Derby to Broome

Thursday 21.7.2011:   20 degrees - 30 degrees -  sunny.   Drove from Derby to the Old Boab Prison Tree which is over 1,000 years old, it is hollow inside and has a bees nest on one side.   We drove on to Willare Bridge Roadhouse and had our morning tea outside, then went for a walk into the van park and when we saw the area of green grass in the middle we decided we would stay for the night just to get off the red dust.  We set up camp and sat outside on the green grass and met our neighbours on both sides, very nice people.  By 3 pm the area was already filling up, with kids enjoying the grass running and kicking a ball around. 

The Prison Tree - used to hold prisoners overnight usually Aboriginals

Friday 22.7.2011:  12 degrees - 28 degrees - sunny.  Drove to Nillibubbica Rest Area which is only 60 k west of Willare Bridge Roadhouse, we were stalling before going into Broome as everyone we met coming out of  Broome were saying how it was difficult to get a site.  We sat in the shelter shed had our morning tea, met others who were doing the same, then had lunch and met another couple Dee and John from Queensland, we sat chatting to them had happy hour then went and had dinner and bed.

Saturday 23.7.2011:  14 degrees - 30 degrees - sunny.  Drove 105 kilometers into Broome and came to Broome Caravan Park so we decided to go in there and try for a site, they managed to fit us in for four days before the two we had already booked.  It looks a bit squashy, but there is a lot of shady trees and a beautiful circular pool and part of it has a lap pool.   The amenities block is at least 5 minutes walk away from our site so I guess we will get fit walking there. 

Town Beach

Broome Jetty at near high tide

We set up our table and chairs, had morning tea, then went into Broome to explore, we are about 7 kilometers from the town which is very spread out and has the airport on one side of the round about into the town.  We found a market at the courthouse, so we walked around the market, then drove on to Roebuck Bay and found a nice spot overlooking the beautiful aquamarine colored water, it was so nice to look at after all the red dust and red rocks, walked a short distance along the waters edge.  Drove to the jetty and walked out along the long jetty with high tide and lots of  people fishing or feeding the fish, saw humpback whales in the distance frolicking in the water and blowing water into the air.

Went back to camp and met the neighbour opposite who is from Barbados and looks very much like Lou Gambrill.

Sunday 24.7.2011:  16 degrees - 30 degrees - sunny.  Went to the Anglican Church and met the Grey Nomads we had seen at Kununurra Anglican Church a couple of weeks ago and met others.  After church we drove into China town to check on the old pearl luggers, had lunch, then drove out to Cable Beach which has a long stretch of white sand then more rusty red rocks, we walked along the firm sand for quite a way and couldn’t believe how many four wheel drives were on the beach, then we watched the camels come on to the beach in a row, first the camels with yellow covers, then another group with red covers under their saddles.  The camels with red covers were a bit nervous and were spitting at people and groaning and complaining, but it was lovely to watch them take off in a camel train along the sand. 

We walked back up on the higher ground to the restaurant and saw Dee and John having a drink, so we went in and joined them and spent a couple of hours just enjoying the view and chatting until the sun went down then we went outside with all the other people taking photos and enjoyed the sunset.  We said goodbye then went back to Broome Caravan Park.

Monday 25.7.2011:  16 degrees - 30 degrees - sunny.  Drove into Broome picked up our mail from the Post Office, then looked at the shops and checked out the little alleyways etc. I think the casual little shops up and down the alleyways make the place interesting, there are tourists everywhere.   Went back to the van park and caught up on reading.

Broome now depends on the tourist season (May to December) for much of its existence, and there are plenty of tourists. Aside from the resorts, hotels, motels and apartments there are six  caravan parks, one with 555 sites plus three overflow areas for caravans & campervans and they are all full. Many of the tours are booked out for a week ahead.

