Broome,Derby and back down The Gibb River Road

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Broome, Derby and backtracking a little on The Gibb River Rd.


Our 4 days respite at The Frangipani apartments in Broome was a little subliminal. Even the road from Derby to Broome had a point of difference to start with - No corrigigaations and no red dust, --where were we going????
By now we had done some 9,000kms and 7,500 of them were on unsealed road, so reddish looking bumps etc had by then become the norm for us.
On our way into Broome we stopped off at a roadside organic produce stand and topped up the F & V’s, yummy!
Our Broome sojourn that we referred to in the last Blog was just what we needed to unravel the Bumps.
The first night we visited the very long white sand cable Beach we enjoyed the sunset from our chairs beside the 4WD with nibbles by Corrie and drinks by Ian together with about 70 other similar groups - just fantastic to watch the Camel trains full of visitors go past and the boats and dolphins parade up and down the shore.
After drinks we took a run along the beach in xit, the vehicle and checked out the travellers set up having dinner by candlelight from the back of the ever present 4WDs with fridge.
On the way home passed the Camels on their way to bed for the night and can u believe it some Bureaucrat has insisted that they have ‘poop bags’ fitted and tail lights and indicators on the last Camel and headlight and indicators on the first Camel!!!!!!! Plus a ‘poop’ picker upper for that that misses the bags.Great job !!!!
Broome is a go ahead town and much bigger than the Broome we visited 3 years ago, population has dbld, there are 7 caravan parks all full to overflowing with a lot of resort development with 2 caravan parks to go to holiday apartments - great Pearling history and art galleries and has grown from 5000 permanent residents to 8000 in 3 years.
The last night in Broome we went back to Cable beach for sunset only to be greeted as we pulled up for drinks by a fully naked man who was collecting shells and as he stooped to inspect each new find all were treated us to many “Moon experiences” rather than just the sunset we came to see!! Corrie said his man Boobs were bigger than his w_____e. Seems like some like to treat it as a clothes optional beach.he put on a good show!
After the R & R we returned to Derby for our original objective of the Derby cup Races. Corrie had a new Bush Races outfit and the hat was reversed from the races in Alice, with the flower at the back.Derby was a small dirt track with all patrons in the one enclosure and the one Bar and the one tote and the one bookie ring with 4 bookies. Everyone was dressed up for the day depending on their current status in life - a great cross section - young, old, children, trannies, etc.
You had to buy 2$ vouchers for the bar with a beer 2 vouchers and champagne and wine 3 vouchers - certainly made the service quick and the mood of fun picked up quickly.
After Corrie’s success in Alice she was off to the race book to study the form and picked the first winner, and the second, and the third, second in the fourth, first in the Derby Cup and a second and quinella in the last WOW! - I have given up betting and will get the Champagne. The next part of the race day was the traditional Two Up and Disco that continued on into the nite at the race track with dinner from the food van that was the only food van there all day- ‘Greasy Joes’ - All up it was a really great day and well worth the journey back to Derby.
Next morning we were up very early and down to the local swimming pool were they put on an after race day, Aussie breakfast and Bush Poets competition for all the visitors, this a was full of a great mix of Aussie Larrikens ,Locals and looming Banjo Paterson’s all telling their stories, it was with great timming for us, after just having travelled through so many of Australia’s country towns and countryside that are just overflowing with all the great Aussie Stories and history.
Unfortunately we had to depart about 2/3rd of the way through, as we were heading back down The Gibb River Rd to see some of what we had missed due to the roads being closed, before picking up Barb.
So off we went back on the dirt heading for Windjana Gorge, arrived there about 2pm, parked the trailer in our desired spot for the nite, then took off to walk the gorge.
First view of the gorge, was spectacular,but the view for us was a little overtaken for us by our first sighting of crocodiles, about 14 in all!!!!
The gorge walk was great,lots more crocs along the way and some amazing bird life.
Back from our walk we set up camp, watched the sunset , had early tea and prepared for an early getaway to Gieke Gorge via Tunnel creek.
6am up for birchermuseli, packup and 6.50am on the rd to Tunnel creek. We arrived there at 7.45 before anyone else!!! And headed off to walk the tunnel in our shorts, water shoes, just us and the torch. Had to walk a bout 500m over some large boulders to get to the start of the tunnel and then began the walk,after about 200m and having walked through the first creek bed,with water about half way up our legs, it was pitch dark,and Ian’s arm was getting squeezed quite hard. It was a little scary ,not knowing what was watching you, or in there and how far we had to go until there would be light again, but at about 350m we got a glimmer of light and I eased off “The Squeeze” then we began heading into the next tunnel and the water got deeper and it got darker and “The Squeeze”tightened, poor Ian(I usually reserve those sort of squeezes for Bledisloe’s)The next glimmer of light came at 750m, the end of the tunnels.It was only when we were half way back that we heard some other people arriving,by then I wasn’t even squeezing any more and we turned out our torch to give them a bit of a scare,didn’t quite work as we began laughing and blew our cover.
Walking Tunnel creek was an amazing experience, but being the only two in there, made it something we will never forget.
On the road again and off to Fitzroy crossing to do The Gieke Gorge Boat trip.Passed numerous outcrops of Boabs and termite mounds along the way, all with there own individual characters.
This was really fantastic! Lots of crocs, reflections of the Gorge cliffs on the River and awesome scenery all the way, I can see now why Gieke gets such a rage from everyone.
That night back at the caravan park we ran into Peter and Lynette our friends from King Edward, great to catch up again.

Hardly slept that night, scared of sleeping in and missing our pickup, Barb!!!!
Up at 5.30am, on the road 6am and arrived Broome 10.30 with time to get the groceries,grog and gas, so we would be already for a quick takeoff to Cape Leveque wit Barb in tow, we were both bubbling with excitement about seeing our mate and heading off on our trip we had planned at least 3 years ago.
12.30 flight delayed. Come on Barb !!!!! where are you ???

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