Mike’s Road Trip from the Kimberley to Perth
Mike’s Road Trip from the Kimberley to Perth
Posted on
At the end of each Kimberley season, we shake the red dust off(as best as we can) pack the truck up and begin the journey from the Kimberley to Perth. Our guide Mike put his hand up this time to do the honours. Check out his humourous travel diaries below as he documented his journey back to the big smoke.
From Mike,
So I had a long but nice drive down from Kununurra after a successful Inspiration Outdoors Kimberley season.
Travel Journal day 0.5
Despite an offer of going to Ladies Day at the Kununurra Races (not from anyone from Adventurous Women), I left the AW mob in Kununurra at 3pm after a hot and humid day with a few clouds around. As if it had been holding off until we had finished all our tours for the season, it poured down on my way out of town!
And then it fined up again, in time to say farewell to Mirriwoong Country at Pompey’s Pillar and hello to Bullock Dreaming in Gidja country.
Dinner that night was just south of Hells Crack (Hall’s Creek) and consisted of a couple of handfuls of nuts and a slice of lamington. Rolled the swag out and was asleep in about 2 minutes… until a few sprinkles of rain fell and woke me up so I dragged the swag under the truck and then back to sleep it was.
Travel Journal Day 2
Checked the truck out in the morning and saw a seal had gone on the transfer case – be right till Broome though! Crossed the mighty (dry) Fitzroy River which was over the bank on the right of the picture and a metre deep through the Lodge in 2011 when I was there!
Fuelled up at the BP Ngiyali Roadhouse which had been broken into the night before and was served by a very grumpy woman, who couldn’t even put the kettle on for a drivers coffee. Held my tongue and drove to Broome past a nice big boab tree. It looked a bit lonely actually. I thought I should clean the windscreen too. Which reminds me, does anyone know the joke “what was the last thing that went through the grasshopper’s mind as it hit the windscreen?”
Travel Journal Day 3.
Monday morning and Broome Diesel were ok to replace the seal on the truck so I left at lunchtime after a walk down to the Port and along the beach. Alas the Port coffee shop wasn’t open so I ended up actually walking along the beach and not drinking coffee all morning.
Port Hedland was memorable… in as much as it was on dark and there were heaps of trucks and roadworks and flashing lights and well… I want to say that Port Hedland is the least attractive town in WA! Camped in a parking bay 100 k’s down the road and had leftover Mexican and corn chips for dinner heated up on the fire. Trucks were fairly quiet overnight but started at 0500. No need for an alarm. Ps it was cold too.
And then it was through the lovely Hamersley Ranges where Adam and I started our northern adventures, way back in May.
The cruise-controlled kilometres rolled on, into Newman and beyond. Well over halfway home now, only 1400 kms to go!
There were some big rigs on the road, it’s good to have a UHF radio to stay in touch, so when the pilot tells you to “wind ‘er up” before the floodway finishes, that’s what you do. It feels strange overtaking around a corner on double lines but you’re allowed to in these cases. Mind you, the bus takes a bit to wind up. Oh and then the truckie tells you that your canvas bag on top is unzipped and so you pull over in between the two big rigs, do it up, only to have to go through the whole process of passing them both again!
And then keep driving, past Meekatharra and Mt Magnet and was amazed by the wildflowers!! Camped that night surrounded by them! Dinner tonight was nice and easy, scrambled eggs on toast by the fire.
Travel Journal day 4.
3 degrees overnight, a tad chilly! So I had a quick cup of tea, started up and turned the heater on…til about lunchtime. The road is rubbish for a while after Dalwallinu, definitely due for an upgrade. I had a nice welcome at the servo in Dalwallinu. On the way up in May, I gave the lady there a couple of mandarins from my tree and she remembered me. Said they were the best mandarins ever so she took a photo of them and showed people. Then her husband came in as she was thanking me and punched my lights out. Nah, just kidding, I was just seeing if you were still reading all this.
And so… on to Perth (and traffic lights)!! Then unpack, then home! 3,400 km’s done and dusted… Till next year.
Thanks to all the IO crew for a great season, it was fun going on holiday I mean working with you all.
Ps there’s always time to stop and smell the flowers along life’s way.
PPS But not always time for a shave or a haircut.
Magic Mike Pigeon Harris
