​Still in the Pilbara - 3 to 8 August 2017

Mulla mulla dominated but Sturt's desert pea was a vivid splash of colour along many of the roads. Yellows, whites, purple, pink, silver, orange - the roadsides were ablaze with colour and shapes. Hard to count the number of photo stops we made to enjoy it all.

Having been 'over-ored'! we headed east from Karratha on the coast to Karijini NP, the western half of it - we will visit the other half later once we've visited family in Perth and head back north east and then south east for home.

We're in Millstream-Chichester NP heading for Python Pool. Gorgeous!!

Python Pool and those white dots on the far side are my legs! I swam across and hefted myself into a rock ledge to catch my breath and admire the towering cliffs. The pool was dark, bracingly cold and exhilarating but I daren't put my feet down for fear of touching something in the murky depths - a python, a water monitor. It was wonderful!

Just for interest Karijini NP in the Hamersley ranges is the second largest in WA. It has many steep, deep gorges lined with layers and layers of rich Pilbara iron ore. Some of the canyon walls are zebra striped in colours ranging from chalk through yellow and pink to deep rust red.
The rock type in the Hamersley Gorge is sedimentary Banded Iron Formation. You can see the differently coloured stripes. Pretty. There were people swimming in the water holes at the bottom of the gorge. It was way to steep for me to attempt unfortunately but I was happy just looking at this awesome rock face. Quite spellbinding and awe inspiring particularly seen against a cerulean backdrop of a cloudless sky. Glorious! ​

Hamersley Gorge .  The colours were dazing in the sun
.  You could imagine how Lang Hancock was capture by the area - the iron almost leaps out of the ground at you.

The rocks and hills are spectacular, but the plants particularly the flowers drew my attention. Surprise surprise! Mulla mulla everywhere - Tall, Royal, Mat, Tangled, Tassel top, Weeping. I discovered that Mulla mulla is the floral emblem of the Pilbara - stands to reason. I have photographed and identified over 50 different varieties in the two weeks since we hit the Pilbara that includes the Kapok bush (a weed) which, it is said, the Afghan cameleers introduced way way back - the camels saddles were stuffed with it. Plus the ubiquitous spinifex - clumps, stiff, 'soft' 'porcupine'. And other prickly things like Roly Poly bush. All these prickly numbers seem to leap out and stab you for no apparent reason. Needless to say we don't go frolicking through the bush!

We've been travelling in spinifex grass country for 100s of km. The hills look amazing covered in pale green and ecru spinifex amongst the red earth and dark rocks. Quite stunning. There are a number of different species of spinifex but this one is the type that grows out from the centre into huge circles most often with a dead centre.

Ah my favourite fruit - the humble fungus. This is a Gasteromycetes AKA a puff ball. Not sure what but it could be what is commonly named a 'Horse-dropping' fungus. Not pretty but one of Mother Nature's wonders!

The Tall mulla mulla. They dominated in this area but the Mat and Tangled were everywhere too. Zoom in and lol at the astonishing structure of these flowers.

One if the delightful things about this stunning countryside is the relative isolation. Of course you are aware that there are monstrous big mines in the area but it is quiet and restful. We had a few roadside camps and loved it - campfires, damper, just hanging out. One shower in 6 days! Good thing we didn't have neighbours eh!?

Camp fires and champagne but of course. And we watched the sunset

Lindsay quietly contemplating life! In the last 6 months, we have travelled over 25,000 km with this amazing man behind the wheel. What a champion!

Have campfire so roll out the damper. This was yummy!

Then it was back to the coast for an overnight stop in Onslow for quick look see before scooting south to North West Cape and Exmouth.