Author: Mark Anderson

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Day 62: 30 July – Gas plants and sheep stations

Author: Mr A

From: 40 Mile Beach

To: Giralia Station (Exmouth Gulf)

Distance driven: 385 km

Distance hiked: 5.6 km

We had to tear ourselves away from our cliff top view this morning, and the first job of the day was a visit to the gas plant up the road. ‘Why?’…you might well legitimately ask. Well it was the only place listed on Wiki Camps where you could get water for hundreds of kilometres. So we joined a queue of other water-poor vanners and waited our turn, in the interim picking the brains of the other grey nomads about where to camp heading south. Catherine didn’t reach for her camera. We donated a few dollars to the Royal Flying Doctors as a payment.

Ms Google’s instructions for the day; ‘Turn right in 335 kilometres’. A short stop for lunch then another spell behind the wheel and we were soon turning off the bitumen onto the dirt road leading to our home for the next two nights…a 700,000 acre property that used to be a Marino sheep station. Its current business status is uncertain. 


Off we marched for our late afternoon exploration down a walk called the ‘kangaroo trail’. A couple of big reds obliged us with their presence, their fur glowing in the setting sun. We sat on a seat and I pondered with Mrs A about all the decisions, risks and luck, that had brought us to this place, this moment in time. 


Back to the mobile apartment and we joined a group of our fellow travellers round a campfire. It was a lovely atmosphere, listening to all these people (some even older than me, yes) laugh and tell their stories about life on the road. A Polish couple in their late 60’s were a hoot, sipping away at their home made bourbon, bringing a shot glass over for me to try. Suddenly up the guy jumps and starts telling a very risqué joke to the whole crowd. Brilliant…a moment to file away and smile about. 


We crept away when food pangs overtook us and Mrs A is rustling up a chicken saté. I know many of you are saying to yourselves  ‘Doesn’t he ever cook?’ And no, I don’t do dinner or lunch. I’m let lose on a BBQ brekky but that’s it. My role is sole driver and  executer of tall and dirty jobs (e.g. porta potty emptying – enough said). 

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Day 60: 25 July – Southward bound

Author: Mr A

From: Port Samson

To: 40 Mile Beach – Gnoorea Point, south of Karratha

Distance: 111 km

It was goodbye Port Samson, and hello the Great Northern Highway south, via Karratha to get a very reluctant tyre to part from the rim of my bike. Another replenishment of essential supplies at Beer Wine and Spirits, oh and some food, and off we go.


Early afternoon saw us turning off the highway onto a gravel road that Wiki Camps reliably informed us would take us to a ‘4 out of 5′ campsite. We came over the last hill and saw around 50 vans all lined up by the beach. Yup….’You’re never alone in WA!’. We found a patch to call our own and set down for lunch admiring the fabulous view out over the ocean one way, and over the hills in the other . Its actually one of the best spots, with a view of more than the van’s washing line to feast our eyes on. 

We wandered along the mangrove lined beach, and spotted quite a few feathered friends showing off their acrobatic skills. 


Along the foreshore we could see lots of vans tucked behind the dunes. Now, some of these people will be here for months at a time, with no running water….bet they don’t change their sheets once a week! Not our cup of tea…going feral for us means we cant find the wine aerator! 

Retuning to the Zone it was time for  Aperol cocktails and a chat with the neighbours. The guy turns out to be a caravan repairer from down the coast, built his own van…I pick his brains for a bit. His industry, by his own admission, has some shonky operators. There just doesn’t seem to be enough repairers to introduce some healthy competition and get standards up. 


A usual one minute we are basking in the 30 degree late afternoon sun, and a nanosecond later the sun slides off and the temperature dial drops 15 degrees in as many minutes and all the banter around the tables full of grey nomads sharing a glass and a tale suddenly empty. We all scurry back into our burrows and will emerge blinking in the sun of another perfect blue sky tomorrow. 

Tonight is curry night – ‘Well that’s not unusual’ I hear you say – and it’s not – we like a ruby and a red – no doubt about it 🙂

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Day 58: 27 July – Goodbye red dust, hello oh so blue ocean!

