Vroome Broome

Bloody hell; I hadn't realised what a din cows make when they're eating. They stomp and chomp both at the same time, which is very weird and a bit unnerving when you're sitting on the ground on the dark and there are six of them about 10 metres away. Funny thing is, when I look up, my head torch catches their eyes and they stop what they're doing and look at me, 12 eyes shining green out of the bush, with clumps of grass hanging from their mouths. I just hope they don't take a fancy to my camo tarp which is over my tent and may look like tasty vegetation.

I left Alex and Mendy this morning at about 1045. Alex went to work early, then came back and cooked breakfast which was mighty fine of him. A really nice genuine man, and kind too.

The ride to Port Hedland was pretty uneventful, which after yesterday, I was glad of. No dramas, no distractions along the route and flat open scenery with a few rock outcrops and lots of red dirt. It was a bit breezy too but nothing major. 

I made good time to PH, which is a port town serving the mining industry and surrounded by roadworks. Loads of them. It really is road train central and it looks like they are widening the roads to create easier access for the monsters. 

Can't be fun living there with those things trundling by every few seconds but then I guess most people there make their living from the stuff that goes on there.

PH is also the outlet for salt. Not the stuff you put on your chips but industrial salt. I think it's the worlds biggest exporting location and there are pans all the way along the road as you approach. And they talk about ' growing ' the salt - letting the crystals form - then harvesting it.

 Huge piles tower over the town, waiting to be shipped away. 

The trains are pretty big too, several kms long, hauling iron ore to the port. This is not a pretty picturesque town and it's not the sort of place that you would spend your hols; it's a bit like east London was  before they turned it into the Olympic village - industrial and a bit of a rusty eyesore with people and houses dotted here and there, with bare ground and pitted roads. 

But I'm glad I dropped in as I quite like the massiveness of such places.  Such a huge collection of stuff and it's supporting infrastructure really does deserve a closer look because in some way or another, we all benefit from it. 

And the people in the info centre were really helpful. I only found it by accident because I spotted their board as I rode past on my way to the wharf. I also thought it was either closed or derelict because it had very dirty shade cloth over the windows and red ore dust up the walls. But I pulled the door open to reveal a very clean and well stocked shop with some interesting stuff. Fortunately, I have no space  so i wasn't tempted so  I just asked how far it was to the next roadhouse. 

With nightfall only 90 minutes away, 120 kms was pushing it a bit, especially as well as roos, there is wandering stick all along the highway. But the lady reckoned I could get to DeGrey, 83 kms north of PH. She was right too; found it, pitched my tent and had grub well on the go before the sun disappeared. No moon again tonight, so it is very dark. And there are many vans here but it's so big that it wasn't a problem finding a spot where I  won't get run over by RVs. 

Tell you what is really cool out here ... lots if tiny green twinkles on the ground. Upon investigation I discovered spiders, about the size of bottle top, their eyes also being lit up by my head torch. Couldn't get clear pics though as they are the same colour as the ground and run off when I try to snap them.

 

And a few frogs, tiny ones in the grass just outside my tent. Think I'll take my boots into my tent with me tonight, smelly it not .......