Day 40 Onslow to Karratha - 8/4/11

This morning we headed back to the North West Coastal Highway on our way to Karratha.  We are now in the Pilbara area.

Lots of termite nests in this area too and we can see the mighty Hamersley Range in the distance.

Lots of termite nests 

The bridge over the Fortescue River 

A hill beside the river 

Views of the Hamersley Range

We drive along with no signs of civilisation, the distances are amazing.  We stopped just past the Forescue
Roadhouse on the Forescue River to stretch our legs. 

We stopped just outside of Karratha to have lunch as it was getting late and if we waiting till we booked into the caravan park and set up it would have bee really late.  While we were having lunch one of the Rio Tinto trains hauling iron ore came past.  There were 3 engines and 230 carriages containing iron ore.  I know because I counted every one of them!

The iron ore train

We then stopped at the Visitor Information Centre to get some information and then booked into the Pilbara Holiday Park and set up.  This is the most expensive park so far at $50 a night but with out discount it was $45 a night.  We decided to stay here for 3 nights.  We were a bit alarmed to see most of the caravans in the park strapped and chained down.  The staff at the park said that it is mandatory for permanent residents of the park to have their vans etc tied down during the cyclone season until the end of April.  They supply cyclone packs to tourists but in April they don't worry about it unless there is a cyclone warning.

This park had lots of mine workers as accommodation in town is hard to get and very expensive.  As a result from about 5:30am you could hear the workers heading off to work.  No sleep ins here!

Karratha has a population of 12,756 and was establised in the late 1960's to serve the requirements of  major local industrial projects such as Pilbara Iron, Dampier Salt and later Woodside's North West Shelf Venture (oil and gas).  It is the largest town in the region.  It is definately a mining town with so many mine cars and men and women in the blue and yellow uniforms.  As a result of the huge wages the mining people get and the requirement for steel frame houses due to termites, housing is every expensive.  A four bedroom house was over a million dollars to pay and rents were between $1500 and $2000 a week!  I don't know how the people who don't work in the mines can afford to live here. 

We had a quick look around town, did a grocery shop and then relaxed for the rest of the day.  I had a cooling swim in the park pool as well.

cheers
Pete and Roz