Author: Mr A

From: Millstream-Chichester NP

To: Port Samson 

Distance: 171 km



It was time to say a fond goodbye to our spot by the very picturesque forest of Millstream and head to the coast. Not a bad drive, some corrugations, but livened up by the multi-coloured shrubs now lining the road. 

We made a short detour via Karratha to purchase some new camp boots. I love these pull on, leather, ankle length work boots for knocking around the dusty sites. Keeps at bay the bull ants, snakes, prickly spinnifex and everything else that’s out to get you in our wonderful bush. 

Port Samson is the only non-industrialised settlement we could see on this “WA Inc” coast of the Pilbara. It’s a very “functional” campground (i.e. No effort made whatsoever so pretty it up), concrete slabs for the van and a view of your neighbour’s washing out-so-close-you-need-to-duck when the wind blows. 


An afternoon of cleaning car, van, clothes and ourselves was long overdue after a couple of weeks in the red dirt. I’d woken up again before dawn, so it wasn’t a big night. Madam made a cracking spag bol, just the ticket, the remnants of the Bin 8 and that was it for me…done. 

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Day 56: July 24th – Millstream National Park byPacKraft 

Author: Mr A

From: Hamersley Gorge

To: Millstream National Park

Distance: 160 km of dirt

It was a brilliant drive today across the endless plains of acacia, the red dirt kicked up in clouds as we followed a network of roads across country. We had fuelled up with a BBQ of eggs on toast just after dawn, then set off expectantly into another glorious blue sky day.


Arriving at Millstream-Chichester National Park at midday we bagged ourselves a brilliant camp spot. Almost surrounded by woodland, birds were everywhere, this is one of the best we’ve had. Bit of an issue though when I was filling up the water from our drinking water tank….it was so cloudy I could hardly see through the glass! We are thinking the Pilbara dust has penetrated the tank somehow. A problem for another day, can’t solve it here. Better drink beer instead of water then!


We decided to check out the local waterhole, Deep Creek, in the packrafts. Litttle corellas were stridently letting us know with their raucous cries we were invading their territory.  Egrets, great cormorants, straw necked ibis, royal spoonbills, white necked herons…this place was twitching central. The packrafts are great for this type of wander down a river, providing a stable but manouverable platform to take some photos, peer through bins, or just take a snooze!


As the sun started to dip it was back to base for vodka and soda, nibbles and a reflection on the day….just marvellous. As for dinner…well tonight it was me manning the BBQ with lamb cutlets and roast sweet potatoes sizzling away. Mrs A added the magic with stir fried veggies in a van made satay sauce. I produced a Konunga Hill Shiraz Cab blend from the depths of the cellar (who needs a shoe cupboard, really?) and the night was made. 

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Day 54: 22 July – Exploring more gorges in Karijini 

Author: Mr A

Distance hiked: 5km

Floors climbed: 22

A pleasant day spent wandering around more gorges. A short drive took us to a lookout (Oxer) with a commanding view over several of the gorges we were planning to clamber down into. It looked a long way down, but the first hike in was a relatively easy scramble down the red rocky path. This was Weano Gorge, where briefly we were alone – around 10 treasured minutes I think. The silence was wonderful. Alas, soon we were with the hordes again. My only explanation is that the areas we have been visiting so far in WA contain very few roads, and limited places you can actually access and walk, so everyone is funnelled to the same places. Also, NSW, Victoria and the central and southern parts of WA are all relatively cold currently, so every tourist and grey nomad in Australia has only three choices during our winter if they want the sun (and who doesn’t!) – Queensland, northern WA, or the Northern Territory. Anyway I digress. 


We soon came to the end of where I was prepared to clamber. A very cold wade followed by a swim would have taken us to the end…wasn’t keen. 


The next gorge (Hancock) was graded as a class 5 walk all the way. The scale goes from 1 (easy) up to 5 (for mountain goats as far as clumsy me is concerned). Down we went, not too bad I thought, just before I stumbled and nearly ended up taking a far too fast route down head first. At the bottom (phew) we clambered along the side of the water that amazingly still flows in the dry season.  


