Life after Broome

Broome the Pearl Diving Town from yesteryear seems to still be booming, quite busy for what is becoming a fairly large town, lots of new roads going in, still full of tourists, most arriving by caravan but also those that fly in for a long weekend from as far away as Sydney or Melbourne.  Still there are pearls for sale at the local outlets, the shop fronts all looking similar with that 'corrugated iron' look, obviously doing allright from the tourist trade.   Read More about Broome

Viewed from my perspective, some of it looks a bit over-the-top, yet I must say they have done a good job over the years in publicising the town right across Australia, as it is well known even in the eastern States.  Famous Cable Beach certainly leaves beaches like Bondi far behind, not only because of its white sands, the long sweep of the beach, but also because of its turquoise warm waters capped with a bit of white surf.

Famous Cable Beach at Broome

Sunset on Cable Beach

We spend 2 days at Broome, my friends leaving for the more challenging roads to Cape Leveque, which, unfortunately I am going to have to miss, my Motorhome being the wrong kind of vehicle to go onto the sand tracks etc.  I drive instead to the town of Derby, further north on the coast where I spend the next two nights.  The weather has been perfect all along, also cooling down at night, so when I drive on, going east toward Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and finally to Kununurra, a large fruit growing town, surrounded by irrigation channels, as there is abundant water supply from Lake Argyle.
More about Fitzroy Crossing

On my drive east I make several stops at rest areas on the way, most of them very nice, places where I meet and catch up with fellow travellers, spend some nights at various camp fires talking, joking, exchanging information.  On one occasion even spend half the night singing along with Colin from New Zealand who has a great voice and knows how to play a guitar.  It was a great night.

Mudflats in Derby

Someone tried his luck on the wet mud

I am also quite surprised on my drive east, just how green the country still looks, this mostly due to the late ending of the so called "Wet Season", still also some remnants of water standing in various rivers and creeks I cross on my way.  

 A great camping spot along the way

There are also many stray cattle along the highway, grazing happily on the still green grass growing along the road.  Naturally, its important to slow down as its not easy to predict if they should decide to cross the highway in front of you.  Unfortunately, some of them get killed running into road trains, those 52 metre monsters that travel the highways up here.  About 20km south of Derby lay a grotesquely bloated carcass of a dead bull, even his testicles standing up in a bloated fashion, all of it looking much like a bloated balloon.  More about Kununurra...

 Check out the size of that tree !!

A flock of Cockatoos about to land in the trees

A week after leaving Broome I arrive at Kununurra which I have visited previously and much enjoyed.