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Orange Naped Snake
This Beautiful Juvenile was near our campDAY 206
Up here just inside the edge of the Kimberley’s in the Northern part of Western Australia, it is the first official day of winter, it is around 36 Degree’s and hot, hot, hot.
We are heading towards Darwin and have been advised that this time of year is when the “Grey Nomads” are on their travels, these are people who have retired, and are enjoying the life of travelling and following the sun. It gets busy in the North and the 1st June means peak season has arrived along with the higher prices.
We get out of bed just before 7.00am, Ken, Josh & Jodie have gone for a walk as we watched them out of the fly screen walking into the distance. They will be walking on the beach by that nice lagoon we swam in yesterday afternoon.
Khalia was already up and Andy put the kettle for a cup of tea but made Kahlia a cup of hot chocolate to start the day with.
I drank a mouthful of tea and then grabbed my camera to go to the beach and get some early morning pictures. It is empty apart from
Orange Naped Snake
This snake is venomous but not harmful to humans, can often be found around ant colonies. some sleeping seagulls on the sand. The waves are gently washing the shore and leaving behind a few shells. It is already a hot day. I pad along the sand looking for interesting things to photograph. After a while I turn round to walk back up the path and find a man sitting on a rock, contemplating life. We exchange pleasantries and I walk on back up the beach and over the sand dune.
Back at camp I find everyone has returned, breakfast bowls are out and soon breakfast is done, there is now a hive of activity in packing up because we are going to drive up to Cape Leveque, we don’t have a booking and figured that we could chance our arm just in case there is a spot to camp, they do have very limited spaces.
While packing, we hear the Trumans shout “We have a frog in the truck!” Andy and I rush over, we cannot see it as it seems to have jumped down the back of Kens set of drawers. Josh soon goes in via the back seat and rescues the frog, a fairly large green tree frog, poor thing looks a
Orange Naped Snake
A fourth snake to add to our list, the Trueys found this near where we camped in the last few days bit bewildered with all the fuss. Andy tipped some water on it to keep hit moist and Josh wanders off to place it where we have found lots of other Green Tree Frogs, the toilet.
In no time at all, we are packed and just as I set about reversing to hook up the trailer another commotion from the Trueys as Jodie shouts “Caroline, get your camera, we have some wildlife!” Wandering over we find that they have discovered a juvenile Orange Napped Snake. This snake is probably only a foot long and pencil thin and obviously very young, we all keep an eye out for Mum. Josh reviews his trusty snake book and says they are venomous but not deadly, and we should be safe from Mum as when snakes are born they are usually left to fend for themselves.
This brings Kangaroojack’s snake count to 4. Eastern Brown, White Lipped Olive Snake, Childers Python and a Orange Napped Snake.
The trailer is hooked up and because I have been itching to do some more off road driving, Andy throws me the keys to the truck for the journey out. I follow Ken down the dirt
The trailer
Now loaded with the extra spare wheel and the swag rolled in a tarp to save space inside the trailer track that we arrived on two days before, however with the heat it is now a lot sandier and the mud holes are mostly dried up.
Still, it is great fun, I manage a reasonable speed, it was quite challenging, as in places the sand is quite deep (remember I am pulling a trailer too!) weighing ¾ of a Tonne, the track is about 30kilometres long and I pick my way through.
We are on the bitumen and heading North, the scenery is lovely, you could almost be in Africa, the only thing missing is the Giraffe’s and the Elephants.
13 kilometres before One Arm Point we turn off for Cape Leveque and the Kooljaman resort, only 5 kilometres of sand track.
We pop into the office and as bad luck would have it we just missed the last site, oh well, such is life. We then contemplate paying $10 day fee to use the facilities and have a look around.
I have to say that taking the effort to drive up, you should pay the $10, to stay for the day as Cape Leveque is beautiful. They do pre-erected safari tents for $60 per
The Tree
We camped under at Middle Lagoon night or beachfront shacks that you can erect your small tent under that has a shower in the corner and a little picnic table with barbecue area next to it, this is not luxury but it is a paradise surrounded by Pandanus trees and white sand.
