Day 79 Onslow, WA

Onslow! What a hidden gem!  With having to book quite a few weeks in advance of our stays, research has been the name of the game. When it came to Onslow, I didn't do any research at all as it was simply a place on the map that was around about halfway between Karratha and Coral Bay.  When we were in Karratha I finally looked into what we could see and do in Onslow but couldn't find much of interest at all.  We were originally booked in for four nights at the Onslow Ocean View Caravan Park but I suggested to Philip that we cut it back to three nights as four might be too many.  My mistake 😩

As we left Karratha this morning it was another chilly one and I was glad for my purchases yesterday.  I have a feeling that this is going to be the norm from here on in.  Cool mornings but glorious days.  Our drive to Onslow is 307km, the perfect driving distance for us, that will get us to Onslow around 1.00pm in time for lunch.  

The scenery today is much the same as it was from Port Kembla to Karratha.  It is still so incredibly green from all the rain that they have had in the area and the wildflowers are making an early appearance.  The biggest difference on our drive today was the lack of trucks carrying iron ore.  The last iron ore mine that we see on our journey south, is Red Hill Mine near Pannawonica, 100km south of Karratha.  We are heading out of the Pilbara area of Western Australia and will soon be entering the Gascoyne Area.  It's well named because there is a lot of LNG plants in this area.

We reach the Onslow turnoff around 200km from Karratha.  I said to Philip it might only be a minor road so we had better keep our eyes peeled.  Our first misconception.  We turn on to what can only be described as a first class highway.  No money has been spared on this 90km stretch of road.  We hardly see another vehicle let alone trucks but there are passing lanes along this highway!  The road is not on our vehicle GPS map so we can only presume it is relatively new, but I won't trust that our GPS is up to date.

They call this the Termite Way and there are literally thousands of termite mounds as far as the eye can see in both directions.  They are the weirdest shape with their bulbous shape but each mound has a small dome shape formed on the top, a bit like a top hat.  We will have to ask someone why this is so.  It's something we have not seen before.  A bit of useless information.  Worker and Soldier termites live approximately 1-2 years but the Queen termite may survive for over a decade under optimal conditions.  Yay for the women!!

As we near Onslow we are becoming more and more surprised.  There is a large lake on the outskirts of town and we can only guess it has something to do with the Salt Mine that has been established in the area.  But, once again we will ask a local tomorrow.  The town is lovely.  It is small with just one Main Street but it is lined with trees and flowering bougainvillea all resplendent after the rain.  We find our caravan park easily as it is right at the end of the street.  We are greeted by the friendliest husband and wife team who point us in the direction of our site - right on the beach!  It certainly pays to book in advance.

View from our caravan window

The dog patrol

After we set up camp and ate a light lunch we made our way down the Main Street to the information centre so that we could book ourselves on the bus tour tomorrow that takes us around the town. We are very interested in the history of the town and who better to give the information than a local tour guide.  What we do know is that Onslow was a sleepy little beach side town up until 2011 when the Wheatstone LNG project was established.  It is a massive project situated just a few kilometres from Onslow.  Hopefully, I will be able to tell you more about it after our tour tomorrow.

Day 78 Karratha, WA

It's certainly a lot cooler here in the past couple of days with the wind giving that extra chill factor.  But by midday the wind has dropped and the temperatures have soared to around 30 degrees.  Layered clothing is the key.  Speaking of clothing, I didn't bring much in the way of winter clothes just my puffer jacket that is  certainly not needed yet and my trusty denim jacket.  So I suggested to Philip that we take the short drive to Karratha's shopping centre for a bit of retail therapy.

But first I wanted to wander the streets.  I really like Karratha.  It is trendy but not overstated.  The landscaping around the town gives it an almost tropical feel with its frangipani trees that flower year round, spider lilies, and birds of paradise.  The outdoor eating areas look very inviting with wine and tapas bars and quite a few restaurants with a variety of cuisines. The buildings in the city area are also visually attractive and blend in beautifully with the surrounds.  

The streets are not busy but the Karratha Shopping Centre carpark was near capacity.  I walked past this sign on the back of vehicle on the way to the entrance of the shopping centre.  Wanted. Grey Nomad woman with her own everything.......

