11 – 22 August 2023

For our last week or so home, we traveled south along the Great Northern Highway. Firstly we visited Newman for a few supplies, fuel and filled up with water at the slowest tap probably in Australia if not the world! After chatting to a couple at the water tap, we had some new camping spots to check out on the way south. We were not overly impressed at Newman. It felt as if the hi-vis brigade aka mining companies has overrun this probably great town. We kept driving and found a campsite on the side of the road, about 50km from Newman. It was just a gravel, shrubby area on the side of the road, but you could drive for at least a kilometer to get away from the road noise. We ended up staying 2 nights to do a bit of washing and collect some firewood for the drive home. The satellite tv came in handy so we could watch the Matildas win their WWC quarter final match against France and the Dockers absolutely annihilate the Eagles.

As we kept driving south, we watched as the landscape changed from mountainous ranges to flat plains, covered in wild flowers. Carpets of whites, yellows and pinks were everywhere. We chose a campsite recommended by the people in Newman called Bilyuin Pool. It is 90km north of Meekatharra and 14km off the highway. We were very pleasantly surprised by this camping area. It is a permanent water source along the Murchison River and in the wet season is overflowing. There was grass which was such a treat to be able to walk around and not get covered in red silty dust. Because of the pool, we dug the pump out of the depths of the car and could pump water out of the pool straight into the van for nice long showers. We took advantage of the water and washed everything including the car and caravan. We enjoyed watching the many species of birds frequent the pool and the local, very inquisitive cow population. The only downside were the billion flies. Thank god we had fly nets which we actually haven’t used up until that point. After 2 beautiful quiet nights, it was time to move on.

We stopped in at Meekatharra for fuel and a look around. The visitor center ladies were very passionate about their town and region and gave us a heap of information to trawl through. The town is very RV friendly with water, dump point and a free camp just 3km from town. We decided to stay at the free camp Peace Gorge. The granite outcrops are very popular with locals and tourists and provide for a magnificent backdrop to setting sun. The name Peace Gorge comes about as this was the place of a picnic in 1919, celebrating the end of WWI.

After Meekatharra we decided to put in a big day of driving, covering over 500km. After an early start, we stopped at Cue for breakfast. After a little look around town we kept on going and landed at Mount Magnet for fuel. Eagles and hawks seemed to be everywhere along the sides of the roads, taking advantage of the roadkill for breakfast. We then turned off the Great Northern Highway and headed West to Yalgoo. We stopped for lunch and a walk around town. The temperature has dropped dramatically and the wind had such a chill so we jumped back in the car and kept on driving. We decided to take the road less traveled, heading south west and what a road it was (not in a good way). Although the road was sealed (our map book (yes we still use one) showed a section as unsealed), it was full of pot holes and lumps and bumps. A lot of the time, the road was only wide enough for 1 car without having to drive on the gravel shoulders. Thankfully we only had to pull on to the gravel once. The landscape is so very different from earlier in the day. Farm lands of the mid west surrounded us, growing fields of iridescent yellow canola and other fluorescent green crops. The yellow and white wildflowers flagged each side of the road like a never ending floral runway. We were not sad to see the last of the fine red dust that has invaded every nook and cranny of the car, van and probably us! The last town to drive through was Morawa before finally arriving at the Three Springs campground. This campground allows visitors to stay for 2 nights free of charge and even has access to the aquatic center’s hot showers. We decided to make a night of it and head to the old Commercial Hotel for dinner and to watch the Matildas verse England in the WWC. The pub was pretty busy for a Wednesday night with a few of the women’s footy team in for dinner after training, a few locals and a heap of workers who had booked out all of the hotel’s accommodation. It sounded, just like us, no one had ever watched a soccer match before but everyone seemed to be armchair experts and rode the highs and lows of the game together. It wasn’t the Matildas night, but everyone seemed to enjoy the game all the same. We took advantage of the town’s historic walk trails, learning about the history of the area including an Irishman who built the silos and local swimming pool. It was WA’s 2^nd Olympic sized pool and opened in 1961. The Irishman however, built it too wide and so has 9 lanes instead of the standard 8. The temperature has definitely dropped, so the diesel heater in the caravan has been a blessing.Three Springs really surprised us with its’ amenities, well kept streets and history. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend others visit and stay a night. After leaving Three Springs, we made the short drive to the Watheroo Station Tavern for the night. The pub which is the only thing in the town offers a free camping area and ask that you come and have a drink. We of course obliged and had a meal and a few drinks as we chatted to the very friendly locals. Our last few days were relatively short driving ones as we finally made our way back to the depths of a Busselton winter. Before getting home, we stopped in Perth for a couple of nights and caught up with some amazing friends from our school days and of course family. Now finally back home, all be it for a very short time, we have had a little bit of time to reflect on our trip.

Kilometers traveled – 9,585

Days away – 158

Camp sites – 34

Favourite spot – Karajini National Park

Memories made – countless

Now we prepare for our next trip to south east Asia, exploring 4 countries over the next 11 weeks. Stay tuned to see how we cope living out of our hiking packs, learn about different cultures and history, visit some spectacular scenery and meet new people along the way.