We left the Karijini National park at 7.00am and just kept driving continuously, except to stop and make a coffee on the way, arriving in Port Hedland RAC caravan park about mid day. Before we settled into camp we stocked up our supplies before we had a good look around the town. PT was particularly interested in this place. A real boys town, it’s all about trains, planes, road trains and ships. The biggest industry is all the iron ore arriving to the ports set for places like China. All the ships are lined up in rows and rows sitting in the Port. Trains bring in thousands of carriages full of iron ore a day from many different places around Western Australia to be loaded onto the waiting ships. As well as trains transporting iron ore to the port the road trains are very busy up and down the highways towing four trailers of iron ore per truck. They were coming and going past us all morning. It’s billions of dollars trade for Western Australia. We spent most of our time down at the wharf in the best position to watch the ships going out. In fact there were 16 ships waiting offshore to enter port. First we dropped into the Info centre to ask a few questions and they even had the timetable of all the ships names and times of departure, for those that were interested. One was due out in the next half hour so we waited for that to leave. All the iron ore comes from all the red rock in these areas, which you have been seeing in my blog. Big industrial town as they also have a salt evaporation plant and produce salt for the market which I have seen in the supermarkets. As I said a real boys town.
This truck has just passed us, with four trailers all the shape of this trailer full of iron ore or heading out to pick up a load from the different areas inland in this top end of Western Australia. Just imagine all this industry and income WA gets from such a big natural resource. We still can’t believe how many trucks we saw on the road.
This road train is overtaking us.
Now’s it’s our turn to overtake as we were going up a slight hill.
The long tracks go on for ever.
Taken while crossing over a bridge. Note the empty carriages on the left and full carriages on the right waiting to be unloaded onto the ships. We were told that there are a maximum of 250 carriage trucks per train and the all up train is 2.5 kilometres long with 3 locomotives.
Crossing over a dried up river.
This shows how long these four trailers road trains are. Can’t get the full picture up closer as don’t fit into the camera lens. Each truck and 4 trailers amount to 74 wheels.
Now down on the wharf ready to watch this blue ship going out all full of the iron ore. Tugs all in position.
She is on her way passing us to go through the port entrance.
Now out at the entrance on her journey.
Standing on the wharf looking out to the entrance of the port.
Now went to see the salt ponds where they produce the salt.
Hugh piles of salt. Note sure how they clean it all when you see bulldozers
driving all over the salt to shift it around.
Settled into camp and just before the sun set thought I had better go for a walk to see what’s behind the camp. Saw this lovely beach. Looking to the west as the sun was setting.
Sun just setting on the eastern end of the beach
This is a copy of an aerial shot of our camp I found.
I am writing this on Saturday 28th our first day of a two night stay at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park. All of the above happened yesterday the 27th. As we are here for two nights I will write about Eighty Mile Beach tomorrow. Sorry girls this blog wasn’t of interest to you. Boys toys.
No comments:
Post a Comment