Dampier and Karratha are only 20K's apart. Dampier is a loading port for Rio Tinto's iron ore from Tom Price and other mines, it also loads Salt from the salt farms between D and K, it is also home to Woodside Liquefied Natural Gas. This plant is a most impressive facility that accepts Natural Gas by pipeline under the sea from drilling rigs out on the ocean. The gas has its impurities removed and is then loaded onto ships for export overseas, it is also piped South for supply to Western Australia. This maze of pipes and structures covers a huge area and has an information center which I recommend that no body misses seeing, the site is easily found because of the huge burn off gas flares that send flames high into the sky.
Judy decided to stay in Dampier Transit Park and it turned out to be a good decision because we had a great view of the iron ore loading operation which is located right beside us. The only drawback with this park is the lack of water connections for vans, but the showers were OK. Dampier is a nice clean little place and Karratha is also an impressive town with many new homes under construction and good shopping facilities. Late afternoon a camper trailer set up next to us and it turned out Tony ex Tallangatta and Glynis ex Houn and their friends Glen and Rhonda from Albury in another camper arrived. It's always good to catch up with people from our area.
Next day we decided to take a drive to Roebourne, the 60 K trip is a nice drive and Roebourne is an interesting little place. The ex jail now museum depicts the history of the area, while in Roebourne we visited the lookout and it was here that we heard that the Labor Government had prevailed and with support of independents won government. Wow what an interesting 3 years we are in for. We had intended to also visit Cossack and Point Sampson but expecting these places to be similar to Roebourne, gave it a miss (we were told later we missed the best bits).
Back at the park we joined others at the front of the park for a beaut sunset and happy hour, all good. Next morning packing to head for Onslow I discovered some low life had stolen my D shackle to attach the safety chains to the car, $4 worth of gear but an absolute pain when you are packed and ready to go, a pad lock did the job and off we went.
Onslow is about 322 Km south of Dampier and about 90 K's off the main highway, so, our expectations of this little village were high and we were a little disappointed. Cyclones and extreme conditions take their toll, we stayed at the Beadon Creek Park and found the sites sandy and afternoon winds blowing sand everywhere. The Goods Shed Museum is worth a visit and the Ian Blair boardwalk to sunset beach is a pleasant walk (take midge spray). The most impressive thing is the salt mine and loading conveyor and wharf, the salt is loaded onto ships via a conveyor about 3.5 K's long and a jetty 1.3 K's long. Good view's of the conveyor can be had from the 4 mile creek road bridge. The belt moves very quickly and the amount of salt loaded is amazing.
It is interesting to note that the Japanese bombed Onslow in 1943. The Jap pilots missed their target and no one was hurt, shrapnel from the bombs can be viewed at the museum. The Allies did use Onslow as a naval base during the war.
After 2 nights here we did our fastest pack up ever to leave next morning for Exmouth. Exmouth is approx 400 K's South of Onslow, it is an interesting place, said to be very high on the hit list if there is a world war 3, it houses a joint communications venture between the U.S.A. and Australia. The purpose of this base is to provide Communications between Command Centers and ships and submarines, it bristles with radio towers and other equipment. When you drive past a sign warning electric detonators may detonate randomly, there has to be some very powerful radio waves around.
Exmouth is also famous for its proximity to the Cape Range National Park and Ningaloo Marine Park. This area is also famous for the annual visit of the Whale Sharks, around April to July, after coral spawning, the massive sharks ( some 12 meters long) come to feed. They are gentle giants and many people come to swim with them. What a bugger, we are here at the wrong time, I guess I'll just have to spend the $350 each on something else.
Another thing of note around Exmouth is the number of Emu's, they wander around the streets and through the caravan park. They seem pretty harmless but are scary up close because they are so big, even my big strong grand children would be scared, what do you think Tom, Ben, Zara, Zoe,Sophia,Wil,Jacob and Emily. They have big scary eyes too!
We spent very busy day's here, sight seeing and looking around, our nights were busy too, we met up with Tony Bullivant and Elaine and Greg and Sophie Pinner from Albury and friends Pat and Peter who we met at Onslow. So happy hours went a little longer, happy hours are one of the pure joys of caravaning, meeting, mixing and enjoying new company is an absolute delight, however one needs to be disciplined as to the drinks consumed, a hangover is not desirable when touring.
Exmouth has a lot to offer and is a definite must see and do and so after three nights sadly we are off to Coral Bay which is at the other end of the Ningaloo Marine Park
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