Once inside the shopping centre it felt like any other.  The same shops seems to be in every shopping centre.  K-Mart, Coles, Woolworths, Just Jeans, Chemist Shop and Reject Shop.  I wandered into K-Mart first and picked up a pair of winter pjs, and one light sweater and another slightly heavier all for the princely sum of $37.  I love that about K-Mart.  The price on the tag is always cheaper at the check-out 😜.

While I was shopping Philip had coffee at Jamaica Blue.  We had walked by Lo's Coffee Shop on our walking tour that is apparently the best coffee in Karratha but it was a bit too early for coffee so we said we would go back later and then completely forgot to go back!

After the retail therapy it was a trip to IGA for a few items that turned into many items.  It was one of the best IGA's I have ever had the pleasure to visit.  It was neat and tidy and the vegetable display was above and beyond any other.  I wish I had thought to get a photograph. I saw someone packing some of the vegetables into a compartment and asked if he was the manager.  He said he was and I congratulated him on his shop.  I think I might have made his day but he deserved a pat on the back.

We had quite a late lunch of Spaghetti Agile E Olio that is simply Angel Hair Pasta, Fresh Toasted Breadcrumbs, Onion, Garlic, Chilli Flakes, Parsley, Thyme, Parmesan, Lemon Zest and Juice tossed together with lots of olive oil.  It has to be my favourite pasta.

So this is our last day in Karratha and tomorrow we once again pack the van and continue heading in a southerly direction to the coastal town of Onslow.  It is just over 300 km so we should arrive just after lunch.  

Day 77 Karratha, WA

Philip was up and out the door by 6.45 am to take the Toyota for its service.  He elected to stay in the courtesy lounge while the service was carried out and he was back home again by 9.30 am.  The car was returned all sparkly and clean that was an added bonus.  It was also one of the cheapest services we have had for a long time!  Win!

While hubby was out I stayed in bed and rang a few friends that I hadn't spoken to for awhile and it was great to catch up on all the news from the East coast.  I then washed all the bedding, completed a yoga practice and then some stretching exercises for neck and back.  The morning raced away.  I threw together a really delicious Asian Style Noodle Salad for our lunch that was both healthy and filling.  Too filling.  The recipe was supposed to serve four but we managed to polish the whole lot off!  Of course I have been paying for it ever since 😩

Aboriginal Rock Art at Murujuga National Park was on the agenda this afternoon. It is here that you can see the world's largest concentration of rock art dating back more than 30,000 years, and stretches out along the rocky hills of the Burrup Peninsular at a place called Deep Gorge. It was suggested to wait until later in the day to really be able to spot the hundreds of engravings including fish, goannas, turtles, osprey, kangaroos and even a Tasmanian tiger (that we couldn't find). 

There are two boardwalks, covering around 700m, that take you to the best of the art.  All the art is well sign-posted to give you the best opportunity to spot the art.  We have seen a lot of Aboriginal Rock Art during our time in the top end of Australia. (Philip likens it to castles in Ireland - another bloody castle😞) but it is the concentration of art in this area that makes it stand out.  There is a waterhole nearby that made it the perfect spot for the aboriginals to set up camp and then to entertain themselves they would etch/pound/carve their artwork into the nearby rocks.

We thoroughly enjoyed this walk and can understand why it gets five stars on all the touristy websites.  It is only a twenty minute drive from Karratha and very easy walking to reach the artwork.  

Artwork of a different kind on the road leading back to town

Day 76 Karratha, WA

Dampier and the Burrup Peninsula are just a stones throw from Karratha and yet they couldn't be more different.  Certainly the vegetation surrounding the two areas is the same with lots of red rocky outcrops but Dampier and the Burrup Peninsula are the industrial hubs whereas Karratha is the residential and business area.  

Rio Tinto has a major stake in the area and has built all the infrastructure to bring Iron Ore in from its operation at Mount Tom Price. Construction began in 1965 and in 1966 it sent its first shipment of 52,000 tonnes of iron ore to Japan.  

