Well, I’m back again .Like I mentioned I was going to have C T scans and xrays on my troublesome back. I have a great Dr. here, but the results of the scans, no so great. I have 2 fractures of the spine,as well as disc bulges, so hence the almost unbeatable pain over the last 4 mths. Don’t know how or when I did it.
Thankfully I feel at home in this area, and seeing so many flowers around to take photos of gives me enjoyment without much effort. So the last few weeks has been short drives and not much walking, and a lot of laying down and Chris doing a great job of looking after the domestics and me.
We went to a field day at Piawaning and watched the lawn mower races. They also had tractor pulling, which was another fun event.
The Idea is for hotted up tractors and one Ute, to pull a farm implement through a sandy course as far as they can . The track gets more difficult as the blades did in deeper. You probably can’t understand what I mean, but it’s all part of how they amuse themselves around here.
Nice old cars on display as well. Mary and young Chris also met us there, making it a nice day out.
So much on around the towns at the moment, last weekend we went to the Northam show to watch Skye McMullen compete in the Mounted Games ,team events. It was a beautiful day and good to catch up with Stacey again.
Seen these two pretty ladies as we went to get lunch. It was only a little show so it didn’t worry me that I couldn’t walk around it.
Our next stay was in Meckering, well known for the 6.9 Earthquake that left the town in ruins in 1968
lots of gum trees are coming out in flower now
There is some nice photos on a building of days gone by
As we wander around from town to town, our next stop was in Minnivale for a couple of days. We have stayed here before, but it’s worth another stay now that more flowers are out. I just love being camped amongst them.
All these bush flowers are within a few metres from where we are camped.
That’s it for tonight. Hope you like bush flowers as I’m done with climbing mountains for now. Haha.
The 1st day of spring or Wattle day, but so much more, follow the link….
How fast is the year going, September already and W A is bursting into flower. We are really enjoying walking through the bush and finding whats flowering at the moment. Chris found these cute little snail orchids in one of the reserves.
so many different species of wattle out now.
Another new plant to us is the upside down Pea, or Rosella bush. The flowers bloom under the bush ,not on top.
On one of our drives with Mary and Steve, we came across an old falling down hospital, and other buildings and machinery sheds.
Then we found what we had been looking for, Beautiful wreath flowers along the edge of the roads in the Goodlands area.
They are very rare and can only be found in a few places. Just beautiful and tourists travel around to see them each year.
There is also many flowering shrubs out at the moment.
As we travelled back to Kalannie late in the afternoon we looked for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. No such luck.!
How’s this for an unusual tractor or whatever, young Chris had picked it up and unloaded in their yard. The older Chris loves seeing interesting pieces of machinery. All in a days work for the guys here.
It was father’s day last Sunday so we had a nice brunch at a little Cafe in Goomalling.
Chris and I were out and about, just wandering around. Going to lookouts finding more orchids and paddocks of Cape weed, which they seem to be feeding off to the sheep.lots more spider orchids as well.
I love these twinning fringed lilies, so dainty.
Gum trees are also in bud and ready to burst into flower.
We had had a nice weeks stay with Steve and Mary, so we hooked the van up and went to stay near Wongan Hills. It’s a larger town where I was able to get in to see a doctor about my back pain. He was great and ordered scans and xrays ,which I can get on Friday.
As the sign says there are tracks and trails all around this area and very popular with tourists looking for wildflowers.
Mt O’Brien lookout gives great views out over the lakes and we stayed on the edge of Lake Ninan last Sunday night.
lots of huge mosquitoes out here.,but a nice sunset to finish off Fathers day.
One note,” is a nice Cafe to stop for a cuppa . Chris got to have a chat with one of his favourite birds, I guess the owners are old musos, hence the name of the shop and the wall hangings. Nicely done and the coffee was hot.
Another walk and I was lucky enough to find some enamel orchids, they are a shiny purple and look like they have just been sprayed with enamel paint.
This is the first kangaroo paw we have found in the wild so far ,no doubt there will be more as it gets hotter.
After leaving Perth area we headed Noth East ,stopping at Goomalling for lunch and a bit of a wander.
