and has a caravan park, the proceeds from which help support the complex, along with its great café and sale of farm produce. It has 250 acres and abundant water and its run by Seventh Day Adventist church.

It started in the 1950’s, and has had a chequered history. All the buildings are fairly new, and it has beautiful green grass, excellent amenities and great camp kitchen. It’s accurately described as an OASIS.

Our ‘van was there for a week, as we left it there while we travelled to Mt. Augustus.

Other things were for sale in the café including a book, published in 2006, on the history of Karalundi. I bought it.

AT THE VERY NEXT CARAVAN PARK we stayed at, at Cue, some people adjacent to us asked where we’d come from that day … as you do. When I said Karalundi, Margaret said “I went to school there 60 years ago; I was the only white kid; my father was the superintendent and started the school. He was Pastor Vaughan”.  

Amazing co-incidence?

It was great to see the pictures of her Dad, Mum and sister in the book. Margaret has written in it for me. Another unexpected meeting I’ll treasure.   

MT. AUGUSTUS … the biggest rock in the World!

The 350 km from Meekatharra to Mt. Augustus was over harsh rangeland topography. Mostly it was a reasonably good road, but the section between the boundaries of the two Shires was no-man’s land, and obviously neither wanting to spend the money it requires for up-grade. We were glad we left the caravan back near Meeka.

This is part of the Western Desert. It’s dry, stony, dusty. But they graze cattle here. Their pads are along the side of the road as they walk back and forward each day for a drink. In New Zealand we grazed 1 cattle beast to the acre; I’d love to know how many acres to the beast it is here.

After we passed several station complexes [nothing at all like Fossil Downs] and some mining sites, suddenly we got our first glimpse of Mt. Augustus. It’s massive. Also majestic, and a bit mysterious. One shouldn’t compare one place with another, but we loved the atmosphere at Mt. Augustus. Was it because of the absence of hordes of tourists? Everyone who was there had traveled this route with one purpose in mind … to see, walk on, or climb Mt. Augustus.

The Tourist Park was great, with lovely green grass to camp on, amongst the red-brown sand and giant gibbers. Yallawerie Lookout, not far from the station homestead, gave a great 360º view of the surrounding landscape.

We arose before sunrise, so that we could see the sun light up the eastern side of the rock. During the day, as the light changed so did the colours on the rock. As we drove around, we photographed the different angles. Cattle Pool, a permanent water-hole in the Lyons River was a popular picnic destination.

We walked up the Saddle Track to The Pound, where cattle were held in the droving days before heading down to the rail-head at Meekatharra. We enjoyed the lower short walks. But we jibbed on the walk to the summit; rising 650 metres in 6 kms is not our idea of a walk in the park these days.

It was a great sojourn. But I ask myself: Is that the last three nights I spend in our tent?

MEEKATHARRA …. Alternative airport to Perth!

The personnel in the office I worked in at Perth [admittedly a long time ago] would go into peals of laughter each time we heard that a flight had been diverted from Perth to Meekatharra. It was usually a British flight, as they were scheduled for early morning arrival, when fog might shroud the Perth airport. We envisaged these sweet English roses, used to their misty grey-blue hills, arriving in Meeka, and in glaring sunlight stepping onto the tarmac which is surrounded by miles of dead-flat, red, dusty landscape sparsely covered in straw-coloured grass and stunted grey-green shrubs. Did they think the Pilot had landed on Mars by mistake?  And would the impression be enhanced by the woman who, reportedly, used to refuel the planes arriving in her dressing gown?

The runway is huge; it was installed by the U.S. air force during the Second World War … it’s good that it gets a workout by these bigger planes occasionally.

It’s only taken 50 years for me to actually visit Meekatharra.

Hedland Happens

Not everyone likes Port Hedland. It doesn’t take much notice of tourists. It’s there to ship iron ore to China and Japan ... whether you agree with it or not. This morning we were sitting on the pavement, drinking coffee, when a huge ore carrier came sailing into Port, about 200 metres away from us, it seemed. The iron-ore trains, having travelled in from Newman, over 3 kms. long, were lined up ready to discharge their ore onto it. Everyone seems to walk around with great confidence in their P.P.E., knowing what they are doing. We find it all fascinating to watch. You can do a tour around the Port, which takes you around all the boats anchored in the Roads, waiting their turn to upload.

