Hedland...where the hell is it.

Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:34
ThreadID: 20681 Views:2401 Replies:10 FollowUps:16
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People talk about . People travel through it. People visist it. Hell people apparently live there, but where the hell it it?
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Reply By: Skinnydog - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:37

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:37
Port Hedland, North West, Western Australia
AnswerID: 99604

Reply By: Member - Mark M (WA) - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:42

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:42
It's up North. You must be from over East, 'cos even people down South know that !.
(If you live in Perth there is only 3 places a town can be)

Macca
AnswerID: 99605

Reply By: ExplorOz Team - David - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:44

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:44
Here it is using ShowMe.
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AnswerID: 99606

Follow Up By: Matho - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:52

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 at 23:52
I still don't see it. The only thing that I can see that comes close to Hedland is a town called Port Hedland.
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Follow Up By: Skinnydog - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:00

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:00
By Jingo I think your onto something there. I'd go with it if I were you.
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Follow Up By: Kimberly Kruiser - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:01

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:01
Yep Port Hedland is generally refered to as Hedland, not to be confused with South Hedland which is just south of Port Hedland which is just north of South Hedland. Generally refered to as being up north but not as north as Broome, Fitzroy, Hells Crack & Kununurra.
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Reply By: fisho64 - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:00

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:00
Biggest tonnage shipping port in Oz, over 100 million tonnes a year, mainly iron ore
AnswerID: 99609

Reply By: Member - Ed. C.- Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:05

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:05
Is it Friday already?????
(musta been asleep;-))
Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

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AnswerID: 99611

Reply By: V8Diesel - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:15

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 00:15
Hot as buggery, covered in dark red iron ore dust (getting better but) and pretty rough. Local pubs are the 'Nard' (Esplanade) and The Pier about 100m apart. Japs bombed it in WW2. Guy at the BP is called Grumpy George. The BHP Hot Brickette plant cost $4 billion to build and doesn't work - now closed. It got so dusty they decided to build another town 20k's away called....wait for it.....South Hedland. Industrial area is called Wedgefield and has a big wheelbarrow somewhere from memory. Tip is good for bits and pieces. Big salt stockpiles that are worth a look. Council is up the s#%t for money, stone broke apparently. Immigration detention centre closed now I think. Big turtles come up to the beach at night, you can sit outside at the Mercure and wait for them whilst washing the dust away with a cold one. Pretty Pool is not very pretty.

Head north towards Broome and about 40 odd km's up the road you can turn right and take the old Marble Bar road (4WD) rather than the new sealed one. Heavily rutted in sections, boggy sand patches and a real 'paint scraper' in others, but some good country, abandoned mines, creek crossings etc.

End of the line for the iron ore that travels on some of the longest trains in the world (current Guiness book record holder in fact) from BHP's Newman mine 500km's to the east. After stockpiling and blending, the ore gets loaded on to massive ships which wait in line just off the coast to cart immense tonnages to Japan daily.

Just down the road (200km's) at Karratha / Dampier we send off ships chockers full of gas to Japan as well.

Drive down to Perth, wait a for a while at Fremantle Port and you can watch it all come back as Toyota's and Nissan's.

Thus the balance of life is restored.

There you go. :-)

AnswerID: 99613

Follow Up By: iMusty - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 06:30

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 06:30
:-)
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FollowupID: 357930

Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 07:20

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 07:20
V8Diesel: A beautiful description - thank you :)

Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 09:24

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 09:24
V8 diesel,
you make it sound really nice and interesting. However, I've been there - and nice and interesting it isn't.
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FollowupID: 357961

Follow Up By: iMusty - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:19

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:19
I just like the part where I can "drive to Fremantle Port and watch it all come back as Toyota Coasters".

"Balance of life" indeed...
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FollowupID: 357972

Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:45

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:45
Bob of KAOS,

If this opening sentence; and I quote myself here...."Hot as buggery, covered in dark red iron ore dust (getting better but) and pretty rough" sounds 'nice and interesting' to you, I don't think I'll exactly be queing up to visit somewhere you'd classify as 'nasty and boring' :-)

To be fair, I used to think Port was the undisputed festered quoit of the universe, but after spending a bit of time there, I actually ended up having some pretty funny times. Not on my 'top 10' (or top 100 for that matter) though.

