We don't have a very big drive today, about 50kms to Karratha. We got to the tourist info place to suss out the available caravan parks. The parks in Karratha $46 per night, one in Dampier $24 per night, sounds like our range. Dampier is 16kms from Karratha and I wonder why it is so cheap? Anyway, it is a nice little park run by the mines and is directly opposite to vessel loading facility. We think this is pretty good and grab our chairs, drinks and sit of the lawn and watch the vessels load, this one arrived and the tugs bought in and turned around to berth.
In the morning, there was a howling wind and there was a thick cloud of iron ore dust covering the port, we couldn't see the ships or the load facility at all. Mmmmm all that dust is going to settle on our camp.... A more pressing issue was that we had to get ready and head to the pub for the Melbourne Cup. We found the Mermaid pub just down the road, we could get the courtesy bus, they have a TAB all good. The pub was opening at 7am, however we thought that a little too early for us.
We met two lovely couples at the park, who are heading to the pub too, so we all jump the courtesy bus and had a great day of punting, drinking and laughs. From left to right, Alana, Ian from Kyogle and Bill and Lyn from Tassy. The chap on my right is a random passing by. Lucky Bill and Lyn knew the go for placing bets, so steered us in the right direction. We thought there should be no dramas at this pub as it is right next door to the cop shop, but a pub full of miners full of grog, didn't disappoint mid afternoon. Two burly big blokes got into it, fists and head buts!
One bloke did a runner the other was held down (by 4-5 guys) until the cops took him away in the paddy wagon. We managed to get home before dark. Next morning not too flash, Darl was wounded. After a relaxing morning, we went for a drive over to Karratha for a look around, not much there, on way back we went down to Woodside gas plant. There are several rigs off shore, drilling for gas, they pipe it back here for processing.
Another couple of icons of the Dampier region, is Red Dog, there is even a movie out called Red Dog and I believe it's about his adventures and the people he comes across in his travels.
Then there is old Sam (deceased now), but he lived on a little island just off Dampier coast for 40 years, 30 of which he squatted than the mining coy owning the island granted him a 99 year lease. He built his little castle and lived there happily with his cat until he passed, he is buried on the island and they run tours out there now. His castle was made of sandstone bricks and shells.
We don't have a very big drive today, about 50kms to Karratha. We got to the tourist info place to suss out the available caravan parks. The parks in Karratha $46 per night, one in Dampier $24 per night, sounds like our range. Dampier is 16kms from Karratha and I wonder why it is so cheap? Anyway, it is a nice little park run by the mines and is directly opposite to vessel loading facility. We think this is pretty good and grab our chairs, drinks and sit of the lawn and watch the vessels load, this one arrived and the tugs bought in and turned around to berth.
In the morning, there was a howling wind and there was a thick cloud of iron ore dust covering the port, we couldn't see the ships or the load facility at all. Mmmmm all that dust is going to settle on our camp.... A more pressing issue was that we had to get ready and head to the pub for the Melbourne Cup. We found the Mermaid pub just down the road, we could get the courtesy bus, they have a TAB all good. The pub was opening at 7am, however we thought that a little too early for us.
We met two lovely couples at the park, who are heading to the pub too, so we all jump the courtesy bus and had a great day of punting, drinking and laughs. From left to right, Alana, Ian from Kyogle and Bill and Lyn from Tassy. The chap on my right is a random passing by. Lucky Bill and Lyn knew the go for placing bets, so steered us in the right direction. We thought there should be no dramas at this pub as it is right next door to the cop shop, but a pub full of miners full of grog, didn't disappoint mid afternoon. Two burly big blokes got into it, fists and head buts!
One bloke did a runner the other was held down (by 4-5 guys) until the cops took him away in the paddy wagon. We managed to get home before dark. Next morning not too flash, Darl was wounded. After a relaxing morning, we went for a drive over to Karratha for a look around, not much there, on way back we went down to Woodside gas plant. There are several rigs off shore, drilling for gas, they pipe it back here for processing.
Another couple of icons of the Dampier region, is Red Dog, there is even a movie out called Red Dog and I believe it's about his adventures and the people he comes across in his travels. 
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