Toodyay

 24 – 27 October 2022

We spent some time photographing the wildflowers around Paynes Find before setting off for Toodyay. We stopped for lunch in Wongan Hills at the picnic area adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre. Unfortunately the centre was closed but the toilets, dump point and drinking water station were all accessible. We also wandered across the road to the op shop before continuing on.

We returned to the caravan park where we stayed on our last visit because of the bushland setting and abundant birdlife. We were allocated a site on the edge of the gully that had some water in it. We spent our time watching and interacting with the birds – many of them so friendly and used to people that they came right into our campsite.

We did some shopping while in Toodyay, including at the famous Christmas shop, op shop and the excellent co-op where we bought locally made goods. There is also a very good bakery and a supermarket as well as cafes and hotels.

On our final day we re-organised the camper trailer ready for a week in a cabin in Perth. We left late and went for a walk along the river before driving over to Northam for lunch and to look for the white swans – an introduced population. After lunch in the park, we found a couple of swans over the other side of the river. Once satisfied with a good look and another bird to add to the list we continued on to Perth.

Paynes Find

 23 – 24 October 2022

Thanks to a late checkout at Mount Magnet, we didn’t leave town until after lunch. Mick was keen to stay at Paynes Find as he had heard there was good birding there but first we had to stop and have a look around Kirkalocka.

The online resource Mick often uses had a number of spots around Kirkalocka Station and nearby that he was keen to find so first we stopped at the rest area and had a bit of a look. This is another one of WA’s well set up 24 hour stops – toilets, picnic shelters, dump points and heaps of space well off the main road. Unfortunately most of the bush nearby was fenced so this limited the opportunity to go looking for birds.

We drove back down the road to find the spots on the station, but it has now been closed to the public so we had to content ourselves with a spot near a ridge along a track – again, no birds, but millions of flies! We left somewhat disappointed and continued south to Paynes Find, a small pastoral and mining community in Western Australia’s Mid West region.

There isn’t much there except a roadhouse/tavern with camping and accommodation so we decided that would do. As we neared our destination, the clouds that had started to gather earlier in the day began to look quite ominous and the first drops of rain began as we pulled up at the roadhouse to buy fuel. We considered our options and decided that we would camp the night, and have dinner in the tavern.

Although there wasn’t much rain, it was enough to make it a bit miserable, and the temperature dropped causing us to reach for the jeans and jumpers for the first time in quite a while. It was a bit of a contrast to the singlets and shorts we had started the day wearing.  Dinner at the tavern was OK and we had been able to get one of only a couple of powered sites so we tucked ourselves in early and streamed some tv.

In the morning the clouds were still quite threatening so we packed up after breakfast then went for a walk around the campground. There were so many wildflowers – in variety and number – growing on and around old mullock heaps. We took lots of photos, then set off to continue our journey south, with Toodyay our next stop.

Mount Magnet

21 - 23 October 2022

The drive to Mount Magnet would take less than an hour from Cue so we took our time packing up and left around 10:00am. On the way we stopped to have a look at The Granites, about 10 kilometres north of our destination. There is a very basic map at the entrance from the highway, indicating some picnic areas and a walking track, but we could see a huge number of tracks going off in all directions. We found a picnic area to have a cuppa before having a bit of an explore. This should be a good birdy spot so a return in the afternoon or early morning was put on the agenda.

We arrived at the caravan park in Mount Magnet and had lunch before having a quick look around town. Once again a town with not much other than pub, supermarket and post office. There is evidence of lots of mining operations in the area and most of the traffic on the highway is enormous mining and supply trucks.

We decided to leave the visit to The Granites until the morning, so set the alarm for 5:00am. We had a good look at the map this time, and checked the area out on Google Maps in satellite view. It is an amazing landscape with a significant breakaway and lots of rocky outcrops and ridges. We stopped at a few spots, over about 3 hours, so Mick could photograph birds. He didn’t find the one he was after so we decided to spend an extra night in Mount Magnet and try again.

We went back to The Granites again in the afternoon and Mick ventured out on his own again in the early morning. He still didn’t find the bird he was after, but it wasn’t for want of trying.

The caravan park offers a third night free but we had to keep moving to fit in the rest of the stops we needed to make before our Perth booking. Because we only had another short distance to travel, we asked if we could stay until about 2:00pm. The friendly response was “no problem” – so we stayed until after lunch, then headed south.

