3^rd of June – We Join the Grey Nomads

It was a busy start to the day, quick shop, check out, pick up Keem (our new truck, Australian for Kim), drop off the Hyundai and hit the road.

Keem comes with a lot of instructions, what to do, what not to do, how to put the tent up. What I didn’t realise until after I had booked and paid for the vehicle, is that the company is under investigation by the ACCC (like the fair trading act in NZ), essentially for their behaviour around dealing with customers.

Costing some customers up to 7500. Using the GPS to identify where they had been and then using that against them. There were a few other accusations too. So I read all the documentation thoroughly and videoed the vehicle so that we could not be accused of any unrelated damage. Theoretically.

I personally are not passing judgement on the company, but I will be tracking everything – and you get to read all about it.

Keem is very impressive she is a Toyota Prado, shiny and white. When we took custody she only had half a tank of gas, so we topped her up. 70 litres later, WOW, this Aussie girl is thirsty, she has a lot of junk in the trunk too.

Phase One – Broome to Derby 222kms

The roads are long, very long, DAMN long. And the scenery is beautiful, in its own way, but not overly diverse. So we started to entertain ourselves.

Spot the (insert object here) was the most entertaining. We worked our way through kangaroos (alive and dead – noted we did not see any alive), cows (also alive and dead 50/50 split), termite nests (unfortunately alive and thriving), snakes (none spotted), boab trees (Jason was the only one playing that version).

The sheer size of the country means that the topography does not change much. There is bush, of varying sorts, on either side of the road and you’ve got to wonder what deadly critters are living in there! Best not to get out look for them – my lovely colleagues have provided me a list of things I should stay away from – bless, they think I will listen 😛

The other activity to pass the time is “the wave”. Acknowledging your fellow travellers. This is not as simple or easy as you may think. The true art to “the wave” is not to be too enthusiastic as to put them off or think you’re simple, but to be enthusiastic enough for it to be recognised as an actual wave.

I have started to document the different versions:

• The index finger raise
• The four fingered raise
• The thumbs up
• The Queen. Two slight crescent movements of the wrist only with the hand held slightly off the steering wheel. I may be the only person partaking in this particular version (which I made up).

This takes some practice, and luckily we have at least 1,900km to get it right.

It took two hours to drive to Derby, where we stopped at the Boab Prison Tree.

A bit of history that is worth knowing, gives a little insight into the cultural heritage of the area.

There was a group, called blackbirders, they were settlers connected to the pearl industry. They kidnapped young aboriginal men to work as divers etc, and local pastoralists assisted them. As they believed that if they shipped off all the young men, then the remainder would be better behaved.

It is thought that the kidnapped men would be chained to the Boab Prison Tree as they waited for a boat to take them to the coast.

Of course this plan was never going to work, DUH, the aboriginal people resisted, a white man was killed, and the police turned up (blue lights flashing) more aboriginals were taken away.

Eventually the goal was built about 5kms from the tree. So Boab Prison Tree it is.

This was also our first encounter with the Flies of Derby. The flies are so prolific and persistent you start looking for the dead bodies that must be the source of their nutrition. But no, it’s just the heat. This actually does not fill me with relief.

We leave the Boab and head into Derby proper to the Kimberly Entrance Holiday Park, a very nicely laid out and pretty camp ground. It had everything you needed and the caretaker/owner Ian, is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

It’s 200pm and we were HUNGRY. So we cooked up some of our catch from yesterday and devoured our fish sandwiches.

Time to get serious and set up our new home for the first time. We were a little nervous about it, but it was actually pretty straightforward.

Keem is now officially a turtle! In less than 30 minutes, and with only one call to the rental company for remote assistance, we were good! Legends!

Time to explore Derby! Ian had provided a list of things that we could do around Derby to keep us busy, we put on our walking shoes, packed a picnic and set out to watch the sunset.

Town was shut down and dead, due to a public holiday. We walked around 3km to the wharf – a must see according to the list. It was hot and the flies were miserable, you spent all your energy swatting them away from your face (and swearing profusely – mum, if you are reading this, it was Jason swearing, not me).

