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Published: June 21st 2006
Port Smith
The kids going mud crabbing!!Sorry I have been slack but I am on holidays if you get what I mean. I am finally up to date now. Thanks everybody for all our lovely messages. Sorry I cannot respond to each individual. Love to all.
Day 64 - Monday 5 Jun e 2006
Eighty Mile Beach to Port Smith
We traveled 250 km’s today. We stopped at the Sandfire Roadhouse for so called supplies. We are running low. No bread, no milk and to Graeme’s disgust no beer. We bought frozen bread, 600 ml of fresh mile (we do have UHT but the kids don’t like it) and Graeme did a deal for a slab (block - that’s what they call it) and a stubby holder for $50.00 which was quite a bargain considering. We still have approximately 150 km’s to travel to Broome and for supplies. We went for a swim in the lagoon today. The water was quite cold.
Day 65 - Tuesday 6 June 2006
Port Smith
This morning we went mud crabbing (although I can’t show you any photos) because I took the video camera instead. We were told to put on our old runners and lots of insect
Port Smith
The crab. Can you see it through all the mud? repellent as we had to go into the mangroves through the run off creeks to find these huge mudcrabs. The shop gave us a steel hook and told us that they live in the size of rabbit holes. After a while we found a hole that looked like one. Graeme prodded the hoe and there was another exit to the hole which he came running out of. Graeme put the hook/bar over his front claws and picked him up by his rear swimmer legs. It was so huge. I couldn’t believe it. Duane was so scared he climbed up a mangrove tree and when Graeme was putting him in a shopping bag we heard this crash. We turned around and found Duane on the ground. He had landed on his back and was a bit stunned but we all were concerned but laughing at the same time as it was a funniest home video shot but all I got on the video is his legs. We tried to look for more but were out of luck. This afternoon we put our tinny in and cruised around and went fishing for a while. We saw a turtle in the water that
Port Smith
This is what they called the "bottle brush" in the Bird Sanctuary. We thought it quite funny!! popped his head up and down twice. It was so cute. The man in the shop helped us kill it and stuck a screwdriver up it’s bottom and separated the top of it’s shell from the meat to get all the gunk out. That night we cooked it in boiling water for 12 minutes and a bit of salt. We then made up a hollandaise sauce and had it. It was beautiful. As usual the kids wouldn’t try but we both enjoyed it. They say it is better than crayfish or lobster and I would say they are both nice in their own right.
Day 66 - Wednesday 7 June 2006
Port Smith
Graeme tried his luck again with crabbing but found one but the rod he had was too flimsy and all he did was rip his front claw off. Pity because I wouldn’t have minded it for entrée again that night. In the afternoon we went out in the boat cruising around the lagoon. It was low tide and we kept getting stuck in the sand. It only takes us 25 minutes to get the tinny on and all tied up.
Day 67 - Wednesday
7 June 2006
Port Smith to Barn Hill Station
We only had to travel 42 km’s today so we didn’t set off until 11am. It is so strange how so many people talk to you when you are packing up and leaving which is really disappointing. We have met lots of people that we continue to see at the same spots. We arrived at Barn Hill Station and how beautiful this place is. White sand, blue water and red dirt. The toilets and showers are very rustic to say the least. They have no roof on them and they have briquette/wood fired hot water systems to heat the water. What an experience. They are also the first mixed showers (mens and ladies) we have seen (except the family rooms back in Albany). There is no mobile range, no internet access and no public phone but the view is spectacular. We are running really low on supplies and the kids are winching that there is nothing to eat. There are heaps of baked beans but the kids will not eat them. Half a tomato and half a cucumber left for the salad. No fruit left and 4 slices of bread
left. We still have meat (vaccum sealed) but nothing to put with it. Graeme is hanging out to read the paper as we have not seen one for 10 days (and not to mention the TAB form guide). I am hanging out for not too much except some more salad. The kids are now drinking the UHT milk because they have no choice for their cereal in the morning. Tonight is sausage sizzle night byo sausage and $3.50 for apple crumble and custard.
Day 68 - Thursday 8 June 2006
Barn Hill Station
We had planned on staying three nights but only staying two as we are running out of time to get to Broome, anyway we are so close to Broome and getting very excited at getting to Broome (one of our best holiday spots) and to see our friends from Tongala, Ade, Jan, Madi and Deni. We didn’t do much today except go to the beach. There is little surf where the kids have fun on their boogie boards. Now I have stayed here I probably wouldn’t again as we fell a bit young and only one other family and they feel the same. Their names
Barn Hill sunset
You never get sick of seeing these sunsets. are Alex, Annette, Ainslie and Tim. They are from Brisbane and on the road for 12 months. Duane and Ainslie got on really well. Ainslie is 9 years old and doing correspondence where as her brother Tim should be in Year 7 but having a year off (how lucky for him). They are a nice family and will probably meet up with them in Broome as they are leaving tomorrow and staying for a week. They have nice $2 ice creams at the little so called shop. They have a bowling green but no kids allowed to play. It seems like this place is for the SAADS (see Australia and die slowly).
