Barn Hill Station

Day 127 - Barn Hill Station

Barn Hill Station

Saturday, 25 May 2013
Woke up early, had breakfast and a walk. Cleaned the van inside and then we walked down to the office and booked the new site. Left Tuka with Allan and Joanne and then drove the van to the new site. Underneath large gum trees and plenty of shade made it a much more restful site for Tuka. Did the washing and had a cuppa.

Later Allan and Peter (another camper) went fishing at the beach. Tuka and I went with Joanne (and her dog, Winston) in the 4wd to the beach as it was too steep for Tuka to walk down (the end of the steps to the beach had been washed away in a storm and the last part was now by ladder).

Down at the beach the surf was red because of the red soil washed onto the beach from the cliffs. The beach had red coloured sand. It was hot so eventually Tuka escaped to the shadows from the cliff while we waited for the Allan and Peter to catch their fill of whiting.

Back at camp I cleaned some of the red dirt off Tuka and had lunch. Did some reading while Tuka rested.

Later in the afternoon we drove down to the beach again. We walked to the northern beach over the rocks which was tough going for Tuka. The beach had white sand and eroded cliffs - quite scenic. Allan and Peter managed to catch a few whiting while Joanne, Cathy (Peter's wife) and I talked and walked. I took some photographs. On the way back I had to carry Tuka over the rocky parts.

That evening Cathy, Peter and I met at Allan and Joanne's site and we talked and had a few drinks and ate the whiting cooked in batter by Allan.

	Steps to the beach! [Map]		Tuka on the red beach [Map]
	'Sentinels' [Map]		Eroded cliffs [Map]
	Red surf [Map]

DeGrey River to Barn Hill Station

Day 126 - DeGrey River to Barn Hill Station

DeGrey River, Sandfire Roadhouse, Barn Hill Station

Friday, 24 May 2013
Up early, had breakfast and a short walk with Tuka. Packed up and on the road by 7.10am. After about a 100km I saw a cyclist on a racing bike riding towards Port Hedland. He was about 100km from the nearest roadhouse and 200km from the nearest town.

About 100km later we stopped for fuel at Sandfire Roadhouse. While we were there two roadtrains with cattle on them stopped. We are in cattle country now. They are regularly grazing by the side of the road.

Another 170km later I was going to stop at a rest area but it was not very nice so continued on another 35km to the turnoff into Barn Hill Station. The 10km road into the station is full of red dust. I would be very muddy after rain. Barn Hill is situated on Thangoo Station which is 43,000 acres and stretches 85km along the coast. They have 8,000 head of Braham cattle.

Booked in at the office and went and found a site in the unpowered section. Hot day and not much shade made it hard to get Tuka cool after we set up camp. It was 34 deg C in the van. A couple of degrees cooler outside. Had alook at the track to the beach. Steep and narrow in places - not very good for Tuka. The beach looks great.

Later went down to buy bread at the little shop and met the Corrimal couple (Allan and Joanne) again! They were in the powered section under large trees with plenty of shade. Tomorrow I am going to move to a site next to them.

	Cattle Roadtrains [Map]		Road into Barn Hill Station [Map]
	First Campsite [Map]

DeGrey River

Day 125 - DeGrey River

DeGrey River

Thursday, 23 May 2013
Went for a walk with Tuka and watched the birds. Saw Blue-winged Kookaburras, Black-tailed Treecreepers and the Kites. Came back and had breakfast and had to put a jacket on as cool (probably warm compared to Sydney). Later went kayaking downstream. Very quiet apart from the birds and one idiot camper with a chainsaw.

After lunch did some reading and had a long walk with Tuka. More reading and walks. Tuka had a swim. Packed up the kayak. Talked to a couple from Gosford with a dog (kelpie x rottwieler x staffie). As they are heading north will probably see them again.

That evening talked to my nearest neighbours (with the Dodge) and said goodbye to them. They are heading back to Perth.

	Campsite [Map]		Tuka having a swim [Map]

DeGrey River

Day 124 - DeGrey River

DeGrey River

Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Woe up early to a cool morning. Had breakfast, a walk to the river with Tuka and another cuppa. Did some reading.

Tuka and I went for a walk downstream. Met some campers, one of whom worked for BHP so we had a talk about the mining in the area. Then a Jabiru flew over and we talked about the birdlife. Some birds are nesting in the gum tree next to their van. The nest looks like flood debris caught in a branch.

Back at camp had another cuppa and a read. New campers arrived nearby with a camper trailer being towed by a Dodge car built in SA in 1924. It has crossed the Birdsville Track. Tuka met their dog (later in the day Tuka would wander over by himself to say hello).

Before lunch I washed the salt off the pieces of the frame for the kayak. Then I assembled it and went for a kayak upstream against the current. At one place I had to get out to walk through some shallows and I sank to my knees in the river bed. Kayaked up past the railway ridge and stopped at the large sand/gravel island in the centre of the river. Fast paddle back to camp.

