Spring Break October 2020 Australia Edition
We arrived at the Perth International Airport on Saturday October 3rd, exactly 9 months after we boarded our flight at MSP to move to Australia. It baffles me as to what has transpired in every corner of the world during this unprecedented time. Australia closed it's international borders in March followed by Western Australia closing it's state border in April from the rest of the country. We have been trapped in W.A. since then. For all practical purposes, it has been a Baptism by fire in learning the Australian culture. We feel authentically Australian by being prisoners in the country in which we live. Funny, not funny.
It was exciting to be back at the Perth airport but it also stirred up lots of emotions as we have had travel plans to come home canceled or delayed more than once. The sight at the airport was downright apocalyptic.
The only people in the entire airport were a few people working at the Virgin Australia counter, a few other rando people working in the airport and just the people on our flight to Broome. There was a total of 4 flights leaving Perth that day and ours was the last. The positives of this situation: the airline workers were on social hour and wanted to talk like old friends, no lines for the toilet (that was sparkling clean I might add), no lines for coffee, and half of the market store was heavily discounted.
As we got ready to board, we were handed an optional kit including a mask and sanitary wipes. We have not worn a mask even one time since the pandemic began, so I encouraged the kids to wear them as more of a social experiment.
Ethan was happy to don his mask and wear it for the duration of the flight but Ali looked at me as only a 12 year old could. It was a very teachable moment as to show (however briefly) what the rest of the world was going through.
The flight was easy-peasy and we arrived in Broome a little over two hours later. The arrival process was quite unique as well. We deboarded the plane right on the tarmac (as well as boarded) and it was immediately obvious that we were closer to the equator as it was 30 C (86 F) and very humid. We collected our bags, rental car, checked into our bungalow and the kids were in the pool in less than an hour after touchdown. It was pretty surreal.
The Habitat Resort
Every time we drove into the resort we all started humming the theme song to Jurassic Park. There ended up being numerous reasons for this but let's start with the gardens. The Habitat Resort is known in Broome to have the most lush gardens and you are encouraged that if you can eat it, you can pick it! Banana's, paw paws, mangoes, & honeysuckle could all be found as well as tropical flowers like hibiscus, frangipani, and jasmine.
On the first night, Mike suggested that we take a stroll and check out the property at night. We hadn't walked more than a couple hundred yards and Mike looks up and says, "Oh! Look at the big birds!" I tentatively look up, all of a sudden very suspicious. As I look up there are numerous bats that I can only describe as the wingspan being in feet not inches swooping not far above our heads. I suddenly found myself in this deja vu moment as I said, "Those aren't birds {sweetheart}, those are giant bats!" And so they were. We found out the next day there is a colony of 50,000 flying foxes that live in the mangroves in Broome. Flying foxes are mega bats and are the largest bat in the world with the wingspan reaching an impressive 5 feet. They are amazing pollinators and only eat fruit. I was petrified at first but that quickly turned into fascination. Every night we took a walk at dusk or later looking at these massive bats. On one of the last nights we visited the Mangrove Hotel where you can see the entire colony leave the mangroves at dusk.
Besides watching this amazing event, the Mangrove Hotel has this whimsical vibe with all the overhead fairy lights and high tops overlooking the mangroves in Roebuck Bay. It was the perfect spot to have a bottle of champagne and enjoy the moment.
Staircase to the Moon
One of the biggest draws to Broome, is the Staircase to the Moon event which only happens when there is a full moon (2-3 days) between the months of March and October. The Staircase to the Moon is a natural phenomenon which occurs when the moon rises over the exposed tidal flats during a low tide in Roebuck Bay and creates an illusion that looks like a staircase. We booked our trip around the kids' holiday not the moon cycle. After we had lodging set up, I looked into this event and discovered that we would be there for it. We arrived on a Saturday and that very night there was a full moon. Lady luck was on our side to be able to see this beautiful natural occurrence. It really was very impressive to see this.
Cable Beach
Cable Beach is a very iconic white sugar sand Australian beach that goes on for 22 km. There are some very defining points that make Cable Beach special. When we first approached the beach, the first glance was absolutely breathtaking. The sparkling blue water was enhanced by colorful umbrellas amongst a deep beach. These umbrellas, or more commonly referred to as brollies, are available for hire with sun loungers, paddleboards, body boards, sand toys etc. We spent a total of 2 days soaking up the sun and just relaxing on the beach. At the risk of sounding slightly local, I'll mention that the water in Broome felt like bath water compared to the chilly waters of Perth.
