Port Hedland has been established as a port since the turn of the century but in the 1960s came into it’s own when iron ore became a major export. The town has a distinctive atmosphere of being a part of the mining industry, most buildings have a reddish tinge, men in orange work shirts, numbered vehicles with flags on top - an unmistakeable air of what it’s all about. Huge ships tie up in the harbour to take on loads on iron ore, there a many superlatives when it comes to size of machinery, weights and lengths of machinery, trains etc etc. We took a bus tour of the BHP Billiton facility and got a good idea of what it’s all about. Guinness Book of Records entries abound.
Another local by product is salt, sea water is pumped into evaporative ponds and before you know it, there’s a big pile - most of which is shipped out to be used in industry although a small proportion ends up on our fish and chips!
South Hedland is a small satellite township 20kms or so away, built to accommodate the industry’s workers - the shopping centre even boasts a home made ice cream shop specializing in chocolate chilli - L’s favourite flavour!
I asked at the Information Centre about the Port Hedland Detention Centre - it closed down in 2004 and was mothballed - was the answer.
It’s good to be back in the land of technology, I really miss being able to connect to the internet, email, mobile phone etc. We leave here Monday and head inland taking the road to Tom Price, Newman, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet and eventually to Perth. Lots more mining towns to see and where there is industry there is usually an internet connection.
For the first time in several months we have woken to a chill in the morning air, it will soon be time to get out the doona and some warm clothes, not looking forward to that.
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