Shark Bay

Shark Bay is not nearly as scary as its name suggests. Like Ningaloo,  the region is renowned for spectacular beaches and an abundance of marine life.

We based ourselves at Hamelin Station,  a former sheep station,  now owned by Bush Heritage Australia and preserved as a wildlife reserve.

The old station buildings have been restored and repurposed; the shearers quarters are now available as accommodation, while the farmhouse has been turned into a large camp kitchen and dining area with all the amenities. The shearing shed is set up as a museum and was a highlight for the children.  Luka in particular gained a real insight into the hardships of a shearer's life and was overhead educating other guests.

At the front of the property was a  lagoon,  which was home to an enormous variety of birds.

Just a few kilometres from the station is Hamelin Pool,  a World Heritage bay which contains Stromatolites - tiny organisms which form clumps  like large undersea mushrooms.  Completely lacking in visual appeal,  these strange life forms are nonetheless the cause of great interest due to the fact that they have not changed or evolved in over 3 million years,  and are believed to be the original source of oxygen which lead to the atmosphere being the way it is. In essence,  all living things,  plant and animal,  owe their existence to the humble Stromatolites!

Our next stop had amazing visual appeal.  The unimaginatively named Shell Beach is comprised entirely from the shells of tiny cockles,  just a few millimetres across. The hypersalinated water is responsible for the cockles lack of growth.  Despite the water being stunning -  crystal clear up close and turquoise from a distance - it's too salty for most marine life in this bay.

We had a wonderful time paddling in the water and playing with the shells before driving to Eagle Bluff lookout where we saw some small sharks from a safe distance.

The highlight of our stay at Hamelin Station was the people we met. The caretakers went above and beyond their duties to assist us and were fantastic with the children.  They loaned us powerful binoculars to watch the birds,  provided art and craft materials  for the kids to use and engaged them in animated discussions.

Our fellow guests included a family we had met previously,  who have a 5yo daughter,  so she and Freya had a lovely time playing together.

On our last evening,  a new arrival who was well known to the staff introduced herself as an artist, and offered to take all the children for a walk the next morning to collect natural materials and create a collage.

Luka and Freya spent nearly two hours with Sandy,  working on their collages and discussing patterns and texture and had a fantastic time.

It's wasn't until the next day (and next town) that I took up Sandy’s suggestion to have a look at her Facebook page,  only to discover that she's a nationally acclaimed artist of some renown! Although that has no impact on the children's experience,  it makes us realise what a remarkable opportunity we had. 

Carnarvon

Carnarvon was once a thriving port town. Trains and wagons loaded sky high with bales of wool would converge at the mile long jetty for shipping to European markets.

Around the time of World War 2, as the world demand for wool lessened, a brave entrepreneur imported banana plants from Singapore and diverted water from the  Gascoyne river to irrigate them. His experiment was a success and Carnarvon is now one of the leading banana growing regions of Australia,  and proud home of the “original lunch box banana.“

As you approach the town from the North West,  the arid scrubby landscape alongside the highway is suddenly replaced by plantations growing bananas,  mangoes,  avocados,  tomatoes,  potatoes,  onions and even some citrus.

The primary growing season is over the cooler months, so many of the plantations were between crops,  however we visited Bumbak’s Plantation to try their famous home made mango and banana ice creams.

The historic district is based around the jetty and adjacent lighthouse, and comprises a railway museum,  shearers hall of fame and the lighthouse keeper's cottage.  The One Mile jetty is a famous landmark and the antique Coffee Pot train provides a unique perspective but unfortunately it was not running at the time of our visit due to high winds.

We braved the wind and climbed to the top of the old railway water tank for spectacular views of the jetty and coastline.

The highlight of the historic precinct was undoubtedly the Lighthouse Keeper's cottage. It is fully furnished as it was in the  1930’s and we took great delight in quizzing the children on what the various old appliances and household implements were.

Our favourite attraction in Carnarvon was the Space and Technology museum.   We enjoyed our visit so much that we returned the following day!

The site is dominated by several enormous communication dishes which can be seen all over town.  These dishes played an instrumental role in communicating with the Apollo 11 space mission,  among many others.

The museum is packed with memorabilia and artefacts of the assorted space missions,  educational resources about space,  and souvenirs of visits by famous astronauts including Buzz Aldrin. There's also an Apollo 11 launch simulator,  which Mats,  Luka and Freya thoroughly enjoyed. 

Ningaloo Marine Park

The Ningaloo reef is world famous for being one of the few places in the world where you can have the opportunity to swim with whale sharks. Unfortunately we missed the whale shark season but still very much enjoyed our stay.
We camped in Cape Range National park,  just behind the sand dunes,  80 metres from the ocean.