They had adopted Jason as their Lord and followed him relentlessly, resting on his arms, back, and backpack. Seriously, easily 100 at a time (ok, maybe 50, definitely more than 20).

We were looking for a specific sculpture that apparently, when the sun is setting, turned from a twisted bunch of metal into a face. Neither of us had paid much attention to the instructions, so after a hot and fly filled walk to the wharf, it was nowhere to be seen.

A picnic was out of the question, fly sandwich? No thank you. Cheese, flies, and crackers? Nope. Wine and flies? F*ck off. So we decided to walk back with the setting sun behind us.

The sunset was pretty with lots of vivid red hues. Just the right amount of clouds to make it interesting. It’s not Broome quality sunset, but it is pretty. I stopped to take some photos and every time got buzzed by the damn flies. ARGH!

About 10 minutes after sunset, and 500 metres from the camp ground where we started, we found the sculpture. Read the map Jo, read the map. I took photos (we had walked all this way!!!) and yes, it does look like a face.

Back to the tent. We had a nice cold beverage or three. If nothing else, we got some exercise.

Snacks for dinner, and into our tent for the night. We made a unanimous decision not to stay in Derby any longer.

4^th June – Farewell Derby

I decided to start my day with a bit of a walk around the town, we needed a few supplies and off I trekked. I would love to tell you that my hour of discovery changed my impression of Derby but between the desolate looking indigenous community, the barbwire fences, and a quick chat to a local lady – if anything am more determined that Derby is not on my list of recommendations.

Sorry Derby, but it’s a NO from me.

Phase 2 – Derby to Fitzroy Crossing via Tunnel Creek

295km plus an extra 160km for good measure

Turns out that packing up Keem the turtle is just as easy as unpacking her. So within 30 minutes were ready to go. Then we noticed that the fridge was no longer being powered by the DC charger (it has our wine and beer in it, so it is critical equipment).

After much investigation and using the good old ITIL problem management process, all other factors were eliminated and we realised it was the charging cable itself.

After calls to the rental company we went in search of an auto-electrician. Which was surprisingly easy in the little town of Derby, there was one just round the corner.

Derby Auto-Tech in Derby, after a bit of testing the nice man takes the cable apart to find that the fuse had blown but someone had wrapped tinfoil around it. For those of you naive to the ways of the electronic world (like me) that means that the fuse is over ridden and the cable will continue functioning, until the foil moves or the cable sh*ts itself all together.

The boys found this highly amusing. Luckily the tinfoil had simply ceased to serve its purpose. So, with a new fuse DONATED by the lovely man at Derby Auto-Tech (massive shout out) we had a functioning fridge. And we were ready to roll.

Should you find yourself in the unfortunately situation of being in Derby, with an even more unfortunate need for an auto sparky, that’s your place!!!!

Back on the road again, long flat, endless road. Jason got in the driver’s seat again so, oh well, I get to relax and watch the world go by.

There were a couple of very cool boab trees, I even made Jason pull over so I could take a photo of one, yes he has me addicted to boab trees. Ah well, could be worse. To break up the journey we continued our game of “spot the”. This time there were more live animals than dead ones – always a good thing.

Also, continuing to observe and refine “the wave”. I noted a new addition to the wave types.

• The Jedi – thus named as the waver looks like he/she is trying to do some sort of mind bending. Extend all digits, move in a circular motion as though turning a dial. Interesting, I may keep that one myself for special occasions.

Tangent! Another thing I have noticed in this vast and very dry land is the amount of floodwater signs. Its kind of hard to fathom at the moment when its so dry, but in the wet season this flat and wide land can be two metres deep in water. How the hell does that happen? Rhetorical, don’t respond with scientific answers, thank you.

The sheer amount of water that must pour into this space to fill it up is mind blowing. Like the largest bathtub you can possibly imagine. When you start measuring flood water in meters! You know its freaking serious.

And I am back on topic.

Tunnel Creek is on our hit list, so 42kms out from Fitzroy Crossing we take a left turn down an unsealed road. It is 83kms to Tunnel Creek and the road is looking very unpleasant.

