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Published: August 3rd 2009
Pardoo Station
I took this shot looking east at sunset as the moon rose over the salt flats behind the beach.Pardoo Station, Eight Mile Beach and Broome.
We left Karratha heading for Port Headland post office to pickup our mail. Thanks to Ann and Graeme for the mail forwarding.
The mail collected the next job was to find a suitable caravan park. After a short search we decided that Port Hedland was not a good place to stay and continued on another 100k north to Pardoo Station.
Pardoo is a 200,000-hectare working cattle station. They run Santa Gertrudis cattle which are sold for export.
Pardoo runs 80km along the coast and goes inland another 80km. It is covered with low scrub, and on the coastal plains is saltbush. As you move inland, the grass changes to soft spinifex.
There is an area near the homestead set up for caravans with water and power available.
Fishing near the mouth of the Pardoo River is excellent. On the high tide the water in the creek rises 5 to 6 meters and for about two hours bluenose salmon are easy to catch
We spent three days at Pardoo fishing, exploring the tracks to the beach and generally relaxing. Fish for dinner every night and our freezer is now
Bob the Fisherman
This is Pardoo Creek at high tide. The bluenose salmon are about 35 to 40 Cm and fun to catch. loaded up with salmon.
Our next stop was 365k south of Broome at eighty mile beach Caravan Park.
The road into eighty mile is 10k of corrugated red dirt road that covered the car and caravan in fine red dust.
We crested the hill at the end of this road and stretching out before us were palm trees and caravans nestled behind a coastal sand dune and a magnificent beach.
We stayed there for five days and enjoyed every minute.
Our daily routine was drive along the beach before high tide to find a suitable fishing spot.
Setup the 4wd with a tarp and poles as a sun shade. I would fish for about two hours and Jacquie would read her book and stroll up the beach collecting shells.
Shell collecting is a daily ritual on the beach at low tide. Unlike many of the beaches in Western Australia, which have now been given national park status, there is no restriction on collecting shells at 80-Mile Beach. The variety of shape, size and colours of the shells found here is really quite amazing, especially first thing in the morning when the beach is pristine clean.
Caravan Site
This was our caravan site at Eighty Mile Beach caravan park. I would like to say that my fishing success was good but unfortunately that was not the case, although I did catch one reasonable size salmon. I saw others catch many threadfin salmon around 10 to 12 Kilos.
We really enjoyed our stay here, there saying “There are no strangers at 80-Mile Beach - only friends you haven't met yet “ is certainly true.
We went to the park concert one night. There were quite a number of very talented people staying at the park. Pianists, singers, poetry readers and guitarists entertained us for 3 hours with money collected in a bucket going to the flying doctor.
We would have liked to stay a bit longer at eighty mile but we had booked a caravan park at Broome.
Broome is a very busy place at this time of the year, all the caravan parks are full and the beaches crowed with tourists.
We intended to stay in Broome for one week but apparently that is not enough time to check out all the pearl shops so here we are still in Broome three weeks later and not scheduled to leave until August 10th.
Jacquie wants
80 Mile Beach
For about three k along 80 mile beach fisherpersons stand shoulder to shoulder at High tide. We drove 6 k up the beach one day to be on our own. thank everyone for the cards and telephone calls on her birthday.
We dined at the Japanese restaurant in China Town. We sat at a table for two under the stars and the food was great.
We often drive down to cable beach late afternoon. Drive up the beach a few ks with our bottle of wine, and nibbles. Park the 4wd near the water and watch the camel trains walk up and down the beach just on sunset.
We found the nudist part of Cable beach quite by accident.
We had driven up the beach a short way and as we approached a middle aged gentleman walking along the beach he bent forward to pickup his hat that had blown off.
Well the sight on this man from behind, bent forward, legs apart, landing gear fully extended caused Jacquie to say something I have never heard here say before.
Our caravan park is at Roebuck bay and we are only 50 metres from a sandy swimming beach.
Jacquie goes swimming at high tide most days. She really enjoys being this close to the beach.
There was a really low tide a few days ago and we
Bob & Jacquie
This picture is to keep my daughters happy by seeing us both together still. walked out over one k from the high tide mark. The flying boats that were destroyed by the Japanese in WW2 were visible in the water, I could get within fifty meters of them.
We still intend to drive up to Beagle Bay and Cape Leveque in the next few days and then off toward Darwin at the end of next week.
I am writing this blog today because tomorrow we have an appointment to see the pearl wholesaler we met when we were here in 2007.
I expect to feel depressed after this visit and will probably not feel like writing.
Can someone tell me how many pearls it is reasonable for one women to own ?.
PS.
Next time you talk to Jacquie ask her about our bike ride back from Matso’s Bar and restaurant after she had consumed a pint of Matso’s very best home brewed Mango Beer.
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Peter C H Pretty
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Photos
You've excelled yourself this time. The photos are terrific!