Goodbye Cheela Plains {Work}

Hard to believe that at the end of this week, Friday, we will be moving on from Cheela Plains.  A place that has been our home for a month, where the kids have had a great playmate and we have meet some wonderful people.

We have half contact with a station near Onslow, Koorrdarrie so Friday we pack up and head there to discuss what work they would like done. Surprisingly enough on Wednesday Robin said she had heard from her neighbour and they also want some work done so one the way we shall stop oat Wyloo and have a chat to them.

This week has been busy finishing things off, washing, attempting to pack down, school work, a trip to town, dinner with everyone and sausage making {which was it not great to watch but they are great to eat}.

  

Reflecting at our time here we have learnt a lot, seen a lot and meet some great people. Steve and Maree who are from Victoria traveling, although have been in Parabadoo for the better part of 18 months; Bob and Gwen a lovely retired couple from South Australia who did some cleaning; Robin who arrived this week, a French man who came to do some Woofing and then of course there is the Pensini clan.

A great group of people on a wonderful property.

Karratha {Visiting}

An impromptu visit to Karratha happened over the weekend & I am very glad that we did it!

I promised a good friend that I would visit her this year while we were up this way, time was getting away from us and I was so close that I decided I would head over for the weekend with the smalls {in the end J came with us too}.  Sadly I thought that it might not happen as something broke in the car on the Monday & given we are really in the middle of nowhere I didn't think we had a chance of it being fixed in time.

Well the part arrived late Wednesday afternoon and by midday on Thursday the car was finished.  We quickly loaded the car and headed off on our trip up and over to Karratha.  It was a relatively quick drive and there is certainly so road works happening between Cheela & our final destination, yet again the GPS let us up the garden path {or rather the path to the airport}.

Thursday night saw me sitting up till all but midnight chatting with C over a few drinks.  Friday everyone was up early and her husband came back from his night shift.  We had a lazy start to the day, then took the smalls down to the local skate park for the morning.  J and B headed out to get the hardware supplies we needed to finish the work at Cheela, while C & I hung out at home chatting.

Friday was also C's birthday and it was lovely to be able to have a celebration with her over dinner with some more of her friends.  It really was a wonderful night, full of food, laughs and the most amazing cake {a combined effort}.

 
Saturday saw some sore heads and a ride in the fire stations old Bedford.  The afternoon was shopping for a few items, including some more tops for the smalls as the ones they currently live in are a lovely shade or red, permanently.

Saturday night we headed to Damper to watch the sunset and enjoy a picnic dinner.  It was a lovely afternoon/evening and watching the sun go down over all of the boats was breathe taking.

Sunday was a big cook up and I headed out to the food shopping {excitement plus} ALONE.  A quick snack for the kids as B rushed out the door to a fire call and we packed up to head back to Cheela.

The weekend flew bye but as corny as it sounds the memories of it shall last.  It truly was a weekend that I wish could be replicated often. 

Cheela Plains Station {Work}

What a a beautiful place, ranges, plains, gorges and hills. All in the one place, well 188,000 hectares of space.

We arrived at Cheela Plains after a stop at what is most certainly the most expensive road house we've seen yet. Nanutarra most certainly live up to it reputation, even more so than I expected. So glad we didn't need fuel, we only stopped to collect plumbing supplies for the station. As we drove up the short driveway you can see the homestead nestled at the bottom of a hill over looking the valley and plains. It is a well thought out home made using sea containers, beautiful, practical and in a perfect spot.

Set up and in need of a food refill we headed into Tom Price on the Sunday for supplies. So far from Perth and of all people to see we saw my parents, who had not long finished the Canning Stock Route and where off to Karajini for a few days {then coming to see us at the station}. talk about the cliche mining town, I've never seen so much hi vis gear in the once place.

Monday saw Justin starting work on what would soon turn into an ablution block. Having just arrived it was simply a leveled plot of red dirt, or rather bull dust.

Tuesday my folks arrived to spend two nights with us and it was lovely to spend sometime with them. A break from school work for all of us {very much needed} and some exploring of the station while J worked his butt off.

We went out to the stations gorge/water hole and after first missing it and doing so 4WD, just myself and the smalls we found a simply stunning spot where we spent a lovely warm winters afternoon. Mum and Kyla took a swim, although I'm not sure how they could bring themselves to sit as it was so cold, while the rest of us relaxed, took pictures and just enjoyed the scenery and sounds that surrounded us.

