Bites galore! Andy reckons I must have between 50 and 60 on my back alone, not to mention the ones over my shoulders and down my arms! Mozzies or sandflies; not sure which are responsible, but either way we won’t be coming back to Willie Creek!
There is a small arts and crafts market in the shady grounds of the Court House on a Saturday morning. It’s mainly clothes, jewellery, some aboriginal art and crafts, with a few foods stalls as well and we spend a pleasant hour or so browsing.
Another visit to the internet cafe, which at $5 an hour is the best value we have found bar MacDonalds. Here we’ve found we can charge the laptops, do a bit more research and check emails. We have an email from Wicked confirming that they are refunding three days hire – which is a result.
We are now thinking of spending a few weeks in Indonesia before making our way to India via Kuala Lumpur and then home. It may even work out cheaper to do that than fly direct to India from Perth. So we have booked flights to Bali for 13th June.
Reddell Beach on the south of the Broome peninsular is a rugged, rock and sand beach just beyond the deep water port. Andy tries another spot of fishing, but quickly gives up as the water is just too shallow. The red low cliffs have been weathered into smooth, overhanging curves and isolated outcrops. We stroll along the waters edge for a while.
Sunset at Cable Beach doesn’t quite live up to the rapturous descriptions in the tourist bumpf – perhaps we have seen too many exotic sunsets? And where are the iconic camels silhouetted against the setting sun? Camel trains are supposed to ply the length of the beach particularly at this time of day, but there is no sign of them There is a story in Lonely Planet suggesting some skulduggery over the issuing of licences to provide camel rides on the beach which involved putting two of the three operators out of business and the payment of considerable sums – perhaps the camel scandal has put paid to rides for the time being?
We are stay at a small, free camp area (more of a lay-by actually) on the highway outside Broome, courtesy of the book. We’re joined by an English couple who emigrated to New Zealand eight years ago and are now working their way round Australia and have just finished a three-month stint at Fitzroy Crossing during the Wet. Apparently, quite an experience. They appear to be inveterate travellers and we have lots to talk about.