Backing it up a little…

Before we had a rough start to Exmouth we had just left the safe comfortable haven of Karratha (or K-town as some of the locals aka Rob, call it).  We travelled to K-town from Tom Price via the rail access road which is privately owned by Rio Tinto to service their iron ore train line. It is the largest privately owned rail system in the world and a permit was required to run along the railway as a shortcut back to Karratha.  Rob was pretty chuffed as he was able to see and drive next to many of the long iron ore trains on their was to Port Headland.

The road ended at Millstream – Chichester National Park which unfortunately we only had the time to peek at. We visited the old homestead that was next to a crystal clear spring fed creek. We also marvelled at the impressive landscapes of the Pilbara further north in the park.

We arrived in Karratha at the 7 week half way mark of our trip to the comfort of family and the warm hospitality of Rob’s cousin Carrie, her husband Tim and little Luca who spoilt us rotten with clean sheets, a nice bed and lots of yummy home cooked food! It was also great to see Rob’s other cousin Gemma to share some food love. We had the luxury of a washing machine and a private bathroom. Oh the luxuries of life on the road! The car also got a good clean out and we had some punctured tires to fix not to mention a lot of sleep we needed to catch up on! Karratha really was a haven for us to recharge for the second half of our trip.

After seeing the film ‘Red Dog’ in Broome, we were very excited to visit the little town of Dampier while we were in Karratha. We visited red dogs tribute and enjoyed the peaceful bay at Dampier for lunch.

Our timing was perfect to see the monthly attraction called ‘staircase to the moon’. The moon shows off its glory on the full moon as it rises over the mud flats leaving an illuminated trail that resembles a staircase all the way to the moon. Due to the iron ore dust floating around town, the moon rose a vibrant red, it sure was a spectacle to see!

It was very hard to leave the comfort and love we were spoiled with in Karratha but the ocean was calling!

Thank you Tim, Carrie, Gemma and Luca for all your hospitality and for showing us a slice into your lives in Karratha. We had a really nice time recharging and being able to spend some time with you all. x