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Beaches and Stonehenge are two things you must visit when you are in Esperance.
While staying at Cape Le Grand National Park during our 9 day camping trip, we decided to visit Esperance. After filling gas and treating ourselves to local fish and chips, we had plenty of time to do sightseeing that day. First, we visited Stonehenge.
Stonehenge
Esperance Stonehenge is a full-size replica of the original UK Stonehenge and it appears as the UK version would have looked like around 1850BC.
Stonehenge replica in Esperance
It was built from 137 stones of Esperance pink granite quarried opposite the road where Stonehenge is rested.
Esperance Stonehenge was built to align with both Summer (22nd December) and Winter (21st June) Solstices in Western Australia. If you are lucky to have good weather, the owners actually open the place at 4am in summer to allow visitors experience this phenomenon.
Esperance beaches
The beaches around Esperance are spectacular and easy to access via The Great Ocean Coastal Drive. It is a 40km coastal self-drive route encompassing a number of picturesque lookouts and parking bays.
Photo by our oldest son Ariel who discovered and taught us how to create 3×3 panoramic pictures.
You probably need a couple of days if you want to explore this area and explore all of the beaches and lookouts (plus Pink Lake and wind farm) along the route. Having only a few hours at our disposable, we decided to visit only the most interesting places. Salmon Beach was the first of the beautiful beaches where we stopped.
Salmon Beach
Twighlight Beach is probably the most popular family beach located 10km from town centre. It is one of the safest and most beautiful beaches around Esperance.
Twighlight Beach
Twighlight Beach is equipped with picnic facilities, public toilets and also Shark Warning System!
Shark Warning System at Twightlight Beach
Ten Mile Lagoon is a fantastic swimming beach 19 km from town, particularly for young swimmers. A rocky shore separates a natural shallow and calm lagoon with much warmer waters from the breaking waves of the ocean.
Ten Mile Lagoon Beach
The lagoon is a perfect place not only for swimming, but also for snorkelling and admiring what the ocean shallow floor offers.
Ten Mile Lagoon
Going up the stairs back to the car I was admiring rugged pristine coastline…
Ten Mile Lagoon rugged coastline
Esperance is approximately 720km south east of Perth, on the Southern Ocean coastline in Western Australia.
Frenchman Peak is within Cape Le Grand National Park, which is 45 minutes drive east from Esperance, in the south east of Western Australia.
Frenchman Peak was discovered and named by surveyor Alexander Forrest in 1870 in search of a good country for pasture. The peak’s shape is quite unusual and very distinct, resembling the hats worn by French troops in the 1800s.
Cleaning the shoes before hiking to prevent spread of dieback disease
Hiking Frenchman Peak
We hiked this 262-meter mountain, which was quite an interesting experience. It started as an easy walk but quickly turned into quite a hard and challenging climb, the path consisting mainly of loose, bare rocks.
Climbing Frenchman Peak
Frenchman Peak hike is ranked Class 5.
It gets steeper as we climbed higher
Being quite a warm day, there were lots of flies, which ceased being a problem due to strong winds at the top of the mountain.
Having a break…
And now it’s time for a snack 😊.
SNACK TIME!!!
Cave
There was an interesting surprise near the summit – a large cave, which is thought to have formed by wave erosion and underwater currents some 40 million years ago when sea levels were about 300 meters above their current levels and the peaks of Cape Le Grand were submerged.
Amazing granite arch
Walking further around the cave, we discovered that there was another entrance to it.
Inside the cave
Getting closer to the walls of the cave we marvelled at the amazing rock formations.
From the cave it was only a short walk to the granite peak.
The view from the top
The views from the summit are magnificent. I felt a sense of an immense expanse and wonderment standing on the top, reflecting on how we, as human beings, are only tiny grains in this vast universe and so much of it is unknown to us. The desire to know and explore is what drives us on travelling adventures.
Located approximately 1400km north of Perth and around 80kms north-east of Tom Price, Karijini National Park is the second largest national park in Western Australia and is one of the top 5 most visited places in the state. Originally called Hamersley National Park, it was renamed in 1991 to Karijini, which is Banyjima name for the Hamersley Range in recognition of Aboriginal history. (Source)
Hamersley Range
What is so unique about Karijini National Park?
