To get around Western Australia you have to be prepared for long hours of driving. Leaving Exmouth it was a full days drive to reach Tom Price our next stop. Before leaving Exmouth though Campbell drove the ridge of a canyon along a fairly step and dodgy road but it was worth it for Grand Canyon style views. We were not able to spend long on though as we needed to make a move.
It rained a lot of the day. I spent most of the drive asleep as we made it to a rest stop about twenty kilometres short of Tom Price. When at the free camp we were told of a early morning tour of the Rio Tinto mine site and decided to try get a spot. When we arrived in the town the following morning the tour was booked out but luckily a couple did not show so we got their seats.
The bus tour lasted an hour and a half and we did see some trucks in action but there was still not a great deal of action in one of the largest mine sites in Australia. We were told of the money involved both staff wages and the amount spent on trucks. Although I left not really learning a lot about the whole process.
Tom Price is the closest town to Karijni National Park and not really knowing how long we would be there we stocked up enough food for weeks before heading into the park.
Karijini is full of gorges and the gorges are largely made of giant pieces of slate rock. The first gorge we visited was the Hancock Gorge. It was also the best gorge and to access the best parts you have to wade waist deep through water. It wasn't too much of an issue though as the temperature was probably close to 40 degrees in the sun. Camp that night wasn't all that comfortable as I slept on rock and in that part of Western Australia the sun sets at about 6pm so there isn't a lot to do after you have had dinner.
We spent another full day checking out all the tracks in Karijini and made camp again inside the park before leaving the following morning to head north to Port Headland and back to the coast. Many people had told us there is not a lot to do in Port Hedland and we discovered it for ourselves having seen the whole town in about half an hour. We did though chance upon getting to Port Hedland on the final night of the 'Staircase to the Moon.' When the full moon rises in certain months of the year the reflection leaves a staircase in the shallows. "It wasn't as good as last night," I overheard people saying. I actually did not find it all that fascinating but at least we got to see it.
Port Hedland also has a reputation of being expensive as it is a mining town and they did not let down charging $38 for a non-powered site at the caravan park for a site only just large enough for the mothership and a small tent.
Its possible to get from Port Hedland to Broome in a day although I had heard about a couple of good camp spots on the way so the following night we stopped at Cape Keraudren to the North of Broome I was told was special by some of the drivers I had spoken to on the journey. They were right it was a special spot. It was also a much better spot to spot than 80 mile beach which is just up the road.
The following night we stopped a night at Bark Hut at the other end of the 80 mile beach after stopping at 80 mile beach for a quick lunch spot. To get to Bark Hut you must pass through a number of gates through paddocks which make it seem like you are the only person around till you reach the end of the road and the campsite with hundreds of people.
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