Jatz's travels

[F5 Dave]

That's probably the best picture so far.

[JATZ]

That's probably the best picture so far.

Cheers. I'm trying to not post to many pics of rocks with bikes, roads with bikes and trees with bikes.
Sometimes there's not to many other options

[F5 Dave]

Well that's sunset over sea with the most attractive angle on that bike. It also conveys a story, a 'wish I was there now' emotion. I have a few of my own bike on tour that make me feel like that. For someone else's bike that's rare, especially, I think it's not cruel to suggest, a Utilitarian looking bike.

Well done.

[JATZ]

Couldn't help myself.....

This ones got a bike... with road, trees, a rock and a bonus mountain



excuse the filthy lens. I did clean it after the fact

[eldog]

That red stuff gets into everything, dang hard to get rid off...

your posts

[Toocs]

EXCELLENT pics and great commentary, Mr Jatz.

Bit curious about the place you mentioned as having been closed because of an "unstable rock". Bloody hope the bustard wasn't running around armed with loaded pebbles or anything.

[JATZ]

That red stuff gets into everything, dang hard to get rid off...

your posts

I don't think I'll ever get it out of my jacket. Some items of clothing will just get binned if and when I get home.

EXCELLENT pics and great commentary, Mr Jatz.

Bit curious about the place you mentioned as having been closed because of an "unstable rock". Bloody hope the bustard wasn't running around armed with loaded pebbles or anything.

Tunnel creek or something, just down the road from Windjana gorge. I guess somebody looked at the offending rock and made a comment to Parks or who ever controls these things. Absolutely an, over reaction. But if it did fall and hadn't been closed.....

[JATZ]

Hairgamma.... thought I'd update this so y'all had something to read while stuck in lockdown

I packed up slowly at Cape K and wobbled out of the park, grabbed some gas at Pardoo road house and hit the road south There really wasn't much to see. I rolled into Port Hedland around lunchtime and started phoning around for somewhere to spend the night. After quite a few "No sorry we're full" responses I found a place. Just about had a coronary when I was told the price, but it is what it is. A nice place right on the beach. quite up market too, I could tell it was up market when I was greeted by this on my bed



I've never seen a towel presented like that before possibly won't again either. I didn't have the heart to use it so just shifted it onto the table.
Port Hedland was... well... an industrial town. Everything had an orange hue to it from the iron ore. Lots of trucks, massive trains, the mining company's have their own rail networks, largest in the world, and workers in hi vis going about their business. It was quite pretty in places, but there was no escaping the industry
Nice sunset, complete with clouds, haven't really seen clouds for a while



I wandered along to the in house bar for a couple of ales and a feed, but I didn't stay long. Now here's something I've been ruminating on for a while... A few people have asked if I ever get lonely traveling by myself. I usually reply No, but it got me thinking. If I'm camped out somewhere with no one else around, I'm not lonely, just alone. I'll spend all day cruising around, looking at stuff, taking pictures, working out the next move, I'm not lonely, just alone. The times it is lonely is when you're in a crowd, on a tour, in a bar. Surrounded by groups of friends, couple's, families, all having a good time and interacting. Anyway... enough about that.
I didn't hang around town long. It was the sort of place I'm happy to leave. View from my deck in the a.m.



There's up to 30 ships out there at any one time, waiting to come in and get full of iron ore. It's a bit hard to see in the pic, but there was a cloud of iron dust along the horizon, from the port, hence why everything had an orange colour.
Leaving town... there was a sculpturey type thing. Notice the truck behind it ?



They were everywhere. I had a few goes at getting that shot, trying to get the truck in the right spot. If it didn't come out, there'd be another truck along in a minuit or 2 so I could have another go.
I made my way down to a camp I'd seen on wikicamps. It was only just gone mid day, but I stopped anyway. Walked around on the pile of rocks there, excuse the dirty lens, I did clean later



looking for snakes, none found. Set my tarp up so I had somewhere to shelter from the sun and relaxed with a book. I set up camp in the evening and was just didling about, when my new neighbor came wandering over to make sure they hadn't set up to close, it was all good, they must've been a good 20m away. Turns out they'd just stocked up with groceries and would I like to come over for vege burgers later ? Of course I would, never had a vege burger before. It was pretty good too We even did a book swap as I'd finished mine and they thought it sounded interesting.
I don't think I'd stay there again, the road trains thundering past every 10/15 mins or so most of the night put me off a bit.
Packed up next morning and made my way further south to Karijini N.P. I was filling up when a guy started yakking to me, he recomended I take the road along the north of the park, to Hamersley gorge. it was dirt, corrugated but I should be fine on a bike. It sounded alright. despite the fact he was trying to get tyres fixed as he'd used the last of his 2 spares.
So I paid for my fuel, grabbed a couple of sammies and a chocolate milk and was sitting outside when there was an alighty BANG !! I think a little bit of milk came out my nose... Turns out the work ute just in front of where I was sitting had had a battery malfunction when the guy, Kevin, had started it. It had exploded with enough force to blow the top of the battery clean off. We got chatting and he recommended the road through the center of the park. More scenic. It was





