Tans in a Van

Leaving Lake Argyle, we swiftly crossed into the Northern Territory where two immediate changes caught our attention: the speed limit increased to 130 km/h, and the road quality noticeably deteriorated. This combination wasn’t ideal, so we maintained our usual lower towing speeds and continued our journey. Initially, we planned to stop an hour short of Katherine at a free campsite, but as the afternoon slipped away, we decided to stop earlier to avoid night driving. When we arrived at our new spot, we noticed a car departing after initiating a controlled burn. Assuming it would remain small, we were soon joined by the Deuchars, and given that Grant is a firefighter, he advised us that it seemed ok but just in case we opted for a quick dinner before driving a bit further to a safer campsite, which everyone agreed was a good idea. We settled in for the night, enjoying a good chat once the kids were asleep.

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Back on the main road, we embarked on our journey towards Purnululu National Park, renowned for the breathtaking Bungle Bungle Range. We had heard from friends that the road leading into the park was both lengthy and quite rugged, so we opted to free camp just outside the entrance, leaving our caravan behind to explore the park in one adventurous day. As we settled into camp, slightly off the main highway alongside a few other caravans, the children gathered firewood with the hope of assembling a cozy campfire. Lily and I whipped up some damper, which we relished as dessert, accompanied by butter and jam.

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Embarking on the Gibb River Road, nestled in the heart of the Kimberley, is a journey that promises adventure and allure. The Gibb River Road is 660km in length, between Derby and Kununurra. The majority of the road is gravel and the condition is dependent upon the previous wet season, traffic and the last time a grader repaired, knowing this Ollie bought a sticker that claimed there was 1 million bumps to go. We had heard tales of its rugged terrain and were initially hesitant to undertake the journey, but we had also heard how great it was so were hoping it would open. As opening dates often stretch from late May to early June, we diligently monitored its status. Fortunately, a mild wet season blessed us with early access and we made the final decision to go for it. Departing the Dampier Peninsula, our first destination was Derby—the road’s official gateway—where we replenished supplies, knowing there’d be scant opportunities along the way. Luck was on our side at Woolworths, where we snagged bargains galore, from BBQ chickens at $2 each to an array of delightful goodies, culminating in a dinner cost of less than $4.

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From Broome, we headed north to the Dampier Peninsula, where a striking contrast of pindan cliffs, white sandy beaches, and clear turquoise waters creates the perfect backdrop for a unique cultural and coastal adventure. We chose to base ourselves at Pender Bay, which is on land managed by a local custodian. Although he had closed the area for all of May for maintenance work, he kindly allowed us to stay there. The road in was fairly short, but due to the corrugations and large bumpy sections, it took much longer than we had anticipated. By taking it slowly, we arrived in one piece and were rewarded for our efforts with a campsite right on the cliffs overlooking one of the most breathtaking locations we had seen on our trip. Since it was closed, we practically had the place all to ourselves apart from two other vans.

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We set off from Karijini and headed for Port Hedland. As we made our way out, a dingo gracefully crossed the road right in front of us—the first one we had seen on our trip. It was a decent drive, which we had decided to do a day early instead of having to wake up at 5 in the morning to get to Port Hedland Ford to have the car serviced. This extra day also gave us the chance to vote early, instead of having to wait around for the day.

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After one last, refreshing swim in the inviting, warm waters at Mesa Campground’s beach, we reluctantly bid farewell to Cape Range National Park. We’ve unanimously decided that the enchanting Ningaloo Coast has become our favourite destination on the trip thus far. After a quick pit stop in Exmouth for groceries and to collect Oliver’s prize for the Easter colouring competition, we set our sights on our next destination—Bullara Station Stay. Bullara, a lively, working cattle station, offers visitors a genuine taste of the rugged Australian outback. Known for its rustic charm, we were lucky enough to arrive just in time for their famed burger night!

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Leaving behind the comforts of Exmouth, we embarked on a short journey to the breathtaking Cape Range National Park, where we had booked a five-night stay at Mesa campground. This park, renowned for its majestic limestone ranges and deep canyons, is encircled by 50 kilometres of untouched beaches.

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Our journey continued to the Wooramel River Retreat, a bushy setting nestled slightly inland. The main allure of this location was its natural artesian bore baths, which sounded lovely. However, arriving on a scorching 45-degree day had somewhat dampened our excitement for them. After setting up camp, we explored the property, where we were told that, despite the heat, the baths would remain delightful. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the shade and swaying gently in a hammock under the cool breeze. As evening descended, we ventured to the baths area, a bustling hub where guests gathered on a grassy area where we had dinner while a singer played some golden oldies. We then divided our time between the melodic tunes and the soothing baths which we found to be a truly delightful evening. The kids ran free, enjoyed playing giant lawn games and Lily jumped on stage for the last few songs for a dance. The next day gave us milder temperatures, allowing us to indulge in more frequent visits to the baths.

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We embarked on our journey from Kalbarri and headed towards Monkey Mia, a destination renowned for its daily dolphin feedings right from the beach. However, it offers so much more than that. The four-hour drive seemed to vanish from our minds upon arrival. The caravan park we stayed at felt more like a resort, complete with pools, restaurants, and bars, making it a refreshing change—a holiday within our holiday. After setting up, we immediately ventured to the beach, where we spotted dolphins playing just 10 meters offshore. The warm water invited us to spend the afternoon lazily alternating between the beach and the pool. As the day wound down, we indulged in happy hour at one of the restaurant bars, savouring delicious bacon fries before dinner. Later, we tried our hand at fishing on the beach, where Lily caught her first blowfish with some squid bait, an exciting moment even though it wasn’t fit for eating.

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After a lot of relatively short drives after crossing the Nullarbor, the drive to Kalbarri from Sandy Cape was a much longer 4 hour trip. Initially, Google said it would be an even longer journey due to a fire blocking the freeway, but to our pleasant surprise the road had reopened that morning. Once we arrived in Kalbarri, we set up camp allowing the children to enjoy the pool while Robyn and I attended to some much-needed laundry. That evening, we prepared dinner in the camp kitchen and a fellow camper generously shared with us a couple dozen crayfish legs from his day’s haul of ten crayfish, having run out of space in his freezer. They remain in ours, eagerly awaiting to be cooked!

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