29 February 2000
Thunder is booming outside, and the rain is blowing hard as we write this at the Hospitality Inn at Port Hedland, which is on the coast in the northern Pilbara area. Last night and early this morning we did not think we would get here because of rain overnight (often torrential) in Broome, as well as thunder and lightning - we lost two of the available three TV channels on two separate occasions. It was still raining off and on this morning, but the road reports at the WA Main Roads web site said the roads we needed were open (although a number of others were closed, at least in part). So off we went.
When we got to the refuelling point at the Sandfire Roadhouse 286 kms SW of Broome, the chap there told us of their big storm last night - 39 mm (about 1.5 inches) of rain in half an hour. We were not far from the coast at this point (we had been close to it earlier on this leg, too, but had not detoured the 10 kms to Eighty Mile Beach because of uncertainty about fuel) and now with a full tank decided to take the turn-off to Cape Kerauden which comes up soon after leaving Roadfire. The Cape is only 14 kms off the highway. Lorraine was driving at the time so we put the ute in 4WD and off she went. The track was not too bad and there were a couple of large pools to negotiate on the way but we got there. I think it was the first time either of us had ever been on such an isolated and deserted beach (it was still part of the Eighty Mile Beach we had seen the turn-off to earlier). It was a bit eerie, really. It was low tide and the water (blue) was out a long way. The sand wasn't really golden or white, but a kind of light fawn colour. It also felt a little bit different - a slightly "muddy" feel. There were lots of shells lying about, also stones and large pieces of coral (I think they were large broken-off pieces of plate coral). And seabirds. Not seagulls, but proper seabirds - like sandpipers and oystercatchers. And holes in the sand. Not little ones like you get up at Laurieton, but about the diameter of a 50c piece or considerably larger. Must be bloody big crabs. And tracks in the sand of all sorts of birds and animals. Even snake tracks, I think. These looked like a small central continuous track with little fading ones going straight out from it - the ribs, perhaps. Speaking of snakes, just remembered what the lady we were speaking to at the laundromat in Broome yesterday said. She was telling us she had been swimming on the Sunday when the aboriginal girl got stung by whatever it was. When we asked her about it, she said she was not worried by stingers (you just put some vinegar on the stings, she said), nor by crocodiles, and told us all she saw while swimming were some sea snakes! But according to her, their mouths can't open wide enough to bite you unless they can get you on the webbing, for instance, between the thumb and forefinger, or some other similar place where they don't have to open their mouths very wide.
Leaving Cape Kerauden and heading towards Port Hedland again, we were treated to a wonderful light show from four or five large thunderheads spread across the horizon. Randomly emanating from each of these (and sometimes from several in unison or quick succession) were large bolts of lightning in the shapes of fork, sheet and a type I had never seen before: pulses of light which lit up the area of the thunderhead they occurred in in rapid succession: one, two, three, four, five. Fantastic. There was also some very heavy rain.
On the outskirts of Port Hedland saw these enormous hills of salt. Apparently salt is extracted and shipped out from here. Memories of Lot and his wife.
Got into Port Hedland around 5:00 p.m. and found a comfortable motel with a nice view over the adjacent cemetery. Didn't have much time to look around today - will do that tomorrow. Light show continues, along with some enormous claps of thunder. Lorraine freaking out all over the place. Lovely dinner: Mushroom and Coriander Crepes (shared), Roast Chicken and Vegetables (Lorraine), Filet Mignon with Butter Sauce (Me) and Lime and Mango Cheesecake (shared) - all delicious.
Tomorrow exploring Port Hedland and South Hedland. If not much here and finish early, off to Karratha (about 2.5 hours away) and plenty of interesting places on the way.