I don't know what the other one was like, but this was pretty cool. I even snapped a pic of a bike with a tree a rock, a road, and a mountain. See previous post... I got to a shortcut to get me onto the northern road, aired down and made my way to a free camp just outside the park and Hamersley gorge



It was a rocky spot. I had good cell on the ridge just behind camp too. Got some firewood together and settled in for the night. I had to have a look at this gorge in the morning. Was quite a climb down into it.



I can't decide which of these is better, so I'll bang them both here





Then it was just a slog back up to the carpark and make my way out to the highest town in WA. Tom Price. I went to the info center there and they could only suggest a couple of lookouts around town. I'd done Karijini and the mine tour was gone for the day, and wouldn't be another for 2 days. I asked about the road through to Panawonica (?) as I liked the sound of the name. I'd need a permit to drive on the Rio Tinto owned bit, and the road to Panawonica was pretty bad after the recent rain., but I could go right through to Karratha. So I watched the safety vid, donated a couple of bucks to the RFDS and had my permit.
I sat in the shade for a bit, stocked up on water, thought some more, and decided I couldn't be arsed riding ~300k's north to go to a town I didn't really want to go to (Karratha) then having to come back south again.
I rode up to a close lookout of the town



and headed the opposite direction, towards Parapurdoo. More gas, and I made my way west. There wasn't much in the way of recognized camps, so I made my own, a couple of hundred meters off the road, down a steep rocky bank and beside a dry creek. I would show you the camp pic, but it was a stealth camp and I don't want word getting out where it was, but it was here somewhere

[JATZ]

I lay around in the morning on my partially inflated mattress, (it developed a leak back on the Gibb rd and I haven't been able to track it down. It's good for about 4 hrs then needs re inflating. Might have to go back to the supplier and see about a warranty claim, it's only about 4 yrs old.) Googling and checking options for accom in/around Exmouth. My possible next port of call. everywhere I tried was booked out so I gave up and went with plan B. A little place called Onslow. Sorted that online and got up to make a brew and watch the ants start their day. there was a massive nest about 15m away. Fascinating
Lifting up my tarp in the morning there was a massive spider under it, musta been 6 inches across , venom dripping from his fangs and an evil look in his eyes. Guess he's not a morning spider
I got back up the bank out onto the road and towards Onslow. Some stunning scenery in the Pibarra region. I've said it before and I'll say it again. My pics don't do it justice.



even the panoramic ones look shite. It's an ancient landscape and the colours are next level. That rain I mentioned in the last post, well you could see evidence of it. Lots of flowers flowering and the smell was something else in places. Those people in their suv's/ 4WD's towing caravans with their comfy beds and fridges full of fresh food and cold beer wouldn't be getting the experience I was.





I made it to Onslow and my swanky resort digs. It's a cool little town right on the coast. I like it, like it a lot. I've even extended my stay another night. I'll have a snuffle around and see if I see anything worth sharing.

[Moi]

Wow! That folded rock... fantastic.

And the wild flowers... don't rush as the wild flowers are spectacular.

Again, thanks for sharing.

[JATZ]

Soooo.....
I spent a couple of days in Onslow, snuffling round, checking out a few things.
There is an ANZAC memorial



and a bit of a walkway around the foreshore



with some old relics



and this sculpture on the foreshore, I'm still none the wiser what the significance is The real dog just happened to be there, it's not part of the instalation



I rode out of town, to where the old town used to be. They packed it up and moved it to it's current site when the river silted up and the wharf got damaged in a cyclone
Not much there these days, lots of notice boards telling you what was there
The Police station and Gaol are still standing. It was in the too hard basket to move stone buildings.
Goal



Note the broken bottles on top of the exercise yard, I guess you use what's at hand if you don't have razor wire



and one of the cells. Complete with iron ring in the floor for restraining inmates



The Police station/Courthouse





And there's always a heap of old broken bottles at derelict town sites



Then back into town to have a look round the museum. There's a massive collection of shells there, here's a small selection...



