Day 20 - Monday 23 July - On to Port Headland

Day 20

Monday

23 July

40 Mile Beach Bush Camp – South Headland – Port Headland

Began book 5, Sanctuary by Judy Nunn

Here we go again. The noises of the campsite waking up, had Paul stretching and joining them, so I had to follow suit. It was 730am and we were heading to Port Headland. Paul got on with the business of putting the car back on the trailer and I made the bed and put on breakfast. 8.10am and we were on our way.

The gas plant has a water tap, so we made use of it, filling the tank, before turning left on the highway and heading north once again. We skirted past Karratha and Roebourne and then I moved into unfamiliar territory once again, with Paul by my side picking out different land features. While the land is flat for the most part, large hills pop up like pimples to break the monotony. It is still very green up here and some of the creek beds had puddles. 

I busied myself on the computer as we drove along, making the most of the time. In fact, it wasn’t long and we were pulling into the Yule River rest to stretch out legs and have a quick bite to eat, we were now only 40min from Headland. 

We returned to the van and began the last bit of the drive, Paul freaking out when the road changed and he suddenly lost his bearings. Turns out they have done some road works up this way and changed a few intersections, adding in bridges over rail lines that service various mines. He did eventually find some markers that had him back on track. 

We turned right and made our way into South Headland, Paul keen to checkout where it all began for him 34 years ago. We took the tourist route, past his first posting, Pundulmurra Aboriginal College and around the town before making our way towards Port Headland. We crossed the bridge Paul had been looking for, Red Bank, that gives a good view of the salt mine and then it was on to Cooke Point, Paul surprised by the huge housing development. We noticed vans parked at the race course, but opted to head to the Discovery Park. We didn’t get in there though, as the place was full, so our dreams of having a shower were dashed and we returned to the free camp at the races. 

We picked ourselves a spot, set up and then had lunch. Paul had unloaded the car, so we were straight into it, after our meal and made our way into the town centre. We parked near the water and checked out the port. Large iron ore carriers were lined up waiting to be filled and another was escorted in while we watched. We walked down the main street, stopped at tourist information to collect the pamphlets, then completed the tour with a walk past the pubs Paul frequented here in the 80’s. With the circle complete, we drove on to Woollies and did a shop, stocking up on supplies for the onward journey. After dropping the goodies back at the van we continued on towards South Headland.

The Red Bank Bridge has a viewing platform of the salt mine, so we stopped and climbed the stairs to check out the production, so many tonka trucks were rushing about, over what could be confused as snow. Salt poured from a conveyor belt, adding to the pile. It was an impressive site. 

We then drove on, Paul pointing out the various buildings and how they may have changed. We drove through the rabbit warren of streets to Baler Primary to see where he finished his stint in Headland, then made our way to the shops. We did a wander through the mall, surprised at what was available. Paul replenished his thong supply and then we moved on. We found a store to pick up an Anderson plug and returned to the Getz to continue our jaunt. 

We found a large sign promoting Pundulmurra College, so we stopped so I could take a photo and then we drove to the college and parked, so we could have a look around the grounds. Paul pointed out his old room and noted the changes to the complex, including the removal of his home, guess that is what happens in 30 years. 

We made our way back to towards Port Headland, turning into Cooke Point, so that we could check out Pretty Pool, the local beach. Unfortunately, the tide was out and there was no beach to speak of. The tourist bureau had warned not to swim here as there were; crocs, sharks, blue ring octopus and stonefish. Paul had scoffed at the croc bit, but sure enough there was the familiar croc warning sign. Hmm

We walked along the sand and around the edge of the what was left of the pool and then made our way back to the car. We drove around the new housing development before eventually finding our way back to the van. We put the car back on the trailer, had a breather, began on dinner, Paul rang Ray to relay the way Headland is now compared to the 80’s, all before heading out at 5pm.

We walked up the hill to the Koombana Lookout. From the top you could see the iron ships all waiting patiently in line for their turn to enter the port, I counted at least 9 on the horizon. I watched for whales but saw none. We walked down the path to end up at the “Top Pub”, part of the Ibis hotel. We ordered a drink then sat on the decking to watch the sun go down. We chatted with a couple who were on a bus tour, before making our way back to the van for dinner. 

To settle the stomachs, we walked the soccer oval and on to the well-equipped and lit up skate park. I played on the stand up orbital swing, wishing I hadn’t. I couldn’t make the damn thing stop and then it sped up and by the time I was able to step off, my world was spinning and my stomach was doing 360’s. urghhh.

That was me done for the night. Once we were back at the van, I was straight in to bed, glad to lie down and shut my eyes to the world.