The Colours Of The Pilbara

Our final day in Newman was amusingly frustrating at times. Once again, we had started the morning at our typical snails' pace. We are not the most enthusiastic early risers, even when we are opening the Gallery. Which is precisely why the East End Gallery opens at eleven o'clock.

Away on our Northern Jaunt, we deliberately choose not to drive more than a couple of hundred kilometres a day. And we enjoy catching up, wandering around a town and looking past the obvious tourism drawcards.

We visited the Martumili artists' exhibition at the East Pilbara Arts Centre. We were very impressed with the size and the scale of the building and there was room to hang the biggest of works. A thoroughly mesmerising hour or so, admiring the multitude of talented artists from the north of Western Australia. The colours of the pieces just exploded off the canvases.

Later in the afternoon, we attempted to find Ophthalmia Dam. We drove backwards and forwards along the Marble Bar Road, crossing the railway lines and then retracing our steps. We really thought we'd found the access road to the dam until we ended up at the checkpoint of an active mine...

Giving up, we returned for our final evening at Oasis. We shouted ourselves dinner in the dining room. The food was surprisingly delicious with plenty of choices. I understand Oasis caters for a lot of workers, but the spread was far superior to other miners' camps.

We retired to bed early. The night rapidly cooled and when we woke in the early morning, my first thought was to turn on the heating.

I tried without success. We changed the batteries in the air conditioner's remote. Still no luck. Then my laptop refused to boot up. Finally, I noticed that the fridge was off and the microwave non-responsive. We investigated the safety switch and fuses. We fiddled with some other buttons without any positive progress. What on earth was the problem? Had the power cord failed?

Eventually, we discovered the outside pole had tripped out through a process of painful elimination. We packed up and pushed off. We stopped at Newman town centre for some jerry cans as we had worked out we would need additional fuel on our adventures east of Nullagine. Finally, at midday, we turned Lily and Digger northwards into uncharted territory.

The first half hour or so was rather disappointing. Fire had ripped through the landscape and neither the climate nor rocky ground is conducive to quick rehabilitation. Just when I was getting thoroughly bored and a tad depressed, we moved out of the grey straggly scrub into a different world. A dramatic shift towards vibrant reds and oranges, the subtle base of spinifex, the most stunning rock formations and the dazzling blue of the sky. I remembered this sense of awe as we approached the Kennedy Ranges last year. This fabulously raw and stark vista was another visual smorgasbord.

Just as we passed by the Roy Hill Mine, the bitumen stopped. We found ourselves amidst the red dust of a fairly rough gravel road. As the Pilbara consists of a great many rocks, the road was, by necessity, constructed out of rock, albeit smaller than some of the boulders we were viewing. Up hill and down dale, I was relieved that I'd decided to fasten my boobs in their seatbelts, rather than go braless. Even so, I did wonder if any remaining perkiness would be lost through a thoroughly uninvited and violent juggling act.

In spite of all my wobbly bits gyrating at a frenetic rate, we were having a fantastic drive. We roared with laughter at every bounce and wiggle, idly wondered at the state of the caravan, watched with amusement the completely unfazed cattle and drank in the beauty of the country. We were spellbound.

We eventually pulled into Nullagine just after three o'clock, as we had stopped on multiple occasions to take photographs. The town was nestled into its dramatic surroundings and almost invisible until we were on top of it.

The caravan park was basic but shady and very clean. Tracey, the manager, had lived in Nullagine for over twenty years. She loves the place, but the summer heat is beginning to wear her out. And she is trying to renovate her home in a very remote location. Plus, running the caravan park in the same conditions. A shower in the ladies' bathroom has been leaking for days - the plumber will arrive on Tuesday. Hopefully.

We had dinner at the pub and watched most of the footy. Halfway through the last quarter, the publican began turning off lights. We said our farewells and retired to the street. The last interior lights were immediately extinguished behind us. Nightlife in Nullagine ceases at eight-thirty.

Yet, there was one more surprise for us. Lights on the roof of the pub cast glorious patterns of bright colours across the street, guiding us back to Lily. We hopped into her and returned a very short distance to the caravan park.

We are looking forward to exploring the delights of Nullagine in the morning and perhaps venturing a little further afield. Michael was gasbagging with a couple of exploration workers also in the pub tonight. They knew the area well and gave my darling husband some tantalising tidbits of information.

Which he will no doubt wish to follow...

One of the pieces at the Martumili artists' exhibition...

An explanation through art...

The written explanation...

Woven baskets...

The areas the artists are from...

Today, images from the Nullagine Road...

Good to know some of these signs...

Recognise the road hazard...

And watch for bloody huge road trains!

We're all heard of the cow jumping over the moon...Here's something a bit different!

