102-106 - Broome Pt 2 (9/7 - 13/7)

Returning from Lombo, we had another few days kicking back with Poss and Pop before they flew out and we continued on our journey around the country. But there was still a few things to do...

Not wanting to let up on the 'fine dining' of Lombo, we had lined up with the McGuirks meeting them on Cable Beach for a roast dinner. It's almost becoming a tradition with the McGuirks that we have a 'Sunday Roast' whenever our paths collide. We arrived first, and found a spot. Not really hard on that beach... Busted out the Weber and kicked back watching the kids play to the smell of roasting pork and spuds...

Every now and then, a posse of Camels would pass as by, do a U-Turn, and head back. Not really my cup of tea, having had my fill of camel rides in Alice as a teen, but hey, it's 'iconic'.

Another beach... another cartwheel...

The Rock Truck was joined by the impeccable 200 Series and as the sun set over our little posse, we sat and talk and had drinks with friends and family. Knowing how well my parents and the McGuirks get on, the history there, made it all the better.

Dinner served between both rigs, with the moon replacing the sun for 'light' after my LED light strip decided now was a good time to chuck it in... What a setting though...

With it a long time between washes, I had decided that it was time for the Big Green Lizard to get a good and proper clean. The second part, the big wash, would come in a day or two when we moved across town to the Industrial Estate with the McGuirks, but in preperation, it was time to get the red dust out of all the nooks and crannies. Call in the child labour....

James very happy with the amount of dust and dirt he was getting.

This type of cleaning was made for Sam. It requires attention to detail, meticulous 'precision' and fine motor skills. He was, quick frankly, better than any of us. Brilliant job.

Before losing our 'grand parent' privileges, B and I were spoilt with a couple of hours off one afternoon to simply go and 'have a drink'. We racked our brains and couldn't actually think of the last time we'd had such an experience on the trip. So, we did what most 'young' couples would do in Broome, and went and spent a few hours at the famous Matso's Brewery.

The tasting paddle was the starting point and I proceeded to, like many before me, start singing from the ceiling about the magic of the Mango Beer. 

And off I went, not being required to drive (given we were heading to the 'Staircase of the Moon later), sinking a few schooners as we went. B found a very unique drink in their 'Angry Ranga', a cross between Ginger Beer and Chilli Beer. A damn waste of fine ginger beer in my opinion. 

We then walked (slightly crookedly) down to the shorefront where we met Poss, Pop, the kids and the McGuirks for the Staircase to the Moon. For those not in the know, it's when the full moon rises over the mudflats at low tide and creates the impression of a staircase on the ground. It must be a 'thing' as we were also accompanied by quite the throng of people. The above photo is the best we could reproduce with the phone camera, quite clearly not up to the task. It was cooler there, but really, I thought it was a little anticlimatic. Interesting yeah, but not drop dead, stop all traffic and check it out style phenomenon. Still, each to their own.

Anad just like that it was time to go. Not before one last 'special' from Poss and Pop as they shouted us and the McGuirks a brilliant lunch at the Mangrove Hotel. A brilliant setting on a beautiful day, it was a fitting little end to a great week with them.

And then it was time for the goodbyes. Not something any of us are really good at I suppose...

...but Evie takes it a little more harder than most. Being such an emotive soul, she was quite sad for a few hours. The kids do love their Poss and Pop so much, and we were very spoilt that they could join us for a week in such a great spot.

We had relocated the van to an industrial estate that the McGuirks were parked on, owned by one of their mates, as we waited on a part to be delivered to Broome so we could fix the canopy on the Rock Truck. It was a great gesture by them that allowed us to extend our stay, do a little bit of housekeeping without suffering further the pangs of the Broome Caravan Park Excise....

We came back from the airport to find Joe playing with his new toy!

The shed had some interesting 'pets' which ensured you needed to keep an eye on the bowl at times. The record when lifting the lid was 7 frogs hanging out...

Hanging a day or two longer allowed us to visit the Malcom Douglas Crocodile Park. A fascinating place and one I would highly recommend if you are in the area. It's almost a 'refuge' for rogue crocs and other wildlife that has fallen on hard times. It's a zoo, but not like I've ever seen before

One thing that I wondered about was the strength of 'Bunnings-spec' chainlink fence. Here it's been reinforced by a bit of mesh as well to stop Sam becoming a snack for this 3-4m salty.

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This is 'The Red Baron'.

Pictures don't give justice to the size of this fella. He wasn't the longest croc there, but I reckon he'd nearly have been the heaviest. A tick over 5m long, he was, to quote the 'guide', a bit of a 'cranky old croc'. He almost looked lifeless whilst we gawked at him. That was until a bit of fish was dangled over the rail and bang!! He jumped and snapped in an instant. Not to be trifled with...

So the park staff took us around the park, explaining in great deal the crocs history, their biology (like two sets of eyelids) and their behavious. I found it fascinating as did the whole crowd and I grew an even greater respect for the awesome beasts.

We were shown all the different croc enclosures which generally had one big male and a smaller female in it, to keep everyone happy. Can you spot both crocs in the picture above? You could hardly see them in clear water, what chance to you have in murky creeks and streams?

Towards the end of the tour, you even got to handle a baby croc, which was quite cool. 

Evie jumped at the chance and didn't flit an eyelid.

Sam stepped up to the plate as well, and after seeing big bro do it...

...James even had a go. Although the croc looked much bigger with him!

Feeding time... and yes, there are a lot of crocs there....

This one was the biggest though!!

And on the last day in Broome, the 'Great Van Wash' was completed. Sam and James, as usual, pitched in and we blitzed the job in around 45min in searing heat before we decided to roll out of Broome and down the highway.

We bid the McGuirks farewell, as they followed us down the highway for a section, but ultimately headed in a slightly different direction into Derby.

For us, we hadn't actually decided where we were heading that afternoon, as we tried to get back into the spirit of 'winging it'. In fact, it wasn't until we got to the interesection between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing did we decide which way to go. Having our fill of the area, we turned East and headed inland. 

It is one the things I truly love about this trip, and something that rarely can be undertaken on 'normal' holidays. The ability to just chop and change your plans to suit your mood and feelings. We are still relatively 'time rich' so the ability to go with the winds is something we're still trying to cherish as much as possible.

We loved Broome, a brilliant spot and can see why people rave about it. I tell you, if it wasn't so god damn far away from everything else, one could easily have twisted our arm to contemplate something more 'permanent' there...