Cue

19 – 21 October 2022

Cue was on Mick’s list of birdy spots to visit so that’s where we headed. We stopped for coffee in Meekatharra, and discovered a book exchange at the Visitor Information Centre. Along the way we stopped at Lake Nallan to photograph some ducks and admire the wildflowers.

We continued on to Cue and arrived around lunch time – again! We set up and retreated to the camp kitchen to escape the flies. Later in the day we took a drive to the scenic lookout for a view across the area where evidence of past and present mining operations is clearly visible.

We rose very early to drive the 20 kilometres to Lake Austin – a salt lake where birds were likely to be found. Mick spent a couple of hours wandering around with the camera.

Cue was once a bustling hub, but had all but died with only a few businesses open. The caravan park has everything you could need, including a recreation room and enclosed kitchen. There is a pub which opens in the evening and a genuine “old school” general store complete with long counter and goods displayed on shelves behind. We also found the op-shop which had a fabulous collection of books for sale at $1 each.

It looks like the local council is trying very hard to provide facilities and points of interest for travellers including a very good Visitor Information Centre, a lovely little park with picnic tables and building restorations being carried out. Hopefully, one day Cue with be a town bustling with tourists.

Gascoyne River (South) Rest Area

 18 - 19 October 2022

We left Karijini with a big drive ahead of us, again unsure about how far we would be able to travel. We stopped in Newman, another mining town, and did some grocery shopping, fuelled up and had lunch in the picnic area adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre. We returned to the Great Northern Highway and continued south.

We don’t often stay at rest areas, but Western Australia has some that are available for 24 hour camping, and have toilets, picnic areas and dump points. The one at Gascoyne River (South) is also nicely situated on the river, with lots of space well back from the road. We arrived around 3:30pm, tired and ready to stop. We found a nice spot close to the river and set up a quick camp for the night – no awning and we left the trailer hitched to the car.

The spot was attractive enough but we soon discovered that the flies and mosquitoes were prolific. We ended up sitting inside to have dinner – but with the back flap rolled up we did have a lovely view.

There was a bit of highway noise through the night but nothing we couldn’t manage. While not the best place to spend the night, this rest area certainly served us well. From there we continued south to Meekatharra.

Along the way we saw lots of wildflowers, especially in the disturbed ground on the edges of the road. We stopped at Lake Nallan for a look – and to photograph some ducks.

Karijini National Park – Dales Campground

 15 – 18 October 2022

We left Tom Price and drove the 110 km to Karijini National Park, arriving around morning tea time. We called into the visitor centre and were given lots of great information about the walks. The lady we spoke to took the time to explain the different walks, and created a possible itinerary for us. We found our campsite and set up, with a bit of shade as well as lots of sun to keep the solar panels working well.

It was a very hot afternoon, so we waited until late in the day to drive the short distance to Dales Gorge to have a bit of a look around and decide what we would do the following day. First we went to the Circular Pool Lookout, then to the Three Ways Lookout. We’ve seen lots of gorges on this, and previous, trips and this one is quite spectacular. We also drove to the Jubula (Fortescue Falls) Lookout and again marvelled at this magnificent sight.

We decided to tackle the Ngirribungunha (Dales Gorge) Rim Walk early in the day and drove back to the Circular Pool Lookout as our starting point as that would give us the sun behind us for the outward journey. This walk is the only easy walk in the park – Grade 2/3 – and is about 2.4 kilometres return. There is a loop that can be completed by descending into the gorge but we decided that would be too strenuous for us as it is rated Grade 5. The rim walk is mostly a well-made, fairly level pathway, but there are a couple of gully crossings that are quite rough, and some small up and down sections. The path is mostly on gravelly ground so good shoes are essential.

On our walk between Circular Pool and Fortescue Falls Lookouts we saw the spot where you can access or climb out of the gorge – definitely not for us as it looked like it would involve some serious steep rock climbing. The guide booklet says there is a ladder and steep stairs. Access at the other end is via approximately 245 stairs that descend to Fortescue Falls.

