80 MILE BEACH

Sorry there’s been a bit of a gap in the blog, had to attend to some business, but now we’re back on track.

We left Barn Hill Station early with the general aim of arriving at Eighty Mile Beach reasonably early but then we found the Stanley Rest Area and decided to free camp overnight.

The large and peaceful Stanley rest area provided a very peaceful night.

Western Australia leads the rest of the country in the provision of numbers of quality rest areas allowing 24 hour stopping. 

The rest areas are often near rivers, creeks or lakes and they are invariably very spacious with plenty of shade. The WA Main Roads Department should be congratulated for the way the stops are laid out and especially for the way they are maintained with regular rubbish removal and tidy up, even though many of the rest areas are quite remote.

The dedicated rest stop maintenance / cleanup vehicle from WA main roads dept.

The composting toilets are not universally liked although they are relatively clean and functional and many stops have more than one toilet – often there are three.
 

I should add that NSW, QLD and the NT are not far behind, but South Australia is way, way behind. Roadside stops in South Australia are very often uninhabitable with excrement and toilet paper all over the place as well as overflowing rubbish bins- something wrong somewhere!

Eighty Mile Beach is, I am told, as described. The beach apparently runs from Cape Keraudren north  to Cape Missiessy. In any event it’s more than adequate for the hundreds of people who holiday there every year and the many people who travel through.

There are many people who choose to winter there every year, often spending three or four months in residence. The many groups of friends tend to become fairly insular – some would say “cliquey” (if that’s a real word) but that sort of behaviour doesn’t worry me, I’m happy to talk to anyone (or ignore anyone as well LOL).

The eighty Mile Beach caravan Park is part of Wallal Downs, a huge grazing property providing stock for the live export market out of Broome and maybe Darwin.

The beach is able to be driven for many Km north – we only drove 9 or 10 km, collecting some nice shells and just lazing about and enjoying the sunshine and the daytime temps of about 30 every day.

80 Mile Beach has lots of bird life including many small groups of Red-Capped Plovers. 

Sundowners, 80 Mile Beach

Just like other beach side locations in WA, Eighty Mile Beach has its share of sundowners, people waiting and watching the sun fall into the ocean every afternoon. 

This lot were not as prepared as some we have come across, there were a few drinks, but not the chairs, tables and nibbles seen elsewhere.

Why this clown had to strap a petrol-powered fan to his back and zoom noisily up and down the beach where people were gathered is beyond me!

And that's what the sundowners were waiting for, sunset, 80 Mile Beach

Next Blog
Roebourne and Point Sampson

Regards
TJ

BROOME THEN BARN HILL STATION.

We have never stayed in Broome itself, preferring to stop at Roebuck Plains Roadhouse, about 23 Km out of town

I guess it’s horses for courses, but we prefer not to stay in the often overcrowded parks in Broome and drive in to Broome each day.

It seems that every visitor to Broome must go to Cable Beach at sunset ….there must be a law to that effect !!!! There must also be a legislated requirement that as many people as possible take a camel ride along the beach, also at or near to sunset.

Anxious to fit in with the apparent  local statutes and culture, we visited Cable Beach twice and watched the passing parade. People make quite a social occasion of it, bringing chairs and tables and all sorts of comestibles. We settled for a Coke and a packet of chips !

  

Here come those camels, Cable Beach. 

Locals and visitors getting very social on cable Beach.
Here come the camels again!

Sunset at Cable Beach.
 RJ waiting for a drink.

Broome also provides a couple of shopping centres. I must say it was refreshing to once again have a choice between Coles or Woolies and we re-stocked our food supplies realising that our next supermarket of any note would be in ten or eleven days’ time at Port Hedland. I was also able to get a wheel alignment for the Patrol. 

It seems that Coles and Woolies are having a small war and offering increasing discounts on fuel... happy days!!

We collected a couple of 16 cents off a litre and one or two 20 cents off per litre. When diesel is approaching  a dollar 90 cents a litre and to fill up my tanks needs 130 odd litres, 16 cents a litre is a great saving. Keep it up I say !!

Roebuck Plains Roadhouse is at the junction of the Great Northern Highway and the road into Broome and a large number of heavy vehicles call in every day. My fascination with heavy vehicles received a tremendous boost and I have many photos, here's a couple.

Toll moves a tremendous amount of food in WA, I believe a lot for supermarkets. They also hold a number of large contracts supplying food and drink to major mines. This is a triple refrigerated road train on the job.

A triple road train carrying about 14 or 15 brand new mine support vehicles. 

