Barn hill via port hedland to ....Coral Bay

Barn hill.....just a park 8 klm off the road overlooking the ocean  ..again a station that leased some commonwealth land  on the ocean (smart thinking  and has become as mecca for grey nomads famous for it's sunday roast !
we arrived at the turn off a few gates some land and a few bigggggg speed humps  got in fine

we enjoyed  the weekend there with the roast and all..... met a nice couple from qld  next to us ..Ian and I had another crack at fishing but the wind has got up now and it's a problem ....
our next destination was going to be coral bay and maybe exmouth ..but it was a fair drive down and as we headed further south the weather and wind !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

salt works port hedland 

3 trailer road train normally 4 

just a little drive

Coral Bay ..... but to get there a couple of free camps passing through Port Hedland and Karratha  two major mining towns on the map in the Pilbra ...we stopped in port hedland to do a little shopping not me i sat in the coffee shop with ian while the girls did their thing  nothing new in that eh........Funny thing happened while we were sitting there a couple of  indigenous guys were sitting at the next table when another came over and sat down ...ian started laughing ...the guy coming over said to the other two “Hello Mr Black” and “Hello Mr Brown”  and they said” Hello Mr White” ...a comedy skit  off the cuff !! had a good laugh.............shopping finished fuelled up ....karratha  lots of road trains wide loads , a couple of roadhouses . passing dampier home of Red Dog...did you see the movie ?.....Plenty of bush with the landscape changing we eventually got to Bullara station about 80klm from  coral bay ..camping there for the night another station that has added a stay to their business  .........We met a character  April whose daughter owned the station she was helping out .....grew up on a station in the Kimberly  married and owned and ran stations all over a remarkable woman no fuss no nonsense...We told her she  should write a book  it was well set up nothing flash but we enjoyed the stay....shearing quarters were turned into accommodation i remember staying in digs like these when i was a rouseabout....( a worker during shearing who has lots of tasks ,a shearer calls for tar ....loading pens...sweeping ...moving fleeces to the classer's table.doing whatever is required !! to keep things running smoothly....

They have  changed their sheep for  a south africian  stock with long fat tails ..look like goats ...the shearing shed is now idle but it smacks of past days and the smell is still there .... but they also have cattle   ...check out the chainsaw ....

 

mother relaxing at a free camp 

sunset at a bush camp

I thought this was beautiful Ian and Annes friend came out to the camp for tea and  this was the sky !

well here is the chainsaw ......

a fat tail lamb/goat?....I don't know

wool press made in Geekong would you believe ?

the shed is quiet now but you can imagine it alive during shearing time !

an art form in the right hands

the shower ....different !!

the campsite no power

friends just walking around 

pretty maids all on a row

yep another sunrise off to Coral bay...cheers

 

 

final days in Broome

Well we spent a few more days doing our thing in broome  it revolved around the pearl industry

how  would you like to do a day's work in this ! 

the founders of Broome  

 

 we went to the outdoor cinema  the oldest of it's kind "the saphires" an australian movie based on some aboriginal girls it was good and we  got a real surprize as during the movie a plane flew in to land just above our heads.... right on cue as the girls landed in vietnam to sing for the troops...you could not have timed it any better ..........

outdoor cinema broome to see the saphires

main street broome

 old pearl lugger for sunset cruises

well broome would not be complete without a couple of sunsets to finish off to barn hill now just down the road

 

Cape levique.......

After a couple of days in broome we planned a trip to cape levique  about 200klm ...first 100 on dirt ,corrugations and sand...next 100 bitumen work that one out ...easy they don’t want too many people up there unless you are fair dinkum ...then just maybe....

Well not  knowing what to expect  we set off it wasn’t too bad after kalumbru  it was a highway although 60klm an hour was about max  with a lot of corrugations and bare patches .and a bit of bulldust ...we made our  way first to beagle bay where the mission was and quite a lot of 4 wheel drives some going and some not...famous for it’s pear shell altar...it was 35 in the shade ..local commutity store was closed so after a walk around we got back in and headed for middle lagoon our first overnight stop the 30 klm trip in off the dirt quite a lot of heavy sand but the car ran through well without dropping tyre pressure  or putting the car in 4 wheel drive...the arial on the front copped a work out but held ...we arrived got a site and set up our tents and went for a look around...there were a few on the cliff top but no shade some powered sites also some cabins and shacks  on the beach  which seemed to be the norm for these communities who derive  an income from this set up ..Ian and I went fishing and the girls lolled on the beach  just a loverly lazy day  we caught nothing but what the hell !

 

the arial copped a beating

the church at beagle bay

pearl shell altar

and some more

sandy rd in to middle lagoon

campsite middle lagoon

After a night at middle lagoon it was off to cape levique which was about another 90 klm after the dirt we got the black stuff eventually and a bit of dirt to finish......

