A forgotten town in the back of beyond.

That's Derby,nothing like it's namesake in the midlands, it has one street which we drove down without seeing a soul!We think they were all in Woolies, cause when we got there it was buzzing.

We arrived on the Saturday afternoon, having been delayed in Broome by a minor problem with the car. We had decided to have a service before we went into the Gibb, and they reccommended that we change a couple of belts. They had to be ordered from Perth,they came on an overnight flight!

It's 250k to Derby, very little going our way, or even coming back!

The aged come here to die it seems, judging by the road signs.

One of the very few things of note is the prison tree, a boab used to keep Aboriginal prisoners in overnight on their way to Derby Jail. It is famous for having kept a renegade Abbo in 1860 something, who killed settlers and their animals when they tried to settle Aboriginal lands.

Anyway, having booked for two nights, we had a day to fill so went fishing. A very successful day, if the object is to fatten the fish to catch later, once again they won and took all my bait. I don't think I've got the hang of this fishing lark!

So went and filled all the tanks ready for the long trek through the Gibb, full of fuel and 40ltrs extra to take us to the next petrol half way along.

It will be a while til our next blog- we don't expect to get online for quite a while now, probably not before Kununura, some 850k away, as far as from Dundee to the South Coast, almost all offroad!

HERE WE GO..........

A Skink.

Eat your heart out Attenborough!

We are seeing so many animals and reptiles here, it is like living in a zoo. While having breakfast yesterday on our patio we watched two pods of whales cavorting just off the beach. They blew, broatched almost totally out of the water, and slapped their tails, for almost half an hour.
Later we retuned to Broome, it was a difficult decision whether to stay on at Cape Leveque or not, but we must get on to the Gibb River before the wet starts.
So back to our caravan site, and one of our first visitors was a frilled lizard, over two foot long, it sat around for ages both on the ground and just on the trunk of a tree. What a bonus for us!
This morning we have had Black Ibis and wallaby here, I'm getting sick of running for the camera!

The car has to go in for service today, so we are having a housekeeping day, washing and tidying up generally. It is a miss- we have everything packed in there so when it's not around we are struggling!

Dinosaurs, Goannas, frogs and white crabs

We have spent the last two days at Cape Leveque- some 250km north of Broome, at the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsular, and the most North Westerly tip of Australia.

It is idyllic- beautiful long sandy beaches- ‘safe’ for swimming- or as safe as anywhere in the Kimberley, if you discount the sharks and the salties. We have a log cabin, sharing toilet and shower facilities with a neighboring chalet. Open to the elements, with just a BBQ for cooking, we sit on the porch and enjoy a cold beer with an uninterrupted view of the Indian Ocean.

To get here we had to travel over 100km on dirt roads, it can be quite exhausting as we have to concentrate to miss the rocks and the holes, and try to avoid the deep sand which throws you off course. A foretaste of the Gibb River road we will be traveling a few days from now.

This area is noted for it’s wildlife, the many species of birds, reptiles as well as kangaroo, possum, and many other mammal species. The fishing is also great, but my luck was out again as my boat fishing trip was cancelled because of the winds.

Walking among the rocks we found some dinosaur footprints, they are all along this coast. In the evening the white crabs come up the beach, and we went to hunt them with a torch. However as soon as one ran over Anne's foot she screamed and ran back to the chalet toot sweet!

Going to the loo in the middle of the night can be an experience- the green frogs take over, I found a dozen of them in and around the pan, but as I was desperate I had to put up with it!.

During the day a Goanna, almost a metre long walked up the cabin wall and settled itself in the roof, it’ll keep the insects and snakes down tonight I think.

What a wonderful place!

A Regatta and the cinema

Saturday, and duty calls! Down to the Town Beach at 7-30am to erect a Shelterbox as promised, spending all day there talking to the public and members of the club about the project, including my moment of fame on the public address system.

The dragon boat races went on almost all day, there were 22teams of 20 people, and some of the races were exciting- particularly when the steersman guided the boats into the mangroves. I can imagine what the crew would be calling him!

There were a couple of specatcular collisions and capsizes- As I told you yesterday, there are some large sharks around here so no one wanted to spend much time in the water. Also a salty- a salt water crocodile- had been spotted on the beach just a few days before. All in all a great day!

Evening took us to the cinema, with a difference. It was open air, and we sat in deck chairs, and as it was just 300 yards from the end or the airport runway and directly in line from time to time a landing aircraft would go over at around 500 FT! Fruit bats would fly across the screen ocasionally, but it didn't spoil our enjoyment of a great film, Red Dog. It is about a dog that wanders all over North West Australia, and is really good. I have no doubt it will come to the UK soon, so get to see it if you can.

Apparently The cinema is just as it was when it was opened in 1929, nothing much has changed . All the old projectors are in the foyer, and posters are there from the thirties. Fascinating!

Fishermen and fast drivers.

