30th August 2008

Today we left the west coast of Australia and started our way back to the east coast.
We left Broome at about 0720 after packing most of the external items like the awning and floor sheet. This made for a reasonable job this morning. There were only items like the electrical cords and the water hose to wind up. They all had to be wiped to remove the lovely red “pindan” soil. It is unique to the Kimberley and west coast. It is attached to many items and we will have memories of it for a long time.
Just after we left the Tarangau Caravan Park, I decided I had better just check the tyre pressures before the tyres warmed up. After having let them down in the sand several days ago, I found that they were not quite where they should have been. Luckily, I have an electric air compressor and tank to enable jobs like this to be undertaken without stress.
Just on two hours after we departed Broome, we arrived at Willare Bridge Roadhouse. It was nice to stop and have a break for half an hour. Prue had a cup of tea and I had an iced coffee that was in a carton as well as a nice muffin each.
Eventually, we set off again on the road to Fitzroy Crossing. We turned off the Broome-Derby Road onto the Great Northern Highway a short distance from Willare Bridge Roadhouse.
Along the road, we stopped under a shady tree to have our lunch of sandwiches that we had purchased at the Roadhouse. They were nice and fresh which can be a real bonus in this part of Australia. Then we moved onto to Fitzroy Crossing where we arrived just after 1300.
As Prue was walking up to the Reception Office of the Fitzroy River Lodge Resort, I started a conversation with a man in the vehicle in front of me. He and his wife, Ken and Irene Devlin, come from Prue’s old home town of Dunedoo and remembered her late parents. They also lived not far from Prue’s parent home. How often this has happened as we travel.
Anyway, we have booked in for 3 days here at this beautiful location. It has just about everything one could wish for, even a lovely swimming pool, tavern, bistro, restaurant, etc. It has lovely shaded areas and the dust compared to Tarangau is almost non-existent. So we set up on a reasonable grassy site with power and water. The awning also is up.
Then we went for a nice swim and chatted to some in the pool. As we left the pool we booked to go on the Geikie Gorge and town tour on Monday. Then back for a shower and to meet up with our former neighbours from Tarangau, Peter and Lyn, who were doing the Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Geikie Gorge tour before returning to Broome.
Of course we had some drinks at the Tavern and then back to the camp for dinner and some nice Hardy’s Merlot with Peter and Lyn. We said goodbye until we may see them in Ballina later in the year.
So that ended or day in a new location.

29th August 2008

This morning was the last morning for a ride around Broome as we are moving on tomorrow. I decided that I would retraced the boundary of Broome and take in the wonderful sights such as the colour of the tropical water from Town Beach, the view from the top of the rise near the Police Station in Carnarvon Street, then through the CBD and onto Broome Road. When I reached the junction of Broome and Gubinge Roads, turned left and rode to Cable Beach. The colour of the water was equally good at Cable Beach. There is no surf on these beaches but occasionally a little wave of about ½ a metre will come in.

After getting back to the Karavan, I found Prue had done some washing and some tidying around the area. Again, I was perspiring although the humidity was not so high. I removed and packed the sides of the awning and did some rearranging in the back of the Bravo.

Prue needed a massage, so after yesterday’s experience, I decided to give her a massage before I had a shower. Just as well as it was a repartition of yesterday. After the massage I packed the table away for travelling.

We then went to town to pick up the meat that has been Cryovac at the Tenderspot Meat Company. This was packed away in the freezer on the back of the Bravo.

Then into town for lunch and a few last minute items from Coles. The aborigines must have had pay day because they were mostly drunk and causing a nuisance around the place especially near any alcohol outlet, such as Liquorland

Apparently, most of the aboriginal problem is that there is a large number that are basically homeless because they have moved out of their community. This has come about because their community is an alcohol free area. They camp anywhere in town and leave behind a stinking and offensive mess behind. Early in the morning on my cycle rides, I have seen the glass and rubbish strewn everywhere including the streets and parks as well as any open ovals. During this ride, I have seen them starting to wake up and move away from their ‘camps’. This is very sad and a waste of human life.

