Yesterday we left Millstream National Park early for the drive to Tom Price. The route we took was very pretty and very secluded, we saw very few cars all day.
Generally the only car was passed was a mining vehicle, but for the majority of the day it was just us and our surroundings…… and lots of dust!
Oh and the odd traffic jam that held us up!
Our journey took us via a town that used to be called Wittenoom. We say used to be called because in 2007 the State Government wiped this town from the map, the town was degazetted, their electricity and postal services were taken away and all reference to the town has been deleted (as shown on the photo below), it simply doesn’t exist anymore.
For those that don’t know Wittenoom’s history, it was where they used to mine the deadly blue asbestos from the 1930’s to mid 1960’s. Many people have subsequently died from this.
The town is now basically a ghost town, a former vision of a once thriving town of 20,000 people. Apparently there are still a few people who remain living in the town. Such a shame as its in such a beautiful location.
The signs that greet you as you reach the town tell of a not so beautiful story, a stark reminder of how not everything is as it seems on face value.
From Wittenoom we continued on towards Tom Price. This involved driving on the Rio Tinto Rail Access Road (the one we applied for our permits for).
This is a dirt road that runs alongside the Rio Tinto rail line. The trains are huge and you don’t want to get stuck at a railway crossing waiting for one to pass as they are 2km long!
When Tom Price was first established it was a lot different to now, although now still predominantly a mining town, initially you couldn’t live in the town unless you worked in the mines. It was described to us as being a town full of rather colourful characters, and as “a drinking town with a mining problem!”
The town is now a lot different, a lot larger than it started out, a lot more facilities and full of families. At 747 meters above sea level, Tom price is the highest town in Western Australia.
Tom Price is set in quite a pretty location, nestled within the Hamersley Ranges and at the base of Mt Nameless (Jarndunmunha).
We drove to the top of Mt Namesless and were rewarded with a great overview of the Tom Price township, the mines and the surrounding areas. We also found that we were at the highest vehicle access point in Western Australia.
Playing with the big boys!