BROOME WINTER BREAK
Hating the cold and the rain. Half price flights announced around Australia to boost tourism. Hours later we and our normal travel partner booked the flights to Broome. Fingers crossed about border closures.
Minor problem, no vehicles for hire anywhere, very limited accommodation so not sure what to do. Debated for a week then tried Vehicle hire companies again. Luckily Steve found company that had a cancellation. Yippee, not cheap though.
We decided to do what we had done a few years ago in Darwin and buy camping gear from KMART, then donate it to charity at the end. Sounds good but most stock was not In stock even now so dicey. In the end we bought/borrowed larger suitcases, bought really small tents, mattresses and other camping gear. The only things we would have to buy in Broome where chairs $10 from Bunnings or Kmart and gas stoves (same price). Easy, both stores said they had them in stock even up to the day we flew out. All the stores had low stocks on everything due to very large number of travellers in the area.
As we were camping we would need more space and a fridge. We managed to hire a fridge, but no roof racks left anywhere so it would be a tight squeeze.
In the meantime we checked out National Park camping on the infamous Gibb River Road – even that is in short supply. By the time I had worked out a route one morning, the spots that had been available were no longer. In one campsite that meant booking in a generator allowed zone (Urgh). Hate having to organise the whole trip and guess how long to stay in places – oh for pre Covid days when everyone was NOT travelling around Australia. But all done and booked.
Have to admit I have never travelled anywhere with such a heavy suitcase – lucky for Silver Frequent Flyer status and extra luggage weight.
On arriving and getting the vehicle, off to Bunning’s – Chairs bought but out of gas and stoves. Kmart still says they have stock so off there – but no, nothing left. Last option the expensive camping shop – we have to be able to cook after all.
We managed to purchase the last single stove they had and a double for lots more money than we had planned, but only three gas refills (fingers crossed that they would last)
Unfortunately when we got the stoves out to cook that evening, Steve had been given an empty box; the actual stove was still on display. Have to go back tomorrow but lucky we found out in Broome, not once on the road. Caused a few giggles in the shop.
Sunset on Cable Beach, always a pleasure, lots more cars on beach compared to 2019 Broome retail and hospitality must be booming. Off to dinner.
2 nights in a Broome caravan park, feeling small surrounded by massive caravans and other rigs. 1st day out, a Snub Fin Dolphin Cruise, the only place in the world the general public can see these dolphins. The trip was threatened to be cancelled due to wind but luckily the captain decided to give it a go. Pretty lumpy to start, but as the morning went on it calmed a lot. Even with the lumpy sea we saw such a lot. Snub Fin Dolphins,
Bottlenose Dolphins, Dugong (Very excited), Humpback Whales, Green,
Leatherback and Flatback Turtles, Manta Ray and Seasnakes along with a variety of seabirds. A fabulous trip. Although photos not great due to lumpy sea and the fact that both the Dugongs and Snub Fin Dolphins only come to the surface really briefly – hard to catch on camera.
Lunch at a place called DMK, Balinese and amazing food for such an unobtrusive little place.
Shopping for food for the next 8 days as there are no supplies on our route. Then of course Sunset on Cable Beach before dinner.
Next to Mercedes Cove on the Dampier Peninsular. Fantastic Place, remote and beautiful with its own private beach and large land area full of birds.
We had a 2 bedroom house, other options were eco tents which were lovely but too small for 3. We had sea glimpses, a great deck and a little garden – complete with swings for kids and a camp fire. A great sunset spot on top of the cliff had tables and chairs – we even spotted turtles from up here.
Steve found a crab carcass which the owner told us belong to Crazy Crabs – apparently lots of them around. Think they are some sort of hermit crab.
Snorkelling in this beach was a little disappointing as the sea was very murky (too windy) but the next day snorkelling from the neighbouring beach was much better – more sheltered and lots of fish. Just have to hope no Crocs (apparently only seen twice by owner in 20 years), plus they do not really like open sea (blue water) other than to move from one estuary to another so not usually feeding.
Definitely too cold for Steve to even contemplate getting wet.
We drove up to Cape Leveque – or at least as far as we could get which was not far due to most of the communities still being shut from COVID. We wanted to see the Beagle Bay Mother of Pearl Church but that was also still shut, shame, it looked amazing.
2 days here was lovely and could easily have spent longer but the day we left was really cold and cloudy so a good time to leave as it happened.
