For The Love of Travel

Karratha to Karijini…360kms, half of the kms on sealed road and there were extensive road repairs along that stretch which delayed progress. 

Then you have to make a choice – remove dentures/adjust bra straps/secure your nuts and drive on the serrated unsealed road….. OR…..take the unsealed but very well graded private rail access Rio Tinto Rd (for which you technically need to apply for a permit, who knew??)….yes, I nervously chose the latter option…without a permit, hoping I wasn’t going to be pulled over by a company patrol. And very glad I got through without any embarrassment! 

Right on cue, a Pilbara Iron train drove past laden with ore from one of the mining sites along the road.

Stayed at the Karijini Eco Retreat, my eco tent giving me a lovely bush perspective. The wind was howling all night on the first night, and a pack of dingoes joined in around 2am. Ah nature!! 

Knox Gorge is a deep chasm that intersects Wittenoom Gorge just along from the Knox Lookout. The 2km Knox Gorge walk trail takes you down into the gorge past fig trees which cling to the rock walls. There are rocks to scramble over and pools to swim in. I looked encouragingly at a family who was making its way down 🙌 🙂

Joffre Gorge is a stunning natural amphitheatre with a splendid curved seasonal waterfall. There’s a lookout platform with views across the gorge. And there are iron ladders to scramble down if you want to reach the pool downstream from the waterfall. 

Fortescue Falls in the Dales Gorge, are a tropical oasis in the middle of an unforgiving desert-like Pilbara region. They tumble 20m down red rock benches/steps. Vibrant red cliffs surround the colourful and clear water with some green vegetation under cloudless blue skies. 

Oxer lookout at Weano Gorge is a mere 15 minute walk from the car park. I took a breath and peered over the edge at the stunning panorama. Sheer walls plunge 100m or more to the gorge floor of layered rock and languid pools. Noticed that a little tree on one of the cliffs close to the gorge floor, was illuminated by the sun, through a crack in the rock. 

Drove to Paraburdoo, a small mining town built in the 1960’s (as you do). On the main road into town, visited a sculpture “Resilience”, that pays homage to the mining industry of the Pilbara, local indigenous culture, the people of Paraburdoo and the spirit of regional communities in WA. Zhou Xiaoping, the artist who designed the work in consultation with stakeholders, was born and educated in China but since 1988, he has been actively engaged with Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land, the Kimberley and Pilbara. Some galahs flew in to sip some sprinkler water but a truck disturbed them …….

And of course, Red Dog has a lovely memorial here as well ….

Today, got up early and drove 605kms to Eighty Mile Beach, at least it was all on a sealed highway. After seeing a lovely sunset, will sleep well tonight.

The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region (twice the size of the UK) – known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes dating back 4 billion years; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, particularly iron ore.

Onslow was my first ‘port of call’…very windy, but drone managed to capture this lovely salt-lake shot before teetering back to me….

Arrived in Dampier after HOURS of driving, but spirits were immediately lifted when I saw….the ‘Pilbara Wanderer’, the Red Dog statue! Born in Paraburdoo in 1971, named ‘Tally Ho’ by owner Col Cummings, he had to fend for himself when his owner left him. He spent most of his time at Hamersley Iron where he met bus driver John Stazzonelli, whom he followed everywhere, until he was tragically killed in Dampier. Red Dog, as he became known, wandered far and wide looking for his mate, hitching a ride throughout the Pilbara, adopting and uniting people along the way. His story became the inspiration for 2 motion pictures, ‘RED Dog’ (2011), and ‘Red Dog: True Blue’ (2016), both filmed in Dampier and Karratha.

And along the Dampier Highway, some humour in the salt……

I explored the Pilbara’s colonial past in Roebourne, the oldest settlement in the NW. The Withnell family were the first European settlers to arrive, settling at the foot of Mt Welcome in 1864. The town was ‘gazetted’ and named after the first WA Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe in 1866. Discoveries of gold, copper, and tin in the region and the development of the pearling industry at the nearby port town of Cossack, contributed to Roebourne’s prosperity. This is Yapurarra man, looking out south over his 520sq kms of territory.

Cossack is a ghost town with restored historical buildings. There is a perfectly positioned ‘Readers Head’ lookout overlooking Jarman Island’s lighthouse built in 1888, the long white sand and sparkling blue/green ocean that is Settlers Beach.

Honeycomb Cove Beach @ Point Samson….AHHHH!

The Burrup Peninsula allows you to discover the unique art, history and culture of the Aboriginal people in the Pilbara. Ngajarli (Deep Gorge) has a trail to see rock engravings, grinding stones, and shell middens. I saw a ‘Marni’, a motif of the Ngarluma tribe. It’s painted around the base of a man’s neck with ochre and worn when taking part in traditional ceremonies.

Hearson Cove is a small sandy cove, with steep rugged hills to the south and west and an outlook across Nickol Bay. At high tide it’s a great swimming spot, and at low tide, you can walk for hundreds of metres on the exposed tidal flats, walk to the turtle islands and try to spot the turtles in the coral cay. The cove is a historic site of the landing of the Northwest Exploring Expedition in 1861, which laid the basis for the rapid development of pearling and pastoral industries across the Pilbara region. My fave drone pic is of the water/sand/vegetation ‘terrine’.

First stop, Turquoise Bay in Ningaloo Marine Park. Known as one of the most beautiful WA beaches, its the perfect spot to spend the day relaxing, swimming and snorkelling. You be the ‘judge’! The white sandy shores give way to clear waters harbouring a plethora of marine life. There’s an area called “Drift Loop’, at the sandy point at the southern end of the bay. A natural current flows from south to north, taking you over beautiful corals.

Bloodwood Creek: I put the drone up at the scenic lookout north of the carpark, and got views of the lagoon and beyond to the outer Ningaloo reef. Didn’t see a humpback whale unfortunately!

Yardie Creek and gorge: there’s a 2 km walk overlooking the ancient Yardie Creek gorge. With amazing views of red limestone cliff faces and the opportunity to see an array of birds and wildlife (I didn’t)….but I did get spectacular views into the creek and out to the reef at the other end.

Kori Bay where you can swim and snorkel away from the crowds……

Mangrove Bay and sand flats: I could have gone to the bird ‘observation hide’, but I’m not really a ‘twitcher’….far preferred droning over the sandflats, which yielded this image….