Day 92-93 Karajini National Park – Port Headland 29th 2nd July - 4th July

After Jasmine had received her presents and cards, we quickly packed our trailer and headed off on the long 320Km drive to Port Headland. The reason for this stop was to get our car serviced... a very expensive service that we should have got in Perth. 

Birthday Macc's

Birthday cake!

Port Headland is very much a dry, dusty, industrial town where work is king. Heavy equipment, road trains and workmen 4WD's are everywhere to be seen. There doesn't seem to be much joy in this largely soulless extension of Rio Tinto and BHP-Biliton. 

Rio Tinto Minerals - Salt Mine

 

We had hoped to visit the cinema but it appeared a little more elusive than we hoped. The Eagle Boys Pizza had closed down. At least Jassie got Macca's for her birthday – along with a huge birthday cake so all wasn't lost!

We stayed at the expensive Cooke Point Caravan Park and used their pool while Robyn did a great job getting all our clothes clean again. (I spent $20 in $1 coins to clean 5 loads of washing, including the monthly wash of sheets and pillowcases - “Yes Vin – they DO need to be washed occasionally!”) 

Meat-fest at Port Headland

Yummy.  Steak. Big.

We got our car serviced at Headland Diesel & Exhaust with a quote for $600 for a minor service!!!! As we brought our own supplies – synthetic oil, oil and fuel filters – we ended up thankfully only paying $280. What a relief! Thanks to Alex – our mechanic back home, for the car supplies and advice.

Whilst the car was being services, Robyn and the kids had a very slow breakfast at McDonalds at South Hedland, where I met them after I walked for an hour from the car service place. We then killed more time at the shopping centre – the kids enjoyed looking at the toys in Kmart.

I spoke to some locals in the caravan park, a father and son had been staying there for several years to get affordable accommodation. At the mechanics, they said families shared houses to afford the rent.In summer it could get up to 50 degrees and was an inhospitable place – so they pay a premium to tradies to keep them in town. A taxi driver blamed it on BHP which he believed had kept land and houses for its own staff and future expansion which led to huge costs. Maybe a bit tough, but frankly, we were happy to leave Port Headland and its hardened people as soon as possible. 

BIG Wheelbarrow - and Biggle!