October 2021
Our last morning at Cape Keraudren was my 44th birthday. I had a lovely early morning walk and a beautiful meditation on the beach before I entered the caravan to be surprised with a homemade cake and some beautiful presents (a new dress and a zebra stone pendant)! I had a nice hot outdoor shower and off we set for Port Hedland.
We have now entered the Pilbara. At twice the size of the UK, the Pilbara region has some of the world’s most stunning ancient natural landscapes juxtaposed with a massive mining industry in crude oil, salt, natural gas and iron ore. We won’t be seeing much of the Pilbara this time around but I am astounded at the number of towns that purely exist because if mining. The sheer amount of raw materials taken from the crown and shipped away for processing amazes me – and I have not even seen a hole in the ground, anywhere! This place is massive. I knew Australia was huge but it was not till I started driving around it that I realised it’s enormity (25,000km travelled and just over halfway).
Port Hedland is one of the world’s largest ports in tonnage terms with over 300 million tonnes of product worth billions shipped each year. We stopped at Marapikurrinya Park on the water’s edge during our habitual drive-by-town-tour and within minutes a massive ship was being ferried in with tug boats right in front of our eyes. Mali’s jaw dropped. Some of the longest trains in the world can also be seen here – transporting the iron ore from the mines to the port (other products transported from the port include ammonium nitrate and salt). We watched a beautiful sunset right from our caravan spot and I enjoyed the last of my gin as I have decided not to drink until Christmas Day (only 8 weeks to go!).
The next morning, I convinced Craig that we should join the Seafarers Tour through the harbor and it was fascinating to see the massive ships at the turning circle being maneuvered by 5-6 tug boats. It was hard to imagine that over $270, 000, 000 worth of iron ore leaves the port each day. The Mission to Seafarers are a charity which responds to the many challenges and dangers faced by seafarers. They provide meals, showers, phone cards, emotional support and work to improve the treatment of seafarers and shipping practices in Australian waters. I had no idea they even existed till now.
The next day we left the giant port for Point Samson (218km south), a small fishing town with lovely beaches, gorgeous coastline and the possibility of seeing the Staircase to the moon. We snorkelled, swam, cycled, explored the old restored jetty, enjoyed some local seafood and Mali spent days playing with her new friend Sky. We also found a little Spiny Tailed Gecko in the rim of one of the car wheels. Look at the picture, it has a spiny tail (well durr....) and funky eyelashes!!!
We convinced Mali that Santa’s workshop was experiencing a lack of training wheels and that children who donated their old training wheels may get what they wish for. We told her the Elves polish them up and make them new again for children who get their first bike. The next morning the training wheels were off!!! She spent the next few days hooning around the park, up & down gutters, riding on the beach and in the dark. She was more than ready.
Craig has become quite a successful recreational fisherman reeling in 3 queenfish, a trevally, and a bream (he has hooked loads of sharks and trevally but they are destroying his gear). We popped over to Cossack, a ghost town with many beautifully restored buildings which offer an insight into the hardships and successes of the first settlers. The lookout had spectacular views overlooking Jarman Island’s lighthouse built in 1888 and a sparkling blue ocean that is Settlers Beach.
We drove into Karratha Saturday afternoon and ducked out to see the Red Dog statue at Dampier - this is the area where Red Dog spent much of his life and where they filmed the 2011 movie. We watched it again, of course, nothing better than watching a movie filmed exactly where you are visiting. I must say, the movie made the place look so attractive with the spectacular shots of the salt flats and mining trains. I am also regularly hoodwinked by the brochures and all the write-ups on some of these towns. Perhaps the fact that the Karratha Chinese Garden Restaurant made it into the guide should have been a giveaway. The suggestion that Roeburne is ‘well worth the visit’ baffled me. When we drove through most of the historical sites were fenced in, the town was void of much activity and there was a small prison just on the outskirts. I really must pay more attention – I think the nice photos reel me in.
The point is, there wasn’t much to see in Karratha and after having discovered someone went through our unlocked car one night in addition to a disturbing domestic dispute a few cabins up from us we were glad to leave after I had finished my final day of my meditation teacher course.
So, I apologise. This was going to be an Exmouth and Coral Bay post but I forgot this section of the trip. Apart from Point Samson it was a mining town tour really.
See you in Exmouth!
Comments