What makes Karijini so unique and unforgettable is its amazing ancient rock formations.
These types of rocks are mostly banded iron formations, which are layered sedimentary rocks composed of alternating chert (a form of quartz) and iron oxide bands. Originally deposited, about 2500 million years ago, they covered some 150 000 km2 and contained about 300 trillion tonnes of iron. We do not see any rocks of this type forming in the world today, and this suggests that conditions in the ancient oceans where they formed were quite different than today, according to WA Museum.
Banded iron formations
Banded iron formations are thought to have formed in sea water as the result of oxygen production by photosynthetic cyanobacteria. The oxygen combined with dissolved iron in Earth’s oceans to form insoluble iron oxides, forming a thin layer on the ocean floor. (Source: Wikipedia) Eventually, the rocks rose up out of the water to form dry land. Rivers and creeks cut through the rocks, forming beautiful gorges, filled with permanent refreshing rock pools and spectacular waterfalls that are the main attractions for thousands of visitors.
Knox Gorge
Gorges in Karijini National Park
There are more than 20 gorges in the national park but only 8 of them are accessible to visitors. Originally we planned to stay 3 nights at Karijini but after spending an extra night at Cobbah Downs River Crossing camp, which was like an oasis in the desert, we only had 2 days to explore Karijini, during which we managed to see 3 of the 8 gorges.
At Dales Gorge Day Use area
Dales Gorge
The most accessible and probably, the most popular of all gorges is Dales Gorge. It’s home to 3 highlights: Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool and Circular Pool.
Fortescue Falls is a moderate difficulty 800 meter walk, including some steep steps down from the car park.
Fortescue Falls
We saw a little snake sliding slowly along the rocks. It was rather shy but we managed to capture it on the camera.
Snake on the rocks at Fortescue Falls
Adjacent to the Falls is the Fern Pool, which is a delight for kids. On a busy day it might look like a public pool with lots of people going for a dip or swim and it is definitely very refreshing when it is hot (we visited Karjini end of September and the average day temperature was around +32 degrees).
Fern Pool
Weano Gorge, Oxer Lookout and Handrail Pool
Oxer Lookout (a short walk from the carpark)
Even though Weano Gorge is considered Class 4, it is a relatively easy walk (1.5km), except for the last part where it becomes steep. Walking through water (appropriate footwear is a must here), along the narrow passages you get a feeling of suddenly immersing into another world – the ancient world of mystery and unknown.
The narrow passage leads to a Handrail Pool. As the name suggests, you need to hold the rail to climb down before you can reach deep and rather cold but so welcoming Handrail Pool.
Brian going down narrow passage of Weano Gorge. Footage from Andrey Klochkov
Even though it was quite a steep descent our kids managed without help (our kids were 5 and 8 at that time).
We arrived at the pool quite late with the setting sun shining directly through the gap inside the gorge, making it rather difficult for not experienced photographers to take good pictures 😊. The reward was that we had the pool to ourselves.
I found it the most picturesque gorge among those we visited. It is also one of the longest we visited (2 km), which meant more interesting places we could see 😊.
Fig trees clinging to the layered rocks
Initially climbing down was quite challenging. At one point I actually struggled where to put my foot down safely. But once down in the gorge, it is quite an easy walk most of the time, except for a few places where you have to climb over the rocks.
This was the first pool where we could swim. It is quite big, and like most of them, deep.
Knox Gorge has a few places where you can swim.
Or jump into….
You can also dive into it.
Or throw stones and see mesmerising circles forming on the surface of the water…
Closer to the end of the pathway there is a slot canyon, where you can actually go down into (although we were satisfied with just looking into it).
This is the farthest point we could get to. Beyond it was a sign indicating there was no entry. So, this was to be our late lunch stop.
Family selfie at Knox Gorge
While snacking on the food, I noticed that the two interfacing walls of the gorge looked like a man and woman lovingly looking at each other. How romantically nature has set it up.
Can you see the two faces here?
It is time to go back…
Layered iron oxide rich rocks
More gorges
(from our second trip to Karijini in April 2021)
After spending 2 nights at Millstream Chichester National Park, full of wonderful memories and experiences, we slowly started heading back home. Our route was inland via Karijini. This time we intended to visit a couple of more gorges, in addition to those we’ve already seen.
