Monday 27th June
We left Peace Gorge this morning, did a bit of shopping in Meeka’ and headed about 60 ks north to a place called Karalundi, this is a caravan park which we needed to use so that Pat could do some washing. It is a school run by the Seventh Day Adventists for aboriginal children, years 7-10. As a result they do ask that you don’t drink outside the caravan, which is no problem.
As it is only just up the road, we’re established, hooked up to power and water early but Pat had to wait a bit for the washing machine to become available. However, by the time the sun went down she had managed to do three lots of washing and everything was done. The combination of wind and sun meant that it was all dry too.
Tonight the gas bottle ran out, we have another of course but we don’t like to be down to one, just in case. There is a problem sometimes with getting a refill, most bottles are ‘swapped’ but ours are 9 kilos and can’t be swapped. There aren’t too many places to get refills but we rang Meeka’ and found a place which meant a trip into Meeka’!
Having made that trip we tried to find a spot that our friends, John & Phyllis had suggested, Mooloogool Station. We knew we couldn’t camp there but thought we’d have a look. The track in was pretty bad condition, you might get the caravan in if you really wanted to. We had intended to do a loop through Mooloogool, up to Doolgunna and back onto the highway but in the end we retraced our steps to the highway as it was the shortest route to the other target today was an old mine site called Peak Hill. This takes us off the highway on the Ashburton Downs road past a favourite campsite of ours at Bilyuin Pool, which we will check out on the way back.
The waste tip below is interesting for the small size of the mullock heaps, you can imagine how many cart loads were dragged up there to make this pile on what would have been a flat area.
The building below is either the mine managers offices, or the pub! It is a handsome building, the brick work and window surrounds smack of no expense spared. It’s most interesting feature is the central chimney with three fireplaces feeding it, a very sensible and economic idea.
We dropped in at Bilyuin Pool to find it has a lot more water in it than the last time we here, very impressive. We might revise our plan and spend a few days up here.
When we got back to Karalundi, we discovered that we had a flat tyre. So Roger had to change the wheel, the first time on this car. The first problem was that the jack supplied with car doesn’t lift the vehicle high enough!! Fortunately, Roger carries two other jacks and using them in combination achieved the objective. Having pumped it up we could not detect a leak but in the morning it had gone down again, meaning another trip into Meeka’. Fortunately we were able to stay another night on the site. Also the front number plate was discovered on the ground in the morning, very odd and very lucky that it had dropped off on the site but why? The attachment bolts had no nuts on them – had they ever had we wondered?
Another trip into Meeka’ to get the tyre fixed, turned out to be a fairly miniscule hole, probably a small nail? We got this fixed by a very tall guy, deaf as a post who insisted, fairly loudly of course, on explaining how the FBI had been behind the Jan 6th riots in the states, on behalf of the Democrats! He did a good job on the tyre, while we waited and asked for $40, I gave him $50, I would have been charged a $100 for it in Mandurah, probably!
Thursday 30th June
A leisurely start heading for Bilyuin Pool pool, we hadn’t realised how close to Karalundi the turn off was and drove straight past it!
We drove into the camping area and saw that our ‘usual’ spot was unoccupied but we decided to park end on to the water rather than facing it as we usually do because the wind was out of the NE and was bitterly cold. Anyway, our orientation allowed us to sit out in the sun without getting cold. After lunch we went for a walk and decided that there was considerably more water than we had ever seen here before.
The place we normally crossed when on circumnavigating walk, was well under water. We’ll have another look tomorrow.
Keep the home fires burning! We are amazed how many people light fires and then don’t sit round them. The view from the dining room window and bottom right, from the kitchen window.
Friday 1st July
Had a fairly leisurely day up to lunchtime and and after lunch set out to see if we could still walk all the way round the pool, which is actually pretty much the head waters of the Murchison River. Our first point of interest was that currently the pool goes right up to the road, something we hadn’t noticed on the way in. We had walked over half way round when we came across a camper trailer and had a long chat with the couple travelling in it. They were very interesting and they gave us some good information about potential camp sites in various parts of WA. Some time later we set out to finish our circumnavigation of Bilyuin Pool.
Saturday 2nd July
Wrote some emails this morning, can’t send them, no internet here but they’re in the outbox ready to go.
Met some people across the water, Brent and Dawn, who have had a very interesting life, sheep farming mostly, after which Brent spent a fair amount of time working with aboriginal children out in the bush and in particular at a place called Wiluna, where we are headed after Meeka’. His stories are fascinating and indicative of what can be done to help these children given the right attitude and opportunity. This work provides more job satisfaction than most people ever achieve I think.
Sunday 3rd July
Clockwise, a White Necked Heron, …………with an Ibis, and a Sacred Kingfisher.
We’ll leave tomorrow to go into Meeka’ to replenish stocks before heading north to see if it’s any warmer!
Monday 4th July
We went to Peace Gorge with the idea of going shopping etc., in the morning and then head further north, it must be warmer somewhere! The days are absolutely beautiful, clear blue skies and low 20s but we’ve yet to have a nightime temp anywhere near double figures!
We knew our friends Barry and Carol were in the area somewhere so we texted them to find out. No answer, so we assumed that they were off the grid somewhere.
The following day we got a text to say that they were heading for Bilyuin and would like to catch up!
You need to be flexible!……………………
………………because this is what happens sometimes. We had to leave Bilyuin and go back to Meekatharra for replenishment.
So we did our shopping, got to the Bilyuin turn off and decided to go and say hello. They had ensured that there was space near them for us to park and by lunchtime we’d got into a serious catching up mode.
The first thing we noticed was that the swans appeared to have lost two of their cygnets and we could only assume that the kites had got them. The swans were taking much more care of the two that were left.
One day we decided to investigate a couple of potential camp sites up the the Peak Hill – Three Rivers road. One place Malleah Pool looked good but you would only get two BTs in the best spot.
That was Tuesday and now it’s Friday and we’ve had three really pleasant days catching up with B & C but we have to move (onwards and upwards) B&C will stay a couple more days and then go off to meet friends who prospecting a few ks up the road.
Saturday 9th July
Packed up and said our goodbyes – until the next time!
We had been on the road for an hour or so when we got a phone call from some other travelling friends Brad and Denise, who we thought were out on the Oodnadatta track somewhere, anyway the signal dropped out and it wasn’t ’til nearer lunchtime that we were able to make contact. Surprise, surprise, they were only a few hundred ks north of us and in the direction of the place we were headed. So, another small change of plan – we decided to do some shopping in Newman. When we returned to the caravan we discovered that the fridge ventilation grill was missing! This is held in by a very tight clip which makes it unlikely to have fallen out, especially as we haven’t been on any corrugations. It is quite possible that it might have been removed because they are items that do get broken or lost.
On to an overnight spot at Roy Hill near the iron ore mine, where we arrived late in the afternoon after having done a few more ks than planned.
Sunday 10th July
We got into Nullagine by about 1030 this morning and Pat was able to get into the laundry and do some (well rather a lot really) washing.
Roger filled the water tanks and repaired the the fridge grill because we’re on dirt for a while now and that means dust!
Cardboard and gaffa tape does the trick, hope it will last ’til we get back home! We’ll wait and see what happens.
Tomorrow we’ll head for Coongan Long Pool, north of Marble Bar, where we hope to find Brad and Denise.
Alloveroz 