Denise and Barry's Caravan Travels: June 30, 2013

Wednesday we left a very humid Broome 86% humidity, and set off towards Port Hedland. We did not know how far we would be able to go as the road at Port Hedland was closed, due to very heavy rain more than 300ml during the night. We called into a rest stop about 80klm from Broome where we came across Roger & Dot from Tassie, they were going to spend the night there with about half a dozen other travellers and wait until the water had subsided. As we wanted to get into Newman to see the family we headed off travelling 540klm stopping at a rest area for the night on the north side Port Hedland, good thing we pulled in there as not much further down the highway there was quiet significant water across the road.

Thursday it was into Port Hedland where the service stations all resembled swimming pools, we pulled out of one without filling up, as very dubious of whether there was water in their diesel. The hwy was reduced to only one lane at the Fortesque railway overpass, as the road had been washed away. We were lucky that we were not held up there for very long, as later in the day were heard that there was anything up to 11/2 hours delay due to the roadworks. We were directed through the washed out section which was approx 1mtre wide and 30 - 50 cm deep, so Bazz slipped it into low 4wd when he saw the ute in front drop down in the wash out. Once we were through that section all was good, then it was onto the Great Northern Hwy that takes you into Newman. As the traffic had been held up we were passed by numerous road trains without loads heading into Newman all trying to make up for lost time, it is a very busy Hwy with all the mining traffic. Stopped at Bea Bea Creek for lunch, then decided to spend the night and go in Karijini National Park first thing in the morning. Surprising enough we were not too worried by the passing road trains during the night.

Had planned to spend the next night at Karijini but as we were in there nice and early we had time to walk down into Dales Gorge to Fortescue Falls and the Fern Pool, checked out the Three Ways Lookout and the Circular Pool. Once again we were treated with spectacular, rugged scenery with the banded iron formations in the rocks and with the rock pools and a waterfall. The weather was a lot cooler than we had been experiencing, so we were not tempted to go for a swim in the cold water in the gorge pools.
Seeing as we were only 162 klms from Newman we were now getting a little excited to see Jase, Neat and Livvie so instead stopping the night we were pulling up outside their house a couple of hours later.

Everything here in Newman is covered in RED DUST, I made the comment to Baz that is looks like the whole town needs a good Karcher! This afternoon we enjoyed a very informative mine tour to the BHP Billiton Iron Ore Mt Whaleback Mine. Mt Whaleback is the largest Single Open-Cut mine in the word, currently 5.5km long and 1.5 km wide. The average train leaving the mine is 3.75 kms long taking Iron Ore from Newman to the port facilities in Port Hedland a distance of 426klms. We had to wear hard hats, goggles and safety vests long sleeves, long trousers and solid shoes to travel in a bus to the top of a lookout over looking the open cut and no where near any danger, but I suppose we had to look the part. Baz was also reminded today why he does not like bus tours, as there were some very elderly people on our tour that could certainly use some Fem Fresh ! then one burst into song singing Pack Up Your Trouble's In Your Old Kit Bag while all the other were complaining about the cold.

It will be Olivia's 2nd birthday on Tuesday, so we are looking forward to celebrating this with her. She loves the caravan she tells us it is her caravan and screams when being removed by Neat.