Travel Time: 3 and a half hours
Distance Travelled: 240 km
Warning Crocodile Signs Seen: 1
Port Hedland has taken the prize for the worst places to stay on our trip so far. I know it's probably not fair of me to judge it based on not being able to get a spot in the caravan park, but the Turf Club was not restful. It looks over a wide expanse of land, straight to the industrial rail line that services the port. Throughout the night you can hear the hum of the port and also the trains screeching and puffing down the line. After the silence of Karijini it was tough and I slept intermittently until the sun came up.
After the quickest caravan pack up known to man, we were on the road to Eighty Mile Beach, praying we could get a site with power and a shower. First stop was Pardoo Roadhouse which has real coffee and my faith in humanity was restored. 🙂
We arrived at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park just after 10.30 am and it was like an oasis: shady, grassed sites, crisp white beach and crystal blue ocean. Honestly, driving over the final hill as we reached the park had us both inhale in wonder at the shockingly vivid colours.
After setting up, my first priority was a shower and then we wandered down to the beach.
The warning sign of crocodiles and box jellyfish did somewhat dampen the beauty of the beach but we saw neither. The tides up here are huge, up to 10 metres some days and there are two high and low tides a day. We overheard someone mention they often see sharks patrolling the shallows for dinner. So we decided not to swim after all and instead I discovered we'd arrived in time for the weekly markets where park guests can sell their wares. I had a bunch of books in the car ready for my Broome Library Talk so I set up an impromptu stall, sold a bunch of books, and met some lovely people.
Throughout my trip, I've been collecting post cards, so if you would like me to send you one, contact me through my contact page with your postal address and I'll send them out as I go. (Disclaimer: contacting me does not guarantee a post card, but I'll do my best).