Tuesday 26.7.2011:  14 degrees - 33 degrees - sunny.   Drove into town, posted letters and picked up a few more groceries, then we drove out past the jetty to the Entrance Point walked along the small beach picking our way among the rusty rocks at each end of the beach.  People were launching their  boats and going fishing and sightseeing buses were pulling in, to explain some of the history of Broome.  Went around to the next point, Gantheaume Point, which was the home of the lighthouse keeper.  There is a newish looking home being built or renovated and it has magnificent views up Cable Beach and out to sea.  We walked out to the point and saw the replica of the dinosaur footprints as the original dinosaur footprints can only be seen at very low tides, we also saw a tiny pool which the lighthouse keeper made among the rocks for his arthritic wife to soak in, it is called Anastasia’s Pool. At this point the Pindan layer  which covers most of Broome shows. This is a layer of dark red sandy soil which overlays the sandstone layer and is up to two meters thick and accounts for the red dirt that is everywhere.

Entrance Point

Cable beach from Entrance Point



Pindan Cliff




Sculptured Rocks





Cable Beach from Gantheaume Point



Drove back to the van park and had a swim in the pool, very refreshing, and a lovely setting.

Wednesday 27.7.2011:  14 - 33 degrees - sunny.  Woke early to get up to the laundry to put the washing on as there were only eight machines and lots of clothes were still on the clothes lines.  Had a quiet day in, cleaned the coaster and caught up with the trip diary.  Had an early night to cope with the early start tomorrow morning.

Thursday 28.7.2011:  We made it to the entrance of the Van Park ready to be picked up at 5.25 am and were picked up and delivered to the airport, we boarded the seaplane and left Broome airport at 6.15 am, the flight took one hour and five minutes to get to Talbot Bay, we saw the sun come up and Lloyd had a window seat and could see lots of the landscape and bays.  Closer to the coast the landscape becomes very rugged due to large upheavels in the earths crust millions of years ago. We landed on the water and taxied up to the pontoon, our pilot then took the people who had stayed overnight back to Derby. 



Horizontal Waterfalls

  The iconic Horizontal Waterfalls in Talbot Bay on the Kimberley coast are pinch neck rapids. The two narrow gaps in the range cause water to build up on one side of the opening, creating a horizontal waterfall as it gushes out the other side. On a high spring tide the fall from one side to the other can be as much as 5m. On our trip the difference was only about half a metre so it wasnt as spectacular as it could be

The pontoon is quite big and has a cage on one end where you can get in the water alongside the lemon sharks and the bull shark, we were told you could see more from above so we did not bother to go in the water.   The other end of the pontoon had a houseboat with two toilets, four double bedrooms, a kitchen, a large lounge room an undercover verandah at the back with a large swag which has a mosquito net over the top and there are steps going up one end to the top covered deck which has a large dining table and a hand rail all the way around.   The pristine wilderness is just beautiful of red cliffs and green trees and the water is a lovely aqua colour.  Off the other side of the pontoon is a large single level boat that has dining room with padded seats around the outside, a kitchen, toilet and maybe bedroom.  Also tied to the main pontoon are two high speed boats used for riding through the waterfalls. On the one we were going to use seating was astride a padded cushion like riding a horse. The boat was powered by two 300HP Yamaha 4 stroke outboards. The acceleration was staggering.

They cooked our breakfast of bacon and eggs, cereal, tea and coffee, another plane load of people arrived on the seaplane back from Derby and we all saw the sharks being fed, the colour of the water is a lovely aqua colour and the lemon colored sharks are fascinating to watch they seem to enjoy playing with Ryan the young guy who feeds them, he was very wary of the bull shark.  After the sharks it was time to get in the fast boat & Ryan took us to the pontoon he lives on and showed us the bat fish, he actually picks them up and feeds them out of the water, they have beautiful faces, he then gently puts them back in the water.  We went up another part of Talbot Bay and he drove us to the horizontal falls. The water trying to drain out of the other bay is amazing making a lot of whirlpools, just like a washing machine then you go through the horizontal falls gap which is pretty choppy, he circles around and we went through it a couple of times.  The boat is fast and very maneuverable skimming very close to the cliffs. A very exhilarating ride. Then back to the pontoon and as another load of people had arrived we boarded the plane and flew back to Broome traveling over Cape Leveque and down the coast which has sand and red cliffs and lots of unspoilt countryside arriving at 11.15 am.   We were dropped back at the Broome Caravan Park and had to keep blinking to take in what we had just done in such a short time, so we watched the video they gave us just to relive it and unwind after all the rushing, we were pooped.