The first day turned out to be a great day for bodyboarding. Ali has picked this little sport up rather quickly and can catch a wave and ride it all the way to shore. I had been previously tossed like a load of laundry by some bigger waves in Perth and hadn't been keen to try again. After some mild arm twisting she got me on the board again and proceeded to give me a lesson. It is tougher than it looks as I kept jumping a fraction of a second too late, would miss the wave, which was followed by Ali laughing in the background. I succeeded a couple times and claimed that a victory for myself. 
Mike, of course, is more of a natural and picked up on this sport fairly quickly as well. Ethan was able to bodyboard but prefers to duck dive in the waves or just run around and explore. He loves finding jellies, starfish, shells, or whatever he can get his hands on. I've always got my fingers crossed that his findings are of a non-venomous variety. 
On the second day the waves were a little more flat and I was thinking it might be a great day to try some paddle boarding. We had just secured our beach chairs, brolly and set everything up. The kids took off with the body boards so Mike and I decided to enjoy the quiet moment with a ginger beer before playing with the kids. Not more than 10 minutes goes by and suddenly a very loud air horn starts wailing. I'm not going to lie, my first thought was... shark. We stood up and started walking towards the beach, yes walking. Looking around, nobody was panicking. There was more of a mild curiosity floating through the air. Our kids could hardly be bothered to get out of the water. Later, when asked, Ali thought it was "just a drill." I spotted a life guard and asked what was going on. He nonchalantly stated that a saltie had been spotted in the water.
So... couple things here. Yes, the stereotype is true. Aussies are chill about everything. They know the apparent risks and just basically blow them off. In Broome, the risks in the ocean include stingers (Irukandji and Box jellies) but stinger season doesn't start until November, so we'll all be perfectly safe in October. Sharks are always a bit of a concern, the big white pointers (Great Whites), don't usually make it up to the warm waters of Broome, but that's where tiger sharks like to swim. Last but certainly not least we mustn't forget about saltwater crocodiles. I've noticed that Aussie's get more worked up (very slightly) about salties than these other dangers. It is said that saltwater crocs are 100 times more deadly than sharks. 
The strongest bite force ever recorded was by a saltwater croc comes in at 3,700 PSI from a 17 foot saltwater croc. For reference for all you Northern Hemisphere readers, a grizzy bear's bite force registers at 975 PSI. Great white sharks haven't been properly tested for obvious reasons, but they estimate that a same size shark would be less than a croc of similar size.
Back to the siren wailing... A salt water croc had been spotted in the ocean, as I had mentioned the waves were much flatter that day and the tide was receding. It was nothing that the life guards were going to mess around with and they closed the beach to swimming for 24 hours. That left plenty of time to play in the sand.
Camel Ride on Cable Beach
Cable beach is famous for it's sunset camel rides. The ride was an hour long and was the most beautiful and interesting sunset I've witnessed. Surprisingly all the camels were very well behaved and they enjoy having a "job". These camels were brought to Australia to be working animals during the gold rush in the 1800's from Arabian countries. When they were no longer needed they were turned loose and soon became feral. 
Wild camel populations in Australia have become the highest in the world because they are so well adapted to the climate. They have become a nuisance to farmers as they will destroy property to get to a water supply. Some of these camels have been domesticated and I've been told that they like to go to work. All of our camels were very cordial to us and did not display any spitting, nipping or sideways bolting... thank God. We heard one horror story that one very young male camel took 2 teenage girls on a ride they wouldn't soon forget. Gulp. That young boy ended up back in the paddock, not working. Maybe that was his ultimate goal.
Clancy was the camel that Ali and I got the pleasure of riding. He reminded me of a giant dog as a behind the ear scratch was most welcomed along with all treats from the trainers. Mike and Ethan were assigned to Clancy, who is a retired race camel. He won the Camel Cup being clocked at a whopping 60 km/h!
Australians love to off road with their utility vehicles and Cable Beach is a very popular place to hang out in the evenings. We quite felt like we were in a parade with all the cars lined up and everyone waving at us. There were barbecue's, footie balls, and kids galore. If we would have kept going we would have walked into the clothing optional portion of Cable Beach. We were happy to keep it G rated by turning around when we did.
