It was then on to Port Smith Lagoon Caravan Park which is about 25 km further south down the Great Northern Highway and then 23 km out to the coast.   Once again the road to the coast was unmade, sand , corrugations and the occasional bulldust. We took it easy with the van and eventually made the caravan park.   Port Smith Lagoon is a very large tidal lagoon and if you had a boat would be a fisherman's paradise as there is easy access to the Indian Ocean as well as good fishing in the lagoon.  With no boat you are restricted to fishing in the lagoon 2 hours before and after low tide.  We took the opportunity to throw in a line and was lucky enough to catch a couple of fish but as it was not enough for a meal we gave them to the people in the next van who we were fishing with.  With what they caught they had enough for a reasonable meal.

Oh No, There's Sharks In The Water.....   One night was enough at Port Smith.   Been there, done that.    Southward bound again, this time down to 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park which is about 260 km north of Port Hedland.  The caravan park is without doubt the best along this stretch of coast line.   Nice large grassed sites, clean toilet blocks, a well stocked little mini mart with reasonable prices and a 300 metre walk to 80 Mile Beach.  And what a beach.  At high tide the beach is about 40 metres wide but at low tide the beach would be close to a kilometre wide.   Great for beach cricket.   You could put the MCG on the beach and still have room for the spectators.    We drove the Landcruiser about 6 km north along the beach and found the fishing is great.   In the space of 3 hours Liz and I, between us, caught 6 small School Sharks, one good size shark which we filleted and 6 Threadfin Salmon, more than enough for a few of good meals.  The next day we tried our luck again and was lucky enough to catch another nice Salmon and another reasonable size School Shark which we filleted and then had enough for about 6 meals.   Liz also spent considerable time partaking in her new found hobby of shell collecting.  If she keeps collecting at the current rate we will have to buy a bigger caravan in Perth to carry all the shell.

The Longest Coffee Break.....  After four days at Eighty Mile Beach it was time to head towards Port Hedland and restock for our trip into Karijini National Park.  Approximately 70 kms from Port Hedland, we came across this off road stop at the De Grey River.  We were there only for a coffee break and two nights later, running out of wine and potatoes we decided that we better move on.  Our caravan door was about 3 metres from the waters edge and we had a view up and down the river.  We certainly spent a relaxing time watching the world go by and throwing in the fishing line but was only fortunate enough to catch one bream.  There were a number of caravan and camp sites along the banks of this river which is 250 metres wide.  By coincidence we caught up with a couple who we had met last year in Mt Isa and again on the Barkley Highway.  It is really a small world.

A sandy 4WD track to the 'Rock of Ages" at Cooke Point, saw us once again throwing in our fishing lines.   Rob caught four big mackerel (60 cm in length) and a nice trevally within 30 minutes.  It was truly amazing.  At least 30 fisherman were fishing from this point and everyone was catching them. We actually were able to give some of our fillets to our neighbours next door as our freezer was bulging at the seams.  A beautiful meal of marinated teriyaki mackerel and white wine (now back in stock in our cellar) with plenty left over for other meals (mackerel and wine that is). How many ways can you cook mackerel?

The Adventure Park, Karijini National Park ....  After a night at Auski Roadhouse put to sleep by the drone of the diesel generator it was time to move on to Karijini National Park.  A 70 km drive on first class bitumen roads to the park entrance and then another 10 km on a dirt road to the Fortescue camping area which was to be our base for the next four days.  Whilst very basic; no power, no grass, no showers and lot's of red dust it did have nice clean pit toilets.  We have found, without doubt, that the Hammersley red dust is the dustiest, dirtiest red dust in all Australia, basically because it is made up of iron oxide (rust).

Karijini National Park has to be one of the most spectacular National Parks in Australia.  The many gorges that scatter the ranges, expose the dominant layering and sediments which make them some of the oldest land forms in the world.   The walk trails in the heart of the gorges wind past waterfalls, permanent rock pools and areas filled with lush vegetation which is a contrast to the rich red rock faces of the gorge walls.  For the adventurer these gorges provide some interesting and challenging walks where you have to descend down steep cliffs, walk and swim through icy cold water to get from one section of the gorge to the next and climb down waterfalls hanging on to hand rails and knotted rope.   Because of the big wet season there is still lot's of water around and water falls such as Joffre Falls which are normally dry in the dry season still had lot's of water flowing.  This means that areas of the gorge normally dry are filled edge to edge with icy cold water.

Not to be outdone by the back packers and younger tourists we took all the challenges of the gorge walks on with enthusiasm and gusto but not without some minor bruising and dented egos.   You really do need a good level of fitness to climb in and out of these gorges which can be up to 100 metres deep.  Over the four days we were in the park,  we successfully negotiated all the gorge walks.  In a number of cases we had to swim through icy cold and quite deep water to get to the next section of the gorge or climb along slippery rocky ledges to avoid the water.  Some of these gorges come to an abrupt end at very narrow chasms and waterfalls,  and to proceed further you need climbing gear and other equipment.  As the photo shows Rob had a 'brush with death' at Joffre Falls when he slipped and was left clinging to a rock ledge with an 80 metre drop to the gorge floor.  After taking the photo Liz saved him from near certain death.   What a lady!

The visit to Tom Price was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me (Rob) as I had been involved in the early 70's with setting up airconditioning systems in the mineworkers residences and offices.  Whilst the town has grown substantially since then, many of the houses still have the original airconditioners fitted.  Just amazing.   One of the landmarks that was still there and I remember fondly was the hotel.  Whilst extended and now managed by Mercure Inns the original section of the hotel is still there with the same bar.   I walked in to take a look and some guy walked up to me and said, "hey Bob, we wondered where you got to, it's your shout".

Until our next update.