On the way to Karijini via Roebourne-Wittenoom Road
Hamersley Gorge
This is the most remote gorge in Karijini National Park and it is the only one where you can get without paying national park entry fee if you enter from the north west. We used Roebourne-Wittenoom Road from Millstream Chichester National Park, joining Nanutarra-Munjina Road. Both roads are unsealed with the last section leading to the carpark is sealed.
Hamersley Gorge – view from the top
A short (400 meters) but steep and uneven (class 3) walk from the car park takes you down to quite a large permanent pool, which is warmer compared to other pools in more enclosed gorges, like Handrail Pool in Weano Gorge.
Permanent pool in Hamersley Gorge
Swimming in a pool was a delight despite the rain. We did take care not to touch the bottom of the pool or else our toes could have been eaten by yabbies 😊.
Yabbies in Hamersley Gorge
Hamersley Gorge, like all other gorges in Karijini, is full of colour and texture and is rich in geological history. Iron-rich layers of minerals alternating with iron-poor layers created distinctive bands in the rock, which then compressed and folded when the Earth’s surface moved as a result of tectonic plates collision. Eventually the rock pushed upwards and the seasonal rainfall formed rivers, that cut into the rock creating gorges. Work of nature over millions of years has produced these stunning landscapes.
Hamersley Gorge
Joffre Gorge
We tried to visit Joffre Gorge twice. First time, in September 2020, it got closed right in front of our eyes because of an accident (a boy fell into the gorge). Second time, in April 2021, it was closed again – this time because of the heavy rains. Unfortunately, the gorges (or their parts) do get closed quite often.
Kalamina Gorge
Kalamina Gorge is the shallowest of the gorges in the park. It is an easy 5-minute walk down from the car park to the base of the gorge. It is a delightful and enjoyable walk through along the gorge. A trail crosses the stream a few times. There are picnic tables and toilets at the car park.
Kalamina Gorge – view from the top
The rain was expected again on our second day in Karijini. We just managed to get down into Kalamina Gorge and take a couple of shots of small waterfalls, when it started to drizzle.
Kalamina Gorge
Soon drizzle turned into heavy rain. Brian and the kids turned back while I was still hoping to get to the pool at the end of the gorge. I decided to wait till the rain stops under a small cliff where I managed to stay dry (and most importantly, keep the camera dry). It was not just an idle time for me. I looked up and saw this interesting spider above my head… and another one not far from the first one.
Spiders at Kalamina Gorge
The rain did not subside. I noticed other travellers turning back. One of the ladies in a group asked me if I was by myself and suggested that I go back. Safety comes first. Unwillingly, I turned back. As I rushed through the rain, it started to pour buckets.
Heavy rain in Kalamina Gorge
Hiding under another small ledge, I took out a few pictures of the rain. I wanted to remember those moments of the water falling so heavily, that it blocked the colours of the beautiful red iron ore rich rocks.
Kalamina Gorge in a heavy rain
A ranger appeared as I was getting closer to the car park asking if there are more people in the gorge. The park was declared closed.
Dirt road turned into muddy floodway in a heavy rain
Where to camp for free in Kariji(just outside of the park)
Karijini is a very popular destination and being such, the two camp grounds and Eco retreat (these are the only places you can camp on the territory of the national park ) are fully booked months ahead during peak season (April to September). So we decided to free camp just outside the Karijini National Park. While it took us a little bit longer to drive to the gorges, it was still an excellent choice, because it meant freedom for us!
Albert Tognolini Rest Area
Our first stop was Albert Tognolini Campground in Juna Downs, which is 67 km away from Karijini National park on the eastern side. It is a huge campground on the hill with magnificent views, individual large secluded bays and plenty of space, so there is always a place for anyone coming late.
Views from Albert Tognolini Rest Area
When the sun set down, the temperature dropped and the flies disappeared, making it a comfortable night.
Relaxing by the fire at Albert Tognolini
It was a cooling night with moon and stars….
Night at Albert Tognolini
In the morning upon waking up we found that each person has one of his slippers missing. It took us a while to find the missing bits. Guess where?
