September 2018

Today just the three of us left Carrawine Pool without mishap and made our way to Marble Bar via a particular geological spot. First up was a visit to Mt Edgar which is the remains of a core magma chamber. The volcano has blown and this is the plug into the magma below. It looks like a mini volcano and similar to all the hills around but different composition. We had to do a bit of driving though the bush but were rewarded with the hill all to ourselves. Much fossicking provided all the rocks we needed.
Into Marble Bar and we set ourselves up at the caravan park which had plenty of shade, water, grey nomads and hamburger night! For $15 we joined the others in the camp for a huge hamburger, providing you were at the front end of the queue. As we were in the younger age group we waited for our older pensioners to go through and we picked up the scraps! What they piled onto their plates would leave a sumo wrestler challenged! One couple had both sides of the bread stacked high claiming that's what they thought a burger was, while (to be fair) a young couple had 3 and 2 respectively. Mine host who was new to this phenomenon has learnt very quickly to control the horde of locusts next time. Still we sat around a log fire under a lovely clear starlit night and munched on our somewhat emaciated burger.
Next day was for exploring Marble Bar. With an icecream to start us off we visited the bar that makes the place famous. The massive wall of rock that crosses the water way is not marble but a rock called jasper, made up from very hard assorted silca based minerals. There was still water in the lagoon but certainly not for swimming. There is a $6000 fine if you are caught taking rock from here, and after we had a quick cuppa and a check of the adjoining Chinaman Pool we set off for an area where jasper collecting was permitted. The gents set off with picks and returned with copious quantities of the rock.
We then set off to see Glen Herring Gorge some 50 odd kms away. This gorge has the most amazing geology with huge chunks of different rocks all cemented into a conglomerate. There was a section where it looked like lava had oozed through the rocks giving a snake-like appearance. Even if one isn't interested in rocks this gorge really is something to see and although the various pools were partly filled, it was a spectacular scene with the setting sun. We'll go back there.
After such exertions it was time to to check out the iconic Ironclad Hotel built way back in the late 1800s and one of the first pubs in WA to have air conditioning. The owner of said pub who also owns half the town, was currently caught up with the muster on his station some distance out of town and we gather a tad busy. As a result of the cat being away the mice played up and the manager fired the cook the night before - apparently many bar staff had also left over the past weeks. We were greeted by a tattooed, assertive, somewhat butch lady at the door who asked us what she could do for us. Momentarily bewildered ( and even Mark didn't state the obvious) we were invited into the pub which had walls plastered with assorted photos, old signs, flags, paintings and other paraphernalia. The saloon bar was tiny and next door contained the pool tables, assorted lounge seats (one with a dog flat out sleeping) and a duke box belting out the latest noise.
As it was rush hour for about a dozen of us nomads, we cluttered up the place making the only lady move a little quicker. "What beer did madam serve?" "Everything except Tasmanian" she replied.. that was very helpful. Orders given and she delved into the ice - filled esky containing our beers. One brave soul asked for dinner - pizza only. "What type pizza did madam serve?" "Whatever you want", came back the helpful reply. She then asked a young gentleman, earing, tatts and cap on backyards, if he knew how to make one. "Yeah, I think so," came the reply. We decided we'd rather have some meal fished out of our freezer. Hopefully next visit will encourage us to stop and have a bite.

