You’ve probably received a posting “testing’. I was trying to see if I could upload from my office computer. (www.gmail.com is not accessible in the office). Well it worked after a fashion. Using my office email works but I cannot get rid of the disclaimer footer nor will it let me upload photos. Real nuisance as it would have made life much easier. It’s not so easy to get home and sit down to write a Blog after a days work. Seems easier to do it during lunchtime etc. So you have this one bigger one giving me time to catch up.
In fact there is a lot of catching up to do. This last year has seen me having difficulty in settling down to write any Blog. Its not that there is nothing to report. Heaps of stuff going on. Just got into a situation where I have been taking pictures and not uploading them. So for this time I’ll make an attempt to catch up. I do need to quickly get up to speed or I’ll fall further back and then end up with so much to do that it will not seem worth it.
You know as I mentioned earlier we drove over from Gladstone to Perth and had 2 months there before moving up to Port Hedland. Perth is a beautiful town where we have taken hundreds of photos. It’s an almost Mediterranean climate but can get cold. It had been know for large hail stones, damaging car roofs etc. They come down the size of golf balls. We stayed in!
We visited lots of places. Beaches, restaurants, shopping malls and did a few trips out into the country. All good to see. Perth also has a lot of status. People and kangaroos. Met both...
Even saw an old harley.
Thai Dinner. 23rd June 2012
I never cease to be amazed that where ever we go there are Thai citizens. I suppose it should not come as such a big surprise given Wanna probably thinks the same where ever she goes there are English speaking people! The 23rd June saw us attending a Thai evening and it comprised a diner and dance. It was a fund raiser for the local Temple. Perth has one which is situated a few kilometres form the city centre. Worth a visit but nowhere near as impressive and the ones in Thailand. Actually it is just a standard brick structure with little to recommend it. The dinner was an event to raise monies for a new convent. Hope the design of that is better.
On the move again. 9th July 2012
Here we go getting packed to go to Port Hedland. Company is having our car delivered for us and also organising packers for our ‘stuff’. Hardly a lot of things but all useful. We had managed to get it all into our car and bring it over from Gladstone to Perth. Now up to Port Hedland. It really is amazing how stress free moving can be when you know someone else will be doing all the hard work. So off we go.
Port Hedland 10th July 2012
Having not written for so long it’s actually hard to play catch up. I had planned it as I mentioned in an earlier post but... God, to sit down and write is hard. Got so much to say and tell you but getting right frame of mind to go back over stuff is well. You get the picture.
Port Hedland is up in North West Australia. Primary existence is based on it being the biggest iron ore exporting port in Australia and possibly the world. Massive ships and wharfs etc. All covered in red iron ore dust….
The location is beautiful with fabulous sunrises and sunsets etc. Situated on the coast the fishing is unbeatable. Not that in the few weeks we’ve been here there has been any time to catch the big ones. Only tried so far by using a shore side rod and line. One day we’ll get out and do some proper stuff on the open waters. Everyone tells us the fish are out there just waiting to be caught. Photos from other guys tell me that it a true statement.
Port Hedland town has little else to offer. Open country and a small town feel with a single Woollies to cater for day to day shopping. Several drive through bottle shops and an assortment of hotels etc. That’s the equivalent to a very small Tesco or Sainsbury. It sells the basics and more. So cannot complain. There are a lot of industrial related shops as well plus the usual fuel and postal services etc. Writing this does not conjure up an exciting place but actually it suits us just fine. You can see from the photos that it is a typical basic Aussie town. Nothing major to recommend it but also nothing to complain about. We’re happy here. In fact I really like it. I love the basic, somewhat raw and basically simple or perhaps better described simplistic nature of it all.
Since being here for 6 weeks. We’ve had a couple of day trips out. First to Karratha about 250 kilometres to the south. It also is based on an export port. Just to the south of there is Dampier. Home of ‘Red Dog’. Fabulous film and so we decided we must visit and see the statue of the famous dog. Well worth the trip down. Also visited a small town on the way through called Raebourne, has a small museum located in its old Prison.
The small 'mountains we have photographed are actually termite mounds. About 3 meters high. Loads of them in various spots along the way. I've added in a few shots showing 'wide loads' and open country side.
We’ve also visited Karijini national park. Famous for its gorge’s and waterfalls. We were not so impressed. Its about 3 hours away over similar landscape to the trip to Karratha and again the trip across form Gladstone to Perth so frankly a bit boring. The gouges were Ok. Nothing to special. Hundreds of ‘grey nomads’ in caravans. That’s retired people if you didn’t know!!!!
Also had time for a few road side Bar B Q's. Quite amazing really, just pull over and get the bar b q out, light up and start cooking. The good life...
Unfortunately all good things come to an end and here is no exception. We’ve just started getting settled down and BHP Billiton, the Client Company has decided to cancel the Outer Harbour Expansion project on which I am working. Having made the decision the next step is lets close down ASAP. It’s a first for me and in a surreal way an interesting one. Time to reflect and relax. Back to Thailand and Seychelles for a while.
Not sure where my next post will be coming from…… So till next time...
