Michael has left to wash the day's dust off his body under the wondrous Karalundi Caravan Park's showers. The hot water was strong and plentiful when I luxuriated under my own shower. Such a simple pleasure whilst travelling,
Karalundi Caravan Park is administered by the Karalundi Community. Aboriginal children can attend the boarding school free of charge. The caravan park patrons are asked not to drink alcohol (where they can be seen) and smoke at least thirty metres from the main gate. Apart from those very mild rules, Karalundi is a magic place of birdsong and trees and friendly grass for Lexi and Stella to roll on with great pleasure. And of course of their late afternoon walk, they both snaffled some delicious morsels of kangaroo pooh...
We have all just about recovered from the bone-rattling, boob-bouncing and teeth-gnashing rigours of the Marble Bar Road. I read with some amusement that tourists appeared to be avoiding Mullewa due to large potholes in the main street. A bitumenised main street...Ladies and gentlemen, pull up your big girl panties and either avoid the potholes or drive over them very slowly. Helen Ansell, Mullewa's local artist needs to be supported (as do all artists), rather than be bypassed because of road damage. Tell her "hi" from Kate and Michael of the East End Gallery in Beverley.
Anyway, I have digressed once more from the topic in hand. I have had a couple of recovery days at the very utilitarian Yurlu Caravan Park in Newman to ponder our latest stay in Nullagine. Here is my critique, warts and all.
Nullagine is nestled amongst the beauty of the Pilbara landscape, just over one hundred and ten kilometres south of Marble Bar. Nullagine should be marketed as the Hidden Gem of the Pilbara, particularly as this tiny settlement attracts gold prospectors and gemstone fossickers. Nullagine is old; gazetted in 1899. There is history galore in this place, from the sluices built by the Chinese miners, the lovely central park dotted with bygone relics, the abandoned mining centres and the astounding countryside.
The health service, located next to the local store, was staffed by two very caring and efficient nurses. Nabal (I hope I spelt his name correctly) was relieving from Perth and EN Kylie had arrived to continue her training towards becoming a registered nurse, whilst enjoying the remote north-west, They looked after my ongoing burns treatment exceedingly well over a few days and I would highly recommend both of them.
The caravan park has clean amenities, some trees, grass and shade and is managed exceeding well by Mary the Manager. However, she battles against complacency orchestrated by the shire. The water drain at our site was blocked and looked to be harbouring every disease from dysentery to typhoid. When I told Mary about this issue, she sighed, explained all the drains needed replacing and she would have to clean the disgusting cesspool herself.
I saw red, on Mary's behalf. This was a shire responsibility. I shall be writing to the shire to castigate them for not keeping the Nullagine Caravan Park up to scratch and expecting the manager to move the deck chairs. If Nullagine wants to attract tourists, then the Shire needs to pull its finger out.This is a Duty of Care issue and I will make damned sure that the East Pilbara Shire fulfills their requirements.
Now, here come the brickbats. The pub was expensive and smelt of stale beer. Michael reeled from buying a six pack of Coopers pale ale - $39. I stood there, like a chump, waiting, whilst all the locals were served ahead of me. Later, I discovered that because it was "Pay Day", I was a poor second to receive any attention. We were both unimpressed.
The grocery store, which I believe was also part of the pub, charged extortionate prices. Fuel was eye-wateringly expensive. Two sandwiches, a slice of banana bread and a muffin was over thirty dollars. There was nowhere else to eat apart from the pub. Both the locals and visitors are being right royally shafted. This is not conducive to attracting tourists.
Signage for the local sights does not exist. This is a major failing and needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. How can the shire expect tourists to visit these spots if they are difficult or nigh-on impossible to find.
I was also worried about the local police station's complacency. I went there to try and have a CRC Nullagine brochure printed. The Community Resource Centre has been closed in Nullagine for over four months. There was no other place to obtain tourism information except from Mary.
The young woman officer couldn't find the brochure for me, which was disappointing. However, I had been quite distressed by the sight of a dead emu's head on their front lawn. When I informed them of this desecration, they did not even turn a hair. No apology to me for viewing it and no assurance that the emu's head would be removed...
Finally, the roads. Unless the Marble Bar road is upgraded to tarmac, we will not return. Skull Springs road, which carries tourists to Carawine Gorge and Running Waters, is a disgrace. Many tourists are seeking out these fantastic spots on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert and impassable roads are undesirable.
I currently have despair for Nullagine. We want to return. We want to drink in the environment, fossick, explore and photograph this wonderful part of the Pilbara.
Your move, Nullagine...
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