Kununara to Halls Creek to Fitzroy Crossing to Derby to Broome

Now, it may seem like I have been very slack with the posts but the fact is that most of these stops were one night stands.  Some people will tell me that we zoomed through the Kimberley which is the best part of Australia.  Good for you.  We found a whole lot of nothing here except red dirt.

Before moving on to the new sites. it would be remiss if we did not mention another little aspect of Zebedee Springs at El Questro.  As we drove out, Dad got the itches and assumed it was a mosquito or some such animal.  The itching drove him made and the next day he had come up in a shocking and very unattractive rash.  It was a reaction to some grasses, apparently, and Dad's view of El Questro is that it is a commercial enterprise that is over-priced and hopeless and he would never go there.  Catching leprosy does tend to sway a person's view of a place.

Least there was any doubt
from the episode the day before
we learned that tyres should not
have that flat bit on them.

Anyway, we left Kunanara (including some very liberal does of "Stop Itch) and got to Halls Creek.  Pa has a new found dare devil attitiude that saw take us up more unsealed roads.  And we got another flat tyre.  Two in two days.  Great.  Anyway, it did mean that dad and Pa went to the local tyre repair guy/Toyota agent and it was a experience - in a good way.  It seems that the service that you get in the country is either hopeless of fantastic.  This fell into the fantastic (he repaired the tyre) but he also gave us an interesting insight into Halls Creek.  A few years ago they banned the sale of all take away alcohol that was not low alcohol.  So, in essence, you can only buy take away low alcohol beer - not even a bottle of wine to take away.  (You can buy it to drink in the premises).  He said that it was the best thing the town had every done and that the place was now much better than its bad reputation.  He said it was no easy task to get the rules made but that the local aboriginal women needed a lot of credit.  His view about the place was that there were some trouble makers in town but it was otherwise a good place,  As a former cop there also, he had seen some bad things.  Anyway, whatever his name was restored my faith in white, country males.

The other thing that has to be noted about Halls Creek is that it hosts the two worst caravan parks in the country.  But the one we stayed in does have the best tourist attraction in the whole town (which, as you might imagine is not a contest that is too hotly contested) - the most amazing caravan park shop one could expect to find.  Amongst the various things this shop sold were childrens' bikes (a selection of at least 10), perfumes, after shave, kids dress-ups, all the gardening paraphenalia you could imagine, microwave ovens, fully stocked pharamacy etc etc etc.  It was truly extraordinary.  No idea who would buy the stuff but there you go.

Mum does love a good boab tree.

We travelled on to Fitzroy Crossing and checked out the local sights there - the local supermarket and BP.  Its a small place.  It is near Geike Gorge but we have a case of gorge-itis and the prospect of a two hour walk in 39 degree heat - without a swim (well, you can swim, but you will be eaten by a crocodile or a bull shark - take your pick - either way, it tends to take the fun out of the walk) - was all just a bit too much for us to contemplate. 

Derby is not a bad place but again a bit short on tourist sites.  It has big tides apparently - it you get there at the right time - which we did not. 

Isaac got into the swing of things
on Cable Beach.  The rest of us did
not.

We then made it to Broome which, if you have not been here, is Byron Bay on the west coast.  We are staying at Cable Beach and if you come on to the beach you can turn left or right.  If you turn left then you go to the normal section with the flags etc.  But you cannot take you car.  If you turn right then you can take your car and park it on the beach.  The stories about fantastic white sands and beautiful blue waters are true.  However, there is a slight down-side to turning right - the beach is a nudist beach.  Yes, another stop on our trip of exposing (pardon the pun) our children to the best nudist beaches in Australia.  The thing that is particularly concerning is that people who choose to be nudists are the people who should not be nudists - old, fat people.  We don't want to see.  Put them away.  As Anouk said, very loudly, about one bloke - "He is not wearing anything, not even any underpants".  Isaac corrected her, "He was wearing a hat, though".  Mum had not even noticed.

Anyway, we will be here for a while.  Basically, we will be sitting on the beach.  Not much to blog about for a while.  I hope.

You get some nice moments as a grandparent (note that they are clothed). 
Of course, you have to be a parent first ...

but then, being a parent is not all bad either ..