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Days 40-47 Port Hedland (15-22 October)
Headed south (150kms) back to Port Hedland. Staying with Kim and Barb who with another couple run the Seafarers Centre. It is a great service for the sailors from all parts of the globe. The sailors get picked up from their ships, get chauffered to the shopping centre and then spend time at the centre relaxing, playing poole, air hockey, TVs, DVDs, reading, sketch pads and of course the bar. Everything is supplied for them even a gift/souvenir shop and mini supermarket. The centre makes a profit which goes back into the centre and BHP Billiton (they just about own this town) contribute funds. The ships come into load up with iron ore, Manganese and salt. PH is the biggest commodity port in the world and the busiest port in Australia. Some of these ships are up to 300m long with up to 9 loading hatches. It is quite amazing to watch these ships come into port and get loaded up. PH is a very dusty town and everything has the Pilbara tinge (red dust stains) it gets into everything. Can’t be houseproud here. Quite often black dust (manganese) gets added to the mix. In fact the town slogan is that it is the 'only town where you wipe your feet when you leave'. Doesn’t pay to wear white or light colours either. We are staying with Kim and Barb in the flat attached to the centre. It is very comfortable and they are well cared for by the Centre - to get good reliable people they have to make them very comfortable. Accommodation here is astronomically expensive, $2000/week for a very average 4x1 home. People rent out rooms only for $400/week and people will pay rent to pitch their tent in the back yard. It’s madness. There are so many jobs here but no affordable accommodation! The only way to do it is to get a job that offers accommodation as part of the package. When houses come onto the market they are snapped up straight away, cheapest is about $800K but with $2,000 a week rent they are definitely positively geared.(10-12% ROI) They don’t even need to be done up as people move in as they are. The Seafarers Centre is just about on the wharf and helicopters land only 400m away from us. It is a very busy area. We have salt stacks behind us and these get loaded into ships every two to three weeks and can take upto 4 days to load. It is very interesting to be amongst a working port and it is only going to get busier. We went on a tour of the BHP Billiton plant which was interesting. We had seen the mining of the ore at Mt Whaleback in Newman a few years ago so it was good to see what happens to it here. It is received here after travelling by locomotive from Newman 426km and takes 8 hours. It is then stockpiled, graded and loaded onto the ships. About 800 ships are loaded each year and its takes about 30 hours to load. Each ship that leaves port brings $7.5M to BHP (not clear if that is profit or net). Whilst it was an interesting tour it was ridicously expensive at $26 each for 1.5 hours sitting on a bus taking photos through a dusty window. One of the few tours to do here. In the evening we went to the local Rotary meeting. It is held at the miners mess in South Hedland. Great spread of food for $20. Unfortunately we didn't know the system and missed out of making the most of it. The miners/workers certainly are well catered for. The Rotary club is small with only 8 regular members however they are very proative and keen to do things. Due to the transient nature of the town they struggle to get members. The average age was about 50 - how's that for a Rotary club. It is the first Rotary meeting we have been to that didn't have alcohol and was a surprise here in Port Hedland.
Headed south (150kms) back to Port Hedland. Staying with Kim and Barb who with another couple run the Seafarers Centre. It is a great service for the sailors from all parts of the globe. The sailors get picked up from their ships, get chauffered to the shopping centre and then spend time at the centre relaxing, playing poole, air hockey, TVs, DVDs, reading, sketch pads and of course the bar. Everything is supplied for them even a gift/souvenir shop and mini supermarket. The centre makes a profit which goes back into the centre and BHP Billiton (they just about own this town) contribute funds. The ships come into load up with iron ore, Manganese and salt. PH is the biggest commodity port in the world and the busiest port in Australia. Some of these ships are up to 300m long with up to 9 loading hatches. It is quite amazing to watch these ships come into port and get loaded up. PH is a very dusty town and everything has the Pilbara tinge (red dust stains) it gets into everything. Can’t be houseproud here. Quite often black dust (manganese) gets added to the mix. In fact the town slogan is that it is the 'only town where you wipe your feet when you leave'. Doesn’t pay to wear white or light colours either. We are staying with Kim and Barb in the flat attached to the centre. It is very comfortable and they are well cared for by the Centre - to get good reliable people they have to make them very comfortable. Accommodation here is astronomically expensive, $2000/week for a very average 4x1 home. People rent out rooms only for $400/week and people will pay rent to pitch their tent in the back yard. It’s madness. There are so many jobs here but no affordable accommodation! The only way to do it is to get a job that offers accommodation as part of the package. When houses come onto the market they are snapped up straight away, cheapest is about $800K but with $2,000 a week rent they are definitely positively geared.(10-12% ROI) They don’t even need to be done up as people move in as they are. The Seafarers Centre is just about on the wharf and helicopters land only 400m away from us. It is a very busy area. We have salt stacks behind us and these get loaded into ships every two to three weeks and can take upto 4 days to load. It is very interesting to be amongst a working port and it is only going to get busier. We went on a tour of the BHP Billiton plant which was interesting. We had seen the mining of the ore at Mt Whaleback in Newman a few years ago so it was good to see what happens to it here. It is received here after travelling by locomotive from Newman 426km and takes 8 hours. It is then stockpiled, graded and loaded onto the ships. About 800 ships are loaded each year and its takes about 30 hours to load. Each ship that leaves port brings $7.5M to BHP (not clear if that is profit or net). Whilst it was an interesting tour it was ridicously expensive at $26 each for 1.5 hours sitting on a bus taking photos through a dusty window. One of the few tours to do here. In the evening we went to the local Rotary meeting. It is held at the miners mess in South Hedland. Great spread of food for $20. Unfortunately we didn't know the system and missed out of making the most of it. The miners/workers certainly are well catered for. The Rotary club is small with only 8 regular members however they are very proative and keen to do things. Due to the transient nature of the town they struggle to get members. The average age was about 50 - how's that for a Rotary club. It is the first Rotary meeting we have been to that didn't have alcohol and was a surprise here in Port Hedland. 
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