We drive down to the Western Beach and park up, so that we can sit on the beach and have lunch, it is scorching hot, and you can feel the sand burning the soles of your feet. You are not allowed to walk along the cliffs, as it is sacred aboriginal land but you can walk on the beach, you are not allowed to drive onto the beach.
We see a sign that tells us that a crocodile has been seen in the area, quite likely just floating past in the ocean and not on the beach, however you need to be aware. When I asked the woman in the office if they have crocodiles, sharks etc. she said none that have been reported, however remember that you are up in the Kimberley’s. So what she is really saying is that I cannot guarantee that you are safe, you have to be
Caroline Driving
Caroline was gagging to do some more off road driving so she drove the truck along the sand tracks to Cape Leveque responsible for yourself.
The Western Beach stretches out around a Peninsula it seems to stretch for miles, I would know how many. Being here is just amazing, Andy wondered if we could get the swag and lay out to sleep on the beach, but you cannot there is no free camping here. These areas are all aboriginal communities that you pay a fee for visiting, any community around here may charge you $8/10 dollars for the day, however most areas are closed on weekends and bank holidays.
We make our way down to the swimming beach, we see the coffee shop come restaurant on our way down the steps to the beach, we have promised ourselves a coffee after our swim.
The waters edge looks rocky, not the best beach to swim on considering we had Middle Lagoon yesterday and barely a rock in sight, but the water is warm and inviting not to mention being a lovely turquoise colour.
The waves here are quite rough and yet we were told that Western Beach is not suitable as it is too rough, yet looked incredibly calm. I am no expert on beaches so I accept what
we are told where it is safe to swim, but still keep an eye out for unwanted black fins.
Time now for coffee we sit and drink coffee in this paradise amongst Pandanus where we can see the bright orange fruit hanging in the trees, until eventually we know we have got to leave as we have a good run back to Broome tonight and it is nearly 200 K’s and half of it is a sand track.
We sadly say our farewells to the Truman’s, a lovely family such great fun and interesting people, we kiss, hug and shake hands, we new from the start that we would be saying this to a lot of people on this trip.
Andy Jumps in behind the wheel and we pull out of Cape Leveque on the sand road for a short hop, about 80 K’s down the road we see ken in the distance indicating to turn right, we suddenly remember that we needed to pop into Beagle Bay so we follow. Beagle Bay is an Aboriginal community, kids are playing in the street, and noone really looks up when we drive down the main street.
We
Sign
To an Aboriginal Community pull up at the Little Church, called the sacred Heart Church, Ken was talking to an African Fella called Daniel the other day who was the minister for this church who said to Ken to drop by and say G’day anytime so Ken wanted to do so. The little church is just beautiful so clean and white, it would be easy to imagine happy hymns being sung with the doors open wide for everyone to hear and appreciate. Inside you can see the church has been decorated with mother of pearl and they use the oyster shells to decorate the alter.
Back on the Road, the last 80k’s turn back to a sand road, I am typing up the blog as we drive on the bitumen, but as soon as we hit the dirt typing is impossible, it is fast and you have just got to hang on, as you try to stay in the pre dug ruts, as the trucks snakes along at speed.
We haven’t had mobile reception for 3 days and the last 10k’s the mobile phones chirps in to life announcing that we have got coverage; My finger is poised as I need to
try to book us into a campsite somewhere as it is getting dark, It is now 5.00.
Pulling up to cable beach caravan site we are given a site, and we pull in and put the trailer up, it doesn’t take us long, and we soon have some dinner cooking.
Andy is exhausted with the sheer concentration on the final part of the off road journey today, he goes to bed at 8.30, I sit up a while longer to download photos and uploading to the blog ready for publishing.
By 9.00 I finally give in, the power on the laptop is out so cannot do anymore anyway so just hop into bed, Andy is already fast asleep. Before I hopped into bed I see that the temperature is still reading 30 degrees, it is going to be a very warm night. I read for a while and then my eyes start to feel heavy, sleep comes quickly.
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