Gantheaume Point
Gantheaume Point was not to be missed in Broome we were told. You hear statements like this often when you travel but in this case, it is so very true.
The big talking point was that there were dinosaur prints in the rocks. You have to wait for low tide and you can walk out and see these prints. These are casts from the originals placed a little farther back from the water's edge. These are theropod tracks from 130 million years ago. A theropod is related to the Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex variety of dinosaurs. Of course Australia would have a dinosaur similar to the T-Rex.
There are an estimated 21 different types of dinosaurs that inhabited this area between 90 and 130 million years ago and is considered to be the only spot in the world with this many types of dinosaur tracks. Examples include the Stegosaurus, sauropods, and theropods.
An unexpected surprise to Gantheaume Point was the striking color change between the turquoise blue/green of the Indian Ocean and the outback red color of the sandstone bluffs. Both ends of the color spectrum seemed wildly out of place, as if we were in a different world. Add in the calming effect of waves splashing on the rocks and the whole scene turned sublime.
Off this point dolphins and whales are frequently seen but they weren't out playing for us on this day. We did spot an osprey with a large nest in the lighthouse.
To the kids this was nature's playground as they hopped, skipped and jumped between rock formations. They did not want to leave when it was time for us to move on. We could have easily spent an entire day on this serene point.
Into the Outback: Kimberley Wild Expeditions
The Kimberley is one of the most rugged and remote areas in the world. The Kimberley is just smaller than the state of California and it's nestled in northwestern Australia. The Kimberley is known for it's towering gorges, waterfalls, watering holes, Aboriginal communities, the hot, hot weather and of course the wildlife.
In the movie Extraction, Chris Hemsworth has a pretty epic scene in the beginning that takes place in the Kimberley. Unfortunately, I learned that the scene was actually filmed in Thailand. I guess that speaks volumes about how difficult access is to this area.
We embarked on a 15 hour tour that would take us into this desolate land. Our bus picked us up around 6:00 am and we were off.
One of our first stops was just outside Derby at the Boab Prison Tree. This is an official Aboriginal Site and commanded much respect as we learned how Aboriginals were imprisoned to this 1,500 year old tree in the 1890's. Everyone left in a very somber mood. Windjana Gorge
We were off to Windjana Gorge and pretty soon we were traveling on a red dirt road with no ditches. Our guide explained that during the typhoon season there can be flash floods along these roads and cars could be washed out.
On a couple occasions during the long ride, my Kindle reading would be interrupted by sudden braking followed by a string of obnoxious honks. Mike and I look at each other as in, "What in the hell?!?" The tour guide calls back, "No worries, just a Roo!" The next time he yelled, "Just stray cattle." I was just hoping we wouldn't breakdown.
We finally made it to Windjana Gorge National Park. As we stepped outside we noticed this massive gorge that was 300 meters tall. This gorge was actually a coral reef 350 million years ago during the Devonian period when this entire area was underwater.
As we had traveled further from the coast the temperature went up noticeably. It was easily 40 C or 104 F and humid. Again, we are only in the spring season right now. I don't know if I would be brave enough to venture here in January. 
Our guide, Joe led us to the entrance into the gorge through this hidden rock formation and on the other side was this deep freshwater pool that resembled a very slow moving river.
He gave us a brief synopsis of the history and then turned us loose on our own. As almost an after thought he warned us about the freshwater crocs. He said very casually that there were 200 or so freshwater crocs in the pool and to not go within 5 meters of the waters edge. That was pretty much it. He left us on our own as he was going to prep our lunch back at the bus.
Everyone looked at each other in amazement. We were left in the middle of nowhere with freshwater crocs everywhere and no guide. Great! Ethan started to march away to go find crocodiles and I put an immediate halt to that. We had a quick 10 second family meeting which consisted of me forcefully telling the kids to stay right near us and DON'T go next to the water.
Let me paint a little picture here, it's 104 degrees, flies buzzing everywhere, no wind and the sweat is dripping down our backs. We are walking along a path with a beautiful gorge that goes straight up to our right and dirty yellow water containing crocodiles to our left.
