22nd - 26th August
 
Broome, fare thee well, we have our Patrol back looking very dapper and replete with a new front guard and a very good wash, full of fuel and ready to go. Our friends are scattered, Col and Judy are still at Middle Lagoon, John and Sue somewhere in the NT and Bob and Deb were at Barn Hill Station. Before we leave Broome we get a call from Bob, still at Barn Hill and could we pick up some fishing sinkers for him. Barn Hill has long been on our list, so, sinkers in hand, we head off on the southward 160klm journey to our new home. 
 
The turnoff to Barn Hill begins with a gate and a 10klm straight red sand road surrounded by spindled low scrub. It is not particularly pretty country but its sparse ruggedness suits somehow. Another gate and the scenery changes with a tall stand of trees off to the left and a wide sweeping roundabout signals arrival at the campground. As we leave the rig to book in a sign says “keep off the bowling green”, a sparsely grassed 5 metre wide rectangle surrounded by old timber sleepers. The office is a tin shed under a sprawling high tin roof covering about a dozen tables on a rough concrete slab…this looks like us!
 
The camp is in two sections with the reception and powered sites in the grove of trees, then an unpowered area stretching several hundred metres north along the cliff tops. All is surrounded by knee high scrub and sharp grass and the ever present red sand.
 
We now go in search of Bob and Deb, not hard to find as they have the best site in the place on a rise of the cliffs and a 180-degree view, even better they have parked their Landcruiser on the adjoining site to reserve it for us, though our view is only 140-degrees! Each site is demarked by surrounding standing tyres painted white and half buried in the sand, the sites are very generous and each with a reasonable view and aspect. The amenities are nearby and feature Roscoes’ favorite form, no roof!
  
A path in front of our sites leads to the cliff edge and then down a well-trodden path to the beach, and the beach is magnificent fine white sand occasionally stained by the red sandstone cliffs behind, packed hard by the 7-8 metre tides and with little wave action. The water is clear and reefs just offshore are clearly visible from the cliffs, as are the occasional whale in the distance. To the north the beach sweeps out to sea with red bluffs every kilometer or so, sitting in our camp we have this view of a bright beach and 3 bluffs. 
 
Now, forgive us, the days here melt into the other. Bob and Roscoe fish while Evi and Deb swim and sunbake. Evi swelters happily on her banana bed with our beach umbrella fluttering in the breeze. A busy time at the beach is when there are at least 4 couples here. It is a lazy time and the days pass. One evening Bob and Deb decide to leave the next day so we have a farewell dinner, the next morning after our early walk Bob pays for another day, then another and another. After our initial 3 days we have paid for, Evi goes to pay for one more night only to learn that we have been here for 4 nights already so we owe a day. 
 
Walks on the beach at 7am form the beginning of our days, and one morning we embark on an expedition north to see what lies beyond the far headland….more headlands which, at low tide, we wade around one after another taking in small coves, strange rock formations, donkey tracks in the sand and numerous caves. This turns into a 10klm walk, not to be repeated on this camp time. At 9am each morning a quad-bike from the homestead delivers fresh baked, homemade, sausage rolls, pasties and bread and we are soon in the habit of awaiting the arrival of these treats. Thankful we are at least doing some walking to aid the waistline, we cannot resist! We also had a day out at the Ramada Eco-Beach Resort that is 50klm by road on the north side of Barn Hill, though only 9klm as the crow flies. Here we find a resort of Safari Tents, large corrugated units dotting the sand hills and a large reception restaurant complex on the top of the sand hills with a brilliant view. Lunch is the order of the day accompanied by schooners of Matso’s Ginger Beer and a bottle of Chardonnay. Life is a beach!
 
Swimmin’, fishin’, eatin’, drinkin’, sunbakin’, readin’ and sleepin’, we are sure you’ll understand the lack of detail. The only encounter of significance was when Roscoe was confronted by a Brown Snake on a narrow sandy path, the snake with a lizard in mouth, refused to give way and Roscoe had nowhere to get around it through thick scrub, however, after a few minute standoff the snake got bored and headed bush! 
 
Writing this whilst still in residence, when will we leave? Well, Broome time of course, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps not!