The next stage was boots off time and wading through icy cold water across a pebbly creek bed. I was persuaded against my better judgement by my lovely (younger) wife. The final leg would have involved gripping onto a ledge and sliding along the side of the cliff. No thanks… Ah well..getting old I suppose. A stiff climb out and we were done walking for the day. Time for an iced mocha at the Karijini Eco Retreat. Quite civilised really. 

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Day 52: 20 July – A walk into paradise

Author: Mr A

Distance hiked: 8.5km

Floors climbed: 19

Dales Gorge is one of the highlights of Karijini NP. We packed lunch and headed out to explore it on foot. The path disappeared down its vertical side – however, steps hewn into the iron stone rock made the climb down relatively straightforward. Soon we were clambering along the rocks beside the river bed, watching a heron shaking its spindly leg in the water to disturb some mid morning snacks which are soon snaffled down.


The reflections of the sheer gorge walls in the water were stunning.

We retraced our steps and headed along to the other end of the gorge, constantly gawking at this breathtaking scenery. 


Another pool with a waterfall and it was time for lunch. What a feast the master chef had prepared. 9 different types of fresh veg, mixed with rice noddles, add a hot sauce and we were in heaven. I brewed up a cuppa and we just sat next to the waterfall and again recounted how lucky we are to be living like this. Every day there’s something to admire, laugh at, or learn about. 


Back to camp and another chilled afternoon, reading and painting (madam not me of course) – I busied myself rigging some tarp for shade, which promptly blew up in the first breeze and knocked water over madam’s iPad. No laughing then…

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Day 50: July 18 – Off inland for adventures new

Author: Mr A

From: 80 Mile Beach

To: Two Camel Creek, Great Northern Highway Rest Stop 

Distance: 413km

It was time to farewell the brilliant caravan park at 80 Mile Beach and the coast, and head south to explore the National Parks of Karijini and Millstream. We restocked near Port Hedland, including the all important wine cellar, and followed the Great Northern Highway past the huge mines that dominate the area. It was road train central today, these things take no prisoners and I pull over as soon as I spot them in the rear camera looming up. 

The odometer clicked over to 90,000km this arvo, so that’s 8,860km (5,500 miles) clocked up since we turned out of our drive in Sydney. The Landcruiser hasn’t missed a beat (touch wood), pulling the van today loaded up at maximum capacity with 300 litres of water and 240 litres of diesel, and enough food and drink to keep us self sufficient for the 11 days before we expect to see a supermarket again selling anything that’s greeen. 


We pulled over at a rest stop late afternoon – remember its dusk by 5.30pm, and you really don’t want to be on the road then. We wandered over to the toilets and by a motor home saw….a cat on a lead. Our first camping-cat spied since leaving Sydney. Well of course this beautiful Siamese (Henry) got plenty of strokes, we are so missing Tassie, and it was great to pick the owners’ brains about how they find life on the road with her (yes I said her…some confusion in their early stages of raising what they thought was a boy cat!). 


We eventually tore ourselves away and retired to our van for a lazy evening of downloaded Netflix and tacos. No – no wine – or tequila – we decided we must have some AFD’s (alchohol free days). Mind you with the road trains roaring past I’m not sure that was such a smart idea….groan. 

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Day 48: 16 July – Biking the beach

Author: Mr A

Distance cycled: 22km

Today we hit the beach – on bikes –  we wanted see how far we could get while the 6 metre tide (yes that’s big) was out. It turns out 11km down the beach before we had to dash back as the tide turned and raced in over all the hard sand. 


It was awesome – we soon left behind the walkers, and then the drivers (yes cars allowed on the beach) and we were the only people for miles. The only footprints (and tyre prints) were ours and the birds’. Brilliant. Riding a bike always makes me smile  – let alone riding along a perfect beach with a blue sky and nothing in the diary….except getting back for the lamb roast that the park was laying on tonight.



