Saturday 18th July 2015

 

Hi from Willie Creek Pearl farm, near Broome WA..

 

We arrived in Broom around 11.00 am yesterday.  Immediately bought fuel as we had travelled from Port Hedland on a tank full.

Had pushed some headwind on the way up, but could probably have been able to go another 100 k,s.

Did some shopping, had lunch, then drove to Willie Creek Pearl farm, ( http://www.williecreekpearls.com.au }about 32 km from Broome along the Cape Leveque  road, and others.

There we had a tour telling us all about the process of growing & harvesting the pearls from the oysters.  Following an afternoon lunch provided by 2 hour tour we had a 20 minute helicopter flight over the area & saw 2 whales.  The chopper was a bit bigger than the Robin 22 at Indee.

 

After our evening meal Bev started to feel Squamish and eventually threw up during the night.  She did not feel like travelling today so we have stayed put.  Maybe just as well as she has been going at “the other end” today, and sleeping.  It is lovely day here and I have been able to watch the tide come in and go out from our door step.

We will probably be OK to move on again tomorrow.

Thursday 16th July 2015.  Barn Hill WA

Since my last email from Indee station on 26th June, we have been very busy.

Everything has been a buzz at Indee with lots of tourists coming in to stay for 1 to 3 nights. 

Sadly, we left Indee on Monday morning and met up with friends from Qld. in Port Hedland and stayed 2 nights at the free camp site provide by the council

On our way up the Great Northern Hwy. from Indee we spotted Miffy in her helicopter mustering the cattle, so we gave here a call on the CB to say cheerio.  She got a bit of a surprise I think.

On Tuesday morning, after being told by us & others about the Port cruise, Andrew & Isabelle, decided to book on the 1.30 pm cruise.  We hitched a ride into town with them to The Seafarers Centre where they were to pay & pick their tickets.  I bought a DVD that runs for 90 minutes for $19.95.  Alan, the head Chaplain asked if we were also going on the cruise and I sad “no” that we had brought people in from Indee a couple of weeks back and had taken the tour, and that we had only brought Andrew & Isabelle  in for today’s tour.  He asked if we would like to go again complementary. So off we went again.  I think we had a better trip this time as it was a smaller vessel with a flying bridge and could manoeuvre in closer between the stern of one ore carrier and the bow of the next.  This really allowed you to see the width of the ship, some up to 60 mtr. wide.  The port expects to set a new record this year by exporting 500 BILLION tons of iron ore. (That’s a lot of Mazdas!)

After leaving Port Hedland yesterday, we camped at Sandfire Roadhouse, and am now at Barn Hill for the night.

I have probably left a lot out by now, so cheerio for today.

Regards from Des & Bev. 

26th June 2015

Friday 26th June 2015.

Gosh! 16 days since last email. Will be hard to remember what has happened in that time.  On Tuesday this week we took a couple of older people into town with us and went on the “Up Close” 11.30 am harbour (port) tour that the Seafarers conduct daily.  This was very interesting.  After an introductory talk and slide show, we were taken by bus to the jetty where we boarded  vessel that took us on a 45 minute tour of the port.  Along the way we called at various iron ore carriers to pick up about 14 seamen to bring the to shore for a few hours shore leave.  Most of the seamen are from foreign countries who sign on for 2 years spend most of the time on board.  The ships are only in port for 24 to 30 hours before leaving with up to 257,000 tonne of iron ore.  And up to 327 meter in length.  They sure are massive when the boat that we were on pulls right in under the to the gang way to pick up the seamen.  I will send this part now before the computer restarts because of an update.

Des.

I will send a few pics of the port tour.  The attached link is some info on Port Hedland.  Here you will find a photo of Colin, our host at Indee station. http://www.visitporthedland.com/

We also had Colin.s older sister from Balmain along with us for the day.The Indee 500 is on this weekend so we will be hearing a lot of motorbike noise, and getting some dust as well.

The temperature has been down to 13 degrees of a morning and up to 34 during the day.

Friday 12th June 2015

Friday 12th June 2015.

Here are a few pics of the updated camping area at Indee Station WA.

We have been averaging 6 or 7 units each night since the weather fined up and the road have dried out.

There are still 8 hot & cold showers, 12 toilets, BBQ, there is bore water not really suitable for drinking but a small amount of rain water is available at the homestead if desperate, no powered sites as the station relies on generator and solar.

Caravans, 5th wheelers, motorhomes, camper trailers all welcome.  There is a bush camping area where campers can have a fire.  A bit longer walk to the showers & toilets.

I think that has covered it all.

Regards from Des & Bev. 

Wednesday 10th June 2015

Hot again today.  No rain for nearly a week now.  Went out about 15 km over the other side of the Great Northern Hwy. This morning with a wheel for the fork lift that we had patched earlier.  Had brought it in yesterday after it went flat. The machine was actually called a teleporter. The young helicopter pilot returned from Pardoo station before lunch.

On clogged a drain pipe from the laundry thisarvo, and now feel st....ed!

Had 19 for tea tonight after about 29 for happy hour.  Keith & Eira from Bunbury arrived here on Monday.  They are the couple with the big brown dog called Robbie who have been over home a couple of times.  Lots of people from down south heading up north for the winter.

Feeling a bit sleepy now so had better get off to bed.

Des & Bev.

Look out Quolls, here we come !! You have been cautioned!

Saturday 6th June 2015.

On Thursday I was lucky enough to be down where they land the helicopters when not out mustering. They being a youngish girl & her partner who use Indee as a base most of the time. When she landed and unloaded her swag and pack etc, she beckoned me over and offered to take me for a quick (3 minute) flight over the immediate homestead area.  Of cause I did accept without any hesitation.  It was a bit difficult to quickly line up a photo shot, so I more or less just kept shooting out of the open door, and a couple through the windscreen. Canopy. 

There is still a lot of water laying around here and still some on the road in out nearly to the Turner river.  Grahame has been out yesterday and today grading the tourist road and it is like a highway most of the way.  There is still a few inches of water running over the crossing.  We have been getting campers in again over the last few nights.

We just had a Skype call from Colin, he is in Peru and heading to Quito, Ecuador (today).  Other than general day to day goings on, I can’t think of anything else to report, except that is real short sleeves & shorts dress the order of that day, very nice.  18 deg. over night with 30 during the day.  Sorry to upset the Southern & Victorian people.

Cheerio for now.

Indee station WA 3/06/2015 8.45 pm.

The rain cleared up by Saturday, then the heat set in.

Nobody was able to get out on Friday to go to town as there was a lot of water on the road and the Turner river was running over the crossing.

It was a public holiday in WA on Monday.  Betty, Bev & 2 others went into Port Hedland on Tuesday to shop and pick up the mail.

Have been busy fixing “things” and cleaning up etc.  There is still some water laying on some of the roads around the station so the muster is still on hold at the moment until it looks like we can get the trucks in to to take the cattle out to the ship.

It looks like the Indee 500 will be lucky and have a “fairly” dry track by the end of the month.

Goodnight for now,

Des & Bev.