Covid Revised: Roaming near Rudall River/Karlamilyi National Park

[Daver6]

Is there any opportunity to overtake them? ie they pull over every so often, if they can?

Plenty of over taking opportunity in a regular car even without a CB radio.

 

[JohnM]

Next day was the start of the tag-along, now modified to spend three nights at each of Carawine Gorge. Meentheena Vietnam Veterans’ Retreat and Marble Bar. North out of Newman, past Roy Hill mine site on sealed road where the Mulla Mulla was prolific and in full bloom, then on dirt through to Nullagine for a pitstop and air-down tyres before looping around to Carawine Gorge on the scenic Skull Springs Road.

Google Maps does not cover the Skull Springs back road from Nullagine to Carawine Gorge. Meentheena is off the Ripon Hills Road and on the Nullagine River at the highlight mark.



And Nullagine.



While we were at the rest stop, a guy was changing two wheels on his off-road style caravan. Jeremy, our tag-along leader got chatting to him to find that he’d got a little way out on Skull Springs Road before puncturing the tyres and retreating.

Asked what pressure he was running at, the response was 45psi (or something like that or more). Meanwhile we’re all in the background letting our tyres down. The bloke was not interested in that or a bit of free professional advice about tyre pressures on rough roads. Jeremy retreated and the chump continued changing his wheels.

You just can’t get through to some people…

 

[JohnM]

Plenty of over taking opportunity in a regular car even without a CB radio.

Not quite so simple with a long convoy consisting of two or three extremely wide loads (usually Haulpak chassis or, even wider, Haulpak trays). I took it that @RooFlyer was alluding to that sort of situation, rather than the more conventional road trains or moderately wide loads.

It's why the pilots always give number of semis plus width in their calls. A convoy of three super-size can be very long.

I also think that you will find that they are on cruise control to maintain their set separations and do not want people weaving in and out of a convoy.

The following pilot will move out to the right to block if he senses a cowboy without comms trying it on.

 

[JohnM]

Out onto Skull Springs Road. The spinifex was as green as I’ve ever seen.



Pleasant lunch stop.



Pressing on.

 

[JohnM]

Prostrate Mulla Mulla.



Firewood collection stop before fording the Oakover River.



Left turn onto the sealed road servicing a mine and the run west to Carawine Gorge.

 

[JohnM]

While on the overwidth loads in convoy. Jumping ahead to my return S on Great Norther Highway:

Right off the road and certainly no freeforall overtaking for this two-semi convoy:



Or this three-semi convoy, which I recall was the widest I encountered at 8.5m.

 

[JohnM]

And Carawine Gorge, first evening, followed by next morning.



Despite the leaf appearance of a thistle, this is Mexican poppy – an introduced weed.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

That afternoon, a short drive to glacier rocks. Polished by glacial activity a while back https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/static/Journals/080052/080052-21.034.pdf).



And the end of another day, followed by a full moon.

 

[JohnM]

The following morning, we retraced our drive back to Skull Springs Road and a little way back towards Nullagine from where we forded the Oakover River to Running Waters. A pleasant spot with plenty of trees, especially massive paperbarks near the water. There is a small thermal spring at one end of the pool, making swimming pleasant.



Back to the camp at Carawine Gorge and some visitors to greet us.

 

[JohnM]

Cometh the next dawn.



A morning hike to the top of the bluff in the sunrise pics.

 

[JohnM]

Back down and chilling around camp until a post-lunch departure for Meentheena.

 

[tgh]

Never mind the floral tributes.. where are the Monoliths… there has gotta be some Monoliths somewhere out there

 

[JohnM]

Never mind the floral tributes.. where are the Monoliths… there has gotta be some Monoliths somewhere out there

In transit to China...

 

[JohnM]

Then on to Meentheena Vietnam Veterans Retreat (Meentheena).

As I understand it, it is either all or part of the old Meentheena Station that has been destocked (although there were unmarked cleanskin cattle roaming about) and is now or is becoming a conservation park.

We camped by the Nullagine River, a few km from the reception and fixed accommodation area. Very tranquil and the water, while barely knee-deep, was running and clear and good for a splash each day.

 

[JohnM]

Next day was a full-day outing to the end of Meentheena to check out some old station homestead and stockyard ruins and the varied scenery. Led by Dick, who along with partner Kath. are the Meentheena caretakers.

About 30km out, and back the same way. Slow going, with quite a few sharp washouts. A good 4WD workout. A great day.



Pebble-mound mouse (Pebble-mound mouse - Wikipedia) nest. It’s active, but the mice are nocturnal. The caretakers had some motion-sensor remote camera video they showed us.

 

[JohnM]

Morning break on the Nullagine River.



Old homestead ruins.



Blacksmith’s workshop area.



Sharpening stone. Quite why a long line of bottles was buried near the old house is a mystery. Maybe it marked a path.



And on to Baroona Hill, overlooking the Nullagine River.

 

[JohnM]

Back to the river for lunch, then a walk to the other side to an old grave site and bloodwoods with large galls.



Dark ones are old with the galling-inducing insects having completed their development and emerged; light ones contain living insects.

 

[JohnM]

Heading back to camp via derelict sheep yards, shearing shed and well. Need to be careful about checking that spinifex has not been caught under the engine; it’s a nasty fire hazard.



Remnants of the wool press and spinning skirting table.

 

[JohnM]

Some crazy cleanskins decided to run along the track for quite some distance instead of veering off it.



And back at camp. A refresh in the river and I caught the tail-end of a rather spectacular sunset, with Venus.



And home sweet home at Meentheena. The weather was warm during the day (high 20s-low 30s) and mild at night, becoming nicely cool by the morning. PERfect.