After lunch Tuka and I had another walk and he had a swim. While walking I had a look at the flood debris in the trees and I estimated that the flood waters would have been four metres above our campsite and at least eight metres higher tan the present water level.

Another kayak later in the day down to the road bridge. Talked to some of the other campers as I went walking with Tuka.

	Road bridge with road train [Map]		1924 Dodge [Map]
	Kayak on sandbank near railway bridge [Map]		Looking upstream on the sandbank [Map]
	Flood debris in the trees [Map]

Yule River to DeGrey River

Day 123 - Yule River to DeGrey River

Yule River, Port Hedland, DeGrey River

Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Kathryn's Birthday

Up early, had breakfast and rang Kat at 7am (9am her time) to wish her Happy Birthday.

Afterwards Tuka and I had a walk down to the river. The pelicans and cormorants were all fishing in a small billabong that still had water in it. Also saw a Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) walking around the edge of the billabong. Came back to camp and packed up and drove to Port Hedland.

Port Hedland is a mining town for the export of iron ore and salt (mined after the evaporation of water from the nearby big salt lakes). Busy place with plenty of trucks and mining vehicles on the road. Stopped at a park near the harbour and had a walk with Tuka. Called into the post office and sent Kat's present to her. While there I met the couple from Corrimal again!

Then I went to the Information Centre. Left Tuka out the front but he kept tring to come in. The staff thought he was cute. At the Information Centre I was told that I could take Tuka for a swim at Picnic Pool. We drove there. Pretty deep pools of water with mangroves on the bank and near the beach. But there were signs up saying a crocodile had recently been sited in the area! Tuka didn't get a swim. On the way out of Port Hedland I stopped at the viewing area for the large salt stacks and the iron ore trains. I watched of the very long trains slowly go past me.

Drove north 80km to the DeGrey River. I was hoping to have mobile reception but there was none. There were plenty of camping sites along the river so I found one that was near the river. I had to make sure we didn't bogged in the damp red soil or the sand or hit the low overhanging branches. Getting to our site we passed a few other caravans in scattered locations along the river.

Went for walk with Tuka down to the river. Tuka got wet while I watched the birds. There was a heron and two egrets on the other side of the river and two Square-tailed Kites circling overhead. A few minutes later the Kites landed on the sandbank in the river. One had a drink while the other was lookout.

	Port Hedland Harbour [Map]		Picnic Pool [Map]
	A long iron ore train [Map]		Salt Stockpiles [Map]
	DeGrey River [Map]		View from the campsite [Map]

Yule River

Day 122 - Yule River

Yule River

Monday, 20 May 2013
It rain all night but stopped in the later in the morning after breakfast. Then able to take Tuka for a walk. Spent the rest of the morning getting photos off the Whale Shark dvd and then updating blog.
In the afternoon Tuka and I had a long walk along the river bank and a 4wd track past the Eucalypts and Melaleucas. Quiet was shattered by the Little Corellas in the trees.

Later in the afternoon caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes started arriving. Tuka and I said hello to a few of them. One of them told me parts of the highway had been flooded due to the rain. There is nowhere is go once the highway floods because any unsealed roads become red sticky goo.
During the evening Tuka and I had our meals. Then I read and watched some dvds while Tuka slept. At 10pm (WA time - midnight NSW time) I sent Kat a birthday text.

	Pelicans and cormorants on the river [Map]		Tuka paddling [Map]
	Sunset over the river [Map]

40 Mile Beach to Yule River

Day 121

40 Mile Beach, Dampier, Karratha, Yule River

Sunday, 19 May 2013
Had breakfast, a walk and packed up and left about 9am. Along the highway I had a look at Miaree Pool on the Maitland River. Pretty camping sites next to the river but now has a sign warning of $1000 fines for camping.

Drove on to Dampier. The road to Dampier is a four lane main road with round-abouts, traffic ligths and overhead lighting. This is to cater for the mining trucks and workers travelling between the mines, Karratha and Dampier. Stopped at the statue of Red Dog and took the obligitory photographs. Drove around the town and down to the harbour and then to Karratha for petrol, phone calls to Anne and Kat. At the Information Centre I purchased water ($1 for 50 litres) and a Red Dog t- shirt for Kat's birthday and used their free wifi.

Drove the 175km to the Yule River rest area. Found out I had Telstra reception. It is odd but isolated place have Telstra reception in this part of WA. Maybe due to the mining - extra towers provided for them? Had a talk to some other campers and then walked down to the river. It still has a lot of water in it. There were pelicans, cormorants, darters and ducks either swimming or on logs in the river.

	Red Dog and Tuka [Map]		Dampier Harbour [Map]
	Yule River [Map]		Campsite at Yule River [Map]