Port Hedland to Tom Price via Karijini National Park (Sunday 9th May 2010)

Travel day. Port Hedland to Tom Price via Karijini National Park 432km.

Have been on the road 6 weeks today.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Slow start. Up at 7am. Had brekky and packed up camp. Lucky for us South Hedland has a McDonalds so we managed to get our caffine fix for the day. It also doubled as my Mother's Day pressy. On the way to Karijini National Park by 9.30am. Trip distance meter clocked over 10,000km today. The roads have been long with a forever changing landscape passing you by. It's never boring and there's always the guarantee of a truck passing with with an 'oversized load' and believe me you are amazed at what the trucks carry around here!

We entered Karijini NP at 12.20pm and went straight to the information centre. We were limited in what we could go and see because we are not in a 4WD so Dales Gorge area where there are 2 falls was our limit. We stopped and had lunch in the NP. Hot, dry and lots of red barren dirt. You can camp in designated areas in the NP but there is no power.

The steps into Fortescue Falls descended sharply into the deepest gorge we'd seen in a while. The 'pool' below the falls was lined with rock face that was layered to naturally form what looked like thousands of steps. A little further on and we reached the Fern Pool. It was an amazing emerald green colour.

We spent the night at Tom Price. We had very friendly neighbours that night, an older Italian

couple Tony and Rosemary who brought over their chairs and homemade wine to share with us. They chatted into the night telling us the funniest stories. It was like having mum and dad around. The similarities were unbelievable!! They gave us their address so we can visit them and the rest of the family when we reach Bunbury. Yes, we are part of the family after just one night!!