-- From De Grey River to Karijini NP
The road tracklog
from De Grey River to Karijini NP
from 23/11 to 30/11/2009
As every Monday the destination of the 23/11 was a city with a cybercafé. Port Hedland has approximately 15000 inhabitants dedicated to two companies, Rio Tinto for salt and BHP Billiton for iron ore. Recent city, the oldest buildings go back to 1940, it does not have any character if not to be industrial. Visitor Centre offers a Internet connection as well a wireless. I could very update my website and read my Internet mailbox. Always no news for the carnet de passage en douane of my truck. I did also a French press review. Alas I noted that, to take a famous word of General de Gaulle, the political chienlit occupied the front cover of the newspapers, quarrels between the political parties and inside the political parties, from abroad which afflicting spectacle. I bivouacked on the move towards Karratha on a rest area at the edge of Peawah River with a trickle of water.
The Esplanade Hotel
Port Hedland
23/11/2009
Stochers' Store
Port Hedland
23/11/2009
Stocher's Store
Port Hedland
23/11/2009
Solar salt, Rio Tinto
Port Hedland
23/11/2009
In this sunny day of the 24/11 I visited Pilbara Coast more particularly the town of Roebourne and the historic site of Cossack. Roebourne is on West Coastal Hwy. Its Visitor Centre, lodged in old the gaol, was very welcomed. After a cup of coffee and by speaking with the charming hostess, I obtained a license to circulate on the private gravel road along the railway to go to Karijini NP.
Gaol Museum
Roebourne
24/11/2009
Aboriginal people
Roebourne
24/11/2009
Holy Trinity Church
Roebourne
24/11/2009
The historical city of Cossak had a short life from 1863, date of its creation, to 1950 virtually abandoned. The restoration of the site started in 1979. Buildings testify to its splendour the Court House, the trading firm as well as the gaol. Each building exhibits photographs of time of the city as well as of the population, documents showing costumes and means of transport. I had lunch at Moby's Kitchen in Point Samson with seagulls finishing the remainders of the guests, picture in the Gallery. I had wished to see the longest jetty in Australia at Cape Lambert, alas it is prohibited to visitors without an appointment. I returned to Point Samson at Honeymoon Beach.
Customs House
Cossack, historic town
24/11/2009
Customs House, 1896
Cossack
24/11/2009
Court House
Cossack
24/11/2009
Fin 19ème siècle
Cossack
24/11/2009
Honeymoon Beach
Point Samson
24/11/2009
I left Honneymoon Beach to set up a bivouac at Reader Head Lookout, from where I saw Cape Lambert and the jetty of 3.53 km.
Cape Lambert
Reader Head Lookout
24/11/2009
Sunrise
Reader Head Lookout
25/11/2009
The day of November 25 was dedicated to the Dampier's peninsula. Day without interest, the area devoted to industry was almost inaccessible to the individual tourist. Visitors Centre at Woodside organizes visits of the Withney Bay complex for groups of company. Around the town of Dampier Rio Tinto exploits 15,000 hectares of operational area with 126 people for a salt production of 4.2 million tonnes per year, - 1 tonne salt for 67 tonne seawater. Dampier and Karratha are dormitory towns for companies in the peninsula. I bivouacked in Miaree Pool at the edge of a river.
Millstream Chichester National Park
Millstream is well-known for the beautiful landscape which surround it.
On 26/11, I left the very resting Miaree Pool, the temperature in the early morning was 23°C, to go to walk in Millstream NP. In the MT Herbert I parked my truck to traverse the trail up to McKenzie Spring which at that time did not have any water, the temperature was already 40°C with 9% of moisture, it appears that it is the wet season!
McKenzie Spring
Millstream NP
26/11/2009
I took again my truck to stop at a lookout which according to Lonely Planet makes it possible to see a landscape reminding USA's Monument Valley. As its practice the LP is dithyrambic or its authors do not know Monument Valley.
Landscape
Millstream NP
26/11/2009
Landscape
Millstream NP
26/11/2009
At lunch time I reached Python Pool in which I took a not refreshing bath, water was at ambient temperature, but relaxing one. In the afternoon I moved towards the southern part of the park to bivouac at Crossing Pool.
