The swimming hole…

In a region where the trees are spindly and most don’t seem to grow over waist height, the sight of a grove of trees is a nice break from the monotonous dusty red landscape.

Beautiful gum trees line the Ashburton River, along the road leading to the old Onslow townsite.

The trees provide shade from the summer heat for the cattle that wander along this dusty red dirt road. Small groups of which are dotted along the river, watching me from under the shade of the trees.

On the river’s edge is a pretty tree growing almost out of the edge of the riverbank, one branch leaning out over the river.

Three nicely cut branch pieces nailed to the tree act as a ladder, leading you up to the rope swing. Another ladder made of branches leans against the bank, leading from the waters edge back up to the tree.

The message is pretty clear and in the Pilbara where 40°+ is common during the summer months, it's a clear invitation to cool off in the refreshing waters below.

Climb up the ladder, swing out and drop down into the cool waters of the river below. Climb back up the homemade ladder from the water up the riverbank.

A little further along the river, a sign nailed to a tree warns visitors that ‘Croocdiles inhabit this area’. It lets you know that if a croc attacks you it can cause injury or even death. Stay out of the water it goes on to say, don’t swim here. It warns against camping too close to the river, for those more trusting souls, I guess.

Great. I’ll stay well away from there then.

A nice cool dip to escape the Pilbara heat. Just….watch out for crocodiles also enjoying the cooler waters.

Chatting to a local in the Onslow pub the night before, I asked if there were crocs in the area. According to one guy there's only one croc around, a big old bugger - his description, not mine.

So… sure there’s crocs, but just the one big old bugger, and with all the cattle around chances are that he’s quite well fed.

So go take a dip, swing out across the river and drop into it. Fingers crossed he’ll be fast asleep downriver somewhere, right?

Not a bloody chance mate. I’ll sit this one out.