Broome 2016 Continues and Continues

Well, its official. This is the longest we have ever stayed in the one spot. We have seen so many wonderful parts of this great land, and few, if any, can match the Kimberley. A long stay allows us to become quite intimate with the town, and to become known around town at the cafes, the supermarket, the butcher. We do feel right at home here in Broome.

Traffic hazard Broome!

Lord McAlpine had a vision.

September came and went, and we just did much more of the same, lazing in the sun and soaking up all that Broome has to offer. We love the place and now really feel a part of the Broome scene. The first week of September had us wondering whether we had missed the Evacuation Siren!!! The grey nomad brigade (Don't call me grey - says Carol!), are quite the predictable lot. They come to Broome for winter, gazetted as June to August inclusive, and that is what they do! The first week of September saw an evacuation of epic proportions. Every caravan park is the same, being full in the last week of August, and then being half full by the end of September week one, and less than a quarter full by the end of week two!! There is a queue to leave town!!

Downtown Broome.

Reminders of Pearling history.

With the evacuation underway, we moved sites within the caravan park, choosing one of the now vacant, huge grassy, shaded sites, which we had hoped to get from day one. It has been interesting to find out, that the three month winter stayers, who arrive beginning of June, get the preference in choosing sites. Many of these people choose Broome as their only caravan destination, and actually store their cars and vans here in Broome for the other 9 months of the year, and fly up from Melbourne and Sydney!! I guess it is no different to having a holiday cottage up or down the coast!! Our new site is a huge improvement from where we were, and we have even taken to watering the grass to keep our lawn green!! I've drawn the line at mowing though!! The groundsman Alex, looks after all that stuff!!

Coffee at Town Beach Café.

These Sea Leg boats are popular

since the tide goes out so far.

When we called in at Town Beach Café we lamented with owner Stan, the huge evacuation. He has been in Broome at the café for 5 years, and has been amazed each year. He reckons that September/October are the best two months of the year, and so far, we are in complete agreement. We visit Stan two or three times a week, and it is lovely to be greeted warmly by name, and have your coffee order placed without having to move your lips!! Stan has even shouted us a free coffee, which was a great gesture. It is the best café location in Broome, and we have whiled away many an hour chatting and watching the activities out on Roebuck Bay, and Town Beach. The weather has been wonderful. It is so predictably good.

With Sammy the Dragon.

Japanese Dancers.

The month of September sees the celebration of the Shinju Matsuri Festival, the Festival of the Pearl. It is in its 43rd year, and is a celebration of the Chinese heritage of Broome. Held in the second week of September, the festival lasts a week, and the locals really embrace the many events that occur all week. We too, got into the swing of things. There are Art Exhibitions, Pearl Jewellery Design Competitions, Fun Runs, extra markets and heaps more. Every organization seemed to be putting on a morning tea or lunch!! The information booth, set up all week in the carpark of the Roey Hotel, saw a constant stream of visitors, and the first day of the festival got off to a huge start, as the cruise ship Sea Princess was in town for the day!! It is hard to miss the extra 2000 visitors in a town the size of Broome!! The huge ship, sitting at the end of the wharf at the Port, on the turquoise waters of Roebuck Bay is quite a sight.

Waking up Sammy.

Cooling the crowd.

For us, the opening event of the festival was The Waking of Sammy the Dragon. This took place out on the lawns at the Civic Centre, and was followed by a parade into town, and a free concert at Male Park on the edge of town. We were blown away by how many people turned up, mostly locals, and the standard of the costumes and the presentation of the floats in the parade were first rate! Sammy the Dragon was a beauty, and he twirled and twisted his way through the local streets, to the frantic beating of drums and sounds of fireworks. The floats featured the local dance groups, and followed Disney themes, cartoon themes and things we just didn't understand. But one thing was for certain, it was all fun. All the emergency services were involved, with the favourites being the local Fire Brigade, and Bush Fire Brigade, who took great delight in hosing down the crowds! The biggest buzz of all came from the huge Fire Truck from the airport, whose water cannon fired lots of water a huge distance, and no one was safe!!!

The winning sculpture.

Lots of good entries.

