WA trip over

[chartrock]

Well we arrived home safely yesterday after travelling 18,233 km in 87 days. :high5: It was a fabulous trip but it was good to sleep in our big bed again. We had a few problems like a busted windscreen and my D-Gas system packing up early on the trip and the company has gone belly-up. The van performed well but I now have a list for a dealer to look at as my warranty is up next Friday. The shower toilet was a great asset allowing a lot of bush camping but the greater proportion of our nights were spent in caravan parks. This was because we wanted to look around at places and could not leave the van in bush camps. 49 of the 86 nights were spent in caravan parks for an average cost per night of $31.49. We also had 5 nights in farm stays at $25 per night and 7 nights in National Parks at $10/ night. Accommodation worked out at $1744 while fuel for the trip was $3950 for 2516 litres, average cost $1.58/L.

So much for statistics. I will try to start a trip report with more photos than talk ASAP. First up is to unpack, clean up car and van and try to tidy up 3 months of growth in the yard and garden. :scared:

Paul

 

[boots33]

welcome back to the land of milk and honey Paul. It will be good to see all the details of your latest trip. when you guys have had a chance to settle in we will have to catch up for coffee.

 

[cruza driver]

I'd be happy with the breakdown costs for your trip. Its a lot of country that you would have exploered I'm very jealous :high5:

I'll keep an eye out for your trip report and I look forward to the pictures of your travels to see what you got up to.

 

[chartrock]

I will try to start a trip report with more photos than talk ASAP.
Paul

So here goes.

We left 3rd August, via Moree, Cobar, Broken Hill, Olray, Peterborough, Pt Pirie, Pt Germein, Pt Augusta, Iron Knob then through to Ceduna for our 1st week of travel. We were keen to get to WA so spent little time on the way but had a two day rest stop at Pt Germein.

Photo 1 Manna Hill railway station (no longer used)
Photo 2 Entrance to Peterborough Town with a railway museum
Photo 3 Railway museum turntable
Photo 4 Iron Knob toilet block
Photo 5 Pt Germein Caravan Park
Photo 6 Entrance to Pt Germein Jetty

 

[chartrock]

2nd week saw us go from Ceduna to Nundroo to leave the van and drive down to Fowlers Bay where we saw our first whales. Then off to Head of Bight where there were many whales and calves just swimming around under the cliffs. They did not perform very much but we spent all day just watching them before heading for a bush camp. We found a track out on to the cliff tops so drove out with Expanda in tow and followed a track for a couple of kilometres along the edge of the cliff (sometimes within 10 metres of the edge). The views were fantastic but when the track cut back to the road we found that end of the track was closed as it was considered dangerous. Crossed WA border, cleared quarantine the had to clear police blockade while they did license checks, breathalyser and drug tests. On to Eucla and a visit to the Old Telegraph Station, now just about buried in sandhills. It was here I found a similar problem to Cruza Driver where a stone had punctured the plastic elbow on the water tank outlet. Some 'magic' tape and we were on our way. Stopped for a look at the Caiguna Blowhole which is a hole about 1 1/2 metres across with wind just blowing out continuously. Just underground caves where different temperatures create different air pressure so air blows out or sucks in. Then the longest straight stretch of road in Oz, 146.3 Km without a bend. Stopped at Balladonia to check out their museum with the NASA space junk then through Norseman to Boulder/Kalgoorlie for 3 nights.

 

[PMK]

Great Pic's Paul,

You just can't beat those views of the Nullabor Cliffs............

We're heading along the route for 4 weeks over Christmas on our maiden trip for the Expanda. It'll be a lot hotter that time of the year but still can't wait to get going anyway.
Have been that way a few times before but am looking forward to having the expanda this time around so we can take our time & have a good look around & maybe even spend a couple of nights at bush camps. Never will get sick of this trip.
I love Eucla & have seen the Telegraph Station at many different stages of being buried by the sand. I was there first in 1980 & you could park right beside it & walk through it then. Just shows how much the sands keep shifting.................
Did you do the walk over the dunes down to the old jetty on the beach ? It's one of my favorite spots.
Anyway great to hear or your travells & thanks for sharing the story & Pic's with us.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[cruza driver]

Great Pic's Paul,

You just can't beat those views of the Nullabor Cliffs............

*Try posting a bit more so your post isn't boring* that area is on our list of must do's and your report so far has inspired me to make sure we get over there and see it.