Next was a bush walk in a reserve on the outskirts of town
I found some nice Ant orchids and Chris found some old chain ,good for hanging up a pot plant when we get home.
We had a nice stopover at Minnivale campground surrounded by multicoloured Gazania flowers. Also found a Donkey orchid.
Then the next night at Cadoux. All good quiet spots and the rain kept tumbling down every now and then, but not enough to stop us from having a look around and me taking photos.
Then we arrived at our friends place in Kalannie, parked the van beside the house and settled in. No plans ahead so the next day we were invited to go on an extended family BBQ. About 20 or more.
It was cold and windy with showers on and off, but once the fire got going and everyone arrived it was the best day out . The kids and dogs played in the rock pools and the women went looking for wildflowers, while the men kept the fire stoked.
Hope you like wildflowers as much as I do, as the wheatbelt area sure is beautiful at the moment. I know I take lots of the same ones but I just can’t get over how tiny and amazing they are to grow and survive in the bush, year after year.
So many beautiful orchids in this area, as well as other flowers. When we got back from our walk, the meat was cooked and the yummy farm baked cooking was laid out. What a lovely lunch we shared.
The rain held off for most of the day, and after lunch more of us when looking for orchids.
It’s a great area for kids and oldies to have a picnic. It’s called Petrudor rock.
On the way home we made a couple of stops , another bush walk and in to the old tank at Xantippe for a look. The only town in Australia starting with the letter X.
Rosie and Codie had had a big day out, and didn’t take long to fall asleep. A quick dinner and an early night for us too.
Part of the new mural in Kalannie.
The next morning Steve took us out to a farm close by where the owner has a collection of old machinery in a shed. A few good oldies there.
Happy birthday Jodie,! mum Mary made a lovely lunch and cake for us all to enjoy. I took a couple of photos of the family.
Mary, Steve, Natasha, Christopher and Jodie, a lovely family.
Last Wednesday we all went to the Dowerin Field day. And walked and walked from 9 to 5, a huge display of all things farming. Even caravans and cars . We will stick with what we have.
I only took a few photos of things that caught my eye, thinking this poor fellow won’t make it past Christmas.!
This piece of machinery has been refurbished with oiled timber. Nice work.
Off road buggies, with lots of accessories fitted.
Some of the oldies on display
And of cause so many toys for farmers including this huge sprayer, 180 ft wide and a price tag of $1.2 to $1.5 million.
And a very big grain bin. Some serious $$ on display here .
At the end of the day Mary, Jodie and I went for a fun ride on a trailer, pulled by a tractor. Up one Isle and down the next. We were grateful to rest our legs for awhile, then it was time for the hour drive back to Kalannie
Another good day in the Wheatbelt. That’s it for now xx
we were out North, East of Perth and driving through a little town of womarden. Saw the sign to a lookout and Talk mine. Have never given any thought as to where talcum powder comes from, but now I know.
yep it starts off as rocks mined and crushed here.
The view from the lookout was also nice as you could see right out to the coast.
Back on the gravel road again, a quick stop at the 4 coloured trees, made of metal, representing mental health, Breast cancer, environment and road deaths.
The Canola paddocks are now turning to gold, just beautiful, as well as seeing more wildflowers
We love driving from one small town to the next, stopping to take photos and taking in the history ,usually dating back to the 1800S
Three Springs is a popular spot. Then Carnamah is not far away, some of the rubble and remains of the old Bake house still stands.
Next stop was the McPherson’s Station. The old family home is being restored and what a grand old building it is. We weren’t able to go inside, however I managed some photos through the windows.
Outside there is lots of machinery and old vehicles, as well as the remains of the servant’s quarters.
These little old towns are so interesting to wander around and the wildflowers out at the moment make them more so, especially when I find the tiny orchids springing into flower.
On the narrow roads the big machinery on the move doesn’t leave much room for a caravan to pass . But we’re not in a hurry and always on the lookout for the unexpected.
Driving through Yarra Yarra Lakes area , we started to look for a camping area for the night, we found one in Eneabba just as it started to rain.