Someone was being naughty 🙂
Bush Camp-Track Opposite RIP Lookout
After exploring Dales Gorge with its lovely Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool, as well as Weano Gorge, we relocated to the western side and stopped for the night at Bush Camp-Track Opposite RIP Lookout on Karijini Drive in Mount Sheila. It is 65 km from Knox Gorge, where we were heading the following day. The campground is far away from the road not to be disturbed by traffic noise, has designated spots, enough bushes to hide behind… and it was all to ourselves!
Bush Camp-Track Opposite RIP Lookout
RIP Lookout camp
During our second trip to Karijini in April 2021, our camping stop over for the night was RIP lookout (almost opposite Bush Camp-Track we stayed the year before).
RIP Lookout near Tom Price in Mount Sheila
RIP lookout is what the name suggests. It is a small hill offering nice 360-degree view. There are no facilities there. It felt slightly spooky in the evening with all those stones in memory of perished people around. We had no desire to stay outside after our dinner, given that it was already dark and the weather was promising more rain.
In the morning we were rewarded with the mysterious experience of being enveloped by the cloud.
Mystery in Karijini
We watched a low-lying cloud of thick fog moving from Tom Price across the Hamersley Range towards RIP lookout hill. Soon it was all over us, creating amazing photo opportunities.
Final note for those intending to visit Karijini national park. Plan at least 4 days to explore gorges. April to September is the best time to visit. September worked better for us in terms of weather, because in April we caught a tail of the cyclone that brought heavy rain to the park. Either way, Karijini is an unforgettable place, worth revisiting many times.
Punda Rock Art Site is on the way to Hickman Crater, north of Newman in Pilbara region in Western Australia. It is a restricted area that has cultural significance for Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal art
Aboriginal art has always been a subject of fascination for me. Partly, because it is so unique, partly because it looks very mysterious. The ancient culture of Aboriginals dates back some 60,000 to 80,000 years. To me, something as ancient as that has a lot of meaning and value. Although it is not something that you can understand easily (unless you have some knowledge). Aboriginal people do not have a written language, so their culture and knowledge of the land, beliefs and tribal laws are passed on from generation to generation through art which dates back more than 20,000 years. The stories, history and teachings are recorded in the art.
Punda Rock Art site was on the way to Hickman Crater, where we camped for a night, so I was excited to spend a couple of hours exploring the rock art since it was already on the way.
Rock art can take two main forms: engravings (petroglyphs) and paintings or drawings (pictographs). (Source: National Museum Australia). Petroglyphs are created by removing rock through pecking or hammering, while pictographs are made by applying pigments, such as charcoal, clay, chalk and ochre to the rock. Punda Rock art is classified as petroglyphs.
I must confess that I know so little about the Aboriginal culture and art, then I am in no way claim to be an expert, rather someone who is observing and learning by taking pictures and researching the places we visit.
On directions how to get to Punda Rock Art, check our previous post about Hickman Crater. Please note that a permit is required to travel along BHP Billiton Access Road to get to Punda Rock Art, which can be obtained from Newman Visitor Centre.
This was on the way back to Newman, along BHP Billiton Access Road. Trains carrying iron ore in Pilbara are very long. On average they have 268 carriages and are 2.8km long but the record-breaking ore train from BHP Billiton company was 7,300 m long, according to Wikipedia.
Hickman Crater is a meteorite impact crater, 35 km north of Newman in Pilbara, Western Australia. It was first discovered in 2007 by Dr Arthur Hickman by chance as he browsed Google Earth. At 260m wide and 30m deep, this almost perfectly circular hole is Australia’s most recently confirmed meteorite impact structure, according to Australian Geographic.
After a quick trip to Newman to fill up diesel and obtain mud maps from Tourist Information Centre, we went back onto the corrugated road we used to get to Cobbah Downs River Crossing. But this time the route was slightly different.
We stopped many times on the way there. Kids found various entertainments during the trip, while adults took pictures of the corrugated road from various angles.
