After Cape Leveque, we returned to Broome for 2 more nights to see a few more spots before heading south. We chose to splurge out and stay at the Discovery Parks in Broome and with the peak season pretty much over we had a ocean view site.đ
We checked out Gantheaume Point, Streeters Jetty and took a look at the old pearling Japanese cemeteryđŻđľ. On our previous pit stop in Broome, before heading up to Cape Leveque, we visited the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). The guys give a free tour of the place and explain how they get weather datađŚ etc. It was very interesting, thanks to our mates Roving Russo's for the tip!
We watched the sunset 3 times on Cable beachđ . Once from the sunset bar, while having some sundowners with Kurts parents and twice from the beach. Itâs easy to see why so many people love Broome! We also stuffed our faces, by visiting a variety of pubs & clubs, including Matsoâs Brewery & The âRoeyâ.đť
Time to move on, we headed down to Barn Hill station for our next stop. We had a nice unpowered site overlooking the red cliffs and ocean. We walked up the beach for a good 4km, finding heaps of cool rock formationsđ. The next day we decided to continue making tracks south and stopped into Eighty Mile beach for a look. We unhitched the van in the day use area and drove onto the beach for a few hours.
Kurt caught 4 salmonđŁ, while Amz collected some pretty sea shells. We hitched back up and headed down the road to a roadside rest area. The next day we moseyed into Port headland for 2 nights, staying at the RV free camp in townâşď¸. Right next door to the free camp, was a large grassy oval so Rusty was in heaven - rolling around on it every chance she got.
We topped up on some food, Kurt got a haircut and we both caught up on a few small things. We also dusted off our bikesđ´đťââď¸đ´đźââď¸ and rode them around town for a look. We sat and watched some big ships leave the port, with the assistance of the tug boats. Unfortunately the train line isnât too far away from the camp, so we didnât get much sleep over the two nights, as the trains go 24/7 to the port. đ
Never-mind, we hitched up and backed tracked 50km to head down to Marble Bar,. On entering the town there is 6 great statues showing the history of the town. We stopped and got a photođ¸ with one, before heading to the Marble Bar natural pool for a dip. The Jasper rocks change colour when you pour water over them and look like a Marble effect. Hence the name Marble Barđđťââď¸. We took a little bucket down and continually poured water over all the different rocks.
We cooled off our feet in the water, while đśRusty opted for a full body dip. We then headed back into the town centre to grab some fresh water, then made our way out to the nearby âsecret WW2 airbaseââď¸. This was an interesting place to look around. Thereâs a map on entry which show you where everything was. We took a photo of the map with our phone then drove around checking out the sites.
Getting quite late in the afternoon, and craving a good nights sleep, we decided to just camp on the airbase. We found a nice quiet spot, perched on the hill overlooking one of the old runways and a section of the airbase. Watching the sunset with a small fiređĽ, which was bliss. We had an early dinner and hit the hay. The next morning we continued looking around the airbase. It was pretty interesting and seeing the old âhangersâ was cool. They were big piles of dirt in a âu shapeâ, with what we assumed would be a cover on top to conceal the aircraftsđ¤. From above they would just look like small dirt mounds, very clever.
Happy with our history lesson and expedition, we headed back into Marble to grab some fuelâ˝ď¸ and track south. On the way out we stopped into the Jasper Rock site, where you can fossick a small piece for the taking. We found a nice souvenir piece, to go in the pool room when we get home.đOn leaving town, we also drove through the old Comet Gold mine. Kurt was very fascinated with it and stopped to take a few photos.
Next stop - Karijini! đşđťđđť