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Hi Guys. It has been a busy couple of days so I will incorporate Broome and Derby in one blog entry.
It's funny, I always thought it was odd that Muma dn Dad said they were so busy on the road, I though , what are they possibly doing with their time? How can you be so busy when there is nothing pressing to do and no one presing you to do it. Well I have to tell you that we are so busy doing stuff that there is little time to do anything else. The days are filled with sight seeing, washing , packing, moving, unpacking, cooking,playing crib and then there is the compulsory socialising at 5 o'clock that my father has on the phone alarm every day to remind him it is cocktail time!. Paige and Chanelle, my dad should ask you what time it is? So what I am saying is that it is a busy life even though I am not working but it is a bloody brilliant time to be had!
So, what have we done in the last few days.....so much! We were in Broome for a couple of days, we had to wait for mail and some deliveries which forced up to stay an extra day. It wasn't so bad except that as there are no dog freiendly parks in Broome we had to stay a little way out...no big deal. We were in a station that was in the bush and was far away from the hustle and bustle that Broome is becoming. I still have no great love for broome but it does have an impressive beach. We were luckier still as we arrived in time for the full moon and the stairway to it. We perched ourselves at town beach amongst half of australia's population that is currently touring and anxiously awaited the moon to put on a show. It was lovely and I hope that the picture I took gives it a little justice. We also went to a brewery that evening called Matso's Brewery. That night was Indian special by Mr P. Alcoholic Ginger beer and hot hot hot curry......mmm yum! Thinking of you Matt xx
On our way to Derby. Not a great distance to travel but just far enough. We stayed at a lovely park that took puppies and also had a pool so Hughie was in his element! There was also a friendly python that made his way around the park. We were a little way out of town so we were also lucky enough to wittness the parties that the locals had that night because of pension day they were in for a good time. There was gambling, drinking, screaming, dog fighting and sirens. You could see the sore heads the next day but that didn't stop them from continuing on that night.
We did the walk around the Derby jetty. That is a big OOOO! I found a coffee! It was worthy of comment but not brilliant. Standards are lowering (for coffee only girls). I asked a local what is there to do in Derby; the jetty, the prison boab and the bird walk.We did 2 of them. The jetty is popular because it shows the extremes in tidal height. There is a 11.2 meter tide in Derby. It raises and lowers 2 meters per hour. The jetty is set on the mud flats and from there one can see the dramatic changes quite easily. It is not that pretty because it is all mud but you get the idea heh? We went to the prison Boab. Boabs are an introduced species from Madagasca so I am told. They are everywhere in Derby and the surrounding area. They are a beautiful and impressive tree. So unique. The Prison Boab is quite a moving monument to the history of Australia. The tree was used to hold aboriginal men in the early 1800's by the 'Blackbirders'(kidnappers of aboriginal people). They would take the people and chain them up, make them walk 30-45ks per day and just before getting derby they would hold them there in the tree with a guard out front before sending them on to various boating and used as pearl divers. Of course things got out of hand and eventually the aboriginal people began to fight back......it goes on and on. The tree was also used in the first and second world wars as a stop between long journeys. I actually went in to the tree , it is very eerie but incrediby cool in temperature as it is completely hollow with an air vent at the top. G-d kows how many people have suffered inside that tree..
Being up in Derby, you are at the gate way to the dampier archipeligo. We decided to make the most of the situation and take a sea plane to the horizontal falls. What are they and how can you have a horizontal fall? We boarded the plane, 4 of us. I sat in the F/O seat, no one else wanted it so I put my hand up. We flew over the Dampier ranges and the floodlands, the aboriginal community and the King Sound.It really is breath taking. I have put alot of pictures on the album but there were so many more, I hope you like them. We landed in Talbot sound just near the falls. We were taken to a beautiful yacht where morning tea was awaiting us. We sat around for a ittle while chatting and taking in the peace and beauty on this magnificent yacht. Adam then took us up through the gorge. We went through whirl pools and massive basins of water followed by smaller streams with the most striking scenery. We were jarred around by the little whirl pools that would appear and disappear from nowhere.The water was a terquoise blue with the reflections of the red rocks and the green folliage. No crocs to be seen I am affraid. They don't like the noise apparently.....go figure! Any way , I am no author so take a look at the pics and you will get an idea.
We were on that litte ride for about an hour, we went back to the yacht and had a wine and a little more of a rest whilst we were waiting for the tide to start moving. We boarded the speed boat with twin 225 johnsons on the back and strapped in for a ride of a life time! The other couple were also adventurous so we told Adam to bang it up as fast as he dared to go. I think he gave himself a 'bang up' as well!. Any way, what are the falls.... what happens is Talbot bay fills with water with the rising tide (2 meters per hour). The 2 other bays have to fill as well. The only inlet to them is via talbot bay and that is a mighty big body of water trying to fill 2 smaller bays. The only way in is via a gap of about 15 meters across. The larger body of water pushs its way through a such a rate that it cannot get in fast enough therefore creating a 5 meter sloping torent of water filling up the bay a fast as it can get in. The second bay is even smaller, that is the one we didn't go through as a lady was killed last year when she fell out of the boat. It is even more treacherous becuse it is a smaller bay and the same thing is occurring but at a more violent rate. So, we went up and down the rapids several times, at one time we were stationary in the middle of the opening with the engines keeping us there and the engines were pushing about 25-30 knotts, so you could imagine how fast these falls were travelling.
We got back to the yacht for some lunch and were greeted by a couple of sharks. We were wondering why we weren't allowed to swim, I will tell you why.....SHARKS and CROCS! The ones that are in the pictures are only 2 of them. Adam made a joke, if any one was to fall in he would give the sharks and crocs 20 seconds, if you survived that then the rapids and the currents and if all those things didn't claim you then you might be worth saving. We threw an apple core in the water to see how fast they respond to movement.....INSTANTLY!!!!!!! So NO there was no swimming! Anyway, the day was now over and it was the most fantastic fun! If ever any of you are up this way, spend the money and have the ride of your life!
Favourite things - Boab trees, The falls, the plane ride, the boat ride, the whole day!
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