Sun 06/07/14 Couple of long drives and short stopovers coming up. Today 400kms from Exmouth to Robe River free camp for an overnighter. The landscape remains vast and empty. Realise we aren't going to make it to Nanutarra Roadhouse, so stop to use jerry can for the first time and have a bite to eat. Back on the road, we eventually get to Nanutarra and top up car and jerrys. Permanently on guard for straying livestock as we pass through lands belonging to the massive cattle stations that operate out here. Kite hawks ride the thermals over the roads and giant Wedgetail Eagles refuse to budge off the 'fresh' road-kill they've claimed. We cross several bridges over waterless rivers, Robe River being one of them. The campsite has at least a dozen vans stopped for the night; our 'neighbour', Ian, is a retired air force pilot and quite interesting to chat to. Luckily other neighbours turned off their rvery noisy generator at 8pm .... just before several other campers were about to head over to suggest they do just that.

Mon 07/07/14 Another 400kms today, mainly through more barren landscape....this state is massive and virtually empty. We pass a scrub fire that has come right up to the roadside and feel the intense heat through a window opened for a quick photo. Here fires are left to burn themselves out as they are no threat to anyone/thing. We've passed many blackened areas during our travels. We pass the Fortescue Mine, skip the roadhouse and go straight on to Dampier to re-fuel, eat and visit the statue of "Red Dog", a well known and loved 'hitch-hiker' of the Pilbara. Next we head for Karratha and pass by the Woodside operated "North West Shelf Venture" which is the largest of its kind in Australia, supplying more than 40% of Australia's oil and gas production; would have liked to take a tour, but not enough time. We lunched in Karratha and take a look around, bigger than expected, buy some groceries and a drop into the visitor centre - find our first 'crocodile info / warnings' brochures...apparently they DO get down the coast as low as Exmouth.....hmmm. Onwards to Port Hedland and we begin to see the seemingly never ending trains that ferry the iron ore to the ports. Rio Tinto operates the largest privately owned rail system in Australia, covering approx. 1500kms of track with a capacity to haul approx. 290 million tonne of iron ore per year! Driving through Port Hedland the population seems mainly comprised of mining and shipping employees, as well as a transient contingent of international seafarers. We arrive at the Cooke Point Big4 around 4pm, setup, shower and head to the Esplanade Hotel; gourmet pizzas for dinner.

Tues 08/07/14 Early packup, then spend the morning touristing around town. Port Hedland immediately impresses it's large scale industry upon you .... the huge mountains of Dampier Salt - approx 4 million tonnes produced per year - the never-sleeping iron ore railway & processing operations of BHP Billiton that you hear grinding away 24/7 and the constant queue of ships anchored on the horizon awaiting tugs to guide them into Port Hedland Harbour to be loaded with iron ore. The harbour despatch board advises 12 ships will leave today - destinations: 1 for Australia, 2 for Japan and the rest for China....all scheduled around the 6mt tide. The industry is intriguing, though seems that is all there is here .... that and fishing / crabbing ..... the large statue of a croc by the boat ramp reminds us to be "croc aware", as they say in these parts. Again, would have loved to take the tour of Harbour Operations but timing doesn't fit in with our schedule. By midday we are on the back on road, 250kms today, our only stop Pardoo Roadhouse for fuel, stretch of the legs and an afternoon snack. Before we know it we are on the 5km corrugated red gravel road that passes through Wallal Downs Cattle Station to access Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park. Big park, we scored an unpowered site right near the beach. Setup then ventured over to the dunes to check out the beach, shells galore! Kids immediately set to hunting for 'good ones' to take home for their cousins. The ocean is flat and people are fishing off the beach as far as the eye can see.; the park brochure states "please release any sharks you catch when fishing off the beach, be 'croc aware', management does not advise swimming".

Wed 09/07/14 Woke to a beautiful sunrise and a warm, slightly windy day. Caught up with journals in the morning then took a look around the 'Wednesday craft market', kids got some Enid Blyton books. Loads of grey nomads migrate here to settle in for the winter months; most have quad bikes and surf rods to maximise use of the long beach frontage....you can drive on the sand 6kms to the south and 25kms to north. Kids & K spent 2 hours beachcombing for shells in the afternoon. After discovering it possible to get SBS reception here, MB set about getting TV organised to watch the replay of Germany demolishing Brazil 7 -1 in the World Cup semi-final.