THE BIG TRIP - 2008
AROUND AUSTRALIA 2008
Saturday 23 August – Friday 5 September
Broome to Silent Grove
Blog 6
The dragon boat races were on at Roebuck Bay and we all sat waiting for the tide to come in enough for the teams to be able to launch their dragon boats. The 2 tug-o-war competitions were carried out before the boat races started and were so hotly contested. They then had someone take the blind folds off the dragon heads at the front of each boat and paint the eyes of the dragon to wake them up and give them good luck for travel.
We went into town to watch the Shinju Matsuri Parade which really highlighted the Broome vibrant community with all the groups represented.
We went to the presentation of the Art Awards which are also part of the Shinju Matsuri festival. Seventy-six different artists all from Broome exhibited with works including oil and water colour painting, collage, photography and sculptures.
It was already the beginning of September and already very hot. We did stay in Broome for the Shinju Matsuri Festival but it was really going to be very hot for our 2 weeks to Kalumburu and back.
We booked a Hovercraft trip which takes people out onto the mud flats on extra low tides which only occur a few times a year that allow the bombed Catalina wrecks from WW2 to be visible. We also stopped at the dinosaur footprints at Red Cliffs. Broome is the only place in the world that has many dinosaur footprints but no fossils. It was a beautiful sunrise over the water of the bay and a fantastic ride on the hovercraft.
We left Broome on our 2 week trip to Kalumburu and back making Derby our first stop. John came along on the trip while Rhonda stayed in Broome. We stopped at the Prison Boab just out of Derby on the Derby Common with its long old concrete water trough. It was an easy first day and we made sure that we watched the beautiful sunset from the pier, with an out going tide.
The first 85km of the Gibb River Road was bitumen so the drive to Silent Grove was easy. We spent the rest of the day exploring Bells Gorge walking along the rocky river bed. I sat and paddled in the cool water while John walked down to the lower level ponds. There were lots of different birds at the camp site and the showers were cold but refreshing in the heat.
Saturday 23 August – Friday 5 September
Broome to Silent Grove
Blog 6
The dragon boat races were on at Roebuck Bay and we all sat waiting for the tide to come in enough for the teams to be able to launch their dragon boats. The 2 tug-o-war competitions were carried out before the boat races started and were so hotly contested. They then had someone take the blind folds off the dragon heads at the front of each boat and paint the eyes of the dragon to wake them up and give them good luck for travel.
We went into town to watch the Shinju Matsuri Parade which really highlighted the Broome vibrant community with all the groups represented.
We went to the presentation of the Art Awards which are also part of the Shinju Matsuri festival. Seventy-six different artists all from Broome exhibited with works including oil and water colour painting, collage, photography and sculptures.
It was already the beginning of September and already very hot. We did stay in Broome for the Shinju Matsuri Festival but it was really going to be very hot for our 2 weeks to Kalumburu and back.
We booked a Hovercraft trip which takes people out onto the mud flats on extra low tides which only occur a few times a year that allow the bombed Catalina wrecks from WW2 to be visible. We also stopped at the dinosaur footprints at Red Cliffs. Broome is the only place in the world that has many dinosaur footprints but no fossils. It was a beautiful sunrise over the water of the bay and a fantastic ride on the hovercraft.
We left Broome on our 2 week trip to Kalumburu and back making Derby our first stop. John came along on the trip while Rhonda stayed in Broome. We stopped at the Prison Boab just out of Derby on the Derby Common with its long old concrete water trough. It was an easy first day and we made sure that we watched the beautiful sunset from the pier, with an out going tide.
The first 85km of the Gibb River Road was bitumen so the drive to Silent Grove was easy. We spent the rest of the day exploring Bells Gorge walking along the rocky river bed. I sat and paddled in the cool water while John walked down to the lower level ponds. There were lots of different birds at the camp site and the showers were cold but refreshing in the heat.
posted by Mike and Carol at
10:11 AM