In 1984 the Woodside owned Karratha Gas Plant commenced its operation of supplying gas into the domestic market.  The company shipped it's first consignment of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to the Asian Market in 1989. It also produces LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) to be sold worldwide into the international energy markets.  There is a terrific, award winning, visitors centre here at Burrup that overlooks the whole operation but as I suspected the gate is locked and there is a sign saying it is not opening for 2022.  That was disappointing but not unexpected.

The other big player in the area is Rio Tinto's Salt operation.  It is massive and the ponds cover an area of 10,014 hectares or almost 25,000 acres.  They harvest 4.2 million tonnes per year and it takes 67 tonnes of seawater to yield 1 tonne of salt.  They are hard figures to get your head around!  Sixty percent of the salt is used in chemical industries and just twenty percent is used for human consumption.  

We particularly enjoyed walking along the esplanade at Dampier that is is green and inviting.  There were lots of families setting up for a picnic lunch and some were even braving the cold water.  There is a great caravan park perfectly situated at the end of the esplanade and overlooking the harbour (transit only with maximum 3 night stay) and we stopped to see if we could have a night there but it is fully booked until the end of July.  **sigh***

We found the road to the Dampier Lookout where there was yet another "red dog" memorial. He certainly was a popular and renowned dog.  This is about the tenth memorial we have seen over the past week 😂.  Philip was excited to show me the red flower that he spotted at Point Samson (and couldn't find again to show me).  It is the Sturt Desert Pea.  A most beautiful flower indeed.  Good spotting hubby!

The day was warming up as it was nearing midday so we didn't get to Murujuga National Park where there is some ancient rock art but we will return to the area on Tuesday.  There is so much more to see and do at Karratha than we expected and I'm very pleased we allowed the extra nights.  Tomorrow morning we have the Toyota booked in for a 7am service so we probably won't do much more than a small grocery shop and perhaps a walk around the city centre. After 76 days on the road we are well and truly sick of the small amount of clothes that we brought with us so maybe it's time to visit St. Vinnys and K-Mart 😜

Day 75, Karratha, WA

Today was the shortest distance we have driven between two destinations.  It was just over 50k between Point Samson and Karratha.  We tried to leave it as late as possible to check out of Point Samson and when we reached Karratha we stopped at the Information Centre to pick up some brochures and chat to the staff.  We tried to dawdle as much as we could but we still arrived at Discovery Parks at 11.00am.  We were very lucky that the staff at the check-in counter were extremely pleasant and allowed us onto our site at the earlier time.  Some caravan parks make you wait.

This afternoon we drove around Karratha to try and get our bearings but it is a very easy town to navigate.  It is, surprisingly, much larger than I imagined and driving past the high rise buildings with their outdoor restaurants would not look out of place in any one of the capital cities.  There is an arts centre that has striking architecture and I can't wait to explore inside.  It houses the city library that always has a wealth of local history.

After the city centre we drove the short distance to the towns lookout and it is here that you get a much bigger picture of the area.  The Port of Dampier and the Burrup Peninsular are less than 20kms away and we intend going there tomorrow.  There is a visitor centre here that overlooks the North West Shelf Natural Gas Project so we are hoping that it will be open.  Sadly we have found that Covid has had a profound effect on a lot of tours in Western Australia with many closing down and not re-opening.

Day 74, Point Samson, WA

 Grey skies and a decidedly cooler temperature have greeted us today so any hope of catching a little sun have evaporated.  The weather has given me an opportunity to start preparing for the end of the financial year that looms very close so I spent the majority of the morning doing just that.  I had a very fitful sleep last night so I welcomed a "sleep in" while Philip explored the area by foot.  We both suffered dearly after our lunch yesterday that included a lot of deep fried seafood and chips with just a hint of salad.  It was delicious to eat but I have now firmly placed all deep fried food firmly on the "do not eat" list.  

Philip came back with a lot of interesting information about Point Samson's beginnings.  The town was named after Michael Samson and Walter Padbury discovered the area in 1863. The town had a very active history as a deep water port, handling the third largest annual tonnage in WA. The port of Point Samson and its deep water jetty were built in 1902/03. The original T head jetty, nearly1,900 feet long, was destroyed by a cyclone in 1925. The remaining part of the jetty was badly damaged by Cyclone orson in 1989 and was completely removed in 1991.  A small section was rebuilt as a remind of the jetty's significant role in the town's past and has a great viewing platform that is perfect to spot whales from July to October and also to photograph the "Stairway to the Moon" that I will attest too.