We had four wonderful days of walking on the beach,  building sandcastles, exploring rock pools.  Luka and I tried our luck snorkelling but with little success. Due to the constant onshore wind the sea was rather choppy and the water murky due to the disturbed sand. Despite this,  we were very fortunate to see a couple of  turtles,  a blue spotted stingray,  a large blue-green sweetlip fish and many ghost crabs from the beach. Around the camp and in the dunes were dozens of kangaroos and at least one emu.

We visited the turtle information centre and learned about the life cycle of marine turtles,  who will start nesting along the beaches very soon.
The visitor information centre also had excellent information and displays of the local wildlife and marine life. We also watched a video filmed by a scuba diver at the Ningaloo reef.  Despite it being just television,  the fact that it was filmed so close by made it seem highly relevant.
The downside of camping so close to the beach is that we had problems with strong winds for our whole stay. We removed our awning after it nearly flew away,  put away or tied down  anything that might move and put extra tie-down straps on the camper trailer.  Despite these precautions the canvas flapped noisily and we got little sleep.

Overall,  however,  it was a remarkable and extremely worthwhile visit.  I would love to visit again during whale shark season,  perhaps when all the children are old enough to snorkel.

Karijini National park

I had never even heard of Karijini National park until we started researching this trip and discovered that many people rate it as the most beautiful national park in Australia. Set in the hot, arid Pilbara region, Karijini is renowned for its spectacular gorges and waterholes -  all the more appreciated as they are completely surrounded by desert. We focussed our attention on Dales Gorge as it was near to our campground,  2wd accessible,  has permanent waterholes and the walks are all Class 3 or 4 (Class 1 is a wheelchair accessible path,  increasing in difficulty to Class 5 which is for very experienced bushwalkers with a high level of fitness.)

We started with the easy walk to the Fortescue Falls lookout,  a stunning outlook which spurred our enthusiasm to go on with the Fortescue falls walk.  Some 250 steps down the gorge wall later and we were clambering over the rocks at the edge of the pool.

We then turned right and followed another path to Fern pool.  A reasonably flat track followed the side of the creek between enormous strangler figs to an unbelievably beautiful pond,  complete with ferny banks and a picturesque waterfall.  It came as no surprise to learn that this was a very sacred site to the local aboriginal people. We sat on the wooden platform at the side to cool our feet and discovered that the pool was teeming with fish.

After a break we retraced our steps back to Fortescue falls,  crossing the outflow on very slippery stepping stones and walked the full length of Dales Gorge.  We took our time, enjoying the scenery and multitudes of birds.  Traversing the gorge involved scrambling over boulders,  numerous Creek crossings and balancing on narrow ledges.  Luka and Freya declared it the most fun bushwalk ever!

The far end of the gorge contained the surprisingly cold Circular Pool.  The planned swim turned into a bit of wading and splashing, which cooled us down sufficiently for the steep ascent directly up the wall of the gorge via a very uneven rock staircase.

Once we had reached the top and caught our breath,  we took the short easy walk to Circular pool lookout before following the top of the gorge wall all the way back to our beginning point at the Fortescue falls lookout.

Four very hot hours of challenging walking and we had completed the Dales Gorge loop.  We were incredibly proud of Luka and Freya, who managed the whole walk with very minimal assistance. They also had the additional accomplishment of becoming Karijini Junior Rangers after completing a workbook and some prescribed activities. Their Ranger badges will be sewn onto their backpacks at the earliest opportunity. 

Pilbara

The Pilbara region is very hot and VERY dry.  The kind of dry that causes the inside of your nose to dry out and crack and breathing through your mouth has you quickly grasping your water bottle.  We normally have to remind the kids to drink plenty,  but in this area nobody needed reminding and the water bottles were being refilled often.

The ground is largely comprised of iron stone pebbles,  ranging from rusty orange to almost black in colour and deceivingly heavy. Hitting two of the iron stones together results in a metallic clink,  similar to a hammer striking an anvil.

The predominant plant life is soft spinifex, a hardy grass which grows in clumps.  Each clump has an almost pillow-like appearance, positively inviting you to nestle in to them.  This would be a big mistake.  Each blade of grass ends in a needle fine tip coated with resin,  which,  after causing a nasty scratch should you foolishly brush against it,  continues to cause a stinging sensation for hours.

You may be surprised to discover that such a harsh environment is quite heavily populated. The reason is iron mining.

Apart from a few other hardy (or should that be foolhardy?) tourists braving the heat to discover the natural wonders,  the vast majority of vehicles on the roads were road trains transporting their loads of iron ore from the crushers (where iron stone is pulverised into ore) to Port Hedland, ready for shipping to iron smelters and steelworks.

Every few kilometres along the highway a dusty side road would be labelled as a private mine access.

