HEADING ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO PORT HEDLAND

Parked amongst the trees on the lower level At De Grey river Rest Area

 Saturday afternoon we spent strolling along the dusty pathways the cattle have made beside the river that has all but dried-up with only a couple of deeper pools.  A few fellow travellers strolled off with their fishing lines in a hope of catching something!!  Saw posted on wiki camps that last week dead sharks were in the pools.

Heading into Port Hedland one cannot help but notice the Rio Tinto Minerals "Salt mining flats"

After setting up camp at Cooke Point Park we decided to take a Sunday drive exploring the town!!
Saw one of the huge ships coming into the port as we drove around the waterfront so decided to drive down onto the "Spoilbank Road", where one can get a closer look at the ships coming in!!!@!!!
The only trouble is......... most of the point is for 4WD's only and our F truck is NOT a 4WD.

After trying to get out five time we finally let down the tyres and dug the 6x2's timbers behind the back tyres we got ourselves out of this predicament!?!?

Both Wayne and I have chunks of bark off our hands from digging and it took several hours for my blood-pressure to calm down again. Phew  -  never again will I navigate him towards sand.

HEADING SOUTH TO EIGHTY MILE BEACH

I read that there are a couple of interesting places at 12 Mile on the way out of Broome so stopped firstly at The Mango Place for a coffee.  It reminded us of The Purple Mango over in NT on the way to Kakadu.  As those owners came from Broome, I assume they styled theirs over there along the lines of this one here.  Enjoyed the ambience and coffee there before stopping in at 12 Mile Bird Park.  Wow.....  loved talking and looking at all the beautiful colourful birds in the aviaries.  Over 600 birds with 80 different species ranging from tiny finches to parrots, cockatoos and the black swan of West Australia.  Great settings with old tractors nestled amongst the schrubbery.

Hello Rocky - whos a pretty boy.

Travellling further on down after spending the night at Stanley's Rest Area we noticed a big cloud blowing from the east of the highway.   Well we then realized it was "Sandfire".   Sand blowing off The Great Sandy Desert that looks like a huge billowing fire-clouds.

We are now relaxing and enjoying the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park with lawn sites and a short walk over the sand-dunes to the beach to explore as one walks along finding beautiful shells.  Ladies that are staying three-six months here make some lovely hanging wind-chimes and other decorations from these shells while their husbands go fishing off the beach.

How good does that look?

The first time there has been a few clouds at sunset

Looking back east over the caravan park at sunset.

Ten kilometres of red dust before we get back onto the Great Northern Highway south towards Port Hedland in a couple of days time.

HEADING SOUTH TO EIGHTY MILE BEACH

I read that there are a couple of interesting places at 12 Mile on the way out of Broome so stopped firstly at The Mango Place for a coffee.  It reminded us of The Purple Mango over in NT on the way to Kakadu.  As those owners came from Broome, I assume they styled theirs over there along the lines of this one here.  Enjoyed the ambience and coffee there before stopping in at 12 Mile Bird Park.  Wow.....  loved talking and looking at all the beautiful colourful birds in the aviaries.  Over 600 birds with 80 different species ranging from tiny finches to parrots, cockatoos and the black swan of West Australia.  Great settings with old tractors nestled amongst the schrubbery.

Hello Rocky - whos a pretty boy.

Travellling further on down after spending the night at Stanley's Rest Area we noticed a big cloud blowing from the east of the highway.   Well we then realized it was "Sandfire".   Sand blowing off The Great Sandy Desert that looks like a huge billowing fire-clouds.

Sandfire Clouds from the Great Sandy Desert.

We are now relaxing and enjoying the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park with lawn sites and a short walk over the sand-dunes to the beach to explore as one walks along finding beautiful shells.  Ladies that are staying three-six months here make some lovely hanging wind-chimes and other decorations from these shells while their husbands go fishing off the beach.

How good does that look?

The first time there has been a few clouds at sunset

Looking back east over the caravan park at sunset.

Ten kilometres of red dust before we get back onto the Great Northern Highway south towards Port Hedland in a couple of days time.

CABLE BEACH AT SUNSET

We walked up the beach and watched the sunset over Cable Beach with three groups of camels strolling amongst the people in 4WD's sitting with friends having sun-downers and nibbles and some families having swim in the surf before the sun set.