A great big area and we were able to set up our friend Neil Marks, under the awning, in his tent, for the night. We just happened to cross paths, so it was a good chance for he and Chris to reminisce over earlier years in Ballina. We had dinner at the pub across the road. And then it poured rain all that night. The next morning Neil packed up and off he went on his bike, and it seemed like the rain had gone.
We also packed up and decided to have a look along the coast road. We drove into Green Head, it was a real change to see white sand after months of red dusty roads.
After having a look around, we moved further south, doing some bush walks and finding more flowers.
We drove up to Gibson’s lookout, where there’s an old surveying marker from the 1800S.
Can you see what I could see. How well camouflaged is this echidna.
Our next walk was around Drummond Reserve, as we headed away from the coast.
Lots of different flowers coming out in this area. But still a lot more to come.
We stayed in this area for a couple of nights, a nice quiet spot ,with lots of pink and grey galahs. We were parked next to a couple that were nesting in a tree. They do however destroy some of the trees by ring barking them.
Next we stayed at Nathon and Stacey place, about an hour out of Perth. We were made feel very welcome and the van went undercover, so good as it poured rain on and off for the whole time we were there.
This is Nathan’s dog, it was her First birthday and had been given a grey goose, poor goose didn’t last the day out.
We had a lovely stay surrounded by natural bush ,lots of green parrots and of cause the dogs. We also had a visit from Dianne and her sister, which was nice.
On Sunday Nathan, Chris and I went to watch their AFL team Carlton play at the Optus Stadium in Perth. What an awesome stadium and Carlton won, making the freezing cold day bearable.
Another day out in Perth to visit my cousin and his wife, he’s very proud of his passion fruit vine.
The next day we visited Steve and his Parents in Perth. A nice catch up and Steve’s mum, did her best to give me some exercises to help my troubling back.
Getting down was one thing but getting back up was another thing. So that brings the blog up to about a week ago. We are now staying with friends at Kalannie in the wheat belt. Keep well and safe family and friends. That’s it for now.
After leaving Yalgoo, we drove around some of the outback roads, looking for wildflowers and we’re not sure where our next camp will be.
Morning tea was here near this hole, not sure if it had been a mining dig or a well. Anyway I found a couple of different flowers, so it was worth the stop.
From there we headed into Fields Find
We stopped in to have a look at the Cemetery that is being restored, The remains of these 4 young miners, were all buried together. They lost their lives in 1899. Most small goldmining towns of the 1800S have cemeteries full of sad but interesting stories.
It’s a beautiful area to drive through at the moment. Lakes are all full from all the rain they have had and the everlasting flowers are now starting to come out.
It’s lovely to be able to pull up for a cuppa or camp for the night in a paddock of flowers. Guess that’s why we love this area of WA.
We made camp for the night at a vacant station, that the buildings are being restored on. A great spot and only one other van there.
We were welcomed by a mob of Black Cockatoos. Noisy buggers.
We went for a look around the old homestead, and inside as well at the restorations. There is no way you could leave something like this open over East.
They are sure doing a great job. It must have been a hug cattle station in its day as the homestead and living quarters are big
Most rooms still have the metal patterning on the walls.
The old bath is a green fleck porcelain , they haven’t started restoring the bathroom yet. Do hope the bath can be restored.
That night Chris cooked a BBQ as the sun went down. All’s well in our world.
The next day we were off to find some different wildflowers . It’s still a bit early for the orchids, but it’s still nice wandering around looking.
Camel Soak is a big area of rocks with lots of water holes over it. During the drier times it serves as a watering hole for the wildlife.
I walked all around seeing a few different flowers, I love how the little mosses and fungi plants come to life after the rain.
How exquisite are these little cuties?
After walking all over the rocks, I decided to wander through the bush and to my surprise found some orchids
This one is very similar to the Donkey orchid, but I think it’s the Zebra version.
We only stayed one night at the Soak, as it started to rain overnight
The next morning we booked into Perenjori Caravan Park for 2 nights, another little town in the wheatbelt area and well known for its flowers.
Today we went for a drive, checking out some of the bushland and flowers.
Not far from Morawa our bush track took us through the grain storage area, nothing happening there as the cropping hasn’t started yet.
We found another Dam full of water, in a paddock somewhere
Then we arrived in Morawa, it had an IGA, good , and even better a Bakery called Rosie’s. Lunch and a vanilla slice was a must.
