Barn Hill, Cape Keraudren, Port Hedland

I leave Broome Monday morning, heading south to Barn Hill Station, about 120km on the highway, then 10km west on a quite corrugated dirt road. The highway south starts out with scrub either side of the road but turns into grassland with wide views across the land. A fair amount of traffic, mostly caravans and other, similar vehicles. I had quite enjoyed my stay at Barn Hill last year, also because of their once-a-year event, Christmas in July. The lady at the reception tells me that its probably not going to happen this year. Instead they offer a Sunday Dinner every Sunday instead. Looks like I just missed that one and have no plans to hang around for a week. In the late afternoon lots of heavy clouds are rolling in from the ocean, the wind picks up and there is a bit of rain during the night.




A Storm moving in from the sea at Barn Hill Station

Barn Hill is a private property that runs cattle but also caters to the caravaning market. Not a bad spot, right on the beach with crystal clear water. I leave early this morning, around 7.30, planning to stay at Cape Keraudren, just to the south of 80-mile-beach. I stop at Sandfire Roadhouse to re-fuel, the continue my drive south. Its brush and Spinifex all the way, except about 20km before Pardoo Roadhouse, flat landscape, saltbush as far as the eye can see. The vegetation turns green as the ground rises before I drive through and turn right onto a 13km dirt road to Cape Keraudren, which is administered by the National Parks.

Location Map

No pets allowed. I pay the Ranger at the gate and pick a parking spot above the beach, looking north onto the southern end of 80-mile beach. Just beautiful to see the turqoise waters against the white sand on the beach.

View of my camp site, looking to Eighty Mile Beach

I am surrounded by sand dunes, covered mostly with Spinifex, lots of rocks are visible, most of them looking like Swiss cheese as they are covered with round holes of various sizes. I suspect, they have also been in the ocean a long time ago.


Looks like ice but its just salt crystal

The tide has retreated a long way, the shallow sands now showing green vegetation growing where it is covered by sea water at high tide. The ocean is coloured in a hues of blues and turquoise as far as I can see - just splendid! Again I feel that I am so lucky to experience all this splendor nature has to offer.

There is not a cloud in the sky and it turns out to be a rather cool night, so in the early hours of the morning, thge extra blanket goes on to keep me warm. I get up just before sunrise and watch the fire ball rise out of the ocean, starting to warm the place. I leave after a short breakfast to drive back on the often badly corrugated dirt road that takes me back to the highway, mostly in second gear, so I cover the distance in about half an hour.


Just a taste of some of the corrugations on the road

From the turn-off, its 152km to Port Hedland. Spinifex and low shrubs on either side, offering a wide view of a flat landscape. About 100km from my destination, hills are beginnin to appear in the distance, gradually becoming more dominant as I get nearer.

Flat landscape on road to Port Hedland

Still flat landscape, the hills rising perhaps 50 metres, usually ochre coloured with a rocky flat top. Once I am past the outcrops, there are high voltage powerlines, their steel masts marching along the horizon, a sure sign I am approaching a major industrial town. A blue canopy sky completes the scene. It has been quite windy this morning, gusts blowing from my left and trying to push me to the other side of the road. Hardly a lot of traffic, so not really dangerous, just requiring attention. The last 10km into Port Hedland are covered with railroad tracks, many of them holding carriages filled with ore to be shipped from the port. A large salt plant closer to the town has mountains of white salt piled high next to the road. If it was colder they could be mistaken as huge piles of snow.