Day 105 Millstream Chichester National Park

The Millstream Chichester National Park actually consists of two separate areas, Millstream and Chichester, which are combined into one national park. We started at the Chichester Range: the drive from Karratha is on a sealed road with some train crossings, where you can see very long trains carrying materials from the mines. While walking in the national park, you can also hear the sound of these trains.

We began our hike by climbing up Mount Herbert. It is a short but steep ascent, and after weeks of seeing only dry spinifex grass, it was a completely different view with everything green. This lookout more or less showcases everything that the national park has to offer. However, during the wildflower season, which is now, you can see a lot of wildflowers. Apart from that, there are no other attractions or viewpoints. We continued from Mount Herbert to McKenzie Spring, and along the way, we encountered termite mounds and many wildflowers, which made the hike interesting and provided ample opportunities for photography.

After returning, we drove to the car park for the Cameleers Lookout Trail and Python Pool. However, the steep hike and scramble over rocks to the Cameleers Lookout weren't really worth the effort as the views over the area were not significantly different from what we could see from Mount Herbert Lookout. There were almost no wildflowers to be seen on this trail, so the McKenzie Spring hike was definitely the better option. After returning, we headed to Python Pool for a refreshing swim in the cold water to cool down. All the hikes were done under the bright sun with no shade anywhere.

The other part of the national park, the Millstream area, requires a drive on a sealed and then unsealed road. Entrance fees (or a park pass) are also required for this part of the national park. We first drove the Snappy Gum Drive through the park, passing by other points of interest to reach the lookout. However, the road was closed shortly after crossing the river due to flood damage. It's not clear which flood caused the closure, but online information indicates that it was due to some flood damage from the beginning of 2021. So we couldn't access the lookout to take photos, but we did see some blue-winged kookaburras at the river crossing.

We then drove back to Millstream Homestead, but the Wetland Walk there was also closed, so we continued on to the Cliff Lookout. From the lookout, we could see Deep Reach Pool, which was our next stop on the way. The Deep Reach Pool is more like a river where people go kayaking or have picnics, rather than a pool for swimming like the Python Pool. With half of the attractions closed and almost no wildflowers to see, the Millstream area of the national park wasn't as interesting, so we didn't spend much time there and headed back to Karratha.