Meekatharra WA

Leinster is a mining town. It was created by Agnew Mining back in 1976 and the town and mine is now owned by BHP. The miners have their own dongas as homes. A donga is basiclly  small mobile home, kinda like the old style school rooms. Very small and basic, but enough for a miner. They have their own mess hall, and transport to / from the mine is via company bus.

The town had a school, medical facilities, police, fuel, caravan park, tavern (pub), drive in cinema, shopping centre, oval (with lights) and recreation area ie all the things required in a town but all built and owned by the mining company.  What surprised me a little was it's family orientation. In the past, mining was a "mans" job, but not any more. The companies prefer to employee husband and wife and put both to work. They have found that both together (at the end of the day) results in a harmonious life for the husband and both are dedicated to the job.

Leinster is known as Wedge Tail Eagle country. A bird I have admired way back when we were hunting in the Flinders Ranges. We always cut up our quarry when dead, which meant the animals could have a feast. Many times we would see the wedge tail eagles picking the flesh of the carcass the following day.

The first 300 km's today was done at a slow pace of 100 km's (GPS). I get great fuel mileage at 4.8 - 4.9 litres per 100km's. This gives me just over 1,000 km's on my 50 litre tank. It's the slowest I will go on the hwy, but it is amazing how much more you see doing 100 compared to +120. On this section I was dodging wedge tale eagles eating fresh kangaroo roadkill. If it was not a fresh kill, the eagles would not bother. The crows however do. Appears the older the better for them. Yuk!!

As I mentioned previously, you dodge for lizards and snakes. But on this section I encountered goanna. Dodged the first, it scuried away. I gave the 2nd a wide berth, however I stopped as I wanted photo's. Great photo's I think. But wish I had a full DSLR to get longer telephoto. I've always wanted to taste a goanna. I remember them being cooked up on the leyland brother style shows many years ago, but to date I have not tried them. Rather have them alive than in the tummy.

Bakery in cue. I thought this place was out of busines, but nope - small shop - Great Curry pies!!

Camping at the Meekatharra camp ground. It's a mining town but has about a 50% population of aborigines. As a result, most shops have security door style protection on their windows etc.

In Leinster a couple came over and said were you in the nullabour a week ago. Apparently I had driven into a photo spot as they were leaving and then overtook them later on. Apparently a bright red Golf is noticable. They are also going to the Pilbaras, meeting up with friends who live in Tom Price. The couple are from Tasmainia and I think have not travelled up north too much. They arrived and paid to stay at the same caravan park I am in. They set up and then walked around town. I warned him to stay close to the mrs. They came back unpacked and left. We chatted as they left, and they said no way were they staying in Meekatharra.  I think the locals scared them.

They also told me the Pilbaras is currently under a bushfire threat. Tom Price maybe evauacted.  I'm one day from Newman which is Pilbara area. Wait and see..