Karratha – Coral Bay – Tom Price – Karijini – Port Hedland – Broome (around 2500kms)
Another placeholder to help me keep track 🙂 my blog, my … I will add more detailed posts for individual standout days (with photos). And, an added “bonus” map to show that, in this part of the trip, I am partially retracing my steps, and revisiting Coral Bay, Tom Price and Karajini.
Day 47 (Wednesday, 4th July)
Dampier/Karratha – Coral Bay (534kms)
Uneventful day getting to Coral Bay.
Day 48 (Thursday, 5th July)
Coral Bay
Fabulous day 4WDing on tracks to north and south of Coral Bay: Oyster Bridge, The Lagoon, Five Finger Reef, sunset on Coral Bay beach.
Day 49 (Friday, 6th July)
Coral Bay – Nature Cruise
Highlights: turtles, breaching humpbacks, manta rays loop-to-looping, and dolphins.
Day 50 (Saturday, 7th July)
Coral Bay – Tom Price (544 kms)
Big day to Tom Price in order to get on the “mine tour” next day.
Day 51 (Sunday, 8th July)
Bus tour of Tom Price iron ore mine – scale of the operation is staggering, the tour commentary was excellent, but let down by only one stop with poor views of open cut mine. 4WD trip up Mount Nameless in the late afternoon with excellent views of mine, and Millstream and Karijini NPs in the distance.
Day 52 (Monday, 9th July)
Tom Price – Karijini – Tom Price
Back to Karijini for a full on hike into the breathtaking Knox Gorge, and the “red gash” at the end of the walk.
Day 53 (Tuesday, 10th July)
Tom Price – Hamersley Gorge – Wittenoom – Auski – Port Hedland (417 kms)
Another visit to the amazing Hamersley Gorge, visited the old asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, met “Trev the cyclist” at Auski Roadhouse, then north to the iron ore shipping port of Port Hedland.
Day 54 (Wednesday, 11th July)
Port Hedland – 80 mile Beach (254 kms)
Watched the huge iron ore ships loading at Port Hedland. Overnight stop at 80 mile beach caravan park: beautiful sunset, photographed the Milky Way.
Day 55 (Thursday, 12th July)
80 mile Beach – Broome (376 kms)
Early morning drive along beach at “80 mile beach” and shell seeking, then onward to Broome, to complete the this part of the trip.