Kalgoorlie

Arrived in Kalgoorlie

One large hole in the ground with 30,000 people here, Australia's largest outback city.

Butchos got the shorts on,  might have to go into town and buy him a spray tan, I don't think his legs have seen the sun for 40 years!

Had a bit of trouble getting a photo out of him until I suggested he stand in front of this machine to get some size perspective!

Hows that for a set of legs!

Have organised a Gold fossicking day tomorrow with Gold Prospecting Kalgoorlie 

7 am start,  so better go to bed.

Mundrabilla Road House | WA Border | Mt Thirsty

 

Camped Munrabilla Road House after being held up, so only 250 ks for the day, was pretty slow at the border going through quarantine.

Slow Run at The Border

Mt Thirsty Free Camp

Free camped at Mount Thirsty,  as after 770ks driving for the day, we were a bit thirsty ourselves!
So Free camped near Norseman as we were running out of daylight to get to Kalgoorlie.
We saw quite a few camels, so thought it may be best to stay off the road at night.

Phone service seems better in WA than SA, I have proof!

We didn't get any photos of the camels.
The navigator, bless her heart! was too busy on Facebook!

Nullabour Plain

Hit the Nullabour.
Quite surprised at how green things are with plenty of spectacular scenery.

We free camped along here, spectacular sunset and sunrise.









I'm not sure what it is about the nullabour that makes people want to cross it on anything other than a sensible  mode of transport.

People on pushbikes abound, but these fellows take the cake, they seem to be on large roller skates, good luck to them, too much for me!

We got an early start, about 15 ks down the road went over to have a look at "the Bight"
very impressive.

The day then came to an abrupt halt at 8.30am.
There was a fatal accident overnight just up the road, about 90 kms east of WA Border, so the high way was closed.
Some poor person had overturned a vehicle on the road, and is now deceased.

The accident is estimated to have happened about 10.30 Pm, in an area that was out of phone range.

A truckie come on the accident, but had to drive until he was in phone service so he could to call emergency services.

Nearest major town is Ceduna, many hundreds of Kilometers away.

We arrived in the queue about 9 am so already about 10 hrs after the incident.

Royal Flying Doctor Airstrip on Highway

To cut a long story short, the remoteness makes this a very dangerous area to travel should you have an accident, you are not going to get an ambulance to you for many hours, if things go well!

There are emergency Airstrips for the royal flying Doctor service, but they are going to be hours away as well.

So you need to be careful, a bit of a wake up call for everyone in the queue.

We were there until 3 pm in the afternoon before the highway opened, about 17 hrs after the accident, so a somber day.

Ceduna

Streaky Bay to Ceduna, country drys out a bit, with some cropping along the coast.

Large Grain Terminal at Ceduna, so someone must grow some grain!

Steaky Bay

Had lunch at Elliston, before moving on to Streaky Bay.


Could not get into the caravan park here, very popular little place.
( I suggest you book if you want to stay)

So we free camped out of town about 5ks out at Eyers Waterhole
You can see why the Streaky Bay Caravan Park is booked out, sheltered beach, no waves would be a great spot to take children on holidays, very safe beach for swimming.

Caught up with Ryan Kosi, an old boy from our home place of Brocklesby.

Ryan is the manager here at Elders, looking after farmers, and does a bit of fishing and Sea Lion whispering on the side!

Had a night out with him and his delightful partner Lauren, at the local pub,  right on the foreshore, Food and Beer was very Good!



Drinking beer and looking over the bay was hard to take.

Ryan gave us an insight into the area, mixed farming area with some pretty difficult areas along the coast as we came up from Port Lincoln,
With some good cropping areas inland.

Farmers normally do quite well here,with 4 to 5 tonne per ha wheat crops possible,  but had a pretty disastrous season last year due to an El Nino.


You can see why Ryan likes it here, would be a great place to live.

Port Lincoln

Stayed in Port Lincoln Caravan Park


Great spot on the foreshore, drove into Port Lincoln, currently loading a bulk wheat ship.

I was pretty keen to have a, dive in the cage with the sharks, but couldn't get my counterparts to partake! 

So I thought it would be bit selfish if I just went myself, and left it at that.

Some nice yacht's at the marina, a pretty prosperous little place, probably because of the tuna, but also a lot of Agricultural produce, mainly grains coming down the highway into port in road trains and B Tripples.

Truck drivers very courteous, good to see that road trains can share the road with caravans.

Arno Bay

Short drive from Whyalla to Arno Bay.

Home of a Cleanseas Fish Hatchery   

Quite spot right on the beach, at The Arno Bay Caravan park

Arrived in time for Saturday night BBQ in the camp kitchen, and caught up with some very happy recreational fisherman up from Adelaide, that had been out snapper fishing, they did very well having a look at their catch.  ( they put the empty stubbie in for a size reference), we thought we should help them drink a few as well!

Biggest snapper I have ever seen, and plenty of them caught about 40 K out, so Arno bay might be the spot?