April 12 - 14 (Day 340 - 342) - Newman to Karijini rest area

 Monday 12 April

We spent the night about 4 kms just north of Newman so that we could come back easily in the morning to go the visitors Centre to get a key so that we could empty our porta loo. This is the only place that we've needed a key for a dump point. Anyway after emptying and filling up the water tanks I did some food shopping. This is the last big shop we will come across until maybe Exmouth or later. Once we'd packed it all away we found a cozy spot to have our hot dog lunch.

  

Suburban streets in Newman

 

The town itself reminds us a lot of Alice Springs. Hills appear here and there in amongst the housing. The houses are also made of similar building materials. Mostly steel roofing with I'm assuming plaster board walls.

Oversize? Definitely this time!!

The drive north west out of Newman is a fairly steep climb of a couple of hundred metres through Cathedral Gorge and up to higher up in a spine of mountains along which the road then travels.

As we've travelled further north along the Great Northern Hwy we've come across so many 'Over Size' loads which means we need to pull off and give them room to pass because of our van.

 

 

 

 

Between Newman and Karijini National Park -
similar feel to the Flinders Ranges

Some of the areas up this way have a similar feel and look to the Flinders Rangers. Fairly long flat plains and then you drive through mountains.

Camped at the rest stop on Karijini Drive

Our intention was to drive up the Highway to a free camp spot past the turn off the Karijini called Albert Tognolini Rest Stop, but since this was another 20km past Karijini we decided to check out a free camp right at the junction of Great Northern Highway and Karijini Drive. This also had free wi-fi, and with the car parked at just the right angle (literally), we were able to pick up some mobile phone signal on the cel-fi go in the car. Seriously, if we drove the car a metre in one direction we would lose the connection!

We settled in and got set up and thought since we hadn't played a game for a while we'd get Monopoly out. The game was still going close to dinner time so Greg took over my spot while I made dinner.

Tuesday 13 April

Today really didn't work out very well for us! It started off quite sunny so we intended to look at the gorges which were the furthest from our camp site - Weano, Knox and Joffre Gorges. We drove the 80-90kms to the western entrance of the park, and realising how far it was and how much back and forth we'd need to be doing we managed to find some phone signal so we could book a site in Dales Gorge campground. The cost of diesel for all that commuting was probably going to be more than the camping fees, not to mention we'd probably run out of fuel anyway if we had to commute back and forth!

Five minutes later we got to the entrance of the park, only to find all the gorges at that end were shut because of all the recent rains, and there was thus no need to have paid for camping in a park which had all the attractions closed! Suffice to say we were pretty disappointed, but there was nothing for it but to turn around and go back and try to the gorges at the eastern end of the park.

We went back along the main road and started to head out on the dirt road to Kalamina Gorge, but the sky was looking very ominous and there was a sign saying Kalamina Gorge may be closed at any time. So we turned around and headed to the Visitors Centre to ask some questions and find out when things might be open. We found out Kalamina was just about to close, and the only one still open was Dales Gorge which we already did last time. So we headed back to the van where at least we had phone signal, to work out our next moves.

When we got back to the van the Monopoly game continued from last night between Jude and Greg. It actually went on for most of the afternoon.

Our view for most of Tuesday and Wednesday

The rain just didn't let up. It was going all afternoon and into the night. We started to notice water leaking in from the window shown and also into the tunnel that is under our bed. Unfortunately there are cardboard boxes in there that Greg had just replaced in Perth as the old ones were quite crushed from being pulled in and out. Anyway I think the box survived after having time to dry out in the van.

Wednesday 14 April

Today looks to be another rainy day. We are able to get minimal mobile service which seems to cut in and out and limited free wifi from the shelter nearby to get some school and business work done. But there was limited wifi on each of our devices so only lasted a short time.

The kids got a bit bored and started drawing on Jude's forehead and the results turned out hilariously.

 

We spent the day waiting and occupying ourselves in the van while hoping the rain would subside. But it didn't.

Boo rain! :(

This is one part of camping which is thoroughly unenjoyable. When it's raining and wet and soggy. You just can't do anything, and then when you get little water leaks and the rain starts coming inside too it surely puts a considerable dampener on one's spirits.

 We had dinner and noticed that more water was coming in down by the seat at the dining table through some crack in the window seal and discovered where the leak was that was getting into the tunnel under our bed.

At about 7:30pm, Greg thought we might be able to get some relief from the rain, and at least get the van dried out a bit to seal the leak, by moving the van under the nearby shelter. He went over to work out heights and widths and came back to say that he thought we could.

Planning the approach

So the next 2 hours we were manoeuvouring the van around to get it at just the right angle to go under. What made it harder was the fact it was so so dark and we were just working by headtorch light. The rear camera on the caravan was covered with water so was unusable, and we'd left the rear bed folded out to minimise packing up which meant the normally simple job of jumping on the back toolbox to clean the lens couldn't be done. As there was no light outside, the side mirrors on the car showed nothing. The only option was to wind down the window to get some idea and then you got soaked, as well as the inside of the car!

Coming close to one of the verandah poles

At first I was inside the van making sure our belongings weren't going everywhere as we'd left it pretty well set up, and the kids were directing Greg which proved still quite difficult. After a while I popped my head out and asked if they wanted to use the UHF to be able to talk to each other. So I came out and said I could reverse if Greg directed me. This worked much better - with Jude on the side of the car to relay instructions if necessary, Greg at the back of the rig and zipping here and there, and the other two keeping an eye on key corners, with much forwards and backing we FINALLY did it. YAY. Poor Jude was so cold to the bone, and after a while he got so cold he couldn't hold on any longer so went inside got changed and hopped under his quilt to get warm. I later gave him a hot water bottle to help even more.

Getting there...

 

Closer...

Digging down an old fire to ensure we cleared the roof

Juuuuust under!

We did it!!!

 

And the irony of it all? Not long after we all got into bed the rain stopped! It surely was a day we were glad to have behind us. But we had a peaceful night sleep not having to worry about any more raining dripping in.

-- Mim and Greg