Mid week, we took in the sculptures on display, on the lawns at Cable Beach. They were very good, and we were tickled pink that our favourite took out the award for best sculpture. In town at the Good Cartel Café, they were running a fun photographic event called "Coffee Dogs". Photos of owners and their dogs were submitted, and the public got to vote for their favourite photo. We both put in a vote. There were some great photos. We never did find out the winner!! It should have been an overall dead heat. They were all fantastic. The Dragon Boat races got cancelled because it was too windy, which was a real shame. If they had waited a couple of hours they would have been OK, as the wind dropped off as it usually does. We wandered through the many galleries and jewellery shops looking at the exhibits. There seems to be so much art and jewellery these days. You can only wonder how they make a living. There is no doubt that there are so many talented and passionate people around.

Setting our lantern free.

Lanterns heading to sea.

On the Friday night we joined in the Floating Lantern Matsuri. This is a ceremony dedicated to the memory of passed love ones, whereby their spirit is sent out to sea. We had previously purchased our lantern pack from the Information Booth, and assembled and decorated it. The lantern design was quite ingeneous. An open box, made from hard plastic, was assembled and glued together. You got to decorate it with your own designs using paints, crayons, stickers, glitter etc. provided. A Perspex cap and rudder, inserted into the polystyrene base, held it all together and ensured it didn't capsize. We all gathered out at Gantheaume Point on the Friday evening on sunset. It was a big crowd of onlookers as well. As the sun set, we all lit the little candles in our lanterns and started to head out into the water to set them free. It was quite a sombre mood, and quite a few tears were shed as the lanterns drifted away on the breeze and current. As darkness crept in, the lanterns presented a beautiful sight bobbing about and drifting out to sea.

Sunset Long Table Dinner.

Chef Adam Liaw.

Saturday, the big ticket event of the Festival took place. The Sunset Long Table Dinner on Cable Beach, was introduced last year, and was so popular that this year the numbers were raised from 150 to 400 guests. It was already sold out when we heard about it, but we went down for a look. Dress was listed as smart casual, but in fact turned out to be everything from formal, to shorts and T Shirts!! There was of course a celebrity chef, this year Adam Liaw from Master Chef. Drinks were served at the Surf Club overlooking the beach, and as the sun set, the guests made their way down to the beach to the dinner table. The whole event had to be brought forward an hour because of a miscalculation on the tide! A pretty smart place to hold an event like this. No problem with the guests not wanting to leave. By 10.00pm the table would be under water!!

Crowded Amphitheatre.

Fireworks to end the night.

Sunday was the Festival Finale, with a huge family picnic, concert and fireworks all staged in the grass amphitheatre at Cable Beach. The car park became a street market of food stalls and vendors, and it was a wonderful atmosphere as a huge crowd gathered. It seemed like everyone in Broome was there. We took our chairs and small table, and feasted on tasty foods from Mexico, Thailand and the Philippines, washed down with our BYOG. The concert presented an interesting mix of artists, with the headliners being Archie Roach and the Pigram Brothers, neither of whom we have heard of!! Sammy the Dragon was put back to sleep for another year, and the fireworks display was excellent. It would be hard to imagine a nicer setting, and it was only a short walk home!

There always seems to be something to do in Broome. As the month neared its end,

Matso's Brewery, celebrated Oktoberfest, early. The whole place, and all the staff, were decorated in German theme, and we enjoyed a couple of hours listening to the live music. It was a bit of a price gouge though. Beer prices were up from the every day prices, and they were selling German Sausages in buns for between $12.00 and $19.00!! That was the Wurst part!! Still, Matso's is such a lovely spot to sit and relax, either on the verandah, where we were, or under the huge Mango trees. Actually, on the previous Saturday, we had called in to try breakfast at Matso's, and it was very good.

Beautiful Broome Golf Club.

Now that's one ugly fraulein!