How to get to Hickman Crater
Travelling south (from Newman) on Great Northern Highway, we turned left onto Marble Bar Road and covered approximately 28 km before turning left onto Kalgan Pool Road. Shortly after turning onto Kalgan Road, there is a fork junction. To get to Hickman Crater, we turned right onto access road and travelled approximately 31 km along the BHP Billiton Access Road (good dirty road).
Traveling for 31 km along BHP Billiton Access Road
At 356km rail peg we turned left onto the track rated 4WD only.
We travelled approximately 13km until we reached a fork. Straight ahead was Punda Rock Art which we were going to visit afterwards. So for now we turned left to get to Hickman Crater. Having covered approximately 9.6km of bulldozer made track we reached a tree and a sign indicating GO STRAIGHT AHEAD. These last 3km is a definitely 4WD only track. It is very rocky up hill and corrugated. Having tried to go ahead, eventually we stopped and turned back. Our friends Iulia and Sergei in a non 4WD vehicle couldn’t make it and we couldn’t leave them.
The bulldozer made track to Hickman Crater
We did make it to the Crater eventually – just without caravan. Taking the left turn from Y junction, the track took us to the Letter box right on the edge of the crater. Below was the Crater itself.
We stayed there for a while, enjoying the solitude, the vast view from the edge of the crater and the heat. Kids were practicing a perfect throw of small stones inside the crater.
Camping near Hickman Crater
So, not in a crater itself as I hoped, but roughly 3km from Hickman Crater we set up our camp just off the track. This is how the place looked like 😊.
Our Hickman Crater campground
Pilbara region (and this place in particular) is characterized by two things: iron ore rich stones – red in colour and producing metal sounds when you hit them – and spinifex.
Spinifex and iron ore rich stones
Spinifex is an iconic Australian bush plant – very hardy, with needle like sharp leaves, growing in clusters. It looks very unique but it doesn’t feel pleasant when you accidently touch its spikes with your feet.
The kids, as usual, were collecting wood for the evening fire and found that spinifex burns quite well. They were desperate to dig as many of the plants as possible while making space for our campground. The adults were preparing meals.
Sausages grilled over the fire and boiled potatoes in the pot tasted delicious!
Dingoes
As we were preparing for the night – part of our team cleaning the dishes and the other part supervising kids taking shower at the back of the caravan – we heard the howling of dingoes in the distance. We could neither see them, nor distinguish by sound how many of them were around. Having cleared the table, kept the food and prudently stored away all the rubbish, we settled for the night in our tents and caravan. Dingoes howled one more time. Laying in bed and looking out of the window, I saw quite distinct outlines of the scarce bushes, our cars and friends’ tents. It was nice and cozy inside the caravan. I felt protected from the unlikely invasion of dingoes and almost wished they would come closer, so I could see them in the moonlight. An encounter with wild dingoes near Hickman Crater in Pilbara! That would have been a nice story to write about 😊.
The next day at Hickman Crater
Before I knew it, the night gave way to day. We were up early, preparing and eating breakfast, then quickly packing up as to avoid the midday heat and annoying flies. There was a long trip back to Newman (nearly 2 hours) but we wanted to stop half way to see Punda Rock Art. Read about it in our next post.
P.s A permit is required to travel on BHP Billiton Access Road to get to Hickman Crater, as well as Cobbah Downs River Crossing and Punda Rock Art. It can be obtained from Newman Tourist Centre for a gold coin donation.
Cobbah Downs River Crossing is a 4WD accessible only free campground along Kalgan River in Pilbara, WA. It lies north of Newman and can be accessed via a restricted track.
Journey to Cobbah Downs River Crossing
Our group of 10 people (including children) enjoyed a wonderful morning exploring beauty and uniqueness of Walga Rock. After a quick meal of sandwiches and fruits, it was time to leave. While our main destination was Karijini, my heart was drawn to Newman and its surroundings where I planned to spend a couple of days before heading to famous gorges of Karijini. My initial plan was to have a night at Wunna Munna, where we could see Aboriginal rock art.
The journey was long. We had to cover more than 600 km and were hoping to get to the destination before sunset. It is always unnerving to set up a camp in the dark. We stopped a few times. Some stops were necessary as we had to fill up diesel and water bottles. At other times we stopped to stretch and move the limbs. I always took this opportunity to take pictures of flowers and scenery.
