Tom Price

Having left Karijini by 8am we arrived in Tom Price at 9:20am which gave us plenty of time before our 10am mine tour. Tig watched the 20 minute safety video to get our permit to use Rio Tinto's rail access road between Tom Price and the coast. This road is far more direct and also better maintained than the public access roads.

We loaded onto the tour bus, along with a family we met at Eighty Mile Beach. Maddi was very excited to sit with her friend and it helped with the arguments as to who was sitting with Mum and Dad on the coach.

The tour was quite good and as it was run by a tour company rather than Rio there was not the usual hard sell on what the company does for the community, environment etc ....

We got a good history of the town, Tom Price, which until recently was owned and operated by Hamersley Iron (now Rio Tinto), an explanation about the man Tom Price who was the American mining executive who lobbied to get mining in the Pilbara approved by government and the Mountain Tom Price where the richest iron ore deposit was found that ensured the economic viability to get the first mining project off the ground.

The tour took us onto the mine site, around the big pit and through the processing plants. Everything was big and everything was deep red.

The Pit

Iron ore processing

Very red water truck

Old machinery on display

After our tour we had lunch in the park in town and decided to keep moving towards the coast with plans to camp overnight at Millstream National Park.

About 25kms out of town we turned onto the Rio Tinto rail access road, a very well maintained gravel road. For 3 kms all was well, then the car & van started to pull and twitch, fortunately we were driving at a very sensible pace. Immediately we thought, 'bugger, a flat tyre' and quickly pulled off onto a nice flat area on the side of the road. We both jumped out and checked the tyres down the side of the car and van meeting at the back saying all clear this side. However looking back down the road there was a deep groove dug which led to the passenger side wheels, where we could clearly see a suspension leaf spring bent over backwards and dug into the ground. We were not going to fix that in a hurry.

The deep groove

Our leaf spring

Still doesn't look good

Where we came to rest

Fortunately we had mobile service, for which we were grateful as we had had very limited coverage lately. Tig called the NRMA who called the RACWA who called their agent in Tom Price who called us. Our white knight, Jason, turned up after a while in his yellow truck to take us back to Tom Price.

Our white knight's yellow truck

While we were waiting we had plenty of time to unhook the van and find a shady tree nearby to park under. We were also lucky enough to see an iron ore train which, at about 2kms long, entertained the kids for a good 5 minutes. We also raided the caravan freezer for some Quelch ice blocks as it was pretty warm.

Iron Ore Train

Kids try and count the trucks

Still going

With our home just fitting on the back of the tow truck it was back into town to the caravan park where the NRMA had found us a bed for the next couple of nights and then to TyrePower where Jason was taking our van and to see what could be done.

Van just fits on

Closer inspection of the damage

Fortunately for us Jason was on the ball. He had already assessed what needed to be done but as it was now late in the day it would be tomorrow before he could pull it apart to see what parts would be required.

Back at the caravan park, with the few things we needed for the night, we got some take away Chinese and drew lots for beds. We had two very basic rooms, one with two sets of bunks and one with a double bed.  Accommodation in mining towns is scarce so we took what we could. Tig and the 3 kids negotiated spots in the bunks, in particular convincing Kai that he did not want to sleep on the top bunk without a rail. Thea got the luxury and quiet of a room to herself.

The next morning it was back to the mechanic to formulate a plan. The good news was there was no additional damage, just the leaf springs required. The even better news was that they were readily available. The bad news was that they are only available from Melbourne. Well, we had done the two things Tom Price is known for, Karijini National Park and iron ore mining, and Melbourne is a long long way away. Again, fortunately Jason was on the ball. Overnight airfreight from Melbourne to Perth and then overnight truck to Tom Price, which is some 1600kms north of Perth. Fingers crossed they send us the right parts and they make the connections at Perth.

So then we sat back and waited. We became very well acquainted with the two very nice parks in town spending many hours at them just wiling time away. We also visited Coles a few times and even the local swimming pool, which opened on our last day in town. One late afternoon we decided to take a little 4wd trip up Mt Nameless, the second highest vehicle accessible mountain in WA that just happened to be right behind the caravan park. It was certainly steep and rocky going up but the view was worth every long slow minute it took to get there. From the top were some great views. Over one side was the mine and on the other the town of Tom Price. We enjoyed a packet of chips each to celebrate the sun setting on another day from this spectacular location. You will notice in the photo of the car the wheels have become Pilbara Red.

Rio Tinto Mine

Father and Son

Just beautiful

Maddi points out the mine

The town of Tom Price

Dusk ontop of Mt Nameless

Check out the red wheels

Unfortunately we only had two night's accommodation at the caravan park. They had no rooms of any description on our third night, in fact there was no accommodation anywhere in town. So it was back to the van, still up on axel stands in the workshop without wheels or suspension. The kids were under strict instructions not to go outside the van or jump around. So the next morning we were again homeless, this time only until the parts came in and fitted.

Our third nights accommodation - missing some wheels

With everything to do in Tom Price done and that included a 75km drive to Paraburdoo (another mining town south of Tom Price) just for something to do one afternoon, Saturday finally arrived and we set out for the day hopeful that our parts would also arrive. The local swimming pool opened for the summer season, which we thought was a little strange as it had been well over 30 degrees everyday so far this week. The pool also did not open until 10am, so a bit of a wait as we had left the van (and workshop) as soon as the kids were up, dressed and fed. When 10am finally came, after we had been waiting in the carpark for 20 minutes, we soon found out why the season had only just started as the unheated pool was very fresh. Not put off, the kids and Tig went in. Apparently it was ok after a while and you warmed up very quickly once out. After our swim we went back to see if the truck was in yet. The Toll depot was across the road from the mechanic and the truck was due at 11am, but in true country style had arrived at 3pm the last couple of days. Yes the truck was there and it was about 1pm so Tig said a quick hello to the service manager who suggested we call in an hour or so to see if the parts had come over from the Toll depot. Back to the park for lunch and at 2pm we called. No, haven’t got the parts yet, call in an hour. 3pm, yes parts are here, all good, we will call you when it’s ready to go.

Well, at 4:45pm the phone rang, and it was Jason, the manager, not the service manager we had been speaking to all day. Was this a bad thing, Jason was not working this afternoon, was there a problem? Fortunately not. Jason had just dropped into the yard and was calling to say it was all done, ready to roll.

Brilliant. This is what we had been waiting for.

Back to the van, hook up and hit the road. It was 5pm on a Saturday night. Not the ideal time to be leaving town but we just needed to get out of there and feel like we had made some ground back on our journey.

We headed back up the same road we had traveled 3 days earlier although it seemed like a lot longer. We passed our impact point, and showed the kids the grove in the road. As it was late we started to think of our camp spot. There are no places to stop on the rail access road so just on dusk we reached a public road heading east and drove along this for a few kms before finding a windmill, along with water tank and trough and plenty of cleared area well off the road. This was good enough for us and it has never felt so good to be sleeping in the van out in the bush.

Next up we will tell you about our journey away from Tom Price and onto Exmouth via Karratha. Maddi is dead keen to get to Karratha for her all important birthday mail.

Till then …

Tig & Thea