Once again I felt like we were in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie. This reminded me of the river in India after their plane crashed in the Himalayas. Thankfully there were no missing children with an expedition to Pankot Palace in our future.
As we went further down the path we found crocodiles sunbathing. We could count quite a few heads. After observing for 10 minutes we collectively ventured closer to the waters edge to peek a little closer. Yes, yes... it might not be just Dad to blame for our kids exploratory behavior.
Tunnel Creek
After a quick, refreshing lunch we headed deeper into the Kimberly towards our next stop of Tunnel Creek. It's probably fair to say that we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Joe gave us a quick briefing before heading into Tunnel Creek, explaining to not bring your phones, camera, or anything valuable, put this headlamp (torch) on, and you WILL get wet. The excitement was building as we didn't really know exactly what was next. 
As we hiked along a gorge to get to the entrance, we were immediately behind the guide and Ethan started firing questions at Joe a mile a minute. He started asking if there were going to be crocodiles in the cave and Joe casually said, "Yeah." Here I'm thinking Joe is just messing with Ethan a little bit. Ethan keeps on asking more questions about the crocs and if we will see them. Finally, Joe laughs and says, "It's called the Kimberley Wild tour, not the Kimberley Pu$$y tour!" He explains that freshwater crocs really aren't that big of a deal, they aren't nearly as large as the salties and they will only take your hand off instead of eating you alive. And that put an end to the Q&A session as Ethan looked at us with big eyes. 
Walking up to the entrance, it became very clear that we were headed into a dark cave and the path we were on abruptly stopped. Up and over large boulders we followed Joe and on went our torches. We descended into the cave and then regrouped in the pitch-black cavern. Let me be clear, there were no railings, no path, no lights and no hand-holding from our guide. 
We forged ahead and suddenly the sandy ground disappeared into water. Sure enough, we walked through multiple sized pools. At one point Joe told us all to be completely quiet as there was usually a colony of bats that frequented the cave during the day. We got a stern warning: if we scared them and they all took off, we would have a very bad day indeed. Especially if we were staring, open mouthed at the ceiling. That got everyone to shut up immediately. We heard the bats before we saw them. As we cautiously approached the colony, I realized there were hundreds of them and they were making the most unpleasant noises. Neighbors encroaching too close upon another bat resulted in loud, angry shrieking noises. 
Multiply that by hundreds of bats and it was quite the spectacle. This was also paired with less aggressive chattering and squeaking. These bats were more along the variety of the common black bat I'm used to seeing in the Midwest but of course a bit larger as everything seems to be here.
Our last pool to wade through was waist deep and there was no getting around it. I started to wonder about those crocs we heard about. But, I immediately dismissed it as they really wouldn't send a tour group that was hours from any form of civilization, 2 km deep into a cave system, wading in croc infested water, would they?!?
Suddenly there was natural light at the end of the tunnel that opened up into a freshwater pool. Joe encouraged us to go swimming and enjoy ourselves for a bit. Never mind the wild cattle that had gathered and promptly fled as we approached.
We gathered again and he told us the very detailed history of Jandamarra; the infamous, fugitive Aboriginal. To summarize, the Europeans treated Aboriginals horrendously during this period, forcing them from their land and/or imprisoning and killing the Aboriginal people. Jandamarra otherwise known as Pigeon, worked for the police in the 1890's as a tracker. He turned on police, shot the Constable, stole weapons, and promptly freed fellow tribesman. Jandamarra led an organized attack by Aboriginals against the European settlers for the first time in history. Tunnel Creek was used as a hideout for Jandamarra during this time. The story ends several years later with the beheading of Jandamarra in Tunnel Creek, right where we were standing. Yikes. 
After a moment of silence we donned our torches for our return trip through the cave. The kids were a bit more comfortable and took off ahead of us. About halfway back, I heard some excited chatter from ahead. Sure enough, Ethan spotted a croc on the edge of a pool as we were wading through it. Exactly the situation you don't want to be in. The croc was awake but thankfully just watching us and not moving. We passed through with a rush of adrenaline that lasted all the way back to the bus. 
The kids reactions after we boarded was epic. They said it was hands-down one of the coolest experiences they have ever done. Mike and I agreed it was very invigorating with some hair raising moments.
The long hours on the bus was definitely worth it and as a bonus we left with all of our fingers and toes!!
Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park
As if we hadn't had enough of crocodiles, we decided to make a visit to the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park just outside of Broome.
We had only seen freshwater crocs (in the wild) up until this point. There is a very, very significant difference. These beasts are down-right prehistoric.
We were led around to many different enclosures and watched live feedings. They seemed to enjoy the whole chickens that were being chucked at them. I will say that the snap factor given by these massive animals was downright bone-chilling.
Some of the more aggressive males had to be kept by themselves because when they introduced a female the male would eat her.
This bloke led us around the park and gave us a very entertaining show, feeding all the resident crocs. His hand was suspiciously bandaged making us wonder what had happened with the previous group.
This place was like Crocodile Dundee meets Joe Exotic. It couldn't have been more authentic to the wildlife present in Australia with a bit more of a personalized show to really bring it home. 
At one point our guide lured this giant croc above the fence just a couple feet in front of us. This was just a few minutes after he explained they could jump straight up like a cat if they got their feet under them, which looked exactly like the position this croc was currently in.
The crowd gasped and lunged in for pictures. I decidedly took a few steps back. All of a sudden that perfect picture I'm always striving for wasn't that big of a deal anymore. 
The grand finale was that everyone got to hold a baby croc with it's nose tightly wrapped. This was all great fun and even Mike participated. We promptly ran off afterwards to wash our hands. It wasn't Covid making me nervous at the moment, but salmonellae.
It was a bit disappointing that there wasn't a rope bridge that we had to cross with starving crocs snapping away below us. Maybe that will be included in the 2021 ticket price.
All Around Broome
If you find yourself in Broome, don't miss out on Matso's Brewery, the menu is wonderful with outside seating overlooking the mangroves near the beach.
The prawns (not shrimp!) were massive and delish, and of course their ginger beer is famously good. If you can't decide which of the many brews to try, order a tasting paddle. It makes choosing much easier! My new fav was the chili ginger beer which had a nice kick.
Our other favorite restaurant was The Aarli which was an Asian Australian fusion eatery. It was this extremely busy but tiny restaurant with most of it's tables outside amongst a lush garden with lovely ambient lighting. My favorite dish was the steamed bao buns with crispy pork belly and hoi sin. Asian is my new found comfort food, it's just amazing.
We tasted lots of new foods this week, but nowhere offered chilled monkey brains, I guess we weren't as close to Pankot Palace as I thought...
We also visited Chinatown and Sun Pictures which is the oldest standing outside movie house still playing in the world. It's located directly adjacent to the airport, so you get the added jump scare of a jet passing directly overhead at no extra cost. It's amazing how many generations have visited this theater as it was built in 1903 and yet it's still wildly popular.
There is also one of the world's largest Japanese cemeteries outside of Japan in Broome. During the pearling years, many Japanese migrated to Broome to work starting in the 1870's. The pearling industry proved quite dangerous as over 900 people lay here. Ethan took interest in this as he is learning Japanese in school. 
Thankfully our trip did not encounter any Kali Mal voodoo dolls or plane crashes. The only thing that would have made our Broome trip complete would have been a wild ride by Short Round. Wait... I take that back, Mike's driving on a red sand road in a rental car on the way out to Gantheaume Point would most definitely qualify for this.
We loved Broome for all of it's unfiltered wildness, hot humid weather, and foodie restaurants. It's the new Bali we hear!
We arrived at the Perth International Airport on Saturday October 3rd, exactly 9 months after we boarded our flight at MSP to move to Australia. It baffles me as to what has transpired in every corner of the world during this unprecedented time. Australia closed it's international borders in March followed by Western Australia closing it's state border in April from the rest of the country. We have been trapped in W.A. since then. For all practical purposes, it has been a Baptism by fire in learning the Australian culture. We feel authentically Australian by being prisoners in the country in which we live. Funny, not funny.
It was exciting to be back at the Perth airport but it also stirred up lots of emotions as we have had travel plans to come home canceled or delayed more than once. The sight at the airport was downright apocalyptic.
As we got ready to board, we were handed an optional kit including a mask and sanitary wipes. We have not worn a mask even one time since the pandemic began, so I encouraged the kids to wear them as more of a social experiment.
