The Pilbara, 80 Mile Coast

We are having a lovely time in WA, and are now moving into the Pilbara region.

Not too far out of Broome at the northern end of 80 Mile Beach is Barn Hill Station, beautiful clear water, sunsets and red cliffs, (camped just on top of the cliffs) but awful red talc soil when the wind blows. So we had one great day and one not so good. I spent half the time wiping down benches and the floor.

A historical cairn dating 1879 on Barn Hill, overlooking the camping area

Great rock formations a kilometre up the beach


At the southern end was Cape Keraudren Nature Reserve, with plenty of camps to choose from. Our highlight was the view, a turtle swimming past, 2 whales just off shore, lots of walks around the headland, caught up with our travel buddies, and the down side was the woeful fishing off the rocks.

Next stop Port Hedland free camp to explore the region, stock up on groceries, fuel and have our first Covid jab.

It is very industrial, population about 15,000 (BHP, Rio Tinto) 24 ships off shore waiting to be loaded with iron ore or salt.  The trains from Mt Newman are over 3km long.

Unusual foggy mornings, sculpture of Palm Trees... tribute to cyclones I suppose

We are all about to go in different directions for the next month or so, so a final BBQ with our travel buddies from Qld

Not bad .... free camp at the turf club

Staircase to the Moon is a natural phenomenon in northern WA, it is when the rising full moon appears over a very low tide and shines on the mud flats, and only happens between March and October at various places along the coast line, and it was a treat to go out and see it tonight.

Next stop Karajini National Park

Broome/Horizontal Falls

Broome is a fabulous oasis on a coastline of predominantly pindan (red) cliffs, white sands and crystal blue water, and clear skies, surrounded by scrubby desert. It was lovely to see the ocean again, although many were swimming, we didn’t as salt water crocs were sighted up to 100 m off shore weekly. 

We have enjoyed 11 days exploring the old Broome and it’s pearling history dating back to the 1880s, Cable Beach, (where we stayed) famous for it’s camel rides and the sub marine communication cable connecting Australia to Java Indonesia...Singapore...and the rest of the world in 1889, daily walks along the beach, and markets.  The place is buzzing with people staying in accommodation ranging from caravan parks to huge luxurious resorts.

The highlight was a 1 hour dawn fight out to Horizontal Falls in Talbot Bay, part of the Buccaneer Archipelago, for breakfast, followed by a boat ride through the falls. The lakes are subject to daily huge swift tidal surges up to 12 metres causing water to flow rapidly through the gaps causing rapids and mass whirlpools, as the tide turns, there can be up to a 4 metre drop at the gaps.

We had a scenic flight back to the mainland over coral reefs, to One Arm Point, and a bus ride to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm for lunch and a lesson in modern Pearl Farming, a visit to Kooljamin at Cape Leveque and a 2 1/2 hour uneventful ride back to Broome (now that the road is fully sealed).

Famous Cygnet Bay pearl...  up close and personal 

Todays offering was not even round and had rings on it

Kooljamin West Beach

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Fish and chips (with our travel buddies) and Sunset on Cable Beach....a must!

Tribute to the Asian...especially the Japanese Pearl Divers ..many hundreds lost their young lives to the bends, cyclones and shark attack

Town beach (on Roebuck Bay) at low tide, lot different to Cable Beach

Stairs to ?......

Random finds

Unsealed road out to Broome Bird Observatory on Roebuck Bay..pindan dirt and high sides

Up to 12 metre tidal heights in Roebuck Bay, looking up from beach at low tide, still just hanging on

Coastline is renowned for dinosaur footprints at low tide .....we thinkst we find some ????

Weird creature 

Home made Pizza on the Webber ...I even made the base

Next....some beach days along 80 Mile Beach, before reaching Port Hedland and Karajini NP

Bungles to Broome

After a slight delay of 2 days (in a caravan park with a pool) waiting for a replacement electronic brake controller, we were then off to the BUNGLE BUNGLES - first discovered in the 1980s by a helicopter fly over.

We love being out in the countryside the best, the towns are just too busy, so this stretch of our trip was outstanding

We parked the van on Mabel Downs Station for 3 nights, and camped in the National Park for one night as there is too much to see in a single day, and very hot. We let our tyres down, and a very early start, 1 1/2 hours to do 50km on rough windy hilly dirt road with 7 water crossings 

and we were at our campground where we pitched the tent, 

then time to explore the northern end at Echidna Chasm, a 2km walk through a slot canyon comprising of conglomerate rock walls some 200 metres  high..just spectacular between 11am and 1pm... the light changed every few minutes as we walked up and down the chasm right to the dead end for  nearly 2 hours

The evening was spent having an early dinner, watching sunset and star gazing with travel buddies

After a weird night sleeping on a punctured air mattress, we packed up early next morning (so hot by 10am) and drove an hour to the southern end of the National Park to the iconic Domes, Cathedral Gorge and Picanninny Lookout hikes. The Domes or beehives as they are known were massive, and more numerous than we thought

Picanniny Creek dry river bed


Termite mounds built on the side

Cathedral Gorge colours also changed

then back to the caravan for a hot shower and a bbq dinner at the Station. Love the outdoor toilet and showers...no roofs

After an overnight stop amongst the cattle at Mary Pool camp, on the lovely Mary River with probably a hundred other campers

we visited Geikie Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing and then let the tyres down again and on to a fabulous free camp in the middle of nowhere for 3 nights, that we didn’t want to leave. RAAF BOAB camp. An old quarry site, filled with the clearest water so had a swim, and caves to explore

Our travel buddies caught up with us

The caves were hidden amongst the black rocky range, a little spooky with bats and spiders 

Next day after unhitching we drove 60km further up the road to TUNNEL CREEK NP wow, a 700 metre cave walk with a river running through it, most crossings we waded at knee deep, but this year after a great wet season one was over my head so had to swim 15 metres whilst Derek walked on tippy toes......red fresh water croc eyes were spotted in the distance as we waded and swam in the pitch black water

Me at the second water crossing, we waited over 20 minutes for some other people to come as there was no way I was doing it on our own, we had no idea the route to take, and felt more comfort working it out with others, so 6 of us did it together

The other side

Looking back at the entrance

It gets darker and darker

Half way was a little light, then we ventured further down the tunnel cave

Great formations sparkled in the light

Then out the other end, then after exploring some aboriginal rock art we turned around and did it all again

then on to WINJANA GORGE a further rough 35 km, then back again to camp.

The entrance

The end of the walk trail, 7km return, Black Rock lookout

Drive back to camp along the Fairfield Leopold Downs Rd, the cows were happy to keep drinking as we crossed it

And the strangest of things......cds on this wreck, all ads to the awesome fun

Police Station ruins near Winjana Gorge, unruly blacks caused heaps of trouble for the early cattle stations in this region....really the middle of nowhere - no town or even a settlement nearby, only stations.

The Kimberleys consist of one cattle station after another, many going back to the 1880s, many unfenced, and cattle are allowed to wander the highway.

We arrived in Broome at our caravan park which we booked in March, (thank goodness as everywhere is booked out) after a detour via Derby, where we visited the sad Boab Prison tree where many blacks were often locked up overnight on their way to trial. This one is 1500 years old.

A trough built in the early 1900s to catch water from a natural spring to water cattle, it is 120metres long and can water 1000 head of cattle

and quickly got to Broome to wash the Pindan (red dirt) from the van and car in a car wash, then sheets, towels and clothes were washed after settling into a caravan park, at Cable Beach, and our first sight of the ocean in months