I was still in Newman, and my fridge had died as the mercury hit 40 degrees. After not much sleep, another searing day dawned and I tried to get someone to look at the fridge, having discarded my fridge-full of recently purchased and now lukewarm fresh produce.
Not much luck: everything here is geared to the mining industry, and that’s where the fridge repair people were. What to do? In desperation I went to two local hardware stores who were most helpful but didn’t have much to offer. No joy from the National Luna people, even though the fridge was under warranty and less than 6 months old: Broome was where I could go to the closest qualified repairer. This was the beginning of a saga with National Luna – absolutely hopeless. I do not recommend!
I needed a different stop gap solution: a replacement fridge. The Troopy fit out (by Drifta) is designed to accommodate the NL50 fridge which has a very narrow profile. I found some new fridges in the town, but none had the right profile.
Then I stumbled upon a Dometic 12L console. I figured I could tie it down in the “corridor” in the back of the Troopy. It was small but it would do: at least I’d have some cold water on board, and a few fresh essentials. I sorted my self out and hit the road again.
Turns out this little fridge was a life saver – worked like a charm and never missed a beat. Besides, I was off to Karijini for two nights. I didn’t need this faulty fridge nonsense
Once I got going, I was reminded just how brilliant the Pilbara is: just magic. The bright blue sky, white trees, ochre and purple hills. This really is one of my favourite landscapes.
It wasn’t that far to Dales Campground, and I set myself up in the allocated bay for two nights. Once again, the heat was searing – no shade to be had. But what a view. And lying in bed listening to the dingoes howling was unforgettable, and not scary at all.
The next morning I headed to Dale’s Gorge for walk and a swim before the heat…I didn’t walk as far as I planned because it really did start scorching. It was high thirties, pushing forty, and what I didn’t know was that this was an unseasonal early bout of heat that would last for at least the next three weeks.
It really took the fun out being in the north-west, but there was little I could do except seek shelter as best I could. Dale’s Gorge was a good start, so I spent the morning down there.
However, as soon as I came back up to the car park, the heat was full blast, and I couldn’t see how I could enjoy sitting back at the camp site all day waiting for the sun to go down. I decided to go for a drive – at least then I would have relief from the air-conditioning.
I drove over to the Eco Village, thinking I might score an air-conditioned hut for the night, but it was school holidays and there was just no chance. So I decided the next best opportunity was to drive on to the town of Tom Price and try and get some shade there in the caravan park.
Once there, I did manage to find a sapling under which to hover, and had several cold showers to try and stay cool. Everyone was feeling it, so I just had to make the best of it. I had no-one to whinge to anyway!
I had more Pilbara adventures ahead of me at Cheela Plains Station Stay. It had been recommended to be by several people and I wanted to check it out. But first, the drive out there.
Oh my, this was something else…ochre expanses with yellow-green tufts of spinifex; purple mounds and mesas. You could really breathe out there, even when the air was hot!
Arriving at Cheela Plains is hilarious: you’re driving along the remotest of roads, then without warning, you see signage flutes advertising barista coffee…huh?
And there it is, turn off to the left, head over the hill, and Cheela Plains campground lies before you: it’s not huge, rather small, really. An oval of grass around which are dotted decent trees and campsites.
You pull up there and the oasis unfolds for you: rustic but very clean facilities; a comprehensive camp kitchen, and best of all if you’re feeling a bit over camping: a bistro that serves a set menu every night.
I was feeling markedly better by the time evening came: it wasn’t just the heat, but Cheela felt like a community. I shared a camp kitchen fireside dinner with an excellent couple from Ballarat.
I told then my fridge saga – they were sympathetic. Then they told me how they were halfway across the Northern Territory and their entire car caught fire and burnt to the ground before their eyes. They could have chucked it in and gone home – but they decided to borrow a car, restock and keep going. What great people, and it rather put my troubles in perspective.
Even so, camping often has its challenges, that’s part of the fun of it, until it becomes deadly serious. You just have to keep rolling with the punches until you can’t. Anyway, there were more challenges ahead, but for now I was happy, feeling like I really was an at oasis for a couple of days.
The next day I took myself on an( other) adventure: Cheela has a self-drive 4WD guided tour a few kms away: I was up for it, even though the mercury was pushing at least 40C.
Just being out there on that red dirt was the go.
I had a brilliant day communing with the cattle, spying the birds at the waterholes, and driving out to some well-marked spots where the water was no longer. But there was water in some of the swimming pools and I decided a swim was the best idea, though I waited for other people to turn up – good idea to be a little careful in such a remote place.
As it happened I spent a good hour in one of the swimming holes, chatting to a Victorian couple about all things travel and politics, and how we thought the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum might go. It was wonderful to have their company and amazing that you can strike up great conversations with fellow travellers absolutely miles from everywhere.
That night I tried the bistro and it was brilliant. Seating was allocated at long tables (partly to make sure everyone had company, I suspect), and I shared a meal with an exquisite young family from Fremantle.
The Dad and I, as it turned out, had worked at two universities in common. The meal was exquisite, replete with a choice of a glass of red or white wine. Turns out the hype about Cheela was absolutely true and I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Pilbara chic: lunch served with panache at Cheela Plains Station Stay.
I also got to spend some time with a local on that second afternoon: an enormous lace monitor crept out from under a rock, and entertained us for some time before disappearing again. Incredible prehistoric-looking creatures with whipping purple tongues.
Spending two nights at Cheela was such a good decision: I felt happy there, and welcome. Even cool on occasion! It’s definitely a place I will return to when I get the chance.
Here is my visual summary of those happy days:
Do you have any tricks for escaping unexpected heat?
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