The farmers sure have a quirky sense of humour around these parts, you never know what you’ll find in the paddocks
Chris had his 15mins of fun, then we headed back to Perenjori for another night in the park.
After getting supplies in Carnarvon, we stopped for the night at a roadside camp and headed out reasonably early the next morning. Not far past Wooramel, there is the Gladstone lookout ,which has beautiful views over the Shark Bay area. We drove up and found a pile of memorial rocks at the top.
I placed a rock for Jodie ( my daughter) and Chris placed a rock on top of the pile for John ( his brother).
It was a beautiful sunny morning and the ground below had lots of yellow Daisy’s.
Next stop was Kalbarri, we were here a f ew years ago, but they have put a new Skywalk in ,so needed to tick it off the to do list.
There is two walk outs, which are quite impressive and allows great views over the cliffs and the river below.
We took our time , taking lots of photos and doing the walk out to Natures window. We didn’t go down the rocks ,as we have a photo from our trip, some years ago, and my back is still dictating what I should or shouldn’t do at the moment.
Here is that photo from June 2019. OMG. 5 years sure has made a difference to me, but the window would be the same haha.
Few more photos, then we enjoyed an icecream back at the Cafe, which is also a new addition since we were here last. Lots of pretty pink bottle brush flowers around here.
We stayed in a gravel pit ,with a couple of other vans, that night, just outside the park entrance. So the next morning we did a couple of walks, back within the park , The z Bend and Hawks head lookout.
So that was Kalbarri. As we started to travel further south, the landscape is changing also . Now fields of green and gold Canola.
we stopped for lunch in the Apex Park at Nabawa , in the Chapman Valley.
The drive through the Chapman Valley is beautiful, they have had over 600 ml of rain lately and the Valley is so green.
Next stop was Geraldton, a few more supplies and a photo of the St Francis Xavier Cathedral, as we drove around the town.
Then a visit up to the HMAS Sydney 11, Memorial , would have to be one of the most beautiful and moving memorials I have been to. Each piece of the structure resembles somthing significant about the Ship and its Crew.
This statue of a woman (mother, wife,whatever) looking out to sea, is haunting to me.
The Dome is made up of 645 silver gulls, representing the no. of Souls lost when the Ship Sank.
That night we stopped in a roadside camp, overlooking Geraldton.
The Next morning we drove in to see the Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station , of cause it’s a no go zone ,so I had to take my photos from a distance. I can’t stop from wondering if Albo even knows it’s here, let alone come out here in the scrub to visit it. Not too many media photo opportunities around here. Opps!
From there we are going East for a look around the wildflower areas. Great stonework on this old chapel
There isn’t a lot of flowers out yet , but on one bush walk we managed to find the first few orchids of the season.
Our lunch stop that day, was at the old Railway Siding at Tenindewa. We had bought fresh buns and a kilo of prawns in Geraldton the afternoon before, so they went down well.
The flowers are getting more colourful each day and thanks to the rain it will be a great season over here. We wandered around for awhile then stopped at the old Tenindewa School site.
More paddocks of flowers, then back to the Yalgoo caravan park for the night.
The next day was fine and sunny, but it is getting a bit cooler out here. Not far out of town is Jokers Tunnel, he wasn’t joking around when he decided to look for gold in them there hills. And found quite a bit.
we walked inside and it had been dug so neatly. Only head high and goes from one side of the hill through to the other. 140 metres, Chris said , he reads all the technical stuff I mainly take the photos.
we drove all around the hill seeing where prospectors had little diggings. Even that day there were a group of prospectors camped in the hills, looking for a pot of gold.
Back towards town was an old railway water tower.
Then on to have a look at the remains of the Old Coach Staging post, also not far out of Yalgoo.
Then back into tidy Yalgoo, for our 2nd night in the tidy caravan park.
Yesterday was showering and overcast, not thinking of flowers so we went out just looking around . First we drove all around Chinaman’s Rock, and Chris climbed up , not me.
I walked and took photos in-between the light showers.
An old rock well ,with nothing in it.