Thursday saw it time for my parents to leave and we headed {with J} out to check out one of the springs on the station. It was another lovely spot full of water, amazing shaped rocks, reeds and plenty of bird life. Given it didn't take as long as we thought we then made out way back to the out camp and then onto the old abandoned Big Sarah Mine.

It was an interesting drive out there, taking in more of the landscape that his Cheela Plains and when we got there what an interesting set up. One that simply showed that the person with the lease just up and left, leaving nearly everything behind. We spent a hour or so exploring the buildings and old mine shafts/holes that scared this once used gold mine. I'm unsure when they move/started there but they left in 2004. We said goodbye to Mum and Dad who then headed to Exmouth for a few days before heading onto Winning Station to surprise Nana & Pop {my Mums parents}.

The week flew past and it was time to head into Tom Price again for supplies, worked well actually as the Nameless Festival was also on that weekend.  We had a great time wandering around, eating yummy burgers & ice-cream and seeing what was on offer.

The time really has flown by and Thursday sees us heading over to Karratha for the weekend, a break for us all from our home for all but 3 weeks {only just worked that one out}.  We will be going over in the car only and then back to Cheela for a few days to finish off the job & work out where to next.

Winning Station {Visiting Again}

After hearing that mustering was happening when in Exmouth Justin decided that he wanted to head back to Winning for a few days to check it out.



We arrived on Tuesday just after lunch and the place was deserted.  Pop had just come back from running errands in town, Nana was sick and everyone else was out at the yards drafting cattle.  That said we did get greeted by the cute puppy dog and her new lamb friend.  We set up in our normal spot and pottered for the afternoon.  Eventually I headed over to shower then got tied up by the tongue chatting with Aggie for ages {Justin had to come looking for me, he thought I was having a rather long shower}.

Wednesday it was school work time for the smalls & I while J headed out to the yards with Blair to see what was happening.  There was cattle to move, cattle to load and a heap of others things.  I did some baking then helped Aggie with the extra guests that she had for lunch.  Then it was time to start getting dinner ready for the heap of people coming/staying/arriving/eating that night.  What a day, I was well and truly buggered as was the rest of the family, we didn't even start dinner until just before 8pm.


Thursday was mustering and J headed out early.  We decided that we would meet them at the yards for lunch, well they hadn't arrived so we went looking for them.  Kyla and I got into the bull buggy {think big bars, no doors, no windows} to head back to the yards to load another lot of cattle.  Watching/helping load the cattle was a great experience and I am glad that I got a chance to do it.  I really do know now where the term 'Stubborn Cow' comes from because they certainly don't follow instructions/the leader or do as you really wish they would.

All too soon it was time to leave and head off to Cheela Plains to do some work {damn not having a money tree somewhere to draw on} and see some other wonders on our travels.

Exmouth {Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park}

Lighthouse Caravan Park is where I decided to book us into. It is 17km north of exmouth and a lovely spot out of the way and close to the national park. It was the cheapest at $51 per night for all of us.

We arrived on the Saturday afternoon and first on the list was afternoon tea with my Grandparents who had decided to meet us for a night. We had a great afternoon and they left not long before it was time to get ready for dinner. I was so looking forward to a wonderful hot shower and the heat didn't disappoint but the salt water most certainly did, and for what it cost a night I was more than a little disappointed!

Dinner at the PotShot Hotel Bistro was amazing on Saturday night and well worth the splurge and a good thing that we had just that managed to secure work on a station 80km from Parabadoo.

Sunday the weather wasn't on our side so we stayed in for the morning, had morning tea twith my grandparents before they left to head back to Winning {and we decided we would head there after an extra night at the caravan park as J wanted to see a muster} and the afternoon we drove to a few spots to take a look around. Shop wrecks, points and the old lighthouse.

The first Sturt Desert Pea we've seen 

The extra night meant that Monday we got to go out and check out the National Park and we must go back to do it properly. I think at least a week we would be ale to actually see and experience most of it and it is definitely something that has to be booked in advance as it is a booking system for camp sites and it was fully booked already when we arrived.

Tuesday some supplies, fuel and off back to Winning again {I secretly couldn't wait}