2010 TRIP, NT, WA and The Gulf.

 

This was the big trip after getting the van and the 4WD. Headed west at the beginning of June 2010. I had never towed anything before, let alone this 2750 kg van. We had only got the car back from TJM a few days before after getting new heavy duty springs and shockies, bulbar with spotties, snorkel, 12,000 lb winch, tinted windows, extended diff breathers, UHF radio, and I’m sure there was more. Nice little price tag that was.

 

                               Fay having some fun on the first day.
 

 

                       Don't forget to fillup before you go anywhere.
 

                     ............yes, they call this The Plenty Highway.

 

So, westward ho, via, Boulia and The Plenty Hwy to Alice then The Mereenie Loop to The Rock and on to The Great Central Road to Cervantes on The Indian Ocean. Yeh, we did stop along the way and do all the touristy things, leisurely trip like.

Rainbow Valley, 85 kms south of Alice.

 

 

......and this time in colour. It's a fantastic place to camp for the night.

 

 

A lonely road.

 

 

And The Pinnacles at Cervantes. 

 

 

 From here it was up the coast to Exmouth, calling in at all ports. Then to The Pilbara to check out Karijini NP and Marble Bar. Didn’t think much of Port Hedland but Eighty Mile Beach was great even though it wasn’t a free camp. Every day I walked over the sand dunes and caught my four Threadfin Salmon, fantastic place. Broome, Cape Leveque, and the bitumen to The Bungles. Piccaninny Gorge is amazing for photography, but we only spent a few days there. Back down to the turnoff for Tunnel Creek, Windjana Gorge and on to The Gibb for the slog to El Questro……over rated. Next was Wyndham, Kununurra and out to Lake Argyle Tourist Village. We had been told by heaps of travellers to visit this place, and boy, its great…………..has an infinity pool and the view over Lake Argyle and the ranges is to die for.

 

Lake Ballard, really worth the visit.

 

 

The huge open skys of Exmouth.

 

 

I think the one thing that really impressed me about WA was the colour and clarity of the water.

 

 

Just north of James Price Point.

 

 

Cape Leveque....look at those colours.

 

 

........and this...

 

 

Cable Beach in Broome and this is the cleanest the car would be until we get home.

 

 

 

 

A free camp for the night.

 

 

 

 

Piccaninny Gorge in The Bungles.

 

 

Another free camp along the track.

 

 

This is the infinity pool at Lake Argyle Tourist Village about 65 kms south of Kununurra, cool hey.

 

 

                              Another celebration at Lichfield NP.

 

Rested up at Humpty Doo with family for a week and caught up with the grandkids. Back through The Gulf to Kurumba and on to Cairns to spend more time with family, and then a short cruise into Rocky.

 

Guess what we bumped into going through The Gulf.

 

 

And she was a beauty............lasted three hours and we never stopped.

 

 

Even tried a rescue job, but no way, he was hard and fast.



 

All up, we were away for six months, $8500 in diesel and did 28,000 kms. Not bad for first time nomads. One flat tyre, apart from that the trip went smoothly. The van and car is a perfect match. What a trip.

Chris.