[PPE is technical ‘mining speak’ for Personal Protective Equipment. This means wearing a long-sleeved hi-viz shirt, long trousers, boots, sunglasses, hard-hat outside -- even the women who work in the offices have to wear it. This information courtesy of Angelique in Miles, who has to wear it to work there.]

I had a lucky break this morning. I went into a hairdresser to see if they could chop my locks off, and yes, they could do it soon. When I was called to the chair, I scored the young Italian female hairdresser. This immediately reminded me of growing up at Wandin North, in the Yarra Valley, where Rosetta and Stella, young Italian girls, had their very popular salon. [I’m not going to mention that this was 50 years ago!] Italians have a great affinity with hairdressing and they had a wonderful business.

This young lass today had been in Port Hedland only 4 weeks … said she was travelling around Australia. Wherever she goes she can pick up a job, especially when she says she trained in Italy. I used to work for Italian solicitors, and knew a few Italian phrases from having to type in Italian … but this morning I couldn’t recall any of them. I just had to thank Tina with a very lame “grazias”.

 

COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRES

In W.A. the State Government has set up a network of Community Resource Centres in the regional areas. Here you can access Wi-Fi, computers, and lots of other useful information and things. In Broome, we went there for John to upgrade his iPad, which happened quickly with the good equipment.

I decided to help the young woman on duty by tidying up the display of brochures and promotional items. There were some printed calico bags in a box; she said You can have those.  I said I love calico bags, but I wouldn’t be greedy and would share them. Two other women, working on the computers, shyly asked if they could each have one. When we got to the bottom of the box, John found a padded bag just right for his iPad! Everyone was a winner – the young woman was glad to find homes for these items; we were all glad to receive what we did.

I wonder if Queensland Government will consider setting up a similar network with some of the mining royalties?

---

 [LMC1]I

Sharing with everyone

Free stops for caravans, and other vehicles, in strategic places along the road provided by Main Roads, are welcome. It’s a long way between towns, sometimes. We’ve utilised several … and sometimes end up staying for several days. Like Mt. Robinson. It’s north of Newman, just a bit south from the turnoff to Karajini. The scenery is spectacular. From our caravan door, we look up an iron-ore red gorge, studded with white-trunked grey-foliaged eucalypt trees, above a carpet of pale green spinifex. We’re beside a tree which shades us from the hot afternoon sun.

We have 360º vistas of plains and rolling hills. The colours keep changing as the sun shifts. And a magnificent full moon is rising. In the distance we can see the huge ore-trains traversing a line, and down on the road the 4-dog road trains keep rolling along, although we barely hear them.

By chance, we connected with some friends here, people we had met at various stops along the way. We’ve met others too … from Mountain Creek, and Woodford. Great fun with them.

Oh. New people shifted in next to us. Very pleasant. They just happen to be the neighbours, across the road, from Lyn’s brother in Victoria. They know each other quite well!

But, wait a minute. What’s this coming in. Oh, no. It’s the circus trucks, coming down from Port Hedland. They’re going to stay here for three days, before heading to Newman for the festival at the weekend! Their seventeen rigs are enormous; they’ve parked them in awkward places for others to get around; in the middle of the day they are sounding loud and raucous. What sort of a night is it going to be? Well, these free-stops are provided for the use of everyone, so we’ll just have to live with it. But tomorrow morning we’ll be heading off early, methinks.

Later: They yahoo-ed until midnight, and kept their rowdy generators going all night.

 Some of their 17 rigs!

 Surrounding we 'grey nomads' ....

But they couldn't block the view of the Gorge from our caravan door! Breathtakingly beautiful.