On the way to Newman
Yet another stop to fill up diesel. While the kids are posing for a picture, I take notice of the famous truck sign that reads “Without trucks Australia stops”. I feel appreciation for the trucks and the hard work truck drivers do, covering long distances through harsh outback every day.
Without trucks Australia stops
The sun is setting and we are nowhere near our destination. As I look out of the window and take a picture of the sunset, I am amazed to spot the moon next to the sun. Sun is going down and only rays of its light are now visible. The moon is shining brighter with each passing minute.
I am having second thoughts about our stop over and start to discuss with Andrey alternatives. Through wikicamp I found a place that promised to have water, which meant we could take a shower or go for a swim. It was a very welcoming thought, considering that we didn’t have shower for 2 days. I also thought that this place was nearer than Wunna Munna.
Directions to Cobbah Downs River Crossing campground
There are no clear directions to Cobbah Downs River Crossing, so the best way is to obtain a mud map from Newman Visitor Centre. Note that a permit to get there is a requirement. However, traveling at night we had no other option but to locate Cobbah Downs River Crossing campground in wikicamp and then set directions from there when we had internet connection approaching Newman.
Travelling on Great Northern Highway from Perth, we turned right onto Marble Bar Road (somewhat 10 km before Newman) and covered approximately 28 km before turning left onto Kalgan Pool Road. From here this dirt road is rated 4WD, although initially it is not. Shortly after turning onto Kalgan Road, there is a fork junction and we made a mistake here by turning left too soon. The correct way is to go straight underneath the rail line and then, having passed the rail tracks, to turn left. Now we only had to travel for 17 km straight to our destination. However, this was the most difficult part of the journey.
It took us 1.5 hour to cover those 17km on a badly corrugated road. Our Pajero towing 4WD caravan was managing well, but our friends in a non 4WD vehicle had some difficulty. We stopped a few times, waiting for them. Once or twice Captain Andrey had to take a shovel and level some of the holes in the road to make it a bit smoother. The vehicle rattled left and right vigorously. Initially the kids were scared, not even so much because of the rocking. The track was surrounded by bushes and they looked spooky in the moonlight.
Setting up a camp
By the time we finally arrived at our destination at around 9pm, 2 of the 3 kids were fast asleep. Our friends arrived 10 minutes later. We were surprised to see that we were not the only adventurous people here. There were neighbours on our left with a camper and another 4WD with a rooftop tent across the stream.
In the dark we heard soothing rustling sound of the running water and we ventured out to wash face and feet which was very pleasant and refreshing.
Cobbah Downs River Crossing at night
After a quick meal of canned food and vegetables we retired to bed.
Paradise
The new day greeted us warmly. We all were eager to explore this beautiful spot and jump into the river for a much-needed cleansing.
This place was so above our expectations (Andrey did jokingly promised that we would have swimming pool with a bar there) that we decided to stay the whole day and an extra night there so we could soak the beauty of this place and recuperate after a lot of driving for the past two days.
We couldn’t get enough of it. Crystal clear running water, revealing magnificent colours of the rocks and mermaid like seaweed underneath was mesmerizing. Where the rocks piled, the water was cascading, forming nice waterfalls and little swirls which were a delight to observe. The kids were having great time chasing each other in the water, while the adults cleansed themselves thoroughly by soaking.
4WDriving baptism
While snacking on fruits we watched a number of 4WDs pass by across the stream.
Tracks from 4WDs crossing the river
This is where a strong desire to do the same was born in me. Neither me, nor my husband has never done this before and we were pretty much novice in real 4WD driving. Like a bird mother that kicks our her youngsters, Andrey refused to drive and said that we must do it ourselves. Let’s go for it! I was thrilled at the opportunity! The kids readily jumped at the back.
It was a true sense of adventure and achievement driving across the river for the first time. The key here was not to stop and keep driving all the way. Our achievement was celebrated by a Baptism ceremony performed by Andrey and Sergei, signifying that we are now officially 4WD travelers (Brian being the head of the family was the one to receive it 😊).
Brian being baptized as a real 4WD traveler!
Having running water at our disposal meant that we could use it not only for a swim or bath, but also for cooking. Ultimately, true camping means utilizing what the nature gives you, including water. Hot soup prepared with water from the stream in a campfire stove tasted delicious!