The Police and Council are unable to move them on because they classed as untouchable. If anyone else camps in the incorrect location, there is a fine issued.

Anyway, the afternoon saw us start packing up for our return journey. We washed the awning roof to remove bird droppings and a lot of red dust. I think that will be around in or on our items for a while yet.

Late afternoon we went to Cable Beach to see the sunset for the last time, on this visit. We had a swim in the low tide water which had warm and cool patches in it but that was nice. Then we wandered back to the Bravo and had nibbles and a Brown Brothers-Dolcetto & Syrah as the sun was going down. It was spectacular, as the sun was setting a camel team walked past between us and the setting sun. It looked really wonderful.

As we left the beach, the traffic was so very slow or stopped for a while. As it slowly moved, we discovered that the W. A Police were breath testing all the vehicles either in the car park or coming from the beach. Thankfully, I did not even register.

We returned to the Karavan and completely removed the awning and packed it all away. It will make it a bit quicker to get away in the morning. While doing this, another Kimberley Karavan owner stopped to have a chat. They are from Cairns and have had theirs for about 18 months. Lots of chat about the Karavan.

Then we had our pasta dinner washed down by the remaining Brown Brothers-Dolcetto & Syrah. Thankfully, I did not have more than one glass at Cable Beach.

That now ends our visit to Broome and starts the return to the east coast. There is still a lot to see and do. It may be a couple of days before an update due to possible lack of access to the Internet.

28th August 2008

This morning is my sister and niece’s birthdays. Spoke to Bindi for a while.

I, again, went off on my bike ride. This morning was very foggy with the humidity about 87% and the early temperature about 15.5 degrees. The best part, there was no wind but because of the fog my ride glasses had moisture on them almost until I arrived back at the Karavan at about 0815.

Prue went for a walk in the fog with a lot of other people. While she was on the beach, she captured a white rainbow. Not only did she capture the rainbow but also the early camel ride on Cable Beach. Being so humid, both of us were perspiring when we arrived back. It took a while to cool and dry off.

I had a booking to do a massage at 0930 so I had to cool down and shower before then. As I did the massage I was dripping because of the humidity. It is never pleasant do that type of work in that type of condition. Sadly, I did not have a fan or even a breeze. Anyway, I had a very happy massage client at the end.

While I was doing the massage, Prue did a little bit of painting and some drawing while sitting under the lovely shade of the trees next to our neighbouring caravan.

Then we went into town primarily to check on a noise we had picked up in the engine area. Fortunately, it was only in need of the fan and air conditioner belts being tightened. They appeared tight but the most helpful Mazda service man told me they need to be quite tight. He was very positive and then would not accept payment and said to enjoy the remainder of our trip. He was from Broome Central Motors. They are certainly worth going to for service or repairs in Broome. They also employ a young Aboriginal apprentice who is very motivated and friendly also.

We then went out the Tenderspot Meat Company to order meat for our travel to Alice Springs during the next 2 weeks. The order was placed then we went back into town to really stock up on items we need to complete our travel needs. This included some nice Merlot wine from Hardy’s. This will have to get us a long way, so we stocked up!

Later in the afternoon, we went for a drive along way on Cable Beach towards Willie Creek. The racks were a little sparse but very recent so I went on. There were some 4wds coming towards me and I decided we had gone far enough. I started to turn to the right gradually. The down I went in the sand. So I had to get out and lower the tyre pressure to about 20 psi on all 4 tyres. A nice backpacker couple stopped to ensure we were going to get out and told us they had experienced the same problem. I tried to move and it did move a bit so I went forward a little then came out backwards. A small stoppage but soon overcome. Later down the beach, I reinflated the tyres to their normal pressure and then we had a lovely swim.

On return to the Caravan Park, we had a shower then joined Peter and Lyn, next door, for drinks and a good chat. They were going to Windjana Gorge in the morning so we were able to tell them about our experiences there. Then an early night.