We got back early afternoon and pottered around, Mrs A painting and me trying to extract some more red dust from the truck. It was soon roast o’clock and up we went to the canteen. The average age is probably mid/late 60s in this park, and I was struck again by what a great time these people are having. Sharing drinks with friends old and new. Recounting their adventures on the road. No wonder the caravan industry is going through such a boom. There’s just not enough parks to cope with the swelling numbers of people who chose this lifestyle over staying in their relatively cold home turf over the winter. 

Every day here in northern WA you know the sun is going to shine and it will be 27-30 degrees. We are in no rush to head south, so we have just booked an extra night here. We could only get an unpowered site but our solar panels are re-charging everything during the day, and almost all of our stuff now is USB chargeable on 12v – even the toothbrush :). 

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Day 46: July 14th – Giving Broome the brush-off…groan

Author: Mr A

From: Broome

To: Barn Hill Cattle Station

Distance: 135km

Finally we escape Broome’s clutches and point our nose south…but the town wasn’t letting go that easily, it clung to us all morning. 

First, a pre 7am visit to the car wash (keen I know), and on the way back I heard a nasty scraping sound coming from the tyre…the new very expensive tyres. The front offside one was rubbing on the mud flap…sigh. So off back to the tyre shop and I was told ‘Fitted thousands of these to 200 Series…’ I completed his sentence; ‘Never had this problem before…don’t care…I do have this problem’. So off they went to buy a heat gun and ‘adjusted’ the flaps back. 

So I drove back to the van park…reversed back up to the van…same scraping….sigh. Back to the tyre place….this time taking the van as we had to be off the site. So more time spent hitching up then unhitching  for more mysterious work with the heat gun at the tyre shop. Again the manager started the sentence ‘I’ve fitted…’ I must have given him my death stare as he stopped short..paused and continued; ‘Just leave it with us’. We retired to the van to console ourselves with a brunch of snags and onions in a wrap. 

Finally at 1pm we left Broome, and for the first time on the trip pointed south. We had booked in at a van park a short drive down the coast. Barn Hill is a working cattle station still, but has tapped into the grey nomad revenue stream. There would have to be a couple of hundred vans here. All crammed together. Not our thing. Anyway there’s a stunning beach here and we had a quick swim and a lovely walk, complete with an Australian Kestrel which actually posed for Mrs A’s camera.




We spotted another Zone RV van here and went to introduce ourselves. Steve and Pam have build number 3, so it was fascinating to talk to them about their experiences as one of the early owners. Nothing but praise for the company, which echoed with our experience. No, Zone RV hadn’t got everything right on their van, as you would expect with such an early model, but had always been supportive in fixing issues, which has also been our experience. 

Even though we felt this place is pretty hemmed in, you cant deny the buzz that there is with so many people sharing drinks at happy hour with their neighbours. A real community. Some transients like us, but others have been here so long they have their own herb gardens growing outside the van! Brilliant.

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Day 44: July 12 – A day around Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

Author: Mr A

We got up to watch the dawn break over King Sound, the massive tide is out, making for this stunning photo by the very talented Mrs A…


We wandered along the mangroves, the first people making footprints in the sand this morning. 


The bird life was prolific.

Back to camp for  a bacon and egg extravaganza, then off in the car to explore the next community along the peninsula, One Arm Point. Another place where you paid to enter, the locals trying to raise some cash to fund projects. Didn’t begrudge them $15 a head – for that we got to look around a local display of marine life, with a fascinating story board built by the local kids explaining about their history as a people. It won second prize in a national competition. The vibe up here in the local communities is very positive, still plenty of issues, but plenty of success stories compared to some other areas we have seen. 


We went down to the local beach, kilometres of brilliant white sand..again…cyrstal clear water that you just have to plunge into and feel so good to be alive, doing something people have done here for at least 40,000 years. The tide races in and we pack up to return to the pearl farm we are staying at for a talk by one of the staff.

Terry introduced himself as being from the Bardi Jaewi people, even though his great grandfather was a white English pearler (with three Aborignal wives!), and proceeded to enthrall us with a story of his life growing up here, and how life has changed for him and his people with the coming of missionaries in the early 1800s, then the pearling industry. It was a window into a world so different from our own. The best part of travel. 

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