#35 & 36 Broome: B.C. (before the Canadians)

We decided to stay at the caravan park that had the worst reviews ever in TripAdvisor (I always consult (and usually follow) TripAdvisor)- but it was the closest to town and we ended up right on the beach - I mean the view from the back of the van is the beach with mudflats and mangroves!

This is our view - and the cords mean we have power!  yippee!

Our first night was a full moon and in Broome there's an event called "stairway to the moon".  With a full moon brings a huge tide and as the moon rises it shines on the mud flats left behind by the tide and the effect is of "stairs" leading right up to the moon.  Alas! It was cloudy this night but it didn't stop the party at the public park next to the caravan park.  There were the typical food and jewellery/art stalls and there was a lawn in the middle to sit and listen to the performer - an aboriginal man singing country and western.  He mostly knew some old (really old) standards that I Iove and so did a few other oldies in the audience but went right over the top of the youngin's.  "Who knows Johnny Cash" he asked?  Three of us put up our hands and he couldn't believe there weren't more - it was about the same response each time he asked (three times) - so he just played it anyway, and everybody enjoyed it.

During the day, even though it was 35c it was rather lovely sitting in the shade of/around the van looking out over the ocean. Joseph walked way out on the mudflats to see the pieces of wreckage  that stuck out of the sand and said the walk out was amazing as well with octopus and starfish etc. caught in the pools. At dusk we watched hundreds - no thousands - of birds flying in formation.  The debate is on as to what birds they are and if they are migrating or going back to their roost.  We await the arrival of the eminent Canadian ornithologist Dr. Richard Kenyan Ross to sort it all out.

After the flight of the birds we walked down to join the crowds again because tonight it was clear and even though it wasn't quite a full moon (97%) the effect was still amazing and now I understood the graphic I had seen on t-shirts and posters etc. just a stairway!  This moon was very yellow so not quite maximum reflection but the crowd, who were everywhere (in the mudflats, on the lawn, sitting in the bushes on the side of the rocky jetty etc.) loved it anyway.  Sadly our camera equipment wasn't up to capturing it so there are none of our own photos - just this link if you want to see what all the fuss was about.

  Stairway to the moon   or  photos

We don't often get chatting to our neighbour in the park (not sure why) but his one was interested in birds … so … come on over!.  He turned out to be one of the founding members of Greenpeace in Australia (and was still friends with the Canadian who started it).  He still looked and lived like a hippy in the tent nearby, with his partner and he told us his stories of breaking into Pine Gap (the American army base) and consequently being arrested, and consequently only just now getting his passport after five attempts, and consequently not being allowed into the US.  He worked at a million jobs (Opera House, an island between Tasmania and Antarctica, for his friend a member of parliament etc.) and he was obviously clever and a wealth of knowledge… and he was waiting for his worker's compensation package of $1.2million to come through.  It all sounds a bit much but we had no reason not to believe him… any of it.

Rocky coast as well as beach.

Today we go to the airport to pickup our friends the Ross' from Canada (Ken & Eileen) and most importantly move into their rented condo for a few days  (i.e. a real bed).  How excited to see them we are!!   In between  our checkout and their arrival we walk around downtown admiring (salivating over) the pearls.  Pearling is a big activity (industry?) in Broome and with the diamonds (pink, yellow etc.) from the nearby Kimberley mines it makes for some pretty amazing jewellery. 

While waiting for the Ross- beer!  Mango for Jill (in tiny glass)

Unfortunately this is the only photo of the jewellery I took
 - it's a paper flower I want Cassia to make for me!

We can see the plane landing from the main street - off to the airport!