Feeling as though I'd done Onslow, I saddled up next day and headed south , down the old Onslow rd. Quite corrugated in place and lots of sand, and I only passed one other vehicle, going the other way.



I'd put an extra couple of liters of fuel in the bladder, just incase. When I got back to the main rd and went to air up I noticed the seam on the side of the bladder had parted, spewing fuel onto my tent I still got a couple of liters out of it though. Then I just made my way to a campground on one of the stations, where I got a goldfish site.
Packed up next day and tootled of to Exmouth where there's a giant prawn



I got robbed here for some lunch. They wanted to charge me $50 for an unpowered site in the camp overflow, and were not entirely helpful at the info center. I got out of town. Very touristy and overcrowded Still managed to take a couple of detours on the way out though



I buzzed South a bit. my planned overnight stop was full, the next couple had sign's stating they were full too. It was a bit of a detour to go and find out for sure. I spoke to a couple of couple's towing caravans who were searching for somewhere for the night too. They told me Coral bay was booked out as well.
So I left them to it and continued on. Checking down a few little side tracks, but all were gated and locked. There was no vegetation to hide behind for k's all around so I kept going, starting to panic as it was getting late. I started to get into some taller trees/shrubs and eventually found a thicket to hide behind. Not far off the road, but totally hidden



Next tent is going to be camo or green
So I got up late next day, packed up and headed off. I'd been told to get myself to a place called Quobba, it was quite something... cobba
There was a blowhole on the way



I spent ages trying to get a decent shot, but I was always looking the other way when it really went off.
What an absolutely stunning spot. Watching the Indian Ocean smashing itself to pieces on the reef and rocks



I booked into Quobba station for a night with the option to extend...

[JATZ]

Naturally.... being on the West Coast there was a sunset, so I'll bore you with another sunset shot



I must be getting a bit 'Strayinized, as I rode into town the next morning to pick up some food/water and see if I could get another rear tyre (I couldn't) It was only a 160k round trip and I thought nothing of it.
I got back out to Quobba, offloaded my groceries, paid for another night and went exploring.
More waves...



Lots of tracks



Reef things to look at, down the bottom of cliffs



Some interesting rock formations





and stunning views



Thats Rio Tinto's salt pile in the background. They've got quite a big operation there. I almost strayed onto one of their private haul roads when I got "lost" in my exploring.
I finished the day with a gentle hoon back to camp along the main drag



and ended the day socializing with other campers.
I could've stayed another day there. I find the sound of the ocean peaceful, more so than the absolute silence of the outback, where you can hear a cricket fart 100m away.
But it was time to move on.
Heading South again...



Following the ribbon of seal, stretching away, arrow straight, in front of me.
I stayed at another roadhouse. it was packed with workers developing a mineral sand mine a bit further North. I only took one pic the whole day. the one above.
And the next... only one pic...



however... I did actually feel a couple of spots of rain, not a lot, but a couple. I haven't felt that since Cairns.
It started to feel a bit like home, except for the canola crops, heading through Northhampton. Rolling green hils and dodgy seal on the road. Making my way to Geraldton for a couple of nights, and a new rear tyre, which is desperately needed.
I think I'll head back north for a bit, check out Kalbarri, then go East.

[MrKiwi]

finally caught up with this thread, nice chatting last night.

[pete376403]

The dog sculpture -These custom designed statues are a replica of Gillie and Marc Art's Paparazzi Dogs and have been installed on the Onslow foreshore to capture the daily sunrise and Stairway to the Moon along Onslow’s Front Beach.
Shire of Ashburton President Kerry White said they are a symbol of the transformation of Onslow and celebration of the natural beauty surrounding our coastal community.

Mmmm okay
https://gillieandmarc.com/products/p...WpLLtHp1-vG2y0

[JATZ]

finally caught up with this thread, nice chatting last night.

Likewise MrK. It was quite random how the stars aligned and there was a zoom link posted.

The dog sculpture -These custom designed statues are a replica of Gillie and Marc Art's Paparazzi Dogs and have been installed on the Onslow foreshore to capture the daily sunrise and Stairway to the Moon along Onslow’s Front Beach.
Shire of Ashburton President Kerry White said they are a symbol of the transformation of Onslow and celebration of the natural beauty surrounding our coastal community.

Mmmm okay
https://gillieandmarc.com/products/p...WpLLtHp1-vG2y0

Thanks Pete, I figured it would have something to do with the sunrise or stairway to the moon. Your research is appreciated, simply because I'm to lazy to do it