This evening we walked to Johns Creek Wharf on the northern end of Point Samson.  We watched three trawlers warming up their engines before heading out to sea for the night and some young teenagers expertly casting their net from the wharf into the water below.  There were only catching one or two little fish at a time but they were very excited by their catch.  

After our walk we continued along the path towards the Point Samson Tavern where we had one last sundowner as the sun set over the harbour.  The tavern was the busiest we had seen in our three days here.  We bought raffle tickets for a seafood tray only to find out that it wasn't going to be drawn until 7.00pm so we passed our tickets on to a lady sitting beside us.  I hope she wins.

We have enjoyed our time in this lovely area.  There is a great deal to see and do and if there is any negative at all it is that telephone coverage is awful but the locals tell us that it is terrible across the whole of the Pilbara region.  Come on Telstra.  Get your act together and improve coverage in rural and remote areas across Australia!

Day 73 Point Samson, WA

On this journey, before we decide to stay at a particular place, we do quite a bit of research.  Between the Lonely Planet Guide to Australia, WikiCamps, Google and a Hema Map we can make informed decisions about the things we want to see and do.  Of course we can't do it all and I imagine that is why some folk travel around Australia more than once.  Around Point Samson there are three townships; Roeburn, Wickham and the heritage town of Cossack.  These destinations are where our journey took us today.  

Our first stop was Cossack and what an incredible place to visit.  There is so much history surrounding this area and the walls of these beautifully restored buildings could really tell a story or two.  The first thing we did was to navigate the very steep hill to the Tien Tsin Lookout to get a good look at the area we were about to explore.

From the Western Australian Travel Guide 2022:

"Originally known as Tien Tsin after the barque that landed Walter Padbury, his party and his stock at the mouth of the Harding River, Cossack was vital to the early development of the North West. Cossack was the original port of pearls before the luggers moved north to Broome in 1886, an early hub for gold prospectors in the region, and a port for pastoralists in the Pilbara. Following the opening of Point Samson jetty, the town was dissolved in 1910 and abandoned by 1950. The beautifully restored bluestone buildings in the ghost town of Cossack are testament to this small town’s huge importance in 1880’s and 1890’s and offer a fantastic insight to the hardships and successes of the first settlers".

We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the beautifully restored buildings in Cossack and were greeted by a guide on our walk who was able to fill us in a lot of details.  After our walk it was time for coffee and banana cake that we ordered from the little cafe housed inside one of the heritage buildings. It was one of the best coffees we've enjoyed so far on this journey. Most coffees are too milky for my liking 😩

Our next stop was Roeburne where the old heritage listed Goal is situated, but sadly, it is closed indefinitely.  So instead of visiting the Goal we drove up the very steep road to the lookout and were very impressed with the 360 degrees views from here.  The country surrounding the three towns is flat and tidal and as we crossed one of the flats we noticed the water flowing in rapidly and the fisherman all casting their lines on the changing tide.

After Roeburne it was on to Wickham that is the business hub of the area.  It is here you will find a community hub, grocery store, and sporting facilities.  We didn't stay very long, just a quick drive through town, because  Philip really wanted to try and get to the Rio Tinto iron ore facility at Cape Lambert. Last night we could clearly see the ships being loaded from the viewing platform at the old jetty at Point Samson.  We eventually found a road that took us right to the Rio Tinto facility.  Those machines, up close and personal, are massive, and here are some statistics for you to cast your eye over:

We didn't arrive back to our camp until 1.00pm so rather than preparing a meal we made the unanimous decision to go to the nearby tavern for lunch.  A wise decision as the meal here was fantastic.  I ordered the beer battered locally caught mackerel and Philip ordered the Seafood platter.  We are loving our stay in the sleepy little seaside town of Point Samson and tomorrow we will hang around the area and maybe soak up a bit of Vitamin D at Honeymoon Cove.