lemon Sharks




Feeding Bat fish




Through the Gap




Buccaneer Archipeligo



Cable beach



Broome



We had a rest then went to Cable Beach for a quick swim as the warning sign for a crocodile sighted in the water was still there, but we did swim at Cable Beach, then had dinner and watched the sun go down in the Indian Ocean.

Friday 29^th July, 2011:  15 degrees - 33 degrees - sunny.   We cleaned the van ready to leave tomorrow and packed everything away and made our way to the Visitors Information Centre where we were to be picked up by the Hovercraft bus at 2 pm to do a tour of Roebuck Bay in a hovercraft.  The bus took us to the jetty and we watched the Hovercraft come in floating above the mud flats as it was low tide.  One load of tourists left the Hovercraft and twelve of us  boarded the craft and traveled along the mud flats and shallow water, we went past Town Beach and continued along Roebuck Bay and saw how the guy maneuvers the craft over the mud flats lifting it higher to go up an embankment.  He then took us further along the bay to the Pindan cliffs, which are a rich red colour from the oxidation or rust from the iron ore, we all embarked from the craft and the driver showed us a dinosaur he had drawn in the sand earlier and explained about the dinosaur footprints  of a sauropod which are visible in the sandstone on what once was a forest floor millions of years ago, and how they are eroding away in the water and the elements.  We all boarded the craft again and he took us back traveling over the shallow waters and glided up the sand beside the ?hanger building.  This was the first time we had seen or traveled in a hovercraft  and we both enjoyed the experience. More mundane things such as stocking up the food supplies were next as tomorrow we will leave for  Barn Hill Station along 80 mile beach  to spend a few days and hopefully catch some fish.



Saurapod footprints two foot diameter - it was 30 meters long




Pindan Cliffs




Jetty near low tide


 

Wyndham, Bungles 4WD tour, Fitzroy Crossing - Derby

The Grotto

Click on photos for larger image

Tuesday 12.7.2011:  22 degrees - 30 degrees - warm and sunny.  Woke early packed up and walked around the caravan park, it was a bit dilapidated especially the amenities, we saw a beautiful old boab tree 2,000 years old.  Left Wyndham about 8.30am drove about half an hour down the road and went in to see the Grotto, there were 140 steps straight down, we had to put our hand on the rock at the side to make sure we didn’t fall as there were no safety rails.  Down the bottom of the steps was a lovely peaceful waterhole 300’ deep with lovely jaggered red rocks everywhere, we watched a duck and a family of whistling kites catching cat fish, it was a lot easier going back up the steps out of the waterhole.

We drove on down the road to Turkey Creek and it was so hot and we were ready to stop, so we decided to stay the night.

Wednesday 13.7.2011:  22 degrees - 33 degrees, sunny.  The excitement for the day was when Lloyd went to the amenities block to have his shower and as he came out he heard galloping and looked up to find ten or twelve horses galloping towards him, they went around the amenities block and raced off into the mulga, its beautiful to see the animals so free to roam, there are not many fences in the Kimberleys the Stations are too big to fence.

