Port Smith versus Barn Hill
Submitted: Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 16:18
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Life Member - Duncan W (WA)
Afternoon all, given the choice of staying at only one, would you stay at
Port Smith or
Barn Hill, and why? (2 night stay). We will not be towing or carrying a boat of any description and more than likely swagging or tenting.
I'm working on an itinerary of campsites for a possible dry-season
Kimberley trip this year.
I'm only allowing 28 days for the trip so time is a serious factor.
thanks
Dunc
Reply By: Rob J8 - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:17
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:17
Hello Duncan, just had a look on Wiki camps and comments point towards
Barn Hill.
I can recommend
Pardoo station as we stayed for 3 days over the AFL Grand Final weekend 2016. Nice park; all grass with a pool,
shop café
camp kitchen etc.
We will go back probably this year on our way up to
Broome from Busso.
Rob J
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:37
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:37
Thanks Rob, worth considering.
Cheers
Dunc
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Follow Up By: Villatranquilla - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 16:37
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 16:37
Hi Rob J8 - our grand daughter Lucy would have been there when you visited
Pardoo Station last year- she worked there March- Oct 2016. We worked there for 6 mths in 2013 - love the place
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Reply By: wendys - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:22
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:22
Barn Hill definitely. Pleasant
campground and the coastal
rock formations are brilliant. That said, I have only been to
Barn Hill and not to
Port Smith. We gave the latter a miss as we were told it was bad with sandflies etc.
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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:38
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:38
Thanks Wendy I had heard that the sand flies at
Port Smith can be bad at times.
Cheers
Dunc
FollowupID:
877224
Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:53
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:53
X2 for me for the same reason. Bloody sandflies, midges whatever you call them.
A fair few mangrove trees at Pt Smith and mud flats.
Barn Hill is on a
cliff overlooking the ocean and doesn't seem anywhere near as bad.
Cheers
Pop
FollowupID:
877227
Reply By: HKB Electronics - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:45
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:45
Barn Hill,
Terrible place, would urge everyone to avoid it like the
plaque, especially when I'm travelling that way :)
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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:48
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 19:48
Why?
Dunc.
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Follow Up By: HKB Electronics - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:59
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:59
One of my favorite
places unfortunately becoming to
well know!
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Follow Up By: Member - RUK42 (QLD) - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 22:00
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 22:00
Would concur -
Barn Hill is a great place. Busy in the dry season.
Kevin
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Reply By: Member Bushy 04(VIC) - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:10
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:10
Stayed at
port Smith several years ago and loved it.
It is a beautiful spot if you like fishing its great.
Regards Bushy.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: NavaraNick - Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:22
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 at 20:22
The wife and I stayed at
Port Smith for a couple of nights back in July last year. It's a lovely place, however, I can personally vouch for the fact that the sand flies are terrible! Both my wife and I got bitten so bad that we ended up being treated at
Kununurra hospital when the bites got infected.
Not sure if there's an "off season" for the sand flies, but if there is, I would recommend going then.
Can't comment about
Barn Hill as we were faced with the same choice as you and chose
Port Smith instead.
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Reply By: new boy - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 12:08
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 12:08
I have stayed at both
Port Smith is a better organised Caravan park BUT is 1k from water at high tide ,at low tide to get to the beach you have to walk a further 600 mtrs through soft sand ,mud and mangroves and then theres the Sandflys they are real .
Barn Hill has all the trimmings of a normal Caravan park but amenities are rustic, the unpowered area has water and beautiful ocean
views from the
cliff top and are 100 mtrs from a better beach imho than
Cable beach and the coloured rocks are every where. No sandflys or mangroves to attract them
Barn Hill hands down
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Reply By: Macquarie - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 14:25
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 14:25
There are several options to stay along this stretch of coast south of
Broome. One that has yet to be mentioned is the caravan park at 80 Mile beach.
The 80 Mile Beach caravan park has a similar coast line to that at
Barn Hill however the caravan park facilities are ,in my opinion, much better. The 80 Mile park is
well organised and the ground layout is more pleasant and is better maintained than those at either
Barn Hill or
Port Smith. eg; unless it has been repaired/replaced since last August the
dump point at
Barn Hill was diabolical and not much better than an open sewer pit.
Of all the stopping
places between Pt Hedland and
Broome, including
Pardoo Station, I believe the park at 80 mile to be the pick of the bunch
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Follow Up By: wendys - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 20:56
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 20:56
The coast at
Barn Hill and 80 Mile Beach is different. Yes - they are both on the same long stretch of beach, but
Barn Hill has the great
rock stacks, cliffs and all that scenic stuff along the beach. *0 Mile beach does not have
the rock formations, just low dunes behind the beach. I like them both - and we stay at both when up that way.
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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 21:07
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 21:07
Hi Macquarie, have stayed at 80 mile in the past and will hopefully this time as
well. Great spot and I actually caught fish there.
Cheers
Dunc
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Reply By: Dean K3 - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 20:07
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 20:07
Concur with sandlfies at
Port smith but nice place to unwind for few days really need a boat to go fishing (and then the skippers ticket etc etc) but shore fishing is possible along
cliff tops
Good for mudcrabs but limited to one per person per day
good little drive northwards along the cliffs
sandstone in appearance, also possible to drive onto sand bar but need to watch incomign tide had a anxious moment when fishing one afternoon .
Recfish folks do pay a visit and have a talk about regs etc
Haven't sussed out barnhill so can't comment -one day hopefully I shall return to Kimberly
Mobile phone reception is none existent per say at
port smith but if you have decent yagi and length of RG58 and antenna mast (read 5 -6 metres extendable pool scoop handle) its possible to get Bidgy community repeater
On subject of sandflies good tip i picked up at Pt hedland amcal chemist (located in shopping centre where Woolworths and petrol station is just short of the tourist info centre) was to use hemorrhoid cream has a local anesthetic and analgesic which stops swelling and pain associated to being eaten alive by sandflies
De
grey 24 hr makes a nice spot to stop Pt hedland get bit crazy with trucks and port activities so if you want a popular but quiet stop over for free good option 80kms further east
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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 21:09
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 at 21:09
Thanks Dean some good tips there.
Cheers
Dunc
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