We decided to spend another day at the pool and said goodbye to two of the group who needed to head home. This of course left the remainder of us in charge of the dunny!
First up we went and checked out an area which showed glacial action. The pavements of rocks glistened in the sunshine showing clearly the scratch marks left by the glacier when it retreated 320 million years ago. Needless to say the geologists amongst us were in heaven. It's hard to believe as one bakes out in this country with its variety of red baked spinifex - covered earth and the very flat countryside dotted with the occasional outcrop, that you are standing in country that has experienced glacial and volcanic activity.
On the way back to camp we took a detour and drove along the length of the lagoon. At the far east end the camping grounds have a less harsh environment with grassy edges leading into the water and a couple of tiny islands where the resident pelicans reside. It is here that most of the caravans reside, less gravel and dust. There are a greater number of red gums trees that survived the 2006 cyclone and thus a tad more shade. It's only when you get closer to the west side do you see the devastation caused and the remaining trees are small or dead and partly chain-sawed.
In the afternoon we decided to go to a place recommended by another - Running Water. On arrival we decided to walk the remaining hundred odd metres as the road ran into the creek bed and one had to decide whether the car deserved such punishment. Several cars had ventured in and put up tents or vans but we didn't think it was worth the possible damage just for a day visit.
However the site was like a scene out of Harry Potter. The huge paperbarks had exposed roots that have been polished bronze over time and the dead matted floor of the mosses etc that formed the floor, combined with shallow ponds of water flowing towards the larger lagoon, gave the place a very primeval feel. We found the pond which had the hot water springs entrance and Mark bravely went in disturbing the large catfish that were circling in the rather clear blue water.
Tomorrow off to Marble Bar, not too far away so not such an early start.

Today we spent moving from the lovely lagoon at Mt Webber to another - Carrawine Gorge and on the way popped into an old tin mine site for a bit of supermarket shopping of the rusty kind and visited the old mine at Marble Bar.

Having spent a couple of days at Mt Webber listening to the incessant drone of the mining trucks going back and forth, it was time to take off further east towards Marble Bar, so we were up and at it early. Our first stop off was at the remains of an old tin mining township of Spear Hill Mine where nothing but the concrete bases of the homes remains. As you wander around you can see what a place it may have been with the bones of an old house and remnants of the garden that once was, the only indicator. We wandered around picking up the odd piece of rusty junk but the place had truly been cleaned up.
Next stop was the Comet Mine just out of Marble Bar. The mine site is closed off to visitors but there is a museum run by a lovely ole gent who lives on site and is a mine of information. He had many tales about the mine and its history and it was a shame we couldn't go down and have a decent look.
As we were aiming to head further east, we decided to have a quick lunch break in Marble Bar, refuel, clean the joint out of icecreams and pick up a few beers at the iconic pun. We left with a trusty book "Discovery trails to early Earth -- a traveller's guide to the east Pilbara of Western Australia"
Author: Van Kranendonk, MJ, Johnston, J., which gave us specific directions to assorted geological features. I was amazed to learn that the area we were traveling through had glacial history, and also learnt that our Ranger had the capabilities of providing us with specific lit and long data, after we had attempted to discover the features using mileage.
On arriving at Carrawine Gorge, we were lucky to have most of the lagoon to ourselves as it was the end of the school holidays and only a few campers left. Our camping area was sided by the lagoon which was sandwiched between a large wall of granite, and the washed away, very large scree of the previous water way. Apparently the 2006 cyclone completely denuded the river bank of mature red gums and all that's left is the huge area of washed rocks, pebbles and coarse sand made up of every type of mineral imaginable. The various car tracks that lead to the bank provide many stories of bogged cars and the squashed seedlings of the tough plants that attempt to get a footing in this rather hostile environment.. The lack of trees would make this place a hell hole in summer and the remaining paperbarks also show signs of previous floods and the damage they cause along with the tell tale signs of the odd chain saw. Still this is a rather popular site with the nomads who I believe camp here for months with some setting up cottage industries to help bring in some income.
The evening light was amazing and the temperature such that we decided to not light the fire and watched the sky lab cruise past accompanied by many satellites and the odd shooting star. Magic.
Next day we woke to the sounds of the birds going about their business and demanding we do the same. We decided to climb the nearby hill and took off with the midday sun to navigate between the spinifex and roughly cut rocks to the top. We were rewarded on the way with the appearance of the beautifully camouflaged spinifex pigeon poking its head out from under a bush. The view at the top was spectacular with the large lagoons nestled up against the huge red walls of the countryside and the appearance of a large sea eagle lazily riding the thermals above us.
After such exertions we decided on resting the remainder of the day but I did try to have another attempt at having a hot shower. Like to report that the attempt was unsuccessful and I whooped into the quiet evening shattering the peace.