Such a serene place to watch amongst the sanddunes all that goes on down at the beach here

We leave tomorrow morning to head south towards Eighty Mile Beach in a couple of days to spend at least a week.  Hopefully we will get email service down there.

GANTHEAUME POINT

Well we did not get up early enough to see the Dinosaur footprints believed to be that of species that lived 120 million years ago.  So we still went out to the point to see the lighthouse and the breathtaking rock formations and Anastasia's Pool. (a small man-made pool built by a former lighthouse keeper for his arthritic wife.

If you look hard enough, the osprey is protecting its chicks that are on a lower level.

Captivated by the colours of the rock formations out here.

Anastasia's Pool? (There were a couple) 

SIGHTS OF BROOME

Looking around Broome one realises the pearling history keeps this township on the map of the world.  Plenty of interesting plaques all around the Chinatown area telling of the early folk including all different countrymen from different parts of the world, who found this area's worth in pearling, pastoralists and all industries pertaining to these businesses.

 Of course it is a backpackers and tourists mecca with Cable Beach being very popular.

This is Streeter's Jetty

This plaque tells of the bombing of Broome in WWII and one can still see the flying boats at a very low tide where they lie on the mudflats of Roebuck bay.

Dampier Terrace is lined with pearl shops, the original Roebuck Hotel and arcades of Chinatown.

In the museum in Pearl Luggers showing all aspects of the early days of this industry.

TWO NATURAL PHENOMENONS IN TWO DAYS - HOW LUCKY ARE WE!

Arriving into Broome today, we read it was the last evening to see the "Stairway to the Moon".  A natural phenomenom caused by the rising of a full moon reflecting off the mudflats in Roebuck bay creating the illusion of a staircase reaching to the moon.

I could not decide which was the better photo of my efforts so put both for you to decide!

Yes, we certainly feel blessed to see these special places here in West Australia Kimberly area.

OUR BEST EXPERIENCE SO FAR - HORIZONTAL FALLS SEAPLANE ADVENTURE

Today was well worth waiting for here in Derby.  We got picked up at 8.15am and delivered to Derby Airport where we boarded a turbo prop jet seaplane for a direct flight to the Horizontal Waterfalls to land on the waters of Talbot Bay.  Met our skipper for the day Adrian, a very experienced but dare-devil.  He drove a twin engine 600hp 20ft fast boat (fastest tourist boat in Australia) for a thrilling ride through the falls experiencing first-hand the incredible tidal power of the natural phenomenon.

I was very lucky to be sitting beside the pilot on the journey to the Fall to get this great picture.

These last three sots are later in the day as the tide has come in more and very much faster than before.

Adrian the adventurer gave us a heart stopping time backing into the narrowest Fall that was running far too fast to enter so he held the boat backwards down it before excelerating out of it.

The second Fall running far too fast to go through the 7 metre opening!!!

Stopped off back the collection of floating hotel/caged swimming pools and had a swim with the sharks and fishes coming up beside you as Adrian fed them.  Amazing to watch him handle these pet sharks - yes PET sharks.  He actually removed a very sharp shell fish from the side gill of one and the shark showed how pleased it was by allowing Adrian to rub its belly and back constantly. Amazing!

Spot Wayne in the corner - he had the fish grab the food from his hand.

After a yummy lunch of barramundi, fresh buns and salad, Adrian took us up Cyclone Bay (yes where all the floating equipment is taken when in cyclone weather) and following creeks(more like rivers to me) and give us informative facts of the surrounding escarpments and flora before opening up the motors for a thrilling ride amongest the mangroves.

This crumbing pebble-like rock has been pushed up from the riverbed millions of years ago.

Unfortunately our day has to end so back onto the seaplane for our return low level scenic flight across the thousand island Buccaneer Archipelago before landing back in Derby.

SUNSET AT ONE MILE CAMP (DINNER TREE)

Had to share these photos we drove down to watch the sunset at the Dinner Boab Tree looking over the tidal mud flats.

Wayne had another guy to have a beer with while we ladies took our photos

Love the colour change as it gets later in the evening

Locals drive their vehicles out on the mud flats to ???!!!! day and night.