POINT SAMSON SATURDAY 29 OCT 11

Hi to everyone back home on the East Coast, we are still enjoying everything about the trip, we are seeing things that are truly " AMAZING" & in most instances words and photos don't give the the place or scene justice. Since last time this is what has occurred.... SATURDAY 22/10.. The Bewells & us leave Port Hedland heading to the Karijini National Park. There are a lot dead cattle along this road as the big road trains & mining vehicles are travelling to Newman & Tom Price 24hrs a day. We pulled up into a free camp spot, possibly one of the most picturesque places to stop.

 We set up with no one else around. We on this ridge looking over a gorge where the road travels through with rolling hills & mountains surrounding us. The weather was kind to us with it only getting to @32deg.....very lucky. In the arvo we traveled into the Nat Park & went to the Visitor Centre which has a great display about the Park & Gorges & the aboriginal culture. We went for a drive to Dales Campground which is basic but at least big enough for big rigs to camp. We then went for a walk down into Fortescue Falls which is very steep with wide & high in parts.

There is a wire fence next to the cliff but we don't think this would stop anyone falling, It is this falls where the father died recently trying to save his son. At the bottom you walk another 600m upstream to a beautiful rock pool where us Ransleys had a swim, we then made our way back to the falls but it was starting to get busy with a number of people arriving so we made our way back up, needing another swim when we reached the top !! We then drove back to our camp with us, the only humans, with millions of flies around !! these all disappeared at dusk & we enjoyed sitting out under the stars, so quiet & peacefull.

The Bewells continue to have major problems with their van fridge when working on gas, especially with it being so new it is very frustrating for them. SUNDAY....Up early and we headed off in the Bewells vehicle (I did offer mine.) back into the park to see most of the gorges, well from the Visitor centre heading west the road was so corrugated (glad we didn't take our car !) and its was a long 55km drive one way, it did spoil what was  AMAZING places & scenes. It was more corrugated than a colour bond roof!!! Anyway we went to Kalamina gorge first, where you walk down to the waterfall and then through the gorge seeing wonderful rock faces and pools of running water & billabongs, & rocks overhanging coming to an archway in the shape of QLD (Carol wasn't impressed), we then made our back, passing rocks which had fallen on the pathway since we had not long ago walked through.( they would have given someone a nice headache !!) After leaving here we continued along the sh.. road coming to Weano Gorge.

 Here we had lunch with no flies to bother us, we then walked to the 2 lookouts with magnificent views. There was ladder that can take you down into the gorge but we all gave that a miss...its over 100m long! We then made our way back stopping at Joffre & Knox gorges which were also amazing and as we said words & photos don't describe the views and scenery. We then continued back to the Visitor centre & sealed flat roads, which made us happy ( stopped our bones & teeth from rattling ) so the visitor book got a work out re...the terrible road conditions. We then returned to our camp site where by the end of the night there were 4-5 other campers, we then enjoyed sitting out under the stars with no mossies. 

 MONDAY.... We pack up regrettably as it is a wonderful place and head off back to the Hwy, we then travelled sth along the Hwy with the Butlers a couple of hrs in front of us. We stopped at another free camp spot next to the Yule River which was empty, but it was 42deg & going up so we decided to continue on. We stopped at Whim Creek, which has a pub & that's all. It was very hot & heaps of flies, the pub didn't have anything Gluten Free so we had lunch in the van. We then continued on to Port Samson, going through Roebourne (well this town is cross between Tennant Creek & Wilcannia..& would not win the tidy towns award). Port Samson is a lovely small community,with trawlers and also it has a huge wharf for the real large ships that export Iron Ore, so there are a huge amount of miners, fishermen & wharvies here.

Also with it being on the water we get a nice breeze late arvo so it was a good decision to continue on. The caravan park here is probably the most cleanest & definitely the best showers we have used. We look out over the ocean. The rest of the arvo was taken up between us 4 & the Butlers telling about each others experience over the past 2 days, Di & Terry got their van fixed but in the process lost a skylight. Anyway hopefully they can get a new one soon. TUESDAY... Rans is up early, rings his mate Greg for his 50th (sorry we couldn't make it mate). Today is a cleaning day, wash the van inside & out, the cars, there is so much red dust !! The boys went for a fish down at the boat ramp/wharf but once again.... did no good...hate to be relying on them for dinner !! In the arvo after cleaning for most of the day, we all went for a swim at Honeymoon Cove then back for a couple of well deserved drinks, we meet up with another lovely young couple we met whilst fishing at 80mile, Sarah & Matt, and they have had problems too with their van, so they  joined us for a drink & chat....good laugh & some good fish stories came out as well!! We had a nice BBQ out under the stars with all of us sitting at this beautiful long cedar table in the park, watching sputniks & shooting stars. Another nice day.  WEDNESDAY....Shopping day with Sand & Di going to the Drs (scripts nothing serious) Drinks again with Sarah & Matt !! THURSDAY.....We all head over to Karratha & Dampier for the day. There we see the memorial of RED DOG if anyone has seen the movie. We then drove around the forsehsores which have some nice parks, but they are most probably the biggest mining towns in WA with huge wharfs, ships & trains. We then made our way out to the Point, passing huge salt fields on either side of the road, then coming to the huge Nth West Gas shelf works,

Here the industrial area takes up most of the peninsula. There is a interpretive centre which was very informative showing how the platforms(3) are 135km out to sea and it is piped (underwater) to here and processed before being exported. Very interesting. We then went to Hearsons Cove which is only a short distance away, but is a pretty beach where John & I went for a swim.We did see a sign for crocs..yes down here (we find out the next day that the beach was closed a couple of days earlier due 2 huge tiger sharks lurking near the shore) & yes they have also seen crocs lately...glad the girls didn't know this earlier....or us.

 We then drive back to Karatha which is expanding its housing, roads etc.(We find out that rent is $2000 p/wk, a basic 3 bed home costs $1 mill & to rent just a room is $500 w/k) we don't know how the people who don't work for the mining companies can survive. We then made our way back stopping at Cossack, an abandoned town on the water which was the 1st pearling town & exporter in W.A., but was closed when Point Samson Export Terminal opened. Their are some nice old buildings including court house etc. We then drove out to the lookout which shows huge mud flats heading down the coast, then returning home for an easy nite.(Matt & Sarah back again !! they are such a great couple & we really enjoyed their company ) FRIDAY....28/10 Brads B'Day... The Bewells & us head out into the Millstream Chichester N.Park which is a must do. Firstly we come across this huge river in a barren area, then cliff faces looking over the river and camping areas beside the river, which you can swim in. ( no crocs or sharks here !!) Later headed out further into the park coming across just some awesome views of gullies, gorges, plains & rock escapements, words can't describe how great it was, we then stopped at Python Pool where John & Caz had a quick dip & we then made our way back travelling approx 420km with dirt road which was like a hwy compared to the one in Karijini !

 We had some more quiet drinks with Sarah & Matt as they are leaving in the morning. We hope to catch up with them again further along in our travels.SAT...... Today is tidy up, pack day prior to leaving us leaving in the morning. Rans went for a drive into Wigham & this  arvo us 2 go down to the beach for a swim & snorkel. Whilst down there a bloke caught a turtle on his line so with Rans's assitance they managed to free it. The new Steve Irwin!!!!!!!!  So again bye for now and we will update in a week or so so all take care & miss you's all. Happy B'Day Greg,Vicki, Samantha M & Brad.xxxxxxxxxxxx