Hands up those of you who have seen Outback Truckers???? You have my pity. It is one of Jason’s favourites and the primary reason that I know the word corrugation when it comes to roading. And this road was corrugated (equals very f*cking bumpy!!!).

Two kilometres in, we both look at each other, is it worth it? We decide yes and keep going. Luckily the road improves and Jason gets to have some real offroad fun. Its been a while since he got to drive like this.

The smile was undeniable.

As we bumped, rocked and rolled along the dirt road we came across some hills. Not so much hills as a collection of very sharp rocks that looked like something you see in the ocean. And that, in fact, is what they are. They care called Denovian reefs. This area was, approximately 350 million years ago (give or take a few million) all under the sea. The WA equivalent of the great barrier reef. Bloody interesting if you ask me.

As it was the first non flat thing we had seen in some time, we did what all normal people would do. We climbed it. The day was very warm, perfect for snake sunbathing, so I steadfastly avoided looking for them, and Jason intently searched for any indication they may be about. Both equally valid approaches.

Regardless of the approach no snakes were seen or stepped on.

The rocks are sharp, damn sharp, if you slip or fall you will get cut! It makes them much easier to climb though as they grip is excellent. The view from the top was beautiful, mostly flat with the Devonian reef extending in the distance. And that was where we were headed. So we scramble down from our vicious view point and back to Keem!

Keem, btw, is beginning to look a lot like the other vehicles on the road now. No longer white and shiny, she is dusty, rough, and ready. Good on ya Keem, quite the dirty girl.

40 minutes later we arrived at Tunnel Creek shaken, not stirred.

Tunnel Creek – More of a Cave

So when you decide to go to Tunnel Creek, you look it up. And this is one of the pieces of information all travellers need. When you are entering the Kimberley or Pilbara regions, you are entering crocodile country. Two species of crocodile occur in Western Australia: the estuarine (or saltwater) crocodile and the freshwater crocodile. The estuarine crocodile is the largest living reptile and is considered to be a dangerous predator. Freshwater crocodiles are smaller and not as aggressive. Freshwater crocodiles inhabit Tunnel Creek. Saltwater crocodiles have not been known to occur in the area but this may change. SERIOUSLY AUSTRALIA WTF.

Anyway, without thinking about crocodiles we headed for the cave. It’s a very beautiful walk in, and the round trip is only a 2km walk (I swear when they put time estimates on these things, they consider you must be crawling and drunk).

So, history has it that this is Western Australia’s oldest cave system, it was famous as a hideout used late last century by an Aboriginal leader known as Jandamarra. He was killed outside its entrance in 1897. In battle, not by a falling rock!

Tunnel Creek flows through a water worn tunnel beneath the limestone of the Napier Range, part of the 375 to 350 million-year-old Devonian Reef system.

We head off on the walk, it is quite good fun, a lot of climbing over and around large boulders and then into the cave itself. Despite the sign telling us it could be waist deep water, it was ankle deep, so that was a relief.

You have to take torches with you as there is no natural light from the entrance to one section where the roof has collapsed. So it was quite adventurous and a little scary.

You can walk through the tunnel to the other side of the Napier Range. The walk runs underground for 750 metres. Apparently there are bats in the cave but they were not coming out to say hi!

We caught up with a large tour group and got a little inside information. The cave is filled with different pools of water, stalagmites and stalactites, and TWO CROCODILES! Actually just hanging out in the water about three meters from us. Ummmmm

The guide had an excellent idea, let’s all turn our torches off and be in touch with nature. So we did, the only thing I was in touch with was my hearing, listening for the crocodiles swimming towards us, grabbing an unexpected old person and dragging them under. The screaming was relentless the way the terrified cries peeked until she was dead.

Actually, not. Nothing happened, we moved on and went back to the entrance.

It’s beautiful, and worth visiting. Even though the drive sounds like a lot, compared to some NZ roads, its really not that bad.

Back to the main road and on to Fitzroy Crossing. Our next sleepover.