Ever noticed how the WATC never seems to mention 'Port' in its brochures?
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FollowupID: 357974

Follow Up By: Member - bushfix - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 12:40

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 12:40
G'day V8Diesel,

I must admit, I loved those sessions at the Pier; Painters & Dockers gigs etc. great way to end a working day in that beer garden with all the characters. I think that is the only reason I went into town.
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FollowupID: 357990

Follow Up By: bruce - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 15:41

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 15:41
The dark red iron ore dust that you refer to is actually rusted iron ore dust...iron ore is black , or the stuff that we saw was...you can go on a tour of the iron ore facilities , leaves from the tourist office in town and I think from memory that it is free...very interesting...cheers
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FollowupID: 358020

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 16:09

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 16:09
I grew up in Marble Bar and we used to travel "the old marble bar road" to go do the groccery shopping every month or so. I remeber the "highway" was so rough my mum rolled our 82' Jackeroo on it with just her and my 2 brothers and I one time. Lucky there were no serious injuries but it took about 2 1/2 hours before someone came along and found us. The jack was on it's side so it was not much good to us.

I want to go back up there one day, it's on the list. People think I'm mad but it's a sentimental thing! ;-)

All I can remember about "headland" is that it was humid as fk, dirty, and rough. But as kids we thought it was pretty awsome as it had a kmart and we used to go and get some LEGO each time we went there. We had so much of the crap it would have been a multi million dollar investment at todays prices! LOL
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FollowupID: 358023

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:24

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 10:24
www.travelmate.com.au
AnswerID: 99645

Follow Up By: iMusty - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 15:06

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 15:06
"www.travelmate.com.au". This site is amazing. Thanks Truckster.
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FollowupID: 358014

Reply By: Wizard1 - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 12:18

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 12:18
I would have got a road atlas and looked in up.................or type the place name into a search engine....

I feel like a rocket scientist!
AnswerID: 99663

Reply By: Member - Davoe (WA) - Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 22:00

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005 at 22:00
It is the most important place in Australia (sorry Eastern staters it isnt Sydney or Melbourne) coz especially now with the 70% jump in the iron ore price it is the regianal centre of Australias Economic Engine room, where else did you think the money came from for your nice smooth freeways?
AnswerID: 99798

Follow Up By: cookie - Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 11:40

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 11:40
That might be pusing it a little far! The whole resource industry is booming with the demand from china. Coal which comes out of QLD/NSW is up there with the iron ore trade, as well as all the other commodities like nickel, zinc, lead, copper, most of which come from the eastern states.
I work in the pilbara iron ore industry which does pretty much support the Western Australian economy, along with Kalgoorlie.

Cookie
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FollowupID: 358137

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 12:43

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 12:43
Even though its now the toilet of aussie, I'd say Kurnell is the most important place in the country - always has been, and always will be.
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FollowupID: 358149

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (WA) - Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 21:13

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 21:13
nup dont remember the figures but I have seen them but the Kalgoorlie electorate which includes the nor west produces so much more exports than the rest of the country put together it is not funny
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FollowupID: 358205

Reply By: fisho64 - Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 04:23

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 04:23
very closely followed by Cape Lambert, 100 odd miles west then karratha/Dampier
Each does 60 odd million tonnes iron ore and dampier (and Burrup)does billions of $ gas and oil.
Soon to be constructed new gas processing train in Onslow, for BHP, just to the west again
Sorry to make eastern staters realise their insignificance!!
AnswerID: 99854

Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 22:00

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 at 22:00
hehe that's funny but what's wrong with you guys over there. You must all be suffering from little brother syndrome. Keep pumping the rocks and gas out.
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FollowupID: 358215

Reply By: fisho64 - Friday, Feb 25, 2005 at 00:59

Friday, Feb 25, 2005 at 00:59
Davoe, the figures are well over 50% and that was before the price rise!
On the east coast they think it is freeway tolls and North Sydney parking tickets that support Aus!!
AnswerID: 100041

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