Pildappa Rock, Minnipa, South Australia

Tuesday August 9th, saw us head East towards Port Augusta. We stopped briefly for fuel at Poochera before continuing on through Wudinna. We arrived at Minnipa late in the morning and continued some 20 Km North to Pildappa Rock. The road was unsealed for most of the way but in excellent condition.

The camp at Pildappa Rock is a free camp with a donation box. There is a one way loop around the base of the rock with one large camping/day use area and a few private areas. Not a huge amount of sites but we found a nice private area for the two of our vans to set up. There is a couple of basic but clean drop toilets and a few tanks of water. Very nice camp as you are parked right at the base of the rock itself. The weather was windy with rain threatening so we didn't tackle the rock on day one.

Wednesday morning we loaded the four of us into the Jeep and took a day trip to Gawler Ranges National Park. Once again the 30 Km was unsealed but excellent. Beautiful green fields everywhere during our drive. There is a self registration station at the gate to the park with information pamphlets. We paid our day fee and headed off towards Organ Pipes which we were led to believe was one of the Park's highlights. About a 10 Km 4WD track that lived up to it's rating. Luckily the numerous wet/muddy areas usually had a high/dry detour around them. We took the easy route around most of them but was an enjoyable drive. We saw several very large Kangaroos along the way.

Once we reached the end of the road there was a short walk into the Organ Pipes. Fairly easy walk but a bit of rock climbing and a few wet areas. The drive and walk were well worth it as the Organ Pipes were really interesting. Unlike anything we had seen previously on our trip(s). Row after row of Vertical rock pillars. I'll let the pictures do the explanation as they are really unique. We got lots of pictures and enjoyed a few peaceful minutes at the beginning of the gorge where small waterfalls were trickling water. Beautiful!

Back into the car we retraced our route on the 4WD track. We met a couple of vehicles this time which meant some backing up and getting off the track but we negotiated with no problems. We then took a short drive to a camping area called Yandinga. Some nice areas for camping but no facilities that we could see. There was a walk to some falls but not clearly marked for direction or distance so we gave it a miss.

Next stop was the Old Paney Homestead. The homestead is still standing and you can walk through it although it is mostly empty. There was a lovely old stone water tank amongst beautiful yellow fields near the homestead. We drove to the beginning of the walk to Policeman's Point but again there were no markings or distances displayed. We enjoyed our picnic lunch in the car overlooking the ranges and the homestead. The park is quite nice but they don't seem to be investing the monies they collect for day passes and camping fees into maintaining or improving it. One would think that basic toilet facilities and picnic tables would be located at the various camping areas. Also if they want people to enjoy the park and experience the walks they need to display ratings and distances as is common practice in other National/State Parks. Most people don't mind paying to access these special areas but do expect basic services in return.

We returned to our campground for the afternoon. The weather once again took a turn for the worse with winds and rain. We put off the tackling the rock again. We did however get some neat pictures of the rain pouring off the rock in waterfalls! Once again it is difficult to describe the rock but is like a smaller version of Uluru with a a bit of Wave Rock around the base. Hopefully the pictures do it some justice and give you an idea of what it looks like.

Thursday morning was moving day but as we were only going 150 Km we enjoyed a leisurely morning before finally tackling the walk to the summit of Pildappa Rock. The walk is quite easy as there are gently sloped areas on either side of the rock. The rock itself is quite rough textured that allows for good grip. Because of the abundant rainfall there is lichen or moss growing on much of the surface as well. The view from the top was magnificent with green/yellow fields everywhere. The top surface of the rock was also very interesting with lots of holes where water pooled and plants thrived. I'll let the pictures try and describe the experience. Quite amazing and even more so given that one never hears about this natural tourist attraction. Great morning and campsite. We gladly left a donation for our stay and would recommend highly to fellow campers.

 

Streaky Bay, South Australia

Saturday August 6th saw us finishe our trip across the Nullabor at Ceduna about lunch time. We then journeyed the short distance South to Streaky Bay. It was amazing how quickly the landscape changed once we headed South. Beautiful green fields replaced the somewhat barreness of the Nullabor Plains. We had stayed here on our previous stay but at a free camp South of town. This time we headed for the Streaky Bay Caravan Park as had lots of laundry and cleaning to do from our trip across the Nullabor.

The caravan park is a good size and located right on the water. It is difficult to get into during the warmer months as people return here year after year. I don't think we could get in the last time we were here. The park is again run by the local council and is very modern and clean. Both our sites were a good size and covered with crushed gravel. The amenity block was spotless and modern. 4 Stars for these ones. We didn't arrive until late afternoon so enjoyed afternoon drinks and the sunset down by the waterfront.

Sunday morning saw the girls hitting the laundry machines and some cleaning. I did some plumbing repairs and think I have fixed (at least temporarily) the inlet valve flow issue. Soaked it in CLR for 15 minutes after disassembling. Put a little oil in it before reassembling and installing back on the van. Surprisingly it worked! Let's hope it keeps working at least until we can get home. Hardly any swear words and I only got a little bit wet. Sandra was busy all day with her cleaning while I did quite a bit of Blog work during the afternoon/evening.