We drove down the road towards the Bungle Bungles about 50 kilometers and called in to the entrance to the Bungle Bungles which is now a toll road, charging $20 per vehicle as the property has to grade, maintain and consistently assist tourists in trouble, it was dirt road and we were hesitant to take the bus in, just in case there were creek crossings, but the guy on the gate collecting a toll for the use of the road, he assured us there were no creek crossings for the kilometer into the new park.  We were impressed by what we saw, I liked their style of roughing it, the office was a brown and beige tent with gauze windows and an air conditioner, there was a very big beige shade roof over the dining area with blue metal all over the floor (no vacuuming or sweeping) and green director chairs around lots of white round tables.  At the back were more tents which seemed to be the kitchen area, but we didn’t get to see how that was set up.  In the foreground was a large pit with big logs burning and on one side was a BBQ and the other a pit for camp oven cooking, this was all surrounded with a makeshift type fence, like they use is the TV series Surviver, at the entrance were two very large lifelike crocodiles.  We booked in to do their Bungle Bungle tour the next day and the cost of two nights accommodation, the tour for two, toll and dinner for one night was $605, we thought this worthwhile.

Thursday 14.7.2011:  17 degrees - 33 degrees - sunny.  The next morning we were ready at 7 am to catch the four wheel drive troupe, 17 of us had a great day being vibrated along corrugated roads, bumped over river beds and jolted through dry creek beds. All up we drove 196km, went through 38 creek & river crossings & a million corrugations. We learnt a lot from the tour guide who told us 5 weeks ago there was no campground only a paddock, they bulldozed the roads and erected the tents even safari tents with a queen size bed, a chair and a nice long stool to put your belongings on, the floor was also blue metal, no need for stays on the tent corners.  This is all built on Mabel Downs, which is a cattle property, and the conditions for allowing the campground is, it must be completely demountable.  The amenities are on wheels and are fiberglass individual shower/toilets, four on each set of wheels.  He was telling us about the loss of money the cattle men had suffered because of the federal government stopping the sale of live cattle to Indonesia, because of a reporter for Four Corners accusing the Indonesians of being inhumane in their killing of live cattle, this in turn has caused many properties to go into receivership, helecopter pilots, ringers, transport drivers, boats and their crews etc. have all lost income, because of a knee jerk reaction by the Prime Minister, then after a month of disasters affecting the people in the outback, she recinded the decision, but it seems to be too late, Indonesia has now banned live cattle coming from Australia.  The cattlemen are not happy and are going broke quickly.

Back to the Bungle Bungles, they are an awesome sight, rocks are 230 million years old, there are domes which look like red and black beehives and unusual red and black formations everywhere, we had morning tea then walked along Piccaninny Creek Lookout, and we walked along Cathedral Gorge, the driver put an ipod on playing pan pipe music and the accoustics are great the music was amplified throughout the gorge.  We had lunch then back on the troupe to be vibrated, bounced and jolted along to Echidna Chasm where we rock hopped to the end of the Chasm it is amazingly red, like it is on fire.  There were well over 30 river crossings and I don’t know how many dry creek crossings we went through, but the driver got us back in time to see the sunset, then back to the campground by 6.15pm in time to clean up for dinner, which consisted of soup, yummy stew and damper, after a heavy day of walking, it was most appreciated, we sat with a lovely couple we met from Kangaroo Island, she is the minister there, and a very nice couple who were camped beside us from England.  I have had enough four wheel driving, I don’t need to do any more tours over rough roads.



Bungles mud map




Picaninni Gorge




The Domes




Cathedral Gorge




Echidna Chasm



Friday 15.7.2011:  19 degrees -  30 degrees - sunny.  We said goodbye to our English friends as they were heading for Kununurra and we drove on down the road to Halls Creek, where there were aboriginal people everywhere, at least they looked happy, but we did notice barbed wire on all the buildings and we could not buy diesel at one service station but we found another one where the owner was pumping the fuel in the cars, so we  can only assume there has been some trouble somewhere.  We drove on to Mary’s Pool which is a lovely spot over a causeway  on the Mary river with lots of water running through.  We arrived about 1 pm and there must have been at least 30 or 40 vans of all description there and they just kept coming, everyone enjoys a free camp site.



