We picked up our van in Onslow, refuelled, got a few goodies for the cartrip and headed off on a 450km journey east to Tom Price.

Misreading the map and with an incredibily strong headwind, our range was reduced to 300km, and the nearest fuel was 360km at Parabadoo - oops. We stopped at a roadside parking area and bought 10 litres of fuel from some travellers heading the other way, but decided we still would be short, so we stopped again and emptied the boat petrol tank into the car.

We made it to Parabadoo with a few litres to spare, and decided we really needed to think carefully about our distances.

Arriving at Tom Price we went to the tourist centre to enquire about caravan parks, of which there is only one, about 5km's down the road toward the Rio Tinto mine. Accommodation in the town is scarce due to the mining activity, but if you have your own camper, van or tent you'll be fine.

We stayed just the one night in Tom Price, but had booked into the Rio Tinto Mine tour for the next morning. Something a little different - industry meets tourism! However, well worth the visit, as mining is key to the Pilbara. We boarded a fully loaded bus and headed out to the mine, past workshops with massive machinery and on to the lookout down into one of the largest sections of open cut mining.

The whole town is based on mining, so we might as well learn about it, we saw some massive diggers, haulers and dump trucks. The tour explains how the extract the iron one and then how it's processed and shipped out to the coast by train.

Recharging my camera battery at the visitor centre, we had a lovely breakfast at the nameless cafe, for a mining town it really is quite nice with a lot of civic pride and investment in infrastruction by the WA government as part of their 'royalties for regions' program.

Tom Price is famous for being the highest town in WA and sits below Mt Nameless - the highest point in WA.

From there we stocked up with water, fuel and food and made our way toward Karajini National Park.