Perth to Broome - 1986

This is the third instalment of a journey around most of Australia that I did with my mate Leigh back in 1986. Up until now we'd been traversing the southern parts of Australia and the weather had been cool to cold, but from here on we head north for awhile and the weather starts to warm up and we get into a real feral adventure. This trip obviously stirred something within me because I've been back to our deep north numerous times over the years with Sam, sometimes on 4wd adventures and sometimes on bushwalking excursions. This wasn't my first time up north, I'd been up there a bit with my old man in trucks when I was a kid, but this was the first time that I actually got to take it slow and have a bit of a look around, the red dirt obviously got into my veins (as well as into all my clothes and all through the van!) because now days its the environment that I feel most at home in. 

The road into The Pinnacles Desert was rough as guts back in 1986, these limestone outcrops required a bit of careful wheel placement.

There had been a lot of rain about so at least the sand wasn't too soft.

Back in '86 even the most well known tourist attractions on the west coast required a bit of effort to get to, the roads were rough and not always signposted and it was often a long way between fuel, Highway 1 was still in the process of being sealed up in the north of Western Australia, and the mining boom was still a glint in Lang Hancock's eye. Leaving Perth we headed north via the Pinnacles Desert, endured our first (and as it would turn out only) major breakdown, before making our way to The Pilbera via Exmouth.

There is a new bitumen road now that runs from Lancelin up to Cervantes along the coast which saves hundred of kilometres.

The limestone pinnacles are worth checking out if you're over that way, one day I'd like to check them out under a full moon, with a tripod, the right skills and camera I reckon you'd get some great photos.

Morning ablutions at our camp beside the Brand Highway.

This was our only major breakdown on the whole trip, a bit of carbon got stuck under a valve, turning our 6 into a 5 and making it run like a Massey Ferguson. 

We were getting into proper road train territory now.

Crossing the Gascoyne River, it pays to time your run so you don't meet any road trains coming the other way.

The Gascoyne River.

Time to lose the jacket I'd say.

Dinner at Shot Hole Canyon near Exmouth.

Heading out to Tom Price on Nanutarra Wittenoom Road.

Another feral night beside Nanutarra Wittenoon Road.

The front end was the XB's weakness, we were constantly scrubbing out tyres. I reckon my shorts are tight enough hey, and as for my safety boots...

Our first decent sized goanna.

Now back in 1986 Karijini National park didn't even exist, in its place was the much smaller Hamersley Range National Park, conditions on the ground in the Pilbera were rough, to put it mildly. But even accounting for the hundreds of kilometres of dirt roads we still had a great time up in the Pilbera. We started off at Hamersley Gorge before heading over to Dales Gorge and then  into Wittenoom Gorge, believe it or not. Back in 1986 the town of Wittenoon and the nearby gorge were still open to the  public and people were still living there, the dangers of blue asbestos were only starting to become common knowledge, we certainly had no idea of the danger. There are a lot of photos of our time in the Pilbera and some of them will probably be a little repetitive, but of all the places that we went on that trip the Pilbera sticks in my mind as bing the one place that constantly blew our minds, it's a little odd then that it's the one place that I've hardly ever revisited over the years, it's definitely on the to do list though.

The Nunutarra Wittenoom Road was largely un sealed back in '86.

The locals were a bit stubborn sometimes.

When one of these guys approached us it was easiest to just pull over and turn the motor off  until the dust settled and we could see again.

You know that you are join feral when all your meals are prepared in the one pot...which also serves as your plate!

The car park and our camp at Hamersley Gorge.

Heading down into Hamersley Gorge.

Hamersley Gorge is a little away from the rest of the gorges in Karijini National Park but it worth the drive.

The swimming in Hamersley Gorge was awesome.

It appears that I was so excited that I took a photo every couple of metres.

The bottom of the gorge was comprised on one perfect swimming spot after another.

There were some weird and wonderfully shaped little plunge pools too.

The odd rock slide as well.

We spent a whole day exploring Hamersley Gorge, sampling its many swimming spots.

One of the good things about the Pilbera is that there are no crocs down that far.

The sun setting on another great day in the Pilbera, I wonder if this hill is still there or if its now been dug up and sold to China?

We then made our way over to Dales Gorge.

Above Fortescue Falls in Dales Gorge.

We dropped down the very rough track to vista Fortescue Falls.

Hiking in my DB

Fortescue Falls.

We couldn't go past without a swim though, the entry was a bit slippery back in the day.

I was just trying to keep my balance as my feet slid down the smooth rock.....or maybe I'd just seen a croc!

After checking out Fortescue Falls we headed our way down Dales Gorge to the Circular Pool.

When I was a young tacker I was given a Readers Digest book about Australia's National Parks, the book featured a (somewhat better) photo of this un named rock shelf, the photo had always fascinated me so I was pretty happy to discover the spot as we rock hoped our way down to the Circular Pool.

Circular Pool, Dales Gorge.

Circular Pool was freezing cold.

Leigh, climbing out of Dales Gorge, I'm thinking that the walking tracks are a little more constructed in Karijini National Park now days.

That's the Circular Pool from the rim of Dales Gorge.

Dales Gorge.

One more photo of Dales Gorge, I'm really keen to get back up here and check it out again.

Wittenoom, the town was abandoned and wiped of all maps a few years later due to being contaminated with blue asbestos.

The old road into Wittenoom Gorge and its asbestos mine, we didn't know any better at the time.

On our way out to Port Hedland.

I'm not sure whether I've got a tan or that I'm just coated in fine layer of red dust, looks like we weren't big on seat belts back then either!

Another night another bush camp.

The gas burners jets are full of red dust so we're really goin feral tonight.

After our time expiring the gorges of the Pilbera we pointed the XB towards the coast and headed to the big smoke of Port Hedland, well South Hedland actually. South Hedland allowed us to do a bit of a resupply as well as chill out a bit at the Walkerbout Hotel Disco. After a day or two in Port Hedland though we could feel Broome calling us, so we once again pointed the XB north and headed off on what was a very remote section of The Great Northern Highway, from what I can remember the 600 odd kilometres between the two towns was punctuated only by a very lonely roadhouse called Sandfire Flat about halfway, now days its not a lot better although there is the Pardoo Roadhouse to break the journey up as well. The highway is not only remote but its is baking hot, traversing the northern extremities of the Great Sandy Desert, even now its a spot that require caution, although mining and tourism have tamed the road to a certain extent.

This truck stop in South Hedland was our home for a couple of nights.

Heading past the Walkerbout Hotel, we'd spent the previous night at the disco here.

There are a few salt mines on the out skirts of Port Hedland.

Amusing ourselves on the drive to Broome.

The Great Northern Highway heading towards Broome.

The scenery on this section of the drive was a little sparse.

The Dirt.

We probably clocked up around 4000 kilometres on our journey from Perth to Broome. We had to get the head pulled off the XB at Geraldton and that turned out to be the only real trouble we had on the whole trip, in the end it only cost us a days time so it was a fairly minor problem really. Karijini National Park, as it's known now is a stunning place which is definitely worth a look if you can get over there, the roads are a lot better now days I think. 

Other Relevant Posts.

Part 1 of this trip, Melbourne to Adelaide.

Part 2 of this trip, Adelaide to Perth.

Rottnest Island in 2009.

The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park, 2009.

Perth, Broome, Melbourne in 1997.

Hey, hey, we've arrived in Broome.