Day 253 | Karratha/Dampier highway turnoff roadhouse: I'm about to set off for the interior

64 km | Heading west total: 11,571 km

Karratha is the big town of the Pilbara and where, I learned, everyone wants to be stationed.

The huge Gorgon gas project, the largest project ever in Australia, is based here starting and is apparently worth $50b over the next 30 years in sales of gas to China.

Houses are going up rapido.

I got a shock when I went over to look at the steel framed construction. No great surprise with the steel because, of course, with the problem of termites steel is a sensible option. And if you are mining iron ore you might as well use steel. The frames are however completely welded together, not pop riveted like they are in Melbourne. I guess that’s due to the cyclones.

No wonder these houses each cost $600k to build.