Cape Keraudren & Broome on to Derby

We end up stopping a couple of nights at Degreys river rest stop as it was raining . The local weather report says this is like an extended wet season in the Kimberly. Every thing is wet and green instead of starting to dry out for the dry season. _winter. This means some of our dirt roads and some bitumen roads get closed at times. The main highway we are on had parts clossed last week because too much water on it. We are here waiting as our next stop is Cape Keraudren and is 11km loose dirt road to get in. This is the start of the 80mile beach known worldwide for its sand and shells.

 
Degreys river has no campers on the river bank as the track in is a bit wet and slippery. The river is not in full flow but when it is it is another very big river. We walk along its banks in both directions and find a lot of blue winged kookaburras. It is not long now and we will have to be watchfull of salt water crocodiles, they do some times get this far down. This place gets quite full with people doing the same as us just pacing time until it drys out abit.

 
We have opted to stay at Cape Keraudren instead of the caravan park at 80mile beach as it is less people and no hype, just a ranger and a place facing the ocean for the van, no trimmings.
We were only going to stay 3 nights but after finding our little spot we decide to stay longer. It is only $15 a night and very nice sitting outside facing the ocean.


Ok the tide goes out a long way exposing rocks and rock pools just infront of us with a little walk down the beach past the rocks to a swimming beach. Yes we swim everyday but it is better when the tide is in as it is a long walk when its out. We do a lot of playing in the waves when it turns to come in , just occasionally the waves are a bit big for me to try body surfing in.
When in the water we find small rays and flounder like fish and others we do not know, but the fishermen catch a meal most days from the beach.
There are a lot of shells some quite big so took photos as we can not carry them, too much weight all this collecting of things.


We find octopus in some rock pools that are too quick to hide for us to get good photos. We get inked by one and one hides but grabs Larry's finger with its tentacle. We have fun scrambling over rocks to check all the rock pools each tide. There are also lots of hermit crabs all under the van and everywhere, its fun watching them.
 
 
There is a mangrove area with some rare birds in it. With a walking track so we go bird watching find a few and fruit bats and wallabies. One wallaby is very light in the sun . There was a salt water crocodile in mangroves last september which closed the area for awhile. The other side of the mangroves are very rocks from the old sea floor which have fossil shells and sea creatures in them.


This place is so nice there are a group of caravaners that come from all states that meet here each year and stay 3 months. Well while we are here the local council have changed the rules and like other places in WA you can only stay for 28 days out of each 3 month period, so these oldies will not make the trip here next year just for 28 days. It is a place you could easy stay 3 months of winter. The caravan parks have lobbied to change the rules to try and get more of the longer stay people's business, this is not going to happen with their cramped quarters and high prices. 


Reluctantly we move on , we have had to book a van park in Derby for a couple of days to do the change of things and food into the car for the Gibb river road and off road Kimberly things. We also had to book in advance into one National park. So we are on set dates again sort of.

We need to move so we can stop in Broome to se a dew things. 
 We stop on the road at Sandfire roadhouse, hot showers peacocks and geese everywhere, a camel and a large bull with large floppy ears and wallabies.

