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.