Originally Millstream Chichester was two separate national parks, but they are now joined to form one massive park (hence the double-barrelled name). This park is very beautiful and I thought it deserved its very own post.
Heading inland again, I briefly explored the interestingly named Pannawonica, a mining town deep in the Pilbara.
Travelling on, I entered dry and sparse country with no trees, the only things visible seemed to be spinifex and strange shaped hills marking the vista.
The dirt road to Millstream Chichester was in reasonable condition, which made the journey fairly pleasant. Air conditioning helped too, as it was getting pretty hot out.
However, there are often reminders that you should treat these roads with respect and someone else’s journey had not ended well…
Arriving at Millstream Chichester, the land is flatter and the white Snappy gums stand out against the red rocks. This is still a sacred land to the traditional custodians, the Yinjibarndi people.
It is an arid landscape and rain is pretty rare here. But there is water, unexpected in the dry Pilbara dust.
These wetlands are fed by underground springs, creating permanent waterholes that contrast sharply with the surrounding desert country.
Of course, Europeans have left their mark on the land too, with the country being used as a pastoral station for about 100 years, with both sheep and cattle here later on.
The old homestead has been carefully restored. It housed the Gordon family from 1919 when it was built, until 1964. It became a tavern in 1974 and in 1986 became the visitor centre for the national park.
This was a rare example of building in the Pilbara, being made from reinforced concrete panels. Interestingly, there are no windows in the house. Each room instead has large French doors opening out onto the wide, covered verandas.
Just in case you thought all this water is just for looking at in this national park, these wetlands ultimately provide much of the main water supply for the people and industry in the nearby mining towns of Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Point Samson and Wickham…
