Hattie on Tour

It’s proving hard to drag ourselves away from Broome; so pleasant and laid back as it is. There is just the right balance of things to hold the interest without being blatantly comercialised. And like all the towns in the north, it’s quiet, hardly any traffic, despite the extensive road network or perhaps because of it. There is always somewhere to park … and it’s free. And like elsewhere we have found the people incredibly friendly. In this unhurried of places, everyone has the time to chat.

We spend the morning visiting the bird observatory 25km outside Broome – about 15km of it down an unsealed road which makes it a long trek. This is an important staging post for hundreds of migratory species that congregate here on their way to or from Asia and Siberia. Some 800,000 birds arrive each ear, some travelling 12,000km. As seems to be our way, we have an wonderful nack for visiting on the wrong day (a notice informs us that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are going to be the best days this week) and the wrong time – high tide is when the waders congregate. Ah, well, we make the most of it anyway and take a walk circular walk through the Pindan to the viewing platform. There are only a couple of waders which must have been as out of touch with the migratory timetable as us.

The word ‘pindan’ means ‘waterless open bush’ and is term also applied to the characteristic read loamy soil of the area which is rich in iron oxides but generally low in nutrients. Pindan soil supports a scruby woodland dominated by Acacia and Eucalyptus, spinifex and other coarse grasses including Sorghum and Aristida species. The circular work turns out to be rather informative abut the local fauna including the Conkerberry shrub which when burnt is effective in repelling insects – we could do with some of that!

On the way back, we stop in an isolated spot over-looking this beautiful, wild coastline. Still no birds but a the view alone is worth savouring and we sit with a brew and spend a while catching up on the blog.

The highlight of the day, though, is a visit to Sun Pictures. This is the world’s oldest operating picture gardens. Partially open air, the seating is rows of deck chairs. We munch on popcorn and choc-tops as we settle down to watch Clint Eastwood’s recent film ‘Gran Tourino’ under the stars. There are two films showing tonight, one at 6.30 and Clint at 8.30. We had half expected to be the only people here, but it is surprisingly busy – although by no means full. Much nicer than Brixton Academy!

The nights are distinctly cooler in Broome, although the day time temperature is still around the low to mid 30s.  From sweltering through the night we are now shivering and the sleeping bags have had to make a reappearance.  Unfortunately temperatures can only fall as we travel south toward Perth.  Let’s hope it doesn’t get too chilly!  But for now, it’s another languid day of sun, sea and sand in Broome.  A bit more browsing around a very quiet China Town, stopping for a while to look round two pearl luggers which are in dry dock at the back of a pearl showroom.  It is amazing to think that as recently as the mid-1970s pearl divers were still  using copper helmets, weighted boots and rubber oversuits.  Finally bought some books on India and Bali.  We now just need to work out our itineraries!  Both Indonesia and India require evidence of onward flights as a condition of entry so we need to make decisions about just how long we are going to spend in Indonesia.

We round off the day with a walk along Cable Beach at sunset;  a more magical and vivid sky tonight … but still no camels.

Our small lay-by of last night has suddenly become very popular and we find ourselves in a convoy of three campers turning in for an overnight stop.  Followed shortly after by another four;  we have a little itinerant village springing up here!

Our road trip hits 4000km and we are still not half-way.

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 13^th 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.

Willie Creek is home to crocs so there is no swimming, but it is possible, with care,  to fish off the rocks.  Perhaps Andy will have more success here for it is a popular fishing location for people with boats.  But the only catch today is a poisonous puffer fish, which true to it’s name, instantly puffs itself out to double its original size hissing as it does so.  That one is straight back in the water!  Willie Creek is a busier and less remote spot than we had imagined;  the pearl farm attracts several 4wd visitors as well as the tour bus which does the run from town twice a day.  And their generator provides a steady background hum.  We pack up camp around 12.30 with the intention of stopping at one of the sites further up the road.  According to the book both Berred Creek and Quondong Beach are accessible to 2wd.  On the dusty and corrugated surface we can only manage about 20kms an hour (sometimes we reach the dizzying heights of 25 kmp) anything more and the van starts to shudder violently.  But we have all afternoon and nothing to rush for.

