Life in a Humpback

Day 68: De Grey River Rest Area to Karijini Free Camp

This morning we drove the last 80km into Port Hedland to pick up some groceries and have a look around town. It was very interesting to see all of the mining transport infrastructure. There were large hills of salt bring loaded onto road trains, and iron ore being moved by very long trains (over 250 carriages per train) and ships.

Once we had our fill of the sites of Port Hedland we drove inland once again towards Karijini National Park. Soon after leaving the coastal highway we started gaining elevation and found ourselves back in the red rock hills covered in spinifex and gum trees. We also passed more road trains today than we have in the whole trip, the majority of which were filled with iron ore.

Just before getting into camp we stopped at the Albert Tognolini Lookout for a view over Karijini Range and down onto the road cut that we drove through. From the lookout we could watch the road trains coming and going.

A bit before sunset we found the Karijini Free Camp site just outside the national park. Here we drove up the hill and found a great spot for the night under some gum trees in amongst the spinifex. It was the first cool evening we had had in ages. In fact we think today was the first day that it did not get to 30 degrees since we left Mataranka. We all enjoyed the cooler evening around the campfire.

Day 67: Broome to De Grey River Rest Area

Today we left Broome for the last time, heading south along the West Australian coast. We drove 540km passing:

• a very large herd of cattle (1000+)
• fields covered in purple mulla mulla
• several brula birds along the side of the road out of Broome
• a road train that was carrying a big mining dump truck
• some pretty funky roadhouses at Sandfire and Pardoo
• a nice lunch spot at Stanley Rest Area
• and our first sunset in ages that had clouds

All before pulling into the De Grey River Rest Area just before sunset. This was another great free camp along the river, with lots of space for all the caravans to spread out. Only complaint about this site was the overwhelming number of little bugs that kept getting through our fly screens tonight. The only way we were able to combat them was to have all the lights off (even John gave up trying to fight them and went to sleep early).

Day 66: Broome (Day 4)

Today we headed out to the Broome Bird Observatory on Roebuck Bay. I think the kids favourite part of the day was hanging out in the observatory discovery centre trying to see how many wing flaps they could do in 60 seconds (to determine the distance they could fly). John held the family record of just shy of 3000m where as the kids are I couldn't break the 2000m mark. Once we all had sore arms we went for a walk along the Pindan Trail and over to the view point out onto to Roebuck Bay. Along the way we saw lots birds, two small snakes, a bower bird nest, a few blue tongue lizards and a large python under one of the buildings.

Back in Broome we had one last look around Chinatown and Town Jetty before calling it a day.

Day 65: Broome (Day 3)

I got up early today and went for my first run of the trip from Chinatown to Town Jetty and back. I figured that since today marks our halfway point on our trip I guess I should start getting fit for touch when I get back in two months!

We marked this milestone with a relaxing day around Broome. Finished off the day watching the sunset at Cable Beach one more time and then heading to the Town Jetty Thursday markets for dinner.

Day 64: Pender Bay to Broome

Today we said goodbye to our beautiful seaside campsite with one last sunrise and walk along the beach. We then travelled back into Broome to the same caravan park as last time (Broome Caravan Park). After setting up camp Theo and I headed to the doctor to get the bit of shell out his foot. Afterwards we went to Spinifex Brewery for dinner, where Theo polished off a rather large chicken parmy.

Day 63: Pender Bay (Day 3)

Today the other three families packed up and headed off to their next camps while we were staying for another night. The three families that were next to each other were all up for sunrise together. For the first time we saw lots of humpback whales in the distance (until now it has only been one or two a day). Several of them were breaching and tail slapping. They were still pretty far from the shore but with binoculars we could see them playing. Closer to shore Olivia was the first to spot the two dolphins swimming along the shore below camp. What a big marine wildlife morning to see our new friends off.

After all the excitement, the kids all squished in as much play as they could before everyone left camp around 10:00am. It was then very quiet. I went for a walk down the beach that was now littered with jelly fish that had washed up the previous night. Later in the afternoon John and the kids went for a snorkel. While snorkelling, Theo got closer to a jelly fish then he was comfortable with so he decided to get out of the water. While making his way to shore he stepped on a rock covered in sharp shells, cutting his heel, and leaving a bit of shell in his foot. We tried to get it out but had no luck. As we were travelling back to Broome the following day we decided to just wrapped it up and take a trip to the doctors back in town.

Since it was our last night at Pender Bay we had a campfire to use up our remaining firewood that we had been lugging around since Litchfield National Park.

