Millstream National Park august 2022 and trip down to Ningaloo NP .

After spending 2 days in Tom Price -shopping , cleaning etc , and getting our permit to travel on ,we head across to the Rio Tinto rail access road and into Millstream .

This road is kept in better condition the the alternate road . Roeburn -Wittnoon rd to join rd into Millstream. Both are dirt roads

1^stAugust Monday arrived and set up in the campground. We then went to the Ranger station ,which is walking distance from camp, to put extra food for the month in the freezer setup for camp hosts. 

Found the head ranger, Kate , who was happy to see us again. Met new assistant and the 2 helpers.

Tuesday has been set for aerial muster of feral cattle that have got into the park from local stations. They muster from a helicopter and horseback. We had to keep all campers in the campground and not walking around until they finished. Because some of the cattle came very close to camp and the helicopter had to fly low through camp to move them in the right direction.

We got the radio call to say they had finished so we could allow the campers to leave and were free to walk the trails . The expected time to finish was 12pm but all was clear by 11.30am .

Even though the campers had been pre warned when they came in some were still not happy but most were fine and the kids were waving to the pilot of the helicopter , who waved back they told me.

Most of the camping in NP is now booked on line , we do not have to collect money anymore here , just go around and check their booking, and clean the toilet blocks and clean a well set up camp kitchen.

The old homestead is 103 years old and open as a display. It was first a sheep station then a pub,hotel, and then it was taken over by the Govt. for a NP to preserve it and the surrounds.

We visit Python Pool one day in a Ranger car as we help out by cleaning toilets while we are there. Its 35km bitumen after you leave camp end of the park , then 19km dirt road the other end back into Chichester range end of the park.

The swimming hole has a waterfall at one end after rain. This day it was full of young people from Karratha so we did not get in , we went back another day to swim and snorkel.

The pool behind the homestead is sacred ground to the local Aboriginal people so no one can get in it. Its very clear and warm aquifer water even though it is part of the Fortescue river. The river is mostly underground with parts running on top and some other pools along it. The story is the serpent was chasing from underground two boys after they caught and ate a sacred parrot. The pools like this one were made when he surfaced to look for the boys , and he is still here.

The first time we were here we had to do a ceremony to let him know we would not harm him or any other sacred animals ,plants etc. Because we did this we can get in the water and weed it of water fern and water lily which choke it. Because the Aboriginals are not allowed in .

So we can spend a couple of hours some days swimming with snorkels on to pull weeds, we do carry the underwater camera too, and push a kayak which we load with weeds to bring to the bank .

There is another pool visitors are allowed in thats Deep-Reach pool [ Nhanggangunha ]. It has 2 types of catfish and a rainbow fish. It is very deep even as you go down steps to get in you step into water above my head.

We have sand monitor lizards in the camp ground and one day we got photos and video of ,a not full grown one, digging in holes and chasing and catching a Delicate mouse.  

Our time here comes to an end and we head to Karratha to get the car serviced before we head to Ningaloo for 3 months

While in Karratha we visited Dampier Burrup peninsular, where they load the salt form the mines onto the ships.

Port Sampson and Honeymoon Cove . One side of the cove is a deep sea port for the iron ore the other you can swim.

Moving on to Miaree pool for an overnight stop . Then to Gnoorea point as we have not been here before. Its also known as 40mile camp .It is run by Karratha council.

We found an Osprey nest on one of our walks. It had a chick in it.

2 nights at Robe river rest area then Ashburton river at 3 mile camp. Thats 3 mile fromOnslow.

Its beside what is Old on slow , we walked around the ruins of old police station .

We had a Kestrel nest in the tree close to us , and noticed a chick because mum had brought a small bird for it to eat.

Before we go into Ningaloo NP we have to stop in Exmouth to get our new fridge put in and the leaks in the caravan roof fixed and a service on the van.

But we still have a couple of days so we go into Bullara station , a working cattle station with a camping area. We have been here before 4 years ago. They still have cafe, scones and dinner nights.

After shopping and getting ready for 3 months in Ningaloo with just solar power we head in.