6.30am
12.7 degrees, clear sky and the wind is still blowing hard.
Packed
up and headed north back to the Woodstock-Hillside Road. We turned west onto a
not well-maintained road – average speed 30kph.
Drove
through granite hills then onto a big flat plain. Back into shisty rock hills
then onto another huge flat plain as we near Woodstock Station. Doesn’t look
like it is big concern as the homestead and sheds look run down and there are
heaps of dead vehicles about.
Across
a wide, dry, sandy Coorong Creek. Not much further we found bitumen. It must be
from a mine nearby as there were heaps of road trains going past as we waited
to get onto the road. This road goes through to Marble Bar as it was the one we
turned off to go down to Hillside Station but it wasn’t bitumen then.
Continued
west across the private ore train lines going to Port Hedland – saw one sign
for BHP and another for FMG (Twiggy Forrest) so I guess the other one is
Gina’s.
Turned
south onto the Great Northern Highway – more road trains and tourists in their
vans and motorhomes zooming along.
Across
a wide sandy Yule River which had a small pool of water and I spotted a pelican
and Jabiru standing there chatting!
Continued
through open plains with the wind still blowing hard. A range of hills is appearing
ahead of us which according to our map is the Chichester Range.
Across
another ore train line then up a hill and through shisty rock hills again. This
time we came out onto grass plains with hardly a tree in sight and no spinifex.
Through
a gap in the Chichester Range of dome shaped hills. Back onto a plain with lots
of mulga trees and red soil.
Some
mine workers are bulldozing the ground and we spotted one drill rig as we
approached the Hamersley Range and the Karijini National Park.
Stopped
at the Roadhouse for a treat for lunch – burger and chips, they were good chips
too and the burger was huge.
Rang
Jon, Daniel, Erica, David and Mum. Dad had his knee injection in one knee but
he was confused about it all so Mum will just have to watch to gauge how
effective it was. He has the other knee done in 5 weeks. Hope it goes well so
Terry can have it – David reckons he might get it done too.
Turned
west onto the bitumen road around to Hamersley Gorge. I think I took photos of
these mountains the last time we were here three years ago. We drove out to
check out Wittenoom Gorge where the asbestos mine was.
Past
the local aboriginal community – lots of burnt areas about here.
Onto
dirt road again. Stopped for a cuppa at Doc Holiday’s Café in Wittenoom – well
we sat in the van beside it. Bit too windy today to be exploring the asbestos
mines!!
Looking
up the Gorge.
Continued
on – we haven’t been on this road before. Crossed the dry river bed of
Fortescue River which has a new rail bridge over it now. This is a new line for
FMG (Twiggy Forrest) and its Solomon Mine – more iron ore of course.
There
was lots of dust ahead. Found the culprit – a grader was making a new track off
to the side of the road through a huge area that had recently been burnt.
Further along we saw the sign about the rail line project.
Climbed
up then down through a narrow gorge – some parts only one lane. Glad we didn’t
meet anyone.
There
is an unofficial campground opposite the turnoff into the National Park. There
were a few other campers already there so we pulled in and parked up for the
night. Lots of burnt area around here too.
Pretty
view from further along the track where someone had left their ‘camp’.
Played
Skipbo over drinks – Steve’s luck is back as he won 3 games to 0 and in the
last game I only got to put down one card!!
The
wind is still blowing and quite cold as the sun set behind the hills. Closed up
the van, 6pm 22 degrees.
All
quiet except for the wind whistling through the trees.
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