Pannawonica and Millstream.

PANNAWONICA 13^TH MAY

Peter and Maxine from Ningaloo suggested another route for us to take to get to Karijini N.P. It was to go to Pannawonica for the first night where we could grab a few groceries then they recommended we have a look at Millstream N.P, so we did. We pulled into Pannawonica late afternoon after driving past a massive new area of road works, bridges, and cuttings being built out on the HWY, a new mine site going ahead no doubt. We drove around looking for the C.P. Maxine said there was one! Nearly all the cars were mining cars with the fluoro green strip down them. We couldn’t find it so we ended up stopping and asking in at the local tavern. The answer we got from the young lady was” if you could call it a C.P. take this road turn right where you will see the oval, drive around the oval to the toilet block and you will see three concrete pads beside it, that’s it!”  We asked who we had to pay and she said not to worry because it was Sunday and the council office wasn’t open. So off we set and true to her word we set up right next to the lovely green oval in the open. We had power, water, and a great shower so all was good.

The so called C.P.



The lovely green oval and amenities.




Looking from the other way you can see the concrete pads
and how out in the open we are! That is a road on the left.



 We had to laugh the next morning being a Monday here we were out in the open having our breakfast as the kids and mums passed us on their way to school. We asked a mum walking by where the supermarket was which I am glad we did because there were no signs on building saying where it was. At the supermarket we had a chat to a mum and found out that Pannawonica is a closed mining town, meaning you must have a job with Rio Tinto to live here. We had a good chat about life in a mining town and she made an interesting comment about Tom and Charlie being aged 9/10 and said they would be bored in a town like this one, a valid point. She believes the family works better if the kids are babies to grade 2 you can keep them amused easier than older kids. She said it was getting harder and harder to get into a mine and you really need to do FIFO for a year with a contract company to get selected for Rio Tinto. We thanked her for her time did our shopping in the expensive little supermarket and headed out of town towards Millstream N.P.    

MILLSTREAM – CHICHESTER N.P. 14^TH MAY

 From Pannawonica to the Millstream we drove a well maintained gravel road because of all the mining areas around here the roads are looked after for the trucks. Millstream is a small N.P on the Fortescue River which you can drive through by following a loop road called Snappy Gum Drive.  We pulled in to a camp ground called Crossing Pools, a lovely spot right on the Fortescue River with a great swimming area. After we had set up we had a quick dip to cool off then went and did some exploring of the N.P.

The camp area at Crossing Pool, the river is behind the
trees on the right.



The Fortescue River swimming hole !
Toms clever photo with the reflection on
the water making it look like the picture is upside down.




From the same spot just looking to the left.



On the drive around Snappy Gum Road.




Views over the N.P.





Pete giving the underbelly of the car a  quick wash!
















We really enjoyed the Millstream Homestead it was full of history.

This homestead was built in the 1920's not far from where the original homestead was in the 1800's. The history around the place is told from the perspective of a young boy named Doug Gordon who lived here with his family in the 1900's. To the right of the homestead is a lovely flowing stream which supplied the house with fresh water and allowed them to have a huge veggie patch which was looked after by Chinese. In the peak Millstream was a thriving sheep station of 55,000 sheep on one million acres. The homestead went through many fazes and was even a tavern at one time when the areas around were thriving.




This picture was drawn by Doug at the age of 12 in 1932. I have got it as large as I can go but I don't think you
you can read it, there are some funny things on it from a 12 year old perspective. The boys
love the bit about the crow which is upside down because that is where his grandpa killed it!




This is the original cook house/kitchen.
The kitchens were always built separately in case they
caught on fire!




I don't think they were allowed to
wear bathers in the kitchen back then!!





These palms are Millstream Palms specific only to this area.
There are also date palms here that were introduced and
used for their fruit. They thrived here because of the
stream running through the area.



Part of the stream which runs through the garden.



Looking over the Fortescue River from the red cliffs.

 

 When we got back to camp it was time for another dip & then tea. That night we ended up having a late night chatting with our neighbours.

Just thought we would share with  you some of the sights we saw as we traveled  from  Millstream to Karijini N.P




Road trains



just a bit of dust!







Just moving a bit of stuff!

Parked at the Auski Road House on the Great
Northern HWY. That is our car beside the rig. There are two
of them the same and they are in the next photo, it will give you a good
idea of the height of the gorges.

  




Here they come up the HWYthrough the gorges
as we stopped at the Munjina East
Gorge Lookout