We have played a little golf at the very good Broome Golf Club. We go early to beat the midday heat, but there always seems to be a breeze. The Clubhouse is just a tin shed, serving bottles of beer, but situated on one of the only hills in Broome, it commands amazing views out over the course and Roebuck Bay. It is a shame they don't serve food! Of course we have been hitting the beach. The tans are getting pretty good now!! We had a crocodile sighting off Cable Beach, which caused quite a stir for a day or two. The beach was closed for a day, but with the water so clear it was easy to see that the croc had left. Apparently the crocs come out of Willie Creek, just up the coast, when the sea temperature rises. Crocs don't like cold water as they are cold blooded. That is why they sit on the bank soaking up sun. At present, sea temperatures are up, so hence the crocs come out to sea. They don't have to fly spotter planes. There are so many tourist flights by fixed wing and helicopters, there is no chance of a croc sneaking in!!

Sun Pictures.

The Cartel "Coffee Dogs".

We had a fun night at the outdoor Sun Picture Theatre. We went to see the Tom Hanks movie Sully, which is the story of the pilot who crash landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in New York, saving all passengers from certain death. As the tension rose on the screen, and the jet was about to hit the water, a real life one came zooming in over the theatre to land. Everyone in the theatre crapped themselves!! Then there was the delayed laughter of the embarrassed!! Sure beat surround sound!!

Sea Princess in Broome.

Well that about sums up our recent life in Broome. September weather has been so good here, and the weather down south and over east has been all wet, cold and windy, so we won't be leaving any time soon!! It is the great advantage of owning a retirement home with wheels. The wheels go where the weather is best!! Looks like we'll be extending through until the end of October. We'll just keep watching the weather, and take it a week at a time. Right now, the final term school holidays have begun, and there are quite a few more people in town. Most have flown in as it is a hell of a drive from anywhere to get here! The caravan park population hasn't changed much, but just to make sure, I've asked Stan to put the reserved sign our table at the Town Beach Café!

Broome 2016 Continues.

Beautiful Broome.

Our Cable Beach.

After all the buzz and excitement of the Gibb River Road, we were busying ourselves with lots of washing and tidying up. The car was covered in red dust, and badly in need of some TLC, and when I took it to the local self car wash and applied the high pressure hose, it was like a huge hemorrhage, as the red rivers flowed out of every nook and cranny!! The more I washed the more it bled, but after an exhausting couple of hours I had finally triumphed! We restocked the larder, and when all the chores were done headed for Cable Beach to rest and relax on the pure white sands and in the sparkling turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

Coffee at Million Stars Café.

Welcome to Broome Robyn.

It is still busy around town, and the beach is crowded every day. With our old favourite cafe, The Cool Spot, now operating under a new name and new owners, we have been exploring the options! We have become quite friendly with Stan, the owner of Town Beach Cafe, where the service is excellent, the coffee and the food very good, and the views across Roebuck Bay are to die for. You could probably say that this is our favourite spot. However, Zanders overlooking Cable Beach still beckons us after our morning walk, and a new one called Zookeepers, down the end of the road from our caravan park, is also very good, in fact it is so busy, it is sometimes hard to get into. Bloody tourists!! After some searching, we also found the Million Stars Cafe at the Hovercraft Base. It is a wonderful location, but they really are focused on the Hovercraft business, and don't promote the cafe, which is a shame as the cakes are to die for, but the coffee was just OK, and the service very slow. Still, we aren't ever in a hurry and the views across the Port and Roebuck Bay are quite special. We have also tried The Lock Up, which is one of these shipping container pop up cafes a little off the beaten track. It is OK, but just lacks some zing, and the popular Dragonfly Cafe in the centre of town is busy and so noisy!!

Robyn relaxing at The Pearle.

Outdoor lounge area.

We have also been putting some ideas together, as we only have a week until our friend Robyn flies in for a two week holiday with us. She regularly joins us on our travels, when we are in an area she hasn't been, and we really look forward to welcoming her. We were at the airport for her arrival. Poor Robyn, was exhausted, having missed her connection in Perth due to strong winds and bad weather, so instead of arriving for lunch, she arrived for dinner!! We whisked her out to her accommodation at The Pearle Resort, which is right alongside our caravan park. Her bad day immediately took a huge turn for the better, when they told her they had upgraded her to the Honeymoon Suite for her two week stay!! She couldn't wait to get to the room to see who they had chosen as her surprise hubby, but alas it was a room upgrade only!!! The Pearle's accommodation is apartment style, all built along a tropical, Balinese theme, very open plan, with lush gardens. Many have their own pool, and the honeymoon suite is one of those. It was just lovely, with outdoor lounges and dining spots, a hammock, outdoor bath and shower, and even three TV's, including one outdoors!! Things must have changed a lot in the honeymoon business. We didn't need one TV!!!!!