Then on to Dalgaranga Station, a deserted station, just going to ruins, so sad . There’s so many rocks on the property, it would of been hard to make a living, but such a shame to see all the buildings and hundreds of acres go to ruins.
Old homes, wells , sandy creeks, windmills and stock yards, all going to waste.
Then there was the big rock which they had built a dam at one end ,back in the early 1900s to provide water for the station.
Amazing the size and work to build it. Yes I did walk up to the wall.
just imagine the torrent of water when the wall gave way.
Some more walking in the rain, taking flower photos ,before going back to the van for an early dinner and putting the diesel heater on. Ahhh.
A lazy day today , we had a look through the Arts centre in town and on the walk home, passed the remains of the original store and Post Office that had the 1st letter bomb back in 1903.
The paddock behind the caravan park, full of white daisies. Tomorrow we move on .
I’m back, !! not much internet service over this side of the country, but the landscape is sure worth seeing . 1ST time we have been into Millstream. Some don’t like it but I think it is natural beauty at its best.
Maybe the few clouds that were around ,made it all the more picturesque
And my favourite wildflower,,the Sturt Desert Pea, were in full bloom.
Sorry I blurred this one. The flowers are only just starting to come out up here.
Termite mounds everywhere!
So much variety no matter which way you look.
Even the spiky spinifex grass can be attractive in some places
Next we took a look around Dampier, back out on the coast.
A tidy little coastal town and Port. With the ships lined up in the distance, waiting for loading
Our camp for that night was on the bank of the Robe River at Fortescue .we had had quite a bit of wind before Karratha, and broken the TV aerial, so as well as catching up with one of my Cousin’s daughters for a coffee, in Karratha, Chris went and bought a new aerial.
We don’t have a ladder with us, so getting up close to an old toilet block solved the problem of getting the new aerial on the roof. Fixed!
Another camp spot further south the next day was at yannarni, a big bush camp on the bank of a dry river. We booked into Coral Bay for the next 2 nights, so this was our wait stop. A lot of vans doing the same thing.
Termite mounds, each side of the road, all the way into Coral Bay, the next day.
The caravan park was packed. Chris went for a swim in the Bay . I thought the pool may have been warmer, but no so. It’s a nice park , but, $62 a night ,no water hookup and packed in like sardines, is not my idea of a good camp. Oh well, thems the breaks. Not to mention yelling mums, screaming kids and barking dogs. It’s fair to say my painfull back over the last 6 weeks was taking its toll.
One has to just keep going, so off to do some 4x wheel drives in the coastal reserve. That’s sure to fix the back !
it sure is a pretty area, this is 5 finger reef. Creating lovely swimming bays between each reef outcrop. Very popular for snorkelling. Great if you’re into fishing or water sports.
The sand buggies do a couple of tours from town each day.
As well as driving we walked the beach and were lucky enough to see a star fish in the shallows.
And what would Coral Bay be without washed up coral on the beach
That done it was time to head back through the sand hills and have some lunch in the centre of the little shopping complex. A very good Bakery.
One more night in the overflowing caravan park and we were back on the road again.
Heading south towards Carnarvon, we are starting to see more of the wildflower daisy’s on each side of the road
we drove around the waterfront and around town, before doing some shopping and heading out of town to a roadside stop which had a few more flowers around.
Ahh this spot is better than a caravan park any day. Just sayin ,my opinion! , each to their own. Love to all .
Moving on from Broome, our first stop was the Sandfire Roadhouse for a quick look. The last cyclone through this area took it’s toll on these little Roadhouses and the vegetation is still very bare. We came across this poor camel, that seemed to have a broken leg. It just stood there when I got out of the car to take its photo.
Our next camping spot was at Cape Keraudren, we’ve stayed here a couple of times. Lots of camp sites around the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean. I think we had 4 nights there.
A peaceful spot where you can relax watching the tide come in and the tide go out, the sun comes up and the sun goes down.
While we were staying there we went for a day drive out to an abandoned mine site, one of the first in the Pilbara area we followed the rail line around the hills and when we came to a locked gate, we found a track that took us up to a lookout with views over the mined areas.
As we were leaving our camp at Cape Keraudren the next day I took this next photo. It sums the Pilbara up well. Red soil, trees stripped by cyclones, a tinge of green from recent rains, Kites flying freely in a windswept ,blue sky .
