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5th May Saturday

7am 23degs. Lots of ants at this place, warm night. Left site at 9am. Quite a few clouds about. Long straight roads but the bush is greener. We are coming to hills, some are flat topped

others with pointy tops,

saw another dead camel beside the road. Stopped at Nanutarra Roadhouse for tea and scones with cream and jam, air conditioning, flush toilets and running water, what more could a girl ask for) On return to vehicle saw a bright green beetle

on the ground along with a grey, white and yellow bird.

5km north of Nanutarra turned off east towards Tom Price on the Nanutarra Wittenoom Rd. The landscape is amazing , rolling hills,

straight and twisty roads, one lane bridges over dry river beds. Some of the hills we are passing you can see the strata in the rocks. The clouds have cleared and virtually no breeze today. Decided to stop at Beasley River Rest Area for the night. Flies. Speaking to another couple they were unable to drive the Gibb River Rd just over a week ago due to flooding in some places of over 6ft. Had dinner at 3.30pm and just snacks at dinner time, both feeling weary. Sleep in LRover again tonight. Mozzies are out tonight. Quite a few camping here .

6th May Sunday

Warm night, reasonable sleep,few clouds in the sky but should burn off. Flies are out early.Took main road to Paraburdoo as short cut track to Tom Price is very bad at the moment. The scenery is stunning with the hills, which when you get closer are just rock with trees and scrub clinging to them. Stopped at Paraburdoo for a cuppa and watched a triple road train

 come in and start to unload.

Arrived at Tom Price approx 11.30, drove out to Tourist Park at the base of Mt Nameless, lovely site $32 per night powered and it has a swimming pool. The town was named after Thomas Moore Price who worked for an American company (kaiser steel) and he was instrumental in convincing the mining companies that is was worth mining in the area (1960s). He died of a heart attack shortly after being told of the very rich ore deposites in the mountains. Mt Nameless

is the highest accessable mountain by vehicle (4x4) in W.A. at 1128mtrsabove sea level. During the afternoon we rocognised 2 other campers from Osprey campground. Found the swimming pool - it eas lovely followed by a hot shower. A worker on site said about the drive up to the top of the mountain and that the views were amazing (guess what we're doing tomorrow) Spent evening reading, checking Emails, going through photos then Rose Skyped Heather whilst Colin was talking to a young lad about the LRover.

7th May Monday

Cooler night, left the site at 9.15 to tackle the mountain,

track a bit rough in places where the rain has left gullies across it, 2nd gear low range all the way up,

very steep slopes and sharp bends,

 but the views are really stunning of the town,

the mine and the landscape in the distance.

Over at the mine you could see the dump trucks moving

and a train waiting to be filled with iron ore,

 these trains will reach a length of 6kms. It is much bigger than the Super Pit at Kalgoorlie. We can even see our camp site through the trees. It's been quite a while since we have done proper off roading.

It took 35mins to cover the 11k to the top. After descent

went to the library to upload photos but they had to send us to a computer shop as their computers will not upload from memory sticks.Did a bit of food shopping then back to camp. There is not a lot in the town of Tom Price. Went for a swim, water seemed colder than yesterday,but still good. Had lamb chops for dinner with chips cooked on camp BBQ. Chilled out evening. Gerrard phoned about a spare part for my LRover so we have orderd it and it will be sent through to a post office in Port Headland.

8th May Tuesday

Cool night again 7.30 only 16degs. Heard the iron ore train go through this morning, it seemed to go on for ever. Packed up and left site 9.15, filled up with fuel only $1.63ltr. Off to Karijini Nat Pk for several nights. Karijini Drive is a long straight road once you get past Mt Bruce,

which is the 2nd largest mountaim in W.A. Had to pay permit entry fee $11 then at campground we paid for 4 nights camping $58. The ground is very dusty and red, we were warned that pegs might be difficult to hammer into the ground as very hard. It is very quiet and the sites are spread quite a way apart.

Rose and the red dust will be at war by the end of the week. Used camp BBQ to cook dinner and got talking to some young fellow campers who have just finished working at the mine and they are flying to Canada in a weeks time, maybe to settle. Early to bed as very tired and it gets dark even earlier, 6.30pm.

