Exmouth & Cape Range National Park

A 'postcard' worthy shot along Turquoise Beach. A great place to be when it's 37 degrees!!!

Lee and Joey pictured here having a snorkel around the very close in reef just off the Turquoise Beach. Quite unique and very interesting!!

At the Cape Range National Park is the beautiful Turquoise Beach. The water lives up to the name of the beach and is very pretty. This is in contrast to the bland hillsides with very little vegetation!!

Joey & Sam are checking out the rusty remains of the SS Mildura which was washed up onto this shore during a storm in March 1914.

This shot is taken from the lighthouse lookout looking north towards the tip of Cape Range. Most days here are around 35-36 degrees - seems that summer has started early in the West!!

After an overnight 'free camp' we arrived at Exmouth. Here at the Cape Range Caravan Park we had some uninvited guests!! Quite big these critters!!

Point Samson & Karratha

Here's the princess at the entrance to the huge LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) Project at the Burrup Point north of Karratha. Apparently most of the gas is sold offshore to Asia??

At Dampier we passed salt flat areas where salt is harvested from these ponds and exported, mainly to Asia. On the way to Karratha/Dampier we hit our first 40+ degree temperature (41)

This isn't too clear but it's actually the Karratha Hospital which is mostly underground and has a large built up earth wall to deflect the cyclonic winds that frequent this area. In 1999 cyclone Vance came past here and hit Exmouth. In doing this Vance set the Australian record wind gust of 267km per hour.

This mammoth load was encountered on route to Karratha. No getting to the left hand side of the road for this beast, it's get OFF the road!!

This shot is of the 'staircase to the Moon'. It's a natural phenomenon that occurs when the full moon reflects on the mud flats with pools of water left by the receding tides...

From Port Hedland we travelled Southwest to Point Samson Which has another loading facility on the opposite side to the caravan park where we stayed- fortunately. We are in the hottest region of Australia for the next couple of weeks!!

80 Mile Beach & Port Hedland WA

This man made monster is the ship loader. The figures quoted are enormous that are exported each year. By 2015 the proposal is to more than double current exports which means 8 more ship loading facilities. The town is expected to grow considerably with required support services and workers needed for this expansion...

This 'circular bucket' loader is capable of moving large quantities of materials. It is rail mounted to move around and access conveyor belts which are strewn all over.

Part of the Port Hedland landscape is the enormous loading facility. The pile of iron ore in the photo is a 'standard ship' size of 220,000 tonnes. Some of the ships that come in to load could carry 300,000+ tonnes but they may not get out of the port if fully loaded. Tight schedules with tides a major factor also dictate the size of loads...

Joey has been having 'be happy lessons'. If it works he's thinking of starting a training school!! Should be a hit...

When we arrived at Port Hedland, a 'play' was in order. Tiring the boys at any and every opportunity is part of the trip strategy!!

On the way to Port Hedland we stopped at a cape opposite Pardoo Roadhouse - Sam was keen to find some more shells. Some folks are easily pleased!!

Lee captured the moon coming up as the sun went down. The colours are really something unique in this part of the world!!

This is part of the 80 Mile Beach caravan park which we were told by people who camped here

for many years was beautiful and green - an oasis in the desert literally. That was until a catagory 5 cyclone crossed directly overhead and stripped it bare. Restoration will be slow....

Another sunset!! This is at 80 mile beach about midway between Broome and Port Hedland where we stayed for a couple of nights. Massive tides here, like the rest of the North west area.

80 Mile Beach - Big Tides!!!

Joey Durnin - private investigator extraordinaire!!

Derby, Windjana Gorge, & Tunnel Creek WA

This is a good reason to walk slowly and speak quietly!! A tunnel collapse reveals the outside world and when you look out from below there are hundreds of bats amongst the trees above.

Here's Sam inside the tunnel with torch to see where we are going. With all lights out it is pitch black, and with the carnivorous bats......kinda' creepy!

We left Windjana Gorge and headed inland to Tunnel Creek. This area is fascinating because of the huge caves inside the tiny entrance!! There are permanant pools of water inside and it houses four types of Australian bats including the rare Ghost bat which is a carnivorous bat that feeds on small mammals etc.

The colours of these rugged rocky areas are quite striking...

Joey & Sam are standing at the entrance into the gorge. It opens out into the pool and rock face like on the next photo....

Southeast of Derby along the Gibb River Road is the turn-off to Windjana Gorge where freshwater crocodiles are basking on the sand flats. Quite used to people they won't get hostile unless people get to close when they are nesting.

We headed back east from Broome to Derby. Just outside of Derby there is this Boab Prison Tree where kidnappers would secure people they had captured for use as pearl divers!! Not a nice history. We had a night in Derby which proved to be quite warm. At 6.00pm it was still 38 degrees - time to move on!!

Sunset at Cable Beach - Broome WA

The sun sets on the lovely Cable Beach....

Broome & Cable Beach

Meet Raphael & Jessica Lacorte. We first met Them at Wangi Fall in the Litchfield NP Northern Territory. They have been touring Oz for a few months and have been good to see again!!

This is Anastasia's pool, built by her husband to assist with her arthritis! Solid rock and still operational!

This short video is of the beautiful Cable Beach with its huge tides...

About 60km north of Broome is James Price Point. A beautiful area with vividly contrasting colours

During our stay this massive cattle ship pulled into port and was to be loaded. Quite a size when one gets up close. We wandered out along the pier with the boys (sleep therapy)...

For the history buffs!! This plaque shows the areas of northern Australia that were bombed by the Japanese during WW2.

Quite a number of people killed and the news initially kept quiet from the rest of the nation to avoid panic.

Here they are!! The boys at the world famous Cable Beach near Broome which itself is famous for its pearling history. Great weather and a lovely beach....

Geike Gorge & Willare Roadhouse

This sign is outside Willare Roadhouse just past the Derby turnoff on the great northern hwy. We were the only people staying out the back, but it is a nice break on the long stretches.

At Geike Gorge on the way to Broome. This shot of rockface behind the boys shows the height of the river during flood....hard to imagine during the dry...