Roebuck Plains Roadhouse also gave me the opportunity to shoot quite a nice pic of a Red-Winged Parrot, one of a group that visited the tree we were parked under a couple of times every day to feed.

A Red Wing Parrot feeding, watched by a Little Wattle Bird

From Broome /  Roebuck Plains we headed south another 80 or so Km to Barn Hill Station, reached along a dusty, sandy and partly muddy track of around 8 Km or so. We elected to stay in an unpowered site along the cliff top. These camp grounds are fairly basic but at least they also provide drinkable water. The septic toilets are fine if a bit basic as are the showers and neither have a roof.

Perched on the edge of the cliffs affording a splendid view of the beach

Access to the beach is by a slightly precarious but very scenic goat track.

One of my enduring memories of Barn Hill Station is the impressive rock formations along the beach – if you look closely I’m sure you can see that there are many trolls present, relics of a past age, well before the realm of men (or maybe it’s just that I have read “The Hobbit” too many times lol !!)

There's Trolls here these for sure !!

More Trolls!  The watchers on the seaside standing mute (with apologies to Banjo Patterson.)

It’s also pleasant to wander the beach. There’s no access for 4WD vehicles on the north side of the beach and, in any event Barn Hill only allows beach access for vehicles to launch boats. We spent many hours just wandering.

The Beach at Barn Hill Station

Barn Hill also has its share of Sundowners, who gather on the cliffs every evening to watch the sun fall into the sea.

Sundowners, Barn Hill Station WA

After a few days of relaxation at Barn Hill we set off again, slowly south, stopping overnight at a very pleasant free camp.

NEXT STOP 80 MILE BEACH

REGARDS

TJ

HALLS CREEK, FITZROY CROSSING, DERBY

So, slowly southwards we travel, down Highway 1, heading through Warmun  / Turkey Creek  to Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing then Derby..

A couple of times we have started out with an intention to stay at Warmun / Turkey Creek but each time circumstances have led us to keep driving through to Halls Creek.

We also had the option to stay at Mabel Downs, the gateway (and closest park) to the Bungles but we have never had any real desire to visit there. This I guess is a little strange because it seems to be a highlight for many people we meet. We have considered it three times now and each time we decide that the degree of difficulty is too high.

The road through Warmun / Turkey Creek to Halls Creek is cattle country and largely unfenced so a good lookout for stock is required. We had to slow and stop a number of times to avoid wandering cattle. The dried remains of many cattle bore testament to the number of collisions that have occurred.

For us, Halls Creek was just an overnight stop. There is quite a nice bakery in the main street run by a Greek family. We called in there on the way out of town for excellent pastries and good coffee! Here’s a couple of nice bird pics from  Halls Creek.

This Pied Butcher Bird loved to join us at Breakfast

No shortage of Black Kites in Halls Creek !

If you do pass this way, take a trip out to Old Halls Creek on the Duncan Highway (4WD) and also visit Caroline Pool, a nice oasis. A visit to the China Walls is also recommended, it’s close to town. We had visited all of these sights on a previous trip.

The Halls Creek Visitors Information Centre is first class, superior to many larger towns and cities.

Our next stop was Fitzroy Crossing and we stayed at Fitzroy Lodge on the banks of the Fitzroy and it was actually flowing this visit. On our two previous trips to this area the Fitzroy has been an “underground river,” still flowing deep under the red sand.

The Fitzroy, still flowing in July 2013

We visited Geike Gorge just for a drive one afternoon and had a brief wander around without taking the National Parks cruise, we’d been there before and it’s nothing like the well organised cruise of Katherine Gorge.

We were keen to get going and left after two days headed for Derby.

I don’t quite know why, but Derby has become one of our preferred places to stay a few days. I suppose it’s because of the living history of the place, the interesting things to be found thereabouts including, of course, the Derby Jetty.

One rather startling example of past practices is shown on the interpretive display at the old Derby Gaol, a sad example of Government sanctioned (in fact legislated) mistreatment of the local Aboriginal people. It is a picture of Aboriginal men prisoners in chains.

Following the introduction of the Aborigines Act of 1905, Aboriginal people (generally men) could be and were gaoled for relatively simple offences like leaving their home area or employer without permission, for failing to work, for spearing cattle, for being in possession of stolen beef or many other offences. Some were held for weeks or months because they were witnesses in other proceedings.

These Aboriginal men probably didn't know why they were being held in chains.

There were also stories concerning the forced removal of Aboriginal children – the stolen generations, just incomprehensible by today's standards.

Old Derby Gaol is a sad and very sobering example of times past.

