Broome and Barn Hill

With some sadness we depart Derby to start heading south, that means we only have four weeks left before flying home. But we plan to make the most of those four weeks so it’s back to Broome to stock up fridge and freezer and for us both to have a massage (P) to free up our stiff joints after relaxing too much on the cruise). We camp at the Broome Gateway park again and find it almost empty this time. On our last visit they were almost at capacity (300 vans and campers) this time there is only about 30 vans spread throughout the park.

We would certainly come back to this park again. Unlike the parks in Broome this one is more rustic and spacious, ( even when we visited thru the “busy time”), much more to our liking.

After lunch we head off for a drive out to the Bird Observatory. What a beautiful drive around the edges of Roebuck Bay. Making several stops to wander down onto the beach to check out the water and the rock formations. The tide is low and there are hundreds of shore birds feeding in the shallows and mud skippers of all sizes flapping around in the water pools. While wandering along the beach we start discussing the low tide and the moon. Then I did a bit of googling and discovered that today is the last night of this moon cycle for the “Staircase to the Moon”. This has been on my bucket list for a while and though I had checked the dates for this last time we were in Broome, I hadn’t checked this far ahead so hadn’t realised it was happening tonight. As it only occurs for two or three nights in a moon cycle with a full moon and a low tide in Roebuck Bay we thought we best head into Broome to experience this phenomenon. We decided on an early dinner at the Roey Hotel before heading out to Town Beach for a walk before sitting down to wait for the moon to rise over the bay. We were not disappointed watching the big red moon rise and shed its light in a narrow “staircase” ray across the mud flats of Roebuck bay. Another tick off our bucket list.

After both having massages this morning we drive out to the port area and wander out the jetty and chat to some of the fishermen there. Not much luck happening but they are all having fun. Then out to Gantheaume Point for a walk along the rocky headland. A stop off at Divers Tavern for lunch and then a visit to “the Tenderspot Butcher” to pick up some meat for dinner and the next couple of weeks. Then back to the van, for us Broome is done and dusted for this trip. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing, reading and planning our trip south.

Friday 27th Aug.

We have a big drive today, all of 109 kilometres. We are heading into Barnhill Station for the next 4-5 days.

“Barn Hill Station was purchased by Mr Alfred Grey in 1966, and along with his wife and 10 children they built a thriving cattle business. In 1986 he gave a small part of the land, encompassing Barn Hill to his second youngest daughter, Janice. Janice and her husband Richard Bell went on to start a small tourist enterprise, building the original 3 mud huts. Word of mouth spread and Barn Hill quickly grew to the buzzing hub of campers that it is today. Barn Hill Beachside Station Stay now sees thousands of happy campers visit annually. It’s the rustic charm of Barn Hill which makes it so unique and special.”

We find a very nice (and quite secluded) camp spot and set ourselves up before a wander down to the beach, and what a beach it is. After a climb down the headland onto the white sand we can walk in either direction, there are fantastic rock outcrops along the beach and the water is warm and enticing.