Our trip down to the port and the pier proved to be quite instructive, we met a guy who was fishing with a rope, a balloon, and a hook the size of my fist. He was trying for shark, the hook and bait was floating out about 60 yards just below the surface, we could see it in the crystal clear water. As we watched an 8 foot shark approached the bait, swam around it a couple of times, but unfortunately didn't take it. We asked him what he would have done if it had- I don't know he said, but it would have made an interesting fisherman's tale!
At the end of the pier was a ship bound for Egypt, being loaded with almost 6 thousand head of cattle. I don't envy them the journey, they don't exactly get a cabin each!
A drive along the beach took us to the lighthouse, where there are fossilised dinosaur feet in the mud. Unfortunately the tide was in so they were covered, but the cliffs are interesting. A couple of Ospreys were nesting in the lighthouse, now all automatic so the keeper doesn't climb it very often. We pay a fortune to protect these birds in the Lake District, here they are ten a penny!

Later we went along to the speedway, but not as we know it! It was more like stock car racing, on dirt tracks circuit, but some of the cars cost a fortune. They only use one gear for fast acceleration, and we saw a few spectaular crashes, including one where two cars collided and rolled over a few times. One guy had to be cut out and was taken away on a stretcher, but he was OK.

Rotary, Shelterbox and pearls.

Wednesday breakfast was spent with Broome Rotary, Anne came along too. It is a small club of only 20 members, but full of great fellowship.

This weekend they are to run dragon boat races, in keeping with the theme of the festival week, and they asked their members if someone would look after a Shelterbox tent on the site. It appears that they know very little about it, so I volunteered my services, and have written a brief for them. So that's Saturday taken up!

Of course I took the opportunity to present a Carlisle South banner to them, and tell them a little about our club.

In the evening we went along with a couple of thousand other people to the Town Beach to see the staircase to the moon, a phenomena which occurrs here at ceartain very low tides when there is a full moon. The moon appears over the mud flats in reflection, and looks just like a staircase. Unfortunately because the farmers down country are burning off at present, causing  lot of smoke, the staircase did not appear, to the chagrin of many thousands of watcxhers!

Thursday we took off up country to Willie Creek Pearl Farm, they culture pearl oysters by the thousand, some 280,000 of them! We were told and shown how they do it, even to the extent of going out among the oyster beds. Very interesting. Makes a change from shopping, which is all we seem to have done all week! 

Next door to us here is a speedway, and there are races on Friday and Saturday, tonight they were practising. Did I say this was a quiet site?

A Backpacker’s paradise.

That’s Broome- hundreds here in the cheap camp sites, free beach sites, dorm rooms and hostels.

We are on a campsite just outside the town itself, quiet by comparison, and we have now equipped ourselves with a tent, air mattress and power! We decided roughing it was ok for the young uns, but we would like a few home comforts, so high on the shopping list this week was an electric kettle, toaster and an iron! And electric light without having to buy batteries. So as long as there is power on site we’re ok.

The town itself is just great, we think we may spend all week here as there is a festival on, Shinju Matsuri, celebrating the connection with Japan and the pearling industry for which Broome is famous. There are events on all week, but unfortunately we missed the opening parade last Saturday. The main shopping area is called Chinatown, again because of the connection with the Chinese pearlers of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

We are here for a few days now so will catch up later.

 Our Bedroom ,lounge and kitchen!

Beautiful, but deadly....

 That's Eighty Mile Beach- it is actually more than 150 miles long, pure white sand, but deadly seas washing along it.

The water contains sharks ,sting rays and sea snakes, so it is not recommended for swimming. A lot of fishermen were casting along the shoreline, catching Salmon and sharks and many other species, and we decided to get our very expensive rod out and try our luck. (It was $27 for a full kit.) However before we could organize ourselves a gale blew up and fishing was abandoned- the sand scoured legs and anything else it came in contact with.

We did however witness one of the finest sunsets we have ever seen, in these latitudes the sun moves very rapidly, and goes down in just a couple of minutes, the colour changing from bright yellow to a lovely red as it sinks beneath the sea.

After two nights there we had to move again, 250k towards Broome and another site called Port Smith, close to a beautiful lagoon, and this time we can swim in it as well as fish.

We arrived to the sight of kangaroos and cockatoos just outside our cabin (we have decided to have a couple of days in “luxury”). After settling in we drove down to the lagoon, to find the sea out and fishermen casting into some large pools left behind.

That’s for us we thought, so the following morning we unpacked our very expensive rod and tackle and went down to the shoreline. Casting with a lure (thought we would try that first rather than buy bait just yet) we had no bites after an hour, went for lunch and bought some bait, prawns were recommended.

So back to the lagoon, baited up with prawns, and cast out. Bingo- got a bite almost immediately! Struck, but missed, but the little b***** had taken my bait, and left just the shell on the hook. That was the pattern for the afternoon, cast out, feel the bite, strike, and find the bait taken. But never mind, the challenge was there, just a pity the fish weren’t on the hook!

Back to the cabin, feed the kangaroos with a few potatoes, they come right up to us now. They are very tame.