Mary Pool camp site



Saturday 16.7.2011:  17 degrees - 33 degrees, sunny.    Left Mary’s Pool about 8.30 am and turned left onto the Great Northern Highway, we traveled through flat country with small trees and scrubs, had morning tea at a picturesque spot called Ngumban Cliff Lookout, there were small wildflowers around the ground and a red grevillia, the same as on the eastern side of the Bungle Bungles.  Had morning tea with a few others even a cyclist from Melbourne who has eight weeks long service and is cycling around Australia, he must have strong legs, he skypes his wife and children each night.  Drove on to Fitzroy Crossing with only very large cattle stations on either side of the road, arrived about 11.45 am and queued up behind four or five caravans being towed by four wheel drive vehicles and thank goodness Fitzroy Lodge Resort had a powered site left as we needed to charge lots of things.



Warning sign




Stray animal



Had lunch, washed our red dusty clothing, then went to find the town centre which was very small if we had blinked we would have missed it, decided to stay another night and go to Geikie Gorge tomorrow morning for a cruise.   Thank goodness there are no dirt roads or big walks to do.

Sunday 17.7.2011:  18 degrees - 33 degrees, sunny.  Drove to Geike Gorge to catch the 9.30am cruise along the river, saw lots of small fresh water crocodiles, wallabys, kites, sea eagles, herons, brolgas and fairy swallows, the girl who took us on the cruise boat was very good, enthusiastic about all the different animals and the cruise was very gently and peaceful, which meant we could get quite close to the different animals and they didn’t take off in fear.    After the cruise Lloyd tried his hand at fishing but it was so hot he gave it about an hour then came back as the barra were not biting.



Geike Gorge





Gorge resident



Guide

Monday 18.7.2011:  18 degrees - mid 30’s - cloudy.  Drove 259 kilometers to Derby which is on the north west coast of Australia.  The town is bigger than Fitzroy Crossing and has a lot of aboriginal people living here, the shops are very spread out, there is a hospital, tafe, school ambulance, fire brigade and even a Centrelink Office.  There is a big wharf with a covered conveyor belt to take the iron ore out to boats for export, also there are holding yards for the cattle to be shipped.  The wharf is a big semicircular wharf with a road along the top, we saw it at almost high tide, and there must have been 20 or more vehicles stopped all around the circular wharf with fishing lines off both sides of the bridge, we didn’t see anyone pull any fish in. 

Tuesday 19.7.2011:  24 degrees - mid 30’s. sunny and cloudy.   I am tired of being a tourist, walking in red dust, looking at rocks and reading millions of signs, so today we are resting, washing and cleaning the red dust off the floor of the Coaster.  We were so very hot, we decided to have a swim in the above ground pool in the camping ground, I couldn’t believe how cold it was, my body temperature must have been extremely high, the pool certainly made us both feel a lot better.  Met a nice couple Cathy and Jack from Bankstown, turns out she grew up in Terrey Hills and is the daughter of Margaret Dickinson, she went to Terrey Hills school with Judy Seddon, small world, we had happy hour with them and their friends and cooked a BBQ together for dinner.

Wednesday 20.7.2011:  22 degrees - mid 30’s - sunny.  Had a slow start then went to check out the low tide as we read the tide differs 11.1 meters between low and high tide, it was almost low tide and you could hear the water rushing out, the area inside the circular wharf was all mud as the sea tide had completely gone out. 

Derby Wharf near high tide

Derby Wharf at low tide 9.1 meter change today

We have booked a sea plane flight to the horizontal waterfalls from Broome but could not get in until the 28^th July (with a 5.50 am start), so we rang the Broome Caravan Park and could only book a site for 27^th and 28^th July, but we will go to Broome tomorrow and see if there is any room in the overflow areas.

The day is again so very hot, we shopped in the air conditioned store then went back to our site and relaxed with the airconditioning on so we could cope with the heat.