Port Hedland - meeting friends far afield

Trip Start Sep 22, 2008
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Trip End Feb 01, 2009


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Flag of Australia  , Western Australia,
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Between Broome and Port Hedland is a welcome little spot called Eighty Mile Beach. We just spent the afternoon beachcombing and collecting these gorgeous little shells called sandals. They're circular and flat, with cute little patterns on one side.

Port Hedland is a typical working town. Iron ore and salt are the main exports. We had another reason for visiting as Pete, Linda, Jack and Katelyn Smith moved from Kiama over here in January. Keith used to do work for Pete, who was the project manager for the Forest Grove development at Kanahooka. So Keith had fun contacting Pete, pretending to be an old customer who had just looked in his ceiling to find his insulation still in bags! Pete was uncharacteristically lost for words, but managed to explain that he's in WA. Keith said that that was great, because so was he! To cut a long story short, we had a really nice evening with the Smiths.

We were pretty bowled over by the cost of housing in the mining areas. A house in the Pretty Pools area (probably the nicest part of town) starts at a million. An average 3 bedroom house in an average area starts at around $600,000. Some of the companies are offering to pay 80% of employee's mortgages. Yet nurses are receiving the state award plus an extra payment for working in a remote area and can't afford to live here.

We were amazed at how many people just rock into town and pick up short term work.
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