Silver Schoolies No More - Chapter 12 - Karratha to Port Hedland

Early it’s hot and windy. We are up early enough to get another load of washing done and dried before we hit the road. This we do internally which means we cannot shower until the washing is done.We don’t use hot water, its just that the pressure will only work one appliance at a tome in the van.

It is so hot and windy that by the time we shower and breakfast its is irretrievably dry. In fact there is even enough time to fluff, fold and pack away before we even contemplate starting the bug our process.

We need to stop via the dump point as we leave the park as the light came on early this morning. Thankfully the dump point is adjacent to the out gate, where we park and deal with the canister. No one else is moving today so we hold up no one.

Then its on the road for the 240 kilometres to our destination. We are soon heading back along already travelled roads, towards a destination we camped not so long ago. The monotony of the road makes you look for games to play, to while away the time.

Looking at, and turning mounds or hills into fantasy monsters like those from Hellboy II (2008 Universal) that arrive in the present from apparently dormant piles of rocks or Pyornkrachzark the rock biter from Never Ending Story (1984 Warner). Looking and hoping the monsters in the rocks are benevolent, unlike something from Godzilla (2014 Warner Bros) or Pacific Rim (2013 Warner Bros).

The shapes of the hills and mounds of earth lay dormant beside the road and in the distance just waiting for them to come to life. Its as if at the drop of a hat we could be enveloped in the fantasy.

The wind is directly in our almost in our faces today. Its like a horror film. The fuel consumption at 100kph is beyond 30 litres per 100 kilometres and the van is being buffeted all over the road. Reducing quickly to 90kph greatly reduces consumption but its still a struggle. 

The reduction in speed increases the amount of time on the road and with it an increase in the doldrums as you drift off to fantasy land again. The wind brings you back to the centre of the road very quickly

Unlike when we were here on the way “down” the coast when spots were at a bit of a premium, now Blackrock Van Park is effectively empty. Whereas last time we were here we need to be assigned and manoeuvre into our appointed spot, this time we are told to head to the asme area and set up where we like, and because we are needing to take the van ot an auto electrician tomorrow we can remain hooked up and park across 2 spots, longways.

Talking to the reception staff in their very air conditioned office, the heat has curtailed the tourists. Normally this time of the year any demand is usually overseas travellers having hired a van or motorhome, rather than nomads like us.

With the van still attached, there is no possibility of wandering the streets. Therefore its a perfect time to do some catch up on some work. Only one problem – no internet. Not sure why as we had good signal last time. Another thing to add to the power type issues we are having.

A friend of ours had just sold her house in Sydney for an enormous sum and we had suggested we would celebrate with her by grabbing a bottle of champagne and raising a glass to her fortune. She had lost her husband (my best friend) many years ago to brain cancer. In the years since she had been in and out of some questionable relationships and the last one, having just fallen apart, had now culminated in the sale of the house into which she had sunk most of the collateral.

Unfortunately we could not celebrate “with” her, and you really shouldn’t celebrate on your own, so we grab the bottle, some orange juice and head next door to our new neighbours. 

They have arrived just after us and are settling down for an evening drink and are happy for the company. We talk about travels, potential travels and the aspirations of what we are trying to do.

Its a great way to while away the time. Like us they have “issues” they have to resolve and have dropped into Port Hedland, as a larger town with more industrial area to deal with “larger” problems. We compare issues and find we are experiencing many similar problems.

We have booked an appointment for tomorrow and given the difficulties we have had getting anything done at a service level let alone “emergency” like we do, we are really happy we have someone willing to deal with us.. There are high expectations given the niggles we are presently experiencing, we are going to get some sort of satisfaction.

One can only hope.