The flight was easy-peasy and we arrived in Broome a little over two hours later. The arrival process was quite unique as well. We deboarded the plane right on the tarmac (as well as boarded) and it was immediately obvious that we were closer to the equator as it was 30 C (86 F) and very humid. We collected our bags, rental car, checked into our bungalow and the kids were in the pool in less than an hour after touchdown. It was pretty surreal.
The Habitat Resort
Besides watching this amazing event, the Mangrove Hotel has this whimsical vibe with all the overhead fairy lights and high tops overlooking the mangroves in Roebuck Bay. It was the perfect spot to have a bottle of champagne and enjoy the moment.
Staircase to the Moon
Cable Beach
Cable Beach is a very iconic white sugar sand Australian beach that goes on for 22 km. There are some very defining points that make Cable Beach special. When we first approached the beach, the first glance was absolutely breathtaking. The sparkling blue water was enhanced by colorful umbrellas amongst a deep beach. These umbrellas, or more commonly referred to as brollies, are available for hire with sun loungers, paddleboards, body boards, sand toys etc. We spent a total of 2 days soaking up the sun and just relaxing on the beach. At the risk of sounding slightly local, I'll mention that the water in Broome felt like bath water compared to the chilly waters of Perth.
Mike, of course, is more of a natural and picked up on this sport fairly quickly as well. Ethan was able to bodyboard but prefers to duck dive in the waves or just run around and explore. He loves finding jellies, starfish, shells, or whatever he can get his hands on. I've always got my fingers crossed that his findings are of a non-venomous variety.
On the second day the waves were a little more flat and I was thinking it might be a great day to try some paddle boarding. We had just secured our beach chairs, brolly and set everything up. The kids took off with the body boards so Mike and I decided to enjoy the quiet moment with a ginger beer before playing with the kids. Not more than 10 minutes goes by and suddenly a very loud air horn starts wailing. I'm not going to lie, my first thought was... shark. We stood up and started walking towards the beach, yes walking. Looking around, nobody was panicking. There was more of a mild curiosity floating through the air. Our kids could hardly be bothered to get out of the water. Later, when asked, Ali thought it was "just a drill." I spotted a life guard and asked what was going on. He nonchalantly stated that a saltie had been spotted in the water.
Back to the siren wailing... A salt water croc had been spotted in the ocean, as I had mentioned the waves were much flatter that day and the tide was receding. It was nothing that the life guards were going to mess around with and they closed the beach to swimming for 24 hours. That left plenty of time to play in the sand.
Camel Ride on Cable Beach
Cable beach is famous for it's sunset camel rides. The ride was an hour long and was the most beautiful and interesting sunset I've witnessed. Surprisingly all the camels were very well behaved and they enjoy having a "job". These camels were brought to Australia to be working animals during the gold rush in the 1800's from Arabian countries. When they were no longer needed they were turned loose and soon became feral.
Australians love to off road with their utility vehicles and Cable Beach is a very popular place to hang out in the evenings. We quite felt like we were in a parade with all the cars lined up and everyone waving at us. There were barbecue's, footie balls, and kids galore. If we would have kept going we would have walked into the clothing optional portion of Cable Beach. We were happy to keep it G rated by turning around when we did.
Gantheaume Point
The big talking point was that there were dinosaur prints in the rocks. You have to wait for low tide and you can walk out and see these prints. These are casts from the originals placed a little farther back from the water's edge. These are theropod tracks from 130 million years ago. A theropod is related to the Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex variety of dinosaurs. Of course Australia would have a dinosaur similar to the T-Rex.
An unexpected surprise to Gantheaume Point was the striking color change between the turquoise blue/green of the Indian Ocean and the outback red color of the sandstone bluffs. Both ends of the color spectrum seemed wildly out of place, as if we were in a different world. Add in the calming effect of waves splashing on the rocks and the whole scene turned sublime.
Off this point dolphins and whales are frequently seen but they weren't out playing for us on this day. We did spot an osprey with a large nest in the lighthouse.
Into the Outback: Kimberley Wild Expeditions
The Kimberley is one of the most rugged and remote areas in the world. The Kimberley is just smaller than the state of California and it's nestled in northwestern Australia. The Kimberley is known for it's towering gorges, waterfalls, watering holes, Aboriginal communities, the hot, hot weather and of course the wildlife.
In the movie Extraction, Chris Hemsworth has a pretty epic scene in the beginning that takes place in the Kimberley. Unfortunately, I learned that the scene was actually filmed in Thailand. I guess that speaks volumes about how difficult access is to this area.
