Month: September 2015

Lazy day in Broome

Our first B&B



Breakfast of toast and coffee at our AirB&B hosted by Steph down near Town Beach. Bit of concern at water on the floor in front of the fridge first thing, but it seems the fridge was just having a rest and defrosting. With the high humidity in Broome, the little bar fridge was getting a work out. Very excited that our milk for coffee and spreads for breakfast will be nicely chilled now.

Town Beach
Town Beach

A short walk to Town Beach  for a morning coffee and watching the tide go out. Cybil was cleaning her teeth by the public water fountain, shower by the beach so we waited patiently for her to finish her teeth, her shower, wash a few clothes, scrub between her toes and the concrete base, also with a toothbrush. Kerry was rather hoping it was a different toothbrush but we have no evidence to confirm or deny this. Cybil did look like she’d warded off a fair bit more than a bit of bacteria in her time, so I think she will be okay. She had her little terrier guarding her every move. A free lady travelling around, good on her I say. Kerry will give her a new tooth brush tomorrow…

We found this little wriggly fellow on the beach

Hermit crab on Town Beach Broome

After all this excitement we caught the Broome Bus Service into Chinatown. Could have walked it on a cooler day, but although it was  pleasant 30°C or so around lunchtime, having a ride on a  Broome Bus Service was an experience not to be missed.

Lunch was sought out at the Son Ming Restaurent in China Town. Trip Advisor reviews doesn’t give this place a good rap, but $15 each for a decent feed for lunch that has filled us all day, and we’re not in hospital – bonus. Linus, Matthew and I had eaten here in April when we brought the buses up. Linus had been planning to bring Chinese tourists on a self drive tour around the Kimberley and was checking out local supplies to suit the Chinese tastes. Our hostess today reminded me of something I’d learnt in China a year ago – that Chinese of my age are unlikely to have a bar of going out in the bush, roughing it and would much prefer the Casino’s. Why, because when they were young, the cultural revolution was in full swing and they were sent to the country to work for a pittance for a year. These hard times left a strong memory on this generation, and they’re not going to choose to come to a foreign country to go an live rough.  You’d not have to take this historical lesson into account for any other country I can think of.

Matthew picked us up from Chinatown and we worked for a few hours loading a whole lot of excess gear into the spare bus, I suspect the one Kerry and I will be travelling in to Perth in a few weeks. With a heavy loaded trailer, heavy loaded bus, we took both to the Broome Gateway Caravan Park to leave them in the good care of Ken and Bev for the next few weeks. This park is well out of town, but the only one that will take pets. Ken and Bev are the warm and friendly caretakers, and we look forward to chatting more to them when they join us on the trip up to Cape Leveque after we return to Broome in a few weeks.

A quick clothes wash tonight, after a sumptous meal bought at Fongs Supermarket that left us with only two spoons to wash up – yes, living the high life in Broome, and it’ll be an early night, surprisingly without beer , to get ready for our early pickup and we’ll be ON OUR WAY…. Yay

Packing up and getting aclimatised

My, it’s not like a Perth winter here!! Today was around 36°C as we where packing up the old trailer with all the left over equipment that won’t be needed on this trip, in readiness for it to be taken to Perth at the end of September.

Drinking plenty of water, resting out of the sun – a big difference to sitting around a heater at home.

I’m thinking we’ll be off to Matsos brewery for a mango beer very soon.

It was good to catch up with Matthew again and hear his tales. All credit to him here, and Carmel at home, for making it through their first season and coming out the other end, nearly.

The buses are certainly worse for wear after their first season. The rough roads have taken their toll on suspension components on both the trailer and the trucks themselves. Several sets of shock absorbers and replacement springs have been required, all fitted at remote locations. Some of the early overheating problems we were concerned about on the way up remain on both buses, indicating it’s more a design issue than a specific fault. Certainly plenty to consider for the off season repairs in Perth.

Fortunately good springs mean a comfy ride for passengers, and with the powerful roof mounted air conditioner keeping us cooler than outside, the trip will be excellent I’m sure. Leaving on Thursday.

Back in Broome

Ahh Broome in September – Great evenings under the stars.

But first, we had to leave Perth. Last minute rush to get appointments sorted out, a couple of hours back at work to help with handover, then back home to pack, a quick lunch snack and open the Uber app on the phone to get us a lift sorted to the airport

Arrived an hour before boarding, plenty of time to take things easy and not get flustered, and start the process of getting into holiday mode.

2.5 hour flight to Broome from Perth had us landing on time at 6pm just after sundown.

image

It’s pretty cool how the airlines now allow small devices, like the iPad to be functioning the whole time in flight. My nice new iPad has built in GPS, so low and behold I picked up a GPS location on one of my mapping apps and was able to track us into landing. This may not appeal to the majority, but I think it’s pretty cool. 250kmh landing speed. You’d never know that unless I told you would you!!

Caught a cab to our first booking with Air B&B and are staying down near Town beach in old Broome. Just over the road is the famous 18 Degrees bar and restaurent which has fed us watered us well, sitting outside in the just right temperature.
18° Broome

Just the right temperature for a couple of Little Creatures Ales, hence the chatty blogging, Wild barramundi medallions, shrimp and pork dumplings, mint, onion, cucumber chilli, wild rice and creamy beetroot foam, with a plate of roasted garlic rosemary chat potoatoes, chorizo on the side. Who says this is a wild frontier town….

Just had a call from Matthew to arrange our tasks for tomorrow really looking forward to reconnecting and getting into it.

Oh, the mosquitoes are really BIG!!!!