Broome and 'escape' to Barn Hill Station

Well, had thought I would stay a bit longer in Broome. Nice town and business is booming! Lots of new developments going on, including great, modern infrastructure, like excellent, wide roads and large round-abouts, similar to what I saw at Cairns, back on the East Coast. After checking out the shop window of a Real Estate Agent I note that I might be in Sydney when I look at the asking prices.


How is that for "Red Earth"? Taken just outside before getting to Broome

I did go for a two and a half hours bike ride across downtown yesterday, but in principle to pick up a couple of groceries and soft drinks at Woollies. Broome looks stylish, even the 'old' china town with its many up-market shops, mostly jewellery incorporating the famous and beautiful pearls harvested in this area.

One of the streets in Chinetown in Broome

All buildings have the same basic look, walls made from painted corrugated iron, the way buildings were constructed in the old days. Mind you, they are all painted the same off-white so it all looks fairly modern. The only exceptions are chinese pagoda-like structures with curved roofs and main constructs in bright red for good luck. At this time of the month, Broome has even more visitors than usual because of the so-called "Stairway to the Moon", an occasion when at full Moon, the tide is still out and as the Moon rises out of the ocean it leaves a trail of its light across the shallow sand flats on Cable Beach. The patterns then visible across the wet sand looks kind of like a ladder that leads to the Moon.

Cable Beach at Broome - pretty good. When you look at that Palm tree, you can see just how windy it is.




Sign on Cable Beach, telling you all the things you are not allowed to do...

Long story short, all trailer parks in Broome chock full - no vacancies either for the next few days, so I ended up in a church yard of the "Seventh Day" Mob. Nice enough and quiet too. Chatted with my neigbors till about 10 last night before hitting the sack. I was rudely disturbed though, in the wee hours, when my van started to shake with the wind howling outside. Had to get up and to be safe, dropped my pop-up roof before going to sleep again. The wind still persisted all morning, dust everywhere despite me keeping doors next to closed there was still plenty inside. I did not want to stay under those conditions and as there are no other spots available, except way out of town, I decided to move on instead and move on to Barn Hill, down the road about 130km.

The drive down, out from Broome for the first 40km mostly just brush either side, nothing to see. This gives way to plain grass land, cattle country, some of them lying around in the grass behind wire fence on my right, wide open views to the horizon. The road ahead ending in a shimmer of heat that looks like water, despite the fact, that I have a fairly strong headwind to content with, the same shimmer on my right about 3-4 o'clock and on my left about 10 o'clock, the grassland to the horizon ending up in this shimmer, the same colour as the blue sky. Up ahead, cars kind of materialise out of this water-looking blue haze, slowly come closer, then pass. Then scrub again, smaller now, some termite mounds, grey or red coloured depending on the ground they are built on.

Finally, the turn-off, on my right, 10km of dirt road to "Barn Hill Station", a private property that offers camping facilities, directly above the ocean.

The road in to Barn Hill, 10km of dirt.
It is windy here also but nowhere near as bad as it was in Broome as the scrub seems to slow down the gusts. As a precaution, I have tied down my sun-sail on the windward side with 2 extra ropes and pegs in the ground.

My "spot" at Barn Hill

Tonight they are cooking a dinner, which I have registered and paid for. They call it "Christmas in July", a tradition that has been held for many years at Barn Hill Homestead, many of the eating guests come every year, this year about 250 guests. This is the drill: Bring your own plates, cutlery, chair and table and hoe-in. It is starting at 5.30 pm so I still have a bit of time before I need to head in that direction.

Looking at the shower arrangement, up close. Good ventilation and the 'hot' water was just a bit warmer than 'cold'.


This is what the "hot water system" looks like


The amenities block. On the right, 4 shower cubicles and on the left, 4 toilets. No discrimination between men or women either, which means you could be taking a shower or a sh.. next to a person of either sex. Great, seems to work.

Last night's dinner was a great event indeed, great 3-course meal, an Aboriginal band providing great sound and some entertainment. The wind has dropped overnight, but re-started this morning, trailers of red dust around, settling on everything if you keep anything open. Luckily my van is resonably well sealed but I can wipe down any surface and there will be red, fine dust settled. Naturally, it will also settle anywhere else as well, so, looks like I will need to invest in a good portable vacuum cleaner in the next larger town, probably Port Headland, where I will be in a few days time.

This property has several kilometres of beach front and some absolutely beautiful beaches, white sand, turqoise waters, just lovely to look at.

One lone angler trying his luck...


How is this for a backyard???

I went for a long walk along the beach this morning, just enjoying to be there, only 2 or 3 other people fishing or lying in the sand.