Day 62: Pender Bay (Day 2)

Today the kids had another day hanging with the three other families. They spent a bit more time on the beach, but also roamed between campsites playing everyone's card and board games in the shade of the various caravan awnings.

Later in the afternoon the kids had a game of beach cricket follow by more playing in the sand. This time they made a big pizza. With eight slices that each individual got to decorate. It was very cool to see all the different styles and amount of details that went into each slice.

After dinner we hosted part 2 of Ratatouille with all eight kids watching this time, before heading to bed. Again the fires could still be seen burning along the northern coast.

Day 61: Pender Bay (Day 1)

I told the kids the previous night that they were not allowed to get up and play until the sun was fully up and they had had breakfast. I forgot that they would take this as a challenge rather than boundary setting. So when I got up to watch the sunrise over the ocean Theo was up with me waiting for Arlo (from the neighbouring camp site) to have breakfast so that they could both head back and continue adding to their hermit crab world. It wasn't long before Olivia and Arlo's brother Henry also joined in. A bit later in the morning James and Max also joined the construction crew.

Once again the kids were down there for most of the day. Only coming back to camp when asked to put on sunscreen, eat snacks, and fill water bottles. Although we did drag them away from their creation for a swim at low tide off the northern beach.

John and I spent most of the day going for a walk along the beach, looking for humpback whales, catching up on reading, sorting through photos, and writing blog posts 🙂.

In the evening we had a movie night at our caravan for the kids to watch Ratatouille. We had 7 kids crowded around our little TV screen. We started pretty late, so they only got through part of the movie, with the promise to finish it the next night.

Day 60: Djarindjin to Pender Bay

Rather then heading straight to Pender Bay we figured we would take advantage of being in the north of the Dampier Peninsula to have a bit of a look around before heading south again to the Middle Lagoon area.

So we packed up the caravan and parked it near the roadhouse so that we did not have to take it with us back up to Cygnet Bay Farm. In the morning we went on the pearl farm tour to learn about the history of the Cygnet Bay pearl industry and the Brown family that have owned the farm since it was started three generations ago. We got a tour of the facilities at Cygnet Bay and learned about all the uses for pearls and oyster shells. The kids got to pick out an oyster for our guide to open up and show the tour group if there was a pearl inside. The guide showed us how to open it and what all the different parts of the oyster are used for. Inside we did find a pearl (and a small crab) and so the next step was to head over to the evaluation room. Here we learning about the way they grade a pearl. It turned out our pearl was not a very good one and not worth anything, which illustrated rather well how the process is not perfect every time.

After the tour we had a quick drink and snack at the cafe before we returned to the roadhouse to pick up the caravan and head into Pender Bay. When we got to the turn off to the Middle Lagoon Road we joined the queue of 4WDs with boat trailers and caravans letting down their tyres for the drive in. When then drove the 33km from the highway into Pender Bay Escape.

Our campsite for the next few nights was on the top of the small cliff above the two beaches in the bay. As we pulled in we realised that a family we had met the previous day, with two boys our kids age, were in the campsite next to us. Our kids ran down to the beach to play with them while John and I set up camp and spotted a humpback whale swim past in the distance.

The kids spent afternoon collecting hermit crabs and creating a world for them to live in out of sand. It was quite the maze of tunnels, hills, and trenches. By the end of the day they had also gain another four boys to help them out. The other boys fortunately were also only a few sites away.

Meanwhile the adults went on a walk along the beach to heart rock at the end of the southern beach or relaxed with a book. Being perched above the beach like were were meant we could keep an eye on the kids without going anywhere. Bliss.

After the sunset we could see the glow of the fires still burning in the distance further along the coast.

Day 59: Broome to Djarindjin

Today we once again packed up camp to head up to Pender Bay on the Dampier Peninsula (north of Broome). However just before leaving camp I got a message saying that the road into the Pender Bay Escape campsite was closed by the emergency services due to fires and thick smoke in the area.

We decided to head north anyways as the camp manager was hoping that the road would be open after lunch. We stopped at the Beagle Bay community for lunch and to see the Mother of Pearl Church. The local aboriginal community built this church decorating it with pearl shells.

Just before we left Beagle Bay we received another message saying that the road was still closed. So we looked for an alternate campsite for the night. We ended up getting into the Djarindjin Roadhouse which is run by the community from the northern part of the peninsula.

After pulling into camp, we dropped the caravan and continued north to Cygnet Bay for a look around the pearl farm before heading back to camp for dinner.

At 5:00pm we got a message that the road into Pender Bay was open again, so we could head into our originally planned destination the following morning.