Eventually leaving home on the 12th July following a particularly cold night with temperatures plummeting to -7 resulting in frozen water pipes within the house, the first hurdle we encountered was when Leigh headed out to the caravan shed to hitch up the van only to discover that the oil in the ‘trailmate’ hydraulic jack had also been effected; thirty minutes later after putting Mita’s hair dryer to good use, that obstacle was also overcome.
Our first overnight stop was the Nindigully Pub located between St George and Mungindi camping on the banks of the Moonie River opposite the renowned establishment where that evening we enjoyed the hospitality of this famous pub. We’ve stayed at Nindigully previously and once again we weren’t disappointed with the meals, the hospitality, or the ambiance of the pub.
Leaving Nindigully the following morning we headed “cross country” to Brewarrina, then onto Bourke where once again we were going to attempt to tackle the “Darling River Run”, a scenic drive that follows the Darling River between Bourke and Wilcannia however the closer we got to Bourke, the threatening rains became a reality and steadily became heavier, After arriving in Bourke, a visit to the local tourism office confirmed that a myriad of dirt road for hundreds of kilometers had become impassable.
Oh well, maybe next time.
With that plan “up in smoke” we continued on our way eventually sharing an overnight bush camp with several other couples about forty kilometers out of Bourke, including one couple who also lived near Warwick.
Thursday was a fairly uneventful day traveling via Cobar plus the old river port of Wilcannia as we continued west. After two years of rain outback Australia is looking fantastically lush with what are normally dry lake beds now brimming with water and teaming with birdlife.
After another overnight stay in the middle of nowhere, this time some one hundred fifty kilometers from the mining city of Broken Hill, we continued towards Orroroo briefly stopping at Mannahill for a coffee break and to view one of the best remaining examples of railway station architecture of the bygone steam train era.
While at Orroroo we were approached by a young couple who noticed the “Jerry Cans” on the front of van asking if they could purchase one as they had all but run out of fuel. We were both flabbergasted that anyone could be that stupid as to drive in outback Australia without ensuring they had adequate fuel – obviously this guy wasn’t the brightest star in the universe. Unfortunately for him we use diesel, he needed petrol.
Eventually arriving in the Southern Flinders Ranges we spent the night in a pretty little park between Orroroo and Port Augusta, grabbing a good night’s sleep prior to tackling the long haul across the Eyre Peninsula and the Nullabor Plains towards West Australia.
Following an exceptionally cold night when it was time to depart the next morning, we were confronted with fuel that had “waxed” at the injectors, a condition not uncommon in diesels especially if the fuel type is not conducive to cold climates; obviously my last refuel wasn’t suited to cold weather. After calling the relevant Automobile Club (who, after considering where we were, was very punctual) we were once again on our way. Stopping briefly at Wilmington to buy milk plus top up our water tanks we then passed through Horrocks Pass stopping to have a coffee and enjoy the magnificent views across Spencer Gulf towards the Eyre Peninsula.
One hour later we were on the Eyre Peninsula heading west towards Esperance some two thousand kilometers away. The scenery encountered on the Eyre Peninsula (which is normally quite bland) was a total surprise; it was a kaleidoscope of colors not unlike a rural panorama seen on English post cards.
Of course one thing we did notice while transiting South Australia was there billboards regarding driving habits, some of them very explicate. This one was quite mild.
After several days of travel we arrived at the “Head of the Bight” about two hundred kilometers east of the South Australian/West Australian border. The location is a renown nursery and breeding habitant for the Southern Right Whales where these seventy tonne behemoth of the ocean make an annual migration every year between June to October. After spending quite a period of time perched on the cliffs viewing the spectacle of massive whales cruising casually past within metres of our location, it was time to continue on our way.
Next stop of interest on our journey across the Nullabor (following a detailed inspection of our vehicle and van at the WA border quarantine check point) was the now deserted Eucla Telegraph Station that is slowly being engulfed by the encroaching desert sand drifts.