 The book turns out to be wildly inaccurate both in terms of distances and the accessibility of the sites.  The side track off to Berred Creek dissolves into sand just as we approach the camp ground and anticipating we may well get stuck here, we turn round and try for Quondong Beach which, again according to the book should be only a few more kilometers down the unsealed road, but is in fact about 36km from Willie Creek (twice as far as the book estimates).  After about an hour and half’s drive we are at last in sight of the sea and the camp ground must surely be just around the corner, when the surface deteriorates into deep and uneven ruts.  Prudence tells we cannot negotiate and we have to admit defeat.  So back to Willie Creek, stopping for a picnic in the road under the shade of an overhanging tree.  Even here we are passed by two solicitous passersby, who stop to ensure we aren’t in trouble.  The whole round trip takes about 3-and-an-half hours! 

On our return Willies Creek is deserted and we take a walk round the sand and rock coastline past the mangroves until be come to a sign marking the start f a detention area for illegal Indonesian fishing vessels and beyond which there is no public access!. This is a lovely stretch of wild and unspoilt coastline.

We muse about whether crocs inhabit the estuary – can we see their snouts just above the surface of the water?  Are the ripples and splashes crocs feeding on the local fish?  In the failing light it is just too difficult to tell, even with binoculars.  But we are not about to get much closer to find out! 

After dark (and yet another gloriously vivid red sunset) another 2wd camper arrives.  Braver souls than we, making the journey down the unsealed road at night.  All gung-ho, they sail passed us into a sandy area just further along the shore and get stuck in the process.  There is little we can do to help other than offer some advice and provide a couple of pieces of carpet, which have been left behind by someone presumeably in a similar predicament, to put under their wheels.  Eventually they ettract themsel (long after we would have given up and waited until morning) and park up on firmer ground.   

Beautiful as it is, the one major drawback to this site is the mozies and sandflies.  It is inudated with them.  Despite using  repellant and covering up with shirt and trousers, I’m being bitten to pieces.  Even mozzie coilds and a fire don’t deter the little blighters.  Nothing for it, but to retreat into the van and the refuge of the mozzie net.

Finally, the car is serviced while we spend half-an-hour chatting to a young girl who has just moved from Brisbane to work for Wicked in Broome.  Her job?  Travelling Australia devising driving itineraries.  Nice!  Then to MacDonalds, and for the price of two $1 ’99’s wespend some time researching our onward journey.  Bali is looking favourite at the moment as a stop over on the way to India.  It may be cheaper, and it will give us time to get our Indian visas in Perth before we book any flights.  We still need to find somewhere to recharge our laptops – there was nowhere on last night’s camp site and MaaDonalds don’t provide sockets.   Out of juice we pack up and start our day exploring Broome. 

Gantheaume Point on the south west of the peninsular has some unusual and colourful rock formations dropping directly into the ocean.  It is home to some 120 milliong-year-old dinosaur footprints visible only at high tide, so we have to content ourselves with viewing casts embedded in concrete at the top of the cliff.  The low cliffs at the water’s edge is home to Anastasia’s Pool, a small pool carved in the rock for a former lighthouse keeper’s arthritic wife.  We then hea for Cable Beach, a swim in the waves and a laze on the beach.

The outside world is knocking at our door again reminding us of more mundane responsibilities;  arranging the renewal of tenancy agreements and organising the replaement of the oven in Princes Garth.  The fan in the latter has decided to pack in and the parts are no longer manufactured.  At least  Belling are apologetic and prepared to offer a replacement at discount.  And fortunately we have understanding tenants who are prepared to help with the arrangements!  The renewal of a tenancy on one of our other flats is also welcome news as organising a new tenancy, as we discovered earlier in the year, can be a complicated and expensive business when you are on the other side of the world.

This afternoon we successfully make the drive north along the Cape Leveque Road to Willlie Creek on the Dampier Peninsular.  It’s much further than the book states along unsealed roads covered in a layer of fine red sand.  We are just about to give up and turn back when we reach the camping ground on a large salt water estuary bordered by mangroves and long, rocky foreshore. Much of the ground is very sandy and off limits to our 2wd, but we find a spot overlooking the water close to the boat ramp.  We think at last we might have found that elusive isolated spot!  But no, there is a pearl farm a couple of kilometres down the track and a tour bus and several 4wds pass this way.  Around 9pm we are joined by a couple of Germans who have made this outback drive in the dark in a 2wd camper!  Obviously more foolhardy, or is it more adventurous, than us?