The pools along the Fortescue are where the river has eroded through to the Millstream Dolomite.

Millstream is fed from the aquifer in the dolomite.

A colour perhaps explained by the dolomite.

An agreement that allows camp hosts to swim if they remove ferns.

Otherwise swimming forbidden.

There's a notice at the visitors centre and a pic of a planned burn in 2016.

The area (and the vine) has recovered well.

We can easily see the bottom at 2-3m.

Its a long way to come to find things closed.

I'll have to go back to find the mechanism that turned the drill.

A grey-crowned babbler.

At last, something we can make sense of in the bird book.

There was a flock of 5 or 6 hopping around in the edge of the bush. No matter which side of the bush I was on they were on the other side. Until they got bored and flew away.

They were cheerfully noisy. Babbling?

But no. Now I have to search the bird book. Again.

Its possibly a black-tailed tree creeper. The shape is right, and it more or less matches the pic in the parks signs. But not the bird book. These things are not to be taken literally ...

A blue-winged kookaburra.

The one's that never learned to laugh. But seems to keep trying.

As dark falls they serenade us.

We spotted a couple a long way along the track but they were too quick. This is one of the pair that seems to frequent the track near the campsite.

There are a few variations of ringnecks. The Port Lincoln is the "nominative" race. Others have red flashes above their beak and a few other distinctions.

In this area we see them as dark in the trees and yellow as they fly.

Occasionally we get close enough to get a pic and recognise them.

This is a white-plumed honeyeater.

Hand reared apparently.

The day is a bit overcast which means the kangaroos are happy out in the open.

A red-backed kingfisher. In the forest around the homestead.

An on again off again process as it looked for food, prepared to launch, then relaxed, until repeated a few moments later.

The bird book describes it as "uncommon" and migratory, winter in northern Australia. Just like us this year.

They look totally different.

Its taken a couple of days for me to realise.

A remnant of the homestead garden. Vague suggestions of irrigation and garden, though the bananas (I recall) and other food plants are long gone. The homestead had a gardener.

I couldn't see under the bridge enough to know whether the weir is natural or had a bit of human help.

We gave it 10/10 for its duck dives.

Though perhaps I should mention the peace and quiet is broken by the sound of a large stationary diesel engine and pump associated with the bore field supplying water to Karratha. I imagine it would break all sorts of Occ Health and Safety sound barriers close up. Always noticeable at the pool the sound pervades the park and is at times intrusive. At times there's a resonance added, a steady, persistent, half second beat. Whoever thought it was acceptable should be shot.

A similar shape (in our eyes) to a swamp heron.

Out and about a bit early?

We are on our way home for tea.