Tom Price - 2-3 September

On our way to Tom Price we diverted for a "photo opportunity" - one of which we have never seen the likes of before:
Stones marking a death/remembrance.
Piles of stone cairns and memorials surrounded the parking area overlooking the valley leading into Tom Price.

Tom Price is often referred to as, "Top Town" because at over 740 metres above sea level, it is the highest town in the State.  Tom Price is a mining town situated on the edge of the Hamersley Ranges in the Pilbara which is renowned for its blend of fiery red soil and brilliant blue skies.
The trains run from Tom Price to the port every day of the year.  The trains are long, nearly two and a half kilometres long, and once they have deposited their load at the port, they return to be filled yet again.
A train full or iron or heading to the port.
People we'd met way back at Lake Argyle, on 22nd July, had also crossed the Gibb River Road in a similar time frame to us.  We had caught up again and again at various places, one of us leapfrogging the other.  They had been to places including Drysdale, Broome and Derby, and had just left Marble Bar.  We had just left Port Hedland yet they pulled in right behind us at Karijini NP!  Amazing timing!  And so unplanned.

We enjoyed Faye & David, Donna & Michael, and Meg & Jeff's company on a drive up Mt Nameless which provided spectacular views of the Tom Price iron ore mine and the township.

The view of the open cut mine and miners village from the top of Mt Nameless.

A hut on top of Mt Nameless.
At 1,128 metres above sea level it is the highest accessible mountain by vehicle (4WD only) in Western Australia.


Oh!What a feeling!
Faye and David
Donna and Michael
Meg and Jeff


To get to Karratha to visit our niece, Stephanie and her partner, Simon, and in order to take a shortcut via a mine road, we had to go to the Visitor Centre in Tom Price and sit through a half-hour DVD in order to obtain a permit to use the Rio Tinto Mine Access Road.  There are huge fines if caught using the road without a permit and as well we got one, as Lorraine was pulled over to have hers checked.

The road maintained by Rio Tinto was in excellent condition, the second section of road, maintained by the WA government was in poor condition.  We travelled alongside the train line that carries the carts of iron ore to and from the mine to the port for export.


Before checking in to the caravan park at Karratha, once again we had to wash off the "Pilbara Pink" from the car and van.  Then a catch up with Stephanie and Simon - how good it is to see family again after travelling for over ten weeks!




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