We (three vehicles with camper trailers) left
Perth on Thursday morning and had a leisurely drive to Karalee Rocks (east of Yellowdine) This is a really
well maintained camping spot and
well worth an overnight stop with a bit of history to look at.
On Friday drove in to Kalgoorlie and met up with some friends – visited the viewing area of the Super Pit – incredible viewing and a “must see”. After a pleasant lunch in Kal and a drive around the town we headed out the Yarri Road and camped in the bush overnight.
On Saturday drove out on the
Kurnalpi Road (proceeded to get lost on the track to Hunt
Pinnacles) ended up back on the Yarri Road and camped at Old Pinjin. The early settlers really did it hard. (Does anyone know the history of this
homestead – appears to have been abandoned about 50 years ago – There is a grave there and what looks like a huge swimming pool??)
On Sunday we headed off to look at the “new” Pinjin. At first we did not realize that this was also abandoned. We spend several hours looking around at the old
homestead and the disused Anglo Saxon
mine at the rear of the
homestead. (Again, does anyone know the history of this place?) The road signs are very limited out this way, and some of the correct tracks would be VERY hard to find without clear instructions or a good GPS. We headed on to Victoria Springs where we spent Sunday Night and Monday as
well. The dogs were very surprised when they went for a drink in the morning and found they were licking ice!
Just past the
Doggers Camp near Kirgella Rocks a stubborn Camel held us up - had no intention of leaving the track – he kept strolling along at a gentle trot and would not let us pass. In the end, one of had to circle around him on foot and herd him back toward the vehicles where he kindly decided to be unsociable and wander off the track and let us pass.
On Tuesday we left Victoria Springs and traveled south through to Cundeelee to Zanthus (Looks like some work is being done at Cundeelee in restoring and cleaning up several of the buildings.) At Zanthus we looked at the wrecked carriages of the Indian Pacific (many years old?) We were treated to a surprise when one of the passing freight trains threw us Tuesdays “West”. On Tuesday night we camped 50 meters from the railway line at Ponton Creek (About 25kms from Zanthus) We were treated to about 8 trains in the evening and early morning.
On Wednesday we continued south via Zanthus and Harris Lake and Fraser Range Station to the Eyre Highway and on to
Norseman. The drive from Zanthus to the Highway passed through some great country (we did call Fraser Range to clear the track condition) On Wednesday night (with threatening rain) some of the group headed off
home to
Perth while other camped near
Norseman and continued on to the
Holland Track.
The only vehicle problem was the 100 Series left hand front wheel nuts coming loose on the Nippon Highway (whoever named that track a Highway must have been delusional)