The Wild West: immense, beautiful and expen$$$$$ive

This entry comes all the way from Karratha in the heart of the Pilbara, maybe the most expensive region in Australia. 

Boab at Wyndham Caravan Park

Rent here is redonkulous, apples are twice the price they are in Broome and two delivered generic pizzas is $56 – we bought the apples and skipped the pizza! 

Luckily we’ve been absolutely blessed to be able to stay here with a friend for three nights and enjoy the luxury of a real bed, private bathroom, television and comfy couch – all under a solid roof out of the elements. Thanks darling Anna. xox

We’ve been in the North of WA for nearly a month enjoying more red dirt, boab trees, vast beaches, crystal clear blue water, howling winds, salt flats, pearl farms, corrugated roads, reefs, wildflowers, spikey baubles of spinifex, national parks, fresh water crocs, fishing, expensive fuel and we’ve had the tinnie off the roof! 

Bungle Bungles

With SuzieQ misbehaving and the real risk of more injuries we skipped the main section of the infamous Gibb River Road - Mitchell Falls and Kalumbaru will have to wait until next time. 

The Kimberley, even from the Great Northern Highway, still had plenty to offer: Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu NP, Tunnel Creek NP and Windjana Gorge.

We used Broome as a base to explore the Dampier Peninsula which offers the only free beach side camping in the region along a spectacular coastline of dark red cliffs and isolated beaches. 

We camped just north of James Price Point and then drove further up the Peninsula towards Cape Leveque to stay at Middle Lagoon – which gave us our first opportunity to get the tinnie down and take it for a cruise in the bay and have a fish.

Dampier Peninsula

Unlike NT and QLD, free camping in WA is limited and here they will fine you up to $1000 if you get caught! So South of Broome heading towards the Pilbara we were limited to caravan parks staying at Barn Hill Station and Eighty Mile Beach. 

Stretching out as far as you can see in each direction, Eighty Mile Beach is made up of crushed shells and the water was a light milky grey near the shore and then turquoise out to the horizon. Its major attraction is fishing and on the stretch of beach in front of the park there were 50+ people fishing off the beach spread out over about 500m.

Cleaverville

The Pilbara is a strange land of big money dreams, historical sites, and undeveloped coast. We camped for two nights between Port Hedland and Karratha at Cleaverville, a pristine little section of rocky coastal reef. 

Looking out to the horizon to the West however you can see the North West gas shelf with its eternal flame creating a dirty yellow haze over the water. 

We are back on the road today to explore more of the Pilbara and then head for the Coral Coast region of this amazing state.