EIGHTY MILE BEACH TO MUNJINA ( AUSKI ROADHOUSE)

Beth and Tess at the park at Port Hedland

Ben at the park at Port Hedland

Our toothless terror at the park at Port Hedland

 In front of a big iron ore tanker arriving in Port Hedland

 

In front of an iron ore tanker arriving in Port Hedland

Oh no!  Back in winter pyjamas.  Cold at night

DAY 70 – EIGHTY MILE BEACH – AUSKI ROADHOUSE (NEAR KARAJINI)   Saturday, 10^th September

Lovely to wake up at 5am this morning rather than 2am with howling winds!  A beautiful day at Eighty Mile Beach but just still so windy.  I had a most unpleasant experience in the shower this morning – yes, one I can share.  For the first time in my life, as I washed my HAIR I saw the water turn brown as it was running down the drainpipe.  I think the wind had blown half of Cape Leveque into my hair!!  Everyone is talking about the wind so I am guessing that this is not usual.  We were planning on a morning walk on the beach but the wind just makes it so unpleasant.  The colour of the water was absolutely stunning – a beautiful shade of aqua.  But I was too busy scoffing down another ice cream as an after breakfast treat, to walk down to take another photo.  (Thank God for that, I hear you say!) 

We had left the van on the car last night so it was easy to leave this morning, especially since we had put up the awning because of the wind last night.  Still it does take a bit of work to get Tess out of bed!

There is pretty much nothing between Eighty Mile Beach and Port Hedland, but the Tedescos stayed at Cape Kedaudren and the Parsons had heard that Pardoo Station (not to be confused with Pardoo Roadhouse) was good, so there are other places to stay.

We got to Port Hedland for lunch and spent some time watching the enormous container ships arrive to be filled with iron ore.  All of you with BHP Billiton shares would have been happy!  There was at least one being filled, one arrived and two more were on the horizon waiting to come into port.  And we were only there for 40 minutes!  They work 24/7.  I would say it is a fairly tough industrial town filled with miners.  We purchased some further provisions (now that we have the Tedesco’s Engel we can actually purchase milk without fear) and then headed out to Munjina (Auski Roadhouse) which is near the turn off to Wittenoom.  Just a roadhouse but was perfectly adequate for the night.  Looking forward to our day tomorrow.