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Location Date Queensland 1469142000 Victoria 1467932400 French Polynesia 1465686000 Western Australia 
1438902000 Northern Territory 1433804400 South Australia 1432940400 New South Wales 1402700400 -
Location Date Denham 1438902000 Exmouth 1438124400 Karratha 1436828400 Broome 1436223600 Kununurra 1434668400 South Boulder 1375484400 Kalgoorlie 1375398000 Menzies
1375311600 Karijini 1375052400 Port Hedland 1374793200 Cable Beach 1374620400 Dampier Peninsula 1374102000 Derby 1373670000 Fitzroy Crossing 1373410800 Purnululu 1373324400 Durack 1373151600
We are on the road least travelled. Very few caravans and in fact other than road trains with 3 or 4 dogs there is nothing much else on the road. Most trains are 4dogs and lord only know what is in them all as they sound like a jet rumbling along. They go all night so quiet camp sites are athing of the past.
Sitting having happy hour one night and we see this jumbo take off in the middle of no where. Obviously a fly in fly out charter to amine but it was so funny in the middle of no where to see it come in and 60 minutes later takeoff again and head forperth.
In Menzies funny little town with 51 residents. There is a salt Lake - Lake Ballard nearby which has 51 cast iron staues on it. representing every inhabitant of the town. Interesting !!!! It has all these arty sculptures around town and it is spick and span. Only Mrs M and I in the main drag today, Not another human in sight.
Rushed home for happy hour, sad isn't it that it is the highlight of the day, especially when Mr B was up at 6.00am and we left camp at 7.45 to get to Menzies by 1.30pm. ticked that box - ready before Mitchell tours. Had our second campfire of the trip last night. Mr B says it will be the last until dec when we go down the Coorong. Had the last 2 nights free camping so needed a shower today to get rid of the red dirt..
Since leaving Karijini we have been on the go and out of range of phone and data. Did Newman and went on tour to the BHP Billiton Mine Mt Whaleback. the largest iron ore mine in Aust. Huge big hole in the ground, employs 1,000 people per shift and 2 shifts a day. Very interesting. Boys stuff.
Lunch at Leonora an old mining town, another big hole in the ground. Cannot believe the number of mine sites we have passed on this road. Been drving 2 days solid heading for Kalgoorlie to get the truck serviced. Done 10,000 km already this trip, so it needs and oil change.
Mr B quote of the night after a few red's.
Trip priorities 1. Fuel, 2. Food 3. Wine 4. Water, 5. Quiet Camping spot with grass.
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arthur Dear Yvonne, Good to hear you’re coming home, even the fish have missed you. You have missed a lot of our miserable, wet winter, the weeds are doing well. The Dumbletons are back and there is a welcome for them introducing themselves to their friends on Sunday. I have started on the journey back to being well again. I hope the weather here is kind to you when you arrive. Caravan of Courage Dear Mr & Mrs B, What an adventure, Australia holds many treasures but they have to be found, miles and miles apart and plenty of bumps in between. How happy I am that you have been brave enough to go out there and see them. Australia is a big place and does not give up it’s secrets easily. I have had a wonderful life of wandering about Australia, how I envy you travelling about. How great to know you are seeing some of them. At the rate you are travelling you will be home in 2 or 3 days as you are on good roads now. Way back in 1964 I took Neil into Western Australia on a wildflower tour. At Kalgoorlie I took him down to a working goldmine. He had never been in a mine before, was not a bit happy right down there but bucked up when he got to the surface. This is from my diary of that day. Went to mines and found out that at 12:30 could go down a working mine in an organised party. Taken to the 19th level 2,100 ft down. Saw little specks of gold on the work face. Not allowed to take samples plenty to see did not seem as safe as the mines at Broken Hill. Neil not at all happy to see how a miner works. Under ground for 2 ½ hours then inspected the treatment plant. 6/500 lbs bars of gold per week 1 bar silver now and again some copper. We saw a bar of gold and the man in charge of our party said any one here that wants a bar of gold be quick as he pressed a button and the gold just disappeared. Another place I have written about in that diary of just under 50 years ago is Menzies: Early start on to Menzies an old town empty and decaying. The buildings, relics of the days of gold, just memories of days long past remain. The men have gone so has the gold. On to Sandstone long run on good graded natural road. Blue flowers made good pretty ground cover, miles and miles as far as the eye could see no dust noise or people. There were no statues in the lake then. How some things have changed – there was no one in the main street when we were there then but plenty of old gold mining machinery strewn about the country. We went as far north as the Gascoyne River, then followed the river down to the coast and set out down the coast line to Perth. Plenty of wildflowers as it rained so much that year. We were away for the last bit of September and all of October. I admired Mr B's trip priorities. A good laugh. No mention of his travelling companion. Regards Uncle Arthur
arthur Sorry about the extra letter - I hope you read the long bit meant for you. Good help etc etc