Perth to the Kimberley

April - October 2017

A 177-day adventure by The Gypsies Read more

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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 13, 2017
- ☀️ 33 °C
- Altitude: 40 m
- Australia Western Australia Lake Campion -17.848958, 122.74383117°50’56” S 122°44’38” E
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Day 1
Perth to Eaglestone Rock
April 13, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
We stocked the fridge and freezer, did the washing, filled the fuel and water tanks and set off to see more of Western Australia. We will be driving "roads less travelled" therefore will visit places we've never heard of before.
Our first port of call was Wayne's farm near Quairading where we have a container holding all our worldly possessions . From here we drove to Kwolyin, where we spent the night. Kwolyin is an old abandoned wheatbelt town now only ruins, but was once a thriving community. The shire has set up a free camping area providing toilets and basic kitchen facilities.
Friday we stayed at Eaglestone Rock, Lake Campion. A huge salt lake and large granite boluder that was easily climbed. The salt lake was dry and covered in white crunchy salt. We stayed 2 days and set up our mosquito/ / fly enclosure that Julie made for us. It worked brilliantly and kept the critters outside where they belong!Read more
The Gypsies View of the salt lake from the rock
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The Gypsies Looking out through the Mozzie free enclosure
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The Gypsies The mozzie free enclosure.
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 16, 2017
- ☀️ 31 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- Australia Western Australia Lake Campion -17.848796, 122.74192117°50’56” S 122°44’31” E
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Day 4
Eaglestone Rock to Billiburning Rock
April 16, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
From Eaglestone Rock we travelled into Mukinbudin. A very tidy and well kept little town. The visitor centre is just a small shed with maps and photos displayed on the walls. It was here that we saw photos of Elachbutting Rock about 50 Kilometers out of town and, It seemed worth a look so we went out there. There is a small version of Wave Rock and a tunnel that was formed through the rock having split sometime in the past. From there we continued North until finding a place to camp for the night at Billiburning Rock. We met a nice couple there from Carnamah who were touring the area looking at the various granite rock formations. There are many through this part of the country, they are fun to climb and are huge. A lot of them are designated camp sites with drop toilets and picnic tables and benches.Read more
The Gypsies In the tunnel created by the big split
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The Gypsies Small version of Wave Rock
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The Gypsies Fly nets are a must!
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 17, 2017
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 526 m
- Australia Western Australia Sandstone Phillip Lefroy Park -27.989601, 119.29593727°59’23” S 119°17’45” E
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Day 5
Billiburning Rock to Sandstone
April 17, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
We left the rock about mid morning and travelled towards Sandstone. We passed through Payne's Find and would have visited the Gold Battery if it had been open, however it appeared to be closed. There is nothing else in Payne's Find except the road house.
Camped in the bush for the night then carried onto Sandstone. Arrived about lunch time and found Lady Di's pies. Lady Di sets up a market style tent next to the visitor centre and using a pie maker sells pies to the tourists. Shes a real character. Loud and quite funny. Her pies were very nice. She is probably one of the only reasons tourists stop as the town has little to offer. Sadly most of its shops and businesses are closed. We had a quick look around town before having a look a London Bridge and other sites relating to the history of gold mining in the area.Read more
The Gypsies London Bridge. They used to have picnics here back in the day! Pretty harsh environment.
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The Gypsies Main Street of Sandstone
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The Gypsies Lovely old hotel still in use as the hotel and pharmacy and general store
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The Gypsies Lady Di the pie maker.
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 18, 2017
- ☀️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 665 m
- Australia Western Australia Meekatharra -23.109795, 119.12854523°6’35” S 119°7’43” E
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Day 6
Sandstone to Garden Granite Rock
April 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We pulled up here at Garden Granite Rock 16k's before Cue and set up camp for the night. Once again we were at the base of a massive granite rock which we climbed the following morning. You can often get internet coverage near or at the top of these rocks so it's a good place to check emails and messages as well as keep in touch with kids. The dog got a wash before we moved off towards Cue.Read more
The Gypsies Dave and Phoebe climbing the rock
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The Gypsies Phoebe gets a wash
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 19, 2017
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 442 m
- Australia Western Australia Cue Cue Hill -27.423738, 117.89862827°25’25” S 117°53’55” E
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Day 7
Cue
April 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Cue is a heritage listed town. It has some magnificent old buildings that have been restored to their former glory. We had lunch here in a shady park and chatted to some Shire workers who were setting up a new "Welcome Park" for tourists. A welcome park is a day use area where you can park up for the day and top up your water tanks. One of the men suggested we visit a Place called Weeli Wolli Spring Not far out of Mt Newman. Gina Rinehart has a big mine there which she is de-watering and is pouring millions of litres of pristine water daily into it. He said it was an idyllic spot and perfect for a swim.
After visiting the Info centre we decided to drive out Walga Rock, Dalgaranga Meteorite Crater and the ghost town of Big Bell.Read more
The Gypsies Lunch time in Cue. Sat at the bench in the park and ate ham salami and salad wraps.
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The Gypsies Cue Police Station. Restored to its former glory
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The Gypsies Rush hour in the Main Street of Cue
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 19, 2017
- ⛅ 11 °C
- Altitude: 419 m
- Australia Western Australia Cue Big Bell Garden Well -27.338438, 117.66094227°20’18” S 117°39’39” E
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Day 7
Walga Rock, Big Bell and Gt Fingall Mine