Another example of hard times past but not forgotten is the grave of William Richardson, a member of the West Kimberley Police who was “killed by blacks” at Lillmaloora Station on 31^st October 1894 “in the execution of his duty”. His grave and memorial  is still in good condition in the Derby cemetery after 129 years.

His grave and memorial  is still in good condition in the Derby cemetery after 129 years.

The Derby wharf is a major attraction to the many tourists that pass through Derby every day. Tourists (including yours truly) take delight in driving and / or walking over it, some while towing their caravans (not I). It’s also a place to gather before sunset with a drink or two and some nibbles to watch the sun go down. It’s a great place to photograph the sunset as well.

Sundowners on the Derby wharf

Sunset from Derby Wharf

NEXT STOP BROOME

Regards

TJ

WYNDHAM, MARGLU BILLABONG AND PARRY LAGOONS

LOTS OF BIRD AND ANIMAL PICS IN THIS POST

We have previously stayed at Parry Lagoons, it's quite a nice caravan park, although the 6 or 7 Km of dirt road discourages those caravanners that wash and polish their vans at each stop and get paranoid about a little dust and dirt.

One highlight of the area is Marglu Billabong, near the beginning of the dirt. Its a transit stop for many water birds and this time we found it highly populated with Plumed and Wandering Whistling Ducks - in fact it's probably true to say absolutely infested with them.

One of the many "encampments" of Whistling Ducks at Marglu Billabong

They are a little unusual in the duck milieu in that they don't particularly like water, don't swim about and spend their days in large encampments in the very shallow water's edge and on the banks under the surrounding trees and scrub. I first saw them in their thousands at Kakadu where our guide indicated that they were visitors from Indonesia and PNG . This is not borne out by Simpson and Day in their publication 'Field Guide to Birds of Australia" they indicate that both the Plumed and Wandering Whistling Ducks are well established on Australia's coast from around Broome toVictoria.

Marlglu has always been a highlight for us and we have spent many hours in the well-constructed  bird hide / viewing area. It's comfortable and has  a metal walkway and a large seated viewing area.

Sitting there quietly with binoculars and camera  late one morning I was surprised when looking  about 25 metres across the billabong to find a 4+ metre estuarine / salt water croc basking in the sunshine.

Quite a surprise ! This  4 metre + croc has not been there in our many previous visits.

Seeing that the entrance to the hide from the car park is on the banks of the billabong and unfenced, and there is only a small vandalised sign indicating the possible presence of crocs I was quite surprised.

Later I did rind the WA Department of Sustainability and Environment and had a chat to a staff member who professed knowledge of the area and of that particular croc. He basically said that the croc comes and goes and DSE is aware. I can't imagine the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service being that relaxed - they do have a nanny state mentality ! NPWS would no doubt close the entire area ! They are quite risk averse!

At first glance this part of the billabong may seem to be an ideal area to unload your canoe or kayak and go for a leisurely paddle through the birdlife    

Looking a little more closely, and on second thoughts, probably not an especially good idea! And NO, I'm not obsessed with crocodiles!.

Wyndham seems to be coming back. When we last visited in 2011 the place was looking fairly run down. This year there is a new public wharf with very tidy surrounds. Some of the more ramshackle buildings have either fallen down or been removed and the town has a new feel of positivity.

The commercial port area has a wharf that caters for fairly large ships, including the fancy tourist ships that visit the Buccaneer Archipelago / horizontal falls etc.

There is also a fuel depot accepting fuel shipped in for subsequent distribution up and down the coast via a triple road train

Another part of the main commercial port area remains involved with the export of high grade iron ore, but in a minor way. The ore is transported by 4 trailer side-dump  road trains from a mine more than 100 Km away. I understand that there are more than 20 of these trucks running day and night.

Carrying iron ore, at least a 200 Km round trip.

The ore is dumped at a depot before being loaded on to a conveyor that loads in on to a barge. The barge then delivers it to a ship moored nearby and the ship then takes it on board by bucket loader. It must be very high grade ore to go to that much trouble and expense.

The Wyndham iron ore loading facility from the Five Rivers Lookout

The Bastion / Fiver Rivers Lookout is a great place to get a real perspective of the area. The local Lions Club has done a great deal of work as has the local government council.
From The Bastion you can see where five rivers flow into Cambridge Gulf.  The Rivers are The King, The Pentecost, The Durack, The Forest and The Ord.

Some people are put off by the size of the mud flats, but that's just the way it is in this part of the world.