Mining Benefits

The scale of iron ore mining in the Pilbara can only be appreciated by being among it … then you only see a smidgen. There are ships coming into Port, being loaded from the two-kilometre long trains, the turnaround being very fast. There are railway lines traversing the Country, bringing in the ore … and there are 4-dog road-trains also criss-crossing the landscape. Does anyone know what’s going where? In among all these various transports come the grey nomads in their caravans and campers ....

Mining equipment is constantly being transported, accompanied by Pilots. Because we have UHF, we know when something big is coming, as we hear the Pilot advising others of the width and travel direction of the vehicle he/she is accompanying. But the Pilot doesn’t know that we know! It’s rather disconcerting when he drives straight at you, with lights flashing. We always get right off the road, and let them have it all.

But you can’t help but think they’ll all be pleased when the grey nomads turn around and head for home!

However, we’ve just heard that the Royalties for Regions program, which the W.A. State Government runs from mining royalties to benefit outlying areas, also helps those on concessions by giving them a $550 fuel card every year! 

Now Queensland Government ... what a good idea to copy!

Nomad Entertainment: Part 2

One of the great things I've enjoyed is the bewildering array of arrangements fellow campers use to disguise or advertise they going to the dunny. For this episode I'll keep my comments to the bare essential of toilet paper and the various methods of transport. If you want to "roll" around you can.

The seasoned traveler simply grabs the roll and heads off. The less seasoned are much more circumspect. They choose to put the offending article up their sleeve, in a pocket, or as I used to do under my track suit top. In these hot climes this actually draws more attention to your mission than anything. Now I simply carry it in my left hand and off I go. Makes quite a spectacle with these massive economy rolls they have now days.

Popular among the women is to tear off the required amount, put it in a pocket and away they go. How do they know the required amount? Lyn assures me there is always an emergency strip in another pocket should it be needed. The lengths to which some people will go!

At our last free camp I noted one individual was really upmarket with a carton of boxed tissues.

My favourite was the lady who had threaded the roll onto a wire coat hanger and invited everyone to admire her handbag. Not a silly as it seems, because as she said, the hook allowed her to hang it up rather than sit it in the floor.

Excellent entertainment is to watch others arrive in camp. Once a site has been determined, (by she who must be obeyed) her ladyship will take off for the amenities. Experienced, she soon establishes what’s available and what is not. His lordship is left to complete setting up, then it's his turn to visit the little green chalet.

Best of all is when the Mr Smug comes flying into camp with his brand new 4x4 pulling an off-road camper-trailer determined to create an impression of "I've been everywhere man". Dust goes every which way much to the disgust of all who have already set up. Out piles mum and the kids who immediately take off for the toilets. Dad unfolds his palatial home-away-from-home. Not satisfied with his already show of "look at me", it’s now "watch me'!

When mum and the kids get back it's dad's turn for the dunny. Away he heads, swaggering towards the rest room. Then disaster strikes and he gets his "cum-uppence". Mum realises dad needs a toilet roll! She grabs it, hands it too the little girl to run after dad and give it to him. 'Cept the youngster screams at the top of her voice; "Dad, Dad, you've left the dunny paper behind."

Suddenly it dawns on dad, it's his daughter shouting and she means business. By which time he's gone red in the face and one can sense his embarrassment. His purposeful stride slows to a crawl, and stops. Humiliation for Mr Smug.

Smiles of satisfaction creep over the dusty who were subjected to Mr Smug's earlier arrival. The beer will taste even better tonight!  

 [Written by John ....!]

ACTIVITY ABOUNDS

 

T

here’s an amazing number of road-trains traversing the Great Northern Highway. B-doubles, triples, quadruples … well, something like that. Where are they all going? What are they carrying? Some have massive machinery on board … going where? To do what?

And their cabins are so well-equipped: air-con, bed, fridge-freezer, a microwave, as well as all the technology to tell them what’s happening to the motor, and to communicate … especially to the late-night talk-back programs.  Plus the roads are all sealed, smooth and straight.

Not so very long ago, the truckies on these roads would have to stop when tired and hungry, light a fire to boil the billy for a cuppa, and warm up some ‘tinned dog’ to eat, then roll out their swag on the side of the road for a kip.

