Friday 14.9.12

Today was our last day at Yulara.

We did the shopping and stocked up because we heading home via the abandoned section of the Gunbarrel Highway (a 4Wd track) then along the Connie Sue Highway (also a 4Wd track) and then along the Ann Beadell Highway (also a 4Wd track).

Saturday 15.9.12

Today we left Yulara.

We packed up and drove for about three hours before we got to a place called Lasseters Cave. Lasseters Cave was named after a man called Harold Lasseter because it was between there and the Olgas that he was last seen. Harold Lasseter led and expedition of people out into the desert to find a lost reef of gold that he supposedly discovered 30 years before hand.

We then drove for about two hours before we got to the Welcome to Western Australia sign on the W.A N.T border where we took pictures.

As we were driving along we saw a group of aboriginals that need help with their tiers so we stopped and Dad helped out.

We drove for another hour before we got to a little aboriginal community called Warakurna where the Giles weather station is located. We fueled up and then went to have a look at the weather station. At the weather station they have  old memorabilia and old weather equipment. They also have the grader that Len Beadell used to make the Gunbarrel Highway.

After looking at the weather station we went back to the roadhouse and paid to stay the night a the little caravan park.

Sunday 16.9.12

Today we drove along the abandoned section of the Gunbarrel Highway.

We drove on the abandoned section for the whole day covering about 260km. Every once in a while we would stop to stretch and to look at the plaques that Len Beadell put up so they could determine how far the rockets fly from their launch at Woomera.

We stopped for lunch along the track underneath some Desert Oaks (trees).

Monday 17.9.12

Today we drove along the Connie Sue Highway.

Along the way we stopped at Warburton roadhouse to fuel up.

We drove for the rest of the day along the corrugated road.

Tuesday 18.9.12

Today we drove along the Connie Sue Highway until we got to a place called Neil Junction.

At Neil Junction there is a campground. Neil Junction is also the meeting place where the Connie Sue and the Ann Beadell meet.

You don’t see much but every so often you see a couple of camels.

Tonight we are staying at a place called Yeo Ruins. Yeo ruins are abandoned ruins. The guy that built the place was going to try to run a cattle station. His idea didn’t work because he was out in the desert with hardly any water.

The guy that built the place was called Leo Bonny. He built it in the 1960’s and returned to it in 2011. It is now a camp ground but the ruins are still their.

Wednesday 19.9.12

Today we drove along the Ann Beadell Highway into Laverton.

When we arrived at Laverton, Dad fueled up and we all had lunch.

After having lunch and putting air into the tiers we drove off to Leanora.

When got to Leanora Karen and Dave fueled up and then continued driving.

Late in the afternoon we arrived at a town called Menzies. Menzies is a small mining town.

That night it started to rain but it was mainly spitting. When we went to bed Dad said it would start to get colder from here until home.

Thursday 20.9.12

Today we left Menzies and are driving to Kalgoolie.

On the way we stopped at Lake Ballard. Lake Ballard is a dried up slat lake which an artist has made cask iron sculptures of the local aboriginal people and has placed them over the expanse over the lake.

We then went to Ora Banda which is a gold mining town that is famous for the recent bombing of the local hotel.

We then drove for about and hour before we got to Kalgoolie.

Friday 21.9.12

Today we went shopping.

Before we went shopping Mum and I walked around town while Dad cleaned and got stuff for the car and trailer.

Mum and I walked all the way from the Patrick Hannan statue to the Exchange Hotel.

Patrick Hannan (Paddy for short), Tom Flanagan and Daniel Shea discovered gold near Mt Charlotte less than 40km from the Coolgardie gold fields (which is now the current site of Kalgoolie). Paddy was the only one of the three that could read or write and so he register the mining claim. After registering his claim of over 100 ounces of surface gold, an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area three days later. Basically he has been credited with the start of the Kalgoolie gold rush.

After visiting the Paddy Hannan statue we went to the visitors center and I bought a bottle of 23 carat leaf gold.

Along the way, while we were walking to the Exchange Hotel we stopped by a shop and I bought a dress.

After having a take out lunch we went and did the shopping at Coles and then went back to the caravan park we were staying.

Saturday 22.9.12

Today we went to the Western Australian Museum in Kalgoolie.