27th August 2008

This morning was much the same as most mornings have been in Broome, except the wind was not quite as strong as previous mornings. Thank goodness!
Prue decided she would be early to the Caravan Park washing machines as it seems there is a big demand for these machines. So she put a reasonable load of washing on and eventually hung it out to dry. At least in this area, at present, the washing dries very quickly.
I took off on my bike for a quicker 30 km circuit. I try to go through different streets each time but nearly always go out to the Port of Broome and turn around. There were a few more cyclists out this morning but unfortunately they were not going the same direction as me. It is nice out early here as it does warm up quite early.
On return, off for a shower and a mug of Prue’s cappuccino. Her brew is in a little stainless steel pot that pushes steam up through the coffee and eventually into the top. She also warms the milk and then froths it with a battery powered frother. The result is a lovely cappuccino.
Then we drove out to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. It is located on Willie Creek about 40 kms out of Broome. It is reached by turning off the Cape Leveque Road. We opted for the self drive tour rather than catch a coach out. It cost $40.00 each which included a very professional presentation on the anatomy of an oyster and how it is worked on to produce a pearl. This was followed by morning tea of damper and either cool drinks or tea or coffee. Then we boarded a boat to see the long line of oysters in Willie Creek. We were shown how the oyster are cleaned regularly which is a job most suited to workers like back packers. When we returned to the jetty, we then went up to the showroom and again were given a great demonstration on recognising good pearls and how to look after them.
Each oyster can be used up to 4 times and each time a larger pearl is the end result, except for the last time when it is used for the production of Mabe or half pearls. Its final destiny is for the grinding up of the shell, the muscle is removed and sold for an exorbitant price and the remainder is used to feed the fish located in Willie Creek along with several saltwater crocodiles.
Adjacent to the Pearl Farm is a Detention Centre for illegal fishermen. It is the holding area for these people until their trial. Depending on the outcome of the trial, it is the location where the boats are lifted off the beach and into a pit for a fiery end.
We returned from Willie Creek Pearl Farm and to a Cafe/Corner Shop for a coffee. Our thoughts are we will not bother getting a coffee there again. After getting back to the Karavan, we did a bit of a tidy up of leaves and dust. After that we went to Cable Beach for another late afternoon swim.
The day ended with a BBQ meal and of course some red wine.

26th August 2008

Our morning is much the same as recent mornings. That is Prue went walking and I went cycling. The slight difference was that we met in another Cafe on Cable Beach. We were not alone with about 50 or 60 other people there too. A lovely morning that has brought every one out relatively early. The wind was considerably less than previous mornings.

Prue decided she wanted to catch the town bus into town to see what the art galleries had on display. She took some time and visited several galleries. One in particular was Denise Walker’s Gallery.

I battled to get the second of today’s blogs to upload and as a result spent more time than I wanted trying to get it to go.

By this time it was lunch time and Prue had called on the mobile phone asking if I would like to meet her at the Monsoon Gallery and then go into the CBD for lunch. We went to a cafe we had visited earlier just for coffee and had a nice lunch there. Prue suggested it was one of the nicest lunches she had eaten for some time.

While in town, we needed to refuel the Bravo. So we went to the Broome Port BP depot where the diesel was 181.5 cents per litre. This has the cheapest diesel around including using discount dockets from Coles or Woolworths. I loaded the Bravo with around 114 litres. We will top up and fill our jerry cans on Friday before we leave.

During the afternoon, we went for another swim as the temperature was up to 34 degrees. It was really nice once in the water but a little cool initially. There were a large number of people down there again. We watched the camels go past on their circuit along with the passing parade of clothed, partly clothed or totally unclothed people! Some interesting sights!! Prue says some people are total exhibitionists (men) and some should not be seen!! I heard a comment on the UHF radio saying they should be 40 years younger!!

Finally, I have managed to get a massage for myself. I had a really nice massage from a nice young therapist, Nicole Reading. She is very capable and did wonders for me. She is fully mobile and often goes into Caravan Parks. It was nice to chat with her about her work and how she came to be in Broome being originally from Bundaberg.

Afterwards, pre-dinner, we had our normal red wine and a nice fish dinner.

