Back to Broome and Barn Hill Station

Broome

The road from Goombaragin to Broome is mostly corrugated sand, so its tyre pressure of 25psi all-round and drive at snails pace. I am constantly amazed just how hard these sand corrugations are. Kick them with your foot and you easily destroy them. Running over them with your car tyre and you'd swear they were made of concrete.

However these corrugations brought the stove door undone, despite it being locked tight with occy straps.  When we stopped and saw the shattered glass we couldn't work out where it had come from.  The microwave and TV were in their off-road position (secured on the bed with a fitted sheet on top) both mirrors were in one piece, and the microwave plate was under the mattress in its off-road travel home.  It wasn't until an hour or so later Jayne realised where it had come from.

We believe the inner glass panel must have broken in situ and then slid out through the bottom of the door

This is how well the oven door is secured. You can't open it with this occy strap fitted

We ordered another one from Swift Ovens and they're sending it to us in Exmouth. Plus they have a new bracket that actually holds this inner glass in place to stop it from moving. So it wasn't really caused by our driving, as it's a known weak point from Swift. Makes me wonder why we're paying for it, but total cost is was only $30 and not worth the argument.  Swift supply ovens and stoves to almost all caravans manufacturers in Australia, so it's no surprise they've redesigned the oven.

We decided to stay at the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park, as it's just been taken over by Discovery Parks, and they now allow dogs! So this was a must. The location is the best in Broome as it has two large waterfront areas, with a total of 340 sites. The waterfront sites are booked out for the whole season.

I even learnt while having a hair cut that the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park, now Discovery Park, was leased previously by the former Council Mayor, who had just bled it dry and allowed lots of permanents in shanty dwellings stay there. Some parts of this park are just scary.

Discovery Park Broome from the mud flats at low tide. It's these mudflats that create the Staircase to the Moon

We were informed by the guys working there that Discovery Parks has just taken a two year lease on the park and then they have an option for another 20 years lease. If they get it cleaned up in the 2 years they intend spending big money on it for the next 20 years. Swimming pool etc, and they claim it will be the best park in the Kimberley. Well, that's not a very high standard, so I don't think they'll have issues obtaining that! But the place was very sad and in major need of some serious renovation work. Still they were able to charge $55/night! It's all to do with location.

Stairway to the Moon was in full swing when we were there - just a short stroll from the caravan park

Of course we just had to go down to Cable Beach for a few more sunsets, swims, playing with Bailey and a few icy cold drinks courtesy of our new Waeco fridge. Who thought we would travel with a Waeco? Not me that's for sure.

The sunsets are amazing

Cable Beach

More sunsets

Sunset with Whales!

We went to the Wharf Restaurant for lunch - such a great view and good food. What a lunch, of course to celebrate Jayne's birthday yet again!

About to destroy 1kg of Kimberley Mud Crab

Yum!

It's not cheap, so make sure your credit card has enough credit on it.

Also while I had my hair cut, I was informed all about the local goings on in the Kimberley. Things are afoot. Changes are coming. I was referred to a podcast called "Wrong Skin" which is still being made now. The other day there were only 4 episodes, now there are 6. If you're at all interested in what's happening in the Kimberley then open your Podcast App and search for it.

It was certainly very informative trip to the barber.

Barn Hill

After a week back in Broome it was time to move onto Barn Hill Station. We had extended our stay in Broome, and planned to cut our time at Barn Hill to just 1 night.

However Barn Hill, despite us being here 4 or 5 times before, was good enough to make us stay 3 nights, and now we have to really rush to Exmouth to meet Alexis. We'll have to do 400kms a day for 3 days! Unheard of for us.

Water views from 3 sides of our van!

Barn Hill beach art

Another bloody sunset! This time at Barn Hill

Sunday night at Barn Hill is Sunday Roast. For $17 you get a 3 course meal, including a delicious beef and vegetable soup.  It was the best soup I've had, but soup's not a meal, is it Russ? We had two servings.

Then came the roast beef (with gravy to die for and plenty of it, even enough to satisfy me!) and more vegetables than you can imagine, and mountains of yummie peas! Jayne wasn't fussed about that and would have preferred more meat.

We finished with fruit salad and ice cream.

Dinner was accompanied by a local artist giving us both indigenous and current music. While he wasn't always in tune, he was adding to the ambiance of the evening.

Not a bad view and sunset dinner

They served 150 people the night we were there. It was a production! They told us that the most they have served is 250! At $17 a head, do the maths, that's a good extra earner for them. I don't know why more places around here don't do similar. They are leaving money in the tourists pockets!

Lots of Wikicamps comments complain about Barn Hill being clicky amongst the long term campers, and yes we did have one experience of this, so it does exist. But the others were very welcoming and made us quite comfortable.  Not everyone wants to stay 3 or 4 months, but some have their own lawn and veggie gardens.