Chris & Shirley's 2019 Clockwise Oz Trip - With Friends: Chapter 7

Day 46 - Saturday 6 July – Cleaverville Beach Camp Site Previous Chapter

After a great night of sleep I did not want to miss my last Point Samson sunrise – and it was worth the effort.

We departed Point Samson around 8:30 am and headed to Cleaverville, which was around 40 km back towards Karratha. Just before we found our camp site near the beach, we got a phone call from a Karratha dentist confirming a sudden vacancy for some emergency work for Shirley. So we parked the caravan, gave Kay and Darryl the keys, and bolted in to Karratha.

While Shirley had her tooth repaired I did some minor shopping like buying a new watch for her. She has a flat battery in her watch and it cannot be replaced outside of Perth. It must be something special. Anyway Shirley was impressed with her new watch, and her young, tall and dark dentist – who apparently did a good job. He is probably about to buy a boat with his earnings for Saturday.

We were back at camp by 1 pm where most of the others were heading off to the beach with rods in hand. We had a rest, I had lunch, and we went for a walk on the beach.

Dags and His Rod

Cleaverville Beach
[Our caravan is about 100 metres from the people in the above photo]

None of the fish were removed from the ocean. It was about 25 degrees at 2 pm.

As the tide receded the fishing enthusiasts found out why their lines got snagged.

The rocks that caused problems for the fishing people

The fire was duly lit and stews of one sort or another became a reality. A damper was also produced to support the stews and spaghetti bolognaise. We sat around the fire, without really needing it for warmth.

Day 47 - Sunday 7 July – Cleaverville Beach Camp Site

There are not many beaches where you can witness both a sunrise and a sunset over the same water. Cleaverville is one of them.

Sunrise at the eastern end of the beach

I was accompanied on my early walk by a superb eagle.

On my fourth trip to the beach, for the day, I took a photo of our camp from the top of a nearby sand-dune.

Our four caravans are on the left of the foreground

The camping area extends to about one km behind me in the above photo, and maybe two km at the back of this photo.

Shirley and I had another walk on the beach as the two Davids were lighting the fire. We returned and used the camp oven to turn three lamb chops into a stew.

Fire for dinner purposes

After setting the stew on to the heat I returned to the beach for my sixth visit for the day - for a special photo - with tripod and support items. Very good friends gave me a bottle of Pepperjack Shiraz for my birthday and suggested that it be included in a sunset photo. I thank them for their gift and offer the following photo. The bottle has travelled about 7500 km - from Melbourne.

Chris, Glass and a bottle of Pepperjack Shiraz - at sunset - at Cleaverville
[Over the western end of the beach]

Dinner, and the rest of the Pepperjack was superb.

Day 48 - Monday 8 July – Road to Marble Bar

We departed Cleaverville around 8am and headed towards Port Hedland. We had enjoyed the lovely beach side camp area. Our first stop was to take a photo of the Whim Creek Hotel. Although now closed it looks like it had a colourful history.

Whim Creek Hotel

The countryside was constantly changing, but mainly flat.

We bought fruit, fuel and gas at South Hedland, then had lunch on the Esplanade at Port Hedland. This part of the world is all about mining – mainly iron ore and salt. Most of the iron ore is shipped by train from Tom Price. It is normal for iron ore trains to have 270+ carriages. The skyline is dominated by trains, mining assets and stacks of iron ore and salt.

A lot of the roads are partly (or solely) funded by the mining companies.

Around thirty km out of Port Hedland we turned south-east towards Marble Bar. The convoy was just two caravans (Kelly & Couch) as the others were staying overnight in Port Hedland – to have a better look around. We did that in 2011.

We stopped at a free camp site around 75 km out of Marble Bar and lit a fire. The flies were pretty friendly. The temperature was around 32 degrees,

The menu tonight was roast pork and veges, all cooked in camp ovens. It was a pretty camp site beside a creek with lovely gum trees.

Campsite Photo 1

Campsite Photo 2

Campsite Photo 3

Four Friends

We watched the sun set, then sat under the stars with our dinner and a fine bottle of Merlot.

Roast Port & Baked Veges

Sunset for Dinner

We washed the dishes and sat around the fire as the temperature dropped from warm to cool. Chocolate accompanied the coffees.

Around 8pm a local bull sounded his presence, so we decided that it was time to move in-doors. It had been a great night. The stars were magnificent – again.

Today we drove 377 km.

Day 49 - Tuesday 9 July – Marble Bar

Although I was up before sunrise I turned the other direction and took a photo of the hills behind me. The sight was pretty impressive.

The Sun Shining on the Hills to the West

It was a short trip to Marble Bar and we were there by 8:30 and in the camp by 9:30 am. The town has lots of greenery and the caravan park is no exception.

