Western Australia - Newman to Purnululu National Park (May 2021)
- Sven Reichelt
- Oct 30, 2021
- 12 min read
Updated: Jan 13, 2022
Due to work commitments in the past 15 months, we have hardly been blessed with longer trips. Don’t get me wrong, we really love hanging out around the East Pilbara, but rarely had time for more than a day or two. Of course one could and should write about it, but ultimately the big tours are much more exciting.
It’s May and we are moving. From Newman to Kalgoorlie. That's about 1,000km dead straight. But with time up our sleeves, we choose a slightly longer route. And explore one or the other national park. In this case we drive from Newman to Kununurra, Litchfield, Katherine, Alice Springs and then take the Great Central Way to the Goldfields and Kalgoorlie. That’s now 10,000 km. The trigger for our “detour” is the Ord Valley Music Muster at Kununurra.
And now this is the first part of the trip. A vacation on speed dial. The first 2,000 kilometres in four and a half days, otherwise we'll miss our first gig. Have fun reading.
17 May, Monday - Newman to Bea Bea Creek
We are developing first tendrils towards Kalgoorlie before even departing. Friends either have been there or know someone we really need to meet. What a great send off.
Dan and Share rock up on our last day at work for a colourful farewell with crackers and streamers. Thanks god, we wont be here tonight anymore tonight for the clean-up.
After a short-ish day at work (for some reason we never get away early) and some last minute cleanup duties at home, we take off. The engine is humming. Gears are locked in and we slowly pull out doing “Muriel” driving past the familiar landmarks: “Good bye Dôme. Good bye run-down houses. Good bye tourists, …!”. You get the idea.
Can’t wait to hit the black top. Besides the road something else hits us: the novelty of towing what feels like a rock. So far we have only ever used our new Isuzu MUX by itself. All of a sudden there is this 1.5 tonne camper trailer behind us. But the vehicle does it really well.
I am a bit concerned about the fuel consumption. We have nothing to compare it to - and only a standard-size tank. “We shall see,” says Sven, and won’t take his eyes off the fuel gauge. Playing it safe, we fuel up at Auskie Roadhouse and then continue on to Bea Bea Creek. Just in case.
The campsite is nice yet seriously close to the highway. But it is late, so we hit the red button, our travel home unpacks itself - sort of. Ready for a whisky and then off to bed.
Geez, its noisy! Normally, country traffic dies down at dusk, too many large animals creating havoc. But on this stretch of the Great Northern Highway the road trains simply won’t stop. As beautiful as the Pilbara is, the amount of new mines popping up is scary and with it a phenomenal increase in heavy transport. Not impressed!
18 May, Tuesday - Barn Hill Station via Pt Hedland and Sandfire
It takes getting used again to packing up. Paul did the initial assembly of all our possessions. It is a great idea having one person focus on this task. As long as it’s not me. I get terribly frustrated and then angry and then sweary and then.…
Despite sending pushbikes and heavier, bulkier items ahead, it remains challenging to “yoga” everything back into place AND still be able to close windows and doors. I hear our dog sigh. He is brooding on top of all the left overs that miraculously appeared over night and are now on the back seat. Under his dog bed. But then again, he still looks pretty comfy.
We make it to Port Hedland for another sip of diesel and a proper coffee. It is only 260 km from our last fuel stopp, but topping up when you can is always a great idea. Maps provide a fair idea of distances between service stations in the Outback. What they don’t tell you is wether one is still operating, temporarily closed or has runs out of juice just as you pull up. Could have googled that? Not, if you don’t have reception. So, stops are important, evn if it's just for a sniff and a pee or stretching your legs or changing over that play list.
Heading north, the Great Northern Highway is featureless. Long straight stretches of tarmac, bushes left and right. Booring. A dust devil at Sandfire Roadhouse is heading straight for us at the bowsers. And that’s it, from an entertainment point of view.
150k’s south-east of Broome we pull up at Barn Hill, a working cattle station with camp ground. The first impression is paradise! The second and third ones are too. Right on the ocean. Hot water. Clean air. Shady trees. Awesome sunset. The outdoor showers are conjuring memories of great times at our old home and an amazing caravan park in Yowah. Just imagine 100s and 1000s of stars raining down on you while massaging tired limbs with hot, soapy water. Pure luxury, outback-style.
