Blogs from Newman, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania

We're back! Travelled from Mt Magnet on Monday morning and got to Cue in a couple of hours. At first glance Cue looked like a prosperous little town but once we got out and walked around we discovered that the shops were empty and very neglected. Some buildings have been painted with murals by the school kids. The old government buildings are impressive and they look like they have been made from local rough stone rather than the quarried stone used in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. There is a small park dedicated to a veteran from WW1 who was from nearby Day Dawn and was posthumously awarded the VC. One store caught our eye, named by a handwritten poster “Hardly Normal” but it was closed with a post it sticker saying back soon. When we read through ... read more

Once again, we're on alert for a cyclone! And we ran quickly inland from Pt Hedland to Newman.....but Lua followed us! Due to hit Newman early hours Sunday morning. We are going to ride it out in Boris with our rangas and hope for the best. See you on the other side xxxooo... read more

Wed 25th of August 2009 Newman to Meekatharra ~ 450km Today is a day about very large trucks and philosophy. Hey Australia is a place of contrasts so this seems reasonable. I realize when I awoke at 7:40 am, really late for me, it was because I was in a place of zero noise. I was in a wing of the Newman Hotel dedicated to backpackers, but I guess I was the only one in twenty rooms or so. Never saw another soul. Had the rec. room all to myself with endless supplies of those packets of instant coffee (I crave a good Starbucks) and on TV the Australian version of the Today Show (I crave the US Today Show even though I rarely watch it). I decided to continue to feed my fetish for all ... read more

Tue 25th of August 2009 Port Hedland to Newman via Karijini National Park ~ 500km After two nights in Port Hedland, in a way I cannot explain, I felt like I was leaving a place I had been in much longer. Maybe I have this desire to live in places of heavy industry, which would explain the attachment to Sheffield UK, the former steel capital of the UK, where I spent two years. The Great Northern Road to the Auski Roadhouse from Port Hedland was 250km and pretty much the typical arid country for this part of the world. While enjoying a meat pie at the roadhouse (I love Aussie meat pies even though rumor has it that horse sales to the meat packers and the football season, where pies are traditionally devoured, are highly correlated) ... read more