Mike & Carol's Bushtracker Adventures Around Australia

Friday, June 06, 2008

THE BIG TRIP - 2008

AROUND AUSTRALIA 2008
Saturday 10 May – Friday 6 June
Kununurra to Broome
Blog 2

In Celebrity Tree Park, the Kununurra community was holding its Teddy Bear’s Picnic for young local families down by the Lake. The kids were having a wonderful time. The Celebrity Tree Park has trees planted by celebrities over the last 10-11 years. It is a lovely idea.

We finally got to Broome a few days earlier than we had booked but were able to have a spot until our own spot became vacant. It took us a while to set up everything that we needed for our 4 month stay particularly positioning the caravan so that we could get satellite signal through an opening in the trees.

Cable Beach still has the magic that keeps drawing us back to Broome.

I joined the library, Mike joined the gym and we enrolled for some courses at the local TAFE and just became one of the thousand of winter residents.

Our first attempts to see the Dinosaur Prints in the rocks at low tide at Gantheaume Point were unsuccessful but we did see them the next low tide.

Friends arrived by plane for a 2 week holiday in Broome and we spent some lovely times exploring Broome together, Cable Beach, Gantheaume Point, restaurants, the markets and all the beautiful spots in town.

We took a trip to Horizontal Falls. A sea plane flew us from Broome over King Sound to Talbot Lake where we were picked up by a motor boat and taken through the wider opening of the Horizontal Falls. What a buzz it was. The water was like being churned in a washing machine. There are 2 falls, the second one has a narrower opening and we didn’t go through that. We found out later that they used to go through both but last year one of the boats capsized and a woman drowned even with her life jacket on!!! The falls are caused by the huge and rapidly moving tides causing the water levels on either side of the openings to be different at certain times in the tidal cycle. It is quite spectacular. The water and sky are VERY blue and the rocks look like quartz outcrops. We spent the rest of the afternoon on a yatch enjoying lunch and the quiet. We flew back home over the 1000 Island Buccaneer Archipelago, over cape Leveque, Lombadina, Beagle Bay and then finally over Cable Beach. What a spectacular sight it was.


Dragon Fly on spare wheel carrier of our truck - Kununurra WA
Dragon flies this early means a long hot winter


Our home for the next three days - Big4 Caravan Park - Kununurra WA


Boab Trees still in leaves - downtown Kununurra WA


This Boab has shed it's leaves but not it's pods


Lake Kununurra WA


Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA


Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA


Locals being entertained at the Teddy Bear's Picnic - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA


What a great idea - Celebrity Tree Park Kununurra WA


Pristine Child Care Cente at Kununurra with gorgeous Boab paintings


Brings a smile to the dial


Ma and Pa Boab - cute


The Boab Family - Kununurra WA


Our rig at Willare Bridge Roadhouse


We stopped here for lunch on our way to Broome


Only 166km to go - great


Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA


Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA


Great collection of Cattle skulls and horns - Willare Bridge Roadhouse WA


Home for the next four months - Cable Beach, Broome WA


We just love this place


Even our rig is smiling to be back on Cable Beach at Broome again


Carol at Gantheaume Point - it's low low tide
and we are looking for the Dinosaur footprints


The colours at Gantheaume Point are simply fantastic


Everyone is looking, looking, but we couldn't find the dinosaur footprints - bugger!


Sunset - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA


Camels near sunset on Cable Beach Broome WA


Ehud and Dagmar in her new "body" - Broome markets


Dagmar, Ehud and Carol at Gantheaume Point, Broome WA


Dagmar and Ehud at Anastasia's Pool - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA


Ehud and Dagmar look like locals - Gantheaume Point, Broome WA


Ehud and Dagmar - ready for our daily walk on Cable Beach Broome WA


Cable Beach agrees with Dagmar and Ehud


Dagmar and Ehud back at our truck on Cable Beach after an hour's walk


We are off to Horizontal Waterfalls for the day


Our pilot giving us safety instructions before we board the plane


That's our plane


There are nine passengers on board and we are looking forward to the journey


Our pilot is ready for take-off from Broome Airport


View of Broome and Roebuck Bay as we head East to Horizontal Waterfalls


We are flying at an altitude around 500feet
look how straight the road is


This farm grows fruit and vegetables, probably for the Broome community


Have no idea what these rings are as we continue to fly North East


View as we approached of King Sound


Looking south down King Sound towards Derby


Fantastic colours as we flew over King Sound


East of King Sound we flew over Kimbolton Restricted Area


This is the Yampi Training Area as we head towards Talbot Bay and Horizontal Waterfalls