It’s a great place for kids and pooches. With a play ground even I would run around screeching like a banshee or swinging in the pirate tinny suspended from the trees - Arrrr Arrrr. But the evening draws us to the beach where dark red cliffs kiss the ocean. Spectacular! Olli and I are clambering over rocks, wetting our toes, letting the wind kiss our cheeks! Our first full day of holidays! How good is that! And while we doze off, the ocean sings a lullaby. Did I mention the shooting stars?
Good night prickles, we will deal with you guys tomorrow.
19 May, Wednesday - Fitzroy River via Broome and Willare River
We drag our camping matt onto a close-to-prickle-free spot and start brushing these off these goat heads. Well, it’s more handpicking - one-by-one.
Of course there is a backstory to this: a friend recommended an anti slip matt for camping. It prevents sharp rocks, sticks or burr from puncturing the canvas floor to our camper. And it makes a handy carpet out front. Sand and water go right through, means it’s always nice and dry and soft, and mess free inside. Unless you camp in a sea of nasty goat head prickles (see attached). They are known to perforate bike tyres! Imagine what they do to your feet. So let’s get it over and done with. Needless to say its gonna be a late start today.
Of course there is a backstory to this: a friend recommended an anti slip matt for camping. It prevents sharp rocks, sticks or burrs from damaging the canvas floor to our camper. And the oversize metre and a half makes a handy carpet out front. Sand and water go right through, so it’s always nice and dry and soft, and you drag less mess inside. Unless you camp in a sea of nasty goat head prickles (see attached). They are known to puncture bike tyres. Imagine what they do to your feet. So let’s get it over and done with. Needless to say its gonna be a late start today…
The country north of Barn Hill is surprisingly flat and green, with lots of cattle. Broome is located on a peninsula, roughly opposite the station, framed by miles of mangroves. I shiver thinking of clouds of biting midges that will rise from them from dusk till dawn. Luckily, it’s well past twilight and a light breeze keeps any stray suckers at bay.
I am loving the city with its artistic charm, the turquoise waters, the little shops and cute laneways. Years ago, a dear friend of ours introduced us onto James Down’s paintings, a local coastal artist. He captures the essence and the colours of this place beautifully. I still have a couple of his souvenirs placemats stored away at home. How excited are we now, standing right in front of his Broome Gallery. I had to take a selfie to send it to our friend saying “Guess where we are!”. She would have laughed her head off. Not so the owner of the gallery, he strictly disallows photos. I had to delete it off my phone in his presence. One would think, orchestrating one of his master pieces as backdrop, with his hash tag, would improve visibility on social media. Free advertising. Not so this guy.
Unfortunately, his service attitude is mirrored by our experiences with the local tourist info centre. It must be the only one that does not like to give out information. Asking months ago for some brochures, I were advised that due to Covid, non of them were not up to date and only worth the pretty pictures. So why bother sending them out. And they couldn’t possibly comment on local road conditions as they would change too quickly anyway. I get that. But the tone was abrupt, unhelpful, nearly hostile and in the end the reason why we did not give Broome the time it certainly deserves. Having said that, the ice creamery alongside the Broome Gallery is really nice...
After a couple of hours bathing in the sounds and the jolly crowd, we are heading east towards Willare Bridge Roadhouse. Judging by its size, it must be super busy during peak season. It has recently been renovated and is very spacious and contemporary. Having said that, despite a couple of tour busses and a truck, we have the run of the place. The cattle truck looks pretty under an alley of boabs. “Cruising Kimberley Style”, I think. The difference is that cattle normally don’t return to the place they started from. Hopefully the tour busses with their human cargo do. Otherwise I won’t touch the local bbq tonight.
We continue east along the picturesque flats of the Fitzroy River in search of a suitable overnight stop. Ellendale Station gets the thumbs up on WikiCamps: dog friendly, nice views, toilets. Reality bites. It is overcrowded like some of the worst van parks along the way. And rubbish everywhere! I may start an initiative: When camping for free, make sure to always collect not only your own rubbish but grab a couple of stray bits as well. With millions on the road, we will have our beautiful country neat and tidy in no time.