Day 72 Point Samson, WA

 Continuing on from me stating that everything is BIG in Port Hedland, this is what we followed out of Port Hedland and, to the right in the parking bay, is another monstrosity.  We eventually passed the eight metre wide truck at a passing lane but not before all oncoming traffic was stopped.

We only travelled along the Great Northern Highway a short distance today before turning south down the North West Coastal Highway.  It was a very scenic drive and more so because of the significant amount of rain that they had in this area just a couple of weeks ago, in fact there was so much rain that it cut the highway in several places.  So consequently everything is green.  Philip commented that the country looks like outback Queensland, particularly driving into Winton and looking out over Ayrshire hills.  There are even Mimosa trees scattered on the plains.

The red iron ore mountains are still sitting proudly in the distance and when our tour guide stated yesterday that there are billions of tonnes of iron ore in Western Australia, I can truly believe it. We passed Whim Creek Pub around 82km from Roeburn and it looked so inviting but sadly closed its doors in 2011. 

We start seeing signs saying "Welcome to the City of Karratha" a very long way from Karratha, but when I google the size of Karratha it says that it is one of the four local government areas in the Pilbara region and covers an area of 15,882 square kilometres.

We stopped at the information bay just outside of Roeburn to get a bit of an insight of what we can expect to see and do in the area.  We are staying at Point Samson so trips to Cossack and Roeburn are definitely on the agenda.  We drive through Roeburn but don't stop as it will better to come back sans caravan, but I'm excited to see the old restored goal on our left.  

We are now ensconced at Point Samson and tonight we wandered down to the local pub for beers and cheers and to await the moon rising for the Staircase to the Moon.  The moon was due to rise at 6.15pm so we walked out to the viewing platform to wait.  There were a lot of people waiting with us and it wasn't long before we could see that initial glow in the East.  There was complete silence as we watched the moon slowly rising and almost miraculously the "staircase" started to form over the water.  Wow. It was beautiful to watch and I'm so pleased we were able to be at the right spot at the right time to enjoy it.

Day 71 Port Hedland, WA

 Port Hedland is a pretty amazing place and we have enjoyed our few days here.  As I stated in my first post it is an industrial town and and an extension of the mining industry, but it is also home to 15,000 residents. It has an international airport that sees seventy flights per week that are mostly filled with fly in fly out workers.  Most of the giant drag lines that we see moving the iron ore are automated with somebody sitting in an office (more than likely Perth) operating these massive machines.   Iron Ore is brought in by rail from the majority of the mines and these trains can be up to three kilometres in length. Some of these trains are also fully automated. The train wagons are unloaded two wagons at a time and this is also an automated process that does not require the wagons to be unhooked. These are just some of the facts that we learnt from our tour guide this evening on our Sunset Harbour Tour.

Our tour began around 5.00pm and went for an hour and a half.  It was very interesting, more so because of our knowledgeable guide who was able to answer most of the numerous questions.  We watched as the ships were being filled with ore and we were told it takes more than 24 hours for a ship to be fully loaded. Once a ship is loaded and ready to leave the port there is already another lined up in the harbour to take its place.  The harbour master's job requires meticulous timing.  There is 550,000,000 tonnes of ore exported through the port each year but the port authority intends ramping that up to 640,000,000.  It is a big ask, but as more and more of the harbour becomes automated it does seem possible.

Innovation and forward thinking is the key when it comes to the mining industry and no-one does it better than Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest.  Fortescue's Iron Bridge Project will deliver iron ore as a slurry with the installation of a 135km pipeline to Port Hedland, together with a return water pipeline.  Production is set to commence by the end of 2022.  Although the initial outlay is massive, long time will see great returns.  

Apart from the tour this evening we did a grocery shop and also went for a drive to Finucane Island Tug Haven.  Our journey took us underneath the giant conveyor belts that are are seen everywhere in Port Hedland, in fact there is 500km's of conveyor belt!  As I said in my post yesterday, in Port Hedland everything is big (and red).

Our journey takes us to Point Samson tomorrow where we will be fortunate enough to see the "Staircase to the Moon".  I've always wanted to see this natural phenomenon and I'm so grateful that we will be in the perfect spot to see it.  Hopefully it will be a clear sky......