Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Port Hedland 19/8/08
Port Hedland Car Kilometres: 171,608
Distance Travelled: 853km
Total Distance Travelled: 3357km
The journey to Port Hedland was interesting for a couple of points; firstly, it was the longest single day we have done so far with a 770km distance. The longest we had done in day before this was about 550km's so this was another step above that. The second thing was that at one point on the journey it was the longest distance between instructions from ken (out trusty Sat Nav) who patiently told us that there was a left turn coming up in 480km's.
Once again the journey was mainly low scrub but as the distances grow the road now travels off to a dot on the horizon with two bright red stripes either side. Occasionally the landscapes change and a rock formation will appear on the horizon as if someone had pushed it up from underneath being careful not to disturb the surrounding area. The hills change from big rounded off hills to small rocky outcrops not unlike the traditional Monument Valley in the USA (only not on the same scale).
On one of our breaks on the way we stopped at a roadhouse and when we both got out of the car we noticed a tree covered in white fruit that looked like it was growing upwards. As we got closer we realised that it was actually a flock of Cockatoos that had obviously decided that was the place to be. We decided that the Cocky Tree should be a new Australian species.
We also got experience of driving through a bush fire. We could see the smoke for about 50km's and as we got closer we began to see the smoke get thicker and heavier. It was coming from one area but rising up to a certain height and spreading over an area of what must have been 50 or so km's. We didn't drive directly through it but it was about 150 metres off the side of the road and by the time we reached that point we could see flames as well as the smoke. It was a bit worrying but also a bit exciting to see. Luckily it was only a small fire in Australian bush fire standards as most the land in that area was low scrub and spinifex (Spiked long grass) but despite that it had been burning for 5 days according to the lady at the Camp site.
Port Hedland is a town for boys. That may sound strange but I will explain. The first thing we did in Port Hedland was the BHP Billiton Iron Ore Works Tour. This was a bus tour through the Iron Ore plant that received all the Iron Ore from the Newman Quarry about 150km's in land. It then loaded the Ore onto huge tankers who mainly ship it to China, Korea or Japan. (Where incidentally we have presumed that it is made into Camping Stoves, Tables & Chairs as most of our stuff is made in China).The plant itself is a spaghetti of large conveyor belts and towers with 10,000 tone bucket lifts dropping ore into big piles or onto the boats. Everything here is done on a large scale (even the dust suppression water sprays which, by the red dust on everything in the whole town, didn't work that well) and the trains that bring the Ore from the quarry are actually the world's longest trains. They can reach lengths of up to 7.km and have 8 Locos to pull them.We experienced one of these trains while waiting at a level crossing on the way in. We didn't realise at that point that that was a relatively short one at only about 2.5km's long! The tour took about 2 hours and took us right through the plant. Unfortunately we couldn't get off the bus but we both agreed that this was probably for the best with all the giant sized power tools around. We did have annoying woman sitting near us who spent the 1st hour on her mobile phone discussing why she didn't actually want to be on a tour of an iron ore plant. But with all the big trains and trucks to look at I managed to ignore her!
Then after all this industrial fun we headed off to the park for a sit down in the sun. I am sure you will believe me that it was as much of a surprise to me, as it was to Jemma, that this park happened to over look the Tanker loading bays and again purely by coincidence we arrived just as one of the 350m long ships was starting to get ready to leave. We spent a nice couple of hours in the park, Jemma reading and me watching 4 tug boats push and pull the tanker on to the horizon. Jemma did try and steal back a little of the attention by briefly dislocating her shoulder but many people who have known Jemma for a while will know this is not a serious as it may seem, and within a minute or so and a little muttering of a few choice expletives, I was free to watch the boats again.
When we checked in we were given a map of some of the best viewing points around the town. Previously to Port Hedland these had been fantastic Gorges and places to see whales and Dolphins and spectacular beaches. Unfortunately for Port Headland they don't really have these options. What they do have is a great viewing platform where you can watch the trains arrive and leave. That was where we headed now. We even got time for a brief stop at a display of old trucks and trains that had been taken out of service. I think Jemma was especially pleased when I noticed these! We arrived at the viewing platform for the advertised 1.30 arrival and were a little surprised to see about 5 or 6 people already waiting. We were even more surprised that none of them appeared to be carrying notebooks or wearing anoraks. There were a few zoom lenses and binoculars being used but I think, by being over 2500km's from the nearest size city, it was a little too remote for even the most dedicated train spotters. Unfortunately by about 2ish no train had arrived or departed (I don' suppose quarry trains run to a strict timetable) and although we did get to watch the road trains (Lorries with up to 5 trailers each the length of a normal one back home) at the salt stock pile, we left disappointed that we had not seen the trains. As a side issue the tour guide described the rail system to and from the quarries as the largest train set in the world. This is because the whole system used for this is owned by BHP Billiton and was built purely for this purpose. Well I found that interesting, I am not sure that anyone else will really care (apart from David and Barry that is)
We did get chance to see one natural event while we were in Port Hedland. This is known as the staircase to the moon and is essentially the moons reflection across the mud flats which create an effect of steps leading up to the moon. It only appears for a few days each month and aging only between March and October so we both pleased to be in the right place at the right time, even if it was only by chance. The tourist centre and the reception at the camp site told us exactly what time and about 20 minutes before we headed off to find the beach.After stumbling down a small path in the dark and not really knowing if we were in the right place, we arrived at the beach. As our eyes grew more accustomed to the dark we saw quite a few groups of people sitting waiting for the moon to rise. Although it wasn't anything personal to us it did feel a bit special sitting there waiting. That was until the coach party arrived complete with guide and torches shining across the beach. Luckily though, even they quietened down and waited. Over the next few minutes a section of the sky grew gradually lighter until the top of the moon was showing just above the horizon. Within another few minutes the whole moon was showing casting a bright yellow cast over the whole beach and producing the reflections or steps as promised. We sat and enjoyed the sight, the tour group tried lots of flash photography & within another 5 minutes it was all over as the moon rose higher above the mud flats. The first to leave were the tour group (I assume they had somewhere else to womble around before they were all packed off to bed with a hot Coco) and then gradually the beach cleared as we made our way back to camp.
By this point it was way past our normal camping bedtime (about 9.30 if we are having a late one) so we spent a few minutes deciding we were going to break up the journey to Broome by stopping at a site on the 80 mile beach about halfway, and then called it a night.
- comments