Entry to Robyn's room.

Carol fitting right in!

Wednesday morning we oriented Robyn with a tour of the sites of Broome. Of course she got to try all our morning coffee spots! First one was the Million Stars Café at the Hovercraft Base, because if Robyn had an interest in a sunset tour, we needed to get her booked in early, as they only operate on a certain number of days a month, as the tides allow, which was here and now! We were in luck, as there were only a couple of spots left on Sunday's trip. We had planned Robyn's trip around dates that would allow her to see the best of the best that Broome has to offer!! It was going to be a pretty full couple of weeks!! Any down time would be spent lounging around that beautiful pool of hers!!

Staircase to the Moon.

Crowds waiting for the Staircase.

The Staircase to the Moon is a unique Broome experience, which only occurs a number of times a year, and Friday night was one of those nights. The best place in Broome to see it is The Mangrove Hotel, so we got there early for ringside seat! It only occurs on a full moon, and a very low tide, when the sun has set in the west, and the full moon rises in the east, casting a golden glow across the exposed sands of Roebuck Bay, creating the image of a stairway from the earth to the moon. As the magical time nears, a didgeridoo started playing and there was an eerie silence all around the crowded hotel lawns. It really is an incredible sight, and Carolyn & I have been fortunate to witness it before, but this time at the Mangrove Hotel with the sounds of the didgeridoo playing, it was something else. After around 45 minutes, the moon has risen so high that there is too much light, and the show is over. With a huge crowd in attendance, we decided to go elsewhere to eat. We had been loving a little Thai restaurant called Som Thai, and decided to go there for dinner. The last time we went, the service was slow and the food  was not up to the usual standard, and this time it was worse. The service was appallingly slow, and the food was poor. We won't be going back! There are too many other good choices in town!!

At Broome Markets.

On Cable Beach.

Saturday we did the Broome Markets and lazed around the pool in the afternoon. We had dinner in, with Carolyn doing the honours, and after dinner we were off to the movies. The Sun Picture Theatre is a Broome must do. It is the oldest, continuously running outdoor theatre in the world. People arrive with blankets and pillows, as the evenings can get cool, and those deck chairs were not built with comfort in mind, and as the movie starts the occasional bat flies across the screen ,and the sound track struggles with a plane coming in to land, but it is a great experience. We saw the latest Bourne Movie which was full of action, and they still sell Choc Tops!!!

At The Mangrove Hotel.

At Gantheaume Point.

Sunday morning we headed down to The Zookeepers for brekkie to try the legendary pancakes with caramelised walnuts and mascarpone cream. They were good! We had a call from Moira & Geoff, who were on their way back from Darwin, and had decided to stop back in Broome for a few days. Our caravan park was booked out, but they got in down the road at the Cable Beach Caravan Park, so we planned to get together Monday evening, for Happy Hour! The rest of the day for us was quiet, but for Robyn she was off for her Hovercraft Sunset experience. She had a ball, and recounted her adventures over dinner upon her return. It really is an excellent trip, and very unique. Not many days out, when you can say you stood in Dinosaur footprints, then wandered the sandy flats with sea turtles!!

Chilling out at Robyn's place.

More chilling out!

Monday, Robyn was off for the day for her fantastic Horizontal Waterfalls experience. She was picked up bright and early, 5.15am, and taken out to the airport for her incredible adventure, flying up to the falls, being raced through the falls by high speed boat, being fed and pampered, then flown back to One Arm Point for more sightseeing, and then the exciting 4WD trip back down the Dampier Peninsula and back to Broome. What a day it is!! While this was happening, Robyn had left us the keys to the Honeymoon Suite, and we were making the most of it!! We had decided to have our Happy Hour at Robyn's, and make the most of the facilities. What a lovely night it was, with friends old and new. It wasn't a late night, as Robyn had had a huge but exciting day!!

Moira Carol & Robyn with camels!

Sunset ride is the best!