Anyway, next stop Broome, exciting because it is the biggest town we have been in in two weeks, and we will buy a tent there so we can use the car to get about without packing up.

A one horse town….

That’s Port Headland, piles of iron ore and salt, and supersize rail trains and ships.

As we entered we saw many salt pans and piles of their product, then the ore trains- over 150 cars long with 4 engines, then the piles of their product- iron ore, followed by the docks with supersize ore carriers.

This must be one of the most expensive places in Australia, a “donga” – that is a tiny bare tin shed room with a ‘bathroom’ costs us more that £100 a night, and that overlooking the docks!.

We had seen a trailer tent advertised, which might have answered the shortcomings  with the roof tent- that is not being able to move the car during a stay on site without totally packing up, but at £4500 it was grossly overpriced- I thought it was worth no more than £1000 at twenty years old!. So back to the drawing board. And move on again.

Bulls, geese and a daft donkey……

A few hours travel brought us to Indie station- a working cattle farm about 10k from the main road. We almost turned round when we got there- scrap cars and farm implements, empty oil drums surrounded us- it looked like Steptoe’s yard! However we looked again at the homestead and saw a welcome we had not imagined- we were shown round to the toilets and the camp kitchen, absolutely immaculate, and invited in to meet everyone. We decided to stay. Geese and ducks roam the large yard, and we are told to beware of the snakes which are about night and day, always carry a torch at night and wear big boots!

The donkey is mad- braying and charging about all day, in this heat!!!

There are a lot of miners on the homestead, they enjoy rudimentary accommodation here, and are provided with three meals. Almost every farm and roadhouse has this type of accommodation, but this one is better than most. They are out all day looking for gold and other minerals, there is quite a bit here we understand.

5-30 is happy hour- everyone comes into the great room to enjoy nibbles (bring your own drink) and enjoy the company of the owners and other travelers.

Colin, in his 70s, has over 3000 head of cattle roaming free over half a million acres, and it is muster time. Using a helicopter and motorbikes, the cattle are brought into the paddocks and the young bulls are singled out for sale. It takes weeks.

One of the volunteer staff here took us out on the range and up to Redrock, which is exactly that, a large red rock in the middle of a great flat flood plain. Covered with ancient aboriginal art, and a pool containing a turtle, it stands around a 100ft high, made of granite, quartz and iron ore, which gives it its red colour.

An aircraft crashed close by in 1968, killing 36 people, and a memorial stands at the spot, with a poignant poem on a bronze plate.

Our second day here was a housekeeping day- washing and generally sorting out, and wandered round the farm. For the first time we saw the notice on the gate- “welcome to the old farts”. I don’t think they put it there for us, but…..

After a walk to the top of the hill this morning, we watched the helicopter and the boys on motor bikes and beach buggies bringing in the cattle- hundreds of them. Quite like the wild west. As we returned there was a great deal of excitement in the camp- a very large and very poisonous snake, a King Brown, had just come out from under our car and sauntered across the yard. One of the staff was having hysterics!

Happy hour this evening was spent in the homestead garden with the boys, not many guests tonight, in the corner was a pair of gents urinals as a garden feature, they have a wicked sense of humour round here!

Before we left the following morning we went over to the corrals to watch the boys sorting the cattle. The larger young bulls were sorted out for shipment, the cows were vaccinated against botulism and their tails trimmed for identification. Some of the smaller bulls were dehorned and castrated so that inbreeding could not occur. We saw maybe 500 go through- they will be sent out again tonight and tomorrow a new lot will be brought in off the Range. Anne was delighted- this was one of the things we wanted to see here.

We had intended to have just one night here- we ended up staying three, what a great place, and a superb ending to our first week on the road.

Anyway-time to move on tomorrow, up to Port Hedland and a new adventure.

Rock pools, waterfalls and the odd snake….

The last two days have been wonderful- yesterday walking through Hancocks Gorge to a waterfall and a swimming hole. We walked about 3k and descended into the gorge down the rocks, and followed it down til we thought we could go no further. There we met a young Aussie couple, who encouraged us to strip off and swim for it- and was it worthwhile!

Through the pool and into a natural amphitheatre in the rocks, then through a gully only three feet wide, to another pool at the top of three waterfalls. What a wonderful sight! Returning we came cross a small snake- we are told that the little ones are the worst so we gave it a wide berth.

Afternoon we moved on to another site which turned out to be a little more primitive- long drop toilets, no water at all and no amenities! This is getting very near to the edge of our comfort zone.

But after a good night’s sleep we walked to Dales Gorge, where we descended again to Fortescue Falls, an idyllic pool at it’s base with singing frogs. A short walk took us another small waterfall with a swimming hole below, with fruit bats in the trees.

A much longer walk down another gorge, along rocks, some of which were stratified and others plainly volcanic, crossing and re-crossing the stream, we eventually arrived at Circular Pool, again beneath a waterfall, where we jumped in for a swim along with a few other intrepid gorge walkers. It was bl****  cold!

What a great three days, but it is time to move on- many more things to see and people to meet.