North West Champs- A Weekend in Port Hedland

Just wrapped up a big weekend in Port Hedland for the Soccer North West Champs. OK, so PH isn’t my usual long weekend haunt, but with my partner coaching the U9 team, that’s where we were headed. 

Port Hedland gets a pretty bad rap- all dust, road trains, crime and work boots, but the town was absolutely buzzing. 

We stayed at Discovery Parks on a powered site, because no, the van still isn’t fully sorted (for those keeping tabs after the Karijini trip saga). After watching a few people struggle to reverse the van into those tight spots, it was my time to shine. Lucky our corner block made it easy as. 

It was the first time I'd had a chance to get away for a soccer tournament like that and the ground was buzzing! We were all fully invested in our U9 Team (who took out a nailbiting grandfinal against Broome). There’s something magic about weekends away but also you bump into people you know, all coming together screaming from the sidelines. 

Knowing I was going to be in Smirkey’s neck of the woods, I gave him a buzz. He was off on his own adventure that weekend, but I still dropped into Smirkeys Sports. Shop was looking shmick as ever. Always good to see what other independent legends are up to- especially ones who know what it takes to keep showing up for their community, year after year.

While we were playing tourists, we also stumbled across a few unexpected gems:

• Hedland Emporium: The most eclectic store I’ve ever seen. Honestly, finally somewhere with a kookier range than us. I loved it.

• Foreshore playground near the marina: A must-stop for kids. Right next to Thai food, fish and chips, and ice cream vans- heaven.

• Walkabout Hotel: Huge. Like, unexpectedly huge. Even though the place was packed with hi-vis workers, we got amazing pizza in 15 minutes. Maybe they were all just there for beers?

• Pretty Pool: Stunning, but apparently full of stonefish (so… look, admire, don’t paddle). Great playground there and I went inbetween watching people fish, dig out bogged 4x4s (king tides), and supervising the kids.

• Port Hedland Museum: I LOVE a museum, I'll go to any I get the chance to. I didn’t realise PH had such a long history especially when you compare it to Karratha, which only kicked off in the 1970s.

The weekend flew by in a blur of early mornings, sideline cheers, and chasing the kids when they weren't on the field. My partner got together a Karratha Adults Team and we played an exibition match against Port Hedland (and won). Kids found frogs at the sports grounds, which was an absolute highlight for them. It was a full couple of days and ended up being a great way to spend the long weekend. Massive credit to the parents, volunteers, and organisers these events don’t run themselves, and it was clear how much heart and hustle went into making it happen.

So no, Port Hedland’s not the classic holiday spot but if you get the chance to head up for a comp, a weekend, or even just a wander, don’t write it off. It’s got its own kind of charm.