Tuesday morning, Robyn and Carolyn met up with Pam, a midwife friend of Robyn's who now works at Broome Hospital, having moved here a few years ago. They had a lovely time, getting in some dog walking on the beach with Pam and her dog Lily, as well as breakfast at a new spot in town, that we hadn't found, called the Good Cartel. It is tucked away behind McDonalds, run by a whole bunch of young people who certainly haven't splurged on the décor! It was great and we all went back again. Tuesday was also camel ride day on Cable Beach. Robyn, Moira and Carolyn all wanted to experience this icon of Cable Beach. Me, I'm not into animal cruelty! Besides, they usually take one look at my bulk and run and hide!! The girls chose Red Sun Camels, there are three companies providing the ride!! Carolyn reckoned they were the nicest looking camels!! Now there's a contest!! Anyway, we got them to the beach on time, and off they went, Carolyn & Moira on one camel and Robyn all alone on another who was getting on a bit in years, and only allowed to carry one little person!! Of course we chose the sunset ride, so away they plodded into the sunset to a cacophony of shutter clicks!! Geoff and I cracked a couple of stubbies, settled in on the tailgate, and waited for their return. Needless to say we have lots of photos!! The girls had a ball!!

Happy Hour with Robyn, Geoff & Moira.

Lunch at Matso's.

The next few days were devoted to things culinary. A breakfast at The Aarli, where the Panko Crumbed eggs are famous and just delicious. A lunch at Matso's Brewery, which these days isn't really a brewery anymore, just a great place to eat and knock back some of their outstanding beverages. It is all brewed down in Perth these days, such is the demand, and most of it is pretty good. Some of it is a bit gimmicky, with Mango Beer, Chile Beer and Lychee Beer, which are simply awful, but the true ales, The Ginger Beer and the Mango Cider are all excellent. My favourite is the Pearler's Pale Ale, and the Ginger Beer is fantastic. Ginger Beer Spiders!! To die for!! I can still taste those Ginger Beer Spiders we had out on the Gibb River Road with Moira & Geoff!! God it was tough!! The food at Matso's is also pretty good, and whether you are sitting up on the veranda gazing out over the turquoise waters of Roebuck Bay, or settles under a shady Mango Tree in the sprawling gardens, it is a Broome experience not to be forgotten.

Dinner at Café dÁmour.

Café dÁmour Pizza. Ymmo!!

For Moira and Geoff's last night, we were back at Café d'Amour, which is so good, and Robyn had to experience its uniqueness. So we called up Ragu, the maxi taxi guy, and off we went. Moira and Geoff's friend Jenny, joined us for a lovely night. The margarita's got flowing and the cold beers were good and as usual, the food was excellent. Those wood fired pizzas are excellent, and my grilled sardines were right up there. The night flew by too quickly, and with Ragu on call, we were whisked back to our respective destinations, in no time, with Ragu's big smile telling us to call him any time!! We said our farewell's to Moira & Geoff, until our paths cross again, and wished them safe travels as they head back to Perth.

On Cable Beach.

Cable Beach Sunset.

There was lots of time for relaxing around Robyn's pool, and visiting Cable Beach with the car and the shade awning. It has to be the best possible way to go to the beach!! There was shopping to do and markets to revisit. On the Monday before Robyn departed for home, we had a really unique experience. It rained!! And I mean rained!!! It came down in torrents, flooding the streets and turning the streets to rivers. The red earth became red mud, and as quick as it came it was gone, leaving a refreshed landscape and lots of huge puddles!! It was the heaviest August rain on record, and the first August rain for 30 years!!

The Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park.

Hello!!!

Sunday we visited the Crocodile Farm. In our previous visits to Broome we have never visited this place, believing we have seen enough crocodiles!! But it gave us a chance to let Robyn see first hand, these nasty prehistoric beasts. The park was set up by famed Aussie adventurer turned conservationist, Malcolm Douglas, and following his death a few years back it was sold to the current owners who run it as a commercial crocodile farm. The tourist side helps with the cash flow!! We were there for the croc feeding show which happens at 3.00pm every day. Our guide was a big guy, full of passion for the job he does. He just loves it, and it showed. We all even got to hold a not too happy little guy! The first thing you notice at a crocodile farm, is just how many of them there are all in together. In the wild, they are very territorial, with one male having a number of females in his section of the river or swamp. But in a farm, they are kept together from birth, so can cohabit, but that isn't to say they don't fight!!

