Broome and Cape Leveque

The trip up the road from Eighty Mile beach to Broome was uneventful. Just the way we like it! Broome is a bit of a milestone for us all. Our great friends the Carius family were joining us for the next 2 weeks and it officially marked the halfway point of the Kearneys Big Lap of Australia! I truly can’t believe we’ve been on the road now for 84 days. In some ways we feel totally disconnected from our life back in Brisbane and in other ways it feels like we’ve been going longer. We’ve have been fortunate enough to have seen so much already though so much is yet to come. Cape Leveque, The Kimberleys and the mighty Gibb River Road, not to mention Kakadu, Darwin and Lichfield National Parks all still to come.

As mobile reception returned we started getting texts from Bob letting us know they had arrived. We were about an hour behind them. We checked in at the Palm Grove Caravan Park in Cable Beach, a few kilometres out of Broome township. The park was absolutely full but that is the nature of Broome at this time of year. There are other caravan parks and overflow areas just out of town just full of people trying to get into one of the more sought after ones.

Camels on Cable Beach

Sunset

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting from Broome. I knew it was the start or end of many peoples' Kimberley trip so I expected it to be busy but I don’t think I was prepared for just how busy. Broome has many beautiful beaches including Cable Beach and Reddels Beach. We had a great week with many highlights. We were fortunate that our trip coincided with the Staircase to the Moon. This occurs for a couple of days around the full moon each month with a low tide. The moon rises above the horizon at Roebuck Bay and casts it’s glow across the mud flats creating a staircase effect. It’s really beautiful and all 3000 or so people there thought so too!

Staircase to the moon

They hold night markets as well with lots of yummy food and local arts and crafts. Coincidentally, Louise’s sister Bronwyn and her husband Anthony were also in Broome for a short break so they joined us as well. Highlights for the week were sunsets on Cable Beach watching the camels and parade of 4WD vehicles going on and off the single lane steep entry, which was interesting.

We had some nice meals but the pick of them was the Wharf restaurant for a late lunch one afternoon after a successful fishing session off the jetty. We had caught a 68cm Diamond Trevally, which was a real team effort. Tim’s line took off, Bob fought it for a while and got tired so handed it to me to bring him in. Bob also had to climb down closer to the water so we could land it. Lachie took the photos! We had quite a crowd watching us, giving advice and cheering as I’m pretty sure it was the only fish landed that I could see. So after a successful session we were hungry and found the Wharf to be just delightful. The food was just outstanding. Barramundi wings, Threadfin Salmon and the best Chilli crab I’ve had outside of Singapore. There must have been 7 or 8 full blue swimmer crabs in it.

Lunch at Wharf

Cinema

We also went to watch a movie at the oldest working outdoor picture theatre in the world. Cool hey? We saw that classic Monsters University, I'm still giggling even now... Bob and I took a fishing charter one day. Now he will tell you he was very lucky catching all of those cod, but it seems they aren't that nice to eat so the three blue-lined emperor I caught were much nicer apparently. We had a great day out and were able to catch a couple of big golden trevally as well. I also caught a spanish mackerel that was about a millimetre short of the 90cm legal limit but the captain insisted we throw it back. hmmm What stunned us was the number of really big sharks eating our fish as you frantically were fighting it or pulling it to the surface. They were a real problem and plagued us wherever we went.

89.9cm Spanish Mackerel...

Golden Trevally

Blue lined Emperor - yum

One day we rose early to get down to the Gantheaume Point to see some dinosaur footprint fossils which can only be seen on extremely low tides for only a few minutes. It was quite a scramble down the sharp rocks to get there but the site of these larges prints made it all worthwhile.

Whilst we had a great time in Broome, we couldn't wait to get up to Cape Leveque. It's 200km north of Broome with 100km of sandy road and 100km of bitumen once you hit aboriginal land. The drive was a bit corrugated but not too bad although the Carius' in their hired X-trail seemed to be really excited to hit the bitumen!

We stayed at the Kooljaman Resort (pronounced Gooljaman) and were greeted by some of the most beautiful scenery we've ever seen. This place is hard to describe. As you can see after this long on the road I'm running out of superlatives so forgive me if I get a little repetitive. The parents had a log cabin each while the kids had fun under a beachside site in the tents. Everybody wins!

Gracie and Charlotte having fun on Eastern beach

We did lots of exploring, sunsets, beach driving, fishing, swimming and relaxing. We had a magical 6 days. One day we headed out on a tag along tour with a local guide called Brian Lee. He is an elder of the area and chairman of the Koojamin Resort. He gave us some history of the area, which was pretty fascinating. He took us up to Cooper Creek mouth where we hunted for shells with the kids. At the same time the trusty Max Traxx recovered a Pajero who had his first go on sand and was a little timid. We then went into the creek where we went for a little fish and caught a little GT. Then of course was the main event. The great mudcrab hunt. The tides were perfect and Brian was very keen to show us some of his favourite crab sites. He also delivered with 4 big muddies captured. He showed everyone how they pick them up Cape Leveque style - by the claws! After Gracie picked up a monster even I was convinced. We also had traditional throwing spears, so we all tried to catch a feed the old fashioned way. I like the modern way myself!

Brian showing Tim how to use small shells to whistle really loudly. Bob and Lou were really pleased.

Ready to do battle

Gracie catching a crab

Easy

It was just the most wonderful day. Walking through the mangroves, digging for crabs and listening to Brian give his views on the area. Unfortunately all goos things come to an end but Brian wasn't finished yet. As we drove back along the beach he abruptly stopped his car and raced down with his spears to the waters edge. He then threw his spears on the ground and carefully crept into the water. It was like watching a heron silently and carefully walking through the water hunting fish. Suddenly Brian thrust his hands into the whitewash and came up with a small sea turtle in his hands. Quite incredible. (We also have it on video) Most amazing thing I've ever seen.

Maria got to release it

To top off the day Brian gave us the bag full of crabs and said the kids were so good we could keep them all so we cooked them up in the traditional way on the fire for dinner washed down with a few cheeky whites. Just about my favourite day of the trip I think.

Yum

One day we visited the Cygnet Bay Pearl farm which was, believe it or not, really interesting how they culture pearls and the industry as a whole. Naturally the girls all found it tremendously fascinating. We then took a drive up the road to the local aboriginal settlement One Arm Point. It was a really windy day so no fishing or beaching but we did visit the Trochus Shell farm they have there. They showed us lots of fish in tanks and how they grow and harvest Trochus shells for polishing and sale.

Fishing at Sunset

Sunset

We had such a wonderful time with the Carius' it was really sad to see them off. Two weeks wasn't enough but what a special place Cape Leveque and Broome is. We'll be back for sure. Well, the call of the Kimberley beckons and tomorrow we are off to Derby for the start of our 4 week Gibb River Road Kimberley adventure. Can't wait.