A night in Derby campsite where we can get at least some more basics like bread and fuel. Next to us is someone who spends his whole time on the phone – loudly (annoying). Sunset from the jetty was interesting and a popular pre dinner spot.
Back to camp to cook up a curry. The guy is still laughing and joking loudly most of the night. Not much sleep in this campsite.
Next to Bell Gorge (and the supposed generator site). Interestingly when arriving, many people not booked are still jamming in so we just did the same and camped away from generators. Not sure how this book in advance works as there is no-where else for anyone to go and no-one to stop extra people staying. The ranger checks payment but not numbers. We had booked 2 nights here but after doing the walks and spending an afternoon in camp we were not sure about a 2nd night as it was 31 degrees and not a lot of shade.
Change to plans and off further along the Gibb River Road to Manning Gorge, which due to road works took us 4 hours to go 122km. (Luckily on the way back we were allowed on part of the new road and it took 1.5 hours back).
Manning Gorge is a huge campsite so we browsed around and found one with no-one near by and about as far as you can go. But of course even though there were many many spots around late in the afternoon a campervan parks right next to us, turns his generator on and the proceeds to spend from then till after 11pm watching television very loudly. Why would you do that next to small tents, why not go where everyone else is making noise or find a secluded spot……….
Early morning rise to beat the crowds on the walk to the falls, first a swim across cold water river (not as bad as I thought at 6am), then 45 min hike up to the falls, great scenery along the route.
Windjana Gorge is our next stop for 2 nights.
A change yet again as at 6pm the ranger came around telling everyone ‘a significant weather event is coming’, expected early to late morning and the last time he saw that amount of rain everyone was stuck in camp for 7 days. Many people packed up then and left and most of the rest at 6am (luckily only looking like rain still). We decided not to spend the second night though, in case and headed off to what would have been a day trip, Tunnel Creek.
To go right through involved yet another swim and quite some time so we only went halfway as Steve was keen to get back onto Tarmac in case the rain hit.
What to do for the night, the rain had started and the first roadhouse we came to had no camping and was very wet with thick mud everywhere excellent burgers though. We decided to see if we could get a motel or something in Broome – anything not to have to sit in the rain all day outside and sleep cold and wet. 4 places only available, we took the cheapest (which was horrendous) but at least we could have a shower, do some desperately needed washing etc.
Broome Bird Observatory is next, 15km south of Broome. The best campsite so far, small spaces but surrounded by such a variety of vegetation and lots of birds. 3 walks, plus the beaches and bays so plenty to do.
We had 2 nights here and could easily have spent longer. The camp kitchen was amazing and in the evening if you wanted to join in, the rangers took a list of bird sightings (part of their research). It also enabled us to find out where to go to see the more difficult to find birds like the Yellow Chat.
Most of the time here we were out of range of mobile (as we had been on the whole of the Gibb River Road) but as soon as we got into range Steve had a call from the hire car company informing him he had been in a flood plain and needed to get out (yellow chat territory). Bit late when we got the message but we knew anyway.
Last 2 days in Broome at a another campsite a little out of town – when we arrived they asked our van length? Tent site? The staff member kept saying nothing she could do we were on concrete. Chris and I just stood there, can’t pitch a tent on concrete. Eventually she said she had fixed it, but later we saw another tent on the concrete so we assume she just swapped us.
2 nights at great restaurants. DMK again and our other favourite Ginreab Thai. A visit to Town Beach for sunset to see the “Stairway to the moon”. OK, but not that impressive, maybe time of year makes a difference.
Chris finished off on her trip on the Saturday to Horizontal Waterfalls (we had done this in 2010 with our daughters).
And so the adventure ends, or does it. An uneventful flight to Perth, (sad to leave the heat of Broome), but then in the airport an announcement. If you are flying to Adelaide you will need to quarantine 14 days as SA have just closed the borders to WA (1 COVID case….).
If only we had known in Broome we would have just stayed there. A number of people tried to get flights back to Broome with no joy.
Landing back in Adelaide at 10.30pm there was 1 hour queue to get through airport questions/health check only to be told all we needed to do is get tested day 1, 5 and 13 and to isolate till result of 1st test. So to outside the airport in the cold and the long queue for testing – finally done and home by 1.30am.
Of course the test was negative (results mid day Saturday) as was day 5 and 13.
Bring on our next adventure overseas – I hope not too far away.
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