Python Pool
Millstream NP
26/11/2009
On 27/11, it was a long driving day, gravel road, to go from Millstream NP to Karijini NP by passing by the private road of the iron ore train which skirts the railway, I had obtained a permit of passage. It seemed to me that the convoys were followed to the rhythm of every fifteen minutes. I could not count the number of wagons, but certainly a hundred.
Mining train
Pilabara Iron rail access road
27/11/2009
Mining train
Pilabara Iron rail access road
27/11/2009
Landscapes are always sumptuous with sometimes bush fires. I arrived at Karijini NP in the early afternoon. I had envisaged to remain four days there by changing bivouac to explore this dramatic park.
Bush fire
en route
27/11/2009
Landscape
en route
27/11/2009
Karinjini National Park
Karijini is the second largest park in Western Australia. It is renowned for its breathtaking gorges, spectacular water falls, idyllic swimming holes, its flora and fauna. It is at about 670 metres height given by GPS.
On November 28 as of 7.00 am, I was in front of the sumptuous Dales Gorges. I plunged inside by a staircase cut in rock to see Fortescue Falls. Then I went to refresh me in Fern Pool around 8.00 am, by taking a bath in cold water but relaxing. I remained a long delicious moment there. A this early hour, I was alone.
Dales Gorge
Karijini NP
28/11/2009
Fortescue Falls
Karijini NP
287/11/2009
Fern Pool
Karijini NP
28/11/2009
I continued my walk by traversing a track, class 4 on a scale of 6, into the bottom of the gorge up to Circular Pool where I was able one hour later to take a new bath, always also cold, but relaxing.
Difficult crossing!
Karijini NP
28/11/2009
Circular Pool
Karijini NP
28/11/2009
I went again on my steps by the same track to take again a bath in Fern Pool around 12.00am before returning to my truck to have lunch and rest of this long morning of walk. While strolling I saw some birds but any quadruped, I still did not see any dingo, although panels warn against their ravages.
Heron!
Karijini NP
287/11/2009
Fisherman!
Karijini NP
28/11/2009
In this last Sunday of November I traversed three gorges of Karijini NP. Kalamina Gorges offer a track along the steam between the cliffs which finishes at a Rock Arch at the foot of a water hole where I took a comforting bath. It was a pleasant moment in the early morning.
Kalamina Gorge
29/11/2009
Rock arch
Kalamina Gorge
2911/2009
Knox Gorge approximately 15 kilometres away is much more wild with its covered cliffs with vegetation, I did not explore the track into the bottom of the gorge.
Lookout
Knox Gorge
29/11/2009
Still about fifteen kilometres away Joffre Gorge is spectacular from the Lookout, I went down by a sharp track in cliff to have a bath in a water hole of the water falls at that time without water. I bivouacked in Savannah Eco Retreat for two nights.
Joffre Gorge
29/11/2009
Bassin de natation
Joffre Gorge
29/11/2009
On November 30, I had decided to traverse two class-5 tracks with walking on water, I thus fitted trek sandals. The crossroads over Joffre Gorge, Hancock Gorges, Red Gorge and Weano Gorge was very impressive, alas pictures do not give the dramatic landscape.
Junction Lookout
30/11/2009
Using a ladder I went down into Hancock Gorge to go to have a bath in Kermits Pool. The track walked between the vertiginous walls of cliffs. I crossed by Amphitheatre and Spider Walk to lead to Kermits Pool. The spectacle was dazing, the bath was at the level of the spectacle.
Passage étroit
Hancock Gorge
30/11/2009
Kermits Pool
Hancock Gorge
30/11/2009
After having lunch I took my trek sticks to climb down into Weano Gorges to take a bath in Handrail Pool, I met Australian Young people there splashing merrily in cold water. The descent in the pool is with a climbing rope. µAt the end of the day, harassed but happy, I returned to Savannah camp, with a heat higher than 40°C and a moisture 10%.
Défilé étroit
Weano Gorge
30/11/2009
Handrail Pool
Weano Gorge
30/11/2009
Climb down into the pool
Weano Gorge
30/11/2009