Next stop was Port Hedland for a few days. We caught up with some of Chris’s workmates. It’s lovely to come back and see the changes from when we worked there.
We had a lovely meal out with friends and the night before we left town Chris and I had our traditional fish and chips down at the harbour. The harbourside is beautiful at night. It’s a busy place ,where the ships and trains come and go 24 hrs a day.
We had a lovely few days there, going for drives and I love taking photos of the salt ponds and watching the trucks getting loaded. Everything is crystal white.
There is so much colour and beauty in the Pilbara, you can see why people move here and never go back.
We are also finding lots of free camps, golden wattle and white gums at their best
A drive out to Whim Creek Pub. Which seems to be all but closed.
From there we drove on out to Balla Balla on the coast
The Sherlock River still has a good amount of water and I love this next photo with the Ranges in the background
Lots of these big fellows on the roads, that don’t leave much room for caravans to pass bye. Finally we got to this nice little spot on the bank of the Kialrah pool, off the Jones River.
Our next adventure from Derby was Tunnel Creek in the King Leopold Ranges.
The entrance to the tunnel was well hidden and getting into the tunnel was rather challenging. We had to chamber over big rocks, then wade through water, not the easiest task as there were smaller rocks under the water and warnings of fresh water Crocodiles.
once inside the cave it’s dark so we needed a touch to see where we were going. Chris had the head torch, so I was often left in the dark ,but that’s nothing new.! It was a bit creepy to start with, but when I saw how amazing it was, I relaxed and started taking photos.
This was as far as we went as the water was over peoples heads around the corner. And no I didn’t fancy going in that deep a water. And it was cold.
The rocky cave walls were beautiful so many different patterns and textures.
The floor was mainly sandy, but there were some rocky patches that we had to pick our way through.
We spent quite some time in the tunnel, taking lots of photos. The marbled patterns were beautiful on some of the rocks near the entrance. Again getting out of the cave was quite difficult.
Driving along further we came across the remains of stone built police lock ups.
Next was a hike through Windjana Gorge, it was very hot, dry and rugged going
Again it was beautiful scenery, high rocky cliffs on both sides of the Lennard river.
The pathway was hard going due to all the flood damage. Chris went on further along the river bank, but still couldn’t get to the end of the Gorge. I took more photos before making my way back to the car.
The next day was a quite one and we just went down to the marsh in Derby to see the sculptures there
When we pulled up at this next one ,it just looked like a whole lot of scrap metal strung together, I couldn’t figure it out till I took a photo. Now I see it I think it is brilliant.
We left Derby and drove on to Broome the next day, We were lucky enough to phone ahead and get a camp spot at the overflow area at the 7 Day Aventis Church.
We crossed over the Fitzroy River again at Willare on the way into Broome, also they are doing lots of roadworks
From Broome we did a day trip up to the Cape and drove through the little communities up that way .The Beagle Bay Church was worth a look, It is fitted out with inlaid mother of purl shells,making it quite unique.
On the way home we stopped at the Roadhouse for a drink, not much there but a mural on the fuel tank.
Then into Cygnet Bay ,where the tide was rushing in. This is the area that we flew over a few days ago on our way back from the Horizontal Falls.
We couldn’t get into Cape Leveque, where I have been wanting to see, as the roads are shut. But the road from Broome to the Cape is all sealed now, and just one long 240 klm straight.
Just one more stop along the way to say hello to a pack of donkeys. How cute is this little inquisitive fellow?
Back in Broome we went out for a nice dinner with friends, Leeanne and Craig, who have been working in Broome for I2 months.
We went to the Golf club, which has a lovely view over the Harbour. Also Chris spent some time at the Ice Factory where Craig works.They had a great time catching up while we were staying in town.
We had 5 days in Broome, so a wander around the main shopping area was a must for me.. A bit like Byron Bay, full of tourists, only twice as big and twice as busy. However it does have a lovely leafy main street.
From there we went out to main beach and jetty, being school holidays is was very busy and lots of kids catching good size fish off the jetty
The tram car does tours around, but we didn’t need to do that.