We embarked on a 15 hour tour that would take us into this desolate land. Our bus picked us up around 6:00 am and we were off.
One of our first stops was just outside Derby at the Boab Prison Tree. This is an official Aboriginal Site and commanded much respect as we learned how Aboriginals were imprisoned to this 1,500 year old tree in the 1890's. Everyone left in a very somber mood.
Windjana Gorge
We were off to Windjana Gorge and pretty soon we were traveling on a red dirt road with no ditches. Our guide explained that during the typhoon season there can be flash floods along these roads and cars could be washed out.
On a couple occasions during the long ride, my Kindle reading would be interrupted by sudden braking followed by a string of obnoxious honks. Mike and I look at each other as in, "What in the hell?!?" The tour guide calls back, "No worries, just a Roo!" The next time he yelled, "Just stray cattle." I was just hoping we wouldn't breakdown.
As we had traveled further from the coast the temperature went up noticeably. It was easily 40 C or 104 F and humid. Again, we are only in the spring season right now. I don't know if I would be brave enough to venture here in January.
Our guide, Joe led us to the entrance into the gorge through this hidden rock formation and on the other side was this deep freshwater pool that resembled a very slow moving river.
He gave us a brief synopsis of the history and then turned us loose on our own. As almost an after thought he warned us about the freshwater crocs. He said very casually that there were 200 or so freshwater crocs in the pool and to not go within 5 meters of the waters edge. That was pretty much it. He left us on our own as he was going to prep our lunch back at the bus.
Let me paint a little picture here, it's 104 degrees, flies buzzing everywhere, no wind and the sweat is dripping down our backs. We are walking along a path with a beautiful gorge that goes straight up to our right and dirty yellow water containing crocodiles to our left.
Once again I felt like we were in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie. This reminded me of the river in India after their plane crashed in the Himalayas. Thankfully there were no missing children with an expedition to Pankot Palace in our future.
As we went further down the path we found crocodiles sunbathing. We could count quite a few heads. After observing for 10 minutes we collectively ventured closer to the waters edge to peek a little closer. Yes, yes... it might not be just Dad to blame for our kids exploratory behavior.
Tunnel Creek
After a quick, refreshing lunch we headed deeper into the Kimberly towards our next stop of Tunnel Creek. It's probably fair to say that we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Joe gave us a quick briefing before heading into Tunnel Creek, explaining to not bring your phones, camera, or anything valuable, put this headlamp (torch) on, and you WILL get wet. The excitement was building as we didn't really know exactly what was next.
As we hiked along a gorge to get to the entrance, we were immediately behind the guide and Ethan started firing questions at Joe a mile a minute. He started asking if there were going to be crocodiles in the cave and Joe casually said, "Yeah." Here I'm thinking Joe is just messing with Ethan a little bit. Ethan keeps on asking more questions about the crocs and if we will see them. Finally, Joe laughs and says, "It's called the Kimberley Wild tour, not the Kimberley Pu$$y tour!" He explains that freshwater crocs really aren't that big of a deal, they aren't nearly as large as the salties and they will only take your hand off instead of eating you alive. And that put an end to the Q&A session as Ethan looked at us with big eyes.
Walking up to the entrance, it became very clear that we were headed into a dark cave and the path we were on abruptly stopped. Up and over large boulders we followed Joe and on went our torches. We descended into the cave and then regrouped in the pitch-black cavern. Let me be clear, there were no railings, no path, no lights and no hand-holding from our guide.
We forged ahead and suddenly the sandy ground disappeared into water. Sure enough, we walked through multiple sized pools. At one point Joe told us all to be completely quiet as there was usually a colony of bats that frequented the cave during the day. We got a stern warning: if we scared them and they all took off, we would have a very bad day indeed. Especially if we were staring, open mouthed at the ceiling. That got everyone to shut up immediately. We heard the bats before we saw them. As we cautiously approached the colony, I realized there were hundreds of them and they were making the most unpleasant noises. Neighbors encroaching too close upon another bat resulted in loud, angry shrieking noises.
Multiply that by hundreds of bats and it was quite the spectacle. This was also paired with less aggressive chattering and squeaking. These bats were more along the variety of the common black bat I'm used to seeing in the Midwest but of course a bit larger as everything seems to be here.