After morning tea back at camp we set off for a swim at Fortescue Falls – down the 245 stairs. The walk down was easy and once we reached the bottom we continued on to Jubura (Fern Pool) which most people agree is the nicest spot. There is a fairly new platform where you can sit and enjoy the surrounds, as well as ladders to climb in and out of the pool. We took the pool noodles and floated around in the very cool water of Fern Pool. You can swim right over to the waterfall. This is a sacred place and visitors are asked to remain quiet and not jump or dive into the water.

From Jubura we walked back to Jubula and had another swim. We felt we should try both spots and have to agree with popular opinion – Jubura is by far the nicer swimming spot. The trek back up the stairs required a couple of stops along the way at the strategically place seats. It’s also nice to stop occasionally and take in the fabulous views.

We spent the rest of our time in and around the campground - there were lots of birds around and a curious dingo who visited each morning and afternoon. It looked like it was just waiting to pounce on any food left laying around. Unfortunately some well meaning but ignorant vistors feed these beautiful animals, causing them to become aggressive looking for more food. The result is that rangers are forced to euthenise them. 

We left Karijini after three nights and set off towards Newman and Meekatharra, slowly making our way to Perth.

 

Tom Price

12 – 15 October 2022

We had changed our Karijini National Park booking and had three days to travel from Cape Range so we were unsure where we would spend the time. After fuelling up – ourselves and the car - we drove back the way we had come to reach the North West Coastal Highway. Still back-tracking we stopped for lunch at Yannerie and then continued on to Nanutarra where we turned off towards Tom Price.

We decided to try to make it to Tom Price, even though it would be about a 7 hour journey from our starting point. We stopped in at a couple of rest areas that allow 24 hour camping. While they looked ok we thought it would be better to make our way to a caravan park in Tom Price. We arrived just after 5:00pm and were set up with a cold drink in our hands within about ½ hour.

As well as being in close proximity to Karijini NP, Tom Price is home to a grasswren that can be found on Jarndunmunha (also known as Mount Nameless), the highest accessible mountain by 4WD in Western Australia. Mick is collecting grasswren photos so this was high on the agenda. We spent our first day in Tom Price attending to so small repairs and restocking some consumables from the tool kit. We also treated ourselves to a lovely lunch at the pub – typical huge meals at reasonable prices. As usual we stopped at the Visitor Information Centre and collected some local information and asked about the drive up Jarndunmunha. This is a 4WD track and we were keen to obtain any local knowledge available before attempting the drive.  

We set the alarm for 5:00am so that we could drive up to the summit as early as possible. We left the caravan park and made our way to the top along the very rough, rocky and sometimes tricky road. We heeded the advice and took it slow, reaching the summit without incident. The views from the top were magnificent but the grasswren was nowhere to be found.

We set off to drive back down the mountain and stopped at a spot to chat to a couple of other birders. They had just photographed the elusive bird so Mick fetched the camera and went on search of – and this time he was duly rewarded with some great shots. The Rufous Grasswren even put in an appearance on the rock just near where I was sitting so I can now add that one to my list.

We returned home and had an early morning tea then set off in search of the water treatment plant – otherwise known as the poo ponds. We found the spot but the area was completely fenced off so not ideal for photos.  Later in the day we drove to Kings Lake which is quite a large recreation area with nice grassy lawns and picnic areas. Apart from the reed warblers there weren’t many birds to be photographed there.

We enjoyed our three days in Tom Price. Even though it is a mining town, it has a nice “village” feel and has all the shops and amenities required. The caravan park was well situated, out of town, with a nice view to Jarndunmunha. Refuelled and restocked, we left for Karijini National Park, where we had a campsite booked for the next three days.

Cape Range National Park – Kurrajong Campground

10 – 12 October 2022

We had booked 4 nights at Cape Range in the same campground we had stayed at in 2018. On the way we stopped in Exmouth to refuel and resupply, and have lunch before making our way to the western side of the peninsula.

We know that the west coast can be windy at this time of year but what we experienced was way beyond what we had anticipated. The wind was in excess of 35km/h as we were setting the camper trailer up. This required a carefully co-ordinated sequence of steps that included extra ropes and tie down points. Once we had managed to get things in order we went for a walk over the dune down to the beach. The camp hosts had told us that there were still whales about, making their way slowly south after calving in waters of the Kimberley coast. Unfortunately the strong sea breeze (there was actually a strong wind warning) meant the sea was far too choppy to see anything other than white caps inside the reef and surf outside it. Mick did manage to get some nice photos of the sunset, but no marine life this time.