There's Something About Newman...

We have just spent our second night in Newman. Needless to say, we are still enjoying our breakfast at eleven o'clock. Some washing is tumbling away in the free dryer in the laundry. Master Toastmaker to the Stars, Michael, is in full flight. He may not be enthralled by most culinary processes, but he is at his Virgo anal best when in charge of producing decent toast.

We continue to be amused at the antics of other Grey Nomads. Yesterday, an elderly chap and his caravan wandered into Oasis in the late morning. He set up the rig and has spent the better part of the last twenty-four hours sitting under his awning looking at other caravans. The chap in the converted school bus adjacent to us was watching the telly on an enormous screen at six o'clock this morning. I know this. as I briefly watched the telly on the enormous screen before returning to slumber.

We are camped at the Oasis@Newman, a Multifunction Polis (remember them?) which caters to all types of travellers. There are accommodation units for workers, other units for couples and families without their own beds on wheels, a gym, an alfresco and playground, a dining room and a spacious caravan park. The entry and gardens surrounding the buildings are very attractive. We are parked on the very edge of the powered sites, so our only neighbours are the elderly gent behind us and Mister Enormous Screen to the right of us.

Pretty, the designated camping area is not. Red dirt, a few straggly trees and the most cowardly cattle in the paddock next door. They revealed their fright after being threatened by the approach of a tiny black Poodle named Noodle. Obviously, Noodle must have sent them telepathic messages that he was actually a Rottweiler disguised in a Poodle suit.

However, the amenities are awesomely clean and the washing machines and dryers are newish and free. Great drawcards.

Yesterday, fashionably late, we ventured into Newman town centre. The weather was glorious. We were able to purchase all our requirements without any hitches. Denver and George, the two youngish staffers on duty at Home Hardware, were tremendously helpful. We swapped an empty gas canister for a filled one, finally found a camping toilet seat on a stand, bought the components to create two additional towel rails for the caravan, added extra cut-off wheels for a 125 grinder (Michael's baby) in order to terrorise more rusty metal, some exceedingly sharp snap-off blades for his Olfal knife and purchased three heavy duty fly swats for some heavy duty flies. In between finding all these items, we had them in fits of laughter due to our normal shenanigans.

Woolies and the Newman pharmacy were efficient and trouble-free with cheerful personnel. Anita at Celebrations was able to shoo out some unwanted locals whilst regaling us with the qualities of the vino on special. She also informed us of possible Artist-in-Residence programmes available through the East Pilbara Arts Centre. Our ears pricked up and we decided further investigation was in order. The idea of spending the winter months in a warmer climate than Beverley is certainly an attractive proposition.

Newman appears to be far cleaner than when we were last here. The amenities are excellent, the houses are mostly clean and tidy, people are smiling and the surrounding scenery is stunning. We cannot help but know that we have arrived in the Pilbara. The appeal of the red dirt and the drama of the landscape have drawn us in. Again.

Today, we are planning to visit Ophthalmia Dam and the Martumili artists' gallery. Not that we are hurrying. We should be out of here by early afternoon (ish). The sky is overcast and cooler, meaning great for sightseeing and a bit of walking. The day will be completed by dinner in the dining room, as I am on strike for our final evening meal here.

Last jobs are calling me. I shall haul my dry washing out and then have a well-deserved shower. Michael is installing my towel rails as we speak.

All is well in our world.

Images @ Oasis, just outside Newman...

The revitalised Newman town centre...

And the reality of the Oasis camping ground! We still love the place.

Zoom N' To Newman

Yesterday didn't go according to plan. Moving north from Cue, we had a doctor's appointment at the Meekatharra GP Clinic to give Michael the "all clear". We also hoped to stay the night with our friend, the inimitable Anna Johnson, at her Made in Meeka establishment.

We left Cue with plenty of time to reach Meeka. We arrived early enough to have lunch at the Energise Cafe (fabulous food van opposite the cop shop) and visit the local hardware for some vital implements. Then we arrived for our appointment with Doctor Karen.

She was remarkable. A Perth girl, she was undertaking the rural doctors' programme. She was going to practise as a GP away from the Big Smoke. We applauded her courage and commitment. Being a country doctor is not for the faint-hearted. Karen will have to think on her feet, treat locals, ring-ins and tourists; patients who give information and patients who can't or won't.

The bad news was that Michael's virus had progressed to a chest infection. Bollocks. The good news was that she prescribed atom bomb antibiotics for three days, other antibiotics plus a printout summarising Michael's condition for us to carry for the rest of the trip.

Unfortunately, Michael's chest infection meant staying with Anna was not going to happen. So we decided to push on for Bilyuin Pool, about seventy kilometres north of Meekatharra. After stopping to photograph the town creek and surrounds, we set off, reluctantly waving goodbye to Meekatharra for the time being.

