Day 55. We left very early for our big run down the West Coastal Highway from Point Samson to Exmouth, about 600km. The entire trip was very interesting with the giant mesas of the Cane River Conservation Park and the rolling red sandhills after we crossed the wide Ashburton River. The variety of wild flowers were amazing and we stopped in several spots for photos. Morning tea at Fortescue Roadhouse and refuelling and lunch at Nanutarra Roadhouse. We turned off ...

Day 54. Our morning was spent walking the beautiful beach at Point Samson at low tide. After lunch we drove out to historic Cossack once again to view the art exhibition and the beautifully restored old courthouse and customs bond store dating from the 1890's. Then it was time to go fishing off the old Cossack wharf on the high tide. We caught our dinner for tonight consisting of a trevally and yellow tailed bream, both a good size. The weather here is so warm a...

Day 53. Today we are doing a day trip with Ross and Robyn to Roebourne, Karratha, Dampier, Cossack and Wickham to explore the huge mining and gas operations. First stop Old Roebourne Goal built in the 1880's, a sad reminder of the harsh treatment of aborigines who crossed the early settlers. Next Dampier and its huge port operations - Woodside-operated North West Shelf Karratha Gas Plant, Woodside's Pluto Gas Plant and Rio Tinto's Iron Ore and Salt Operations. A...

Day 52. Strong winds overnight so had to get up at 2.30am to let down our awning which was flapping in the wind, of course could not get back to sleep after that. Today was a washing day but after breakfast the winds calmed down so we all went for a walk to nearby Honeymoon Cove and the small port area featuring lots of heavy lifting boats and working platforms used for the iron ore operations and offshore gas fields. Ross and I went fishing for the afternoon at...

Day 51. Our drive out of Port Hedland fascinated us as we saw more huge port cranes and conveyor belts for loading iron ore onto the long Chinese bulk ore ships and a maze of train lines running in from the Pilbara mines. Also, huge piles of salt from the salt evaporation ponds. We travelled down the West Coastal Highway past Whim Creek Roadhouse and onto Roebourne, first settled in the1860's. The scenery was beautiful with the dark red rolling hills full of iro...