25th August 2008

Our morning started with exercise. It would be very easy to become sedentary while located in places like Broome.
Prue took off for a walk to and then along Cable Beach. It is a bit over 2 kms to the Beach. It is so nice and level to look at and where the vehicles have been driving it is packed hard.
I did my circuit of Broome but travelled along some streets that I haven’t been on before. That is the advantage of cycling. I find it so easy to just go down this street or the next to see what is there. There are some really beautiful homes both old and new across Broome. As the climate is so warm, all the homes have big overhanging eaves to enable more shade, as well as probably a deflector of the rain in the wet season.
When I returned to the Caravan Park I noticed a message on the phone from Prue suggesting that we go to the Old Zoo Cafe for coffee. My reaction was to agree so I cycled back the short distance to meet up with her. It was very nice and very popular by the large number of people there.
Later in the morning, I did another massage in the caravan park. I must say that I do not think I would make a living out of doing it as I travel. Maybe I have not pushed it enough but that suits me as it gives me freedom to enjoy the area.
Around lunch time we went into Broome CBD and had lunch at the Dragonfly Cafe, again. This was the second time we have eaten at this cafe. The staff are very good and the food really good. The owner has chatted to us both times and he is after feedback but also a good source of information about the area, too. Soon after we finished lunch, we went to do some shopping in the Paspaley Plaza. It is the older, but not much, of the two shopping centres the other being the Boulevard Shopping Centre.
After our return from the CBD, I gave the Bravo a good wash which was long overdue. There was a lot of red Kimberley dust all over it and in some places stuff to it. Anyway it looks like a tidy vehicle again. The only problem was that the water, being bore water, left smears on the Bravo so I had to polish them off a bit.
As the washing of the Bravo had risen a bit of perspiration on me, we decided to drive to Cable Beach for a swim somewhere along the beach. The tide was going out so we were able to go down close to the water and park. As we drove in we drove past a large number of people doing the same us as well as a big number who were under hire umbrellas near the entrance to the beach. While driving along in the 30+ degree temperature, we noticed many of the nudists enjoying the sun along with many partly clothed people.
The water was about 22 degrees so it was quite fresh on first entering the water. Once acclimatised to the cooler water, it became really pleasant. The waves are almost nonexistent on these beaches. We spent at least an hour on the beach before returning to the caravan park for a shower.
Our evening was to visit Celia’s cousin, Charles Batham. He owns Broome Trike Flights. He is a very interesting person. He told us about his exploits such as riding a motor bike around the world, getting tangled up with some intriguing activities in other countries as well as his sailing adventures. We spend about 3 hours with him having drinks and nibbles. He said he is eccentric and that is why he gets into all these activities.
Charles is a true adventurer. Born in Britain, he bought a red London double-decker bus, shipped it to Australia and drove across the Nullarbor Plain from NSW to Western Australia, pulling the Trike behind him. The bus has been completely fitted out and is now Charles' home.
At his Trike base, which is also where his bus is, he has a hangar designed to allow the wind pressure of a cyclone through without causing problems. He uses shipping containers, parked tightly against each other, for storage of the Trikes during cyclonic weather as well as his office. He has a rather exceptional bathroom that is totally outdoors and included a flushing toilet. His bar is located in the hangar.
Charles has a unique private entrance to Broome International Airport. Apparently, he is the only private operator in Australia with this privilege which he is very proud and protective of. It was wonderful sitting having a few drinks and watching the big passenger jets either departing or arriving just metres away.
If ever you come to Broome he is most certainly a wealth of knowledge not only about the area but also has a wonderful knowledge, from his experiences, of the world. We would recommend you make contact with this wonderful character.

24th August 2008

Sunday again so we did our usual either walk or bike ride. We were a bit slower due to the late night caused by watching the Rugby Test.

Generally it was fairly quiet with some cleaning and washing occurring. Washing dries very quickly mainly due to the low humidity and of course to incessant wind. Locals tell us that this is their windy time of the year.

In the evening, we had drinks and a great chat with our park neighbours, Ian and Lyn. Lyn has a sister, Lesley, and future brother in law, Dave that we know quite well in Ballina. They also know our Moree based friends, Ian and Deb.

So a very quiet restful day.