After five days of travel during which time we made regular stops to enjoy the scenery, we eventually arrived at Norseman on the western extremity of the Nullabor Plains.
Our last night prior to arriving in Esperance was spent camped at Bromus Dam thirty kilometers south of Norseman, a dam built in the 1926/27 specifically to service steam trains, and while not a technically marvel by any stretch of the imagination, its construction was quite ingenious. The dam is divided into two sections, the first section being nearby catchment area located on a massive granite outcrop on which has been constructed a series of walls not more than 30cm high channeling what little rain occurs towards a funnel. From here, the water is then piped to the reservoir some two kilometers away.
Following a peaceful nights sleep, we eventually arrived in Esperance nine days after departing Warwick, booking into what we believed would be the idea caravan park located only metres from the waterfront and barely a kilometer from the centre of town. The next three days were taken up with restocking, replenishing our water supplies, sightseeing, paying a visit to a local jetty to watch “Sammy the Seal” entertain the visitors, plus all the other usual touristy things and finally, listening to the damned trains in the middle of night passing within metres of the van park taking grain to the nearby bulk sea terminal. Trains aside, Esperance is quite a pretty town located on a large bay lined with silica white beaches and dotted with islands.
Leaving Esperance late Saturday morning we headed off for the serenity of the Thomas River camping area located on the western boundary of Cape Arid NP, one hundred thirty kilometers to the East. Arriving early afternoon the major decision to be made was which camping area, the one up on the hill with commanding views of the beaches and nearby islands that has been recently upgraded and included camp kitchens with all the mod cons, or the other more rustic one located on the banks of Thomas River. With the decision being mine, I chose the lower campground as I felt Leigh needed to hone his camp cooking skills, a task he’s normally quite adept at but was probably a little rusty at since we haven’t been “bush” for some time - good decision for over the next few days I enjoyed a Roast Pork and a Roast Beef complete with all the accompanying roast vegetables with a nice bottle of Red.
Albeit not by design, we were fortunate to have camped next to a very interesting couple, she being a botanical artist (Jacqui) and he (Richard) a retired ranger and environmentalist, who also just happened to have been the ranger here at Thomas River back in the early 1980’s. For three days Richard acted as our personal tour guide providing a plethora of information about the local area including advice on a variety of walks and drives around the area, taking us on walks and pointing out the various plant species and flowers (including the fully grown mosquito and helmet orchids that are barely the size of an index finger), and lecturing us about the life cycle of the local eco system.
As for Jacqui, her artwork was something else. We were privy to be given a viewing of some of her work and it was exquisite, with some drawings taking up to six months to complete. Jacqui is currently undertaking studies with the Royal London Society of Botanical Artists. She is one very talented lady.
If you’re interested in either viewing or purchasing some of her work, go to http://www.jacquelinepemberton.com/
All up we spent an enjoyable six days at Thomas River, tackling a couple of bush walks, several day trips down the silica white beaches to investigate various bays and coves, drives to other locations, plus enjoying the wildflowers that are just starting to appear.
With gale warning in place we decided to start heading back towards Esperance via Cape Le Grand where our intention was to once again do some bush walks and have a poke around the various bays and inlets. Unfortunately for us the weather, that had been sensational until now, took a dramatic change for the worse with the arrival of the predicted weather change. Arriving at our destination we set up camp in what we deemed to be a relatively protected nook and awaited for the weather to abate. After a night of been buffeted by high winds and listening to the “pitter patter” of rain drops, and with no let-up likely, the decision was made to return to Esperance, ensuring we booked into a caravan park as far distant as possible from the bulk grain terminal, before then moving onto Fremantle in a few days time.
Hi Leigh and Mita - It was indeed a pleasure to meet you both at Thomas River, and to share some of our experiences in our "Touch of Paradise". Take care out there. Regards from Jacqui and Richard (and Miss Molly)x
ReplyDeleteGreat post, lovely photo's. We must have been close to meeting head on with us heading East & you going West. Safe Travels
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