9th May Wednesday

Another sunny day, decided to walk to the gorges today. Followed footpath past the Dales Day Area to the top of Dales Gorge, looking down onto Cicular Pool,

you can see people swimming there. Carried on a bit further along the Gorge till we came to the climb down, there are no steps it is just climbing over boulders

 and it's a long way down. The Gorge walls are amazing.

We turned west towards Fortescue Falls passing pools and small falls along the way.

Walking on steppng stones across water and climbing the sides of the Gorge to get past obstacles. Saw lovely coloured dragon flies

before the falls.

Just after that photo was being taken a couple asked us if we saw the snake that was just 2ft behind Rose, it was approx 3ft long and 4ins thick. Had to walk across more stepping stones to get to the other side of the falls. People are swimming in the water,

 lucky we had worn our cossies so we clambered up the rocks stripped off and went in, the water was just right, but the rocks were a bit slippy going in and out. Sat and dried in the sun whilst having a bite to eat and drink. Walked to Fern Pool,

very pretty with lots of fish by the bank. made our way back to Fortescue Falls and up the steps to the top of the Gorge, they are tiring on the legs as some of the steps are very high. Looking back down towards the falls they look so small and far away.

 Fantastic mornings walk,trek,climb,swim. We are surrounded by families now, parents telling kids off,but soon quietened down. Dark just after 6 and getting chilly. In bed when late comers arrived, shouting swearing and loud music, then they started howling and barking trying to imitate the dingos in the campground. We thought this only happened in towns. Rose went to sleep but Colin said it went on for a long time.

10th May Thursday

Chilly 15degs at 7am. Colin is wearing 2 T shirts. Left camp before 9am to drive to Weano Gorge/Hancock Gorge. 44kms of dirt corrugated rd., had to shut all windows and vents when vehicles went past due to the red dust.

We first walked to Junction Pool Lookout

and Oxer Lookout,

quite some drops into the Gorge bottom. We then backtracked along the trail and climbed down into Weano Gorge and scrambled over rocks along beside the water,

 Colin went to see if we could get through the water but it seemed a bit deep so we got no further. The steps(loose terminology)back to top of Gorge were leg killing and heart thumping. We then tackled Hancock Gorge, again loosely termed steps down and then a climb down a ladder

to Gorge floor, we againscrambled over rocks to navigate along the path and stepping stones over the water,

 then Colin went ahead again

to test the depth of the water as we had run out of path, he decided it was about chest height which made it unsafe carrying the camera, if only we'd had a Dry Sac. After a rest we made our way back out of the Gorge. The views from the top and the bottom are stunning,

 also we did'nt do to bad seeing as neither of us like heights, we don't like sheer drops either and neither of us are really walkers. Sat in the shade having lunch recovering before the drive back to camp. We stopped at visitor centre for showers, Colin's hot Rose's tepid, both of us are feeling sore in our legs, but well worth the effort. Colin will check LRover tomorrow after bumpy trip today, the fire extinguisher on back door has lost it's hose???

11th May Friday.

FRIDAY FACT;- AT 7.353 KMS, WEIGHING 99.732.1 tonnes, PAYLOAD OF 82.262.5 tonnes RECORDED THE LONGEST, HEAVIEST, BIGGEST PAYLOAD OF ANY TRAIN IN THE WORLD. THE TRAIN COMPRISED 8 LOCOMOTIVES AND 682 ORE CARS.

Sunny 16 degs 7am. Saw a stick insect

crawling along the ground, it's very well disguised. Whilst Colin was looking at the vehicle, Rose changed some books at camp exchange. Colinfound some bolts had come loose again on the gearbox, so he tightened everthing up again, he also soldered the wireto florrie light that Rose tripped over and broke. Turning into another hot sunny day. Had an early lunchas we were hungry, by the time we realised the time it was to late to go to the Falls for a swim as the water would have been in the shade therefore too cold. Took down sides of tent it makes it easier in the morning when we pack up. Red dust everywhere.