Karratha to Marble Bar

Salt ponds on the roadside on the way to Dampier.....In ther background train carriages filled with Iron Ore which is being transported to Dampier's Port for export

 Statue of RED DOG ..... 'The Pilgara Wanderer' 

The Iron Ore being loaded onto a large ship

 This sculpture outside the North West Shelf Gas Tourist Information Centre.........

serves as a reminder of those workers who lost their lives or were seriously

injured on the North West Shelf Gas Project

 The onshore facilities of the North West Gas Venture

 

Sunset at Cleaverville Beach....across the Indian Ocean to Dampier's Gas Plant

July 4 2012..... full moon rising over the hills behind Cleaverville Beach

Small township of Cossack, near Karatha, had the restored historical buildings of its hayday....down on the riverfront in the middle of photo is our motorhome.....where we enjoyed lunch  

The renovated Court House is now the Museum

 Roebourne's renovated Prison complex

What happened to the Whim Creek Hotel?..............closed!

More Iron Ore.......this time being loaded from Port Hedland Harbour Port

 Salt, salt and more salt...........Rio Tinto's Salt mine in Port Hedland

On the way to Marble Bar a group of termite mounds with 'Miner's Hats' 

Camped along Gorge Creek..........Chris washed the motorhome and I washed clothes

Our camp beside the Gorge Creek just north of Marble Bar

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MARBLE BAR WA.......................



The bar across the river is Jasper Stone............strikingly brilliant colours

Marble Bar's Iron Clad Hotel.... ?? as to whether it was named after one of the earliest Gold Mines 'The Ironclad' or because it is clad in corrugated iron

 Marble Bar's temperature.....29.5 degrees - 11.45am, July 8 2012....

Yes it is the middle of winter here in Australia! 

The Marble Bar's historic Government Building has been undergoing renovations for the past 3 half years................built from local stone in 1985 the building still provides accommodation for Government Departments 

The water tank on Water Tank Lookout

Here in the Pilbara Region of WA the wattle is blooming everywhere......

here it creates a beautiful avenue of colour



Millstream Chichester National Park WA

After we left 3 mile pool near Old Onslow we took two days to travel to Karratha where we stocked up on supplies, water and refuelled. Then we travelled 150klms out to Millstream Chichester National Park where we spent a magic three days enjoying the area. We camped at Miliyanha campground where the facilities were fantastic. The camp kitchen had an instantaneous hot water system and plenty of water for washing up, showering and washing. We walked the many scenic tracks, a decent 6.8klm one was along the Murlunmunyjurna Track from our campsite to Crossing Pool. We drove around the National Park visiting Deep Reach picnic area, Cliff lookout and the Millstream Homestead (now the visitors centre) where we walked the beautiful Millstream River banked by eucalyptus trees and waterholes shaded by lush palms. On our way back to Karratha we took the drive out to Mt. Herbert (a scenic drive with magnificent landscapes) and Python Pool which is a permanent freshwater plunge pool at the base of a cliff in the Chichester Range escarpment.

MILLSTREAM CHICHESTER NATIONAL PARK WA

Beautiful picturesque Millstream Chichester National Park.......



Looking down onto the Fortesque River from Cliff Lookout

Looking out over the Chichester Range from Deep Ridge  

The Millstream Homestead ....... now the Visitor's Centre

 Sturt Desert Pea

Millstream River is fed by lots of springs...........The Millstream Homestead is surrounded by a picturesque setting - rivers banked by eucalyptus trees and waterholes shaded by lush palms

I just couldn't resist posting the numerous following pics......the area was just such a magnificent oasis..............





 

Looking out over the landscape of part of the Pillbara from Mt Herbert in the Nat Park

 Python Pool

The scenery on the 6.8 klm return Murlunmunyjurna Tract from the Millianyha Campsite to Crossing Pool 

Fortesque River

 Corella's kissing in the tree top

Another picturesque river crossing



ONSLOW WA

From Exmouth we travelled 250klms to an overnight camp spot. Next day arrived in Onslow around lunchtime and enjoyed lunch at Sunrise Beach.

Onslow originally located near the former mouth of the Ashburton River was moved to its present site at Beadon Bay in the mid 1920's because of the silt build up at the mouth of the river causing problems with the loading and unloading of visiting ships.

Onslow is a small coastal town population around 790. It supports an excellent prawning and fishing industry, small pearling industry and off-shore oil exploration. A solar salt field has been constructed on tidal salt flats surrounding the town. A 3.5klm conveyor belt transports salt from a holding area to large ships for exportation.

Onslow used to be a submarine base and was bombed by the Japanese in the Second World War.

Beautiful Indian Ocean views can be seen from both Sunrise and Sunset beaches. At Sunrise Beach lookout Onslow's War Memorial was erected in 2008. This interesting memorial depicts the Diggers badge minus the bayonet points and has been designed for the sun to rise through the centre each and every Anzac Day.

We camped for two nights along the beautiful Ashburton River at 3 mile pool about 5 klms from the original township now known as 'Old Onslow'. We visited the Old Onslow town site (all that remains are the ruins of the Police Station and Gaol as well as the cemetery)

ONSLOW WA

ONSLOW WA

 Ah Ha! Sunrise from a free campspot on 27th June......... on our way to Onslow

The next few pics take in the different landscapes travelling along the highway to Onslow....





The Ashburton River crossing at Nanutarra

 We stopped along the Onslow foreshore and had lunch

Onslow War Memorial depicts the Diggers badge minus the bayonet points

Onslow's Port........Salt being loaded onto a ship for export

Stockpiled salt which is conveyor belted 3.5klms out to the ships for loading

 Camped along the Ashburton River at Old Onslow

Ruins of the Police Station and Gaol at Old Onslow

Two WA Black Swans on the Ashburton River at Old Onslow