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Published: August 21st 2012
Vertical Take Off
Man, this horse, "had got the shits" with the riderDay 1372
I was up at 6.30am feeling very tired, but very keen to get on with the next leg of my journey, today I fly up to meet with Andy in Broome.
At 8.30, Rob and June very kindly drop me off at Perth Airport, we say our goodbyes and they head off to get on with their day and I head into the airport to drop my luggage in. I am not sure if we have mentioned before but we use the Qantas Q tag system, we have a coded bag tag and you place your luggage on the baggage drop conveyer belt and then scan your boarding pass (the one on the i-phone usually) and then it reads your Q tag and your luggage is sent on it’s way.
Now for me, my luggage always seems to arrive in the same place that I do at the same time. Andy unfortunately becomes detached from his luggage, but to be fair to Qantas that is usually because of the timings between connecting flights.
I head up to the lounge to grab some breakfast, phone Andy and await
Ride em, Cowboy
Or Cow Girl, as the case may be. my flight. Andy is already on his way to Broome to pick me up and I really cannot wait to see him again, it seems such a long time. I feel like I am on a mini adventure within an already huge adventure.
In no time at all, despite a small delay in departure I am heading North toward Broome, I am seated in amongst a family, and sat next to a woman that has 2 very agile children who want to keep talking to the other members of the family across me. It looked like I was not going to get much rest on this flight, but fortunately for me a flight attended advised me that a spare row of 3 was available at the back and once the seat belt sign has been extinguished I could move. She didn’t have to ask me twice!
Landing in Broome was a relief, the flight was turbulent for the latter part, the sea looked a beautiful turquoise colour against the stark red dirt of Broome. I knew that Andy would be waiting, but I wasn’t sure where, but no matter it is not a big
airport. It took ages for me to get off the plane, passengers were exiting from the front and the rear of the aircraft, as I was near the back I needed to get back to the front to retrieve my hand luggage from the overhead locker so of course had to wait a while for the aisle to clear.
Andy was waiting patiently and was starting to worry when he saw most of the passengers get off and not me. As soon as I walked into the baggage claim area, there he was waiting by the window for me. A long wait for my case made Andy wonder if it would arrive, however I was more confident and sure enough, eventually my case appeared on the carousel.
As soon as we were in the car, I changed into my shorts, I am well practiced at changing my clothes on the move and there was nothing better than getting out of long trousers and hiking boots so that I could enjoy the warmth of the great Kimberley weather, it was a cool 33 degrees and certainly beats the cold climate of Canberra!
After a brief stop at Zanders on the Cable Beach reserve, to meet our friends Chris and Keith for lunch, who are also working up here at the moment and in Broome for the weekend, we make our way to Derby, talking all the way with a brief stop for refreshment at Willare Roadhouse.
Of course we stopped at the Prison Tree for a look; it looks as if they have tidied the area up a bit too. It was not long before a tour bus arrived and we moved on.
Andy drove me around Derby to refresh my mind of the area; we stopped at Woolworths to pick up some food and refreshment and then went back to the hotel where Andy has been staying for the past 2 weeks. I had not realised that I was so tired; in no time at all I was fast asleep!
That evening we headed up toward’s Derby Jetty for our dinner from the takeaway and to watch the sunset, you just have to have Fish and Chips when watching the sunset, well Andy did.
The Jetty is a popular spot for
The Chute's
Derby Rodeo 2012 tourists and locals alike, there is a nightly exodus up to the jetty to watch the sunset. The Jetty is closed to all traffic and the only traffic allowed is foot traffic. Most people take a chair with a bottle of wine or a few beers and enjoy the moment. Andy and I just walked up to watch the sun go down and then we had dinner from the take away just at the start of the jetty.
Unfortunately for me, that night back at the hotel, I looked at my arms and saw big red blotches, oh dear it seems that the wildlife has already got me, by morning my arms would be itching like crazy from the sand flies!
On the Sunday we had a nice relaxing day, we went out for breakfast at the very popular Windmill Café, and then we went off to do some exploring, just at the start of the Gibb River Road there is the Mowanjum Arts and Cultural Centre, we go in for a look around at the aboriginal art. Some of the art is absolutely excellent and depicts the Wandjina an aboriginal spirit from that
region of the Kimberley.
We looked back down the Gibb River Road and pondered for a moment, but we agreed that it was not worth driving down there as we do not have a 4 wheel drive, so we headed back into town for a little explore and eventually back to the hotel for an afternoon nana nap (Andy did his ironing).
That evening armed with a bottle of water each, we took a walk up to the Jetty, it is a reasonable circuit from the hotel, Andy thinks roughly 6 or 7 k’s, several people seem to do this, but we chose not to do it while the sun was too high as it would be too hot to enjoy the walk. We arrived at the jetty just in time for the sunset, we watched it go down and then headed back to the hotel.
On the way back, I saw something move in front of me, it was getting dark and difficult to see, but I realised that it was a baby snake, I could not identify it as it was too dark, we watched it for a while
and left it in peace, we did not want to hang around it for too long, baby snakes often have as much venom as an adult snake and I’m sure,mum was possibly, not that far away.
We left it alone and by the time we got back to the hotel it was dark.
Whilst Andy worked my days in Derby were fairly organised, I would get up and have breakfast, beetle around the hotel room for a spell and then I would grab my book and go for a walk around town followed by a nice skinny flat white at the Windmill café while I relaxed and ready.
I would then generally wander back to the hotel for some lunch and during the afternoon I would go for a swim.
