Sandy Creek, near Newman, is a hidden gem. It is a free camping spot, popular with locals.
After leaving Kalamina Gorge in Karijini National Park (due to heavy rains the park closed), we headed towards Newman to find some place to stay there for a night. We dropped in at the information centre for the kids to buy souvenir coins and for us to get information on the road conditions, as well as some possible places to camp. It was still raining heavily when we left Newman and at 5.30pm it looked quite dark. The ladies at the Information Centre shared with us local’s secret spot – Sandy Creek.
At the entrance to Sandy Creek off Marble Bar Road 100m
Travelling on Great Northern Highway from Newman we turned onto Marble Bar Road and travelled for approximately 24.5km before turning right (after Kalgan Pool track) onto unmarked track. Travelling for about 600 meters we have arrived at what looked like a campground. Ahead of us was a creek which under the rain and in the dark we did not want to attempt crossing. So we followed the track on the right. There was a 4WD Landcruiser Troopy with a pop top and we parked not far away from it.
Camping at Sandy Creek. This is how it looked in the morning.
It rained the whole night but the rain stopped in the morning giving us a much needed break to get out of our very tight and full of stuff dwelling.
The kids measured the depth of the crossing. It was too deep to wet our boots.
Kids measuring the depth of the water
We found a narrower passage further away and jumped over it onto the other side. Sandy Creek was actually further away. It looked like a small river with so much water in it after it rained.
The place looked very beautiful and quite magical even though everything was wet. We decided to get some rest and stay here for another night.
Trees reflected in the orange coloured creek
Kids were busy the whole day building houses, bridges (in fact, the whole village!) out of what they found on the ground – stones, leaves and branches.
“Bush” kids
I went for numerous walks around with my camera looking for more insects and flowers to take pictures of.
And Brian cooked a nice “Sandy Creek roast” for us.
Sandy Creek roast
We also drove through the first creek to see what was on the other side. That is where we saw the actual Sandy Creek. There was another camper, a lovely couple, who parked just near the creek. They told us that Sandy Creek was formed because of the water that has been pumped out by the local mine. The first crossing before Sandy Creek was the overflown water from heavy rained that gathered in the ground holes.
Time to check and pump the tyres before heading home
It was a lovely respite for us. Being on the road for many hours we really enjoyed a day of not driving and going anywhere but simply resting and enjoying the place as it was. A true outback experience.
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, because our friends Iulia and Sergei in a non 4WD vehicle couldn’t make it.
The bulldozer made track to Hickman Crater
We did make it to the Crater eventually – just without caravan and the other car (our friends decided to hike instead). Taking the left turn from Y junction, the track took us to the Letter box right on the edge of the crater and 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. Spinifex when it grows among those red stones 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!
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.
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.
How to get 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 (along with the permit to get there, as it is a requirement) and travel during the day time. 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.
Directions
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. We got lost in the dark and having no clear posted signs wasn’t helpful either. 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. 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.
The road to Cobbah Downs River
Setting up a camp
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. There was enough space for our whole group next to the neighbour with a camper, so we set up our camp there.
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.
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
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!
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