Up at 5.30 and went for a jog/walk with the camera to photograph the sun rising over the vast flatness around Sandfire. A few kangaroos jumping around and one that a road train hit right outside the roadhouse, so reconfirms the idea of not trying to start riding too soon. It was lovely and cool with a breeze blowing and we showered and packed up, coffee and biscuits in the motel room then we were off for the first few kms before breakfast proper. About 140km down the road we stopped at Pardoo roadhouse for a breafast. The water was a bit off as the Coffee there tasted very odd, I had some thoughts of the Wolfe Creek movie which made me a little light headed at the thought of poisoned water in the outback. Somehow maintained my consciousness though and we mounted the steeds again and headed into Port Headland. Big areas of not very much around here, although it was quite pretty in the early morning sun which was behind us and making the red earth really bright and the deep blue sky and the yellows of the bush and grass, really made it look like a picture so we stopped a couple of times to take photos. Heaps of Road trains as we came closer to Port Headland as there is obviously a big mine here.
Got into Port Headland mid morning and that was 290km for the morning so we stopped for a look and a brew. Port headland is a pretty little town (Not). There is no prize for guessing why Port Headland is here as you come into the town. There is a real industrial feel to the place with heaps of mining cars and four wheel drives around, a huge salt pile by the salt flats and row of Ore trucks on the railway line making an extremely long train. Further into the port there is a large and dirty port and heaps of ships mored of the coast. I guess this is a mining service town and salt is a sideline, but I could be wrong as I did not do any reading about this. We stopped in the town center which was nice and clean.
Dad is in full tourist mode. As we were riding down the main street, which had a bit of activity going on, Dad rolled to a stop in the middle of the road and got his camera out and took a photo, in no rush at all. The guy in a four wheel drive behind him said something with real passion about tourists, that began with the letter F, but I am no good at lip reading so not sure what he said. The jesture was an internationally recognisable sign though. Dad didn’t seem to notice and in his own time after taking his photo continued on his way allowing the town to return to its usual activity.
The Café could not serve the food on plates the woman told me. Because they can not find anyone to clean the plates, hence it is all disposable around here. I felt like giving her a slap and telling her to snap out of it, but being a sensitive new age guy I just said “Oh, that’s a shame”. She did tell me how great it was through the Karajini National park and the drive to Tom Price, which is the second local who had recommended this route so we decided to veer inland and take this route.
We fuelled up as the distance between fuel is getting further and further, then took a left and headed south for a bit. Within a few kms (well 100 or so) the scenery changed significantly. We started into a fairly vegetation free red earth area then this evolved into red boulders and rock outcrops. Coming into the first set of hills the scrub was very sparse and the rocky red earth lifted to escarpments. I t really was very striking and the type of terrain we have not seen yet. This really felt like the outback dessert that you expect Road runner to come screaming around the corner “Beep, Beep” then “clunk” Coyote drops a boulder on the road, which misses the Runner but makes the road crack like ice. I am living a childhood cartoon in this environment. We took lots of photos.
We pulled into Munjini Roadhouse about 3 and fuelled up. I was a bit distracted and ended up spilling petrol all over my tank. There was a group of 52 people in Mitsubishi Pajiros travelling as a variety club, with a fire truck full of beer, two of the women asked me if I had a sore Bum riding the bike. Interesting question that everyone asks me. Does my bum look sore? I don’t think so. The reality is that no, in fact non of my body is sore other than my knees which have been a bit gammy since I was in my early twenties anyway from cycling too hard on too little training, and I need to stretch them periodically but otherwise no the bum is good, as is the rest of the body, I reassured the ladies and thanked them for there interest.
Had a couple of pies and a coffee, then decided to carry on to Tom Price. Rode passed the Karijini National park and this had lots of cracked rock escarpments and gorges, very picturesque. I saw some small mouse like creature that was hoping across the road like a kangaroo. It is hard to look at this country as a Kiwi and think of it as a National park because it is so different to what we accotiate with a National park, that is Mountains and lush bush, however without a doubt it is an unspoiled natural area (apart from the roadside burning that adds a chared look to the scene every now and again). We seemed to be climbing and climbing and it was cooling down, which was great. Could see the mining operations in the distance which seems to be an integral part of a national park in this part of the country.
The light became difficult as we rode west into the setting sun. Eventually rode into Tom Price another mining town, and tried to find accommodation, but the hotel and Motel was booked up so rode around to the camping ground to take the last beds they had which was a back packers bunk. Pizza in town then a lie down.
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