Persistence pays off. Another few k’s later we find a lovely, tranquil space off the roand. Under a broad, old Boab tree. A good sign! Not a soul in sight. Time for a crackling campfire. And some gooey toasted marshmallows. Old Man Boab watches over us, together with kites and black cockatoos.
20 May, Thursday - Bungle Bungles via Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek
Fitzroy Crossing is a nice, tidy community. A large number of indigenous people are roaming the streets and a lot of businesses operate under the aboriginal flag. The place leaves a nice impression and is worth visiting again with some time up our sleeves. There are a couple of lovely gorges nearby as well. We make a mental note. At the moment all options are open regarding our trip beyond Kununurra. The legendary Gibb River Road, back to Derby, is our preferred choice. But it ultimately depends on the track conditions. With this year’s rainy season being more longer and more intense than usual we will have to make that call closer to departing.
Following the Fitzroy upstream we reach the impressive Ngumban Jump Up. It takes us up onto the plateau and on to Halls Creek. In the 1880’s the now town of 600 was the centre of an intense but short gold rush. It catapulted the number of people to 15,000. Which lasted a whopping three months!
Today Halls Creek is the cause of another fever: adrenalin junkies use it as the starting point to the Canning Stock Route and the Tanami Road connecting the Northwest with Perth and the Alice, via some of the largest and unforgiving deserts tracks. Decent springs required! Towing, no matter what, is not recommended.
For locals and the few outlying stations the Creek is administrative and trade centre and watering hole. Its horse races, going back to the beginnings of the town, are legendary. Participants still travel hundreds of kilometres to meet neighbours, exchange news and arrange marriages.
I try to imagine this place without tourists. What remains is a desolation. Alcohol is a problem, despite government intervention. Locals stagger through town in broad daylight, yelling and shouting. Centre Park is fenced in. Dismembered, painted car bonnets decorate its demarkation. Somewhere between charming and irritating. The murals on the other side of the road are nice. They dress up the few businesses that are trading. Sadly, the bakery is not one of them. Or did we miss the entrance? Most premises are heavily gated. It is not obvious if they are open for business or not. A sign of challenging times and a gold mine for customer service consultants!
Following a recommendation, we visit the Wall of China, a meter thick layer of hard rock, standing out from the surrounding weathered hills. We notice a few hiking trails and a picturesque water hole. Nothing is sign posted. Hidden gem or lost opportunity? Somewhat disheartened we continue our trip.
There are some nice free rest stops between here and the turn off to the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park. Could be great alternatives to the dusty park we are staying at. Having said that, nothing beats clean toilets and a hot shower. Exploring Purnululu National Park is unfortunately not an option for this afternoon. The remaining 50 km are in a really bad state. It takes a guesstimated two hours per way plus time to explore. We resign to with an icy cold cider and some well earned R&R and are looking forward towards tomorrow’s excursion from a birds-eye view.
Wild dingoes are howling us asleep. This place is truly remote.
21 May, Friday - Purnululu National Park
OMG - the HeliAir experience is awesome! Loving every second. Don’t want it to stop.
As our flight is not until noon we are taking it easy with a cooked breakfast and a long morning walk. Dog certainly appreciates it. By 10 am we are packed up and ready to go, so let’s check out the shady "departure lounge". The wait is worth it, neither one of us can wipe the grin off our faces. Imagine the first rumble, when the engine comes to life and the rotors start moving lazily. The pilot is doing some preliminary checks. Talking to god-knows-who via CB radio. It's all part of the ritual. Feeling the vibrations deep down in my guts and up and down the spine as blades turn faster, hammering the atmosphere into obedience. All neurones are firing simultaneously, causing my system to go haywire and stop working. Sensory overload. The acceleration. The noise. That's the awesome part. And just like that, we take off. Has to be like that...
