So I finally made it out to Wittenoom, after desperately wanting to visit for over 15 months. It was even more ghostly than I imagined! Wittenoom town was closed in 1966 due to growing health concerns over blue asbestos mining. In 1978, phasing down of the township commenced, with the town even being written off our maps. 3 people still live out in Wittenoom (one even comes into Tom Price for physio) despite the Government's removal of services and intention to demolish all remaining houses. It was truly amazing. The day Wittenoom closed people fled, leaving behind furniture, cars, a fully stocked mine workshop... you name it. It has remained untouched, giving the town such an eery feeling. Sadly I didn't get too many great photos as I refused to wind the car window down:)
I could really imagine life out there. The kids would have had so much fun as the town is surrounded by some amazing waterholes. We stopped at a beautiful, secluded waterhole on the way, set amongst the Hammersley Ranges.
Anyway, that's all I know about Wittenoom. I've decided to stop googling as it's completely terrifying me... but what an amazing, albeit very sad, part of WA's history!
A week after my trip I headed out to Port Hedland to do some teaching at the new Hedland Health Campus. It's very swish, a little piece of the metropolis in an otherwise hole of a town:) For example, it's the only town in the Pilbara offering dialysis, so people come from miles away to spend the week getting treatment. There was obviously no forethought as these people have nowhere to stay over the week, so sleep/pass out drunkenly on the bitumen next the hospital. Everyone drives by pretending not to see... and in fact a murder even occurred there the week before my arrival...
Despite it not being the prettiest of places, I had such a ball! Although I caused a bit of a stir on my Sunday arrival. I 'let myself in' to liquorland and was happily browsing when security guards and employees raced in! Apparently everyone knows the Pilbara-wide rule that you can't purchase booze on a Sunday... Everyone but me it seems!!!
One of our students from last year works there and she organised the best ever week for me, I could have stayed forever! I played mixed netball, touch rugby (I even managed some votes in the Hedland comp), volleyball, dined at the yacht club and got my ghetto on at the PIer nightclub! I somehow managed to get kicked out and now my photo is on a wall for deviants, never to be allowed back in! In my defence, I'm just making sure the Pilbara won't ever forget me!!!
One of our students from last year works there and she organised the best ever week for me, I could have stayed forever! I played mixed netball, touch rugby (I even managed some votes in the Hedland comp), volleyball, dined at the yacht club and got my ghetto on at the PIer nightclub! I somehow managed to get kicked out and now my photo is on a wall for deviants, never to be allowed back in! In my defence, I'm just making sure the Pilbara won't ever forget me!!!
