Day 177 - Balladonia to Mundrabilla

We left our overnight camp 635km from the WA/SA border.  Today we covered 479km of the Eyre Highway so we still have a way to go before we reach the border.

Not surprisingly the countryside “deteriorated” as we travelled east and the trees and foliage changed to reflect this.  There are some photographs below, which demonstrate the changes.

300914 Countryside east of Balladonia

300914 Fewer trees as we went further east

Our excitement rose as we read the sign to say we were about to start on the longest straight section of road in Australia.  146.6km later we took delight in taking a photograph of the first turn at its eastern end.

300914 Self explanatory except for the graffiti

300914 A few more trees appeared on the straight stretch

300914 Smaller and fewer trees on this part of the straight stretch

300914 Still on the straight stretch

300914 Still on the straight stretch

300914 The first turn at Caiguna, as we finished the straight stretch

We were cruising along an excellent road, commenting on the general flatness of the countryside when all of a sudden we came across Madura Pass.  Seems we had been on a bit of an escarpment and before our eyes the road plunged downwards to a very, very flat plain.  We crossed this plain for another 100km or so with the range hugging our left hand side.  It is still with us at our overnight stop at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse.

300914 Madura Pass - note the plain on RHS

300914 On the plain after Madura Pass.  Followed the escarpment
 on the LHS for over 100km to Mundrabilla

The changes in trees meant changes in colour too. There was another gum with different buds from yesterday’s example but with similar white flowers.  A large wattle tree caught our eye.  It was prolific.  The trees were quite large and the flowers up close were beautiful.

300914 Gum tree buds - different from yesterday's tree

300914 Flowers from the buds

300914 The gum in full flower (almost)

300914 Spectacular wattle appeared after Cocklebiddy

300914 The wattle close up 

Our days do not often pass without seeing something unusual.  Today it was:

•      A 1928 Ford in mint condition.  Its owners had just attended an exhibition of old cars in Perth.  We would have thought it better to ship the car over to Perth.  They, on the other hand, chose to drive it from their NSW home to Perth and back.  Their only failure had been a broken spring holding one of the brushes in the generator.  The owner proudly told us, “Part of a paddle pop stick was substituted to keep the brush in place”.

300914 A 1928 Ford at Caiguna Roadhouse



300914 Measured at 80kph

•     A mother emu and two chicks crossing the road.  Sadly, with a road train following us at 100km/h, we could not stop to photograph them.
• 
  
•       Three emergency RFDS strips on the road.  One is unusual enough but three? 

300914 This was the third emergency airstrip seen today

    The overwhelming feeling we got from our travels today was one of an immense country, with so few people living in it.  Lack of reliable water and the quality of the land must be contributing factors.  In this regard, there is no comparison with the Argyle region in the north. 

The Gnome was pretty impressed with Cocklebiddy. He was delighted to hear that two quails were born last night, so the quail population had risen to nine.

300914 The Gnome offering his welcome to Cocklebiddy

300914 Sammy the wedgetail eagle at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse

Day 176 - Kalgoorlie to near Balladonia

A beautiful day greeted us this morning and followed us all the way to our free camp overnight stop, 25km west of Balladonia. It’s a pleasant 26 degrees with sunny skies and a zephyr of a breeze. 

Today we travelled 388km and this time included Coolgardie on our return trip to Norseman.  Coolgardie is a lot smaller than Kalgoorlie and there was very little activity there.

290914 A decorated house in the main street of Coolgardie

290914 Are we in the wrong place? A misnamed hotel in Calgoorlie

290914 The community centre in Coolgardie

290914 Even Coolgardie has its own Ned Kelly

290914 The old gaol in Coolgardie

290914 The RSL in Coolgardie

290914 The wide main street of Coolgardie and no activity 

From Norseman we travelled through wooded countryside.  The land was covered in gum trees, which were not far from flowering.  It is disappointing they were not fully in flower.  We did manage to get a couple of shots of their  reddish buds and white flowers.

290914 The gum tree buds

290914 The gum tree flowers

From Coolgardie we back tracked 165km to Norseman and then did the big turn to the east as we started our search for the Nullabor Plain. We are not there yet but already we have traversed plenty of straight roads.

Trivia for the day: The name "Balladonia" is derived from an aboriginal word which means "big red rock by itself".

Day 175 - Much ado about nothing

Today's title says it all.  We stayed at home today except for doing a bit of shopping.  So we are all blessed with the briefest of blogs but could not let the opportunity pass without sharing the weather forecasting rock constructed in the caravan park.  The only unanswered question is "Who is Bryce?"  Oh! and there was precious little wind today.

