Broome and into the Kimberly.

We arrived in Broome on Sunday and after checking in at the caravan park we found our spot and squeezed our trailer in. The spot was only just big enough for the trailer and awning. I did feel bad for our neighbours as they has slightly come onto our spot with their awning and we had to pull had up against it to fit onto the spot. Oh well that's life in some parks. We were right in front of the camp kitchen which was great we used their facilities the whole time. I'm going to write an overview of our time in Broome as we spent over a week here and each day was different though almost the same. Broome is a great place to stop and stock up and relax before or after the Kimberly. It has 1 of everything you will need, and is easy to navigate around. It also has a stunning beach to walk, swim, sleep, read, run, drive and relax on. We did almost all of those above mentioned things. To our surprise we also discovered where their nudie beach section is. We climbed rocks at Gunamthea and found fantastic rock pools. We didn't find the dinosaur foot prints though. We got to sample some yummy mango products and purchased some delicious things to take with us. We wondered through the markets and found treasures. We watched an amazing Stair Case to the Moon and took photos to Souvenir.  I shopped and shopped and shopped ;) I knew the 2 shopping centres well by the time we left. James worked and luckily this month it all went smoothly. We generally got a great chance to catch up on things that just needed doing and prepare for the last 2 months of the trip. Yep sadly this is where we turn east and head home. Not that we are not looking forward to being home and seeing everyone it's that it means going back to work :( but the money is running out so we will make the most of it while it lasts. 

The day finally came to farewell Broome. Everything was in good running order and we were filled with all we needed. The drive to Derby was uneventful. We got to see a dingo crossing the road and our first real look at the amazing Boab trees. We pulled into camp and set up. We then went out exploring. Out to the town Jetty where they experience the largest tides in Australia and second largest in the world. The jetty is not what we expected as it's curved. It runs on an even curve out to a building where the ships load the cargo. From here we visited the information centre and gathered the information we needed. We then visited the prison boab tree and the worlds largest cattle drinking trough. The boab tree is HUGE.

After this we ventured back to camp. We then had a little 12v problem which after checking the fuses and wires several times we found a suspect looking fuse. We replaced it and were back in action. We enjoyed roast lamb shanks for dinner then went to see Out Back Paddy an entertainer who was in the park putting on a singalong show. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and though some songs we didn't know a lot we did. 

We were up and packed and on the road by 9am ready to see some of the Gibb river road. We turned east and made the journey towards Bell Gorge. The first 100km is sealed then we aired down and took our time enjoying the scenery.

 We saw some amazingly beautiful mountain ranges and huge boab trees. Open places and an array of colours that have to be seen to be truly appreciated. The road was in very good condition and made the driving easy. We passed loads of cars going west but very few going east. The 20km off the Gibb into camp was awful. It was very corrugated and no matter what speed you did it just shook everything. We crossed a couple of rivers not too deep then arrived at camp for a late lunch. We found a really nice shady spot with a table and fire pit. We did the short Silent grove walk and had a nice quiet afternoon. 

Friday we set out to see Bell Gorge. On our way there we were waved down to help another tourist. They had blown their tyre and had never before driven a 4wd and I suspect knew exactly how to change a tyre. They family were French and so very appreciative of James helping them. Well he actually just did it all they watched and tried to help. Out at the gorge we walked down to the impressive waterfall. We opted here not to do the climb to the bottom as we didn't feel like a swim today. We sat and enjoyed the view for a while and chatted with other travelers who stopped.

 It was an easy climb out and on the way back to camp we collect fire wood to have a fire and roast dinner. After our super yummy beef roast I cooked a batch of sultana scones and shared them with Sue and John who had joined our fire. We had met Sue and John at Derby also. 

Saturday came and the end to another enjoyable week. We were up and on the road by 8.30am, we simply don't know why but it just happened that way. We pulled into Windjana Gorge by 11am and set camp. After a late morning tea we decided to do the gorge walk. Yay we finally got to see crocodiles. Not the big scary ones but the much more tame lazy slower fresh water type. We could get within meters of them.

We walked for a few kilometres but it was getting hot and the scenery wasn't really changing so after taking some photos we turned back. Back at camp we had a quiet afternoon and then enjoyed a fire with other campers.