16th June: we awoke in Port Hedland to be surrounded by Rainbow bee-eaters on the wing and in the trees, with flocks of peaceful doves and rock pigeons on the ground around our van. We headed for the docks for one last look at those iron ore carriers. There had been a complete turnover of vessels! Each apparently takes 30 to 40 hours to load, depending on the size of the ship.

We left Port Hedland via the piles of salt towering above the surrounding salt pans, travelling on the North Western Highway and then the North West coastal highway, passing through Roebourne to reach Karratha. We are staying in the Discovery Park at Karratha on an unpowered site. We went to the visitors centre then up to the water tank viewing point  overlooking the town.

Cooked Shakshuka with a Vegie sauce for dinner with portobello mushrooms and chilli jam as well as eggs.

We will go in search of some Aboriginal petroglyphs on the Burrup peninsula and look at Woodside operations there too!

Iron ore being loaded

  Corymbia citriodora (lemon scented gum) planted all along many Port Hedland roads

Salt piles

Changing vegetation along the highway-nil roadkill but many whistling and black kites

View of Karratha from water tanks viewing point

Galahs at the caravan park