We love our LandCruiser, but when your mechanic takes you aside and tells you he is considering dedicating a bay in the workshop to you in recognition of your increasingly regular attendance and significant financial contributions, you know it’s time to stop burying your head in the sand. There is only so long you can keep telling yourself “this’ll be the last thing that’ll break, we’ll fix it and she’ll be all good again” before it morphs from optimism into financial destitution.
When we took a deep breath and looked back on how much we had spent on repairs over the previous six months, despite more than regular maintenance, it was pretty clear that we needed to make some hard economic decisions.
The old girl was getting, well, old and she’d lived a very adventurous life. An unreliable vehicle in a remote location is a recipe for disaster. Given that “the more remote the better” is our travel motto, the increasing regularity of major failures (we’re talking stops going forward, onto a tow truck and you need to pull her apart just to access the failed component) it was making us nervous about venturing too far afield.
No matter how many things we fixed, there always seemed to be something else ready to break. Maybe it was time to bite the bullet and consider a new vehicle – $$$. So after slipping the Minister of Finance (that would be me) a triple-dose of Valium, we hit the car yards to see what was around. Someone up there must have finally taken pity on us, as a few weeks later that we found a pearler – 2013 (pre-diesel particulate filter) low km Landcruiser, no mods and without a spec of red dust for a not too astronomical price. We took the plunge and then straight away started planning how to rectify the lack of red dirt.
The destination was a no-brainer. Red dirt = Pilbara.
We thought we’d start off a little on the tamer side and re-visit Millstream Chichester National Park. There are a couple of campground options, Miliyanha near the Homestead or the slightly more rustic Stargazers; on this occasion we opted for Stargazers. A good tip is to have a careful look around on the ground before committing to your site. What looked like the prime location (we were thinking we must have timed our arrival just right to score this one) proved to be home to a seething ant’s nest, and the ants up here are not small. Possibly not an issue if you plan to sit inside a caravan, but for outside campers like us it was an easy call to move along to a less prestigious, fully unoccupied site.
Once set up we took a short drive back to Deep Reach Pool. In all our previous visits we hadn’t looked in here, and we had been missing out. It is a gorgeous deep, wide pool with stepped access (no squelching through slimy banks to reach the water) perfect for swimming or paddling a kayak. There are shaded picnic tables spaced out between the trees along with a few gas BBQ’s. It would be a great place to set up for the day. We were fortunate to have it all to ourselves, but I can’t image it is usually that deserted.
Next day we did a quick drive past the old Millstream Homestead and adjoining Miliyanha campground (this campground has access to fresh water, though it is recommended that you boil it before use). My highlight of Millstream NP has always been the Wetland Walk behind the homestead, with it’s trickling stream and pools smothered with lily pads and their exotic-looking flowers.
Unfortunately, Cyclone Veronica (and by the looks a subsequent bushfire) has decimated this area, which was closed off and looking decidedly un-wetlandy. Hopefully in time it will regenerate. The homestead itself is worth a look if you haven’t seen if before, with some interesting relics both inside the house and in surrounding outbuildings. In season, there are gorgeous sturt desert peas around here too, adding their fiery colour to the landscape.
We headed deeper into the park, towards Python Pool. Though this was the destination, the drive in provided what must be some of the most spectacular vistas in the Pilbara. No photo we took (and believe me we took plenty) could truly capture the shear vastness of this epic landscape with its pallet of deep red and bleached olive stretching into the distant haze.
Now I have a bit of a love-hate relationship when it comes to Karijini NP; I love the gorges and the scenery, but I’m very not-fond of the camping options within the park. We have however worked a way around this and though it takes a bit more effort, it means that we have still been able to enjoy some time in the beautiful gorges.
We started on the western side of the park, taking in the stunning Hamersley Gorge. Though it is quite out of the way in respect to the other gorges in the park, it is well worth the effort. Contemplating the massive forces involved in buckling the surrounding rocks into picturesque sweeping waves whilst dipping your toes in the cool water is not to be missed.
Camping-wise, we made use of the road reserve located just opposite the access road into the gorge (outside the national park boundary). It’s a very large cleared site in the bush with a skip bin (but no other facilities). I have heard a whisper that signage has very recently been erected by the Shire of Ashburton to declare that no camping is allowed here, which would be a real shame as it was a great spot and travellers who discovered it seemed to be looking after it well.
On the eastern side of the park the Albert Tognolini Rest Area makes a great base. The area for camping is extensive and is set on the side of a hill with sweeping views for those lucky enough to get a spot near the edge. Otherwise there are more private areas on tracks to the rear. There are no facilities and unfortunately each time we visit there seems to be more and more toilet paper littering the area. Acknowledging that digging a suitable hole in the rocky ground can be quite a challenge (though pessimistically I wonder how many even try) there are bins at the entrance so anyone could bag and dispose of their paper responsibly. Sadly, the message still doesn’t seem to be getting through to where it is needed.
From here we transit in to Karijini NP via the Visitor’s Centre. Dales Gorge is always worth a look, with the maiden hair fern adorned Circular Pool being a highlight. If you don’t mind flirting with hypothermia it’s a lovely spot for a (very quick) dip. Less frigid are the Fortescue Falls at the other end of the gorge and if you make it down there don’t miss out on Fern Pool. It’s just a very short detour to this tiny waterfall and tranquil pool, filled with fish that will provide a complimentary natural pedicure if you sit still long enough.
My absolute highlight of Karijini NP though is Kermit’s Pool in Hancock Gorge. It took me a few visits to summon up the courage to attempt the full length of the walk to reach the Pool, but WOW was it worth it. Be warned, it is not an easy walk / climb / scrabble / wade / spider-walk to get in, but it is absolutely worth every terrified moment once you reach the end – it is stunning.
By now the new Cruiser had a lovely red-dust-hue, but as we headed south-wards home there was one more spot that we wanted to check out – Peak Hill. This is a (now abandoned) goldmining town gazetted in 1897, located south of Karijini NP (north of Meekatharra). Our map showed access across what is now a huge, fenced-off open-cut mine pit, but follow your nose and the roads will get you around and in to the old townsite (which is located right next to the pit).
There isn’t a lot left, but the stonework on the few remaining structures is a work of art (unfortunately these are fast degrading after the roof materials were scavenged, exposing the mud-mortared walls to the erosive rain). There is still a lot of “trash” laying around (one man’s trash being another man’s treasure) and it’s easy to while away many hours fossicking amongst the old bottles, cans, machinery and other odds and ends. Just fossick very carefully as there are open mine shafts all over the town area.
A thoroughly enjoyable trip through some of the mainstream highlights of the Pilbara, with the goal of infusing the new Cruiser with some red dirt well and truly achieved. She didn’t miss a beat, we arrived home safely (under our own steam) and hopefully I can now take our mechanic’s number off speed-dial on my phone.
