Our massive convoy set forth from Bullsbrook at 9:15 in perfect weather and after a morning tea stop at Moora, Jingemia Cave was our lunch spot. There are the remains of an old guano mine and it is well worth a visit if you haven’t been there before. That night the temperature at Coalseam, was a pleasant surprise as it must have been at least 10 degrees warmer than it was on my previous visit.
Although there is
a communal fire pit now, it was bolted shut, presumably to ensure social distancing. Monday was a latish start at 9 am, calling in at the Butterabby graves before morning tea and a refuelling stop at Mullewa, a quick look at Ballinyoo Bridge, then onto Errabiddy Bluff for 2 nights. A few adven turous people climbed the bluff for a great view of camp. Some also took themselves adventuring around the area too, while others relaxed. On Monday night Andrea and Marcus provided a delicious berry dessert from their camp oven. Tuesday night was a sundowner on BBQ hill. Our next stop was Gascoyne Junction. Once the camp sites were sorted out we did a quick trip to the gorges on the east side of the Kennedy Ranges. The camping area there was packed out, Dave set a speed record go- ing up and down Temple Gorge.
Thursday saw us setting off again at 9am, crossing the Gascoyne River downstream from Gascoyne Junction, with a firm bottom under the water. We made camp at beautiful Mooka Springs. Tammy and Lynn organised a bingo night around the camp fire with some very dodgy Bingo Lingo, to everyone’s enjoyment Friday was spent exploring, finding some possible beautiful spots to camp at Yenny Spring, Chaffcutters Spring and Pharaoh Well. The track was slow going with quite a lot of challenges along the way. Back at Mooka Spring the wind was now blowing dust and sand everywhere but Lynn and Kim made a yummy sweet damper to share with all around the camp fire.
Saturday was windy, dusty and sandy still. Steve Coombs led us off along a track he had discovered the previous day. The scenery was fantastic and we eventually found ourselves on the Wapet track and eventually made it back to Khyber Pass and Mooka Spring and our camp site.
On Sunday we retraced our steps past Yenny Spring, Chaffcutters Spring and Pharaoh Well. We found the track to the top of the Kennedy Range (I have been looking for this track for the past 20 years.) At the top were red sand dunes, spinifex with the track following the swales between the dunes. We signed the visitors book and posed for a group photograph and then we headed back the way we had come. We camped along the way.
On Monday we drove past Binthalya homestead (now re- moved) and Mardathuna Station on our way to Carnarvon. Monday and Tuesday nights were spent in there, shopping, washing and eating out while staying at the Coral Coast Cara- van Park. How they found room for a group of ten in peak sea- son remains a mystery but it all worked out.
The next destination was Wooramel Station, where after setting up we did a self drive tour around the station tracks, looking at an old shearing shed, shearers quarters, the Eastern shoreline of Shark Bay and Gladstone. Back at camp, Kim and Lynn cooked another sweet damper to share. The next day Pam, Dave and Tammy announced plans to go home via Steep Point, Jim and Sandra left for home Thursday morning, Andrea and Marcus headed for home, leaving the rest of us to cope with the rain which started Thursday afternoon and continued without stopping all night, We packed up in deep red muddy water and headed for home Friday morning for a big clean up. From our point of view it was a wonderful trip!
