Derby, Western Australia, AustraliaMonday 17th August 2020: M&M catch a ride into town with us to go to the bike shop for a new tube to fix yesterday’s escapade. After a coffee together we say our goodbyes and set off to Derby at 10.30. 220 kms. The termite mounds change from dark red brown to a sandy brown colour – these termites are grass eating, not the damaging wood eating ones. We go past the Kimberley Meat Abbattoir which was once owned by Jack Burton.
We cross the Fitzroy River over the single lane Cockatoo Bridge and then the even longer single lane Willare Bridge near the Willare Roadhouse. This is a bit like an oasis in the desert with the amount of water that’s obviously available from the Fitzroy and tributaries. We see cattle around some of the water holes here. We go past the RAAF Curtin Military Airforce Base which is in caretaker mode, but can be back in operation immediately if required - hopefully never. We are seeing Boab trees now – most of the with no leaves.
We go straight to the Visitors Centre when we get to Derby – first impressions again is that the town is bigger than I thought.
We head down to the Port area to see the tide going out where it leaves tidal flats and mangroves. In its day this was a busy port exporting, wool, huge numbers of cattle and barges taking supplies to Koolan Island. A new jetty was built in 1964, but the port was closed in 1983 with road transport to Broome taking over. In 1997 it was reopened for zinc and lead mining, but is no longer used. 1973 saw the last state ship to use Derby port.
Derby is situated at the base of the huge King Sound Inlet and has a tide of 11.5, as the area is shaped like a huge funnel and the water is squeezed in, the current picking up the sedimentary mud washed into the Sound from the Fitzroy River when it floods so the water here is very muddy looking, nothing like the turquoise blue waters we have been seeing. During neap (small) tides the mud isn't stirred up and "blue water" can be seen at the wharf. Derby has a population of 3325 people, with 47.2% being indigenous. The Main Street is very wide with a large central lawn strip with a row of boabs and gums.
3.15 we arrive at the Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park - a huge park with 259 bays. The amenity block appears to have been upgraded very recently as it is pristine. There is a beautiful sunset tonight, we should have been back at the Port to see it in it's glory as we did with Peter and Pam a couple of years ago.
2025-05-22