After a restless night with the wind hammering the canvas we drove to the Milyering Visitor Centre to check the weather forecast and have a look at hiring snorkelling gear. Our worst fears were realised when we saw that the weather would remain the same for the duration of our stay – winds in the 30 – 35km/h range with gusts up to double that. This would make snorkelling and swimming very unpleasant.

While we were out we drove down to Lakeside which had been one of our favourite snorkelling spots on our last visit but this time we just walked on the beach. We also revisited Trealla Beach where Mick had photographed an Osprey on its nest, but there was no trace of it.

Once we were home we carefully considered our options and decided that there was no point in staying if we couldn’t do the things we had come to do so, after lunch, we went back to the visitor centre and changed our booking to leave the following day. We also brought forward our booking for Karijini which would give us a couple of extra days on the way to Perth.

We were very sad to be leaving early but it was such a struggle to manage camping in the wind, especially trying to cook. When we were packing up the winds were recorded at 37km/h by the BoM. That was not much fun but we did somehow get the trailer and awning packed away without too much fuss – just a lot of planning and working together which we always do anyway.

On the way back in to Exmouth Mick spotted some birds on the oval so he had a pleasantly unexpected session with the camera before we went into the visitor centre for a coffee.

Bullara Station

 8 – 10 October 2022

We left Onlsow bound for Bullara Station – another very popular station stay. We had hoped to get in the night before but the powered sites were fully booked. We made a stop for coffee at the roadhouse at Nanutarra and then had lunch at a rest area at Yannerie. From there we turned off towards Exmouth and arrived at Bullara in the early afternoon. We were now in the Gascoyne region.

Bullara has a reputation for being very friendly and well-run and we certainly found that. On arrival we checked in then proceeded to the “meet and greet” spot where one of the camp hosts gave us a run-down of the campground and activities. He also pointed out that the campground wasn’t too full as there had been 92 departures that morning!

Our site was close to the amenities, as requested, and had some shade also. It wasn’t far from the camp kitchen and one of the communal fire pits either. We wandered around the large campground and later in the afternoon we went for one of the station walks. This relatively short (2.6km return) took us to the top of a red sand dune that promised great sunset views. 

The camp host lights the communal campfire each evening so we wandered over for a short while after dinner. At the height of the tourist season there is entertainment and evening meals available but things were winding down ready for the closure in a couple of weeks' time so there were no extra activities available.

The Woolshed Cafe was open each morning so we took advantage and had very good coffee and scones for morning tea. Bullara boasts to have the best scones, as does Ellenbrae in the Kimberley. We tried both, and while both were excellent, we agreed that Bullara's are the best.

The wind conntinued to make things a little unpleasant but MIck was still able to get out and about with the camera. He didn't always have to go far with two bustards visiting the campsite each afternoon.

After two nights, we left Bullara and drove in to Exmouth on our way to Cape Range National Park.

Onslow

 5 – 8 October 2022

We drove out of the Millstream – Chichester National Park and on towards Pannawonica, where we stopped for what turned out to be the cheapest fuel we had seen in quite some months, and a very good cup of coffee at the café nearby. Pannawonica is a mining town so apart from the essentials there was nothing to keep us there for longer than necessary. 

We turned on to the North West Coastal Highway and continued on until we reached the Onslow turn off. Onlsow is on a peninsula and boasts both a sunset and a sunrise beach. It is also on the part of the coast that is very windy at this time of year.

We arrived at lunch time – again – and had a picnic lunch near the camp kitchen area before setting up the trailer. It was very windy, but we seemed to be in a reasonably sheltered spot, but still with a view of the ocean over Sunrise Beach.

There is a lovely park with a stunning Anzac Memorial adjacent to the caravan park and the beach. The memorial is shaped for the “rising sun” and is positioned to capture the sun as it rises. From the park there is a coastal boardwalk with lots of interesting interpretive information about the area, its people, industry and extreme weather.

We had booked in for two nights but extended to three as we needed an extra night before our next booked destination – which couldn’t be changed. Onslow is a nice little town with all the essentials except a good swimming beach, and the caravan park was not too crowded and was well set-up.

