Karijini to Exmouth

We are at Exmouth, which is about the same distance from home either back the way we have come or on down around the south - that sounds like halfway, but with the diversions planned and still ahead of us there is probably a little more ahead in time and distance than what we have done. Anyway, here we are as far away from home as we can get on this continent.

 After leaving Port Hedland we headed south for Karijini National Park via the Northwest Highway. That was a bit hair-raising at times threading our way through convoys of wide loads and road trains of heavy mining gear. Thank goodness for the UHF radio to hear what's happening around you and occasionally talk to the wide load pilots who are always helpful. This part of the country is certainly booming.

We got out of that eventually and retreated into "Dale's Campground" in Karijini. That was remote and peaceful, no mobile phone service or internet and no radio or TV reception - no power either but we had everything we wanted and stayed for 6 days to explore the gorges, lookouts, tracks and wildflowers .. and red dust (it impregnated everything, and still does in lots of places), but we had a great spot, as you will see in some of the photos below.

After the 6 days we have travelled across through Tom Price and Paraburdoo to the main coastal highway again, bypassing  the Karratha and Dampier section and on up to Exmouth. We will have a couple of days here and then go around to the Cape Range National Park, Ningaloo Coral Reef, where we have a campsite booked.

Here are some photos.

Fern Pool - a beautiful spot for a swim

This is the sort of thing the mineworkers do for space - seen in a caravan park in Port Hedland

On to Exmouth - somewhere over that horizon!

Reflection from M -

The sheer volume of grey nomads and some far greyer than us has made me think how much freedom we have in this country and why have some have left it so late to travel this land.  This was said in a nutshell on the spare tyre cover of a 4WD in Karajini:

"I'm out here too!  But what is it that we are all looking for?" 

This can be answered on so many levels - but please pray for the ones that drive in late at night tired and have to drive out first thing in the morning - or an only stay 2 nights when they really need 4 or 5 to do it justice.