Karratha

Exmouth – Karratha:  11 July [552 km]

RED DOG DAY!  We were on the road in good time as we had over 500 km to cover.  We had a good run back to the North West Coastal Highway and then up to Nanutarra Roadhouse:  this Roadhouse is on the Ashburton River and there was quite a bit of water under the bridge.  We had lunch at Fortesque River – again, a lovely spot on this river.  The country was becoming far more rugged as we drove north, with mesas and mountain ranges everywhere.  We passed a number of gas plants and an iron ore mine.  We also saw a 2 metre python beside the road. 

We arrived in Karratha by about 2.30 and booked into our small cabin (there is already a bit of a question about value for money in the Pilbara.)  After locating the information centre and buying a Red Dog t-shirt each, we set off for Dampier.  As we entered this small seaside village, there he was:  the statue of Red Dog!  What a lovely sight. 

For those who know the story of Red Dog, it was quite nostalgic to see this statue commemorating the exploits of Red Dog.  (Question:  Who was Red Dog and what did he do?)  Then it was back to our ‘cabin’ for dinner. On the way, we found the house where Tim's sister, Miranda and her family lived when David was working in Karratha some years ago.

So we had left the Coral Cost with all its magnificent coast line, beaches and experiences and arrived in the Pilbara.  Again, this represented another significant step in our journey.