Monday morning Sandra finished off a bit more laundry before we went for a drive with the Ransleys. As mentioned previously we had enjoyed some 3 days here on our last trip so saw most of the area then. That being said there were a few highlights that we wanted to revisit. We first drove through a new residential suburb which is quite beautifully set on the hills overlooking the town and ocean. Very reasonalbe too with a 1000sqm block selling for well under $100K.

From there we drove to a surfing beach called Back Beach. Was fairly low tide and the weather conditions were not ideal so we were happy to just have a look. Beautiful clear colourful water along the coast though.

We then continued our journey South to Point Labatt where there is a conservation park for Australian Sea Lions. Great viewing location at the top of a cliff looking down on the rocks the colony of sea lions calls home. There didn't seem to be as many as last time but we still got a good show. The Sea Lions are pretty inactive and seem to enjoy lying around on the rocks soaking up the sun. We're not sure if they are more active at different times of the day but have been pretty docile both times we were there. We did see a few males moving around and there were a number of baby seals feeding from their Mothers. We enjoyed a relaxing time watching their activity from above.

 
We journeyed into Sceale Bay on the way home which is a bit of a fishing village. We finished off with a return trip to the High Cliffs and the Granites. We had stayed on a free camp here previously but sadly it is now private land and closed to free camping.

Once back in Streaky Bay we stopped for some groceries at the Foodlands/IGA before returning to the caravan park. Quiet afternoon around the park although we did go down for a beer at the Streaky Bay Hotel before dinner. Beautiful old hotel from 1866 that has been restored very nicely.

Very enjoyable time here again and can understand why people would return year after year. Highly recommended caravan park and town. The only downside from this trip was the cooler, windy weather.

The Nullabor, Western Australia-South Australia

Wednesday August 3rd saw us heading South and East. We had originally planned to do a bit more exploring in South West Australia but the cold weather has taken some of the fun out of that plan. We've decided to begin our trip towards home and head across the Nullabor. This will be repeat territory so the trip will be a bit quicker than our previous journey. That being said we have a couple of things on our bucket list from our last trip.

We topped up with Diesel in Norseman which is 200 Km South of Kalgoorlie,  as it gets fairly expensive across the Nullabor. I'd researched fuel locations and cost our last day in Kalgoorlie. From there we began our trip East through the Fraser Ranges and Balladonia. We stopped for the night at Baxter Rest Area which is 67 Km West of Caiguna. A fairly big day for us as just over 500 Km. The Rest site was large with lots of room for a bit of privacy. It had basic toilets and a dump point. It got fairly popular later in the day with other campers but still didn't feel too crowded.

Thursday we were up early and got a good start by 8:30. We topped up our fuel in Caiguna ($1.63/l) to see us through to Eucla or the South Australia Border. We then traveled through Cocklebiddy and Madura before filling up again at Eucla ($1.54/l). We crossed the Border in mid afternoon and continued about 75 Km East along the Bunda Cliffs. We stopped at Bunda Cliffs Lookout for the night as one of Sandra's wishes was to spend a night on the Cliffs underneath the stars. Not quite as good as we hoped as was a bit cloudy and we couldn't park too close to the cliffs. That being said there is a wonderful lookout there and we did get to see quite a few stars. Another big day for us of almost 500 Km and we were all tired by the time we hit the beds that night. This campground is very basic with no facilities.

I got up early Friday morning and walked down to the Lookout for Sunrise. Beautiful pink colours in the sky but was freezing with a temperature close to zero and strong winds. You can see from our photos after breakfast that it was still chilly!

 

We stopped at another lookout at Peg 111 some 40 Km East of where we stayed. Beautiful views along the Bunda Cliffs. One of our favorite lookouts along the Nullabor.

We continued East and passed through Nullabor before stopping at the "Head of the Bight" This is a privately owned property managed by an Aboriginal Trust. We had enjoyed our visit here the last trip but hadn't seen any whales which is what the area is know for. We certainly weren't left disappointed on this visit. The area is a breeding ground for Southern Right Whales and we would have seen some 30 Mothers and Calves. They just sort of floated along the cliffs very close to our view points. The Bunda Cliffs in the background are also incredible. Beautiful! We saw one white baby whale and another juvenile put on quite a display with breaches and fin slaps. We spent 2 hours memorized by these incredible creatures. This is a definite must see if you are a nature/whale lover!

We ended up camping overnight at a free camping area near the entrance to the park. There were no facilities but it also proved to be a popular spot with a dozen other caravans/campers joining us. This was a much easier travel day as was under 200 Km.

Saturday morning saw us up and away by 8:30 again as we had another fairly long travel day planned. We stopped in Penong to fill up with diesel for a more reasonable $1.19/l and had some lunch in a park. From there we decided to carry on to the end of the Nullabor. We passed through the Fruit Fly inspection at Ceduna before heading south towards Streaky Bay. Another long day of almost 400 Km.