Day 69 - Friday 9 June 2006
Barn Hill Station to Broome
Hooray the day had finally come and we were up at 6.30 am to leave for Broome which is 140 kms away. When we saw the sign for Broome we all yelled and screamed. The family was so happy to be here. Last time we visited was two years ago. The mobile phone came into radio range and Graeme and I was having a competition to see who was going to get the most messages.
I won (thanks Mum for the three messages you left). We met the Jansen’s at the shopping centre as this was our first stop to get supplies. We were so happy to see them so there were kisses and cuddles all around. I let the kids go wild in Coles to pick whatever they wanted. We couldn’t check in to the caravan park until 10.30am. We will be stopping here for two weeks which will be nice. We showed the Jansen’s around the town. We had tea at the restaurant on Cable Beach and watched the sunset.
Day 70 to Day 74- Saturday 10 June 2006 to Wednesday 14 June 2006
Broome with the Jansens
Happy Birthday Mum for the 10th. We hope you have a good time in Echuca.
I am not going to write a daily diary this time. We had 6 days and 5 nights of fun with the Jansens. The weather was sunny but a cold chill in the air as it was very windy. The nights were extremely cold. Saturday morning we went to the famous Broome market that is held in the courthouse grounds. This is a market that sells everything from local
produce to crafts and prints. We went to the Speedway on Saturday night. This brought back childhood memories when my family went to the Mildura speedway. I was quite excited. It was freezing this night and we all brought blankets and sleeping bags to keep us warm. Duane had a fabulous time. There was a smash up derby at the end of the night. We all ended up with dirt all over our coats and clothes. We all had a fantastic night. The organizers said it was a record crowd.
The kids loved having Madi and Deni around. We went to the Willie Creek Pearl farm where we learnt how they grow pearls. Graeme and Ade went charter fishing where Ade felt sea sick. The girls and Duane went shopping whilst the boys went fishing. We went on the hovercraft around Roebuck bay and saw the dinosaur prints. The Jansen family went on the camels at sunset. On Tuesday night we went to Staircase to the Moon at the Mangrove Hotel. This only happens certain days of the months in the year. We have seen it before but it is still very pretty. We couldn’t get very good photos. It
is so hard. We then went for tea at one of our favourite restaurants in town - Café Carlotta’s. They make the best pasta and wood fired pizzas. Apparently the owner only operates in the peak season. He also has a bed and breakfast in Stanley, Tasmania. What a contrast in weather! Wednesday the day that they were leaving we just mucked around and went to the beach in the afternoon as their flight was not until 8pm that night. It was a very sad night for all of us as our friends were leaving. Duane and Kiera didn’t stop crying after they left and came back to the caravan and cried on their bed. Thanks guys for the fantastic week!!
Day 75 - Thursday 15 June 2006 to Wednesday 21 June 2006
Broome
We felt very lost today on Thursday as no-one to play with. We haven’t been doing much except looking around the shops, going to the beach, swimming in the pool and meeting up with lots of new families. The bookings in the caravan park go from Friday to Friday so all newcomers arrive on Friday. It was hussle and bussle on Friday but we were
glad that we were not leaving as it such a lovely place. New families arrived. We have met a family that were originally from Mentone and have sold up to travel and to hopefully settle in the Sunshine Coast. They have a boy aged 7 Declan and a girl 5 Zali. Fancy that we have finally met a girl name Zali which is so unusual as Kiera’s middle name is Zali (for those that don’t know). Kiera and Zali have got on like a house on fire. They are always playing with their dolly’s together. Duane has met up with a girl Asten who is 8. She is from Port Macquarie and they also sold up and have decided to settle in Broome so she has just started school at Cable Beach Primary School. We have decided to stay here a little longer because we can. We cannot stay on the same site as they are fully booked so we have to move sites so we can stay here another 4 nights and leave on Tuesday. On Saturday we visited the market again and all got tattoos (how about it Mum this is my present for my 40th - only
The speedway
Deni, Duane and Kiera. joking it is only spray on). On Monday evening we drove down on the beach to watch the sunset. It was beautiful but I think the sunsets are more spectacular when it is cloudy (like Eighty Mile Beach). We went to the outdoor cinemas on Tuesday night to see “March of the Penguins”. This was the first ever time we have been to the cinemas as a whole family. Kiera was very excited as she had never been before. We sat under the stars in deck chairs. Kiera fell asleep for the first half. The movie was quite good but more of a documentary than a kids show. We told them that we hope to take them again in Kununurra. Wednesday afternoon at 4pm we are going with Zali, Declan, Rod and Mum down on the beach to have a bbq to watch the sunset. The weather has been good this week and on average around 30 degrees. The nights have been milder so it is getting like the Broome we know it. The locals have been saying it is cold. Still heaps of construction going on- more residential houses being built and more holiday apartments going up. The shops
haven’t changed much.
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Karen Maher
non-member comment
Hi Jennien and family. I'm thoroughly enjoying all the pics and stories of your travels. If you get to Bell Gorge you may see a good friend, Ranger Dave. If you do say Hi from Grub, Kaz, Claire and Patrick. Keep having fun and enjoy that lovely warm weather and sunshine.