Newman was a surprise! - 21st & 22nd July 2013

After Trish's close encounter with the Wedge-Tail we arrive in Newman safely and happy to finally be experiencing warmer weather. Newman is a very neat but obviously a FIFO town. Both caravan parks have been set up as huge FIFO villages, with 500 beds in the one we stayed at and 700 at the other. But still they managed to still have a good holiday caravan park feel to the tourist section. Excellent ablutions and a great camp kitchen.

Day one was a bit of a chill out day and a brief look around town and the Tourist Centre where we booked in a mine tour for Monday. We couldn't come here and not see the large open cut pit that once was Mt Whaleback.

Monday we were up early to get to the Tourist Centre and ready for the tour. Once fitted out with all the Hi Vis vests, hard hats and safety glasses it was tour time. The two small buses were replaced by one larger one as more and more people arrived and booked in. Happy to be called Seniors and get the cheaper price.

The tour and the explanation of the geology of the area and the mining process was always going to interest a couple of Rock Hounds. I had to make Trish put back some of the larger samples that we were allowed to help ourselves to. So with the thought of fitting them into our bikes or trailer we came away with a small sample of the Brockman Hematite (70% iron ore) and a couple of pieces of the Goethite Limonite (61% iron ore)

After being amazed by all the big statistics about sizes of machinery, tonnages moved, length of trains and a great view from the lookout we were bussed back for our coffee, scones and cream. Even though we had booked in early, arrived early, placed our order for coffee etc. early we were the last to get served. After watching 52 others scoff delicious scones and cream Trish was getting a bit testy by the time it finally got to us. You need to understand she is a "Creamaholic" and was well past her need for a cream fix. Explanations from me like "Well someone has to be last" did not go down too well. Once soothed buy cream she was fine.

Our inquiries about a tour from Tom Price to Karijini National Park were not very fruitful and would have been quite expensive anyway. Trish hates gravel roads with about the same intensity and passion that she LOVES cream. I hatched a plan where we would carry enough water, food and extra fuel for Trish's bike and go on the bitumen to the Dales Camping area with only the roads in the camp area gravel. This would take some extra good smuggling by me to fit all the extra supplies on-board our already full loads.

Karijini only has drop toilets, gas B-B-Qs , then nothing else so we would have to be self-sufficient for three days. Five litres of fuel would be strapped to my back seat, ten litres container of water on top of the esky and food to be concealed in every possible orifice of the trailer. With the thought of our little Orlena having her possible operation coming up it was difficult for a Nanna and Poppy to contemplate being off the mobile contact for a couple of days; this was a bit daunting. So we armed family with phone numbers for the Park Rangers and hoped that they would be obliging if an emergency occurred.

Explorer Dave