In the midst of this desolate landscape lies the town of Tom Price. Rio Tinto’s Tom Price Iron Mine lies at the town boundary and the town primarily exists to meet the needs of the mine workers and their families. As a result,  the very well financed town has amenities that are unexpected for its size and location. There's a beautiful park which is mind boggling green,  with deciduous trees, a floral archway and a well equipped playground, complete with the essential shade sails.

Adjacent to the shopping centre is a montage of public art of which any major city would be proud: a bronze fountain overflows into a stylised creek set with river stones,  from which 2 metre tall bronze kangaroos drink,  while oversized bronze goanna and emus watch from a distance.

The public library boasts an enormous DVD collection,  a very large children's section including a variety of toys,  computer services and all the latest newspapers and magazines.

We saw a skateboard park,  swimming pool with extensive water playground,  numerous playgrounds,  tennis courts,  bmx track,  motorcross club and various other sporting facilities.

This level of affluence and wealth of services is in stark contrast to the vast majority of remote towns of a similar size which we have visited.  Most have a pub,  a roadhouse which is also the general store,  caravan park and cafe (and sometimes incorpoates the pub too!) Some have a small grocery store,  a health centre for visiting doctors at the weekly clinic and a school.

It was immediately apparent that Tom Price was a manufactured community and not representative of the average. The town centre was entirely populated by young Caucasian families, with some Asian and African immigrants working in service positions.  I  did see two aboriginal families but they were clearly the very small minority.  Also glaringly absent were older people -  I doubt anyone we saw was over 50 years old.

The blatant branding by Rio Tinto didn't sit well with me.  The library had photos of Rio Tinto hard hats,  mine trucks and ore trains in the children's section,  in addition to advertising for some kind of sponsored reading challenge.  The high school uniform was even less subtle: TPHS (Tom Price High School) was emblazoned on one leg of the tracksuit pants and Rio Tinto on the  other. 90% of the vehicles around town were owned by the mine.

Whilst I can appreciate the necessity of providing services for your employees in a remote area, in the same way that factories in England did during the Industrial Revolution (and Rio Tinto appears to have done this very well), the concept of having your home,  children's school, supermarket and all public services being owned by your employer left a bad taste in my mouth.

*Please note,  this is strictly my personal opinion and not in any way a negative aspersion of the residents of Tom Price or employees of Rio Tinto*

Broome

I have been excited to visit Broome since we first began planning this trip. I have seen so many photos of spectacular beaches and nearly everyone who visits raves about the great vibe. As we got closer I began wondering whether it could live up to the paradise of my dreams. The short answer is absolutely,  yes!

After settling in at our caravan park 5km inland,  we drove to Gantheaume Point lighthouse and were able to drive down on to the beach. Our first glimpse of the sea evoked an involuntary gasp from both Mats and I.  “Wow,  look at the colour of the ocean!” It was the dark turquoise green colour which you usually see in pictures of Pacific Islands.  Combined with the white sand beaches and dark red cliffs,  it was a spectacular introduction to the beauty of Broome.

From there, we drove to Chinatown,  the historic heart of the pearling industry in Broome. We had the opportunity to inspect a restored pearling lugger ship and the kids tried on an old diving helmet and learned about the incredibly dangerous work of harvesting pearls in the past.

We also learned about the modern pearl farming practices of breeding and seeding oysters to ensure consistent size and quality of pearls.  

A visit to Matso’s Brewery was obligatory and very much enjoyed. The beer garden consisted of a courtyard under the mango trees with incredibly beautiful views of the Indian Ocean. Together with great food,  funky music and a variety of fantastic beers,  what more could you ask for?!

Cable Beach is probably the most well known of Broome’s beaches,  and for good reason. The super fine white sand and turquoise waters fringed by palm trees and grassy dunes are spectacular in themselves,  but when you add fine dining restaurants,  take away cafe,  bar and a playground,  there's something for everyone.

We took full advantage of all Cable Beach had to offer,  starting with a picnic lunch alongside the playground (while keeping an eye for falling coconuts!) After that we enjoyed a camel ride along the beach. Luka and Mats shared one camel,  Freya,  Stella and I rode on another.  There was a caravan of 18 camels all hitched together and we made quite a sight ambling along the waterfront.

From there, Mats and I enjoyed a cocktail then took fish and chips down on to the beach to watch the sunset. Such a magical day!

The lesser known, but just as beautiful, Town Beach was our destination the following day. Once again, white sandy beaches, palm fringed grassy dunes,  a cafe and a fantastic playground featured.  We spent a fair bit of time in the playground,  which included a water play area -  a welcome addition with the temperature in the high thirties and very high humidity.

We were lucky enough to visit when the Parks and Wildlife service were running a school holiday program introducing the children to the creatures of the mud flats. A Ranger accompanied us out on the mudflats at low tide to collect specimens which would then be examined by scientists and identified.  We found starfish,  hermit crabs,  sea snails,  a shrimp and more. The scientist explained about each animal to the children, showed them under a magnifying glass. There was also an artist who tutored the kids on sketching their findings.  Luka responded really well to her tuition and did a fantastic sketch of a crab.