Look forward to the next installment mate

 

[straydingo]

great shots.
did you climb those dunes at Fowler's also - good views up there

 

[randl007]

fuel for the trip was $3950 for 2516 litres, average cost $1.58/L.

This is great Fuel Economy I spent $1800 doing 5500Kms just recently and only towing a camper trailer. If I did not have 4 kids I'd be trading in the Patrol for a Navara. Also great photos and looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip
Richard

 

[chartrock]

great shots.
did you climb those dunes at Fowler's also - good views up there
View attachment 5434

No Mate. It was blowing a gale so we did little walking and my wife is not into 4WD challenges so we did not try driving up. We did drive off to some of the nearby beaches and managed to get ourselves lost. But nice beaches.

 

[chartrock]

Kalgoorlie Superpit is enormous, quite mindblowing. There is a great lolly shop in Kalgoorlie hence 'the kid in the lolly shop' and a mine tower in the museum (closed due to high winds when we were there). Museum has around half of WA's gold reserves in a vault with lots of nuggets and gold sovereigns.

Drove north through Menzies where there is a brand new caravan park provided under the Govt. Incentive Scheme. Not a van inside. Cut out steel 'statues' scattered through town.

 

[chartrock]

Stayed in Leonora so we could drive out to "The Terraces". Very colourful rocks and but cliffs not very high.


On to Leinster, a small mining town then across to Sandstone and Mt Magnet and a run out to "The Granites"


The Granites


Masonic lodge and old gaol, Cue

On to Meekathara then a quick look at Newman before going on to camp at Karajini NP

 

[chartrock]

Karajini National Park, what a magic place. Camped at the Glades, toilets only, no showers. Glad for a well equipped van. Did the walk down to Circular Pool then along the bottom of Dale Gorge up to Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool, an excellent walk.



Drove out to Weano Gorge and walked down towards Handrail Pool but too much water so walked the bottom of the gorge to get back out.

 

[chartrock]

Walked across to Hancock Gorge which required climbing down a ladder (actually steel stairs) and a bit of wading to get to Kermit's Pool and the Spider Walk which is a narrow gorge with water racing through where you walk with arms outstretched touching both sides of the gorge.



Returned to the top and drove to Joffres Gorge but jus twent to the lookout then on to Kalamina Gorge lookout before heading back to camp.

 

[chartrock]

Next day we were booked on to a mine tour in Tom Price and, being a bit low on fuel, figured we would fill up in TP. Wrong!! The only servo in town was out of diesel and they weren't sure when the next supply would be in. We limped back to Karijini with the reserve light on for the last 18 km where I had 20 L in a jerry can on the van.

Tom Price is quite a large town, just a mining town but the mine tour was very interesting. Some of the machinery is enormous.

 

[cruza driver]

Another great update CR I bet you were holding your breath and watching the fuel gauge very carefully
How far back did you have to go?

 

[chartrock]

It was about 90 Km from Tom Price to Karijini. We had planned to stop at a couple of lookouts on the way back but they were off on side tracks and we weren't game to risk it. The 20 L jerry just allowed us to get to the Munjina Roadhouse the next day to fillup. :tongue:

 

[cruza driver]

I would just call it good fuel calculations :yo:

 

[chartrock]

Driving to Munjina Roadhouse, we had to pass through the Munjina Pass. We were so impressed with it, after filling up with fuel we drove back up through it and then down again.


Next stop was Pt Hedland but we actually stayed in South Hedland in one of the worst caravan parks of our trip as well as the dearest at $42 a night. The ammenities were pathetic and the attitude of the managers left a lot to be desired so a quick move on the next day was in order.
A quick look around Pt Hedland was sufficient, a view of the salt works and the harbour to watch a ship leave.

A run to Roebourne and Port Samson where we parked outside a union meeting hall with mine utes around, thick as fleas on a camel but we enjoyed watching a couple of whales playing a hundred or so metres off the beach. A detour to Dampier to have a look at "Red Dog's" statue before free camping at Maitland River.

 

[chartrock]

From Dampier to Exmouth with a free camp stopover a few Km north of Exmouth at Barradale Reat stop. Lots of room but lots of campers as well, all ready for an early run into Exmouth. We beat most of them and booked into a Big4 for a couple of nights.



Did a boat trip on Yardies Creek at the southern end of Cape Range NP then spent the rest of the day fishing and swimming at beaches in the national park.