The museum was very interesting having lots of information on gold and the miners.

I learnt that if you get all the gold that has ever been found in the entire world and combine it into 5 microns (5 millionth of a meter) it will stretch around the world 7.2 million times.

After looking at the museum we hopped in the cars and drove the half hour drive to Coolgardie.

At Coolgardie we had lunch and then had a look around. There is not much to see in Coolgardie except for the boards that have been put up about the history and the buildings.

Today was also the day of the Kalgoolie Cup. The Kalgoolie Cup is similar to the Melbourne Cup just not as big.

Tomorrow we are going to the markets.

Our stay at Kalgoolie will be one more day before we head back home to Mandurah.

What I thought about the trip

I enjoyed being away for 3 months. It meant I was able to spend time with my family. Also spending time with Karen, Dave and Louise because we don’t see them often.

The downside was I missed not seeing my extended family and school friends.

Some of the highlights for the trip was visiting Darwin because I had never been before, climbing Ayers Rock because when I was younger I didn’t also spending time with friends and family as it was the last time we are able to go away on a big trip because I go into high school next year.

How I feel about the trip ending

I feel sad because I love doing these sorts of things it gives me freedom from school and also to experience things that I haven’t experienced before.

I also feel happy because I am going home to family and friends. I am looking forward to spending some time with my cousin Tayla.

Tuesday 4.9.12

Today we went to the Reptile Park.

We saw lots of reptiles such as Olive Pythons, Frilled Neck Lizards, Pig Nosed Turtles, Perenties, Terry the Crocodile and Beaded Dragons.

At eleven o’clock we watched and listened to a lady talk about lizards and snakes and how to treat a snake bite. When the lady bought Blossom out she put cockroaches on the ground and Blossom would not miss one. The lady put about five live roaches out.  At the end we got to hold Blossom a Bearded Dragon, Rose a Blue Tongue Lizard and Tom an Olive Python.

It was a great day and I had a lot of fun.

Wednesday 5.9.12

Today we went out to the West Mac Donnell Ranges to do some gorge walking and sight seeing.

The last thing we did was walk up to a look out. At the car park there was a kiosk and we thought we would get an   ice-cream when we got back down. After looking at the look out Karen, Louise, Mum and I went the quick way down while Dave and Dad went the long way. When Karen, Louise, Mum and I got down the bottom we saw a sign that said that the kiosk was closed on a Wednesday which sucked for us.

By the time we got home it was almost five o’clock. Tonight I made dinner and we had Creamy Mushroom, Bacon and Basil Spaghetti with vegetables.

Thursday 6.9.12

Today we did the East Mac Donnell Ranges.

We didn’t do as many gorges as yesterday but we still did a lot of walking.

The last place we went was Arltunga Historical Reserve. Arltunga was one of the first Gold Mines in Central Australia. We went to the visitors center to learn about Arltunga before we went out to the Arltunga Government Works self guided walk. The walk was not that long but very informative.

The way the workers obtained the gold was by panning but because of lack of water the then turned to air. Using one of the two methods.

1. Standing with their back to the wind and pouring dirt from one pan (that was in their hands) to another pan (that was on the ground) with the aim of separating lighter sand from the heavier gold.

2. Using a shaker box and air blown from bellows to remove unwanted material, allowing the gold to settle on the screen below.  

Unfortunately both of these methods proved fairly unsuccessful because the wind blew away most of the gold with the sand.

The South Australian Government installed a battery (an ore crushing plant) to aid the miners in their efforts to collect gold, but gold mining was unsuccessful because of the harsh terrain and conditions and only a few people make significant money.

We saw the ruins of the Government Battery at the Arltunga visitors centre.

Friday 7.9.12

Today we went shopping to stock up before heading off to Kings Canyon, Aryes Rock and the Olgas. 

In the afternoon I hired a go kart (it didn’t have a motor though). I hired it for an hour. When Louise saw me on it she went and one for herself, so I went and hired mine for another hour.

I had a lot of fun ridding around on it. The worst part though was I hurt my back on the seat because it was an awkward shape.

Saturday 8.9.12

Today we drove to Kings Canyon.

It took us about four hours to get there on a dirt track. When we arrived we booked in and set up.