Our size of crocodile.

Not happy!!

In addition to the farm operations, the park is home to a number of nasty crocodiles that have been trapped because of a particular problem, usually at an Aboriginal community, or rural property. A large crocodile has no problem bringing down a fully grown steer or horse or human. The show that was put on, leaves you in no doubt just how fast and ferocious these predators are. At one point, the guide threw a huge inflated rubber buoy into a murky pool that appeared empty. No sooner had that buoy hit the water, and the water erupted, and I mean erupted, as the buoy was snatched and rolled and dragged under the water. The speed & power of a 4 metre, 600kg crocodile, stunned us all!! It was an excellent afternoon, and the show was worth every cent!

Finches.

Gouldian Finch, now threatened!

Tuesday, under partly cloudy skies we headed out to 12 Mile to visit the Mango Place and take Robyn to the Bird Park. We love the Bird Park, with its wonderful array of colourful parrots and native birds. We followed the paths passed the talkative cockatoos and galahs. The place was deserted, so we had all the time in the world to wander. Parrots sound like the happiest creatures on earth with the constant chatter, the raunchy squawking, and all that talking!! It must be a lovely place to work.

Willie Creek Pearl Farm.

I'll get my own!!

Next day was Robyn's last day, and we were taking her out to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm, for her to do the tour. It is an excellent insight into the industry that made Broome famous. First we checked that the road was open, as the downpour had closed most of the dirt roads in the region. Cape Leveque Road was still closed, but  past the Willie Creek turnoff. The road was open to 4WD only, and when we reached the farm turnoff, we found out why. The normal access road was still flooded, but the emergency sandy track was open. It was just two wheel tracks, and when you met someone coming the other way, it was a game of bluff to see who was going bush to let the other pass! Thankfully we didn't meet too many cars. We got Robyn to her tour on time, and she enjoyed it immensely, learning about the pearl industry from go to woe, including a boat ride out onto Willie Creek to see the actual process at work. While all this was happening, Carolyn & I enjoyed a lovely lazy lunch on the deck, overlooking the creek. We all browsed the shop, and ogled at the strings of pearls with price tags like phone numbers! Robyn got to try on one string worth thousands, but politely declined to buy this time!!

Saving Willie Creek.

So much pearling history.

On the way back down the track, we encountered the Willie Creek mini bus. The very polite bus driver took the bus into the bush to let us pass, which proved a major mistake!! He waved us past, but as I looked in the rear view mirror all I could see was sand flying and the bus was going nowhere!! So, we backed up, and found him red faced and very thankful that we had our snatch strap on board. We hooked him up, and pulled him out in no time!! A guy in a hired Toyota Rav4 pulled up and videoed the whole operation! Said he owned the Toyota Dealership at Mandurah and was going to put the footage on his website. A Toyota Landcruiser pulling a Toyota Bus out of the sand Pit!!! When we got back on the main road, I decided to head out a little further to Barred Creek and Quandong, which is a popular fishing and camping spots. In fact, many caravanners camp out at Quandong for lengthy stays. We found it, albeit down a wet and partly submerged road, which was mostly just a two wheel track. There were a few campers out there, but it is for off road stuff only. Some lovely scenery though, up and down the coast.

At The Pearl Luggers Centre.

The Little red &

black crabs.

Last day for Robyn started with a sad farewell to that sensational room at The Pearle, followed by a long lazy brekkie at The Aarli. We wandered around the town one last time, calling in at the Pearl Lugger's Centre, and a number of the galleries and up market pearl stores, that adorn Dampier Terrace. We walked to the end of Streeters Jetty, which was the main jetty serving the pearling fleet back in the heyday. Hard to imaging that the overgrown mangrove area along the jetty was once cleared sandy beach, home to 100 or more pearling luggers. On the sand under the jetty were hundreds of the brightest red and black little crabs! It was the worst camouflage job I've ever seen!! We had Robyn out to the airport on time for our farewell, and reflected on how fast the time had gone, and on how much we had fitted into her two week holiday. We know, that we have converted another person to the magic that is Broome