Fri 14 to Mon 17 June – Tom Price, Newman and nearly to Meekatharra

Weather a bit overcast on Friday, and low 20’s.  Some rain predicted so we decided not to tent it at Tom Price.  After checking out and dismissing the rather crumby looking Tom Price Hotel/Motel rates ($247/night for budget and $270/night for ‘deluxe’ [not really...]) we ended up with the last cabin in the camp ground at $205 a night.  The most expensive accommodation we’ve had all trip, and certainly not the nicest!  2.5 star, just.

Weather improving, we did a mine tour on Saturday at Tom Price, though understandably tight OH&S rules meant we were only allowed out of the bus once!  Despite that, we were made to wear hard hats and safety goggles.

 

Moving on through Newman on Sunday, the similarities between the two ore mining operations are evident.  Tom Price:  Rio Tinto; company owned and run rail line to the port at Dampier.  Newman:  BHP; company owned and run rail line to the port at Port Hedland.  Seems a wasteful duplication in practical terms.  (Actually it’s tripled, with Fortescue Mining operating yet another company owned and run rail line to Herb Elliott Port near Hedland.)

 

Continued South and we’re realising that our chance of continuing reasonable weather is fast disappearing.  As the forecast is reasonable/sunny for the next few days, we’ve taken the opportunity to camp just North of Meekatharra at Bilyuin Pool for a couple of nights, off the Murchison River (which we saw the mouth of way back in Kalbarri).  

 

Stayed at Bilyuin Pool for 2 nights and enjoyed doing nothing.  Weather was not cold, but rather cloudy on the second day.  We enjoyed what will possibly be our last campfires for this trip.



Looking over Tom Price from top of Mt Nameless

 

Coming back down Mt Nameless, near Tom Price

 

Helen in hard hat and safety goggles, ready for the Tom Price mine tour, next to the monument to Tom Price.

 

Clive overlooking the Tom Price open cut

 

Working truckload, Tom Price mine

 

Clive getting a close up look at the Wabco tipper at Newman

 

Same, same, but different.  BHP at Newman use Wabco tippers; Rio Tinto at Tom Price use Komatsu.  (Tom Price are also currently trialling a couple of trucks from a cheaper Chinese manufacturer.)

 

 

On our way South we passed umpteen of these ENORMOUS new tipper trays, and trucks on the back of semi trailers.  They take up the entire width of the road - you just have to pull over. 

 

Here's another one, this time the bottom half

 

Our camp spot at Bilyuin Pool near Meekatharra.  Very pleasant.