Since we were in Broome last, a number of figurines have been added on the walkway, telling the story of when Broome was invaded during the War. You may be able to read some of their story if you scroll in . There were 9 altogether I think.
The waterfront has been beautifyed as well, and we spent some time out the end of the jetty watching the kids catching fish with nearly every throw out. There were lots of turtles as well as sharks swimming around the jetty.
Next was the sandy beach road up the coastline to Gantheaume Point lighthouse. We parked the car and walked out on the rocky cliffs.
Red rocky cliffs against blue sea and white sand, that’s Broome, some hate it ,some like it. I Love the place.
Sometimes I should take my bigger camera on walks. I would have liked a better photo of this osprey garding the nest in the lighthouse tower
After Broome we will be heading south, so I’m looking forward to seeing the wildflowers. This one caught my eye as we headed back to the car.
Cable Beach, what can I say, ? beautiful by day. Stunning sunsets at nightfall.
whales lolling around just off Shaw, again that bigger camera would of been handy
Takeaway fish and chips on a warm balmy evening, that was our last night in Broome.
Here we are doing it tough in a bush camp, just about an hour out of Broome. Still have service so I’ve been able to catch up with the blog, while Chris has a nanny nap after such a big drive. Haha. I feel we have well and truly seen what the Kimberley and top end of our country has to offer. What a diverse country we are privileged to live in. Keep well and take care till next time friends xx
We arrived in Derby, a few days ago and booked into the Entrance caravan park. We have a lovely shady camp site and feel the van is safe to be left each day while we do day trips.
Our next tour was to see the Horizontal Falls. We were picked up from the park and driven out to the airport. I’ve always said I needed more than one engine on a plane , but here we were getting into this little, one engine seaplane. !!
Here we are all buckled in , and off we went, that was the last time I gave a thought as to what we were doing. It was so beautiful flying over the surrounding hills of Derby, then over the lakes. I was on cloud nine with my camera, and not a care in the world.
Our Lady Pilot was great, flying low and from every angle to give us all plenty of opportunities to take photos.
Back and forth over the bays and the Horizontal Falls ,before coming down to land in Talbot Bay at the pontoon.
What a magic place , we motored up to the pontoon where morning tea was served. Cup cakes and tropical fruit and drinks.
After morning tea we boarded a boat for an exhilarating trip around the bay and through the falls. So much fun, back and forth many times.
Our pilot was great giving us a thrilling ride ,sometimes a bit rough, but so much fun back and forth through the gap in the cliffs where the tide was rushing through. It was only a small tide of about 1meter that day.
we were given plenty of photo opportunities, gliding up close to the cliff walls and to the narrow gap that tourists are no longer able to go through as it is apparently a sacred Aboriginal site.
From there we went up into Cyclone Bay. Calm waters surrounded by high cliffs, where all the boats and pontoons are taken if a Cyclone is predicted. They stay up there to ride out the storm.
Such a beautiful calm area to just drift around and enjoy the scenery.
After some quiet time and our pilot telling us some of the interesting facts and knowledge of the area it was time to head back out into Talbot Bay
We had time to go for a swim with the sharks that were surrounding the pool area, looking for food, before we went upstairs to have our lunch.
lots of sharks as well as other colourful little fish ,swimming freely around while we were swimming in a caged pool. A good time to be locked up !
upstairs we were treated to the most delicious BBQ Barramundi and fresh sideboard salads. All you could eat,it was so yummy.
After lunch we were treated to another boat ride, the tide had turned and now was pushing the water back into the bays,.
Another fun ride back and forth through the swirling water and gap in the cliffs .
Then it was time to go back to the pontoon where our seaplane was waiting to take us back to Derby
Once we were all back on the plane it was pushed off the jetty and we glided through the water till we lifted off and were in the air.
This time our pilot took a different flight path, first north out over the ocean and showing us the Barramundi farms and all the little islands off the coast.
The Barramundi farms looked small from above.
Then we turned south and followed the coastline back down to Derby, crossing over where the tidal waters meet up with the Indian Ocean. The views were spectacular.
Next we flew over Derby and came down to land at the airport.
What a big day out, ! One of the best. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and would do it again.
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