Our Caravan in Marble Bar

The name Marble Bar is a bit misleading. It was given that name because an early pioneer found "marble" in a creek bed near the town. Sometime later the "marble" was found to be Jasper.

Jasper

We later (with Kay & Darryl) visited the above site and were amazed at the lovely creek (considering where we are) and the beautiful colours in the rock/Jasper.

Marble Pool

Mainly Jasper

Earlier we had visited the Comet Gold mine which is a few km out of Marble Bar. For $3 we were given a lengthy history of the local gold mine. The mine has a chimney that is 75 metres high. When built it had no supporting guy ropes.

Chimney at Comet Gold Mine

We also visited the area where visitors are allowed to take a sample of Jasper - so we took a sample - or two.

Jasper Collection Site

We visited a place called "Chinamans Pool" and sat on our "struggle" rug on the grass to have lunch. It was an amazing place.

The View from Our Lunch Position

The Egret below preened him/herself in front of us.

Egret

We returned to town and visited the Water Tank Lookout to get an overview photo of Marble Bar.

Marble Bar from Water Tank Lookout
[Caravan Park is in the Foreground]

It was soon time for some R&R before happy hour and dinner. All of us were having left-overs.

Today we drove a mere 110 km. The total so far is 8186 km, an average of 167 per day. So far we have spent $1526 on accommodation, an average of $30.50 per day.

You may care to click here to get an updated list of our collective problems that have occurred.

Day 50 - Wednesday 10 July – Marble Bar

The start of our seventh week saw the clothes on the line at 7:30 and the car started at 9 am. We headed out to Dooleena Gorge which has the Coongan River running through it (well walking anyway).

Dooleena Gorge

We attempted to visit another popular spot, Cobbins Gap, but I quickly decided that (for the moment I "was over" rough gravel roads. So we took photos of the art work at the entrance to Marble Bar and then drove passed the Pioneer Cemetery and Solar Power Station.

Above & Below: Marble Bar "Welcome" Art

Some of the Solar Panels at the Solar Power Station

On the way back to camp I took a photo of the lovely old museum building.

Marble Bar Museum

We had lunch and chilled out.

David and Bev appeared and produced photos of the Corunna Downs Airfield. It was a secret RAAF base, 40 km south of Marble Bar during WW2. The airfield was created especially for heavy bombers, comprised two intersecting runways.

Hard Earth Runway on Corunna Downs Airfield

Former Gun Enplacement on Corunna Downs Airfield

We needed to visit the Marble Bar pub, so we did when it opened at 4:30. It was a typical Outback pub.

Iron Clad Marble Bar Pub

Public Bar of the Marble Bar Pub

Three Pretty Beer Drinkers at the Marble Bar Pub

At $27 for two cans of beer and two soft drinks, we did not stay long.

I took two sunset photos, one on the way home from the pub and one maybe 30 minutes later - both in the same direction. Majestic.

Shirley drummed up a chicken stir-fry for dinner.

Day 51 - Thursday 11 July – Pardoo (Cattle) Station

Our shortish drive of 245 km started at 8:15 am. The first 150 km were wind assisted with a gale tail wind. It helps to make up for head winds which we encountered when we turned east on Highway One.

After a coffee stop we arrived at Pardoo (Cattle) Station in time to establish camp and have a walk around before lunch. It is a pleasant place to stay in this often harsh country.

Our site at Pardoo Station

Pardoo Station has a bowling green, although I am not sure that my pennant mates would want to have a serious competition on it.

Pardoo Station Lawn Bowling Green

After a while Shirley and I went for a drive on the station to the coast, which is maybe 10 km away. It was low tide and the views were taken up by muddy/salty estuaries.

A muddy/salty estuary

We drove a little further, in 4WD mode, and spotted the ocean, across a wide expanse of flat coastal plain.

We can see the sea

On the way back to camp we passed a flock of maybe 20 Brolga (or maybe Sarus Crane), most of whom took flight as we got too close.

Brolga (or maybe Sarus Crane)

Happy Hour came and went. Bangers n mash and veges came and went. The clouds came, and nothing seemed to be happening. It was 23 degrees at 7pm.

Day 52 - Friday 12 July – Pardoo Station

We seem to have two types of days. Either we are driven by the need to move camp to a new location (and get going early), or the start of our day is determined by the time Shirley gets out of bed (and we have a slow start).

Today was the latter format. It was an overcast start to the day.

Most of the day was consumed with reading, sudoku, coffee an chats.

Around 3:30 Shirley and I went for a drive to the coast, about 10 km. We walked across about 700 metres of flat lands to get to where the fishing people were active - but still maybe 300 metres from the ocean itself.