Friday, June 06, 2008

THE BIG TRIP - 2008

AROUND AUSTRALIA 2008
Saturday 10 May – Friday 6 June
Kununurra to Broome
Blog 2

In Celebrity Tree Park, the Kununurra community was holding its Teddy Bear’s Picnic for young local families down by the Lake. The kids were having a wonderful time. The Celebrity Tree Park has trees planted by celebrities over the last 10-11 years. It is a lovely idea.

We finally got to Broome a few days earlier than we had booked but were able to have a spot until our own spot became vacant. It took us a while to set up everything that we needed for our 4 month stay particularly positioning the caravan so that we could get satellite signal through an opening in the trees.

Cable Beach still has the magic that keeps drawing us back to Broome.

I joined the library, Mike joined the gym and we enrolled for some courses at the local TAFE and just became one of the thousand of winter residents.

Our first attempts to see the Dinosaur Prints in the rocks at low tide at Gantheaume Point were unsuccessful but we did see them the next low tide.

Friends arrived by plane for a 2 week holiday in Broome and we spent some lovely times exploring Broome together, Cable Beach, Gantheaume Point, restaurants, the markets and all the beautiful spots in town.

We took a trip to Horizontal Falls. A sea plane flew us from Broome over King Sound to Talbot Lake where we were picked up by a motor boat and taken through the wider opening of the Horizontal Falls. What a buzz it was. The water was like being churned in a washing machine. There are 2 falls, the second one has a narrower opening and we didn’t go through that. We found out later that they used to go through both but last year one of the boats capsized and a woman drowned even with her life jacket on!!! The falls are caused by the huge and rapidly moving tides causing the water levels on either side of the openings to be different at certain times in the tidal cycle. It is quite spectacular. The water and sky are VERY blue and the rocks look like quartz outcrops. We spent the rest of the afternoon on a yatch enjoying lunch and the quiet. We flew back home over the 1000 Island Buccaneer Archipelago, over cape Leveque, Lombadina, Beagle Bay and then finally over Cable Beach. What a spectacular sight it was.


Dragon Fly on spare wheel carrier of our truck - Kununurra WA
Dragon flies this early means a long hot winter

Our home for the next three days - Big4 Caravan Park - Kununurra WA

Boab Trees still in leaves - downtown Kununurra WA

This Boab has shed it's leaves but not it's pods

Lake Kununurra WA

Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA

Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA

Locals being entertained at the Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA

What a great idea - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA

Pristine Child Care Cente at Kununurra with gorgeous Boab paintings

Brings a smile to the dial

Ma and Pa Boab - cute

The Boab Family - Kununurra WA

Our rig at Willare Bridge Roadhouse

We stopped here for lunch on our way to Broome

Only 166km to go - great

Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA

Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA

Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA

Home for the next four months - Cable Beach, Broome WA

We just love this place

Even our rig is smiling to be back on Cable Beach at Broome again

Carol at Gantheaume Point - it's low low tide
and we are looking for the Dinosaur footprints

The colours at Gantheaume Point are simply fantastic

Everyone is looking, looking, but we couldn't find the dinosaur footprints - bugger!

Sunset - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA

Camels near sunset on Cable Beach Broome WA

Ehud and Dagmar in her new "body" - Broome markets

Dagmar, Ehud and Carol at Gantheaume Point, Broome WA

Dagmar and Ehud at Anastasia's Pool - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA

Ehud and Dagmar look like locals - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA

Ehud and Dagmar - ready for our daily walk on Cable Beach Broome WA

Cable Beach agrees with Dagmar and Ehud

Dagmar and Ehud back at our truck on Cable Beach after an hour's walk

We are off to Horizontal Waterfalls for the day

Our pilot giving us safety instructions before we board the plane

That's our plane

There are nine passengers on board and we are looking forward to the journey

Our pilot is ready for take-off from Broome Airport

View of Broome and Roebuck Bay as we head East to Horizontal Waterfalls

We are flying at an altitude around 500feet
look how straight the road is

This farm grows fruit and vegetables, probably for the Broome community

Have no idea what these rings are as we continue to fly North East

View as we approached of King Sound

Looking south down King Sound towards Derby

Fantastic colours as we flew over King Sound

East of King Sound we flew over Kimbolton Restricted Area

This is the Yampi Training Area as we head towards Talbot Bay and Horizontal Waterfalls

Creeks and water everywhere

We are nearly there - first view of Talbot Bay WA