Silver Schoolies No More - Chapter 14 - Port Hedland Day 3

Robyn has a flood of work and needs time in the quiet of the van to complete it. I feel like a walk in any event, regardless of the heat and go and explore the local business district here in South Hedland.

Before I get going I get a call from a former colleague, struggling with the issues of a client. Forty five minutes later, the multitude of issues are thoroughly discussed and a plan hatched to address them. Just needed someone to bounce ideas off and who else would have an hour of spare time than someone in retirement and on holidays to while away enough time to sort out every potential avenue.

In my past, advice and discussions of this type on behalf of a client would have come with a hefty bill but this colleague knows I will help her as part of our friendship.

The walk now seems like a good head clearing after the intense thought of the phone call.

I put on my runners and head out after a large gulp of water to see what is out there at a pedestrian level.

Out to the main road and off down the road. Initially on a wide concrete path then for a while devoid of concrete. Once again the concrete returns right by a roundabout decorated with wildflowers, past a football field.In the gap between the concrete paths, the Frank L Lucas “tiny penons” of indegenous weeds, grow amongst the littered dust and dirt. The walking here is cooler because the heat does not reflect off the concrete.

Once back on the path, I hear footsteps behind me. Its a jogger. As he passes I laugh at him and suggest what I was doing was madness enough but jogging. The jogger laughs with me and suggests his vehicle is not far away and continues as if all he is doing is running towards it. 

Once he gets to his car, he is off and heading back towards me. Passing, his window is down and a generous wave is gesture in my direction. I return it with similar vigour. Funny how a simple passing can generate such an interaction.

The path continues around the football field and towards the town centre. Hidden in a stand of trees are emergency two signs.  The fire alert and the cyclone warning signs are showing all is clear on the weather side but the fire danger is rising and is presently at “Very High”, but they cannot be seen from the road they are trying to warn..

The walk takes me past the Warangeuna Stadium. Its a modern building of two tone blue as part of a sporting complex. 

Across the road is a nondescript building of grey in contrast to the stadium. Its the Spinifex Hill Studio.

I continue along. The path now is part of a parkway. A revitalisation project completed in 2017, this pathway with its gress, trees and sitting rocks wanders along the edge of the town centre. I stop for my first break. Checking the pedometer I am just past 3 kilometres. 

Some colour catches my attention not far from my shaded position. Its a grove of Sturt’s Desert Pea. I take lots of shots  before I come to a collection of structures entitled Little Cities. Its a sculpture by Naomi Stanitzki and was erected as part of the project in 2013 according to the plaque.

The sun is playing with me and I am ready to play in return. Just ahead, like in many shopping centres, the trolleys manage to escape, left behind by shoppers and littering the adjacent landscape. This one, on its side lends itself to a David Attenborough send up. The photograph plus a typical “Attenborough” quip now adorn Facebook. In time there will be others in a photo journalistic essay with a poignant end comment about the difference between experts and journalists.

Each roundabout has its own decorative structure. Unlike the major one on the main road which has cultivated foora as the decor, these ones here have deal type metal structures, littered within the boundaries. 

Another structure has what looks like fish jumping in and out of the concrete. Another shopping trolley has been left here and another in the photo essay comes to mind and is on facebook in a flash. There are also exercise equipment pieces here and there along the pathway. In this heat, their use seems somewhat unwarranted.

Another trolley, another Facebook post. This time its in the park with an amphitheatre. I liken its predicament to that of Burke & Wills, so close to sanctuary but so far away. The last trolley I shoot is in sight of a Coles store, probably the business from which it came. I comically talk about the challenges in the mind of the escape versus the want to return home.

The final post talks about my impression on the shots significance in the decision making process. Obviously with an inanimate object, I have nothing to really add. I am making it up. Much like it appears many reporters (aka journalists) appear to do.

The words “expert” and “journalist” are not synonymous although many think they are. Perhaps a lot to do with many of the issues we face as a society. The slant thrown at news by biased reporters pushing a political agenda which is supposedly balanced has a lot to do with the unease we see occurring around the world.

Its been an 8 kilometre walk according to my pedometer, and I am tiring somewhat. Back at the van, its locked. Robyn has gone to wash some clothes and hang them out. She is only gone a few minutes before I am back in the van, shoes and socks off and enjoying a lovely cold drink of water.

In the cool of the air conditioned van I strap ice packs around my ankles for a few minutes, then wander off to the land of nod, for a nanna nap. The nap lasts only a short time and I am soon back up and considering the next move. Robyn continues her work. The workload has been constant for the past few weeks.

“We should go and do something” suggests Robyn, having been locked behind her laptop all day. We are about to do 80 Mile Beach and beyond so ensuring we have prescription stocks available “just in case” is a suitable reason to head out.

So its off back to where my walk took me this morning. I show Robyn the park I walked along and we investigate the car wash, ensuring we can wash the caravan at the same time. We have only a short drive tomorrow so getting away early is not  required and the chance to give the car and van a quick clean before the trip to the “Rock” looms as a real possibility. Unlike Carnarvon there is no walkway to assist with getting to the roof of the van but we should be able to get ourselves wet and move the dirt around on both the Cruiser and the car tomorrow.

We hit the supermarket and update many provisions we might need as we wander along 80 mile beach, starting with Pardoo Station. We also update prescription medicine stocks to ensure we do not get caught. Probably most important is the ice cream, about to be empty in the van (and I wonder why I can’t manage my weight) is sourced and purchased. There Is also some minor damage to one of the doors on the storage facility at the front of the van and some super glue will suffice to fix the moulding.

From yesterday’s butcher attack, we put on the Chicken Kievs, along with potatoes and start the roasting process as the news commences on the TV, again working perfectly. All is good in the world.

We spend significant time planning our next month of travels. We are heading north while everyone else is heading south, getting away from the heat, the humidity and the water. Our plan is to cross the border back into the Northern Territory at the end of the month and head south towards Uluru. There is an online Business Blueprint conference we want to attend which will require decent internet connection, so we are aiming for 8 November in Alice Springs.

Where previously, bookings were essential, with the exodus away from the wet season we should be OK, but Robyn being Robyn we will be booking what we can when we can. All this is done over a few too many drinks and by the time we are done the map looks quite challenged. Its only a plan and plans can change.