The swimming pool water was generally very cold, but the heat of the day made it pleasurable to swim, I am sure that people thought I was crazy, but it was hot and there was a pool so I did the right thing! In the whole time I was there only one other person got in the pool.
Another one
Bites the dust There is a public swimming pool in the town, I am sure the water was as cold as the one at the hotel, I only saw one or two people in that one, but I expect it is a lot busier when the humidity is higher.
I would generally walk around the town, familiarising myself with the shops and what other facilities there were. I took the opportunity to wander around the tourist information centre, it was very informative of the region and gave information on the jetty which apparently at 12 metres has the highest tide in Australia. I couldn’t say for certain, but it looks pretty deep to me and I wouldn’t like to test that fact. Salt water crocodiles are known to swim in the area so don’t be tempted to swim. Some of the legs from the old pier are contained in the tourist information centre.
It was my last Saturday in Derby and the Derby Rodeo was on, it would not be right to be here and not go and visit, so our day started with breakfast at the Windmill café (I am now a regular and have a
Horse Collector
These guys, collect or the riderless horses loyalty card) but upon entering the café I recognised a change in the clientele, from being full of tourists just passing through to being full of cowboys and cowgirls (or Jackaroo and Jillaroo’s). It seems that people from stations across the Kimberley have all rocked up in town to take part in the Rodeo. I suddenly feel very out of place here and have gone back to being a tourist.
Whilst we were having breakfast, I glanced over at a table beside us and noticed a set of spurs hanging over the back of the chair, now that is something that you don’t see every day and most definitely I have never seen it in Canberra or Sydney. We told the waitress and she took them in for safe keeping. (I am assured from a later visit that they were reunited with their rightful owner.
It was baking outside and Andy wanted to phone his mum at a specific time over Skype so we hung around until this was done. Every week, since we have had our UK trip planned, he has phoned his mum and said the week number we are on and
this one was special, as he said to her, that in seven days time he would be standing next to her bed and holding her hand.
Anyway as soon as Andy had made his call, we left for the Rodeo armed with our hats and plenty of water, up in the top end the rodeo season is a real big deal and station owners love to complete against the other station owners.
We got to the Rodeo ground and took our seat in the grounds, most of Derby was here and it had a real community spirit feeling to it.
We sat on the stands in the baking sun, waiting for the saddle bronc riding, when you see it on the TV you do not get to experience just how cranky these horses are and they are specifically bred for their agility, their strength and bucking ability.
There was a mixture of Male and Female riders from various stations and when the horse came out of the chute, the rider had to crack the whip at least once.
The smartest rider was a girl who
cracked the whip once then threw it away, whilst most of the blokes, just kept cracking the whip which got on the horses nerves and made it even crazier. All the riders got unceremoniously tossed off the horse at some stage.
When all the horses were done it was time for the bulls, they are really big creatures and far more feistier than the horses and I really would not like to be sitting on board.
One bull came out of the chute without a rider, but I am sure that is easily done, another bull came out of the chute and sat straight down (smart move!), both of those riders had another go.
It was an exciting afternoon and for our first rodeo we both enjoyed ourselves, but just after 5.00 it was time to close for the day and Andy and I went off to get ready for our evening meal.
On the Sunday, we met up with our friends Chris and Keith and drove up to the gun club, just outside of the town. For the first time in my life I found myself holding
an over and under 12 gauge shotgun, Andy purchased some cartridges and I headed off to markers where you stand and shoot.
As this was my first time shooting, instead of trying to hit clay pigeons that were being launched from the launcher, the guy that runs the club, put some clays in the distance so that I can shoot stationery targets. He explained to me how to hold the gun and I then took a shot. I missed the first few times, but I easily took out the targets and after a while handed the gun back, it was very heavy and I didn’t think my arms would take any more. Besides Andy was looking terrified from the side lines and he knows how accident prone I am, do I really trust myself with a gun?
Following that we headed up to the One Mile Camp Dinner Tree, used by drovers back in the 1800’s.
I enjoyed my time in Derby just mooching around, reading and spending some time relaxing, but it was soon coming to a close and on our last night in Derby we headed up to the
Jetty to watch the sunset.
We left our hotel room at 6.50 drove up to the jetty for one last look and then onto the Windmill cafe for our breakfast, this morning was two skinny chai latte's and two ham and cheese croissants to go.
We hit the road towards the Prison Boab Tree, we had to have one quick look before we left and I wanted to get another's photo of the water trough.
The traffic was light with the exception of a few road trains and a few caravans that were already on the road, every bridge that we went over I looked over for crocodiles floating I the water, knowing that there was some slim chance of seeing one.
Amazingly there is plenty of water about and when we originally came up to the Kimberley, there was Barely any wage around, what a difference this was. On one bridge crossing I finally saw one. I shouted to Andy "crocodile" he stopped and we walked back overt the bridge to look, but the croc had already gone, we waited a while but to no avail. Anyway,
Nope, just like the rest
Being dumped on the fence this time I saw one and I was pleased.
We arrived in Broome, I had a paddle in the sea at Cable Beach (you just have to really), then we had a mooch around and headed off to the airport to await our flight to Perth and on to Canberra.
As usual Broome Airport is full of a mixture of tourists and mine workers, just another run of the mill day for Broome Airport.
I wasn’t looking forward to this flight, it was going to be a busy one, but nonetheless we finally arrived back at home in Canberra at 11.30 pm it had been a long day and we were both exhausted.
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Jo Trouble
Jo McCarthy
Hi Caroline & Andy, Which of you took the rodeo photos? They're fantastic!