Wednesday 5th June 2013 – Yule River to Port Samson

Herbert Parker Rest Area is really a lovely spot.  When we first arrived we came through a gate into a fairly confined area but a man in a truck with a generator and two Jack Russells showed us a track that led to a cleared area a bit further along the bank – where we ended up.  Nice grassed area with river gums, paperbarks and on the river there are black swans, pelicans, cormorants and spoonbills among others.

Camp on the Yule River

Black Swans

A nice slow start to the day appreciating the area.  We had hung up all our wet canvas last nigh and although we had a shower or two through the night there is blue sky this morning.  After a breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomato, mushrooms, toast and coffee we were off to Roebourne.

The Old Jail Museum at Roebourne

Called into the Old Jail (now the information centre and museum).  Pottered around for a while gathering information on the area.  Roebourne was gazetted in 1856 and was once the administrative centre for the whole area north of the Murchison River.  There are a few remaining buildings from those days in addition to the jail but the town is a much quieter spot these days.

We called into Wickham (established as a service centre for the mining industry) where we had a very good lunch at the Sports Club.  Briefly called into Wollies and then drove on the Point Samson where we were booked into the Cove Caravan Park ($49 no unpowered sites).

After setting up Jill and I went for a walk.  First to Honeymoon Cove where we discovered some amazing rock formation.  Much of it was twisted shale a bit like Hamersley Gorge) but the really interesting ones had been turned 90 degrees to stand vertically.  What tremendous force must have created that?  A little further along we found the remains of the jetty.  When Roebourne’s original jetty at Cossack failed to provide for larger ships a jetty was built at Point Samson in 1904 with a rail line connecting it to Roebourne.  Point Samson was then in turn superseded as a port by Dampier in the 1960’s and the jetty lies in ruins – except for a section which now stands proudly in the centenary garden along with statues of whales, manta rays, sea eagles, gropers and turtles – the park is really well done. Point Samson is doing a pretty good job of reinventing itself as a holiday destination.

Rock Formations at Honeymoon Cove

The old Jetty at Point Samson

and the replica in the  park (made from bits of the old wharf)

Went for a drive to find a spot to watch the sunset.  Was a bit hard to fins but after driving along some sandy tracks we found a spot overlooking the ore loading facilities at Cape Lambert.  And quite a sunset it was.

Ore loading facilities at Cape Lambert

Sunset over the Port

It’s interesting that a port features again in the area.  While Tom Price’s ore is shipped out from Dampier when the Paraburdoo mine was developed, Cape Lambert, next to Point Samson was chosen as the loading site.  The loading wharf stretches 2.5km out to see.  When we went for our walk this afternoon you could see many tankers sitting out at sea waiting to be loaded.

Back to the caravan park for dinner and a game of rummy before bed.