Cooking meals on an open fire stoveKids looking for fishes
Hiking around
Having rested after lunch, part of our group set off climbing up the hill and exploring that area. The colours of the blue sky, red earth and green bushes formed a magnificent contrast.
Climbing up the hill, while stepping on the rocks, we discovered that they produce metallic sound, when they hit each other, indicating just how much iron ore they contain. The rocks were of various sizes, colour shades and patterns.
The only way I could leave this paradise is by first capturing numerous images on the camera, so that I could remember and reminiscence the “out of this world” beauty of this amazing and unspoiled place in Pilbara.
Driving back to Newman, we saw in the daylight just how bad the corrugation was.
One of the many stops on the 17km long corrugated road to Cobbah Downs RiverRelics on the trail
But the trip seemed to be shorter and a little bit easier than the night journey two days ago. Fascinated with Pilbara region we wanted to explore a few more places before heading to Karijini. See in you in the next post!
Lake Nallan was our first stop on the way to Karijini from Perth. It is 20km north of Cue, just off Great Northern Highway. It is a basic free camp site with no amenities but beautiful view of the lake. Being close to the road, it is popular too.
Lake Nallan in the evening in late September
There were around 10-12 families camping there when we arrived around 6pm or so, but it is big enough to find a secluded place for yourself. While some of the nice places with the fire pits already erected by some previous campers were occupied, we drove further and found a place for ourselves (even if it meant that we had to prepare our own fire pit 😊).
Preparing our own fire pit
There were a lot of road trains passing by in the evening and night, the sound being soothing and the lights adding nice feature to the night landscape.
Road trains on Great Norther Highway at night
We entertained ourselves with guitar songs and burning marshmallows in the fire.
In the morning the water in Lake Nallan started to turn pink which looked beautiful against the blue sky and red earth.
We have a long day ahead of us, with the first place to visit – Walga Rock! Off we go for an adventure!
Lake Nallan is located conveniently roughly half way to Karajini (if you take inland route), so it is a nice place to stop overnight. So, in April 2021 we stopped there again on the way back home from our Exmouth-Millstream-Chichester-Karijini trip. Even though it rained up north, Lake Nallan looked very dry. The lake was only half or even one third of what we saw the previous year in July).
You can see just how dry this place has become
Lake Nallan attracts a lot of birds in all seasons.
Black swans on the lake
The colours of the sunset and sunrise by the lake were amazing to watch.
Visiting Walga Rock was an unfinished business from our last trip to the Goldfields. This time, I decided to visit it first, so we don’t miss out. On a second day of our trip to Pilbara, after the first stop at Nallan Lake near Cue, we drove 48 km west of Cue on the Dalgaranga Road before we reached Walga Rock.
Walga Rock (also known as Wolgarna Rock or Walganna Rock in Aboriginal language, which does not have written equivalent, hence there could be many different spellings of the same name or word) is a huge monolith. Being 5 km in in diameter and 1.5 km long, it is considered the second largest monolith in Australia (after Uluru). It is a Registered Aboriginal Heritage Site, so it is fenced and you need to manually open the gate to proceed towards the actual Rock.
We spent 2 or 3 hours there, exploring and climbing the Rock, taking lots of pictures.
Climbing the Rock gave us a different perspective. Different people might have different experiences when standing on top of the rock, looking out in front at the isolated desert. For me, I felt a sense of serenity and harmony, and a revelation that there is a place for everything in nature – beautiful rocks, harsh desert, annoying flies, wild flowers trying to find their way out even in the rocks.
View from the top of Walga Rock
Kids were having fun too, climbing and playing in the rocks, inventing their own games (although, who knows what they were?)
It is interesting to see how relatively big rocks can stack themselves on top of the slanting side of even bigger Rock, without falling down.
Walga Rock holds deep spiritual significance for Aboriginal people and it is guarded by this mysterious creature. 😊
The main attraction of the Walga Rock is the gallery of Aboriginal paintings inside the large cave within the rock. This gallery of rock hand paintings, cast in rich red ochre, is considered the largest in the Murchison (and some say, the largest in the whole of Western Australia). Although it is hard to count, but a report by the University of Western Australia indicated there were more than 988 motifs on a 100-metre-long panel of the Rock.