We drove on into the afternoon. We were looking for signs as Bilyuin Pool was a popular local camping spot. Somehow we missed the road. In the gathering dusk, we looked for a place to camp. One hundred kilometres north of Meeka was a Telstra mast. We drove off the highway, parked behind the scrub, gathered some firewood and enjoyed our first free camp.

The evening passed with a beautiful fire, a great dinner and a smooth bottle of vino. We were slightly concerned at the odd spit of rain, but the clouds cleared and the night was brightly lit by an amazing star show.

We woke to a clear sky with a slight breeze. A quick breakfast and we were on the road. We'd made the decision to head for Newman. We needed to do some washing, have a lengthy shower each and undertake to scrub a few dishes.

We arrived at Oasis, just outside Newman, just before three o'clock. We swiftly set up the caravan and prepared to lower the awning so we could set up the washing line under cover.

We had completely forgotten about Michael's very close encounter with Shop 1's awning back in Beverley. The collision had torn the awning off the side of the Forbes Building and dented the back top left edge of the caravan. Unbeknown to us, the caravan awning had also been torn in the process. Which meant the washing line to be hung wasn't going to happen.

Michael/Macgyver sorted out an alternative clothesline involving Lily's bullbar and the caravan windows. By sunset, a load of shirts and undies and socks were lined up ready to dry in tomorrow's morning sun. With only a small nudge, Michael also cooked dinner for us. A great end to an interesting couple of days.

All is well in our world.

Michael at the stamp head battery display, Meekatharra...

Information about the battery...

The Kingsford-Smith mail run...

Mail run transport...

Meekatharra poppet head...

Meekatharra Creek...

Local traffic...

Dawdling Around Day Dawn

Another lazy morning. Just what the doctor ordered. We were snoozing when Vanessa rang. She was reporting on the scene at Perth International Terminal at eight thirty on a Tuesday morning. She drolly observed that the airport terminal was about as exciting as a wet afternoon in Betoota. (The current population of Betoota is zero. However, with the renovation of the pub nearing completion, the number of residents will explode to between five and ten. Watch this space.)

A spot of clothes washing, a bowl of porridge each, tea and coffee and catching up with photographs and social media happily filled up a few hours. We launched forth into Lily and turned her in the direction of Day Dawn, the sister settlement to Cue located about five kilometres south.

We wanted to return to the same site we'd briefly visited the other day. Near the old hospital that had also been part of the Day Dawn community. What is difficult to fathom was the size of these towns in favourable times. Cue had a population of ten thousand in 1900. Traveller and writer May Vivienne enthused delightedly, in 1901,  upon arriving in Cue - "At last, I saw the lights of Cue. Electric lights in the streets, horses and cart, the shrill whistle of the railway engine, the boys calling out the evening papers...all told me that I had emerged from the 'back blocks' and once more approaching the metropolis."

Day Dawn's population was in the three thousands during the same period. Supported by the nearby Great Fingall Mine, Day Dawn would have been spread over a wide area, with numerous streets and services. Gold had been discovered in 1891, the town was named in 1894 and gazetted in 1895. The town was connected by rail to Mullewa heading south and Meekatharra heading north. The Great Fingall Mine operated until 1918 and the town itself had mostly disappeared off the face of the earth by the 1930s. Interestingly, the hospital did not close until 1942.

After some seriously satisfying fossicking with the hospital within sight, we moved on to look for more remains of Day Dawn. These glimpses of the past have, mostly, sadly vanished. What annoyed us more was the destruction of some buildings, obviously some years ago, that removed much of Day Dawn's identity. The town dam, still filled with water and supporting local wildlife, was a beautiful oasis. However, even this place had been spoiled by rubbish left by moronic individuals with no appreciation of the history that was Day Dawn.

The sandstone ruins of the hospital were stunningly lit by the late afternoon light. Although decaying along with the rest of what is left of Day Dawn, the hospital still exudes an aura of purpose deserving of its station. A noble reminder of a vital community facility.

We returned to the caravan park for showers, followed by dinner at the Murchison Club Hotel. An unusual and almost pleasurable sensation had occurred on our bodies today.

We had been sweaty.

Map of Day Dawn...

Day Dawn 1904...

Shy local...

Day Dawn railway platform...

A fossicker in his natural habitat...

 Poppet head at Great Fingall Mine...

Stamp head battery (?)...

The Great Fingall Mine Office...

Water containers, which were an essential part of life in the Goldfields and Murchison...

The dam at Day Dawn...

Buildings of local stone...

The mortuary chimney at the hospital...

Other hospital remains...

Tourism information about the hospital.