The drive to Karijini National Park (disaster strikes) 2nd - 3rd August

Cape Range National Park to Karijini National Park was over 700km so we decided to split it into two days driving. We stayed overnight in a "free camp" at House Creek. It is a small area under the trees about 50metres off the road and by a dry creek bed. There were about three other overnight campers there that night. House Creek marked the start of the red dusty dirt. And it was very red and there was lots of it. As we set up the tent it took no time for Archie and Jasper to become covered in red. Skin and clothes changed colour within minutes.
The next day we left about 9.30 and headed for Karijini. We estimated about four hours of driving and looked forward to an early afternoon set up for a five day stay. We got to Paraburdoo, a small mining town comprising of an IGA and not much else, about 100km from Karijini. This was our stop to buy supplies before we entered into the national park. As we pulled into the shops car park two locals waved us to a stop to tell us the tail gate at the back of our trailer was wide open. Uh oh !!!! We had just driven 300km and not knowing how long the back of the trailer had been open we quickly parked and went to the back of the trailer to see what had happened. The tailgate has the kitchen attached to it and the sink and shelves were still attached however they were now empty. Somewhere along the North West Coastal Highway or the Nanutarra Wittenoom Rd was our cutlery, gas stove, cups, mugs, assorted food and a few other odds and ends.
Of all places for this to happen. Paraburdoo was tiny and the IGA had only a few things that could have replaced some lost items, mainly cutlery. A local shopper recommended we drive to Tom Price to see what we could get there as it was a bit bigger having a Coles and several other shops. Tom Price was the last place we could buy things before entering Karijini. We decided to not buy anything in Paraburdoo and made our way to Tom Price.
We managed to replace all we could remember that was on the kitchen shelves. Except a gas stove. Luckily we have a small single burner butane stove that would have to suffice until we found somewhere to buy a new gas stove.
It could have been much worse. Two crates at the back of the trailer were full of heavy items and didn't slide out of the open trailer. These two crates prevented all our belongings being deposited on the road as we drove. The tail gate hinges held on. The disaster would have been much worse if the it had fallen off. It doesn't close as neatly as it once did as the hinges have been slightly damaged. Over the subsequent days we realised other things that we had lost and not realised earlier. An adjustable spanner, mixing bowls, some tupperware. a jug and .... we are sure the list will grow.
We have no idea when the tail gate opened, or how it opened. It is now padlocked whenever we drive.
We arrived at our campsite without the luxury of an early afternoon setup. Instead we set up in the late afternoon just in time for dinner.