An Arvo (or two) beside the Ashburton

Free camping - is the life for us!

Looking at the map we spied the coastal town of Onslow that the highway does not access. In the hinterland are a series of lakes. South and east is a major river and the historical, original site of the Onslow town. Appears to be worthy of further investigation! There is a caravan park in town, but there are free camps on the river about 20k’s out. Sound perfect. Let’s go!

Seek and ye shall find! Amazing place.
The town exist to support mining (like every other town on this coast). Here the treasure is LNG and salt. The main LNG plant being on Barrow Island 100k North- north-east into the Indian Ocean. The scale of operations is massive but because the Pilbara is so vast its presence doesn’t feel consumptive but we do feel overwhelmed every time we encounter a new operation.

The town is quirky. With a Resort and a brand new hi-feature caravan park, museum, visitor centre, shell museum (closed for the season). “World Famous” sculptures, 1.2k of (recycled plastic) boardwalk through the Sandhills, a Lest We Forget remembrance park that would be the envy of most RSL’s across the land (especially today 11/11 at 11am) and the ubiquitous mining infrastructure that is far enough away to make it interesting yet not overpoweringly ugly. It is still disconcerting that those massive conveyor belts are feeding enormous international ships full to the gunnels with giga-tonnes of Australia.

We find our way to the campsite and whooopie! A long stretch of the riverbank that is well shaded by a crowd of river gums, other than birds and the wind it is so quiet, and there is not another soul in sight.

Did I say how delighted we are?Read more