Tom who? Tom Price...
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2009
1
442
492
Trip End
Ongoing
Tom Price, Western Australia, Australia
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sirens at 5am in Newman, the little desert town in the middle of nowhere, what on earth?? Turns out a couple of cars went up in flames...oh and someone was murdered elsewhere in town!!
Newman is a rich mining town, incredibly rich I should say. For a remote town 450kms from anywhere, this town does not harbour the kind of trouble so often found in the little outback settlements. This aint no Meekatharra that's for sure...
From one mining town to another, we set off to Tom Price. What a long drive it was too. We finally arrived in late afternoon, to an overcast cloudy welcome. A stroll round the shops, a helpless look into the bakery that was closed, and drive to the...wait for it...drive in cinema!! Only in Aus...
Tom Price is another mining town, only this is a Rio Tinto town as opposed to BHP town and it is clear who spends the most money. Newman is green, massive footie ovals, brand new play parks, buildings, houses etc etc. Tom Price looks like it's poor cousin. Maybe the weather had something to do with it, because in all fairness the palm trees on entrance to town made you feel like you were in some tropical oasis!!
We decided not to hang around in town for long and head back towards Karijini. It's dark when we arrive and we bump along the dirt roads until we reach Hancock Gorge. There is no one around and it's pitch black, a little eery too may I just add, so we head back to the official Savannah Camp Ground at the Eco Retreat. Parking up in our bay, amongst the spinifex we settle down for the night.
Sunrise on Sunday morning is just beautiful, the birds are singing in harmony and there is an enjoyable chatter around the bush campsite. Dayne and I arise and head to Hancock gorge...Good Morning Sioned!!
Entering the gorge, Dayne and I wander down the rocky steps, wade through ice cold water and find our water to Kermits Pool. It is incredible being inside the eart, truly magnificent this place is.
After reaching a 'Stop!! Do Not Go Any Further' we decide it probably is best not to go on into the gorge. We have already been moved by the tribute to an SES volunteer who lost his life rescuing someone from death in the gorge, we don't want to see that happen to anyone else.
Back at the car, we hop in and head back to Newman. Home by midday, we spend the afternoon watching the footie and the evening relaxing.