The flight takes us across Mabel Dows Station to the western side of the park. The ridges seem endless. Recent rains have greened up the paddocks. Despite being dry again, rivers and creeks are still well defined. One ought to be a cow in this sheer endless land! And then we reach the northwestern ridge of Purnululu. It shows the classical moist gorges with remnant palms and cycads. Pretty, but there is more to come! Oh man! can't stop taking pics, leaning halfway out of the chopper. Love flying without doors!!!
The famous beehive formations are located on the southeastern edge of the sandstone massive. They have been shaped by water and ferocious desert winds. We survived a couple of sand storms. Nothing too bad from an intensity point of view, but already pretty intimidating. Now imagine being pounded not for an afternoon, but relentlessly for thousands of years. That takes off more than just layers of dead skin. It goes down to the core. The heart of the matter. Until even rocks give in and disappear. The intricate striped surface is the result of thin layers of slightly different rock densities and moistures, stacked like pancakes. The red layers are harder, containing iron that oxidises on the surface. The black ones are moister. And that's where cyano bacteria work their magic, painting the rock dark. Like plum jam. Maybe not that tasty. Great to take in, but never touch. The striking beauty is only skin deep.
We are dreaming already of visiting again but next time staying in the park. Hiking Echidna Chasm and Picanninni Gorge, and taking in the flavours of the pancakes is an absolute must. Ath the right time, you may even cool off in some glorious freshwater holes. Is it necessary to fly over? The answer is a BIG FAT YES! It offers a totally different view and perspective of this World Heritage Sight. And it is truly awesome! Don't forget to book well in advance...
Track Notes
Roadhouse to Roadhouse
Newman
To Auski 192km - 153.9 c/L
To Pt Hedland 260km - 145.9 c/L
To Pardoo Roadhouse - 159.9 c/L
To Sandfire Roadhouse - 159.9 c/L
To Broome 322km - 151.9 c/L
To Willare Bridge Roadhouse 170km - 175.0 c/L
To Fitzroy Crossing 230km - 147.9 c/L
To Halls Creek 290km - 159.9 c/L
Overnight stay to overnight stay
Newman (Lat -23.358871 / Lng 119.727677)
to Bea Bea Creek Rest Area (Lat -22.009264 / Lng 118.814650) 240km
to Barn Hill Station (Lat -18.367532 / Lng 122.040889) 685km
to Boab Tree Gravel Pit (Lat -17.957689 / Lng 125.132442) 495km (via Broome)
to Bungle Bungle Caravan Park (Lat -17.437559 / Lng 127.999365) 480km
Places visited
Barn Hill Station (https://www.barnhill.com.au) / Broome (https://www.visitbroome.com.au) / Broome Gallery (https://www.broomegallery.com.au) / Willare Bridge Roadhouse (https://www.willareroadhouse.com) / Halls Creek (https://www.hallscreektourism.com.au) / Bungle Bungle Caravan Park (https://www.bunglebunglecaravanpark.com.au) / HeliSpirit (https://www.helispirit.com.au/scenic-flights-and-tours/bungle-bungle-helicopter-tours-live/) / Purnululu National Park (https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/purnululu)
Favourite reads & playlists “Campervan Kama Sutra” by John Perrier Soundtracks to the movies "Muriel's Wedding" and "Mama Mia" and anything ABBA.
The Bee Gees work well too!
Things worth noting
Our overnight stays have been chosen because they are dog friendly. In case of commercial caravan parks, be aware, that dogs cannot be left unaccompanied at the park at any time.
When camping off-grid, be aware that poison bait is used in most parts of the Outback to control the number of wild dogs. A dog that has ingested the deadly 1070 bait may be salvaged by inducing vomiting immediately. However, it is best to use a muzzle preventing poisoning in the first instance.
The best time to visit WA’s north is during the dry season from May to August when precipitation is low, with day time temperatures in the twenties. Travel earlier and roads may still be off limits, travel later and temperatures as well as humidity will rise and make exploring testing.
Permits are required to enter any national park. In most cases they can be purchased online (https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au). Unfortunately, domestic animals are off limits in Western Australian national parks.
Handy Helpers
Hema Australian Road & 4WD Atlas
WikiCamps
FuelMap Australia
GoogleMaps
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