The Frozzies around Ozzy: Broome and Dampier Peninsula

Cable Beach

Arriving in Broome we were really excited about seeing the ocean again, last time was in Darwin about a month ago and even then it wasn’t a real ocean fix, we didn’t swim (crocs, murky waters...). So the last ocean swim was actually in Bowen back on the east coast about 3 months ago!!! So we headed straight for Cable beach, the famous and sublime Cable beach, where we met up with Graeme and Kim (last seen in Litchifield NP). The northern side is the nudie section and also where you can take dogs and car (and camels and motorbikes for that matter, everything goes there). We didn’t go nude, I guess we are not at that point in our friendship with Graeme and Kim to sit around naked together (and thinking about it I don’t ever want to get to that point of our friendship), but Pete did shine his white buttocks at us form the water. Everybody swims there, apparently no crocs, save the odd one passing by maybe, but the water is so clear you can see it coming. Anyway no attacks there that we heard of and how could you resist swimming in such beautiful turquoise water. We had a sensational afternoon followed by a spectacular sunset, watching the camels walk past in the setting light, drinking a glass of wine.

Nudie Pete

Look at that water!

That's me rolling in the wave

Magnificent Camels

Silhouette in the sunset

Even the cars get to watch the sunset

We also checked out the dinosaur’s footprints at Gantheaume point, there supposed to be three sets but we found only one, maybe 2 but there was doubt about that one being a print. Still the one was pretty impressive. Of course my skeptical mind couldn't help but wonder if the prints are not actually man made? But at the end of the day it’s funnier to believe it is a dinosaur’s print.

Megalosauropus Broomensis
(not joking, that is the name)

Cable beach from Gantheaume point

That was it for Broome for the time being, Graeme and Kim had been already waiting long enough for us to go north, on the Dampier Peninsula, famous for it beautiful beaches and great fishing. So up we went for 100km on another corrugated dirt road to arrive in a little paradise of a place: Middle Lagoon. We set up camp at the top of the sand dune over looking a beautiful little cove. Life there was so sweet we spent 10 days. We were also joined by Phil and Fiona, whom we met on the Gibb River road, and the 6 of us had a ball there. During the day: Swimming, fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, shell collecting and whale watching; in the evening drinks at sunset watching the whales, sumptuous collective meals, drinks around the fire and vivacious card games (still playing chocolate starfish, the complete crew of converts was now gathered together!). It was like a little holiday in the middle of our big holiday. The whales came so close to the shore we could hear their tails flapping in the water. Pete went out fishing with the kayak every day, I went with him once so I could steer him while he fished but that didn’t work out too well…couples in a kayak, never a good idea… I went with Fiona after that and even though we often ended up circling around instead of going straight we had heaps of fun. The amount of shells on a little beach nearby was amazing, so many different shapes and colours. Between us I think we’ve pretty much cleared the beach out.

Our view

our little home

swimming is just down the dune

Pete and Graeme going fishing

Fiona and I, queens of kayak

Stylish landing

Pete fishing

beginning of a big collection

card night

So many

beautiful

sunsets

While up there we also did a couple of side trips. The Peninsula is divided in several aboriginal communities where everybody works and alcohol has been completely banned. They are very well maintained and also make some money from tourism. We went first to Beagle Bay where there is a beautiful little church with its interior decorated of mother of pearl shells. Then another day we went further north to One Arm Point community that has a beach as stunning as cable beach and to Cape Leveque the northern tip of the peninsula and an upmarket resort with pretty beaches.

Beagle Bay church

Mother of pearl altar

One Arm Point

the clearest water

Osprey

Beach at Cape Leveque

Cape Leveque

Sea fog

Overall the weather was fantastic over the 10 days but there was a huge amount of due in the evening and over night, so much that we had to empty the water pooling on our annex roof in the morning! We also woke up to a thick sea fog the first morning, very eerie, then it would completely clear up, apart from that one day where it came back right in the middle of the day. Pete and Graeme were on the kayak about 100 metres from the shore, they completely disappeared in the fog. I was a little worried they would get lost but I shouldn’t have because they were actually having a ball admiring a gigantic Manta Ray graciously circling around them. I’m so jealous! Then the fog stopped to be replaced by a day and a night of wicked wind that made everything in the camper shake, flap and bang so loud that we couldn’t sleep at all. We were getting quite fed up with it, wondering if the tent would hold up, thinking that we might leave early, when it stopped and it was our little paradise again.

It was finally time to move on, back to Broome for a week to service the car and explore the town. We stayed at Palm Grove Caravan Park behind cable beach. Kim and Graeme were already on their way south and we probably won’t see them again until being back on the east coast and Phil and Fiona were leaving for home a couple of days later. We are going to miss them all and the good times we had together.

We had a couple of good restaurant dinners: one with Phil and Fiona in a trendy pub, nice tasty tapas and one absolutely overpriced one in a glorified fish and chips shop that charges the same price as a fancy restaurant with no table service or even table cloth (and the tables are sticky). Good food, its always that. But everything is overpriced in Broome, actually in most of WA, or so it seems so far.

Last night with Phil and Fiona

The 20th century in Broome was dominated by pearl culture and the people involved in the industry formed a heterogeneous population of Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Malay and aboriginal (also the latter were forced to be part of it mostly). They used to dive in big rubber dive suits with a huge metal helmet and heavy lead shoes, being fed air through a hose from someone on the boat. Quite a dangerous way to make a living, there were many accidents and deaths, as shown by the large Japanese and Chinese cemeteries. In Broome town center there is still a little china town now mostly filled with café and luxury pearl and jewelry shops. There is also a shell shop with the most amazing collection of shells that made us quite envious. We have become quite keen shell collectors now; we even have a book about it!