 

The cape ...it is well set up with cabins and shacks that are basic and on the beach we got our sites in the full sun what can you do ....put the tent up ..ian and i decided to go out on a fishing charter for a couple of hours....it was a game of Russian roulette with the sharks we caught some fish ..and ian got a couple of heads ...reeling the fish up with a shark attached and just as it gets to the surface bang the shark bites the body of the fish....we caught some trevally . the shark pictured I eventually got it to the surface before we tried to get the hook out but in the end cut it loose after a photo !!

took awhile to get it up  

We were on the charter with two other guys caught quite a few but a lot were too small ..we also saw some whales during the day and again the next morning ... so when we got back divided the spoils and then Ian did a fillet job ....in the fridge waiting for the next meal ...they have a restraint there you can eat at but we choose to cook our own....lit a fire later on and chatted to a couple of girls who were nurses would you believe working in the kimberely..another insight ...we also met a guy who was working in the kitchen up here for the season coming back again for the next one ....there are jobs...not a bad view either ....last night they were playing darts in the staff quarters when a snake came around the corner with a tree frog in it’s mouth ..they first thought it was an olive tree python and one of the guys went to pick it up by the tail....na..king brown dropped the frog then sat up and had a crackat them ....pays to be wary ....

We got up in the morning had a bit of breaky another look around then made our way back to Broome....julie drove the black stuff I drove the dirt ....got back early afternoon...time for a swim

tryin to get the hook out !

kel at the table

view from the tent door

julies photo of the sunset cape levique

 

 

getting there derby ....broome

Well it's been a few days and I've had a rest from the blog so it's time to get it up to date....we headed off from the bungles via Hall's creek not a lot there topped up with fuel ..then Fitzroy Crossing where we stayed overnight it has changed a little pretty rough and ready but seemed a less rowdy .....

 

the landscape keeps changing  making it all the more amazing

We arrived in Derby home of the famous boab prison  tree in fact there were lots of boabs we had been previously but Ian and anne had not so they went off for a look around after we booked in to the caravan park

one of the many boab's 

the derby wharf note the level of the water 

night time julie and i went fishing from the pier the tide drops 11.8 metres we got bites but crabs!!

that is some tide drop  it was a very pleasant place ..went ot the golf course all grass and green fairways..had to be seen to be believed ...covered shoes on course as hook worm is prevelant

also snakes,kangaroos and galloping horses so the sign said !! interesting eh ..

We had fish and chips down at the pier..caught nothin but it was a good evening !!

next day we headed to broome and booked in to the cable beach caravan park for 2 weeks  and that is where we are as I write this...we ventured up to cape levique for a few days 100 klm's  of rough dirt and corrugations and then 100 klm's of bitumen...where else would you find that ..Ian and I decided to go out on a charter for a couple of hours.....we got some trevellaly and blue emperor ..ian got a couple of heads as well the sharks followed the fish up just as he was going to bring it in chomp only the head left !!!!

 

 

the prison boab....now can house spiders and snakes enter at your own risk ...no thanks !!!

 at the trough ....

everywhere

From Derby it was off to Broome  about 180klm down the road ( pearl heaven ) and julie’s favourite destination  last time she read “tears of the moon” by Di Morrisery...a chapter a day ..it must have been a wild place in it’s time far from anywhere you had to get a steamer to get here ...We also went past the willare road house  first time we were here it was up for sale and I was keen ..julie not so much but when the woman said she got crocs in the laundry during the wet that finished that idea it was cheap and a bit run down and it is a lot better now ...we’ll never know ?

The Willare Roadhouse

a water tanker

front lawn at willare roadhouse

The centre of town is still the same ...airstrip is on one side ...it now has housing on the other side and more development ...a million a block is not uncommon for the right block ...Ian had his hair cut by a bloke from shepparton who is paying $800 a week for a 3 bedroom , 2 bathroom house .....in Kalumbru it was $2 for a piece of fruit..it isn’t that bad here but things are dearer fact of life !!!!!! 

sunset cable beach

 

We have timed our trip right we are here for the full moon and the staircase to the moon ..when the tide is low the moon comes up and is reflected across the mudflats giving the perception of a staircase all the way to the moon .....it was a nice night at roebuck bay food stalls and a market atmosphere got some food sat on a blanket and watched the staircase with 500 others it becomes a big turnout there are three places to watch it in Broome

 

 

These are my attempts at getting the staircase to the moon  I'll just have to keep working

We have spent time having a look at the sights ..we went on a cruise sunset on a big kat $40 a head it was good value live music ..it was the first one with live music we struck paydirt !!...a very pleasant way to spend a Sundaycruising up past cable beach and back down ..music was good young guy on guitar ..sang a lot of songs from the sixties ...happy days !!!!!!!!!!!!! 

the kat 

 

 

watching the sun go down ...........

 

Well there you go a sunset to finish this part of the blog next post  coming soon ...cape leveque and a bit more of Broome until then ....adios