We once again enjoyed our Nullabor adventure although it does make for some long travel days. Highlights for travellers are the numerous lookouts of the Bunda Cliffs East of the West/South Australia border, and the Whales at the Head of the Bight. As a side note we traveled into a North East Wind for most of our journey across the Nullabor. This made for a bit more expensive trip than necessary and required two hands on the wheel at all times!

Boulder Discovery Park, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Monday August 1st saw us on the road again towards Kalgoorlie. It was a short trip and we arrived before lunch time. We traveled through Kalgoorlie to the neighboring suburb of Boulder where we checked into the Boulder Discovery Park. This is a Discovery/Top Tourist park and was quite a nice park although the price went up considerably from our recent experiences. $39/night for a powered site before Top Tourist 10% discount. We were set up on a huge site. It was probably the widest site I've ever had as was 15 metres across the front. No problem finding a place to park the car on this one. Amenity blocks were quite clean but not quite big enough for the size of the park. I'll give them 3 Stars.

Sandra and I set off to do some shopping after lunch. We are having a bit of a problem with the water inlet valve and the one way valve to the tanks as well. Our external water filter cartridge was damaged and sending charcoal sediment into the water system. I think I was able to fix the problem with water flowing into the tanks by flushing out the pump. The intake problem appears to be the one way flow control value which is letting water drip back out. We didn't have any luck finding a replacement part so I've cleaned and will catch the drips for the short term. Next off was a trip to Kmart, Woolworths, and Coles to restock. The Ransleys had a number of errands to run as well including a new tyre and visiting an auto electrician for their caravan reversing monitor.

Tuesday was quite windy and Sandra and I kept close to home. More laundry, cleaning, and computer work. I took a trip out to refuel the Jeep and give it a bit of a wash. Should be done with the gravel roads for a while so hopefully it will stay clean. We are heading off for the Nullabor tomorrow so are preparing meals and planning our supplies to be fruit/vegetable free by the time we reach the South Australia Fruit Fly inspection at Ceduna. The girls went for a quick visit with their Cousin, Doug, in the late afternoon.

We had been to Kalgoorlie on our previous trip so didn't do much sightseeing this time around. It is your basic mining town although both Boulder and Kalgoorlie have some wonderful old historic buildings.

Menzies, Western Australia

Saturday July 30th saw us travel South the short distance to Menzies. It was only about 45 Km once we returned to the Goldfields Highway. Needless to say we arrived at the Menzies Caravan Park in good time. The office which is run out of the Visitor Centre wasn't open so we picked a couple of spots and got setup. The girls walked up later to pay for our two nights

This is another of the high quality and reasonable Council run caravan parks in this area of Western Australia. Nice big drive through sites and modern, very clean amenity blocks. Let's say 4 Stars for these ones. The girl at the Visitor Centre was very friendly and helpful as well. The two recommended must sees for Menzies according to her were the Art work at Lake Ballard and the local historic cemetery.

Day one was spent doing laundry, cleaning, and charging up our electrical/water systems. It was sunny but cool most of the day.

Sunday morning we woke to somewhat windy and overcast conditions. We all jumped in the Jeep for the 50 Km trip out to Lake Ballard. The road was unsealed for the majority but in excellent condition that allowed for a relatively quick trip. Once we pulled up to the Lake we realized the scope of the Art Project. There are 51 individual statues all located approximately 100 metres from the next one. All are laid out over a huge area of Lake Ballard which is a Salt bed. Unfortunately with recent rains it was a very muddy salt bed. The weather was cool and the wind was picking up as well which made it even less enjoyable. I've attached a few pictures below of the Art???? They say art is in the eye of the beholder but none of us were too impressed. Supposedly these figures were models  of local residents that had been cast in clay then shrunk down and molded in metal. I couldn't help but wonder how the subjects felt when they actually saw their finished replica. I know my reaction would have been "I posed naked for this??" We walked around and looked at half a dozen or so of the statues before returning to the car. Spent some 15 minutes trying to scrape the Lake Ballard mud off our shoes and the Art Work out of our minds.

A bit of a quiet trip back to town as we tried to absorb our experience. We stopped at the cemetery just on the outskirts of town on our return journey. This was more interesting for our group. Many of the markers were made of metal as the town had a blacksmith but not a stone mason. Very interesting and moving as you visited the various graves. Obviously this was a harsh life as so many died young. Unfortunately a number of the metal headstones used glass to encase flowers etc, and had been damaged by vandals. Such a shame as would have been beautiful in their original state.

The wind had really picked up by the time we returned to the caravan park so we all got our awnings down as quickly as we could. The rest of the afternoon was spent finishing up our laundry, blog catchup, and touching base with family. Menzies was another of the friendly communities of this area that appear to be struggling to survive. Would highly recommend this area of Western Australia for tourists as they are  very nice caravan parks with a lot of history, priced reasonably.