April 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Walga Rock is a large monolith located 48 k's from Cue. The main attraction is the aboriginal etchings on the western side of the rock. One being the etching of a white sailing ship which has caused many theories about its origin, as the rock is 325 k's from the coast.
We also drove out to the Dalgaranga Meteorite Crater which proved to be nothing more than a depression in the ground and pretty unremarkable.
Then on to the ghost town of Big Bell. This gold mining town was established in 1936 and supported a population of well over 1,000 people. There was 160 houses, a picture theatre, and a dozen shops as well as three churches and two schools. There isn't much left standing except the ruins of two churches and the magnificent hotel. We wandered through the old hotel and were amazed at how palatial and grand it was. We camped the night before heading back to Cue and then out to the relic of the Great Fingal Mine Office. The attraction here is a once beautiful mine office built by Italian stonemasons using dressed stone and it now sits on the precipice of an open cut mine. The large open cut mine there today is the result of a cave-in during 1921.
Photos 1 and 2: Aboriginal etchings, Walga Rock
Photos 3 and 4: The once beautiful hotel in Big Bell and us about to leave the ghost town
Photos 5 and 6: The Great Fingal Mine office Building and the Open cut mine it sits above.Read more
The Gypsies Walga Rock aboriginal etching of sailing ship
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The Gypsies More etchings.
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The Gypsies The ruins of the once beautiful hotel in Big Bell
4/25/17Reply
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 21, 2017
- ☀️ 7 °C
- Altitude: 522 m
- Australia Western Australia Wiluna -26.59083, 120.24364526°35’27” S 120°14’37” E
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Day 9
Cue to Wiluna to Mt Newman
April 21, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
From Cue we took the road towards Wiluna. Found a great camp site in a gravel pit about 50 k's before Wiluna. Cooked pork chops and mushrooms on the Weber and steamed veggies inside on the gas burner.
We drove around Wiluna then took the road towards Mt Newman and once again camped in a gravel pit. The road was fairly rough because rain has caused many washouts. The gravel pits have been good places to pull up for the night as they are well off the road and very flat and we've had Telstra reception. We find places to stay by using the WikiCamps app.Read more
The Gypsies Mushrooms and pork chops on the weber
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The Gypsies The only store and fuel in Wiluna
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Yummmmmm
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 24, 2017
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 665 m
- Australia Western Australia Meekatharra -23.109764, 119.12855523°6’35” S 119°7’43” E
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Day 12
Mt Newman to Wanna Munna
April 24, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Left Mt Newman to go to Weeli Wolli Spring but decided not to due to thunder storms and heavy rain predicted in the area, and there were 3 small but deep river crossings. Camped in the bush for the night and set up a clothes lines to dry the washing we had done in Mt Newman. Decided to go west to the aboriginal site called Wanna Munna. This was a nice spot by a creek where there was a lot of aboriginal etchings in the rocks and walls of the creek bed. We considered camping down near the creek bed but chose to stay up high on a piece of flat ground. This turned out to be a good choice because when we arrived it was sunny and the creek bed was dry except for a few puddles. A couple of hours later it was a raging torrent due to thunderstorms and rain in the area and to the west. We stay here two nights because it was a really pretty place and had a nice ambience about it.Read more
The Gypsies Bush camping. It rained overnight so the washing took twice as long to dry
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The Gypsies Just arrived at Munna Wunna. Dave banging in pegs ready for the awning.
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The Gypsies Looking up the dry creek bed.
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 25, 2017
- ☀️ 35 °C
- Altitude: 373 m
- Australia Western Australia East Pilbara Nullagine -21.889225, 120.10488921°53’21” S 120°6’18” E
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Day 13
Nullagine
April 25, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
We left Wunna Munna for Nullagine but after ringing the Newman info centre found out that the Auski - Roy Hill rd was closed so had to go back 75ks to Newman and take the Newman - Nullagine road which was only open to 4wd's and trucks. Arrived in Nullagine late afternoon and stayed in the caravan park. $15 per night unpowered. At first it looked pretty rough but we soon settled in and enjoyed it for what it was. Clean hot showers and toilets. Washing machines $3 a load. We were the only ones there. Next day we drove up to the lookout where you can see over the townsite and took a couple of photos. One photo shows the aboriginal camp with a huge football ground behind it. It was covered in spinifex and shrubs but we were told by a lady that when they start footy up here, it'll be mowed flat and they will play in bare feet and run around for an hour without a break for a drink. All in all we though it was a nice little town.Read more
The Gypsies From the lookout, the nicest house in town.
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The Gypsies Shire building, police station and caravan park under trees.
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The Gypsies Close up of the aboriginal camp at the end of town.
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The Gypsies Perth to the Kimberley
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- Apr 26, 2017
- ☀️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 162 m
- Australia Western Australia East Pilbara Marble Bar -21.186437, 119.71180821°11’11” S 119°42’43” E
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Day 14
Marble Bar
April 26, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
From Nullagine we drove to Marble Bar, another quaint retired gold mining town. Had a drink at the famous Iron Clad Hotel which funnily enough has opening hours of 12 to 2pm then 4.30 to 8pm. We arrived at 1.40pm and had 20 minutes with an entertaining group of locals. They told us to come back at 4.30 and we'd see the same faces only they would be even funnier because they'd be even more tanked. We then drove out to Marble Bar Pool to see how Marble Bar got its name. As you can see in the photos the rocks are marbled but they are not actually marble. Marble Bar has the reputation of being the hottest town in WA, but while we were in the area it was absolutely perfect.Read more
The Gypsies The Ironclad Hotel was erected as Marble Bar's first hotel in 1892. The building, clad in corrugated iron, retains its original facade today. John said to have a drink there for him.
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The Gypsies Some locals fishing at Marble Bar Pool
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The Gypsies This is typical of the marbling in the rocks around here
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