Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Broome

It is so peaceful and each campsite is discretely separated by a large expanse of bush. There are only 5 campsites and people only seem to stay if they really love the bush, the peace and serenity.

We ate really well here. Delma went crabbing one day and presented every campsite with a mud crab.  We were given two! They were the biggest mud crabs I have ever seen! One we ate 'au natural', the other, 'ginger/chilli'. Peter caught a good-sized 'Skippie' or Skip Jack, similar to a Travally. We baked it in the hot coals with lemons tucked inside.  We were also given a large hunk of Spanish Mackerel which we cooked just like a roast - again delicious! Some other folk went out with Grant on his charter boat and came back laden with more fish.  This time we were given a large Snapper. What luxury to have such wonderfully fresh and delicious fish meals. Delma made a special satay sauce for us, which we ate with our Snapper.  She is a wonderful cook! Her chill/ginger crab, which I was allowed to sample was exceptionally tasty!

On the beach was a lovely community sitting area under a large shady tree, where we spent the hottest part of the day nattering, reading and painting.  It was bliss!

Broome was our next destination.  It is a beautiful city, kept pristinely clean.  Beautiful open parklands and tropical vegetation everywhere.  It is the height of the tourist season at the moment, so although Cable Beach is magnificent it didn't appeal to us at this time. It was very crowded and smelled like the beach at Waikiki - coconut oil! Roebuck Bay is also beautiful with a very well designed water park for the children - again very crowded. We would like to visit Broome again, but when there are fewer people.

It is so busy that all of the caravan parks and accommodation is booked out for more than a year in advance!  We were forced to stay in what is referred to as an "overflow" park.  It was on the oval of the PCYC (Police, Citizen and Youth Club). Everyone is packed in like sardines!  We were asked how long we wanted to stay and when we said, "Just one night", the volunteers replied, "Oh, you'll want to stay longer, everyone loves here!"  It must be the old pioneer wagoneers mentality, where you only feel safe when you are placed in a tight circle!

Off to Derby today, ready for our cruise!

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