21 September - Dinosaur Footprints, Japanese and Chinese Cemetery, Cable Beach; Broome

21 September 2016 – 188 148

Dinosaur Footprints, Japanese and Chinese Cemetery, Cable Beach; Broome

This morning we went to Gantheaume Point at low tide to look at the dinosaur footprints – we found two different sets and again saw heaps of cool marine life.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/dinosaur-footprints
We looked around for Anastasia’s Pool but could not be sure we found it despite finding several large rockholes.  We then headed to Cable Beach where Hayden had a swim in the beautiful but waveless beach.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/broome-beaches/cable-beach
We also saw the camels walking along the beach.  The Japanese and Chinese cemeteries were interesting to see.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/japanese-and-chinese-cemeteries 
In the afternoon Drew and I each had a massage and we all enjoyed a swim in the pool.

20 September - Catalina Flying Boat Wrecks and Chinatown, Broome

20 September 2016 – 188 138

Catalina Flying Boat Wrecks and Chinatown, Broome

This morning we went to Roebuck Bay and walked out at low tide to see the Catalina Flying Boat wrecks from WW2.
http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Broome.pdf https://www.visitbroome.com.au/info/tides https://habitatbroome.com/broomes-catalina-flying-boat-wrecks-from-1942/
These were very well preserved, particularly considering they are in salt water and have been there 76 years.  They also have an amazing amount of marine life on them.  The walk from the beach to the wrecks was about a kilometre and took almost an hour each way due to the squishy surface of the tidal mud flats.  After this we walked along the foreshore to Chinatown, looking at the various historic signs along the way.
 https://chinatownbroome.com.au/history https://chinatownbroome.com.au/
In Chinatown we visited a “General Store” where we were able to buy some hand lines for fishing. It was amazing to see Roebuck Bay at high and low tides, the tides in the Kimberley are massive! We visited the library, before heading back to the van for lunch and a sleep.  This afternoon we had a swim and then continued with cleaning the van and car – almost there. 

19 September - Recovery Day and Staircase to the Moon

19 September 2016 – 188 116

Recovery Day and Staircase to the Moon

Hayden was still unwell this morning, so we had a quiet morning around the van.  Drew and I did mountains of cleaning, six loads of washing – sheets, cushion covers, sleeping bags, etc.  Drew got the outside of the van cleaned as well.  In the afternoon Hayden was feeling much better – so we went to the library, Parks and Wildlife and did some shopping.  This evening we went to watch Staircase to the Moon – it was beautiful!
https://www.visitbroome.com.au/info/staircase-to-the-moon-dates

18 September - Willie Creek Pearl Farm and Broome Bird Observatory

18 September 2016 – 187 999

Willie Creek Pearl Farm and Broome Bird Observatory

This morning we drove north from Broome to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm https://www.williecreekpearls.com.au/pages/willie-creek-farm-tour where we learned about the different types of pearl, cultured pearl production, properties and virtues of pearl, and how to care for pearls.  We also went on a short boat tour to look at some oyster lines and how the oyster lines are kept clean.  The pearls produced here rely greatly on the large Kimberley tides for their roundness and large size.  When we had finished here we headed to Broome Bird Observatory
http://www.broomebirdobservatory.com/ – due to the heat and large spring tides (one of two times in the year when the tides are extremely large) there were not a lot of birds around.  We were able to see quite a large group of shorebirds on the beach as the tide was going out. The afternoon we spent at the caravan park as Hayden was feeling off colour and wished to have a lazy afternoon.  Drew cleaned the car and discovered that it was still white underneath all the road dust.  I started cleaning the inside of the van and discovered that even with our dust minimisation methods there is a LOT of dust that has worked its way into everything – this is going to be a multi-day job.

17 September - Broome

17 September 2016 – 187 744

Broome

This morning we had a good chat to a couple of internationals who were keen to pick our brains regarding the Gibb River Road.  We then headed to Broome – again we had multiple single lane bridges on the National Highway, shows how few traffic comes through this part of Australia.  We had a look at all five of the caravan parks in Broome – not up to general caravan park standards, very disappointing.  The one we thought least likely ended up the best – amenities are old but clean, permanents and tourists each have their own section, and a pool.  We have booked in for a week, as we have booked a Horizontal Falls tour for later in the week.  In the early evening we went, with many others, to Town Beach to watch the Staircase to the Moon – unfortunately the clouds prevented most of it, but there were some brief glimpses – we will try again tomorrow night. https://www.visitbroome.com.au/info/staircase-to-the-moon-dates