On Saturday morning we made our way back towards the North West Coastal Highway, with a stop to have a look for birds along the way.

Millstream Chichester National Park – Miliyanha Campground

 2 – 5 October 2022

We made our way from Port Hedland southward, towards Karratha where we would turn off towards Millstream Chichester National Park. Once again we found a good rest area for a cuppa before continuing on, with a stop at Roebourne for lunch.

We were now in the Pilbara region which is well known for iron ore mining and we certainly saw lots of evidence of that. Once on the road to the national park, we saw a number of trains transporting iron ore to the ports. We were somewhat surprised to see that the rail corridor went right through the national park.

Spring is wildflower time in Western Australia but we hadn’t seen many this far north until this leg of the trip. As we drove we started to see the subtle mauve of Mulla Mulla and the vibrant red of Sturt’s Desert Pea along with many other flowers we didn’t recognised. The stark contrast of the flowers with the dark red, iron ore laden the soil made for a very interesting backdrop as we drove along.

We had booked our campsite some time ago as we had become aware that national park camping is very popular and places book out many months ahead. The campsite we had chosen turned out to be well suited to our needs. There was a small tree that would give some shade for the car, and we were able to position the camper trailer to get shade from mid-morning. The rest of the site was in full sun for most of the day so the solar was working very efficiently.

Near to the campground is the Millstream Homestead which has been set up as a really good museum. At the entrance to each room is a door mat stating what the room was used for at different times. After it had been a family home, the Homestead had been used as a tavern before becoming the museum it is today. There were a number of “hands-on” exhibits which made it all the more interesting. The adjacent day use area also had picnic tables and BBQs.

On Tuesday morning we drove down the road to the Cliff Lookout where there are expansive views of the Fortescue River and beyond to the Hamersley Ranges. From there we continued to Deep Reach Pool (Nhanggangunha) which is a permanent body of water. Swimming is permitted but visitors are asked to be quiet and respectful in this sacred place. We did think we might return in the afternoon for a swim but didn’t as there was a good breeze keeping the temperature manageable.

After three lovely days, we packed up and set off to drive back towards the coast and on to Onslow for a couple of nights.

Port Hedland

 1 – 2 October 2022

We drove back to the highway from Eighty Mile Beach and turned south towards Port Hedland. We stopped at one of the many good rest areas to have a cuppa and reached our destination just on lunch time. The caravan park was close to the beach and shops, but very crowded and with the narrowest roads we have ever seen. Getting the camper trailer onto our site required a great deal of skill and patience. We really felt for the people in caravans who arrived after us – at least we had an empty site opposite to help manoeuvre onto ours.

After lunch and getting some washing done, we drove to do some grocery shopping and found an oval where there were some birds to photograph. Once everything was put away at home we visited another spot Mick had been told about – 6 Mile Creek. The mangroves didn’t yield the anticipated birdlife but it was a pleasant spot to spend some time.

We had planned to stay for two nights in Port Hedland, but our extra nights in Broome and Eighty Mile Beach meant we had to move on. We were glad in the end as the industrial feel to the whole area really didn’t have any appeal for us.

Eighty Mile Beach

 29 September – 1 October 2022

We finally left Broome and headed south to Eighty Mile Beach. We had visited in 1991 and Mick really wanted to return so we booked an unpowered site for a night hoping it would be as good as we remembered. It was!

The caravan park is about 9 kilometres from the highway along a reasonable unsealed road and as we came over the last rise we saw the sparkling turquoise water ahead. The park wasn’t too crowded and we scored a spot quite close the beach access, behind the dunes. It didn’t take long for us to decide that we might spend two nights instead of one. 

We did get some rain on the first night but not the forecast storm. By morning the rain had stopped and we went for a walk on the beach – all the way out to the water at a very low tide. The low that morning had been 0.1m at 6:48am, and we reached the water at around 8:00am so it had already started to come back in. We measured the distance we walked using an app on my phone and it was about 1.36 kilometres from the high tide mark to the water. This was a good example of the massive tides that occur along the Kimberley coast.

We spent our two days at Eighty Mile Beach relaxing and walking on the beach. The caravan park has a real holiday feel to it and it wasn’t hard to slow down and take it all in.

Unfortunately we didn’t have the flexibility to stay any longer even though we would have liked to, so we set off on Saturday morning for Port Hedland.