We had a few miles to cover on the day we left Parry Farm, and lucky for us we got another early start. Our first stop was at the intersection of the Vic Highway and the Great Northern Highway for a quick toilet stop and a check of the van. It was here that Kylie's love/hate relationship with WA roadside toilets really took hold. From the outside the dunny block looked fairly new but too flash if you know what I mean. I can't print any of what Kylz had to say about the inside after she bought Charli back with her but needless to say she was less than impressed! She continues her battle with these roadside dunnies as we speak and she could probably right a book just on the roadside amenities business when we get back. We both realise it has more to do with the people (or grubs!!) that are using the facilities than the councils maintenance routines.

Doon Doon Roadhouse was our next stop and it was one of the better places to stop along the way. As fuel was all we needed we were on our way again headed west past the Argyle Diamond mine turn-off and into Turkey Creek for our lunch stop. A few more miles and we reached our roadside home at the free camping area on the banks of Spring Creek. Being situated right opposite the entrance to the Bungle Bungle's National Park it was fairly full by the time we arrived. Finding ourselves a shady spot, even if it was a little bit of a squeeze, we set up camp and headed to the river for a beer and a look around.

Charli had a ball in the shallow running but very well shaded and clear waters of Spring Creek. Not even the bright green slimy moss could put her off. That afternoon we also met another family travelling on an extended holiday around Australia. Colin, Liz and their children Ellie and Dane had set off from Toowoomba and were also using Spring Creek as a base for a day trip to the Bungle's. After a few beers and a bit of a yarn we organised ourselves to travel together the next day as we were both heading into the same place and the girls were rapt to have some kids to play with, even if they were a little bit older.

Leaving early the next morning we both covered the 53km's into the info centre at a fairly steady pace. The road in is not too bad condition but a bit of caution is needed as it is pretty rough and windy and there is some traffic to be encountered. There are plenty of creek crossings and while some have water they do make the trip a bit more scenic, even if they do slow it down a fair bit. In the end it took us nearly one and a half hours to reach the info centre! Once there we sorted out our entry and what parts of the Bungles we would go and see. After another 20 odd km's the Bungles came into view. We all piled out of the cars and dusted ourselves off as we took in the weird beehive shapes and colours that make up the Bungle Bungles.

Our walk took us along a winding track through and around the base of some of the Bungles and then into a massive rock amphitheatre with towering vertical cliffs and huge rock overhangs and a small water pool. I think we were a bit more impressed by the area as the kids mainly played in the sand and ran around with each-other. After our walk back out we were all keen for our lunch and enjoyed that in the shade as we shared a few stories of our travels. Seen as it was after lunch and with nearly 2hrs to get back home we set off on the return trip to our Spring Creek base. The whole experience was well worth the effort and with tours and flights also operating over the Bungles there are plenty of ways to see the area if the rough driving is not your style. (I would like to do a flight next time) There are also a couple of campgrounds if you like to spend a bit more than a day around the Bungles.

Packing up the next day we once again said good-byes to friends we had met on the road. While we were travelling in the same direction as Colin and Liz, they had plans to stop in Halls Creek and seen as we were travelling through we waved them good-bye that morning. Our camp for the night was at Mary Pools just of the main highway and situated on the banks of the Mary River. Being a free stop with toilets and beautiful shady sites it is one of the better free camps we have had. After setting up we headed for a short walk along the sandy river bed and Chelsea became determined to "skim" a stone as she watched me skim a few on the large dark pools along our walk. With plenty of effort and time spent selecting the right stone, she finished with a personal record 5 "skims"! Charli enjoyed the arvo watching the local cattle roam around between camps and following them up talking to them and giving them all names and working out who was the mum and which calf belonged to which cow.

With still plenty of distance between us and our next major destination we covered a few more miles and spent another night on the road. Our overnight stop at Ellendale was not very flash, dusty and not much shade on offer. The girls were also disappointed as when they got their bike out for a ride around we found it had suffered a flat tyre at the hands of a nasty goat head burr! Moving out early again we reached the coastal town of Derby by around 10am. With the need to stock up it was a trip to the local "Woolies" after we had set up and a small tour of the town. Not a big place so it did not take too long! The first impression of Derby left us a bit not real sure. While it was better than we had expected we were still not quite sure, if you know what I mean?

Derby is very well known for a few things and the most visual of those would have to be the ten metre tides that race in and out of the place every day! When asking about the local fishing at one of the shops (Getting a new tyre tube at the sports store) we were told to be down at the local jetty around an hour before the high tide for some good fishing. (Did not help us get any fish!) Arriving and sitting around at the top of the tide the shear amount of water moving in was really something to see! However, getting down to the jetty the next morning at dead low told the other half of the story. Seeing the whole loading pier sitting on 10+ metre pillions and barely a drop of water to be seen makes you really wonder "where did all the water go?" Seeing how much water moves in and out was a buzz for us but it barely got a blink out of the girls. Charli completed her longest ride to date as she and Kylz peddled from the caravan park down to the jetty, a 6km round trip!

The girls were enjoying the stay at the park and it only got better for them when our friends Col and Liz arrived in Derby. Having other kids to play with along the road this year has been a real highlight for the girls and really gives them a chance to get away from us and have some "kid" fun. Watching the way they act around other kids and how they go about making friends always gives us a bit of a laugh as well.

While in Derby we visited a couple of other local landmarks. On the way into town is an area that is home to more than one of these. A huge Boab prison tree (these must have been popular in the Kimberly!?) a very long concrete cattle water trough and a man made swimming pool called "Frosty's Pool". The Boab tree as its name suggests was used to hold accused prisoners and those being transported for trial while on stopovers in Derby. The huge water trough was built to more efficiently water the large numbers of cattle being driven into Derby for export or further along the Gibb River Road. Being 120m long and built in 1917 it could water 500 head at one time! This area was all "common" and was heavily used by the cattle drovers during those earlier years. Frosty's Pool is just a concrete bathtub basically, and was built to give the camps of soldiers, stationed in the area during WW11, somewhere to go for a bath that was crocodile free and freshwater! Both the pool and cattle trough used water from the town bore sunk in that common area just outside the town.

Having spent a few days in Derby I think we both were really able to get a bit of a feel of the town and the real highlights and a few of the drawbacks to living in a pretty remote part of our country. Driving around and seeing buildings being built and green grass as well, all sorts of travellers coming in and out of town showed us that there is plenty of life in what might seem a bit of a backwater to most of us. Derby also provides support for some even more remote areas via its port and barge loading supplies for transport to these remote areas. Our caravan park was a great place to stay with huge sites and good amenities, which is why, as we were told, it is booked solid during the dry season and had only just started to slow down as we arrived.

With only a couple hundred kilometres between us and the west coast town of Broome we were both ready to get going and after a bit of time spent now coming across the country we were looking forward to seeing the ocean again.