Our last day in Broome coincided with the Courthouse markets. We had a great time wandering around browsing the handcrafts,  clothing and listening to the live music. We chatted with an elderly aboriginal man who was playing a didgeridoo and clap sticks which he had carved himself.

Broome now has a special place in my heart and I hope to be able to visit again someday.

Kimberley cattle stations

Our first stop in Western Australia was Kununurra,  where we visited a Sandalwood factory,  a rum distillery,  drove past  fields of white chia (which looked a little like lavender)  and had ice cream by the lagoon while crocodile spotting.  (We saw a 1.5m freshwater croc.)

From there,  we headed into one of the hottest and most remote areas of Australia,  the Kimberley region, to stay at El Questro Station - a former cattle station now turned tourist venture.
Access was via a very rough corrugated dirt road and our first river crossing. We elected for a riverside campsite away from the station facilities but with the bonus of a private bush site, complete with river acess for swimming.

Our four days at El Questro were mainly spent swimming due to the extreme heat. 

We explored the station as much as possible,  but were restricted due to not having a high-clearance 4WD.

The only gorge we were able visit was Zebedee Springs -  an easy five minute walk through a palm grove to a thermal spring.  It was tiny but gorgeous and we didn't even mind too much when a snake decided to join us for a swim! (Obviously we all got out of the water until the snake had gone,  but then we happily got straight back in.)

After El Questro, we travelled to the central south of the Kimberley,  halfway between the tiny towns of Hall's Creek and Fitzroy Crossing,  at Larrawa Station.  Larrawa is a working cattle station which has a  paddock for camping. We were immediately relieved to discover cloudy weather and cool breezes. 

We enjoyed a few walks around the property and caught up on some school work. We were able to help feed some of the animals, including pigs,  sheep and chickens,  which the kids enjoyed very much. 

On our last morning the kids were invited to ride on the back of the farm quad bike to feed the calves.  Unfortunately the bike hit a large termite mound,  resulting in a farmhand crushing her ankle. The children were completed unhurt,  just a little shaken. I was relieved to discover that my nursing skills were not quite as rusty as I thought, and in conjunction with the Flying Doctor (via telephone consultation) I was able to make the injured girl more comfortable prior to her transfer to hospital. We heard later from the station owner that the girl had an overnight stay in hospital,  a plaster applied to her fractured ankle and flew home to her family in Northern NSW to recuperate. 

Litchfield National park

We weren't planning to visit Litchfield,  but time after time people had been surprised that we weren't going and told us that it's a "must see" and that we'd regret missing it.  After a while we took note and changed our (very flexible) itinerary.
We camped in the National park,  at Wangi Falls. First impressions were underwhelming. The drive through the park was through savannah woodland - sparse shrubby forest which was not visually interesting,  other than hundreds of enormous termite mounds.

Our five minute walk to the waterfall very quickly changed our minds, however. The waterhole was a lush oasis complete with twin waterfalls and spectacularly beautiful.

Wangi Falls

The following morning we went for a swim in the waterhole. Mats and the kids swam over to the falls while Stella and I played near the steps.

Later in the day we drove to Tolmer Falls lookout. The falls themselves were beautiful,  although completely inaccessible,  but most interesting was the striking rock formations - Mats and I thought they looked like ruined Cambodian temples,  while Freya was adamant that they were actually princess's castles. Unfortunately I didn't get any good photos. 

Tolmer Falls 

Our next stop was Buley Rockholes.  The river cascades down a rocky slope in a series of rapids and small waterfalls,  creating small rock pools at each level.  These water holes range in size from barely big enough for one person,  to several metres across. Some were ankle deep,  while others deep enough to dive in.  We stayed at the upper end where the pools were smaller and very shallow and the kids had a marvellous time scrambling over the rocks and playing in the water.

The following morning we returned to Buley and explored the lower levels. After a quick swim we drove up the road to Florence Falls. 

The walk from the car park to the falls is a steep descent,  involving 135 steps.  It was another very hot day,  so we were more than ready to swim when we finally reached the falls.  The waterhole was smaller than Wangi,  with more water in the falls,  and lush tropical rainforest at the base.  It really was paradise! Despite the water being rather chilly,  we all  swam to the waterfall. Quite a feat since the power of the water was pushing you back to shore! Rather than walk back up the steps,  we took the 1.5km Shady Creek bushwalk,  which was beautiful. 

As you may have surmised,  we are VERY happy that we heeded advice and took the detour to Litchfield. The hidden oases were absolutely stunning and the swimming a welcome relief from the heat. 

Keep River National Park - our last stop in the Northern Territory