2012, August 15 - 17 - Karijini National Park to Tom Price

Luke in front of one of the dump trucks driven mostly
by women and filled with Iron Ore at the Rio Tinto Mine

Trip Meter Reading Start – 1256

Trip Meter Reading Finish –  1372
Total Km Travelled –  116 km

Filled Up Tom Price
ULP $1.64 per litre; 63.07 litres; $101.49

Accommodation
Tom Price Tourist Park; $38 p/night per couple powered site ($7 per child if you tell them you own one); very well kept, clean park and amenities; green grass and shade (on our site anyway)

Comments – Luke
This morning (Wednesday) we went to Circular Pool where I had a swim.  It was so cold I nearly turned into ice.  After that I got my Junior Ranger badge; to get this I had to complete a big 4 page questionnaire and do alot of written exercises about caring for National Parks and our responsibilities.  When we got to Tom Price we did some shopping and stayed at a camp ground.


Luke taking a swim at Circular Pool, Karijini National Park

Today (Thursday) we went shopping.  After that I played my PS3.  When I was playing my PS3 a flock of correlas came so I fed them Armands (Almonds – good try Luke!).

Friday – Today we went on a mine tour about Iron Ore.  We saw heaps of dumper trucks they where huge.  We also saw the mine where they dig for Iron Ore.  I found a peacock rock witch is a rainbow coloured rock.
Comments – Mum and Dad
After Luke proudly collected his rangers badge we took the steep walk into Dales Gorge to Circular Pool before heading to Tom Price.  Again we had to descend down a couple of ladders and steep incline.  When your going down, you know that when you come back you’ve got a steep climb back up and that your heart rate will be getting a workout!  We met a young family with 5 kids under 11, one was in a back pack while her mum climbed down the ladder (amazing!).  It was an easy walk to Circular pool and the kids all love clambering over the rocks in the shade of the trees growing at the bottom of the gorge.  The reflections of the bright red cliff faces in the water at the pool were spectacular; shame the water was so cold, but it didn’t stop the kids getting in for a swim.

Back up to the car we headed for Tom Price and booked into the only caravan park.  Unfortunately we could not do the mine tour until Friday, so we were here for 3 nights, however some free time to do some much needed washing after a week of traipsing through red dirt and dust it was time to catch up on some dreaded household chores.

Tom Price is a pretty little place, with many of the locals working for Rio Tinto.  There are more kids than adults with the average age being 12; there are 2 primary schools and 1 highschool.  Some of these kids are getting jobs after their HSC starting on $46k per year.  It is in Rio’s best interest to have permanent families employed here.

Wildflowers in front of Mount Nameless at Tom Price

In town was a newly constructed Coles supermarket complete with a kids water park and playground; the town is expanding with the shire implementing a new swimming pool and skate park.  There is money to be made here and ladies, they need us to drive the big trucks, because apparently we are much gentler with these mighty machines – care to make $120 grand a year? 6 days on and 6 days off with Rio providing you with accommodation and low cost energy and water?  The amount of young women in around the town in the mining gear was to say the least inspirational; these kids are willing to get ahead and make the most of this mining boom.

We took a tour to the mine on the Friday; our guide had worked in the mine in the early 70’s and 80’s and was very knowledgeable.  The mountain Mt Tom Price was now a big hole in the ground, actually, it was bloody huge!  4-6 trains carrying 230-250 carriages per day with 3.5 million dollars of iron ore leave Tom Price each day for the docks.  The power stations, the plant required to run this places was overwhelming.  A water truck driver earns $120k per week.  Most people stay for 2 – 5 years to get ahead, and why wouldn’t you.  Tom Price is the perfect community place (where there is no Myer or shopping to tempt the ladies) to earn a good quid for those with a basic school education....so where the bloody hell are ya?