East Pilbara Day 46 - Carawine Gorge to Eel Pool

Day 46 - Monday 6/8/01
Start - Carawine Gorge
Stop - Eel Pool
Trip Odometer - 54.8km
Stopped time - 26mins
Moving average - 51.3km/hr
Moving time - 1hr
Total Time - 1hr 26mins

Heading back out of Carawine Gorge we joined back up with the track towards Woodie Woodie mine. The Port Hedland people don't come this way so hopefully we'll be on our own from here.

The track shows the majority of traffic goes to Woodie Woodies so if its mining traffic only we should be right. We turned right on the Skull Springs Road toward Nullagine and found an unmarked track off to the left that we knew to be our access into Eel Pool (thank god for digital mapping).

The track was on open high ground at first, over a rocky limestone base but then we tracked down towards dense river gums and the track soon disappeared into mud, rockholes and slabs of rock requiring low range 4WD to negotiate. This track would deter most newcomers so we felt pretty sure we'd only find locals, if anyone, and sure enough after lots of bumps and scratches we found our paradise and did not want to leave.

This is probably the most perfect campsite we've found in some years. The main features were the thermal spring (a creek than ran for kilometres); a flying fox that some miner from the nearby Woodie mine may have erected - telling us this was definitely a locals spot; plenty of fish to eat; lots of shade; fresh water for cooking/washing etc; and best of all it was peaceful!

Being just a short distance from Carawine Gorge to Eel Pool it was a very relaxing day. No rush to setup camp, plenty of time for fishing and swimming and especially for exploring this amazing creek. The flying fox has got me hooked! Feel like a little kid all over again!!