[It wasn’t really tinned ‘dog’ … they just called tinned corned beef that.]

So much of the up-graded highway now runs along the more stony Pindan country, where there’s a better foundation. Part of it used to run along the sand dunes nearer the coast, providing the driver with enormous challenges: could he get enough speed going downhill to have the momentum to get to the top of the next dune?

You don’t get many vistas along this route, which some people might find boring … but if you observe, there are subtle changes in the vegetation: change of species, colour, shape and textures, which could indicate presence of water, or rocks, or hills. Flowering wattle, grevilleas and banksia, and smaller shrubs provide endless variety, with suddenly an unexpected stand of paper-barks.

Occasionally you come across the grazing plains: Plumb Plain at Fitzroy Crossing, Roebuck Plains near Broome, and Anna Plains further south. Recent rains have boosted the fodder … and the cattle are in excellent condition.

We’re slowly getting nearer the Pilbara … nearer the obvious mining activity. It’s all fascinating.

Free-stop Dunnys

Coping with the Mystery of the free stop "Dunnys" and how to get to the bottom of them.

One of the great things I've enjoyed is the bewildering array of arrangements fellow campers use to disguise or advertise they're going to the dunny. Before I report on this basic matter, it is appropriate one understands the more common types of arrangements so to avoid the pitfalls.

Many shires appreciate the grey nomads and the positive impact they have on the economy of local towns. Wisely they've provided a wide range of free overnight camps for the ever growing number of travellers. Not all oldies can physically cope with the huge mileages between towns and a free camp with toilet blocks are truly appreciated.

There are two main comfort resorts. The earlier model we shall call a simple "long drop". A similar arrangements that our early pioneers used and inspired the song about the "Redback on the Toilet Seat." Mostly these are a single unit with a door which may or may not lock. Just occasionally you might find a tank nearby for rinsing hands afterwards but do NOT rely on that commodity being available.  Paper rolls are seldom provided so be prepared.

The more modern construction is often an even longer drop. A wheel chair ramp is provided and at least one the cubicles can take a wheel chair. One of these beauties is sheer luxury because they operate in a similar manner to those provided on aircraft. You know with a little flap that happily waves at you on a regular basis. Again paper can be at a premium. Here's the best part: most of them have a flushing mechanism operated either by a foot-pump (the preferred) or a leaver which one (and everyone else) has to pump by hand. Sometimes to get the water to run requires quite a lot of vigour which if done at night can wake the camp. Sadly, hand washing water is not always available with this set-up either.

Of course there is always some clown who abuses the privilege and generosity of local shires, the roads boards and others by emptying their van chemical toilet into them. Kills all the natural bacteria and stuffs them up. A bonus, if you're game, is to leave the door open and enjoy a birds-eye view over the camp!  

All in all, they're a travellers friend, they're a great convenience and not to be poo-pooed.                  

Written by John ........!

Wind blown

  

So it was good at Goldwire … but after three free days it was time to move on. We needed to top up the water, so decided to stay at Sandfire Roadhouse. It’s quirky. The camel is still here. He poses for photos! Three cattle. Several wallabies. Lots of peacocks and pea hens and honking geese. A real menagerie. In the evening they mooch around, hoping for tit-bits while everyone photographs them.

A load of washing costs $2. Best value yet. And if you hang it on the line, it dries pronto in this hot, turbo-blasting wind we’ve encountered. We intended to only stay one night, but when the wind howled in this morning, our decision changed.

Of course, for the past three months we’ve had just perfect weather. Even the rain in Derby was a novelty. And we had a smidgen of pity for those living in eastern and southern regions experiencing snow and other inclement stuff. We’re not either hot or cold; just getting blown inside out. So we’ve stayed put. Although we wouldn’t be driving into the wind using up valuable fuel, it would be side-on, and wouldn’t be pleasant.  Those heading north to Broome will be beating into it … and with diesel at 1.96 per litre you don’t want to waste it. I’m glad we don’t have a timetable or an itinerary.

Loos and lovely wildflowers

The amenities at Goldwire free camp! [Well, not the official ones.]
But the wildflowers are coming out.