That night we went out to dinner. The only reason we had dinner up at the restaurant was because the Fremantle Dockers were playing footy and we wanted to watch them play. Mum was excited because the Dockers won their first game in Melbourne.

Sunday 9.9.12

Today we walked Kings Canyon.

It is a 6.5km walk around the rim of the canyon with multiple lookouts and a walk down into the canyon to a place called The Garden of Eden. The very first bit was the hardest. You had to walk just over a hundred meters up a hill that was practically vertical. It was such a steep climb that I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. When we reached the top we admired the view along the canyon walls. We then walked another two and a half hours to finish the walk. It was amazing the way the canyon had formed. There was a look out point that we went and had a look at. When you looked over the edge it was along way to the bottom. On some of the walls of the canyon big pieces of rock had just fallen off, but the rock that was left was so smooth that it looked like it had been cut by a knife. About half along the wall we walked down into the canyon via a set of stone and wooden stairs to a place called The Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is two pools of water which attracts different bird life. We saw ducks and even a group of spinifex pigeons. We had a snack down there before we walked back up and continued the walk.

We finished the walk about lunch time. After lunch I went and played on the playground and met a few people whose names were Matthew and Clayton. Matthew and Clayton were from Melbourne and were away for a month. They were quite funny and Clayton was a good drawer like Louise. Matthew and Clayton were twins but were not identical twins. Clayton was born 1 minute before Matthew was.

Monday 10.9.12

Today we drove to Yulara which is the tourist township of Ayers Rock (Uluru).

When we got to Yulara we set up and then rested.

That night after dinner we looked over some of the photos we took at Kings Canyon and saw some funny ones.

Tuesday 11.9.12

Today Karen, Dave, Louise, Dad and I climbed Ayers Rock.

Ayers Rock is the second biggest monolith in Australia. When I first looked at it from a distance I thought it was not that big but up close it was huge.

The climb is in two sections, the first is the steepest part that has a chain and the second is where you walk along the top of the rock. The start of the walk was the hardest part. Most of the way up this section was so steep that it made my calves hurt. The only thing that kept you from falling was a chain connected to the rock. We had to stop regularly to rest and catch our breath. At a flatter section I looked back down and the people looked like ants and the cars looked like toy cars. When we reached the top of the chain I thought that it was the end of the walk but in fact you actually had to keep following a white line that marked the rest of the walk to the top of the rock.

We followed the line and made it to the top. I was so excited when I got there that I did a victory dance. At the top you could see the Olgas, Mt Connor and the township. It was windy, we took some photos and had morning tea.

As we started to go back down the chain I became really scared because of how steep it was and having to go down forwards. Every time my foot slipped just a little bit on the rock I lost a lot of confidence. It took us longer to get down the rock than to walk up. By the time I got down the bottom I was so happy with myself that I had made it up and back without getting hurt. When we hopped in the car I needed to go to the toilet so badly that we had to stop at the Cultural Center on the way out.

It was difficult but I had a fun day.

Wednesday 12.9.12

Today we walked around the base of Ayers Rock.

It was a long walk with not a lot of shade.

It was fairly easy because it was mainly just walking on flat ground around the base. It took us three hours to walk the whole 10.6km.

By the time I got to the end I was really tired and I just wanted to collapse. I finished the walk first out of our whole group.

When we got back Dad, Mum and I went and had lunch at the Red Rock Deli. After lunch we had a look in the shops and then came home.

Over all I had a good day and I think I will sleep well again tonight.

Thursday 13.9.12

Today we walked through the Olgas.

Our plan was that Karen, Louise, Mum and I would walk to the first lookout and then Dave and Dad would walk further if they wanted.

In the end Dave, Karen, Louise, Dad, Mum and I walked to the second lookout and then Karen, Louise, Mum and I walked back the same way we came while Dave and Dad walked back via the circuit trail.

The walk to the second lookout was quite steep and hard on your legs. 

While we were at the top of the second lookout a big Perentie walked out into the sun then continued down the other side.

Louise and I headed back first because we were bored. When we reached the end of the track we waited for Karen and Mum who were taking there time walking back by looking at birds nests, Finches and they even stopped to talk to an elderly couple from Western Australia.

For the rest of the day we just lazed about.