A week deep in the Newman backcountry without seeing another vehicle. From the chaotic water crossings into Kalgan's Pool to the cliff top campsite at Eagle Rock Falls, two unforecast storms, ancient petroglyphs at Punda and the most recently discovered meteorite crater in Australia. This remote stretch of the Pilbara delivered some of the most stunning scenery and untouched country we've ever explored, and proved exactly why a properly equipped 4WD opens up a different side

Cyclone Narelle shut down Francois Peron National Park, so we activated Plan C and rolled out to Shelter Bay near Steep Point. The run in across the big sand dune, a running repair on the rooftop tent, two to three hours a day when the wind eased, and some of the clearest water in Western Australia. Not the plan we started with, but one of the best camps of the trip so far. Here is how the shoulder season, a cyclone and a locked gate led us somewhere better.