280914 Bryce's Weather Forecasting Stone

x

Day 174 - Kalgoorlie

Hot day, horrible wind and bad enough to stay at home to watch the AFL final.  We did manage to slip out for a couple of hours this morning to spend some time at the lookout atop the tailings of the Kalgoorlie gold mine.

Gold was discovered by Paddy Hannan at Mt Charlotte, Kalgoorlie on 17 June 1893.  Pre 1989, the area was covered with many mining leases, none of which was very economic. Alan Bond then set about buying up the many leases in the expectation that by converting the mines to a single open cut, the economics would be improved. He did not complete the consolidation but Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Normandy Australia and Homestake Gold of Australia Limited, did so. The mine is now owned jointly (50:50) by Newmont Australia Pty Ltd and Barrick Australia Pacific. They now have a very profitable operation.  It must be because they are still mining and the hole is getting bigger.

The hole is called the Superpit and superpit is what it is.  Apparently it is the biggest open cut mine in Australia, even bigger than the iron ore mines at Newman and Tom Price.  It is quite a sight.  When they have finished mining here the pit will measure 3.8km long, 1.35km wide and 500m deep. We have attached some photos from which you may be able to glean some further information, apart from getting some idea of the vastness of this operation.

270914 The welcome sign

270914 The Superpit part 1

270914 The Superpit part 2

270914 Statue of Patrick (Paddy) Hannan, who discovered
gold at Mt Charlotte, Kalgoorlie on 17 June 1893

240914 Some history of the gold mine

270914 Mineralisation of the Golden Mine

270914 More information on the mine

As for the AFL, what a lop sided affair. We would have to congratulate the Hawks on an AFL masterclass, not just to win, but by such a large margin in a grand final.

And the wind continues to make our life uncomfortable.  There is dust and grime swirling around - so unpleasant.  Even the clouds have gone walkabout and left us with a perfect, azure blue sky.  30 degrees in the van, which adds to the discomfort. Thank goodness the humidity is very low.

Day 173 - Esperance to Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Another perfect day for travelling the 394 km from Esperance to Kalgoorlie. It was a cool 16 degrees when we left and with each km we drove the temperature increased until we were a warm 34 degrees when we arrived at Kalgoorlie.  A nuisance wind had developed during the day as well.

For portion of the day we drove through cereal crops.  These slowly disappeared then came sheep and finally, and this was for the majority of the day, we passed through what WA describes as Woodlands.  They claim it to be several million hectares in size and to be a sleeping giant waiting to be discovered by science eg medicines.  It looks like pretty boring countryside from an outsider's point of view, and the wild flowers did not seem to proliferate, beyond some spectacular displays of gazanias along the roadside near Norseman.

260914 Woodlands countryside

260914 Gazanias by the roadside at Norseman

Hand in hand with the Woodlands came gold mines and there were plenty on the way including but not limited to Challice, Harrisville, Marine, Jubilee and Mitel.  We stopped at Norseman, halfway for today's trip, and took a look at Central Norseman Gold's Bullen Decline Mine.  It has a spectacular 4 million tonnes tailing dump near the mine.  The dump is 40m high.

260914 Tailings dump at Bullen Decline Gold Mine in Norseman

260914 Looking over the Bullen Decline gold mine

From the Beacon Hill Lookout behind Norseman we could see the Woodlands country stretching beyond eyesight in all directions.  There were also some beautiful flowering gums on the top of the hill.  They belied the barren look of Lake Camden which we followed on and off for 100km from Norseman.

260914 Looking east from Norseman's Beacon Hill -
 green Woodlands in the background

260914 Flowering gum at Beacon Hill

260914 Lake Camden with mirage

260914 Lake Camden looking from the other side of the causeway

Norseman also provided our most unusual photograph for the day - corrugated camels.

260914 Corrugated camels in Norseman - made from corrugated iron

Came across a little roadhouse in the middle of nowhere with an unusual name, "Widglemootha".  Well at least it did not have an "up" on the end.  The locals abbreviate to "Widgie".

260914 Widglemootha Roadhouse through insect spattered windscreen

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a thriving town of 30,000 plus and obviously still relies on the gold mine for its sustenance.  It is unfortunately peak season in Kalgoorlie and we have been unable to secure a place on a tour of the gold mine before next Tuesday.  Dash it!  We will be well gone by then. 

Sun setting, wind moderating and temperature dropping.