Our last pool to wade through was waist deep and there was no getting around it. I started to wonder about those crocs we heard about. But, I immediately dismissed it as they really wouldn't send a tour group that was hours from any form of civilization, 2 km deep into a cave system, wading in croc infested water, would they?!?
We gathered again and he told us the very detailed history of Jandamarra; the infamous, fugitive Aboriginal. To summarize, the Europeans treated Aboriginals horrendously during this period, forcing them from their land and/or imprisoning and killing the Aboriginal people. Jandamarra otherwise known as Pigeon, worked for the police in the 1890's as a tracker. He turned on police, shot the Constable, stole weapons, and promptly freed fellow tribesman. Jandamarra led an organized attack by Aboriginals against the European settlers for the first time in history. Tunnel Creek was used as a hideout for Jandamarra during this time. The story ends several years later with the beheading of Jandamarra in Tunnel Creek, right where we were standing. Yikes.
After a moment of silence we donned our torches for our return trip through the cave. The kids were a bit more comfortable and took off ahead of us. About halfway back, I heard some excited chatter from ahead. Sure enough, Ethan spotted a croc on the edge of a pool as we were wading through it. Exactly the situation you don't want to be in. The croc was awake but thankfully just watching us and not moving. We passed through with a rush of adrenaline that lasted all the way back to the bus.
The long hours on the bus was definitely worth it and as a bonus we left with all of our fingers and toes!!
Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park
As if we hadn't had enough of crocodiles, we decided to make a visit to the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park just outside of Broome.
We had only seen freshwater crocs (in the wild) up until this point. There is a very, very significant difference. These beasts are down-right prehistoric.
We were led around to many different enclosures and watched live feedings. They seemed to enjoy the whole chickens that were being chucked at them. I will say that the snap factor given by these massive animals was downright bone-chilling.
This bloke led us around the park and gave us a very entertaining show, feeding all the resident crocs. His hand was suspiciously bandaged making us wonder what had happened with the previous group.
This place was like Crocodile Dundee meets Joe Exotic. It couldn't have been more authentic to the wildlife present in Australia with a bit more of a personalized show to really bring it home.
At one point our guide lured this giant croc above the fence just a couple feet in front of us. This was just a few minutes after he explained they could jump straight up like a cat if they got their feet under them, which looked exactly like the position this croc was currently in.
The crowd gasped and lunged in for pictures. I decidedly took a few steps back. All of a sudden that perfect picture I'm always striving for wasn't that big of a deal anymore.
The grand finale was that everyone got to hold a baby croc with it's nose tightly wrapped. This was all great fun and even Mike participated. We promptly ran off afterwards to wash our hands. It wasn't Covid making me nervous at the moment, but salmonellae.
It was a bit disappointing that there wasn't a rope bridge that we had to cross with starving crocs snapping away below us. Maybe that will be included in the 2021 ticket price.
All Around Broome
The prawns (not shrimp!) were massive and delish, and of course their ginger beer is famously good. If you can't decide which of the many brews to try, order a tasting paddle. It makes choosing much easier! My new fav was the chili ginger beer which had a nice kick.
We tasted lots of new foods this week, but nowhere offered chilled monkey brains, I guess we weren't as close to Pankot Palace as I thought...
We also visited Chinatown and Sun Pictures which is the oldest standing outside movie house still playing in the world. It's located directly adjacent to the airport, so you get the added jump scare of a jet passing directly overhead at no extra cost. It's amazing how many generations have visited this theater as it was built in 1903 and yet it's still wildly popular.
Thankfully our trip did not encounter any Kali Mal voodoo dolls or plane crashes. The only thing that would have made our Broome trip complete would have been a wild ride by Short Round. Wait... I take that back, Mike's driving on a red sand road in a rental car on the way out to Gantheaume Point would most definitely qualify for this.
There is also one of the world's largest Japanese cemeteries outside of Japan in Broome. During the pearling years, many Japanese migrated to Broome to work starting in the 1870's. The pearling industry proved quite dangerous as over 900 people lay here. Ethan took interest in this as he is learning Japanese in school.
We loved Broome for all of it's unfiltered wildness, hot humid weather, and foodie restaurants. It's the new Bali we hear!
No comments:
Post a Comment