Creeks and water everywhere


We are nearly there - first view of Talbot Bay WA


Spectacular view as we approach Horizontal Waterfalls from the air


These are the two Horizontal Waterfalls


We flew over Horizontal Waterfalls from several angles


Look at how fast the water is rushing through this Horizontal Waterfall


We landed in Talbot Bay and taxied this pontoon


Then climbed aboard this motor boat for our ride to Horizontal Waterfalls


Carol seated in the motor boat - excited at being here at Horizontal Waterfalls


This is the yatch where we will have lunch and spend our time in Talbot Bay


But first we are off to see Horizontal Waterfalls


We approach the first Horizontal Waterfall


Horizontal Waterfalls


Into the first Horizontal Waterfall, the second is the opening in the background


We are hovering in the Horizontal Waterfall


and suddenly you realise how much water is rushing through the Fall


Probably about 1.5metres difference between Talbot Bay and this lagoon


And on we go to the second Waterfall


This is the second Horizontal Waterfall


We went through the first Horizontal Waterfall several times


But we were not allowed to go through the second Fall
because some one died doing that last year


The height difference of the lagoon between the second and
first Horizontal Waterfalls is incredible, it must be around 3 metres


This is the lagoon between the Horizontal Waterfalls


Horizontal Waterfalls WA


Heading towards Talbot Bay through the Horizontal Waterfalls


Looks like this Hill was tipped on its side - Horizontal Waterfalls


What a spectacular experience - Horizontal Waterfalls WA


Horizontal Waterfalls because as the tide goes out the opening
is too small for the amount of water through the openings


Mike on the yatch Starsand - ready for lunch - Talbot Bay WA


This is Leone, she was our hostess on the yatch in Talbot Bay


On the left Adam our motor boat captain, on the right Simon, skipper of the yatch "Starsand"


How magnificent is this view of Horizontal Waterfalls from the yatch in Talbot Bay


Carol says "I can handle this - its wonderful"


We relaxed and enjoyed Talbot Bay, the Starsand, lunch and Horizontal Waterfalls


Here is our plane - its time to head back to Broome


As we flew North out of Talbot Bay we saw the pearl farms - strings of oysters making pearls


Looking south at Talbot Bay - Horizontal Waterfalls is down the bottom of the right hand side


Incredible views as we head towards the Buccaneer Archipelago


Incredible views as we head towards the Buccaneer Archipelago


Incredible views as we head towards the Buccaneer Archipelago


Incredible views as we head towards the Buccaneer Archipelago


Incredible views as we head towards the Buccaneer Archipelago


There are over 1000 islands in the Buccaneer Archipelago


Views as we fly over the Buccaneer Archipelago


Views as we fly over the Buccaneer Archipelago


This freighter is waiting for the incoming tide to speed it down King Sound to Derby


Views as we fly over the Buccaneer Archipelago


One Arm Point WA


We have driven down these sand dunes at Hunter Creek - Cape Leveque WA


Cape Leveque


Cape Leveque - much more spectacular on the ground than from here


Cape Leveque


Lombadina Aboriginal Community - heaven on earth - it is a great place to visit


Views as we fly over Pendle Bay towards Broome


Sandy Point near Beagle Bay


Breathtaking scenes as we fly towards Broome


These look like huge paw prints


Views of Cable Beach and Broome from our Aeroplane - We walk here every day


Views of Cable Beach and Camels from our Aeroplane


Views of Cable Beach from our Aeroplane


Home after a most spectacular day at Horizontal Waterfalls


We finally found a Dinosaur footprint at Gantheaume Point


Another Dinosaur footprint at Gantheaume Point


Carol with dinosaur footprint at Gantheaume Point


Lighthouse at Gantheaume Point


Gantheaume Point


Dagmar, Ehud, George and Noemi - last lunch together - Matso's Brewery Broome


Matso's make nine different beers, Ehud had to try eight of them


All these beers are made on these premises in Broome at Matso's Brewery