DAY 36 YULE RIVER - PORT HEADLAND

4 April 2008

DAY 36 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

YULE RIVER - PORT HEADLAND

Woke this morning to find the river flowing much higher and faster than last night. During the night the bark owl made its presence felt. In the morning wherever you stepped there were little ant mounds.


It didn’t take us long to get to Pt Headland. The town itself takes great pride with its appearance. It is a very neat and tidy place. However, the big steel structures tend to dominate and steal the show. We drove over the bridge where the two great industries meet – salt and steel. The people at the visitor’s centre were helpful although we were very disappointed at not being able to go on a BHP tour. Someone else mentioned they had tried to get on the tour the whole week they were there with no luck.

After posting off the GPS for a check hubby contacted the auto electricians here. He arranged to get the electrics checked out. The verdict was that everything was charging but the meter wasn’t showing it. So a decision was made to get a charger for the gel battery.

We managed to see some turtles swimming in the sea from the Pt Headland Community Park lookout and watched the ships being loaded. We were very lucky to be here today as we saw the Martumili artists of the Western Desert exhibition at the Courthouse Gallery. Martumili artists is the art enterprise of the Martu people who come from the East Pilbara desert regions. The works were vibrant and interesting. Some of my favourites were already sold and the exhibition was only opening that night. It was a delightful gallery with a well lit gallery space.

There were quite a few sculptures around town that captured the spirit of what Port Headland is about and of course they were made of steel.

We spent some time in the Seafarer’s Centre as they had wireless internet. Finally we went onto Pt Headland Caravan Park near the airport so that we could charge up the gel battery using the charger. Met some contractors staying here. Apparently it is too early for the “crazies” as they call the grey nomad migration along the coast. We were asked what we were doing here so early – we said we just wanted to beat the rush.

It is interesting that we have not come across many caravans or motorhomes moving up the coast. We have met many Europeans, especially Swiss and Germans in their little Britz vans or sleeping in the backs of station wagons travelling a similar route to us.