From The Bastion / Five Rivers Lookout looking left towards the mouths of the King,  Pentecost and Durack Rivers (through the narrows called The Nek). Part of the port in the foreground.

Another view from The Bastion / Fiver Rivers Lookout looking down Cambridge Gulf toward the mouths of the Forest and The Ord

BACK TO MARGLU BILLABONG

A Royal Spoonbill, Pied Heron, Intermediate Egret and many Whistling Ducks

White Necked Heron and Whistling Ducks

Magpie Goose

Green Pygmy-goose

NEXT STOP HALLS CREEK THEN FITZROY CROSSING

Regards

TJ

A TASTE OF THE GIBB RIVER ROAD PART 4

Home Valley Station 2

Home Valley Station is owned by an Aboriginal corporation and a stated aim of theirs is to use it as a training venue for indigenous people. The main camping ground, swimming pool, bars and restaurant are all of high standard. There is also a range of accommodation available for bus tours and individuals. 

As I previously mentioned, we elected to camp on the banks of the Pentecost, about 7 Km from the main campground.

Birdlife along the river area is prolific and I was pleased to get a number of nice shots, including one of a local bird I hadn’t seen before. After studying my bird books I found that it was part of a minor race of Lemon Bellied Flycatchers this one called the Kimberley Flycatcher. This bird is restricted to a fairly small area in the Kimberley, so a nice find.

Lemon Bellied Flycatcher / race Kimberley Flycatcher

Here’s another quite nice pic, this time a Black Faced Wood Swallow.

Black Faced Wood Swallow

We went back down the Gibb to the Pentecost River crossing and decided to explore part of another track that wends its way along the river and then heads north around the range and in a loop to end up in Wyndham after passing Digger’s Rest Station. 

The going was very rough and the temperature was well into the 30s that day so we gave up after a while. It was only later that we discovered that the track was actually closed. But we didn’t waste the river crossing photo opportunity, naturally.  

I had to have another pic of the Patrol crossing the Pentecost with the Cockburn Range in the background! 

I really fell under the spell of the Cockburn Range (incidentally it’s pronounced “Coburn”) it’s ever –present in the area and changes colour throughout the day.

The river is also such a huge part of the scene round here, constantly changing with the light and, of course, with the large tides. This next pic taken from the camp ground shows the nearby bend in the river with the range in the background.

Here’s another example of the local wildlife, this “log” wasn’t there when I looked over the river from the camp ground in the morning, but was there when I wandered over at lunch time. As you can see from the enlargement, the croc’s colour is interesting.

 I understand that the light colour shows that the croc has spent most of its life in the salt water. Other photos later in these blogs will show the darker colour of estuarine (saltwater) crocs that live largely in the fresh water. This croc looks to be about 3 ½ metres.

The crocs have to lie in the sun throughout the morning and often through into the afternoon to warm up and recharge their systems after a busy night hunting / fishing, ready for another busy night. 

The track shown in this next pic follows the river for some distance past the camping area. It overlooks the mud flats that exist right along the river. Crocs are also on this same side of the river as our camp, but are a little more difficult to spot. There have been none at nearby boat launching ramp since we have been here, but one was spotted on the mud flats a little up river.

This Whistling Kite seemed to be interested in my attempts to mimic his particular whistle, staring intently each time I whistled at him. I couldn’t tell whether it was in admiration of my whistling, disbelief or amusement!!

Overnight we were once again serenaded by dingoes in the early hours. This time it sounded like a small pack, with howls of varying levels as they moved through the scrub near the camp. Thankfully was no sign of them around the campground during the day, indicating that at least there appeared to be no feeding by campers – wise!

After seven days we reluctantly packed up and headed out for a few days at Parry Lagoon near Wyndham. Our original intention was to travel further down the Gibb past Ellenbrae to Drysdale River. That was a round trip of more than 500 Km of fairly indifferent road so I decided not to flog the Patrol any further.

Robyne's bush clothes !

 As you can see in the departure shot, taken as we left, Robyne had dressed for the occasion, harem pants with a flower and a string of crystals! “Purple Power” one over enthusiastic woman yelled out as she drove past.

All in all the camper trailer experiment has been a huge success, we visited, saw and stayed in places that we would never otherwise have seen and we did it in comfort.

Upsides – the locations we visited, the ease of setup, the ease of towing, the space, the swing-out kitchen, the ease of meal preparation, the comfortable bed high in the trailer.

Downsides – none really, we enjoyed and overcame the challenge and the change.

So back to Kununurra we went to collect the caravan and head south once again to new adventures, heading to Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and then Derby.

More soon !

Regards

TJ