Walga Rock Aboriginal paintings
There are paintings representing goannas, snakes, boomerangs, kangaroos and handprints, which are estimated to be 10,000 years old.
There is even a painting of a ship, which looks like a modern addition to the ancient Aboriginal paintings. The origin of the painting is unknown, especially considering that Walga Rock is 325 km inland from the West Australian coast. According to one theory, it was done by a Dutch sailor shipwrecked on the coast who was looked after by Aborigines.
Before leaving this place and heading to our next destination near Newman, we decided to drive around the Rock. It looked interesting in its changing patterns and shape and I kept admiring the colours and contours of the Rock as we drove by.
After visiting London Bridge in Sandstone, our camping team had to make a decision of where to go next. Stopping the car for a few minutes at the junction we tossed pros and cons of heading straight across on the dirt road to our next camping spot or spending a bit more time exploring the area (potentially arriving in the dark to our next destination). We reached an agreement and decided to drive to Mt Magnet, where we could also pump diesel and stock up on fresh produce, which was so low at that moment, that we had to ration the fruits, dividing one apple and one pear between 7 people for breakfast.
Mount Magnet was named after local magnetic rock, which in turn was named by Explorer Robert Austin in 1854 who predicted this to be the one of the finest goldfields in the world. His predictions came true nearly 40 years later. Located 573km NE of Perth and with the current population of around 500 people, Mount Magnet is the longest goldmining centre in Western Australia and the digging still goes on.
With sealed roads to all four points of the compass, Mount Magnet is considered the Magnetic Centre of Australia’s Golden Outback. It also has a strong and rich Aboriginal presence revealed both in the ancient rocks, as well as in the modern paintings. After purchasing the necessities, we headed straight to Mount Magnet Visitor Centre, managed by lovely South African couple. Kids were fascinated by the amazing “Treasures of the Earth” rock collection, while we had a quick look at the beautiful aboriginal paintings, got some useful information there and stocked up on brochures for our next adventures.
At Mt Magnet Visitor Centre
I was planning to visit Wirnda Barna Arts Centre to look at more Aboriginal paintings, but it was closed at the time, so we continued on to see ancient rock formations. The first (and the only one we had time to visit) was the Granites. Located 9 km north of Mount Magnet, the Granites is a spectacular 15 metre escarpment sculptured by erosion and special sites. This place holds great significance to the local Badimaya people.
The Granites near Mt Magnet
At around 4pm, we set off along Great Northern Hwy, travelling south for our last overnight stop for this trip. Read our next post to find out where we stayed!
Sandstone (another little town in Goldfields we visited) derives its name from the dramatic contrast of natural rock formations, known as breakaways, with the rust stained sandstone landscape.
The two such famous places, where the rocks display their beauty are the Old Brewery and London Bridge. The Brewery was opened in 1907 supplying many thirsty miners of Sandstone with beer. It was built on top of the breakaway 10-15 meters in height and was visible up to 20km away, being an attractive sight. The beer was stored in barrels inside the cellar, which was a massive tunnel carved deep into the rock with the hole bored through the ceiling of the rock, which allowed beer remain remarkably cool even in hottest weather.
The Old Brewery near Sandstone
The main attraction of Sandstone, for me, was beautiful rock formation with a romantic name London Bridge. It is quite amazing that someone has named the place London Bridge, although it bears little similarity to the original bridge in London.
London Bridge in Australian bush?
London Bridge is part of a larger rock formation about 800 meters long and varying in height from 3 to 10 meters. It is believed to be about 350 million years old, while the underlying rocks of Sandstone area are thought to be as old as 2 billion years (considering that the planet Earth is about 4.5 billion years old!) The actual «bridge» is the result of erosion in hard and soft rock, which makes it thinner as years go by. Back in the yearly days of Sandstone’s founding (late 1800), the bridge was wide enough for a horse and buggy to cross. Nowadays, visitors are asked to refrain from climbing the bridge to preserve this natural beauty for the next generations for as long as possible (as well as for their own safety). So, if you do visit this place, please respect the rule and do not walk over the bridge.
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