 
The Broome caravan parks have just raised their tariffs because as of June 1st its the busy season, so we stay out at Roebuck bay roadhouse, its still too much but lot cheaper and still has a swimming pool, just 30km out of Broome. This is a good thing really its changed into a more touristy place and its spoilt.
As soon as we setup in our parking spot, which takes longer than usual as the allotted space is no good for us . It is long enough in the middle but if we park so we can put out the awning both the van and the awning we hit overhanging tree branches. We are a little bit higher than most as we are set up for off road travel with larger wheels lifting us up from the road. We get to move down a couple of places to an empty one that is not supposed to be empty, the people have left with another night paid for and have not returned their shower key for the $10 deposit. We still have to pay of course.
Before we leave for Broome I have a quick did in the salt water pool. We will be putting shopping in the car fridge while we stay for the sunset and staircase to the moon so it is turned on . We have another delay the fridge is not working so plug it onto 240 volt power from park it works so do not know what is wrong, but we have to find out as it has to work for the trip on the Gibb river road without the van.
So before anything else we have to find someone in Broome to look at it so it is no longer a leisurely afternoon in Broome. We do find someone and he is a fridge man who knows a lot about portable 12 volt fridges. We thought it was the cable or the internal switch from 240power to 12volt, wouldn't you know it after talking to him we plug in the 12volt cable and it works , he has an idea we might have run the auxiliary battery in the car down . We had not driven too far and probably only enough to charge car battery not auxiliary aswell. Thats a relief nothing is wrong and he charges nothing for looking, one place wanted $40 just to look.
So onto the information office to find out about Broome 's drinking water and if we can get some, the Roadhouse is on bore water which everybody drinks , but is high in some minerals and tastes a bit.Yes we can get a container from the local garages , so while Larry sneaks in a couple extra containers I go find the postoffice to post a parcel of crochet things I had made for the grandkids for winter.
We then do some shopping and looking around before heading to town beach ready for the Staircase to the moon where as the full moon rises it reflects across the mudflats at low tide looking like a stair case up to the moon. 


We were going out to see the dinosaur foot prints but this is only on a very low tide and it happens to be when its dark and too dangerous to be climbing over slippery rocks and at same time as staircase to moon. Tonight so we will have to come back in to Broome in the morning early before 7 am [ next low tide].
The local market is on, on the foreshore , the same days as the staircase is visible. So we walk around and find mostly food places so we buy spring rolls . We sit on the shore line and eat waiting for the moon. I wrap my veg roll in some bread we had bought to get rid of greasy feel, we have an apple and drink the bottle of ginger beer we had treated us to, very not healthy.
After an hour and half the moon slowly makes an appearance with its reflections slowly crossing the water and mudflats in a line that sort of resembles steps. It is quite good to watch sitting in the semi darkness.
We make it back the 34 km back to the roadhouse and the van for a nice cup of tea , too late for the pool so have long shower.
We are up early next morning to make the low tide to see the dinosaur footprints.
We do get to see them climbing over boulders to get down to them just before they get covered by the sea again. Because not all can climb down there the council or Government have made replica footprints and placed them so all can see. Its not the same though, its different actually seeing them in the rock after scrambling over slippery rocks and boulders and searching everywhere. There are no signs to tell you where exactly they are, just hat some are visible at low tide and more a couple of times a year at very low tide. You can also go out on a hovercraft and see more of the different species of footprints. They are some of the best to be found in continues tracks and with lots of different sizes.

 
We go to the bird observatory while we are in Broome its like the one off the Nullabour. It too is down a loose sand or dirt track, and has camping for tents and some cabins. You can volunteer to help with bird conting at certain times of the year, but not right now.
We start by sitting in the shade cloth covered eating area to watch the visitors to the well positioned water containers. A brown goshawk came in amongst the crows and wallabies there having a drink.
There are a couple of walks through the bush and onto the beach , the best thing we found was a snake a small skinny olive whip snake that moved very quickly through the leaf litter a couple lizards, a skink and a dragon. 

 
The rest of the day was spent doing nothing much just lazing in the pool. I did have a couple of skinks in the shower with me in the evening.

On we go again stopping at Nillibubbica rest area one night and beside the Fitzroy river another then on to Derby
Derby 220 km north east of Broome with its streets made wide back when mule and camel terms had to turn around. The roads are lined with boab trees and a couple of very large boabs where used as prison trees back 100 or so years ago.

The tides here have a big difference between high and low, this shows up at the jetty so we take photos at low tide and go back for high tide and the sunset across the ocean. The tides at King sound are Australia’s highest tidal variations and can be 11metres difference. This gives rise to the Horizontal falls which you have to fly and boat to see. This we my do when we return after are trip in the car down the 4 wheel drive Gibb river road to see the Bungle Bungles and gorges etc.

We will leave the van in storage tomorrow and head off for 4 weeks.