Broome

Went on a camel ride on Cable beach - good fun. The camels are just beautiful. We were on Eli who was beautiful natured. Marie and Ollie's camel Jabul tried to nibble my hand off. He also likes elbows they say.

Then me and Marie had beers while the kids watched a movie, oh boy. A big day.

Went to Gantheaume Point the day before. We got to the movies. As we were late, the boys had to watch this one as well - Top End Wedding, which they'd wanted to avoid, but ended up laughing along, and really enjoying it. The church in the movie is one we visited when on Tiwi islands.

They are possibly Allosaurs from the late Jurassic era.

We visited the 30th August 2019, I believe.

Derby, Broome

We did a brief stop in Derby, had lunch, got some foam sealant at the hardware store, and checked out the wharf.

Then the prison boab tree where apparently they locked people up, then headed on to Broome.

Night one in Broome - set up, went down to the pub for dinner - massive fish and chips, totally stuffed. Day one, between the homework and grocery shopping, we achieved not much touristy this day - a tiny walk in town and a dip in the caravan park pool. Good news that the boys mostly got their homework done, so Friday was pretty free. We got down to the beach.

Fed the gold fish at the local shop on the way home. Saved us from the boys flipping their lids.

31st - went to the Saturday morning markets. Met Magnolia the local jeweller who makes her own stuff. Other people sold silver rings for $20. Her gold things were $2000 and up. I asked if she knew about the stamped silver bangles with divers, octopuses and sea creatures I'd seen 25 years ago. She said that sounds like John Miller. He's in Margaret River now, and used to be here.

Got a car wash on the way home. There was absolute masses of red coming off the car. It's bizarre to see it shiny again.

Tunnel Creek, Windjana Gorge

On to Tunnel Creek, where a local Bunubu man hid, as he terrorised the local cattle farmers. They stole his land, destroyed the traditional life. He was defending what belonged to traditional owners. He got shot in the end by an Aboriginal tracker employed by the police. Saw three freshwater crocs, got feet wet, made it through the tunnel, very beautiful.

Got to Windjana gorge and set up camp. Went for a walk the following day.

Stayed out at night to check the crocs trying to eat bats and birds that came for a drink. There were hundreds of eyes lit up by our torches. Windjana is also a Devonian era Reef from 360 million years ago, or so.

Walked for a bit up the gorge the following day, as early in the day as we could manage.

Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Geike Gorge,

Left: all the garbage bins are painted in Halls Creek. The people are pretty friendly too. Tried filling the gas bottle, but it's ten years out of date, so ended up buying another one.

We'd seen enough so pushed on to Halls Creek etc. We really should have seen Wolf Creek Crater and the the caves along the way, but next time.

Right: downtown Halls Creek. The supermarket is pretty big. The cafe here was good, but kinda pricey.

Stayed at Fitzroy Crossing. Ended up going on the Geike Gorge cruise. The ranger was very knowledgeable and enthralled us with many facts. This is part of a Devonian Reef that has since petrified and fossilised. The limestone is 2km thick ie deep in the earth - that's a lot of time to lay down limestone from the reef. It has weathered down, but is now visible.

It dates from the Devonian era - about 360 million years ago, the rock was being formed by the creatures and the reef.

It gets the watery look by being hit by sand storms and wind weathering. The plants up the top must send roots down to the water. He showed us what looked like a horses tail, as the roots from a tiny tree above reached down to the water, growing down through the rock gaps.

The ranger told us a lot of amazing stuff, eg about the Painkiller tree: you rub a paste of it into wound. It's 5x as good as morphine. Good for catfish spike wounds.

Crocs eat bats, fish. They also eat rocks to help digest and to help dive in water. They lay eggs at 33degC. If it's 31 degrees, the egg becomes male or if 34 female or vice versa. The eggs are left for 3 months. Baby crocs cry out when ready then any female passing will raise the young for 4 (I think?) months.

We saw a sea eagle, fresh water crocodile. Cane toads are culling goannas, snakes and crocs down. The next season is not looking good with regards the spread of cane toads and the impact on wildlife.

There is a bird that nests just above the wet season water line, and seems to get it right in advance, so it seems this year is not looking good either, after last years's dry wet season: only a tenth of the normal rainfall. The weather and eco systems are being disrupted. This is very bad news, as is the cane toads, foxes, cats, dogs, and other introduced pests.

Purnululu

Purnululu is a 4wd onlyl track to get in. We bumped into Dean, Christine, Molly so chatted for a while. Got into camp, ran out of gas, so no cooked meals apart from the first night, which did get done enough to eat.

Day one went to the western side closest to camp, which is very different. The mini palm gorge was spectacular.

The Echidna Chasm (left) likewise was great. The light was golden as it bounced into the narrow hugely tall gap. It's like finding a secret place, except for all the other people.

Left: typical tree, will grow anywhere, no need for soil in particular, just CO2 from the air, sunlight, and a bit of water and nutrients.

Left: the main event: the domes. Mind you day one was also spectacular. The domes are amazing.

The second day, we went to the other side of the parks, which is the main attraction of the park, the big honey pot domes. They were tall, numerous and endless.

The pebbles on the creek bed looked just like the ones in Nice.

We went for quite a walk up various gorges, into lookouts over neighbouring dome areas, and rolled along a very long creek bed with domes on both sides.

Very spectacular. The kids did conk out towards the end, and missed Cathedral Gorge (bottom image here).

Lake Argyle

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Stopped in at Lake Argyle. Bumped into Hanna, as in Hanna and Mario, who was camped just next door to us. Had lazy time swimming in the lake and in their pool.

Right: Mr Muscles checks out the infinity pool, gives thumbs up. 

Lake Argyle.